Our Current Homeschool Routine - Virtual Homeschool Fair - Week 2

For week 2 of the Virtual Homeschool Fair, which is hosted by Homeschooling Hearts and Minds, we are talking method of homeschooling.

When it comes to the how of homeschooling, and the method that we all follow, with the 20 plus blogger participating I can guarantee you, no method will be the same. Homeschooling is a lifestyle and a path unto a goal or toward a direction that each family sets for itself. For us, this encompasses academic rigor, as well as Christian values and depth of understanding of how to live in this world as Christians. To that end, earlier on we had settled on a classical education.

10 years into it, I cannot say we have been very good classical homeshooler. We did not follow the method and philosophy to a T but instead adapted it to our family's routine and rhythm. We became more relaxed classical homeschooler. I had good intentions with the Latin and Greek, but not enough discipline and it did not appeal to the boys; my oldest son did two years, the other son, one year. Memorization and copywork has not always been consistent, but present. That said, even with our method becoming more relaxed Classical homeschooling, we have been able to work toward our goal. How you may ask? By focusing on the essentials:

• Strong emphasis in the humanities
• Solid Math foundation
• Instruction in logic and reasonning
• Instruction in writing and rhetoric
• Instruction in Biblical literacy and doctrine
• Emphasis on critical thinking

When it comes to routine my goal has always been to steer my boys to independent work. My youngest, being an organized child by nature, picked it up early and does all his school work on his own schedule. My oldest on the other hand has had a harder time, being the procrastinater and dreamer that he is. So, with this year being his sophomore year, I had to be more hands on and work with him every night on his next day's schedule. This has been going on a week, as this is the new endeavor of this semester (since the first semester on his own did not go as planned), and he has been liking it leading to his work been completed. Success!!!!

I do not run a school at home, so the boys have lots of latitude when it comes to time. They tend to go to bed late, but I do require their work to be completed on a weekly basis. My youngest is a late riser, but self-scheduled. My oldest does not mind waking up early, so we set a schedule up for him with an early start and fluid transition time between his subjects.

We always eat dinner together, which is when we go through our catechism. We play a lot of games together and watch lots of movies or TV shows together, as my oldest is very much into movies and everything that has to do with the movie industry. I find that watching the movies and tvs shows opens up a lot of conversation and keeps the boys  aware of what our society is like and what they will have to face in the future. I do not believe in sheltering. Homeschooling is shelter enough, now they need to be taught wisdom and discernment. I love this definition I read recently:

“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.”

—C.H. Spurgeon

Next week I will talk more specifically about the curriculum we used and have used, but for this week, this is in broad strokes, what our routine and method consists of.

What do my fellow homeschool bloggers have to say about their Homeschool Method? Go visit them to find out!

How Our Academic Co-op Completes Our Eclectic Homeschool by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
A Method to Our Madness by Michele @ Family, Faith and Fridays
Finding Our Homeschool Method by Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool
How We Homeschool by Amanda @ Hopkins Homeschool
Give Us.... by Annette @ A Net in Time
A day in our Home by Sarah@DeliveringGrace
Lit-Based Education: How We Homeschool by Debra @ Footprints in the Butter
Overhauling Our Homeschool - Adjusting our "How" to fit our "Why" by Sabrina Scheerer @ Kids, Crunch, and Christ
A Day in the Life of a Homeschooler: Expectation Vs. Reality by Leah @ As We Walk Along the Road
How Charlotte Mason Transformed Our Homeschool by Brittney @ Mom's Heart
Captain's Log, Supplemental - Our Homeschool Days by Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
How we get it done. by Kim @ Good Sweet Love
How to Organize Daily Curriculum with the School Cart by Jeniffer @ Thou Shall Not Whine
Learning For LIfe by Lori H @ At Home: where life happens
Eclectic Homeschooling: When It All Comes Together by Jen @ A Helping Hand Homeschool
A Typical Day? by Lizzy @ Peaches@Home
This is the Way We Do Our School, So Early in the Morning by Laura @ Four Little Penguins
A Little of This and a Little of That: Eclectic Homeschooling by Laura O @ Day by Day in Our World
Still Classically Educating After All These Years by True North Homeschool Academy
So what exactly is Life Led Homeschooling? by Dana @ Life Led Homeschool
The way we learn ~ 2018 Virtual Homeschool Fair by Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning
Our Homeschool Routine by Joelle @Homeschooling For His Glory
Homeschool Methods – 8 Tips for the Journey by Kristen @ Sunrise to Sunset