Well Trained Mind

My WTM book came in the mail today! I'm so excited. I feel like I've been waiting on this book before I can decide which curriculum to use. I'm hoping this clicks it all into place for me. I know I want to be an active home schooler, I know I want to do things "outside the box" and I know I want a Christian based, VERY academic curriculum, and so far I've found some that fit the bill, but I'm also hoping I can find something that will allow me to teach both my kids together, somewhat. I know they will be on different levels with math, spelling, writing, etc. But it would be nice if our core curriculum could be the same, and expound on it with my oldest.

So, in my quest to find the WTM at the library, I found a book called The Trouble with Boys, by Peg Tyre, and it's quite the eye opener. It's talking about how our school system is just set up to make boys fail, how boys are diagnosed with learning disorders at a much higher rate than girls, and how teachers just can't handle active boys in the classroom. Every page is like a new "Aha!" moment for me. Riley has been "officially" diagnosed as ADHD, and I've stubbornly refused to have him medicated, maybe against my better judgment, but I just refuse to medicate my kids based on the fact that he's a little extra work for the teacher. I know it's hard, I know he's active, but surely there is a way to appeal to him, to get him interested in learning, without drugging him up and making him sit still and quiet like a little soldier. There just has to be a better way.

I'm hoping that through home schooling I can learn his learning style, which I' m thinking is kinesthetic, and help him with his truly active side, and still have him learn what he needs. I will only have 2 students, surely this is possible, right? Regan is probably a little on the hyper side as well, so we may be on the go a whole lot!

Anyway, I'm so excited to have The Well Trained Mind and get ideas and have an outline of how it should be. I feel like I'm finally on the right track here!