You don’t need any boxed curriculum at all if you want to live life at parks, libraries, beaches, homes (incl others). Your children can’t NOT learn. There’s no rush.
Provide a fun environment encouraging discovery. … and joy.
Read books together. It’s amazing how far water and baking soda can go. Or baking biscuits. Or to the local gardens with sketchbook and pencils – observing leaves …
Don’t worry about reading and writing (specifically) as that will naturally blend in to whatever you doing. Look for quick moments of learning opportunities.
Ministry of Education (NZ) has questioned about my timetable.
Timetables in reality are not kept from my (and contemporaries) experience but they do look pretty hanging on the wall. In the end I didn’t give one to MOE, but showed how I approached education. More “sitdown” around-the-table discussions in the morning and more outings and activities in the afternoon.
Subjects are constructs on a good day and NZ research from a decade ago showed that subjects are not the key issue in learning and education.
My opinion is that PROCESS is more important than CONTENT.
MOE wants to see variety (which happens anyway and really can’t not happen).
They have a negative ‘thing’ about us (homeschoolers) doing one topic in the day (tho you and I know that sometimes this is just what an inquisitive child needs at times). And the 3Rs invariably happens anyway.
Allow yourself an out by saying “responding to presenting opportunities” (like Grandma coming, a new co-op class, or picnic at the park).
Use vague wording like ‘generally”, ‘often’, ‘possible’.
Ministry of Education recommend you avail yourself of the NZ National Curriculum. But nah.
YOU have the freedom to decide what you want your children to learn know act like, by say 18 years old.
No formal curricula (nor big bucks) is actually needed – such is the freedom of home education in NZ.
Children CAN’T NOT learn – create an interesting home – music, science, art corners spotted around your home.
Maybe by 13-15 you want to be more formalised.
But I have been stunned what my kids have learnt “driving their own bus” all the way through, guided in discussion with me and the other children.
Each term a special interest to find out about and pursue – observational drawing, learning to play guitar and write songs, learn 3D animation skills, do some baking soda experiments …..
What is your educational philosophy – think and read for 6 months is my recommendation … before launching into any boxed program – often from outside of NZ,
Also ‘school subjects’ are a construct not reflected in real life. Life is not a neat box for maths or for English… it all gets jumbled up.
My chn enjoyed unit topics which managed to incorporate all manner of skills.
eg. Fermentation.. bread.. baking.. growing potato sourdough mix.. bread from around the world.. social spiritual aspect of breaking bread.
We studied 1 or 2 topics per term. Metamorphosis included writing poems, eric carle’s hungry caterpillar which led to conversations about fruit, grouping, basic maths for 5yo.
Not always great productions but an adventure in learning, questioning, discussing.
Parents are responsible for their children, despite the Nanny State thinking that they are.
Parents have brains.
Parents need to know the power of good nutrition.
Parents can choose to only allow “good” food habitually in their homes.
Treat foods need to not have a HOME in our homes.
Know the difference between food and food products. Choose the former.
Parents, grow up and be good parents.
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Who is going to determine what your child needs to learn?
For under 12s, talk hug read laugh dance listen run play bake games parks libraries socialise (haha) – just live and enjoy family life.
Join in with others – anyone can advertise on their local homeschool group to create a Park Day. Advertise a few days in advance – and if you’re the only ones there – you enjoy yourself anyway.
What do YOU (the adultparent) want your children to be like by the time they are 18 years old? 🙂 (They can’t not learn – provide a fun safe curious environment)
Keep your spirit uplifted and your body healthy and vigorous
Keep yourself busy
Serve someone else – don’t live in survival mode or selfish mode
Invite someone over for a homemade meal who lives alone.
Take a meal to a friend.
Write a note of encouragement to someone.
Get outside of yourself.
Hang Out With Yourself
Make some fun for yourself. Treat Yourself … List your ways here ….
Lose yourself in a good cup of tea – it can change the world
Play guitar or keyboard – learn some new tunes
Go to bed way before midnight.
Keep exercising regularly and start taking dancing or gym classes.
Start a new course or hobby. Establish little goals and work on enhancing your abilities in a certain field or focus on learning a new skill or language.
Catch up on your TV Shows – or art and craft that you haven’t done for a while
Acknowledge your feelings. Don’t go in to hiding.
Plot his journey on a map. Pray blessings on his days.
Keep note of your feelings plus the big topics of conversation to talk about on his return (not the first day). Some things are not best to talk/write about on cellphone.
Have A True Girls’ Night
Do things that build relationships with those you know or those that you don’t yet know.
Catch up with some old friends you haven’t seen in a while – do girly things eg. haircut, mani/pedi.
Make good on that promise of coffee with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile.
Surround yourself with friends and go out with them. Plan dinners, movies and other interesting social events, and invite people over more often.
Be diligent in carving out time to be in God’s Word. Focus your heart, worries and affections on God
On his return … be patient and trusting; allow time for re-adjustment and for the traveller to rest and re-group.
From a variety of websites, 4 May 2017
Check out these options / ideas …
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Making an application for exemption from a registered school?
No timetable is needed.
But you do need to indicate (acc to law, s.21) “as regularly and as well”.
We made a comment, in our exemption application, about regular meals around the dining table; more sit down, schooly stuff in the morning; and tend to do more creative or outside activities in afternoon – yet being flexible enough to respond to Grandma’s visit or other events or occasions that arose.
:: Keep vague, flexible, and yet include stuff that keeps MOE happy.
(- these links open in new screen) – and keep scrolling down
Ministry of Education recommend you avail yourself of the NZ National Curriculum. But nah.
Bankwhitt Academy 
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