We're waiting...
Basketball is winding down, with the first games of the end of season tourament starting this weekend. We are all pretty much done with basketball and are counting down the days until the first baseball games (16 for John, 17 for Drew, in case you were wondering).
John attended a college camp at the University of Akron earlier in the month. It seems like the coaches liked what they saw from this homeschooled kid. This whole college baseball experience is really a trip, especially now that he's heading into the important years of the recruiting process. He has registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center and I've been getting a head start on the paperwork that will be necessary to submit as a home educated student. After a brief time of panic to make sure he would be on the right track after leaving public school, we've settled into a comfortable routine and he is doing really well being back home.
For more information concerning what is required of a home educated student wishing to play sports at an NCAA Division I or II school, check out these documents at the NCAA Eligibility Center:
- Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete (pdf)
- Home School Information (pdf)
- Home School FAQ (pdf)
- Home School Checklist (pdf)
- Core Course Worksheet Instructions (pdf)
- Core Course Worksheet (pdf)
The NCAA is probably the most well-known organization for collegiate sports in the US. However, another organization, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is an option for those interested in playing college sports. The NAIA eligibility process for home educated students is much less involved than NCAA. THE NAIA website has a search page to find member colleges which sponsor a particular sport.
In Other News...
Julia's doing really well in her college classes this semester. She is taking a Book Arts class and a Drawing class. The Book Arts class is really cool. So far, she has learned to make paper, sew bidings, and make hard cover books. She is currently working on a hand-sewn hardcover journal. In the drawing class, she has moved into the charcoal phase and just completed this awesome still life.
She says charcoal is a frustrating medium to work in since it is extremely messy. I love how dark the shadows are with it, though I understand the frustration she has from working with it.
The rest of the kids are learning in fun ways. Their individual interests are sparked when I'm motivated to keep the learning space tidy and switch out materials on a regular basis. This evening I played this game with the two littles, Cate and AJ:
They are really enjoying the various geography materials we have on
hand. Besides the above game, they both enjoy working on puzzle maps.
The one pictured here is the GeoPuzzle Europe - Educational Geography Jigsaw Puzzle (58 pcs) - by Geotoys
I love this natural, hands-on kind of learning. They have fun and don't even realize that what they are doing "counts" as "school."