A Homeschool Inspired by the Finnish Model of Education

I have been reading all I can lately about the Finnish model of education.  I have listened to YouTube videos, read article after article.  For those that don't know, Finland has one of the best, if not THE best, education system in the world.  In the 1970s, they scored right along with the United States... in the middle of the road.  They decided to make changes to their education system, not to compete on the world stage, but to give every child a chance.  Children's well-being became more important than tests and competition. They changed things around in their country so that the goal for each and every child was that they would be that they would be able to have an equal chance for an education, a happy life, and future employment.

For years, Finland worked their system, unnoticed by the world. Teachers were required to have a Master's Degree, and were paid well and treated respectfully.  In fact, only the best are selected to be a teacher in Finland.  Students don't begin school until they are seven years of age.  When they start, there is a lot of play time (recess) given.  Students receive fifteen minutes of recess for every forty-five minutes of instruction.  School hours are much shorter there than American schools.  There is little to no homework, especially in the early years.  Thirty percent or more of students receive special help if needed (one-on-one).  The teachers in the early years often have the same students for several years in a row, allowing them to get to know their students and how they learn.  Class sizes are small.  There is no standardized testing until the student is about to graduate high school.

And, at age fifteen, these students are scoring top scores in the world.  Ironically, they are changing their model system to even more of a loose, topic-based education instead of subjects.  While some predict disaster, I don't believe so.  Every study of learning shows that children learn this way better than in traditional models.

As a homeschooling mama, this has been eye-opening to me.  While I don't want to be a complete unschooler, I do believe that I have pushed my children too hard at times, and I have watched the light go out of their eyes.  I have watched the joy they used to have dim, and the curiosity about the world around them die.  School has become drudgery.  They comply, but it isn't what it should be.

"But, Cathy, kids need to learn now that there will be things in life that they will have to do that won't bring them pleasure, that they won't want to do.  Not everything is fun."

Is this the goal of education?   I doubt every child in Finland is a bottle of sunshine, but this model of education does give so many benefits to students.  In America, we kill the love of learning and instill dread and drudgery instead.

For instance, the students start compulsory school at age seven, but in America we start at five or six.  That year or two makes a big difference!  Students in Finland do have preschool, but the emphasis is on play and socializing, not academics.  That means that the when the students begin school, some can read and some can't.   But the ones that haven't learned to read at five or six aren't labeled as slow learners, as they are here.  Right from the start, here in America, we are pushing children to do more and more academically at earlier and earlier ages. The students that might have brains that aren't ready are stressed are often treated as slow.  In truth, many aren't slow, they simply need more time for their brain to mature.

Second, the rates of learning disabilities in Finland are not much different than here in the States, but the approach is different.  Students in the younger years are given fifteen minutes of free time in outside play for every forty-five minutes of instruction.  In fact, these breaks are not looked at as a break from learning, but as a strategy to maximize learning.  Since the students aren't beginning school until they are seven, and have lots of time to run and play, this makes a difference.  Many of the students with ADHD are not treated with medication.  Also, the school day is much shorter than here in America (20 hours per week in Finland compared to 35 hours in America) and homework is limited or not given at all. This allows a lot more time for a child to play and grow and mature at a slower pace than what is demanded in America's pushy, stress-filled, do more and more, earlier and earlier educational method.  And if a child is still in need of help in learning, the teacher and special education teachers will take the time to give the student one-on-one instruction and tutoring.

Third, the teachers are not treated or paid like American teachers.  Teaching is respected in Finland, and is considered one of the most prestigious jobs in the country.  Only ten percent of those that apply to be a teacher are accepted.  The training is rigorous.   The result is that teachers can impact the quality of the education their students receive in incredible ways.  The salary of a teacher is a good one.  The teachers teach less hours than here in America.  Since there is only one standardized test in a student's schooling years, teachers aren't pressured into teaching to that test.  In fact, teachers in Finland are looked at as professionals and trusted to choose the teaching methods they see will work with the students they have.  Each teacher has a Master's degree.  They are highly trained in child development, in how children learn, in curriculum development, and in their field of expertise.   They are empowered to work with the students and other teachers.  They are trusted. There is no script.  Ninety percent of Finnish teachers stay in the profession until retirement.  In contrast, fifty percent of American teachers leave in the first five years.

