Dave Pommier
I am a homeschooling dad with a wife and two boys. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing, so I feel compelled to write it all down.
In my spare time, I work as a registered nurse, drink too much coffee, and intermittently renovate the house.Top Posts & Pages
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Author Archives: Blokeschool
The end of Bloke School?
When my friends decided to return their kids to school, my eldest boy was angry and upset. His (probably legitimate) complaint was that we would never see them again. This is not the first friend he has lost. His great … Continue reading
Space is big
We have been studying astronomy this semester. A lot of what we have been looking at has been inside the solar system. Brief descriptions of the planets, the nature of eclipses, seasons, moon phases, that style of thing. One thing … Continue reading
Mathseeds
Just before the end of last year, I stumbled onto Mathseeds. I have found this to be a great program for young kids. This year it has formed the backbone of our maths curriculum. I spent most of last year using Miquon maths … Continue reading
When its time to stop homeschooling
I was a bit saddened and a bit disappointed to hear that after a year and a half of homeschooling, a friend of mine is sending her kids back to school. Like the decision to start homeschooling, there are lots of … Continue reading
Posted in Life experiences, Teaching and learning
Tagged bloke, cost, flexibility, homeschool, parenting, planning, why homeschool
8 Comments
Are monsters real?
We have been reading a lot of mythological stories from Ancient Greece lately. I have always found them to be great adventure stories, and have read countless translations and retellings over the years. In all the magic, nobility and high … Continue reading
Posted in History, Teaching and learning
Tagged ancient greece, bloke, history, homeschool, imagination, mythology, philosophy
6 Comments
Building your own curriculum under strict guidelines
A large part of the reasons behind why we chose to homeschool was that it allowed for individualised teaching. Even working within the guidelines, there is still a good deal more flexibility to work around the rules than it initially seems. … Continue reading
The Minoan bulls
Our history lessons are shifting away from Egypt and the fertile crescent and into the Aegean Sea. We spent a morning looking at the ancient Minoans. The morning began with a deal of time looking at maps. The island strewn … Continue reading
Posted in History
Tagged ancient greece, bloke, history, homeschool, Lego, maps, Minoan, mythology
10 Comments
ANZAC day – My grandad’s war stories.
Anzac day is a hugely important holiday in Australia. In many ways, it has become the de facto national day. Unlike Australia day, which is somewhat arbitrary and often divisive, Anzac day has a much deeper sense of purpose to … Continue reading
Posted in History, Life experiences
Tagged ANZAC, bloke, history, homeschool, life experience, reflection, world war 1
9 Comments
Return of the assessor
As part of the requirements for homeschooling where I live, we are visited by a government assessor every year or two. This is frequently the cause of a great deal of angst for people. I have heard frequent complaints from … Continue reading
Posted in Teaching and learning
Tagged assessment, bloke, confidence, homeschool, registration
5 Comments
The cost of homeschooling
The most recent figures I could find show that where I live, the state spends just over $14,000 p.a. educating a primary school child. This idea of ‘How much does education cost?’ comes up often enough in homeschooling forums. The numbers change … Continue reading
