"Wait. Glass isn't a slowly moving liquid?"
I blinked at the comic on my screen.
Before long I was researching "amorphous solids" and trying to get my head around molecular structures and the general lack of agreement as to what, precisely, glass is.
Then I'm jamming out to a French Revolution history lesson set to a Lady Gaga tune. (Seriously, check that out.)
A few minutes later I'm reading about homeschoolers using their free time to work on a stop motion video. It takes me back to my early days of creativity.
Web comics, "Bad Romance," filmmaking. What's this? Schools closed during the Great Depression?
This is compelling stuff. It makes me want to learn. I'm jumping into the subjects of history, economics, physics, art. And I'm doing it because something grabbed my attention. I feel compelled to learn. What's more: It's a natural part of my day. I love that homeschooling gives us the flexibility to study something we find intriguing.
And yet, I agree with Henry Cate: These things can entice students and pique their interest, but it can't replace focused learning through instruction.
Sonlight is a fantastic homeschool option because the natural compulsion to learn is built into the engaging books of Sonlight's homeschooling curriculum. Sonlight fosters a desire to learn because the books draw you in. The demand for compulsory education is drowned out by the chant that we read more.
Sonlight takes the great parts of homeschooling--such as the flexibility to enjoy life-long learning whenever/however it comes up--and adds to these the wonder and joy of a literature-based home education.
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester
