Here is a note I wrote for Facebook. I thought I would share it here as well:
My mom made a comment on my most recent status that got me thinking. She made the comment that she wish she had home schooled us kids. Thinking back on our school years, Mom was the first home school mom I knew. No, we didn’t stay home from public school, but that didn’t stop her from teaching us at home.
My first memory of mom teaching me was when I was 3 years old. Mom took a poster board and drew a music staff with all the notes on it. She sat us down in front of the poster and proceeded to teach us to read music. I don’t know how often this happened or how long we did it but I learned to read music when I was 3 years old. That is a skill that has brought me much joy and even extra spending money throughout my adult life.
I also learned to read early because of Mom. She must have Read Dr Seuss a hundred times. I remember sitting on the couch in our house in Pampa. My 2 sisters were at school. I guess my little brother was taking a nap. I was trying to read one of Dr Seuss’ books (Are You My Mother was my favorite). I would read a word or 2 and hop down off the couch, run to the kitchen where mom was and ask her what a word was. I would go back to the couch, read a couple more words and go back to ask mom what a word was. She was always patient with me, told me what I wanted to know and let me go on trying to do it by myself. I remember people listening to me read and commenting that I was lucky I had learned to read with phonics. I didn’t learn to read with anything except a mom that loved to read and read and read to me — no fancy curriculum.
I recall Mom always being willing to help me with my homework. I was the kind of kid that loved math, loved school, loved home work. What I wanted from Mom was for her to write out math problems so I could do practice my math facts at home. She didn’t need a fancy computer or a workbook to help me with this. I would get a piece of paper and a pencil and while she was fixing supper ask her to write down math facts for me. She stopped what she was doing and wrote out a page of math facts. She wasn’t one that loved math but I did and she encouraged me to do well in it.
Mom didn’t limit her "home school mom" tendencies to book work. She believed in teaching us or finding someone else to teach us life skills. I remember going to JC Penney one evening a week and learning how to knit. She taught me to crochet. She was always willing to buy me some fabric and a pattern so I could sew. It didn’t bother her that I was going to be using her sewing machine. She didn’t mind if I made a mess. She didn’t even care if I finished the project or not. She encouraged me to try something new. In my adult years I have sewed for fun and profit.
Even though Mom didn’t technically home school us, she definitely has a home school mom’s heart and probably her willingness to teach us what she knew or to find someone else to teach us what we wanted to know planted that first seed of a desire to home school in my own heart.
Thanks Mom.
