I am Just Really Grateful...

    

...The 9-year-old is taking it slowly-she has read most all the books you put on the recommended list already. There are so many books to keep her happy though) and I suppose I could start her on the upper school but I think I am going to wait till she tells me she is ready.  The reason she is taking it slow is because she is adding in a lot of extra reading and online courses (CyberEd) and research into her passion-which is Science--all of this on her own.  She is even starting a 7-9th Grade Chemistry course in the Fall. I have had a lot of comments from other parents about how different the 9-year-old is and it all started around when she began Connect The Thoughts courses--I really feel that it has allowed her to be more comfortable in her own skin since she feels like she is taking control of her education.

We are waiting on the keyboard to get here from my inlaws house to start--just a small one because we can not afford the large one you recommended but my little daughter is ready to partake of the music theory class--as that other child said it is her passion and pretty much all she wants to do. We found a child's acoustic guitar through Freecycle and she is teaching herself how to play. Mom Bragging here--She is also working on a CD recording with her teacher's community klezmer band which involves a lot of rehearsals and recording time--they played for 4 hours straight last session, thought her arm was going to fall off. She also was in her first solo contest at the local folk festival and got 4th behind some 12-year-olds (she is 7)--so you can see music is her passion too!

Honestly I do believe all this is the culmination of really getting into Connect The Thoughts courses and just allowing my kids to find their passion, sure we have a little bit of maturity and unschooling going on here but just allowing our kids to take control of their education and let us know what they want to do is a HUGE step! Not to sound too corny but this whole state of mind with Connect The Thoughts has allowed all of our family to be more comfortable in our learning and who we are....the 9-year-old has even started her own website.

All of our kids are amazing, each and every one, they each have their talents, I am just really grateful that we found this Connect The Thoughts to see what our kids can do when they are allowed to think outside the box and more inside themselves!