LisaLisa: One thing I’ve learned about homeschooling is that it can sometimes be very difficult to motivate my child to get up and start the day in a timely fashion. And honestly, if I were in Sophie’s shoes, I think I might sometimes feel the same way. I’d probably wonder why I need to hurry through my morning routine just to “commute” down one flight of stairs to our basement classroom, a.k.a “The Academy.” Now don’t get me wrong. The Academy is no dungeon. We are blessed to have our classroom in a beautiful walkout basement with plenty of natural light. But despite our pleasant surroundings, I’ve found that, while structure is certainly essential to successful learning, we can actually get lost in our humdrum routine in the absence of intensity boosters. Our friends at NACD (National Association for Child Development, www.nacd.org) taught us that Sophie is much more likely to grasp new information if it’s presented with intensity. So how do we create intensity at The Academy? We change it up. Can you say, “Pajama Day?” Or a new math lesson out back in the treehouse…Or we practice spelling words on the deck. I’ll let you in on a little secret: Our absolute favorite place to have homeschool is away from home–at the adorable little public library downtown. When Sophie knows she’s going to the library for school, she’s ready well in advance of departure time! We pack the I-pad, other supplies, a nutritious lunch, and away we go! Now that’s intensity!
Sophie: I love going to the library for school. My favorite table is the one facing the windows. If I have a really good day, we get to walk to Starbucks to buy a hot chocolate or we stop at the popcorn shop for an ice cream cone.
