I remember when I had just three little girls, the oldest being 4, and looking at sending her to Kindergarten in a year. I guess the year was about 1994. I had a sister and a sister-in-law that had homeschooled, and I KNEW that was what I wanted to do, but my husband wasn’t so sure. As he was teaching Sunday School to middle school age kids, he quickly realized there was an issue with most public school kids: His 4 year old could read better than they could! That was the beginning of him deciding to let me homeschool. With the help of Marge Litster and other veteran homeschoolers, I began my career and have never looked back.
I remember starting the Deseret Homeschool Group as newsletter editor, then later as President with Stacey Lytle and Susan Porter by my side. Many moves later, from California to Alaska, then Branson, and now Nashville, I am still enjoying homeschooling. That and the gospel are the two constants in my life. Everything else has changed dramatically!
While in Boise, I ran a daycare, taught piano, and even did a paper route. Brett sold magnetic health products. In California, I was just a Mom! Back to Boise, and I worked for IDEA in its’ beginning stages. Then to Alaska and Brett bought and sold real estate, while the rest of the family would fix up homes with him. It was here that we were introduced to and fell in love with bluegrass and old timey roots music. We began performing at nursing homes and farmer’s markets. After some success, we felt impressed that we ought to do something more with the music. The family prayed and unanimously agreed to sell everything, leave our new dream home we’d just built, and head to the south to study roots music from those that have been passing it down for generations. Homeschooling made it easier to decide to leave. The kids had no major ties to anyone or anything.
4 years later, we have toured across the US, performed nearly 1,000 shows at performing arts centers, fairs, festivals and churches, and we’ve had a BLAST homeschooling in an RV… on the road! History comes alive as we visit historic sites; Civil War battlesites, old forts, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Plantations, and so much more! Then the Science activities; Museums, Challenger Space Center, A Mammoth Site Dig, Zoos, Countless outdoor ‘nature’ activities. And the geography we are learning is awesome.
I have done SO many different homeschool programs over the years, only to find myself doing more unschooling than anything else now. We kind of run our own personal fine arts school. Scripture study and music are high priority. Hours a day are spent studying, creating, writing, learning and performing. We do the basics in school: Lots of reading, writing, math. I still love to use Story of the World for History, and lots of living history books. The Well Trained Mind has always been one of my favorite programs. I used to teach the Latin, but not anymore, now that the music has taken over. English has to be enough now! I let the kids’ interests guide, also. Meghan studies Chinese on her own, Ammon studies Spanish, Joseph and Alisa are artists, and Sean is our resident techie- running sound and video for the band.
Some programs I’ve tried over the years: A Beka, Konos, Online Great Minds Conversation Study Groups, BYU Online, Horizons and Saxon Math, Apologia Science, Science in a Nutshell… if you want more specifics on subjects or specific grade level programs, just email me and I’ll be happy to share: apryll@redheadexpress.com.
We still spend a lot of time at the library when we’re in Nashville. The boys will check out enough books to last a ‘tour’, and they’ve learned to renew them on their own when we can’t get back for a couple of months. And they love it when we can find a good book store! What do they like to read? Peter Pan Series, Warriors, C.S. Lewis, and Boxcar Children, to name a few.
Meghan is into Jane Austen. She and Joseph are both writing books. They keep a google doc so as to never lose it! And we have a friend that we met on the road who critiques their work for them. She used to be an English teacher, so it’s perfect! I have always been a believer of using other people’s strengths where I am weak. Meghan found a retired Math teacher friend of ours in Virginia to work on Math problems with. And our friend loves the challenge! Another couple lives on the road, and they send Joseph word problems related to their travels. Use real life experiences and challenges to work into your everyday schooling. It will be much more meaningful, and your children will remember lessons better, learning how to apply them to real life situations.
My 3 oldest have now graduated and continue to live with our family, learning every day. Kendra is 21 and challenges herself by reading books, writing music, and arranging for the band. She plays guitar and is our lead singer. She did a year of college online through BYU Idaho, but after that she decided the college of life was better, and she is doing what she always wanted to through her music.
LaRae is 20 and our resident health food chef. She encourages us to work out and eat right. Her love, besides banjo and dobro, is to study how to be healthier. Her favorite website is Daniel’s Challenge.
Alisa is 18 and just finishing her high school requirements. Fiddle, mandolin and lead vocal singing keep her quite busy. Due to major health challenges, she spends hours and hours studying diet and learning how she can prepare and eat her foods and continue to feel good! The Juicer and Vita Mix are our best friends and our secret to staying slim and healthy.
People ask us often: Yes, the girls do date. The guys find out via Facebook when they’re back in Nashville, and they get asked out. And they even date on the road. The oldest 3 just got set up on a blind triple date for September when we head back to Wisconsin… dating 3 young men from my Dad’s ward. Makes life interesting, that’s for sure! We also are blessed with countless opportunities to share the gospel through people we meet on the road, at shows, at churches we sing at. The world is our backyard, and the world is our Ward, also. Our friends are Jews, Atheists, Mormons, Protestants, Baptists… pretty much any religion. We have come to love all God’s children and enjoy the differences while seeking for common ground.
I suppose this is too long already. Thanks for allowing me to reminisce and look back for awhile. It’s fun to remember where we’ve come from, and to see that the homeschooling has been a huge influence for good in our lives. I know it has shaped my children into fine people that are very capable to survive in the world, to communicate and serve and help to create a better society by who they are. I always felt I would need to ‘raise my children as a calf in a stall’, and homeschooling is very much just that. We have learned to be in the world, but not of the world. And I’m grateful to the fine people in the Treasure Valley, and more specifically the Deseret Homeschool group, for taking me in under their wings, teaching me the ropes, loving our family, and encouraging us to take this road less traveled, as it HAS made all the difference!
I hope to see many of you at our concert August 19th at Centennial High School Performing Arts Center! Feel free to call 208-908-3938 or email apryll@redheadexpress.com if you have ANY questions! I am…
Yours truly,
Apryll Walker
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