First of all, I consider our homeschooling to be very eclectic. In other words, we don't strictly follow any one homeschooling philosophy. I like many of the ideas out there like Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, and Montessori, but mostly I take what I like from this and that and adapt it to our own likes and needs.
We have a fairly large family so the simpler the curriculum the better. A few curriculums we have found successful are Teaching Textbooks for math, Institute for Excellence in Writing for writing skills, and Montessori: Letter Work and Phonics Pathways for teaching reading.
I value my children's time to play and explore on their own, which is why I was attracted to the Waldorf idea of not teaching children to read until they are in first or second grade. This takes a lot of stress off of me and the young children. Their job is to play and learn how to help out around the house. When I do finally teach them to read they catch on well and have enjoyed reading.
Once in a while, when my energy is just right, we go on a field trip. Because we live close to Brigham Young University we get to take advantage of their museums--the Museum of Art, the Museum of Peoples and Cultures, the Life Science Museum, and the Museum of Paleontology. Here are a few pictures of a recent trip to the Museum of Peoples and Cultures:
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| Kimball |
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| Samuel, Parley, and Brigham |
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| Kimball |
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| June taking a nap |
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| Enoch, Samuel, Kimball, Parley, and Brigham |
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| Enoch |
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| Brigham |
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| Parley |
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| Samuel |
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| Samuel and Brigham |
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| Samuel |
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| Kimball and Enoch on a field trip in the BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures. |
