Home education

Hi so normally I would write about books, movie premieres or concerts I've been too but todays blog post is about a subject not many people know about. Home schooling. Now I have wanted to do this post for a while, its not something I normally post about. But recently homeschooling has been in the news more and more and it seems to be getting a bad rep. So I thought its a good time to put misconceptions to bed and hopefully enlighten people on the reality of home schooling. I am a strong advocate of home schooling. I never thought I would say that, as I have always thought school was the only way but that is not true.

Slight Disclaimer before reading: I am not proclaiming to know everything about Home Schooling.  I am coming from the view point of someone who has been Home Schooled and know people being Home Schooled. Also I have had advice from my mum on certain things and well thats what inspired me to write this post. So no hate! 

So misconception number 1? That we are being radicalised, that our parents are teaching us warped ideals. This was recently in the news and ever since people have sent photos and tweets to show exactly what they do. We are not being radicalised, we are simply learning at our own pace. Doing the things we want to do and learn. Our parents are just trying to give us an education that mainstream education did not.

My mum calls it 'a square peg trying to fit in a round hole'. Can't be done can it. Nobody does the same thing, we are each unique so why are we all at school squashing that uniqueness. Now I'm not saying home schooling is for everyone but neither is school.

Misconception #2 Home schooling is illegal. Now home schooling is not illegal as long as you de register the child from school. The law says every child must have an education not that every child has to go to school to receive said education. Although some people do chose to have contact with their local education authority to update them on their childs education progress but it is not compulsory.


Now home schooling is for anyone. People do it for many a different reason. Whether you can't get a school place, not achieving or being failed educationally, right down to being bullied or you cant cope in school. There doesn't even have to be a reason as such, it could just be a decision of 'I can do better out of school.'

 Misconception #3 Home schooled means staying in all day. That is totally not the case. I mean in our case its slightly true. Really its personal preference. My brother and I both go to a group on a Thursday and a Friday, and my brother goes to a science group on the Wednesday. So we do go out and the rest of the time we are still learning.  Like I said it's personal preference as to whether you stay in and do work or go out and experience things in the world. For example some people instead of the conventional learning, we learn through blogging, coding, practical experiences that our parents facilitate whether that be at home, outside or maybe even abroad.

Now  I personally agree with home schooling. I was in a dark place in school and it has taken me a long time to finally get to the place I am today. Neither my brothers or I struggled academically in school, it was more the social side of school that we had problems in. As you know I have a visual impairment amongst other issues and my brother is on the autistic spectrum as well as being a selective mute. Square pegs, round hole.
 I have met people I would never have met without home schooling. I've found people are more supportive and everybody talks to each other, like theres no barrier of thinking 'they're an adult we can't speak to them'. People judge you far less than people in school, accepting of the fact that everyone is different and different is okay.
I know if I were to have kids, I would home school them because I've seen the benefits it has. My family are closer and we are much more relaxed, because the stress that school bought us is gone.


In my perspective, as someone who has been in school a majority of my life, I kind of wish I had been taken out earlier. As I've said before, I left school with sucidal thoughts and anxiety that was through the roof and I was clinically depressed. And I'll be honest I have trust issues, I never fully trusted anyone at school for various different reasons. But I trust all the people I am in a home ed group with, like just this a couple of weeks ago on Saturday I sung a solo in front of everybody. And whilst I did end up crying on my mums lap and having a mini panic attack, I trusted people who I now like to class as good friends. I trusted them enough with something which is quite personal to me, and something I've only ever done in front of my parents, brothers and singing teacher. I trusted them to know they wouldn't judge me and they were supportive and kind. Whilst I am still massively anxious, I can deal with it better and to know that there are people who will be there to support me and pick me up afterwards. I may not be hugely confident, knowing these people I guess care for me and support me and not judging me has given me more confidence and courage then I have ever had before. And from my perspective in my brothers case, he performed a an acting piece from Blood Brothers, which I know he would never have done before. Whilst he was still bricking it, he would never have done it in school. He and I may seem confident but really it's just a good front. He did amazingly well and frankly it just goes to show how much Home Education really has changed our lives really. I haven't been truly happy in quite a long time but when I'm in the group with everyone I feel happier than I have in a very long time. I did not mean to turn this into such an emotional paragraph but it just goes to show how much of a difference it has made.

This is why I believe in Home Education.


