Join Gina and Christyn for the first-ever OnlySchoolers Podcast Q & A! With questions ranging from ways to fill the long days to the role of dads and other adults in your homeschool, Gina and Christyn offer helpful hints and answers — and funny stories about honeybees and ants!
2:01 — Question: How do you fill all the hours with an activity-driven child?
3:49 — Christyn’s suggestions include read-alouds, board games, some scheduled activities like walks to the park or library. Have a loose routine and be sure to get out of the house sometimes
6:20 — Gina schedules at least one thing outside the house per day and encourages having a basic weekly schedule
9:10 — There are days that are hard and we’re exhausted but those days don’t last forever
10:00 — Final answer: Try to plan “outside the house” time, create a loose routine so your kid knows when you’re available, and have solo options available to engage the child
10:41 — Question: What kind of curriculum is recommended?
10:55 — Gina suggests that when a child is young, the best curriculum is no curriculum at all. Help your child fall in love with learning, read fun books, show them how to develop ownership of education
13:20 — Answer: The goal isn’t to find a perfect curriculum; it’s to create an environment that shows the kids that the world is a fascinating place and encourage their curiosity in exploring it
14:18 If you’re pulling your kid from public/private school, be sure to consider deschooling
https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/how-to-start-homeschooling-tips-for-deschooling-children/
https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/school-homeschool-what-is-deschooling/
15:08 — OnlySchoolers doesn’t recommend any curriculum, but we’re always happy to share what works/doesn’t work for our kids
15:48 — Consider the child’s learning style, your teaching style, and their future plans. All that will guide you in your choices
16:56 — Don’t feel guilty for getting rid of curriculum that doesn’t work
18:06 — Question: What is the role of dads in homeschool? How does homeschooling as a single parent work?
18:22 — Christyn addresses single parent homeschooling: Give lots of grace to you and your child and know that it’s okay to ask for help. Outsource some classes or activities. Include other adults in your child’s education. Create space for each of you to be yourself.
19:46 — Gina discusses her husband’s role in their son’s education
20:27 — It takes a village sometimes, so fill your homeschool village with people who support your child and your goals for lifelong learnin
20:43 — Question: Do you have book recommendations for kids?
21:53 — Christyn’s philosophy of reading is that there are no requirements for reading outside of class; focus on covering a variety of genres
22:54 — Gina says life is too short to read bad books. Read what you love — whatever that happens to be. In reading for school, she tends to focus on classics
24:22 — Christyn talks Survey of British Lit and some ideas she’s tossing around for future literature classes included Marginalized Voices in American Lit, Novels of the Great Depression, and Mystery Writers
25:50 — Question: How do you teach poetry?
26:00 — Christyn utilizes a Brave Writer idea of Poetry Teatime, which is eating treats and reading poetry out loud
27:40 — Gina comes at it from an English teacher background and looks at interpretation, word choices, rhyme, etc.