About the Author
Pamela M. Darbonne
The older I get, the more of a "silly old bear" I become. I am a homeschooling mom of three. Long ago, I fancied myself a bit of a writer. That has taken a backseat . . . until now. Time will tell whether I am more than just a "bear of little brain."
I have had people ask me if I am intimidated by the idea of being in charge of my children's education, and I can honestly say "no," because I have been capturing teachable moments with my children from the very beginning.
The only change between how I've been teaching my children for the past 10 years and now that I have chosen to homeschool is that I am beginning to document their learning. My 10-year-old has expressed a recent desire to cook, therefore part of her math everyday is working with fractions in the kitchen. She is a quick study, and she now knows her way around well enough to independently follow a recipe and turn out some delicious dishes for the whole family to sample.
My seven-year-old is a huge history buff, so we've been researching and studying everything related to the revolutionary war period. This interest was sparked this summer from watching the movie, National Treasure. She loved the movie and wanted to know all about the Declaration of Independence, the Boston Tea Party, Thomas Jefferson and anything related to that time period. She is now quite well-versed for a second grader on this subject, and it is because she is deeply interested in it.
If she were in public school, she would not be exposed to much about this period until 4th grade. She would be focusing on Georgia history, because that is the prescribed curriculum for second graders in our state. Yet, she is interested in the American Revolution right now. So, with the freedom afforded by homeschooling we can delve into topics "out of order" to capitalize on something that truly captivates my child. We can also take the time to research every aspect of it, from how they lived to what they ate, what kind of money they used and who their friends and foes were. As Thanksgiving is approaching, we are expanding our studies to include the voyage of the Mayflower and the early settlers of the United States -- primarily the Pilgrims.
My son, who is in kindergarten, is an avid amphibian lover. He revels in finding frogs and toads of all shapes and sizes around our area. If you see him outside, at any moment he may be depositing one of his new creatures at my doorstep. So, we've taken that interest and discovered via books from the library and Enature.com the natural habitats, behaviors and specifics about JD Green's beloved amphibians. He is excited about learning, and he is going well beyond the typical kindergarten curriculum on a daily basis.
I guess what I am hoping to communicate is that we all find teachable moments throughout each of our days, times when our kids are open and questioning. What I am finding fun through my ability to homeschool is twofold. I now have more time to capture those teachable moments, and I also have a heightened awareness of what interests my children as well as how it relates to their whole learning experience. We are all having a wonderful time, and we are learning together. What more can I ask for?
Published by Pamela M. Darbonne on October 30, 2005 07:14 AM