So hopefully this has given you more of an insight into home schooling, even if it's not a choice you would choose. Just to understand is a step up. If you liked this post and would perhaps like some more misconceptions or maybe even facts, let me know by either commenting below or by social media. My social media is in the Contact Me page.  Or perhaps you are considering home schooling, because most people think its quite a lonely situation but if you look out there, there are groups full of people who are in the same boat as you may be, who are in a far happier place having left the school system.

You may be expecting me to post a Wednesday video but somehow half of my footage has disappeared so that has had to be postponed until next Wednesday so I can refilm the footage I lost. If you have seen my twitter you may also know I was meant to be at the Me Before You premiere but I am not. I'm not going to lie its partly due to I couldn't be bothered! Also on the subject of Me Before You I hope to do a blog post hopefully next week which is on something that I saw last night on Twitter that really aggravated me. I hope it doesn't offend people but It has really gotten to me and I wanted to voice my opinion. So yeah....
Thanks for reading,
until next time
Sophie

Top 5 Wednesday : Book Series

Hi so this is going to become a regular segment, well as long as I remember haha! So every Wednesday I am going to do a top 5. A top 5 in things like romance books, top 5 in fantasy, and top 5 biographies. So this weeks top 5 is top 5 book series!! I hope that makes sense, if not hopefully once I explain it more it will make more sense.

So this weeks top 5 is book series, so i'm going to tell you some of my favourite 5 book series.
This is not including series that I am halfway through or that the author is still writing the rest of the series. Hopefully that made sense!

So the first book series I want to talk to you about is

The summer I turned pretty by Jenny Han.

 Ah man I love this series, its weird I read this series when I was about 14 and so imagine 13 year old me. Going through normal teenage things like crushes on boys, puberty and finding out who I was. But at the same time I was not a normal 13 year old, a couple of months/year ago before that I experienced someone close to me dying. I was also in and out of hospital with problems with my shunt. Not exactly normal. But I think thats what I loved about this book series is it didn't matter about all the things that make me different to other teenagers. I mean thats why I love reading so much, the ability to see through other peoples eyes, to almost be a normal teenager. I could recognise myself in Belly. All the emotions she was feeling, I had felt or would grow to feel later on in life. It was just a really good coming of age series. Yes I was team Conrad. I know he was kinda a jerk to Belly but having had experience with boys who aren't the nicest, sometimes it takes them time to grow up. They may need more time than you. If that makes sense. I'm not in no way condoning if a guy is absolutely horrible to you to stay with them. I just mean sometimes not everyone grows up the same time as you. It's the same with friendships, sometimes friends just grow apart because you grow up and thats fine. I feel this book helped me to understand growing up. Some people may disagree with my view of the series but personally I loved it. It helped me with growing up and realising that I may be different in some ways. Break it down i'm still a teenager growing up. I have two different covers on my books. The first book is a white with blue embossed(i think!) flowers. But the second and third books are with people on and when I see those covers I always imagine Shailene Woodley or Lilly Collins playing Belly in a movie version.

Books in the series :
The summer I turned Pretty - 1st
Its not summer without you - 2nd
We'll always have summer - 3rd

To read if you like : Romance, Growing up, Family, Contemporary.


The second series I desperately urge everyone to read is...

The Hunger games by Suzane Collins.

 This series is one of those books that are like the classics of the modern age if that makes sense. In the future when people look back on the best books of the 21st century this is one of those. I read this when I was about 11/12/13 and everyone, even my teachers were concerned that I was too young for. I don't think this book has an age limit on it though, I mean I'm not saying you should read it when you're like 8 but at the same time its one of those books that stands the test of time. And that anyone can relate to it. It has such modern issues, issues of war, Tyrannical leaders and rich over the poor. I feel you can be 15 or 70 and you would still understand and love this book. I read this book because I saw a fan made trailer and loved that trailer and decided I had to read them. I am grateful I read them long before the movies were released because I really hate the movies. Just my personal opinion. The books changed my view point, it was one of those series that have the ability to change your view on life. Your view on people. Change what you believe in. Its one of those books that you don't realise how pivotal they are in light of issues that we have in society today. It has the potential to become like 1964 by George Orwell, that it highlights all the issues of society today and that we can change things, also that it could be a modern classic. It's great also that it isn't to heavy on the issues, they are weaved in, almost subliminally. I also love the love story between Katniss and Peeta. I always liked them together, I never liked Gale and Katniss together. Its like Katniss says at the end of the series, Peeta is like her sunshine, to help her see through the darkness. (I believe thats what she said). I loved the ending as it almost was like a full circle, Katniss volunteered in the games to save her sister and ultimately, in the end she couldn't save her sister. It was tragically, poignantly beautiful. I urge everyone to read these before the movies, or instead of the movies. I urge everyone to read this series!
 I love this series, its one of my ultimate favourites.

