Hi!  We are the Tim Rice Family of Epworth, Georgia and we follow the Mason Classical Relaxed homeschool method.  Never heard of it?  Well, you are not alone.  It really is not a "method",but it is how we homeschool our 4 children who are in preschool, 2^nd, 6^th, and 8^th grade.  I am often asked to describe the method we use in our homeschool (I am our local homeschooling group director), but I have never had a good answer until recently.  I really don't like the term "eclectic".  It sounds so unfocused.  I have followed a relaxed pattern of classical education for many years, but did not know what classical education was until I read The Well-Trained Mind (by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer) this spring.  I felt like the authors had been flies on my homeschooling wall.  I HIGHLY recommend this book; it has become a treasured companion to me in my homeschooling journey.

            So, what curriculum do I use?  Every year I look at the "best" resources and the "newest" books and most years I return to my tried and true resources.  I have used 5 different phonics/reading programs and my favorite two are Saxon Phonics and Pathway Phonics and Reading.  They both teach phonics, with Pathway being much less expensive and taking less time.  I think Saxon does an exceptional job of teaching the phonetic sounds, and the constant review is terrific for children who need help learning to read (some kids just learn and don't need an intensive phonics program).  The two drawbacks to Saxon are the price and the time involved.  It is very labor intensive and we don't do all that they suggest.  It would take 2 or more hours a day to do a Saxon Phonics lesson.  We have used Saxon math from 1^st through 7^th grade, and I have looked at other math programs.  While there are many good ones, none cover this material as thoroughly as Saxon does.  This year we switched to Video Text for Algebra.  I consider Saxon the best for elementary and middle school math, but its high school texts don't teach advanced concepts as well as other programs.  If Video Text Algebra is too expensive for your homeschool, Jacobs Algebra is a more affordable (and fabulous) program.  I am a big fan of Daily Grammar and Easy Grammar for English grammar; it is easy, economical, and very thorough.  I also like A Beka Grammar and Composition for grades 7^th and above.

            Last year we began using Greenleaf Press for history.  I have used Beautiful Feet (great but expensive) and A Beka for history, but Greenleaf Press is the best history products I have encountered.  It is extremely thorough, affordable, fun, and best of all interesting!  We loved studying History of the New Testament and Ancient Egypt with Greenleaf Press.  We just began Ancient Greece and are trilled with this study.  If I had written our curriculum, I would have done it just like Greenleaf Press.  Isn't it nice when you find "just what you are looking for?"  Other curriculums I have found and love are Spelling Power, Mind Benders, Wordly Wise 3000, and Apologia Science.

            A typical day at out house begins at 7 am.  The older kids get up, do their morning chores, eat and get ready for lessons to begin by 9 am.  I believe math is best done early in the day so we do this first.  I work with one child and them move on to the next.  We study history, Latin and Bible together.  The rest of the day is spent moving between my three students and keeping the preschooler safe.  Most days we are done with "formal" bookwork by 2 pm.  We spend the rest of the day reading, playing, working on art projects and doing housework.  I have found that a relaxed schedule works best for us.  We may not follow it exactly every day, but it is our guide.

            I have tried schooling with no schedule and a strict schedule and found that no schedule was frustrating for everyone, and a strict schedule was too confining.  I have learned that when you don't plan, you often fail.  The years when we didn't have a schedule were the years I was most frustrated, run down, and burned out.  I strongly encourage all homeschooling families to follow some type of schedule.  The more I plan and get things laid out the more successful my school year runs.

            This year I have implemented the box system with my children's schoolwork.  Each child has a container (I bought inexpensive dish tubs) and matching folders.  They keep all their work in the tub and when I correct work at the end of the day it is all in one place.  This has been my biggest homeschooling improvement in years.

            Many people ask me about socialization.  I shelter my children from destructive influences, but they are involved in out church and with the Awana program.  All of our daughters play soccer, and that keeps us very busy.  I have always involved our children in daily activities and they are just as comfortable at a formal dinner and live theatrical production as they are with a mixed group at church or shopping.  The best socialization is when children see how to act in different situations with their parents present.

            At out home, home education does not end when you graduate high school.  My husband is working on his doctorate as a distance student.  He does all his work in the computer and has the flexibility to work full-time, coach soccer, and take 2 - 3 classes per semester.  The time he saves in not commuting to a school means he has more time for schoolwork and the family.  It has been great for the children to see that learning does not stop when you are an adult and that you can further your education at any stage in your life.

--Tina Rice

-Epworth, Georgia