Where to find inspiration: The Homeschool Desk

Last week we talked with the author of Spell Outloud  as part of the Where to find inspiration series.  Today we will hear from a family that has been homeschooling for five years. The Homeschool Desk  is a place to find free resources, teaching tools and curriculum reviews. Be sure to see the slide show at the bottom of the page for photos.

Tell me about you and your blog.
I've been homeschooling my 3 children for 5 years now. My oldest has been homeschooled since 4th grade and my youngest 2 children since Kindergarten. They are now in 8th, 4th, and 2nd grades. I started The Homeschool Desk blog as a way to keep track of the numerous amount of free and inexpensive educational resources on the Internet. I wanted to help others, especially those that want to homeschool, but can not afford to spend a large amount of money on curriculum. About a year ago, a friend asked me to fill in for her on a homeschool curriculum review. I enjoyed writing about the product and helping others determine if it was right for their family. Eventually, other homeschool curriculum companies found my blog and contacted me to write reviews for their products. I found that I really enjoyed reviewing curriculum, so I applied for a position with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Review Crew for the 2009-2010 school year, and was accepted. Now, The Homeschool Desk not only includes tons of resources, but my reviews as well.

What is your philosophy on educating children?
I believe that each child needs her own individualized education, whether in a classroom setting or a homeschool setting. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach that works for everyone. I try to be flexible in terms of different learning styles my children may have. I believe in getting kids excited about learning. I try to find materials that highlight their interests, then let them take the lead. Learning should be enjoyable, whenever possible, with kids wanting more. I believe that children will learn and retain more if they are interested in the topic they are studying. I let my children read historical as well as geographical fiction- stories they enjoy, but also learn from, although books are not the only way to learn. Hands-on experiments, games and field trips all make learning an exciting adventure. I use every opportunity to teach my children. Education can can take place anywhere, at any time in daily life, even if it's simply a lesson in good character. We try to participate in at least one mission or service project each year to remind us the importance of helping and serving others less fortunate than ourselves.

Where do you get your ideas?
I get many of my ideas from my fellow homeschoolers. There is an exuberant amount of ideas all over the Internet. However, I get most of my ideas from my children themselves. If I see that one child has a particular interest in a topic or book, we will dive into that topic and add in any subjects that I can based on whatever the topic happens to be. For example, one of my children loves American Girl dolls and books, so for the past few weeks, we've been using anything I can find for her on American Girls...lapbooks, vocabulary, history lessons, etc. It takes some time, but it's not hard to put together these items for each child depending on their latest hobbies, interests, or particular subject that we are studying.

What advice can you give parents and educators?
The advice I have for parents and educators is to use every opportunity to encourage students to take the lead and explore topics that interest them. Learning should be something they want to do, not just something they have to do because it is expected of them. A little research on the Internet can provide tons of extras and resources. But most of all, just as important as learning academics is learning good character traits. We are raising children who are the adults of tomorrow. Our children look up to us, and every teacher is a role model, whether they are that student's parent or not. I hope that I can be someone that my children will look up to.

For more inspiring kid activity interviews, see Get inspired!

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