Books in the series :
The hunger games -1st
Catching Fire - 2nd
Mockingly - 3rd

Read if you like: Romance, Dystopia, Societal issues, Family

The next book series I want to talk to you about is ... The Divergent Series.

Okay so I love these books. I know a lot of people, especially with the movies, refer to them as the next Hunger Games. But I read a really cool article about why should we refer to anything as the next anything. Things can be great in their own right without the need to be compared to anything. It really was an interesting article but I think you can't find it anymore, which is kind of sad. I like this series in a different way to the Hunger Games, I liked it because boiling it down, its about a girl who doesn't quite fit in. I loved Tris, her want to do good by her parents. But also her need to go find herself, by way of choosing Dauntless. Four, I loved,  unlike in other YA books the romance can seem a bit fake, like that would never happen in real life as much as we may want it to. They actually seemed like a proper couple, who may fight but deep down love each other. They supported each other, neither one of them needing to be the bigger star, per say. They wanted the best for each other and for them to be the best to their ability. Which I found really lovely, thats the kind of relationship things we should aspire to. Someone who supports you, doesn't worry if you are the bigger star if that makes sense. Who loves you no matter what. Caleb though, hmm I haven't made my mind up if I like him or not, even though he sells his sister out. I mean I love Ansel Elgorts portrayal of him in the movies. I know a lot of people don't like Allegiant because it kind of destroys all of what the previous two books have built up if that makes sense. I did find the two view points kind of confusing, they kind of merged into one. If I didn't have the name at the start of the chapter I would have been none the wiser. Then also the ending was a point that either you loved it or you hated it. I actually had it spoiled for me so I have put off reading it because I didn't want to read the ending. But I have read it, partly because otherwise when I go to watch Allegiant part 2 (Technically Ascendant?!) I won't have a clue what is going on. I liked the ending, I think it takes a lot of balls to be able to right that ending for your main character. Because it is quite definite and when its your main character, who people have come to love and care for to suddenly and abruptly change that. I'm trying to allude to what happens without saying what happens because on the off chance someone reads this and hasn't read Allegiant. The movies though are a complete different story! Hahah!
Books in the Series
Divergent 1st
Insurgent 2nd
Allegiant 3rd
There is also a spinoff prequel of Four, which tells stories of his life and before he met Tris and then when he met Tris, those stories are set in the middle of Divergent.

 To read if you like : Family, societal war, identity issues, romance, biology wars, nurture vs nature.


The next series is a kind of unknown one, like I haven't seen many people mention this series. So here's a book series to pick up!
It is the Angel Fever Series by L.A Weatherly.

This is one that I feel needs more praise, more people to love it. This is a series about Angels. But not the stereotypical angels. The angels in this book are trying to take over the world, they feed in on humans souls\energy. Resulting in the human victims becoming frail and with almost dementia type symptoms. But the kicker is the victims don't know this is happening and believe the angels are good.
 Then there is this girl called Willow, whose mother is one of these victims who fell in love with an angel and had a child. Willow is that child, so you can guess that Willow has something extra-ordinary about her. Then we have Alex, who is an AK Angel Killer. He and his family are all Angel Killers but his family were killed doing the job. So Alex and Willow meet and sparks fly. I'm trying not to put too many spoilers in these summaries. It's really hard not to write everything! I read this series not long after reading the twilight type books and it was really refreshing to read something not about the stereotypical angels or about vampires or werewolves. Only thing about this series apart from the fact they are pretty hefty books, not that either of these things matter! Is that it has taken forever for the final book to come out. The first book came out in 2010 and then the following year the 2nd book came out. Now the 3rd and final book was slated to come out in 2012. Then it moved to January the following year then May 2013. It finally came out in November 2013. By then I had kinda forgotten about it. But when I did eventually pick it up, I really enjoyed it.
Also quick note for anyone going to Yalc this year, L.A Weatherly is going to be there, so you can guarantee I will be in the queue to get my books signed!
Books in the series -
Angel - 1st
Angel Fire - 2nd
Angel Fever - 3rd
If you like: family, love, action, supernatural, war, road trips, identity struggles.

The last series, I was tossing between two series, but since I talk about one of the series so much already on my blog, Hehe! I thought you already know how much I love that series, why not go for the other. Which I also love a lot!

