Where to start...

Original title for a first post I know, but that really was the only thought creeping slowly through my mind as I stared at the blank page, so I figured if that was all my brain could come up with, we'd go with that.

The idea for this blog is to document the homeschooling that we do here. I home educate a nine year old girl (binx), and an almost 3 year old boy (rogue). Those are the nicknames we actually use for them at home but I thought I would look up the actual definition of rogue just in case and we definitely use it in the 'playfully mischievous/scamp' way, not the 'unprincipled/deceitful' way!

I came across montessori about 2 1/2 years ago and dabbled around in it with my eldest for that time, reading here and there, purchasing/making materials that I thought could be useful but that I didn't really know how to use, or in what order. Poor girl! The phrase, 'practice child' springs to mind! I am implementing more and more montessori into her work as I learn more, and using more traditional methods plus anything else I like the look of as well. With my youngest I have tried to put together a montessori inspired home environment for him so he can be independent, develop his concentration, follow his interests etc, and I have somewhat managed to curb my tendency to explain, instruct and praise too much...mostly... I'm learning remember.

Now that rogue is close to turning three I would like to really give him a montessori education and to that end I have enrolled on the kht montessori one-year course. I have heard good things about this course and I think it's pretty good value for all that you get. The course starts in a couple of weeks time so I will update as I go. I'm planning for my next posts to be of our set up at home, then of the activities (is that what I call them?) that I already have out for him, and by then, hopefully, the course will have started and we'll see where that takes us.

Of course binx will be continuing with her slightly mish-mashed education (which suits us both pretty well), and I will be updating on what she is up to for my own record keeping and just in case its useful to anyone. I will be trying to add more and more Montessori activities in to her learning as I learn more and hopefully I can meet her where she is on that. Any advice on how to start Montessori with a 9 yr old will be appreciated.

I think it is relevant to add that we live in the UK and as my children have never been registered in a school there are no criteria for me to adhere to or tests to take.

One last thing...the name. One of my favourite educational quotes is this one by W. B. Yeats -

'education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.'

Well, I don't think I know enough to light any fires yet but the sparks are there.