The Learning Curve

We're taking a trip across Canada...Kind of.

We're following a journey with Honey over at Sunflower Schoolhouse and we are quite excited about it.  Squirt was just asking all kinds of questions about Canada, especially after the Olympics and hearing where all the different Canadian athletes were from so this will be good for him.

So far, since Squirt was born, we've traveled through part of Saskatchewan (north of our home mostly) as well as Drumheller and parts of southwestern Alberta and into British Columbia (Okanogan region).  This summer we are hoping to hit southern Saskatchewan and into the Manitoba area.  Hubby and I toured the Riding Mountain Park area many years ago and would love to travel there again so fingers crossed that time will allow such a holiday this summer.

As we go on our journey, I will post our trip here and I will try to post pictures.  I misplaced my camera cord and the computer refuses to read the camera memory card so will have to search for the cord this weekend.  I know I was downloading pictures to the laptop over summer while we were camping so I'm thinking it might be in the camper.  I do know I will definately be posting links and images about this beautiful province I call home and talking about the things we have here.

Like I tell everyone not familiar with Saskatchewan - the only thing flat and straight about this whole province are the borders!

Tweaking...I like that word.  It fits well with what we've done to Ms. Patrick's system.  We've tweaked it to become our own...and it works for us and our tiny space.

For us we decided to go with a file folder system simply because I wanted something that could be easily stuck away in non-school times.  We do the "hands on paper and books" time at the kitchen table...in a small kitchen...where I cook and fold laundry and do books and payroll and where we also eat.  There was simply no room in this area for a dozen workboxes regardless of how small they might have been - remember, they would have had to be large enough to accomodate the books and items we use, etc.

I found a box that works for us.  I actually found it in the basement and it was a small desk file that I used to use to hold correspondence when I was teaching.  It holds twelve file folders, neatly separated, but the box is still large enough to accomodate most of our workbooks and other items - though paint supplies still remain in the art cupboard but I simply add a sticky-note saying "retrieve red, blue and yellow paint and paint brushes from art cupboard"...not as handy but Squirt doesn't mind.

Each evening I take five minutes and gather together what we are working on the next day, fill the file box and set it on the table.  I fill Squirt's basket with the chart labels - #1, #2, #3, etc with velcro on the back - so that they are ready to go first thing in the morning.  I have a smallish basket where all the day's work goes into as Squirt finishes - math minutes sheets, file folder games, DVDs that he watched, etc.  So when I have a moment I simply reach in, check over his work and mark it complete (or incomplete) and move on.  He finishes anything I mark incomplete and then before his day is done, he has to place all papers where they belong - math minutes go into his math binder, science lapbook items go into a pouch in his science binder, etc.  Then we are done AND the table is already cleared!!!  No rushing to clear the table before setting the table for supper!

I'm sure Ms. Patrick would not approve BUT it is what works for us and that is the main point.  We are getting a lot more accomplished PLUS Squirt is enjoying his day as it is broken up - I always include a couple games every day now - be it math games, scavenger hunts, computer games or file folder games - and I am able to do this because I am better planned for our learning experience.

And lately, with the extremely warm weather we've been having here, I have been able to plan far more activities for outside - and we've adapted even further by laminating index cards and I write activities on there and OUT WE GO!  We've been at the park quite often, traipsing through what remains of the snow.  We've gone exploring the neighbourhood via the back alley.  We've examined snow crystals and "crunchy snow" (Squirt's words) and even discussed the physics behind snowmen..snow person?...We've examined trees and the buds at the very tips of the branches.  We've painted snow...We've experimented with blowing bubbles in the cooler temperatures...We've blown coloured bubbles and watched how they exploded on the white snow...

Yes, we've taken pictures of everything we've done...but I seem to have misplaced the cord that allows me to download the pictures to the computer...but as soon as I find it I will include some pictures.

So each evening, based on what the weather is going to be according to the weather channel, I will fill the file folder/workboxes, or fill the index cards with various outdoor activities and our day is set.