I'll be honest, I don't trust many American teachers.  I think many are great and are motivated to enter into teaching because they want to help children.  But the few bad apples have spoiled it all.  I've had teachers call a child of mine stupid.  I've had teachers pass the jocks and rich kids, and leave the rest to take remedial English or not graduate.  In nearly every school system, there has been a teacher arrested for inappropriate conduct with a student.  If we want the best and the brightest for our children, we need to have teachers that honor and respect childhood, not ones that want to make children into little adult machines.   I have spent the last few years learning how children learn so that I can give my own children a quality education.  Truthfully, I have a lot of issues with the American model of education.

The focus in the Finnish education system is not competition.  In fact, all the schools are publicly funded.  There isn't competition between them to outdo the one in the next town. The goal is completely different.  It's about creating life-long learners.  It's about teaching life-skills.  There is a lot of art and poetry and music.  There are different languages taught, such as English in third grade and Swedish in fourth.

Obviously, it isn't perfect.  There are problems, but on the whole, the system is working.

This research into a different way of education has inspired me to make changes to my homeschool.   As much as I have had issues with the American model of education, it is easy to stick with what I know.  But as I watch the natural spark in my youngest daughter die out, I realize that I want her to have better.  As I plan this upcoming year, I find myself relaxing. I find myself questioning what I really want her to learn.

One article I read about Finnish education stated that school is where kids learn how to live and that they are needed, not just how to have a job.  There is an emphasis on things that many American schools have gotten rid of or diminished:  handcrafts, cooking, art, music, community service, etc.  There is a balance between academic and non-academic learning that is emphasized.

I want to bring that to my home.  I want to bring that to my homeschool and to my parenting.  I want to raise a child that has a chance to find life, not just success as defined by money and things.  I want my child to have a passion for learning.  I want her to develop skills.  I want her to know her faith, so she can understand why it is important.  I want her to know how to love life and learning, not just how to get through the stuff she doesn't like.   Basically, I'm giving her less so she can be more.  And, I plan to do so with one daughter in her last year of homeschool, and with my ten year old with eight years left. 

Almost Capsule Wardrobe

Not long ago I began decluttering my home.  Inspired by hearing and reading teachings by Francis Chan and David Platt, I stumbled upon simplification and minimalist blogs.  It all seemed to make so much sense to me as a Christian.

My initial sweep through our home resulted in lots of things thrown away and three truck loads of stuff donated.  Now that we've lived a few weeks with a little less, I find myself seeking to simplify more. 

Research minimalism for very long and you'll stumble across the idea of a capsule wardrobe.  Capsule wardrobes are basically small wardrobes where the pieces coordinate together to make multiple outfits.  Since my initial purge is finished, I began looking at my closet and wondering if I could make a capsule wardrobe work for me. 

More sorting

Many of the articles I have read about capsule wardrobes give a number as a goal.  For instance, the most popular idea is based on Project 333, which is thirty-three items of clothing for three months.  Most capsule wardrobe articles  I have read have a number less than 40 that includes everything except underclothes and sleepwear. 

One article I read suggested that the place to begin would be to figure out which colors look the best. I usually have purchased colors that are safe: whites, blacks, dark blues, and grays.  However, multiple online quizzes showed me that I am an Autumn.  The colors that look best on me are warmer, richer... And not what I have a lot of in y closet. 

A pile of skirts for different seasons

Today I went through my closet once again.  I can't afford to go out and purchase a new wardrobe of different colors.  I know that in a couple months cooler weather will appear and I have more "fall" colors in those clothes.  For now, I pulled some of the few shirts and clothing items that were rich and warm in color, mixing and matching with the darker colors I tend to prefer. It's a start. 

I didn't get my wardrobe down to thirty-three items either, but it is a lot lower than it was.  Since simplicity and minimalism is a journey, I'm not overly worried about numbers. Part of the reason why I have a few more items is because my items don't all coordinate very well yet. In time, as I slowly find clothes that fit me and compliment me better, I can donate the ones that don't work.  

