The question I find myself answering all too often these days

As the time nears for Kindergarten registration, I continually am being approached by mothers of Sebastian's friends about whether we will be homeschooling next year. I think the answer is yes, and when I say that, the next question inevitably is, "What curriculum will you use?" The answer is that we are not, nor will we be, using a curriculum. What happens when a child turns 5 that necessitates a set of rules about what he should or shouldn't learn? We didn't use a curriculum when he was 1 or 2 or 4, so why now?
Sebastian is a bright, inquisitive child who needs little direction for learning. He totally immerses himself in whatever he's interested in and comes up having gained all kinds of new skills. I was reminded of this last week while talking to a friend. She was asking "the question" and wondering how I would know he was learning enough. So, I gave her Animusic as an example and realized that Hey! it's not just an infernal DVD full of catchy instrumentals that take over my brain when I'm not paying attention, he's actually learning something! Here are just a few of the things he has gained from his obsession:

1. He spent hours and hours drawing and writing about Animusic which refined his fine motor skills immensely. His penmanship has improved, and his drawings have become more detailed and accurate.
2. He learned to play the beginning of "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky on the keyboard and to play some new drum beats.
3. He became interested in how the segments were animated which led to his creating "computer code" with the alphabet refrigerator magnets.

I believe that people, not just children, are more likely to learn by doing than by listening to someone's explanation. And people need to have the room to learn at their own pace in a supportive environment. That's what we are trying to achieve for our kids.