Different Strokes For Different Folks.

So the saying goes. And I am glad that I can choose what path of education I will give my children. I am learning everyday that this is harder than I could have imagined.  That being said, its an a amazing challenge and I am so happy that I can meet this challenge and grow from it.
I really did not know how I was going to approach my homeschooling style.  There is a tone of information out there. And it can be confusing.  There are so many different homeschooling styles, on top of choosing curriculum.  It can be a daunting task. I thought I would start home school and my right from the start my daughter would be behind.
The challenges are real and it can be frustrating trying to figure out exactly what is right for your child. And you read other homeschooling blogs or books you will see that everyone chooses what is best for their child and what they want to teach them.  Learning how my daughter learns has been hard.  She has more energy then ten children but her desire to learn is so large. In kindergarten they said she passed a check list. They said she was able to count to 100 and read certain words.  Yes she learned a lot in kindergarten but how much of that stuck? I found out not much.  I was watching videos of when she was a toddler and she had learned so much from me.  now I have to start from the beginning because she has a hard time reading and she does not like to do it.  So I am finding new ways to show her how amazing reading can be.  It is a one day a time thing.  The local library has a read to a therapy dog day and she enjoyed that.  I hope she is encouraged to read more if we do this more often. She always says "mom is it going to be fun.?' And I can tell she thinks learning is boring.  And honestly we all know some of it can be. But that does not have to be the end all and be all of lerning. especially for children.
I am reading "How children Learn." By John Holt.  He says "What teachers and learners need to know is what we have known for some time: first, that vivid, vital, pleasurable experiences are the easiest to remember, and secondly, that memory works best when unforced..." I want to learn how teach in this way.  I want to be able to help things stick in my children s minds and have them enjoy learning at the same time.
Last week I read them a small printed book on "why leaves change color?"
We read it, spoke about it, and then went outside to have fun.  They happened to pick up some leaves so I asked her for a spot on, playground oral report on why leaves change? I did not tell her that is what it was. but she did it enthusiastically and she did so well. My husband watched the video I took of her telling me how leaves change and he said he learned something new. It was an amazing thing to see.  It was not just facts it was real. And she felt it and she was able to take her time seeing it happen. Not stuck in a room reading a textbook answering unimportant questions.