I was recently approached by someone asking how on earth we can afford to live off one income simply so I can homeschool.

Easy, I told her.

First, it costs me very little to homeschool.  I don't purchase a lot of items every fall for the school year.  This year I did spend a bit more than usual simply because of the math program I wanted for Squirt, as well as the grammar program.  All totaled, those two programs cost me $75 for workbooks and texts.  The rest we get for free from the library or internet.  (I did spend a bit this year on games and other educational items such as the globe, models of the heart and other body parts, etc etc - but those are one time purchases so not a yearly expense so I did not include those in my "curriculum costs")

There is a wealth of free stuff for homeschoolers on the internet.  It just takes some time to sort out and bookmark what you think you might use.  If they come in the form of downloads, do it.  The cost?  Space on your computer or a few CDs or DVDs that you can peruse at your leisure.

Then there are always other homeschoolers or former homeschoolers.  Not only to they offer a wealth of information and support, but often they have items you can borrow.  I was able to find text books and unused workbooks that one former homeschooler never used - and she had been given them from another homeschooler who only used them slightly.  Squirt didn't use the whole books, but there were bits and pieces of information and activities that we put to use.  When we were done, they were given to another homeschooling family.  Since these particular books had been long out of print we didn't feel guilty about "handing them down" to the next generation.

BUT I was not blind to the fact that she was not exactly asking about homeschooling costs, but the fact that we went from a two-income family to a single income family.  Funny thing is, it was only AFTER having gone from 2 to 1 income that we were able to afford to purchase a house and buy a new vehicle.

Why?

Because our own silly spending habits HAD to change.  After quitting my job to stay home and raise our son, we no longer ate out 3-4 times a week but started cooking and eating at home.  We no longer bought what ever we wanted, when we wanted - every purchase has to actually be thought about and more often than not, we end up deciding we don't need it or we wait until it is on an extremely good sale - such as DHs quad - when others purchased theirs for $4000, he waited and waited and found a brand new one for $1500.  We don't have brand new furniture and are in need, but we will find what we want at a price we can afford eventually. 

I no longer had the expense of travelling to and from work or the added expense of rent on another house depending on where I worked - reserve positions often require you to live there simply because of distance so I would have to pay for a complete second house, food, television, heating, power, telephone, etc as well as contributing to our own house together.

So if I had returned to work, I would have had the added expense of child care costs (anywhere from $800 to $1800 a month depending on the establishment and if I would require Squirt to be transferred to and from school - and so much because we would not qualify for child care subsidies due to higher income levels).  I would also have to have a decent wardrobe - no going to work in sweats or pajamas every day.

Then there are days when I would be required to be away, due to conferences or class trips, etc.  And if Hubby was gone that week to work out of town?  Well, we would have to arrange for Squirt to stay at one of the 24-hour day cares then...at an additional cost because we don't have family able to take him without him missing school.  And really, who wants their kids staying with strangers for 2-3 days?  NOT me!

Our yearly income tax would also be higher because DH would not qualify for the lower taxes because I would be making above $20 grand a year.  As a teacher, if I had not taken any time off to raise our son I would be in the $50 thousand plus group now and would be paying taxes on that as well. 

I had to laugh and told her that in actuality, our take home pay NOW is actually MORE than what it would be if we both worked - yes, it is something we figured out one evening just because we wanted to see.  We would be living off of close to $10 thousand a year LESS if I returned to work simply due to taxes and monthly expenses.

So for us, it makes more sense financially for me to remain at home and homeschool our child.

Does it work that way for every family?  Of course not.  BUT what is true for any family is the fact that in order to homeschool or even remain home to raise your child/ren, you have to make adjustments.  You have to change your spending habits - which is not necessarily a bad thing.

We have been using Story of the World as a basis for our Social Studies, History and Geography programs.  We've spent a lot of time exploring the different countries of the world via SOTW and Squirt knows not only where Egypt is but the surrounding countries as they were and as they are.

