Welcome to Learn At Every Turn!

Salutations! I'm Annie, and I homeschool three very blond and very energetic boys between the ages of 22 months and 7 years. The two oldest are enrolled in a small public charter, and the consensus is that they are gifted. We have not confirmed that with testing, however, because it wouldn't change our homeschooling.

My parenting philosophy from day one has been to pay close attention to each boy and give that child what he needs, even if it is not always what he wants.  In the past, needs have included extra hugs, more sleep, a different diet, more exercise, more or less structure, more individual attention, and more responsibility.  Currently, each needs an appropriately challenging learning environment that exposes him to new ideas and experiences permitting deeper connections. In short, they need opportunities to learn at every turn. While they will not take full advantage of every opportunity, I am passionate about providing them with the choice to do so.

My homeschooling style is best described at eclectic. Because I am driven by what each child needs at a given moment, no one homeschooling philosophy works all the time for all three boys. I find value in Susan Bauer and Jessie Wise's The Well-Trained Mind, the Charlotte Mason method, and unschooling, and use elements of all three as needed. I also choose to meet all the educational requirements for my state.

Why am I blogging? Homeshooling parents and teachers tell me frequently that I do something different in formulating my sons' curriculum. I am not completely convinced that is true. I am absolutely certain that I do not have all the answers. However, my goal is to record our homeschooling journey on the off chance that another parent might benefit.

And thus begins Learn At Every Turn.