If I Had Been Homeschooled. . .

I would have. . .

1. Done a lot of research into my family and family tree. I would have interviewed my grandmother and my great aunts and compiled stories about their lives and their parents' and siblings' lives. I would have written down the story about Aunt Francina missing the Lusitania (she had tickets) and the San Francisco earthquake and marrying a count (I think), and the story about my grandmother Erie being the fastest ice cream-eater in Queens because her German immigrant parents opened an ice cream parlor. I would have drawn an elaborate and accurate family tree. I would have tried to correspond with distant relatives still in Mandal, Norway.

2. Continued writing and illustrating stories. I began a trilogy about horses when I was five; I planned the whole thing and did, I believe, about 2/3 of the drawings and half the writing. Throughout elementary school I still had time to write and draw. I created the town of Newport News, Wisconsin and a cast of 10-year-old friends - Kathy, Robert, Lorrell, Carrie, and more - and wrote maybe a dozen stories about them. I included illustrations, plan views of their houses, family trees and maps (the maps covered more than 20 sheets of paper that could be laid out together on the floor). After fourth grade I did very little writing and illustrating on my own (mostly because I was so busy with homework). I would love to know what I would have created in those eight years.

3. Researched the history of my town extensively.

4. Spent substantial time at all the living history museums in New England: Plymouth Plantations, Historic Deerfield, Strawberry Bank in Portsmouth, NH, Old Sturbridge Village, Mystic Seaport, etc. I would have figured out how to make my own soap out of ashes and fat.

5. Begun the lifelong mastery of an individual sport (like running) and competed in local races.

6. Learned to sail.

7. Done more construction projects with my dad.

8. Knit a whole blanket and some scarves and hats.

9. Learned to cook sooner, sew well, and garden with my mom.

10. Split wood.

11. Apprenticed long-term to adults I knew and respected in several fields: mechanical engineering, advertising, architecture, publishing, and teaching.

12. Read so many books!

13. Gone on some Outward Bound type hiking trips.