[email protected]

In a message dated 1/26/2000 11:44:16 PM, [email protected]
writes:

<<The sisters are 4 and 7 and the other little girl is 8.


What kinds of things do kids these ages do for schooling? They are coming

from IS and I will probably need to begin with some structure for their

comfort and ease out of it as they deschool and settle into the family.>>

Nanci -

If the 7 year old is not "old for her years" how about something like Five in
a Row, if you get the 4 and 7 year old sisters? This is a literature based
"curriculum" that's not very curricular. What you do is read some really
good picture books several times and explore concepts in language arts,
social studies, science and art. I think the best ages for this are 5 and 6,
but your potential kids could be within the range.
(Check out the website: www.fiveinarow.com.)

They do recommend supplementing Five in a Row with math and phonics
instruction.

One lesson book, covering about 20 books, or 20 weeks of lessons costs about
$20, I think. You can get the story books at the library, usually.

Anyway, something with lots of reading stories on the couch and having the
siblings work on the same stuff, but at their own level seems like it would
promote togetherness.

I have less clear ideas about how to approach an 8 year old. Although, Laura
Ingalls Wilder books have been big with the homeschooled girls I have known.

Best wishes,
Betsy

Brooke T Patten

>I am becoming fairly isolated and fear that my ideas will only take me
more >towards isolation. The internet is a wonderful "place" to contact
>like-minded people, but it is not the same as having a real community.

My daughter is only 2 and we have only begun researching homeschooling,
and then ultimately unschooling, in the past 6 months. But even so, I've
already joined the local support group in our area, Tulsa, Oklahoma, for
homeschoolers. I thought for sure we would be out of place being
non-churchgoers and planning to unschool, but to my surprise, most of
these families who've been doing it for years already have moved
naturally from schooling at home to unschooling, and they are eager to
talk about it at these Mom's Night Out or Monthly meetings. I highly
recommend it, even if you don't begin right away. It's a great way to
put into reality all the things we've read and thought that brought us to
this decision. And, it makes a real life community instead of that vast
internet one. You can look in the back of GWS or HEM for the support
group nearest you.

Brooke

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