Changing Lanes

Ready for another confession? Sometimes my well planned ideas just don't pan out. Kind of like trying to change lanes without knowing where you're going. All it does is just confuse the other drivers and makes you second guess why you even got in the car to begin with! That's how I'm feeling about my choice in science. We started out, heading in the right direction, but somehow got all turned around and lost our way with our science curriculum. It is a good curriculum, but a little more than I can handle at the moment. There is a lot of reading. Let me re-emphasize that. THERE IS A LOT OF READING!!!!


Here's the deal...I love to read. Adore it in fact. I may even be referred to as a book "junkie". I am a regular visitor of our local library, and have accounts for several online bookstores. Eyebrows are being raised because the UPS man is a regular visitor at our house. I have bookshelves in every room and still not enough room to house all of the books. I would rather read than eat...okay, maybe not that extreme...how about read while eating? The ultimate multitasker. It's a gift.

What I don't like is having to read material that is too easy for the middle schoolers, but way over my 3rd grader's head. (Okay, it's pretty much over my head too, but please don't tell my children!) I wanted to learn...I mean, my kids wanted to learn about "flying creatures", but so far, we are just learning about kingdoms and classes. Now, don't get me wrong, that's great if they are going to be zoologists or veterinarians, but for the everyday...not so great. Really, how often are they going to go outside and classify birds. If there is a bird that they can get up close and personal with, they're going to find a box, make a nest, and hide it in their room. (That's so I can't find it!) I would much rather have them running around in the woods with their magnifying glasses, drawing pictures of little critters, or observing and writing about them. Isn't THAT how kids learn?


So, we are "changing lanes". But this time, we know where we're heading. Back to nature and the library. Back to the simplesness of discovery and notebooking. Call it a homeschooling "perk". Or call it what it is. Learning to love science again!


For free notebooking pages, click here.