Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond has homeschooled her four children since they were in elementary school. Over the years she has shifted her approach from an eclectic style to learning from textbooks that are tailored to the children’s ages and interests. Drummond also inspired other moms to homeschool their kids by sharing her journey via her website, books, and television show.
In this article we’re going to explore what homeschool curriculum does Pioneer Woman use for her four children.
Unlocking the Mystery of Electronics
Drummond encourages her children to explore STEM topics, encouraging her oldest daughter Paige to take an interest in electronics and giving her an Arduino kit. The Arduino kit offered the girl a way to explore engineering and coding fundamentals by allowing her to design interactive objects and environments.
Paige participates in activities like programming her own robotics and wiring a circuit board to represent a model of a rollercoaster. In addition, a variety of online course providers allow students to gain hands-on experience in electronics and coding, open-ended projects that give students the freedom to create and innovate with technology.
Exploring the World of Science
Exploring science is another important part of homeschooling for the Drummond family. Ree has said she encourages her children to get involved in activities and projects that inspire them to learn and explore science and the natural world. Resources like NASA’s Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth allow students to explore the Earth, its environment, and its interactions with the atmosphere.
To deepen their understanding of the subject, the kids can watch science documentaries or use other activities like mapping scientific data to visualize results. The Drummonds have also explored the mysterious aspects of science.
In one activity, the children compared the layers of Earth’s atmosphere with the layers of a birthday cake. To help out with this task, Ree enlisted the help of the local bakery to make a cake replica of the Earth. Through educational resources available online, Ree also uses online textbooks and lessons to learn more about topics like biology and chemistry.
Discovering the Wonders of Math
Ree Drummond believes math should be fun, and she encourages her children to learn math by engaging in fun activities that help them to understand the concepts. As she’s noted in her blog, one activity she did with her daughter Charlie during third grade was to create a scaled model of a house for a math lesson.
For this activity, Charlie and Ree utilized basic math and geometry principles to calculate the dimensions and floor area of a house. Drummond has also found success in using online math programs such as Khan Academy and DreamBox to teach and assess her children’s knowledge in this subject. Additionally, she relies on worksheets and textbooks to guide her in her teaching.
Reading Popular and Educational Books
Ree also encourages her children to read educational and popular literature. She also uses popular books to help her discuss topics like history, science, and language arts.
As Ree has noted in her blog, one of the books she used was The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body which detailed the organs, muscles, and bones that make up the human body. Ree has also reported that reading aloud to her children has been one of the most enjoyable parts of homeschooling for her and her children.
Understanding History and Building Writing Skills
Ree believes that a strong understanding of history is important for her children to become well-rounded citizens. She does this by reading historical documents with her kids, having them read books about particular periods of history, and having them take classes with historical figures as part of their studies.
Ree also places an emphasis on writing and encourages her kids to engage in creative writing projects such as writing a book or creating a play. Another activity Ree has done with her children is to create a board game that challenges students to communicate and think critically.
Developing Artistic Talents
Ree believes that encouraging her kids to explore the arts and media is just as important as academic learning. She has done this by enrolling her kids in art classes, creating hands-on projects such as a terrarium or creating a sculpture, and engaging them with multimedia like photography or graphic design.
Ree even has her children take a class at their local community college.
Learning Language and Cultures
Ree also relies on language programs to help her teach her kids a foreign language. She recently enrolled her daughter, Harper, in an online Spanish course and has also taught her children sign language.
Engaging in Fun Projects and Challenges
In addition to educational resources, Ree also encourages her children to engage in fun projects and challenges that enhance their learning. For example, she has them construct model airplanes, go geocaching, or terrarium gardens, play educational computer games, or host physics demonstrations.
Ree has also created an obstacle course in her back yard where her children can physically test their skills and expend their energy.
Tracking Attendance and Grades
Ree also believes that it is important to keep track of her children’s attendance and grades. She does this by utilizing online gradebooks and attendance tracking systems that allow her to quickly review her children’s performance and make sure they are on track. With these strategies, Ree Drummond has been able to provide her kids with an education that prepares them for college and the real world.
She has managed to create an engaging and challenging learning experience for her children, one that blends traditional and modern learning.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Drummonds have used an eclectic mix of educational methods to ensure their children are learning in an engaging and rewarding way. From exposing her kids to electronics to experiential learning and reading popular books, Ree emphasizes a hands-on approach that encourages his children to explore different topics on their own. Her strategies have helped her children build strong foundations for college and integrate what they learn in school with the real world.