My hope is that my children will see these changes as something to think about for themselves.  While I have worked to simplify nearly every area of our home, one area I have not touched is my teenagers' room. They probably need the simplification most, but I don't want them to resent getting rid of their things.  I want them to be inspired.  I want them to see that stuff will never bring contentment or happiness.  I could be forceful about them decluttering and purging their stuff, but I feel that will only cause them to rebel against the very thing that I feel is amazing. 

God's timing. I pray and do what He has asked of me, and let the changes in our home and the Holy Spirit work in the lives of my family. 

Decluttering Girlie Madness

My youngest is a pack-rat.  She wants to keep everything, from toys to shoes she no longer fits because they were a gift.  Plus, she is NOT a tidy child.  She is the one that I send to her room to clean, and she gets distracted by a book.  Since that was also me as a child, I understand. Understanding doesn't mean I have to let the matter be forgotten.  And, I was determined to find the carpeting that I know was there in the past.

Once the contagious energy of decluttering begins, it isn't easily held at bay. While I wanted to get more accomplished today than I did, I am just going to smile that I conquered my clutter-bug's room.  

I still want to eliminate even more, but I decided to go easy... For now.  My girl was not exactly happy with the process.  Books were sorted ruthlessly. I told her to pick four dolls out of like ten (but those four were after her two Madame Alexander dolls were set aside).   

I tried to make it fun.  We went to the dollar store first and picked out some little tubs and baskets to hold different toys.  She picked pink, turquoise, and purple.  She now has her play doctor supplies in one basket, little Legos in a tiny bucket, megalegos in a bigger bucket, play dishes in a play bucket, and her loom and materials in another one. 

The most difficult thing for me was the toy box.  The lid went missing years ago.  This is a Little Tykes heavy duty toy box that my oldest received at like one years of age. It has gone through all five of my daughters!  I bought a cheap, smaller tub with a lid for Megan's toys.  Needless to say, the tub won't hold much. I see that as a plus and not a drawback at this time, however.

By the time I went through her toys, books, and clothes, we had filled at least three garbage bags of stuff.  We also had one bag of garbage. 

Her room was then cleaned.  The carpet was shampooed.  We wiped off her furniture.  It looks like a brand new room!

As I stated earlier, I wanted to eliminate more.  I think over time we will reduce more and more.  Megan is no longer a baby.  I would like her to have a few quality toys that will last and not a room full of junk. 

I would like to redo her beat-up dresser or buy her new.  I refuse to buy cheap, particle board stuff from here on out.  I've done that several times in the past and it's a waste of money.  At the moment her old dresser, that has been through several people over the years, is doing its job. So, until I have the funds, I am content with the ugly thing.

Decluttering is hard work, and a bit of an adventure.  I'm doing my best to give away things to people that I know need them.  We've already donated a truck full to a local CDC shop. The more I do, the more I want to do, and I'm so excited about the journey!

What is Education?

It seems that there are many different definitions of what qualifies as an education.  I have been thinking about this very topic lately.  Once a person homeschools for awhile, their view of what an education consists changes.

For the first several years of homeschooling, it was all about curriculum and methods.  Did I want a traditional method?  Charlotte Mason?  Computer-based?  Literature based?  The different companies alone could fill a nervous homeschool mom with overwhelming anxiety. 

Sonlight, Saxon, Abeka, Bob Jones, Alpha Omega, Heart of Dakota, My Father's World, Apologia, School of Tomorrow, Queen's Homeschool, Easy Peasy Homeschool, Singapore, Teaching Textbooks, Konos, Math U See, Lifepac, Horizons, Weaver, Answers in Genesis, Life of Fred, Christian Liberty, Christian Light Publications, and on and on...

Eventually you discover what works for one kid.  Then the next kid begins school and the same things don't always work for this unique creature. Some children need hands-on lessons to start.  Some need hands-on lessons forever.  Some read everything they can.  Others dutifully read because it's assigned, but learn much more from documentaries and visual lessons.  

