Extracurricular Activities and Field Trips

Since I am starting to homeschool my children I feel the need for them to be in some extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, art, drama, music, scouting, dance, home economics (cooking, sewing, etc.), language, and various clubs, are an important part of education. I think that my oldest son would benefit from doing some kind of martial art (I am thinking maybe Karate) because he needs the discipline it teaches. My youngest son needs something that will put some of his overabundant energies into good use. Maybe something like gymnastics (tumbling) or some other sport. My daughter would probably love some kind of music therapy...possibly something like Kindermusik, Gymboree, or Music Together and/or some kind of animal therapy...maybe with a hypoallergenic dog or a mini pony. I also want to start my boys in swimming classes, a 4-H club, and Boyscouts when the time comes.

I also love incorporating field trips to museums, zoos, farms, aquariums, aviaries, fish hatcheries, the ocean, parks and recreation, playgrounds, historical sights, monuments, factories, libraries, observatories, sanctuaries, nature centers, gardens, orchards, greenhouses, pumpkin patches, hospitals, fire stations, planetariums, etc. These are such awesome places of learning.

New to Homeschooling

I am somewhat new to the art of homeschooling. I have known many people over the years who have done homechooling with their children and I have admired their strength and discipline. I have wanted to homeschool since before I was married, but I had never really had the guts to. Now after putting my first born through Kindergarten in the public school system I realize that it is best for him and my other two children to start homeschool.

I have been researching the best way of teaching them. I have been reading about learning styles and the multiple intelligence theory. The web is full of information on this that is very interesting. My children are still very young so it is a bit difficult to tell which styles they excell at. I haven't really had a professional opinion about the learning styles so I don't know if I am totally correct but I am going to experiment later to see if I am.

My oldest son is now 6 years old and has a love of games, and math. I believe he is a visual (spatial) learner and mathematical (logical) learner. There are two different types of visual learners: the picture type and the print type. My oldest is very much the picture type. He sees pictures of things in his mind to represent concepts and objects. He loves math and does it very well. He loves using manipulatives and the abacus to help him visualize the problems he is trying to work out. He also loves music...so maybe he is a little bit of an aural (auditory-musical-rhythmic) learner as well.

My youngest son is 5 years old and loves outdoors, art, inventing, and eating (I am not particularly worried about the eating thing because he is very energetic and burns a lot of calories). I believe my youngest son is a physical (tactual-kinesthetic) and visual (spatial) learner. He fidgets and can’t sit still for long. He always wants to get up and move around. He is the print and picture type of visual learner. He likes to learn how to spell simple words and write them. He sounds them out letter by letter out loud...so maybe he is also a little bit of an aural (auditory-musical-rhythmic) learner. He is a chatter box...so maybe a little verbal (linguistic) learner also.

My daughter is 3 years old and loves music and to be held, rocked, and cuddled. She is definitely an aural (auditory-musical-rhythmic) and physical (kinesthetic) learner because she is totally blind. She craves attention by touch and has a great sense of rhythm. You can learn more about her by going to this website... http://lovequilts2005children.homestead.com/TatianaA.html

I think I am a naturalistic, visual (spatial), and aural (auditory-musical-rhythmic) learner. I love the outdoors...camping, hiking, biking, gardening, horseback riding, beachcombing, boating, etc. I also love dolphin, whales, and horses. I love making crafts out of nature too. I love photography and try to be very organized. I have a good ear for music and when I played violin in school I learned primarily by ear. I love listening to books on tape since I can accomplish twice as much when I do. You can learn more about me at my profile page... http://www.geocities.com/finamoon/index.html

I believe my husband is a physical (tactual-kinesthetic), verbal (linguistic), and naturalistic learner. He has the great ability to take things apart and put them back together correctly with very little to go by, to think outside the box, and to make beautiful things with his hands and tools. He is always thinking about how and what other people might think about things so that he may better understand them. He also loves a challenge. He has a great big heart and would someday soon like to save the world. Some of his hobbies and interests include: woodworking, nuclear power [he was in the Navy on a nuclear powered submarine before I met him and he has worked at a combined cycle power plant (CCPP)], windsurfing, aikido, biking, teaching animation, public speaking, debate, sentient rights, global warming, and cetacean communication. You can see his woodworking website at... http://www.brianmabel.com/

My Homeschooling Style

I am a member of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints. We are also known by many as LDS or Mormon. I am also a mother of three beautiful children. Two boys and a girl. I am homeschooling my children in an eclectic way. Eclectic homeschooling is simply; selecting and using what seems best from various sources, systems, or schools of thought. This approach combines some of the elements of the other approaches. I am using the combination of elements from Charlotte Mason, Unit Studies, Waldorf, Montessori, Classical, Unschooling, and LDS/Christian approaches. I might combine other approaches if I feel that they go well with what I am teaching.

I love the idea of incorporating these things into my homeschooling...
Character Building/Living Books
Lapbooking/Notebooking
Flashcards/Charts/Worksheets
Copious (abundant) Reading: Dictation/Narration/Phonics/Library Visits
Writing: Copywork
Mathematics: Manipulatives
Art: Picture Study
Music: Composer Study
Foreign LanguageBible/BofM Study
Homemaking/Nature Study and observation/Nature Journal