I imagine them sitting across from each other at the kitchen table. He's reading over the latest on the Common Core and making comments. She, as us bloggers are prone to do, is typing away. You can read all of her captured notes and comments here: A historian reads NY's Common Core Social Studies "Framework".
The gist is that there is just too much in there to be of any use. Glen's comment is perfect: "Making a list with no length constraint is easy." Love that. Reminds me of that moment in Portal 2 where Wheatley starts making a list of all the things that aren't there.
Phil's point is also excellent. These frameworks should include
a sample of a complete and specific schedule of a course that would meet this target. ... And if you can't produce this, then what is the point of this nonsense?
Once again, Sonlight proves to stand on top. As Sonlighters, we study History. Sonlight's approach to learning works. But it's more than that. Sonlight's lesson plans don't leave you guessing what you're supposed to cover when. Your Instructor's Guides give you a flexible daily schedule plus notes and teaching tips.
That doesn't mean you won't feel overwhelmed from time to time. You may find yourself asking how you're going to get it all done. If you're feeling that way now, Judy makes a great point in challenging us to define what we mean by ALL. You may also appreciate the six steps to fitting everything into your homeschool day.
You can do this. Your daily school schedule is a tool, not a taskmaster. You have the flexibility to tweak things to meet your needs. Your curriculum exists to support you. This is very different from the teachers faced with an overwhelming set of standards that lose all meaning as they smash against the rocky beach of reality.
When you have homeschool lesson plans that work, you can get to the end of the day with a very different experience. For you, while the air may be chilly and your family ready to eat, the waves provide the familiar backdrop for a beautiful sunset. Today wasn't perfect, but the clouds in the sky are a promise that mercies are new again tomorrow.
You've made a good choice homeschooling with Sonlight.
Enjoy it.
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Pseudo-Dad