I have done a very huge mixture over the years.  I've scraped together my own lessons using library books and the Internet.  I've spent thousands in a year on the all-in-one, Planned for me, miniature library of grab their attention books instead of the "boring" texts.  I've gotten burnt out by the planning it all myself and, surprisingly, didn't enjoy the read, read, read, uber-expensive lit-based programs.  

Charlotte Mason is great, but not always practical with children aged itty to nearly grown.  The "boring" texts are only sometimes boring.  The literature-based programs often require books that are not all that great or just overwhelm a mom trying to keep up with multiple ages and read alouds. 

I wouldn't trade one lesson I've learned on this journey. 

My view of education has changed over the years.  Not every lesson has to be "fun" or engaging.  Some things a child might just have to learn because it's necessary.  It's okay to use textbooks and workbooks.  The child won't die of boredom or be uneducated if you do!  Reading aloud to your child is probably one of the best educational tips I could ever give, no matter how old the child is. I read to my high schoolers all the time!  

Education, to me, is a variety of things.  It's a preparation.  My goal is to teach them about the Lord so they know, and to train them to serve Him.  However, the ultimate decision to follow Christ has to come from their choices.  It has to be their faith, made from their hearts and minds, or they will falter when tested.  I spend a lot of time in prayer for my children and their walk with the Lord.

Academics are necessary, but learning how to learn is most important.  They won't remember all the dates of wars or or how to use the advanced math unless it's something they are using in their daily lives; but they will remember how to find out answers.  

Skills are important.  My daughters changed a tire last week when one of my daughters hit something sharp.  They did it on their own.  They can type, file taxes, speak a little Spanish, and cook.  A couple are great with sewing. A couple love photography. A couple are incredibly artistic.  All of them can sing (that may be more talent than skill). A couple can garden.  Learning skills is vital and can absolutely be beneficial.

Experiences are important.  Living fully, enjoying traveling and meeting new people... That is a whole education in itself.  While I can live vicariously through characters in books, there is something deep about seeing places for yourself.  Both of my older daughters have traveled a bit.  My younger daughters are beginning to sign up for missions trips.  One daughter is a total homebody that needs encouragement to travel because she would rather stay in her comfort zone.  

I know what education isn't.  It isn't standardized tests, though we will encounter them.  It isn't filling a child with information like a cup of water so they can regurgitate mindless facts.

Education is learning about God in ALL of life. Bit's learning about His creation and His order and His works through all of time.  It's learning how to serve Him and how to reach out to others with His live.  It's learning to follow the path He places us before us.  

I believe no education is ever wasted.  God will use our education, experiences, and skills for His purposes and Glory.  

So many homeschool moms get caught up in methods and curricula.  I confess that I've done the same.  But now, seven years later, I find my home filled with a massive eclectic collection of materials, with a few tried and true things that are perfect for us. 

I had to experiment to get to this point.  I'm glad I did.  I read blogs and articles that told me this year's ago, but until I saw it for myself, I couldn't relax and believe it. I had this compulsion to try this and that, to read everything I could about whatever I was trying at the time.  Charlotte Mason?  Read nearly all of her material and spent a fortune on ink printing out her books before I bought my Nook.  Unit Studies?  I own or have tried most of them.  They are so great!  But the workload got to me.  Plus, my kids weren't nearly as excited about the topics as I was.  Now we only do them as a break from our regular studies.  They are great in moderation for us.  

Many families do Unit Studies full-time and love them. Others are dedicated to Charlotte Mason or Literature-based.  I'm not here to judge.  Great!  Do what works for you and your children.  

I jumped around... A lot!  That should have been detrimental to the education of my children due to the lack of consistency year to year.  But, in a strange way, it taught my children different methods to learn.  They learned to find the key points with the traditional methods.  They learned narration with Charlotte Mason.  They learned how they learn best, and now can adapt what is before them into what works best for them

I wouldn't trade homeschooling for anything.  I love spending time with my daughters. I love watching them learn.  I love getting to share experiences with them as they grow.  I look forward to continuing our journey.  Two of my daughters are grown, graduated, and on their own.  Two of my daughters are in high school in our homeschool.  And then, my little one, is in second grade.  My journey has a way to go, and I'm excited to see what  the Lord has in store.

