This is our third year homeschooling and has been the best year so far. Technically we are referred to as Distributed Learners. DL students school at home but are registered and accountable to Ministry of Education because of that we getting funding for our curriculum. We are lucky enough in British Columbia to be able to get public funding through designated private Christan schools. We homeschool through Christian Homelearners e-streams they are located in Grinrod BC Canada. I can't say enough good about them. Here is a link for those who might be interested in the differences between distributed learning and homeschooling.
I've heard it said that it usually takes a few years to figure out the curriculum you like and to find a way of learning at home that works for the family. There are so many educational theories out there it can be overwhelming. For us simpler is better. I had a good friend tell me once everything you need to know in life you can find for free or cheap. That's such a refreshing thought.
I was easily bamboozled thinking that expensive and popular curriculum was the only way to go. By using the Charlotte Mason's methods we've been freed of that. A Bible some good books from the library, a writing book, a nature note book and a math program is all that is really needed to school children from home. What a sigh of relief.
I spent a good chunk of change this year on curriculum and I don't regret it but how nice it will be in the years to follow to spent half or less of what we did this year. That frees up money for extracurricular activities like field trips.
We are using Sonlight Core 1 with Math U See, Hooked On Phonics and Explode The Code Online. We are following Charlotte Mason's approach to education and we are new to her theories.
What attracted to me to Charlotte Mason method was the gentleness of her approach: the respect she has for children and the faith based learning.
