Has anyone ever combined elements of a curriculum with unschooling? [View All]

[GoddessOfGuinness]

I've been using Calvert with my 8 year old since he was in 1st grade. I also used it with my 19 year old, with mixed success.

I like the curriculum for the most part. However, there have been many days this year when it's been difficult to get my son enthused about doing the work. At the same time, when I take him on field trips, he'll absorb info that he would yawn over while doing school. He's also really interested in, and takes the time to research, certain subjects that are not part of the course.

For example, yesterday, I was going to do school with him after I came home from a gig in the afternoon (usually my work is in the evenings); but when I returned, I found that he'd spent several hours doing online research and reading books he had about giant pandas. He visited the National Zoo website, which has a ton of info on them as well as a webcam, and games which reinforce the information. He loves the "Zoo Tycoon" game we bought him for Christmas, and has been telling us all the stuff he's learned about various animals and their biomes.

Tomorrow he might get involved with the same intensity with studies about pirates or human anatomy.

There are certain skills I'd like him to work on...basic mathematics, which he is not at all enthused about, but can manage pretty well when he's in the right frame of mind; and spelling, which he excels at better than some adults I know. I'm reluctant to just let these slide, which I think would happen if I just let him study whatever he chooses.

At the same time, I'd be a fool not to take advantage of the fact that he's intensely interested in these other things. He'd learn self discipline more readily if he was implementing it on tasks that he truly enjoys.

Have any of you had this sort of issue come up with your homeschooler? I'd like to read your thoughts...

Thanks! :hi: