We have a foster teen staying with us for ten days. She's almost 17 and much brighter than most of the foster teens we've hosted.
Last night we were watching a nature documentary for our "family movie time" and this large, beautiful white "whale" came on the screen. At least I thought it was a whale. Daniel (8) informed me that it was a Beluga whale. The foster teen and I both looked at him and we were just glad that someone knew what it was.
Then Daniel mentioned that he liked Narwhals. I had never heard of a Narwhal and neither had our guest, but sure enough, a few moments later, they were showing us a pod of Narwhals navigating through the Arctic ice to richer fishing grounds. Daniel was telling us about their tusks and how they are mammals so they breathe oxygen. This means they must find holes in the ice or they will smother. He told us that they're more closely related to dolphins than whales, though.
The foster teen was fascinated. She said, "Your children are very excentric. They're the smartest kids I've ever seen!"
They are pretty smart. I'll admit that. One of the interesting things about homeschooling is that it is so easy for the students to surpass your knowledge level. Daniel knew all about Narwhals not because I had taught him about them, but because he read about them in a BOOK. This is how parents are able to "teach" children things that they might not be as knowledgeable about. Science isn't my area of expertise, but my 12-year-old son could probably build a functioning rocket ship if he had the materials!
One of the things I tell new homeschoolers is to focus on discipline and obedience first because training is difficult without these two things. Then focus on reading aloud to your child and (at some point) teaching your child how to read. If he or she can read, there is a whole world of information available to him or her. While you would never have time to teach your child everything he needs to know, if he can read, he can learn these things on his own! That's how Daniel knows all about dolphins and whales. It creates so much more freedom for everyone when the child can pursue their own interests and learn at their own pace.
Do you have a story about the joys of homeschooling? Please share it!
Sonya
http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-Rest-Us-One-Kind/dp/0764207393/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264432946&sr=8-1
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My oldest is now a college freshman,whose mind is like a computer when it comes to historical facts. One of my favorite memories is the day it dawned on my son that Mom really didn't know everything. He was really let down when he figured out that his knowledge of history far surpassed mine.
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