So much learning happens in informal ways. Kids learn a ton of math from crocheting, doing Legos, knitting, cooking, etc. They learn about science by observing the world around them, especially in nature. And they learn the mechanics and nuances of language through talking, asking questions, and reading.
THIS is exactly why we've decided to take up the homeschooling challenge. over the summer, i realized that DD5 is now a super-competent reader (ps. HK - i think i remember you saying your girl really took off all in one go - and whoa, is it ever stunning to see it in person!) and is comfortably cruising through Gr. 3 math. so, uh... there's probably not too much i need to
really worry about, curriculum-wise for a long, long time. so she picked The 15th Century as her Big Idea for the year and we're going to do a ton of stuff around that - we will do all the curriculum stuff, but given how quickly that stuff goes, even if it gets bumped a day or two like HK was saying, it'll get done.
long story short, i realized that because our kids learn so fast... we just have so much time: time to explore and make mistakes and have fun and detour and follow tangents - which is probably the true beauty of homeschooling, regardless of the kid!
if it takes a while to hit your stride, i think that's probably normal - i'll be willing to bet i'm right back here on this thread at the end of our first week in September! and fwiw, i do remember my mother, who was a
brilliant teacher, coming home at the end of the first few weeks totally exhausted and kind of terrified - and it was like that every single year!
