Tacking

Our homeschooling sails occasionally luff. Sometimes it's obvious by the complaints and/or apathy of my kids. Sometimes I just sense that they're ready for more or different...something. The latter being the case, we're going to experiment, starting this week, with a bit more child-led scheduling.

The kids and I sat down with the family calendar. I pointed out their classes, fields trips to which we've already committed, my volunteer schedule and park days. I mandated a certain amount of math and language arts. Then, I told them they could fill up the weeks with one field trip/activity of their choice per kid per week.

Should be fun. They've chosen a variety of activities for May. Closer to home, they want to put on some plays, ride bikes, letterbox and bug hunt. Not so close to home, they want to cavort at some state parks, explore some caverns and patronize zoos.

What works for us is a moving target. It evolves with their intellects and interests. We'll see how much wind our sails catch in this direction.