Well, keep in mind that "curriculum" just means "stuff that kids should learn." It can be formal and workbook-oriented if that suits you and your daughter, but it certainly doesn't *have* to be in order for her to be working hard and learning a lot.

I guess what I'm saying is that you shouldn't equate "formal" with "rigorous." We're actually teetering on the brink of unschooling in our approach--I need a bit more control than that and DS7 needs a bit more direction, so we're not *quite* there--but DS7 is doing pre-algebra already. This is really amazing, I think, because when we started homeschooling in October of last year, he was pretty much at 1st-2nd grade level math. So you can see that it is possible to be relaxed in your approach and still be very rigorous in terms of academic challenge and progress.

If formal works for you and your daughter, that's great! But don't assume you have to do something formal. Sometimes kids push themselves harder than we would ever push them if we give them opportunities and let them follow what interests them.

But, like I said, what works for one homeschooler may be a dismal flop for another. You have to decide what suits your style and your child's way of learning.

How about asking her what she'd like to learn about and then finding some resources to meet those interests? She'll probably fight less about having to do it, learn more, and have more fun than she would if you just said "School time!"

If that doesn't work for you, no worries! smile You won't hurt my feelings or anything. It's just another approach that might solve the problems you're concerned about AND make the whole endeavor seem more like summer.


Kriston