Learning to Can Foods

I've been learning a new skill this past summer.  I've been learning how to can our own foods.  I've always wanted to learn, but was very nervous.  I guess I anticipated it being complicated and difficult.  To my surprise, it's really not.

 For the lady couple of summers I have been freezing my vegetables.  My tomatoes have been roasted in the oven.  I'll still do this,but adding canning gives me so much more variety.  I can't freeze cucumbers, but I can make pickles.

I stated with applesauce.  The apple tree on out church lot had a huge amount of apples.  We loaded up a five gallon tub.  Peeling and coring the apples isn't my favorite thing, but I had lots of help from the girls and my husband. 

I found applesauce to be quite easy.  I even canned the first jars with my large stock pot because I hadn't purchased the water bath canner yet.  

I have since made a batch of pickles and canned blueberry jam.  Right now my house smells wonderful as the smell of apple butter permeates the air from the crock pot!  I hope to can some of that in the next day or so.

I have a pressure canner for vegetables that I haven't used yet.  It was given to me a couple years ago when I first grew curious about canning, but never delved into.

The expense is a bit much at first, buying equipment and jars.  I had a few sets of jars from yard sales, etc.  However, I have nowhere near enough to can foods seriously for my family.  I've been picking up sets of jars s-l-o-w-l-y.  After I get the jars, the can be safely used over and over.

I an so grateful to all the wonderful bloggers and fellow canners that have written articles and posted pictures and videos to help me learn this new skill.  Between health reasons and the economy, I feel this is one of the best moves we can take as a family.  Having a pantry stocked full of organically grown fruits and vegetables ensures we will have food to eat that isn't full of additives and preservatives, and is ready during the times when finances may be a struggle.

Best of all, it tastes amazing.  My girls are learning important life skills that will last them a lifetime.

Blueberry Picking Together

Jasmine and Daddy picking berries

YUM!

It was an idea that's been brewing in my mind for days. As a child I vaguely remember going blueberry picking with my mother. I remember her teasing me that I ate more than I put in the bucket. 

Laura and Jasmine

Earlier today my husband called around. One farm was closed. The owners had retired. Luckily the next one was open and ready for pickers!  We filled a cooler with ice and waters and were off.

Working Hard

The farm was about 30 minutes from our home, but well worth the drive. I had been wanting to buy some bulk berries for awhile. I am really wanting to try canning, making blueberry jam, etc. This seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Smiling while she works

We only picked for an hour.  There was a heat advisory in our area. Being out too long in the sun could have become dangerous. We drank plenty of water, and sought shade when needed.

Megan

Jasmine

Sure enough, the five of us picked 18 pounds of berries in that hour.  We felt so triumphant!  As a family, we decided we wanted to go again.  We also plan to pick peaches and apples when they are ready for harvest!

Laura

My goal is to get my pantry built back up. I don't want to be as dependent on the grocery stores.  The rising prices are tough on us.  I also am working on cutting out processed foods. Making our own, using simple, natural ingredients, is becoming important to me.  My health has had challenges that has led me to a avoid additives and chemicals that could exacerbate my symptoms. 

Megan with some of the haul

I would love to go blueberry picking again in a couple of weeks. We will have to see if our finances can afford to purchase more berries. There are so many ways to cook, can, and freeze blueberries that we surely will be using them a lot!

Jasmine holds over ten pounds with the 2 buckets

A Renewed Vision

I have been a stay at home mom for over twelve years.  I have been a homeschool mom for four.  In all that time my husband and I have had many financial ups and downs.  We have had times of good pay and benefits, and times of unemployment.  It has been a challenge many times to continue to be a stay at home mom.  I know that God called me to be home.  I know that He called me to homeschool my children.  It isn't always easy.

There was a time when I was the career woman.  I managed businesses.  I was flown to other states for training.  I had a "professional" wardrobe.  I had traveled all over the United States.  I loved the adventure, craved the ambition, and swallowed the pain of missing my children as I dropped them off at the babysitter.

