My Educational Outlook and Philosophy

After I decided that I wanted to homeschool, I never really gave much thought to curriculum. I just had the idea that I would order it, follow detailed instructions in a teacher's manual and then send it back in to be graded. (I did not know there were so many options prior to actually beginning our homeschooling journey)

I had pretty much thought that all curricula were the same. I knew that we would be teaching our children from a Catholic point of view, so their education would also contribute to their growth in Faith and hopefully holiness. The other thing I wanted to give our children in addition to a love and zeal for the Faith, was a solid, strong education that would enable them to do whatever work God has in store for them.

When my son was about 3, I figured out that a pre-packaged curriculum was just not for us. I want my children to be able to move ahead as needed. In other words, I did not want to hold them back from challenging and exciting work in lieu of keeping them doing something "age appropriate." So I began to order books for kindergarten two years ago. I had a whole plan of every material I was going to use. Upon receiving the materials, I thought that they looked great. I was so excited to begin.

This is where experience is so valuable. I was really displeased with the kindergarten science books that I ordered (I'm going to review them later) and also sorely disappointed with my choice for a phonics book. I threw the science books in the trash, I think the phonics books may still be in a closet somewhere. The valuable lesson that I learned is that sometimes, you just cannot tell if something will work based on reading it, you actually have to attempt it with your child to tell if it is the right fit for your family.

Soon after, I was encouraged to read "The Well-Trained Mind" by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. I knew a little about most of the homeschooling styles, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, correspondence schools and so on. But this book really helped me understand that I was a classical homeschooler. This book spoke directly to me, it is my absolute favorite book on homeschooling. Though I do vary, in that I provide a Catholic education, this book was great tool to show me that a classical education best fits our lives and beliefs and Catholic parents.

So here I am, a very serious traditional Catholic educator of the classical method of education, trying to wade my way through each grade level for the first time. I am having more fun, fulfillment and pleasure than I ever imagined.