There are as many different types of homeschoolers as  there are different types of families!  There are links on other pages of this site that will help you understand more about the different homeschooling paths.

For our family, it was important to us to have a program that would be academically rigorous, allow for creativity and prepare Big A for the places she wants to go in her life.

We probably fall most in the "Classical Homeschooling" model tending a little bit towards "Eclectic!"  We love the rigour of Classical Homeschooling but we needed to have a bit stronger science and math program.  As a result, our day will actually look like a school day.  A number of subjects each day will be taught according to a pre-set timetable.  I think as the year goes on we may be able to be a little bit more relaxed but for now I think we will be a little rigid about the schedule.

Big A is a writer, a poet, a reader, a thinker.  We hope that we have found curriculum that will help her develop all these skills and help her enjoy them as well.

This is probably the second most popular question we are asked.  Our answer generally is - what about it?  Big A is a very social, well adjusted, out going young lady.  Certainly she is not going to lose those traits by being schooled at home?  We are also very lucky to live in a neighborhood that is bursting at the seams with children!  Once it is 4:00 kids are out on the street playing cricket, soccer, capture the flag or a combination of all of the games.  She has swim classes at the neighborhood pool.  She goes for dance classes on the weekends.  Her best friends have never been in school but have been in our own neighborhood.
I have been thinking quite a bit about this issue (for obvious reasons!)  I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing socially that can be learned at 9 or 10 that cannot be learned later in life.  I simply cannot buy the argument that we are handicapping our children for "real" life by removing them from school. 
I have also started to see and hear about the negativity that comes from many kids at school.  The girls are starting to be mean to each other.  Friendships start and end and start again.  Do we really do our children any favor by not sheltering them from the cruelty that can come with childhood?
Ours is a one year experiment - we will have to see what happens.  Stay tuned!

Of course, this is the first question people ask when thery hear about our plan to homeschool.  Why??  It is a question that has both a simple answer and a complex answer.
The simple answer is because we think it is the best thing for Big A.
The complex answer is that the two schools she has been in over the last four years have let us down time and time again.  Both schools promised to provide challenges for students who find the work unchallenging.  They did not.  Her current class has 41 students when the school promised a class size of no more than 30-35.  Teachers are for the most part sub-par.  The curriculum is uninspired and dull.  The administration is unable to address even the most basic needs of retaining and drawing inspired teachers.  We feel that Big A is slowly losing her enthusiasm for learning and we want to stop that slide before it is too late!!

We are glad you found us!  This website will document our family's journey through our first year of homeschooling.  We anticipate a year of learning, of ups and downs, of successes and failures.  Most of all we anticipate a year of growth for our entire family.  The members of this expedition include Big A (9), Little A (5), Mom V and Dad V. 

Through this site we will attempt to share the lessons we learn along the way.  To point out areas where we might have done things different and to highlight those areas in which we made the right decision.  We hope you are able to benefit from our experiences.