Its the Starcrossed trilogy by Josephine Angelini.

I love this series, it has greek mythology, gods and goddesses. It does a great job at teaching you greek mythology without ramming it down your throat. I love the greek mythology in this book, and I feel then having read this series I will one day go on to read the odyssey. It gives you a good base. It also has a great story. We have our main character Helen, who again feels unlike her friends, on the island of Nantucket just off the coast Massachusetts. Then one day this new family come to town and well every time Helen meets Lucas. Its hate at first sight. Which is something I really enjoyed, I'm so used to reading love at first sight, so it was refreshing to read a different take. Haha. Helen also has been having dreams, of her travelling across a desert wasteland. I really enjoyed this series. Part of that being Lucas Delos, oh he was just amazing! Yeah. The side characters, like Hector, were in their own right, really good characters.  Also the ending, I loved that it was a happy ending but also had a kind of bittersweet edge to it. Go read the series!
Books in the series -
Starcrossed - 1st
Dreamless - 2nd
Goddess - 3rd

So that was my Top 5 book Series, if you haven't read one of these series, what are you waiting for?! I didn't add any series that I have yet to finish or haven't been finished by the author yet. So I might do that for another Top 5 Wednesday? I'm also going to be recording more book videos for my Youtube channel, as well as my Orphan Black reviews. Sneaky promo there! As I mentioned above I will be going to Yalc this year, not sure how many days just yet, although I have a weekend ticket. Which is easier if I don't feel like going a certain day or something like that. The lineup is amazing, a lot of the authors are on my bookshelf so I have a feeling I will be going on a reading binge from now to Yalc to finish them all in time. Catherine Doyle is going to be there, which is so exciting, as I missed out on going to Bath. Also Jenny Downham, who wrote Before I Die is going to be there which is quite cool as  I really liked that book. I read it before I read the fault in our stars and there were tears! Also in non Yalc news, Me Before You, the movie is soon coming out and I am so excited, it is probably one of my favourite books. I am hoping to go to the movie premiere. I nearly met Sam Claflin back in 2012 when he was new on the scene, at the Snow White and the Huntsman premiere. Although my aunts who came with myself and my auntie Maria met him. I make that my mission.
Also Emilia Clarke, I joked to my mum that it would be the mother of dragons meeting the mother of cats! So I'm really looking forward to that, I will probably do a blog post about it, hopefully it will be a good blog post. I like to set my expectations low for premieres so then any good things that happen are a bonus. I want to do a premiere for disabled people checklist because when I went to my first premiere there was hardly any information about it. We just had to wing it. I think i'm definitely going to do that. Yes. Also I am hoping to get tickets to an Orphan Black convention in Paris. Yes I said Paris! I'm waiting to hear back on disabled access because I don't want to buy tickets and get there and I can't access it. Its a long way to go and its a different country for that to happen could be a nightmare so before I book anything I need to check. It would be quite exciting if I do go as I have never been abroad and also theres a sephora in paris which I will be definitely checking out if we go!
I went to physio on my arm today with mum and someone complemented my shirt in wilkinson, we did a little bit of shopping as well, I was wearing my orphan black shirt. I love the idea of going to a place where everyone knows whats on my shirt and talking to fellow fans. My mum even said if we go she would start watching it just so she knows who's who. So that was a result!
I hope you are all well,
I am not going to say I'm getting good at being organised because thats where it usually goes wrong!
 Because as you may know I now have a youtube channel, sorry for all the promo in the last few posts, so I have been trying to get into a schedule. It's kinda hard to not let one take over the other, trying to keep up with the blog and keep the youtube channel going. Don't let anyone tell you its easy, its not. I feel like my life now revolves around filming a video or writing a blog post! So thats my explanation why posts on here have been so random lately. But I think I may be getting it together. My planned schedule is to post 2 videos, one on a Wednesday then my orphan black episode review on the friday. Then on the blog a post on either the Wednesday or the Friday. I hope thats an achievable schedule and it is fine with you, the few people that read this. HAHA!
I think thats what makes it quite time consuming, I have set myself the challenge of having each orphan black episode up on friday to coincide with the new episode so that means me having to watch the episode to make notes, not complaining about that. Then the few days after that to film it and then whatever days are left to edit it, because trust me it takes a lot of editing. The videos may seem long but when I first started editing them, they were a lot longer! Then after editing to then upload them and sometimes that can take a day in itself, its really hit and miss sometimes they go up in half an hour sometimes a whole day will be needed. And sometimes they just freeze and stop uploading so I have to cancel and do it the next day.
Not that I'm complaining I really enjoy making them, for whoever watches them!
Okay ramble over!
I have a video going up at the same time as this, The Unpopular Book Tag. Oooh!
So heres the link to it, if you want to watch it. -
Sneaky promo!
Thanks for reading.
Until next time
Sophie

