One of the requirements of the state of Ohio is that we notify our school district that we are educating at home. Another is to provide a general outline of our plans for the year. The list I sent superintendent Gene Harris was imbibed with eduspeak. Our real scope and sequence is more like this:
Scope (the variety of what we teach practice together)
Life: contribute to our family and the community by daily participation in chores, projects, and social interactions feed ourselves well exercise our bodies daily monitor and provide for the plants and animals we keep develop friendships, learning to resolve conflicts, negotiate, and hear other viewpoints communicate with friends and family around the world via phone calls, text messages, and paper letters explore community norms by exchanging money, understanding traffic laws, voting, and supporting local businesses
Appreciation: observe nature, measure and count, and accumulate identifications of what lives around and among humans question the past, using first hand experiences and many sources to understand history listen, dance, and make a variety of music play and experiment with art mediums visit museums, parks, historical sites, and libraries ask questions about the world and find answers read, read, read Sequence (how we choose what to study and when)
We follow Lil's development as a natural guide for choosing what interests and activities to pursue. She is currently fascinated by the natural world, exotic places like Africa, and movement.
Alex and I empower Lil to make decisions about herself and find answers to her questions in all aspects of our daily life. We help her learn to use tools such as books, rulers, calculators, encyclopedias, cameras, maps, computers, knives, and logical reasoning to find answers. Our home, garden, and neighborhood are hers to explore.
To ensure that Lil experiences a variety of social learning, we daily learn with others outside our home. Our weekly activities include:
Monday - morning class and play with a friend
Tuesday - two classes at our homeschool co-op
Wednesday - afternoon at Gram and Tompa school (Alex's parents)
Thursday - gym and pottery at rec center
Friday - field trip with friends
Saturday - home, field trips, family
Sunday - home, field trips, family
If Alex's work travel schedule aligns with my cooking class schedule, we will travel at least every other month this year. We may be able to accompany him to India, Philadelphia, Arizona, and/or France this year. Family trips to Athens, Ohio (October 2011) San Salvador Island (February 2012) and Hawaii (June 2012) are already in the works.
With a month of official homeschooling (but no travel other than Urbana, boo) under our belt, I am loving the freedom and opportunities we have with this learning situation. Lil is not the only student - her questions prompt Alex and I to inquire, study, and take on new projects. We truly enjoy building our lives around this fascinating world.
What's the scope and sequence of your current life?
PS. Lil is recording some of her experiences in her own words at her blog, Lil's Dot Com.
Added to Simple Lives Thursday.</em>