And the sun shall absolve the earth...

This was solar system week at our little academy, and there were quite a few debates about whether the earth absolves, revolves or installs around the sun. Or is the sun around the earth? Huh. I find I am no longer capable of saying, "Look at the sunset," because, darn it, the sun isn't moving! Such a purist.

Among various solar system projects the kids also made geometric sculptures out of marshmallows and toothpicks, learned how to soak people with a water bottle using a secret hole, captured various snails and slugs, and watched a cicada shed its exoskeleton. In the past couple weeks they've taken full advantage of the gorgeous weather with lots of walks, playground visits, picnics and outdoor nature classes.

And then, of course, there is Monica -- who is now fully sitting up, crawling and tipping over Genie's water bowl every chance she gets. Oh, and, you know, the usual swordplay. Which will fit in perfectly with our next unit of study -- ancient Rome!

Homeschool by the numbers

When we began homeschooling, it was largely a reaction to the idea that then 5-year-old Catherine would go from a lifestyle of all-day play and running around to sitting for 6+ hours at a desk. It seemed like an unnatural transformation. We wanted to let our kids be kids for as long as possible. Gradually this morphed into a philosophy of instilling in our kids a love of learning -- shouldn't that be the purpose of education, to turn children into lifelong learners? We just didn't see how this was going to happen in the typical school environment with its heavy emphasis (at least around here) on early reading and testing. So instead, we opted to homeschool, which allowed the kids a leisurely learning pace that could focus on the joy of learning rather than the progress of education.

It was only later that we began noticing the impressive academic statistics regarding homeschoolers. Time and again they seemed to outperform their peers on standardized tests. They did better in college. They were better adjusted. Wasn't this the opposite of what we had always heard about homeschooling? Indeed it was. But these statistics have been compiled by such varied groups -- including the teachers' unions, who are fanatically opposed to homeschooling -- that it's hard to dispute them.

So here are the numbers:

• On national standardized tests in reading, homeschoolers scored an average of 89%. Public school students scored an average of 50%. In math, homeschoolers scored 84%. Public school students scored 50%. 
• At the college level, students who come from a homeschool had an average GPA of 3.41 as freshmen and 3.46 as seniors. Non-homeschooled students had an average GPA of 3.12 as freshmen and 3.16 as seniors. 
• Homeschooled students have a 66.7% college graduation rate, as opposed to the 57.5% rate of their peers. 
• In a study measuring communication, social skills, daily living skills and maturity, homeschooled students outscored public school students on every single level.

I still wouldn't say that we homeschool because of the statistics. Our primary reasons remain the lifestyle and the desire to instill a lifelong love of learning. But these statistics sure don't hurt!