Getting better

Well, it's not an easy things to homeschool four children which is in three different key stage. I have to work hard to be on top of everything or, I fall apart. It is nice and easy and smooth when ever the house has a rules, has a routine, discipline them selves and work hard for it. Having children in secondary and primary school together when homeschool required lots of work from scheduling, planning, worksheet, curriculum, finding resource and etc. Also when they small, you can see the change and the gain almost everyday. Learning is such an easy things. But when they grow and reach Key stage two and three or above 11, it's not as easy as A,B,C. At least not for me. But, no pain, no gain!

Today, our house hols and homeschool is better than the day before. It does get better and better, alhamdulillah. I'm very please with our routine at the moment. It's not too strict and we can always swing around with time but at least our limit is around 4pm to 4.30 pm. As our last term, which means when hubby back home, I finish with children and can concentrate on him. Like that I feel all my responsibility done, children and husband been look after well. That's what satisfied me.

Now as we are moving fast on our routine, understand and happy to get going and get used to it, I need to concentrate more on learning and teaching approach, which also means I have to start to learn a lots and reads a lots. Which I'm not sure if I have time or not, but I have to make up the time. At the moment, we don't do lots of islamic study apart from reading quran and reading fazail amal after magrib. As children spend a good four hours on Saturday excluded their break time, I find that they learn quiet a lots from there. Especially the school also using Iqra learning curriculum for all subject such as akidah, fikh, tafsir, tauhid, tajweed and using arabic gateaway for arabic language which quiet satisfied me, alhamdulillah. At home as usual, islamic studies is more to day to day learning subject which we talk and chat.

After nearly a year been homeschool my children I found out that the most suitable way of homeschool them is unschooling and schooling. I believe this is the way I find suit for us and the way my children react better. There are subject such Maths, English and Islamic Studies such as quran reading, tajweed and fikh which I find out that need to used schooling method which means need proper learning time probably one to one, need concentration from me as well as resource such as workbook, subscription or curriculum package. But, on others such as science, history, geography, ICT probably is a mixed of unschooling method and schooling method. My children learn a lots on this subject from unschooling method from reading on interest, watching documentary, nature walk, playing at the back garden and been on computer on leisure time. But, to just leave it to unschooling method I find out may be not too suitable. But, when you mix both method it works well when they come to learning follow the curriculum, they already catch so much from unschooling method and just need to learn how to used the information and present them in paper or as evidence.

Since we have lots of holiday from homeschool such as wedding, guest, moving house and etc, I find out that children may not be behind in some subject as well as life skill but it does effect their English and maths skill when this has been going on for long. Also without a proper planning and curriculum, learning Maths and English can be disaster in some way. This both subject really need full attention when we homeschool pupil age around 11 and above. Well, this is from my experience. may be for someone that already a teacher or work in education may not find this hard. But for me which not come in that area do find that I need to keep children up with this on proper plan, curriculum and schedule. It's find for my two younger S and AS. But, for other two older one really need my time to proper sit with them and concentrate with the subject. But, as other two also need my attention while they learn new things, this can be very challenging moment for me in term of planning their schedule and topic. But, not having them learning at the same time will drag my self in to on going homeschool 24 hours. For that I found my self up and running since morning until night time which is the last thing I did is key in or record all children work in this blog and our homeschool web site. I have to make up some time to do this as I can see clearly what and what and can evaluate and make decision for the future.

'sigh'...
Sound tired but it was a satisfaction day. I'm also busy finding the resource for PS on line tutoring for Maths and English. Checking the work also one of the crucial part. Imagine when I have four children which three of them have three subject everyday for me to check it out. Maths and English is the important subject that taking a lots of my time. I need to keep up with this to make sure children understand what they been learning about.

Also, on top of the workload for homeschool, daily routine such as cooking and cleaning can't be left alone. Alhamdulillah as my children grow bigger they take half of the responsibility on it such as laundry, cleaning up after meal, hovering and tidy up the mess around the house. PS and MS have done a lots this days especially now as we start homeschool. They also work hard to keep on top of routine and time, alhamdulillah. Without their hard work, I don't think I ever make it. May be I will get burn out.

Also to keep my self motivated is very much important for me. Talking to my self and thinking all the time and remind my self about my intention and cause to homeschool children is pretty much something that I done time to time. Especially when hubby say something such as "AS so cleaver. May be you should sent him to school!". And I come out with " you know why he's cleaver because he's been homeschool!". Well, AS is different than others. Have a strong memory, understand his surrounding and very sensitive with day to day issues at home and around him. I believe that's come from how he was brought up. It's not just because of my experience from my other children but also because he's been in nursery setting since he's 12 months old. This situation really boost his confident, very alert, very much independent although the other always been label as independent and pretty much quick in learning and pick up something. I believe his nursery he used to attend did play a big role as he attend there from 8am to 5/6pm for about 2 years. And than he enter school nursery for a year. The other only went to school nursery when they three and half year old. I couldn't deny their involving in making him as he is now as the setting really give him a chance to explore the world, others and different surrounding rather than his own house. Especially the nursery he used to go belong to Muslim community although not just for muslim but also cater everybody in the area. I can see lots of different from all other three compare to AS. Although all other three is the favourite in school and achieve well in their learning but AS seems going up the sky without coma or full stop. And the different is only because he used to go to day nursery and others not.

May be it's sound that the school setting is better than home setting. But, for me this is not about learning. It's about the development where in nursery they been teach how to be independent, explore, learning about themselves and others which help in using the capability a child have. Because being the youngest in the family I'm sure will have him spoil if he stay home all the time. Because too many attention will indirectly affect how his brain activity works.

Oh dear, it's too much now. I have to go as I really need a rest for tomorrow, another day another story..