The Empty Schoolhouse
My youngest son graduated today! Several people have said to me that now I will become an empty nester. Actually, two of my sons still live at home, so I am not an empty nester just yet. But I will have an empty schoolhouse! I began homeschooling back in 2003 when my oldest son was a preschooler. We began gently using Before Five in a Row and the wonderful companion books. These books and the ones used in Five in a Row (FIAR) became like dear friends as we continued to homeschool and more boys were born. I have tried to remember how I first heard about the FIAR curriculum which has the parent read the same beloved children's book five days in a row and pulls out different elements each day: language, applied math, science, social studies, and art. Then it has activities with them. My most treasured memory of motherhood is having my sons surrounding me on the couch, snuggled in, and being captivated by a book that seemed to transport us to ...