But I've decided that for the next couple months we are going to focus a little closer to home.

So starting today, we are going to explore Canada.  We will be learning about Canada's rich history, the Aboriginal peoples, the provinces, resources, economy and all that kind of stuff.  But we will also be focusing on Saskatchewan - our home province.

I decided this after a discussion DH and I had last night about what we're going to do this summer.

In June we are going to the science centre in Regina with the Beaver Scouts.  We will even be spending the night IN the science centre so the Beavs are looking forward to that one!  Watching IMAX as well...It is going to be a fun trip!

So then we started talking about how to extend this into a family holiday like we did with the Scout trip to Drumheller, Alberta last June.  We went to Drumheller for the weekend with the Scouts, then extended our trip and visited the Calgary Zoo, Pincher Creek, Frank Slide and took the "scenic route" through the mountains and down into the Okanogan and back up into Banff, Alberta and home again.

So I thought, why can we not do the same thing this year BUT keep it in Saskatchewan?  And what a better way to reinforce what we have learned about Saskatchewan than to explore a small corner of it?

DH agreed...but then added...

"Or, we could get our passports and maybe head down into the States and take him to see Yellowstone.  And we never did make it into the Dakotas.  I'd like to visit them someday so maybe this year since I'm planning on at least two full weeks..."...

So I guess holiday plans are still in the discussion phase...And two full weeks?  I am still reeling from that announcement since he hasn't taken two full weeks of holidays since 1995 when we won a cruise on a clipper ship!

Anyways, you would think being Canadian and having lived in Saskatchewan I would KNOW what we're going to study right off the get go.

Oh...so wrong!

And I've come to realize just how much a person takes for granted and just lets slip by when it is part of a person's daily life.

• I can tell you the name of the governor of California...but I honestly had to look up to see just who our MLA and our MP were!
• I know who the president of the US is (and yes, the prime minister of Canada)...And I could tell you who were the two who ran together against Obama...but I had to look up to see who leads the opposition party of this country and the leaders of the parties who ran against Harper!
• I can tell you the name of Obama's wife and that they have two girls...but I honestly couldn't tell you a single thing about Stephen Harper's family...I can now tho!  His wife's name is Laureen, and they have two children, Benjamin and Rachel.

I could go on...and on...

Just goes to show how American television is such a part of our lives.

I think I'd better start watching the CBC a bit more.  Dad will be happy with that.

We decided at the beginning of the school year to try something a little different this year.  Instead of following the regular school year schedule, we were going to "do school" for three weeks, then take a week off.  We would also be "doing school" year round versus taking July and August completely off.  Not that we really completely took July and August off - we still did a few unit plans that did not involve paper work.  Nature stuff mostly - like observing animals, plants, insects, weather, etc.

So this was our first official week off on our new schedule and this is what I discovered...

If there is nothing planned for school, Squirt is constantly asking what we are going to do for school that day.

If there is nothing planned for school, PS2 and DS are boring and he's on his own computer (the old computer that has next to no memory) playing Reader Rabbit or some other educational game.

If there is nothing planned for school, Squirt can be found on the couch reading about bears, wolves, stars, planets and what ever other book we dragged home from the library.

If there is nothing planned for school, Squirt will plug in the cd/cassette player and listen to books on tape while reading along.  This week was Suess and Munsch.

If there is nothing planned for school, Squirt can be found in the kitchen asking if we can bake cookies and asking me why we use this ingredient or that and what each of them do.

If there is nothing planned for school, Squirt is at the table doing a craft on his own.  This week it was a toilet paper tube Autumn Wreath (complete with bent beyond any further use wire coat hanger), milk carton pirate ship, beaver lodge out of toothpicks and popsicle sticks and what ever else happened to strike his fancy.

If there is nothing planned for school, Squirt can be found sitting on the floor playing with Legos he hasn't played with in over six months.

In short...If there is nothing planned for school, I don't hear a single complaint about school.  I don't hear a single moan or groan about coming to the table.  I don't hear a single "when I'm done this level" - when he's pulled out the ps2 without my knowledge and started playing when he knows he's not allowed to play it until after 4 pm...