The climb

Haha, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus song quote!
Hi remember at the start of the year I said I wanted to do more fundraising and that I had something exciting lined up. Well, can you guess what it is? I did a wheelchair climb on Up at the 02. Raising money for Blind Children UK. Today. Yep! On the 20th March
I have wanted to do something to give back to Blind Children UK as a thank you for all their help they have given me. And well I don't really know enough people to do a bake sale or something like that. So that is where I came up with the idea of doing Up At The 02. My dad, brother George and I (my mum opted out of this one, she has a big fear of heights!) had to leave at about 6:45am as a precaution so we didn't get stuck in traffic. Which despite leaving that early we still got caught in a fair amount of traffic. In which my brother annoyed me and stressed me out that we weren't going to get there.

But we got there with time to spare at 9:15, our climb was at 10am so we sorted the parking out and went to the bathroom and got a bottle of water and then headed to the base camp.
We watched a safety briefing video and we were off. We got our safety gear on and the crew were nice enough to take my long cane up with them so I could use it up at the top. Then we set off. I went up in the wheelchair and it was quite good because I couldn't see below.
 The views were amazing. It was quite a clear day so the sky was amazing. Although when we were on the ground it wasn't windy, when we were doing the climb it was quite windy. Our guides, sorry I cannot remember their names, told us really cool facts. Like how apparently there are plans to put a zip wire between two of the yellow masts of the 02. I will not be signing myself up for that one! I got out of the chair at the top and had a look around. Once we finished the climb I went to the gift shop to get some things to remember the day. It was an amazing experience, that I would urge everyone to do. Its one of those amazing moments, like how I imagine being up in space or on a plane feels like. Like your just a dot on this massive beautiful planet. It was a surreal experience that I would totally do again. Here is the link to the up at the 02 page if you want to have a go - Up At The 02

I want to thank everyone who has sponsored me, we have raised £233, which is amazing since I put my target at £200. Thank you to everyone who donated because that money will go to towards helping more visually impaired children and young people like me. Giving brighter futures to those children and young people.
My just giving page is still up if you want to make a last minute donation. every penny is appreciated.  As I know times are tough and its not always easy to donate money but know every penny you donate will be so much appreciated. Heres the link - My just giving page.

Here are some photos of the day -

George before the climb outside, he kind of looked terrified!

Before we got started!

We passed the Olympic park, I believe that is the Aquatics centre,
 although I may be wrong

The walkway and the view! Sneaky photobomb from the climb wheelchair.

Look at that view with a photo bomb from the climb wheelchair!

We did it!! 

As you can see my family are not photogenic! Hahaha!

Our photos with our guides! 

Our photos with our guides!

The medal I bought to remember the day, as well as part of the teddy. I also bought a mug!

Celebratory dinner!

I wanted to do this as I don't know enough people to do something like an event in which you invite people to turn up. I wanted to do something quite solitary so all I had to do was ask people to sponsor me. I would like to do some more fundraising in the future, possibly for Dreams Come True because I  was going to fundraise for both Blind Children UK and Dreams Come True but the Just Giving Page wouldn't allow me to fundraise for two charities.
My mum also got in touch with our local newspaper to spread the word which was pretty weird. The last time I was in the local newspaper was when my Nan wrote in about me and how I was seriously ill from my brain tumour, so obviously I don't remember that and I have a lot more hair on my head since then!
I don't know if you saw but I now have a Youtube channel and I am trying to upload weekly, like on here, but I am kinda behind this week as I have just come back from a short holiday on monday and have been ill ever since. Like on the way home Monday we had to pull over so I could throw up. To much detail! I am a little behind on my weekly orphan black review so I am going to upload episode 2&3 together so I am on track again. Hopefully they should be up on friday/saturday! I feel like with my fatigue and everything setting a deadline for things is always quite tricky but I want to get better but it is always the issue of ' am I alive enough today to do this?'. Especially after this holiday, we only went away for the weekend, we didn't even go far, but I feel absolutely exhausted!
I hope you enjoyed this post, like I said I have been wanting to do some fundraising for a while as a way to say thank you to some amazing charities who have helped me so much.
Thank you all for reading,
until next time
Sophie