Edward and Cake

I have to share this. Edward is so funny when it comes to cake or cupcakes.....he will eat all the frosting off of the cake or cupcake but refuses to eat the actual cake part of the dessert. Instead he gives it to the dogs. I can't get him to eat it for anything. What a silly kid.

First Day of Homeschool Bowling League

Today was the first day of Edwards Homeschool Bowling League. They said this is the biggest turn out for this league.....60 kids (this is their 11th year for this league). He did Awesome. He scored a 71 his first game and a 86 his second, plus he got a spare. He could have had 3 more spares but one of the pins kept giving him a hard time and not falling even when it encountered his ball. He has a little gal on his team this year. She is only 3 and so petite, the 6lb ball is as big as she is.
This week we have been working on the new Curriculum flashcards, we are working on Pre-Reader books. We are also doing paper work (not Curriculum....we will officially start the Curriculum work next week....wanted to ease Edward into the school year) and Brain Quest Cards. Today we also finger painted. Tomorrow is a BUSY day for us. We have school early in the morning, so that we can get to our Co-op class by 10:45am, then we have Monart for Homeschoolers at 4pm ( I think that is the time).

Why We Choose To Homeschool Edward

I have been having some difficulties with people not understanding why we are choosing to homeschool our son. There are so many reasons and I find it hard to verbalize the reasons to them correctly, so I thought that maybe if I wrote about it it would help me to be able to get the reasons across correctly. Of course there is the freedom of being able to worship and learn about God. Teaching Edward the TRUE reasons why this country was founded. School is in no way like it was when I was in the education system (not saying it was the greatest then either) and it defiantly is nothing like it was back when our parents and grandparents went to school. School has become an institutional setting. It is a proven fact that children who are homeschooled are more socialized than those who attend a public (and sometimes Private) school setting. Children are made to act like as the teacher thinks all children should act, there is no room for individualized personalities....you risk your child being slapped with a label if they don't conform to the way their teacher(s) feel that a child should be. Children in public school are required to sit still for hours on end at desks, they are not allowed to move, talk or do the things that come natural to a child. I know that schools have lots of great programs for advanced learns and if the teacher is really on top of things they might catch one or two who are struggling in reading or writing. But there are those students who might be so great at math but wonderfully smart at science. This student is usually overlooked, instead of working on the child's strengths and helping them with their struggles they are just shuffled into the mix. Yes there are some good school districts but you have to realize that ME ME ME is the structure of ALL public school systems. A child's individual interests are not used as a way to help make learning more interesting and fun for them because so many children are shoved together into one classroom that it is hard to individualize their learning behaviors let alone their interests. Homeschool tends to be more hands on, individualized to each child. Yes even if there is more than one or two children being taught by one person (even when they are of different ages. I wont even go into the fact that public school is dangerous to our children in so many ways. God didn't make children, let alone people, to all fit into one "cookie cutter mold". We are all different and unique, we all learn in different matters and to make school the best for our children their learning situations need to be individualized for each child. Homeschooling allows us to do that. My son does not lack for socialization, he is able to socialized daily with everyone from the elderly to babies. He is able to learn according to his unique learning behaviors (some people learn by sight, others by doing, others by repetition and so forth) that God has given to him, he is able to incorporate his interests into his learning situations so that it makes learning more interesting to him. He is able to go to locations and see things (daily if we choose) that teach him how things work, are made and so forth. He is able to learn history right were it happened, if we want to take him to those locations. We are able to educate him during the time of the day that is best for him, when he is alert and able to grasp concepts. We are able to go at his pace not a pace that is made to accommodate the average child in the room (therefore those ahead of the average learn are forced to lag behind in their learning experiences unless they are able to meet the requirements for advanced learning classes. Those who struggle and are unable to grasp a certain concept of the subject being taught them are forced to struggle and usually lag behind the rest of those in their class...which causes them to stand out to the other children and they are usually ridiculed by their peers for being slow or having less than average grades. Yes there are special education classes for the slowest of learners but once again you have to meet the requirements for those classes that have been set forth by the public school system. So those that don't quite meet these requirements for advanced classes or special ed classes are forced to learn at the pace of the average learner in their class(es).) I will force myself not to get on my soapbox about recesses being shortened in lots of public school and in some place done away with all together, no more music and art classes, PE being done away with in some schools, and my favorite of all right now.....free constructive play time being taken away from Kindergartners when it is one of the most important aspects of their education at that age. Kindergartners are now forced to sit for long periods at desks and learn like the older children. In case you were unaware Kindergarten is now being considered the new FIRST GRADE. SAD is all I will say about all these topics, sad for our children, sad for our society. I wouldn't doubt that if in a few years if Preschool was considered the new FIRST GRADE and 3 & 4 yrs olds were required to sit for hours on end doing paper work and being drilled with facts. Our government through our public school systems are slowly taking away our children's only chance at CHILDHOOD. So Preschoolers will be required to do hours of homework after they come home from a long day at school, cutting out all chances for playing. SAD SAD SAD!!!!! I hope that this has given some insight as to why we have chosen to educate our son at home and not through the public school system. Please note that I do realize that for some the public school system is the only option, but please be your child(ren)s advocate.....stand up for what you want your child(ren)s learning experience(s) to be. You know your child(ren) better than any teacher ever could, you know their learning behaviors, where they excel and where they struggle. Be their voice when educators choose not to listen. This is not to say that there aren't awesome educators out there but you have to remember sometimes their hands too are tied by the government and the public school system.
I have a personal quote that I think says it best: As Homeschoolers, we are not limited by where and what books might teach us, or what a building can provide for learning experiences and materials. The World is our teaching resource....our learning palette, we learn from it by seeing, hearing, touching, and hands on experiencing it personally.~Desiree Thompson 9/6/07