How much structure do I need?

This is a very common question and each parent tries to answer the question in a way to fit their own situation. Here is a very interesting answer to the structure question from a member of our gifted community:

David Albert and is partner decided to educate their children outside of school. In an interview with him, he says,

The earliest vignettes I recount in Skylark – about Aliyah’s encounters with the violin around the age of 2 – provided us with the two key lessons which shape both the book and our homeschooling experiences:

• Community Resources
  We weren’t going to able to provide everything ourselves, so we would have to become experts in figuring out how to use the resources of our community to meet our kids’ learning needs; and
• We would be experimental
  rather than prescriptive in approach, listening hard to and trusting our children’s expressions of their needs and desires for learning, rather than being governed by someone else’s narrow conceptions of age- or developmental "appropriateness".

From Gifted Member
More structure might be the answer as some suggests, but as an unschooler of a 3 yo, 7 yo and 9yo that what works for us is to find things that are of interest to them. My 7 yo daughter was totally uninterested in reading until she developed a love for cooking.

She taught herself to read by reading recipes and she taught herself math the same way with a little internet window shopping (comparing prices of toys at different stores and finding the best bargains. She was not allowed to buy the toys of course).

• My son taught himself reading and math through his love of cars and license plates. I experimented with this concept with my step children while they were in their teens.
• They are both adults now.
  At the age of 13, one developed an interest in dentistry after he fell in love with my dentist and he spent a year as her shadow dental assistant. After his little internship was up, he developed a little more interest in school.
• My stepdaughter decided that she wanted to work for awhile in retail when she was about 16. We allowed her to work full time for three years, she became assistant store manager at a shoe store and discovered that she could benefit from more education.
• The bottom line is that once they reach a certain age, they are pretty much adults and might have their own ideas about what education means and how much they want to invest in it. Don't let it drive you bonkers.

Meet the Authors
Mariaemma Willis, M.S.
& Victoria Kindle Hodson, M.A.
"Discover Your Child's Learning Style"
hosted by Joe Spataro
Interview & FREE Excerpt
This book honors and celebrates the unique learning styles of all children. The authors discuss their ideas on ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, homeschooling, afterschooling as well as an easy to follow way to assess your child. The book contains a step-by-step program of self awareness test that guide you to a better understanding of your child’s unique strengths and weaknesses.

Meet the Author
Mary Leppert
Co-author of "Homeschooling Almanac 2000-2001"
Interview & FREE Excerpt
She is a homeschool mom who along with her husband, Michael, have compiled a wonderful resource for homeschoolers. It is a resource guide for books, magazines, catalogs, prepackaged materials, cybersources, specific homeschooling methods, religious references and more. It also features over $1000 of FREE coupons which could easily pay for the purchase price. I have the opportunity to interview Mary and she took the time to share her views with us on the homeschooling movement and a bit about her personal life with her children. We are also featuring a very nice excerpt from her book which is entitled, What Kind of Learner is Your Child. I hope everyone gets a chance to look at closely and use this information to help you in your homeschool program. She is very frank and her answers and the excerpt are easy to read.

Meet author Linda Dobson
"Homeschooling Book of Answers"
"How do I know if I am cut out for homeschooling?"
Stop by and see our cyber-interview with Linda Dobson, hosted by Joe Spataro, which has information on the what's happening in the homeschooling movement. She began homeschooling in 1985 and has been Homeschooling Magazine news editor and columnist since 1992. Also see a FREE excerpt of her book, "The Homeschooling Book of Answers" which tries to answer the question, "How do I know if I am cut out for homeschooling?"

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• The Seven Human Intelligences
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• My child is a preschooler, what can I do?
• What do middle school children need?
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• How do I find support groups?
• How do I maintain my child's interest?

How to Write a Low-Cost/No-Cost Curriculum for Your Home-School Child
by Borg Hendrickson

This book outlines six steps to creating a home-school curriculum custom-designed for your child at low or no cost. You will end up with a one-of-a-kind curriculum that reflects your own educational philosophies, focuses on the long-term aims you have for your child's education, and suits your child's learning needs and interests. Hendrickson's process also enables you to teach your way and your child to learn his or her way. The book will help you provide a reliable record of the educational.

Getting Started on Home Learning:
How and Why to Create a Classroom at Home
by Rebecca Rupp
From the author Rebecca Rupp

My latest book has chapter on "The Bottom Line, or How Much Does It All Cost?" - includes  results from a range of surveys and studies, a shameful confession about our personal homeschooling expenditures, a list of useful budgetary suggestions,  and a lot of good resources for pennypinchers. Surveys, which may or may not mean much, show that most families spend something between $500 and $1500 annually.

Homeschooling on a Shoestring:
A Jam-Packed Guide
click here to find out more
by Melissa L. Morgan, Judith Waite Allee, Jonni McCoy
Review from author: Rebecca Rupp, PhD
On cost of homeschooling, this book has a lot of hints and helps for homeschooling frugally - includes chapters on family budgeting, home businesses, simplifying one's life, low-cost learning resources, and so on.

The Way They Learn
by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

In this enlightening resource, Cynthia Ulrich Tobias introduces the variety of learning styles that shape the way students interpret their world. Once these approaches are understood, parents and teachers can become far more effective in helping children grasp confusing concepts, stay interested in lessons, and utilize their strengths. By recognizing children's learning preferences, you can reach them more efficiently and effectively! And with our nation in an educational crisis, there's never been a better time for this book.