I think I just might like this new schedule.

One of the nice things about homeschooling is the fact that during the day, Squirt and I get to do all kinds of things that regular classroom students don't have the opportunity to do.  We can go to the park and explore the trails.  We can go to the park and play on the swings virtually undisturbed by "the bullies" of the playground.  We can go for walks around our neighbourhood and examine every crack and crevice in the sidewalk and discuss how the freezing of moisture in the ground causes the pushing up of the ground which causes the cement and pavement to crack over the winter, leaving these cracks and crevices when the ground thaws again in the spring.

It was during one of these walks this week when we witnessed a fight on the school ground just as the students were being dismissed for lunch.  Once the fight had broken out and the kids all sent on their way - home or to the office - I happened to overhear the teachers talking...

"Why don't the parents teach these kids any social skills?" was the main question they were asking as they dusted off their hands. 

Then, one of the teachers noticed us and noticed that Squirt was not one of the students at the smallish school.

"Are you wanting to register him for school?" She asked.

Squirt said "No.  We homeschool.  We're out for a walk because it's a beautiful day."

The teacher looked at me and honestly, the first thing out of her mouth was "Aren't you worried about socialization?  How is he ever going to learn how to behave with other people if he doesn't attend school?"

HUH?

Yeah, I was dumbfounded.  They had JUST broken up a fist fight between a 70 pound kid who was being beaten by TWO kids who were almost twice his size and I am supposed to be concerned about my son's LACK of socialization???

AND they had JUST said "Why aren't these parents teaching their children any social skills?" while I am doing exactly that by teaching my son that fighting is NOT something he does to fix a problem and I am supposed to be concerned that I am not teaching my son enough to "survive in the real world"?

I just looked at her and smiled and said "If the socialization you speak of is the fighting we just witnessed, then no, I am not concerned at all because in our house and in our yard, my son knows he is not going to be beaten up and bullied.  He knows it is safe to say what he wants, when he wants and to whom ever he wants because we discuss things.  He knows he does not have to raise his hand to use the bathroom and he knows he does not have to raise his hand to ask a question.  He can speak to an adult as easily as he can speak to a seven year old, and the topic is often the same."

"Yes, but there are skills children need to know that they can only learn from their peers" she tried to push.  "How is he going to learn how to play with children who are different than him?  After all, not all people in the world are white and middle class." 

She did say this with a sneer...and it made me want to laugh...

I am part Native.  And while we consider ourselves middle class, the Sask government has just informed us that we are low income.  Didn't know that, Mr. Wall...Thanks for telling us, Mr. Wall...

"He has peers," I answered.  "He plays regularly with the kids in the neighbourhood.  Not just for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon, but for 1-3 hours a day, sometimes longer if he wants and if the kids are able.  He plays with children who are white, who are brown, who are black and who are yellow.  He plays with children who are 4 and children who are 14.  He plays with children who are Christian, he plays with children who are Jehovah's Witnesses.  He has friends who are Jewish and friends who are being raised agnostic and those who are being raised athiest.  He has friends who have Down Syndrome and friends who walk with braces or are not able to walk at all.  He has a friend who is unable to see, and a friend who is hard of hearing.  And he has family members who are Mennonite, and family members who live on reserve.  And all of his friends and family he looks at as that...friends and family.  He does not look at them and sees white or brown, religious preference or abilities.  He just sees friends and family."

Of course, she started in on a rant about how I am the downfall of the education system because "people like me" think we can do better than the "trained professionals" ...

But it was Squirt who made her go quiet when he said...

"Mommy, were all teachers like this when you worked as a teacher?" 

(Yes, my son is a pro at the subtleties of language and he did put a little more emphasis on the fact that I was once a teacher!)

I just smiled and said "No, Squirt."  and we went along our little walk.

Hmmm...Maybe she was homeschooled and never learned the social skills she would have at public school...