All of us "teach" our kids at home. Some of us home school - some decide to continue with the schools and additionally teach kids at home.
We are home schooling our 10yr old daughter, Asawari, and this website is to share how we are going about this.
When our 10yr old daughter, Asawari started saying "this is the only right answer" or She used to refuse to think beyond "text book" and "one right and wrong answer". We realize that the things are not going correct. We decided to HOME SCHOOL her.
It is not about one school - if we were unhappy with one school we would have put her in another school - BUT it was about the whole "education system" so decided to put her in another education system. Current system is producing "Factory made" human beings. All the students should be good in all the subjects and all the skills. The system (parent and teacher both together) put more emphasis on what the child is not good at. And in the process KILL the natural skills too.
Let us sculpt each child differently. And to sculpt every child in a "master piece" we need to "break away" from the current education system. Since we both work in this field it is an easier and exciting decision.
When one does something different - there are a lot of apprehensions - we too had (have) our share. And one of the standard apprehension was that she will miss her friends - But when we looked back into her life we realize that she "enjoys being with herself"; we realize she will make fri4ends otherwise when she wants to and also her younger brother is a great company!
What was Asawri's Response: She said "I am happy with the way my teachers teaches me so I am not sure about Home Schooling". Well we decided to try home schooling for 15days during Dushera Holidays. In principal she is very open minded and open for trying out new things. On the third day of HS she said "I am happy - I would like to do HS - I can do so much !!!" And after that there is no looking back.
What is HOME SCHOOLING
- Is it taking up the curriculum and just make child study at home (another school at home with structured study, self exams etc.)
- or let the child just learn on herself
- or guide the child and let her experience, explore, experiment ... all her own way.
Currently we are working with the last method - EXPERIENCE Experience the thinking skills Experience the learning Experience your interest, goals.
Do everything will full fun, involvement, and emotions and we use Multiple Intelligence, Questioning - Bloom taxonomy, Mind map, etc :-)
Level 1 First she decides on what topic she wants to work - say Gandhiji, Transport and Fractions Then we do KWL for all the topics K - what I know W - What I want to know L - what i learnt
Level 2 Then make Mind Map for each topic that How we can learn - say about gandhiji - we can read, make mural from his life story, make a sketch, write letter and so on. Then just GO for it Realaize that in the whole process - We only spend time at the level 1....with her, level 2 work she does herself.
We do use Bloom Taxonomy for questioning to expanding thinking skills. Benefits: What we see is that she has started "questioning" and "wondering". She is Self motivated to learn. She comes out with LOADS of ideas to do things and she DOES. When somebody ask her "do you miss your friends" - she just smiles at them.
For us every place, every event, every person, ever thing has turned into learning opportunity and resource - that is how naturally children learn (John Holt is smiling with glee!)