Knowing that I had the "potential" to make a certain amount of money a year, but feeling that God had told me to stay home, created in me a frustration when our finances were a struggle.  I honestly felt that, if God had called me to stay home, it shouldn't be such a challenge.  After all, I was being obedient!  Right?

Well, God doesn't always do things the way we think should be done.  In fact, I believe He rarely does.

I recently came across some articles and a book that have helped me to change my perspective.  First, I read the book Passionate Housewives Desperate for God.  The wonderful ladies that wrote this book are not of my denomination.  A few years ago, I would have gotten angry at the message they tried to share in this book.  After all, I had been a career woman.  I had gotten the college education and been the boss.  I had raised my older girls to be independent, so that they wouldn't find themselves like their mom did:  divorced by a man that left for another woman, broke, working at a minimum wage job, with children that needed stability in a world where their stability had been ripped away.  However, on the other end of the spectrum, after I remarried I found myself a stay-at-home mom.  I am the housewife that was criticized by other women, even Christian women, for staying at home when my husband and I hit financial struggles.  I am the only homeschooling mom in my church, and that can sometimes be a lonely place.  I am trying to do as God has called me, and even if this season of my life lasts another 12 years (till my youngest graduates), I will still have plenty of time left to work or go back to school or become a missionary to some foreign country or to help my daughters homeschool their children.

One quote that just floored my and brought such joy to my heart was this:  "Homemaking isn't about starched aprons, pearls, and high heels.  It's about doing the will of God even when the world scoffs.  It's about loving the high calling that God especially has given to women.  It's about learning to trust when circumstances would tell us to doubt and fear."

Passionate Housewives Desperate for God was uplifting and encouraging.  It showed me, for maybe the first time, was that my managerial skills are not only about coming up with the homeschool schedule.  It showed me that my job, as the manager of my home, was to make the dollars my husband makes stretch to provide.  That, just because I wasn't bringing in a paycheck, didn't mean that I couldn't put in a few hours a week to find ways to save money and cut corners whenever possible.

 I was researching money saving tips when I came across a blog series that was just awesome!  The Peaceful Mom wrote a blog series entitled Living on Less than $28,000 a Year.  While it is full of money saving tips, what struck me was that the author was very honest that it took her deciding that she couldn't look longingly back to the days when she was a career woman and money was more plentiful.  Her heart longed to be home with her children, and that meant sacrifice.  It meant working toward staying home, even when your husband makes what the United States Government states is poverty level.  She looked hard at every area and found ways to save, whether by consuming less or by planning more.

This then led me to the book Miserly Moms: Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy by Jonni McCoy.  So far, I am only on chapter 6.  This book seems to reinforce the same principle that, by staying home, I can use my managerial skills to find ways to cut costs and "trim the fat".

The truth is, for hundreds of years, women primarily stayed home.  Even during the Great Depression, women might bring in sewing, but the premise was that a woman stopped working and stayed home to manage the house once she got married.  Our culture has changed quite a bit since that time.  If a woman stays home now, she is made to feel as if she isn't using her gifts to their full capacity.  And yet, I've been challenged to use those very gifts that I used in a paying job, to ensure that I can continue to teach my children, be a homemaker, and follow what God has called me to do.

It is sad, in our culture, that even Christian women only feel free to follow what they believe Christ has called them to do as long as that calling is "professional" in its scope.  Meaning, if I was called as a Christian woman to be a worship leader, there are few that would have a problem with that (until they heard me sing, lol). If I was called to be a professional business woman or a doctor or an accountant, I would hear cheers going up from all around.  But, I am a homeschooling homemaker.  That job title has no pay, no vacation package, no title.  It is generally assumed to have no value.  The quote, "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world." holds no meaning any longer to most mothers.  Staying at home is equated with unenlightened and old-fashioned.  It isn't equated with business man or educated teacher or gourmet chef.

And yet, I feel challenged now, encouraged, in a way I haven't been in a long time. I see that, to limit the meaning of my role is to say that God's plan has a flaw.  I thank God for leading me to the wonderful articles and books that have showed me that staying at home is not only okay, it is a job that, by looking at my work as for the Lord, will have eternal rewards.  He has renewed the vision of My Home Mission Field.