Curriculum Spotlight – Myself & Others

What About Socialization?

There is one question that is guaranteed to get a response from a homeschooling parent. It goes something like this: What about socialization? What follows is usually an entertaining conversation. Asking a homeschooling Mom about socialization is like asking an alien about extra-terrestrial life. We live with these tiny humans. All we do is socialize them. Just don’t get us started.

Reactive or Proactive?

In truth though, there is a tiny molecule in our brains that doubts our confidence. Are they really socialized? Do they really have the social habits and behaviors that are acceptable in public? I would suggest that they do, but only because we’re actually really self-conscious about this subject. We react more than we act, and when we see our children behave in a way that is not sensitive to their surroundings we will follow up and teach them after the fact.

But we don’t have to react. We could be proactive and know what it is that we need to teach our children about habits and behaviors that are respectful to our fellow humans. This is how the curriculum Myself and Others can help. This program addresses subjects that we know we want to teach to our children, but we don’t think about it until it’s too late.

Add Read-Alouds

This program starts with the very basics by helping a child to understand what he or she is feeling. What does it mean? How shall the child respond? If you just do the core program you will be so blessed with the topics that are addressed. But if you are able to add in the read alouds, then the richness of manners really displays itself. For example, there is no better work on friendship and the fruit of kindness than Winnie-the-Pooh. Loyalty shows up in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, and diligence in The Little Red Hen. Children might understand rules, but they definitely understand stories. As they travel with Miss Rumphius, scattering beauty wherever she goes, they will see the truth of how kindness and generosity extend beyond our actions and bless others after we are gone.

Teach Them to Love

After four programs, children will have a good idea of how to conduct themselves in a way that not only shows love to their neighbors, but also honors God, and reflects His design for our lives. After all, one of the greatest commandments is to love your neighbor as yourself. Knowing how to control our bodies, minds, and thoughts is right up there in loving those around us.

Quick facts:

• This can be done with special needs children too.
• You can purchase the guide alone for plenty of ideas and tips.
• The books with the core sets enhance and illustrate the ideas.
• The read-aloud packages are optional, but they both help you as the parent to see where to guide discussion and
• they are excellent stories to guide the child’s moral imagination even if you never get a chance to discuss a word of them.
  

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by Hester VanBraeden

Hester is a second-generation home-educating parent who is keenly aware that her own education is not complete, and comfortable that it probably never will be. She has many years of experience with children, books, and curriculum. She loves to travel to worlds and times beyond the present with her children through many books. Hester and her husband have four children and live in the lower mainland of BC.