This question is often asked by store clerks, cousins at the family reunion, and elderly neighbors. After all, this is what we are all familiar with.
When you homeschool, "grade" levels are fuzzier, harder to determine and, scandalous I know, but relatively unnecessary. The student is where she is, and since we often work together, a child might be doing history with an older sibling, and phonics with a younger one. The most important point is to meet the child where she is, work to strengthen weaker areas, and continue to improve strong areas.
That said, it didn't take too many times of a clerk asking one of my children, "What grade are you in?", and the child looking mystified, looking at me, looking back at the clerk and answering, "I don't know", that I knew we needed some kind of short answer to that question!
I decided that Math is a subject that is more often divided into grade levels, and that's something that we do work at the child's level rather than share with an older or younger sibling. So, that's how we answer that question in times where all that's needed is that "short answer".
That isn't the only way you can answer that question, but it was an easy way for us!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Pedagogical nonsense!
I confess. I've been to the principal's office. Although I don't recall my first trip there, my aunt described it in full detail.
When I was little, my mother was taking college classes (for her teaching degree). I attended many classes with her, and evidently got along well with the adults. By 5, my grandmother and great-grandmother had already taught me to read, so I went directly into first grade.
Remember "dittos"? Those worksheets copied in the blue ink that smelled funny? They were usually busywork, something to keep the class occupied when the teacher needed to deal with a struggling student, or a discipline issue. Rarely was there any real learning value. Although they aren't in the smelly blue ink anymore, they are still used for the same purposes, that much hasn't changed.
According to my aunt, one day in first grade, I'd had enough of dittos. I marched up to the teacher's desk and slapped the page down saying, "This is pedagogical nonsense, and I'm not going to do it."
That kind of thing doesn't go over terribly well. I spent the afternoon cooling my heels in the principal's office.
I still have an aversion to busywork. My time is valuable, and my child's time is too. I want to spend the time necessary to cover concepts, and the practice needed to be competent, but not to waste time re-doing things in areas the child is already comfortable.
Decide what level of competence you expect for this child, in this area, at this time, remembering that most things will be used and reviewed as you go along. Don't kill the joy of learning by endless drill in any subject... No dittos!
When I was little, my mother was taking college classes (for her teaching degree). I attended many classes with her, and evidently got along well with the adults. By 5, my grandmother and great-grandmother had already taught me to read, so I went directly into first grade.
Remember "dittos"? Those worksheets copied in the blue ink that smelled funny? They were usually busywork, something to keep the class occupied when the teacher needed to deal with a struggling student, or a discipline issue. Rarely was there any real learning value. Although they aren't in the smelly blue ink anymore, they are still used for the same purposes, that much hasn't changed.
According to my aunt, one day in first grade, I'd had enough of dittos. I marched up to the teacher's desk and slapped the page down saying, "This is pedagogical nonsense, and I'm not going to do it."
That kind of thing doesn't go over terribly well. I spent the afternoon cooling my heels in the principal's office.
I still have an aversion to busywork. My time is valuable, and my child's time is too. I want to spend the time necessary to cover concepts, and the practice needed to be competent, but not to waste time re-doing things in areas the child is already comfortable.
Decide what level of competence you expect for this child, in this area, at this time, remembering that most things will be used and reviewed as you go along. Don't kill the joy of learning by endless drill in any subject... No dittos!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Is Sonlight hands-on?
"Won't my active child be bored?"
I've heard those questions a lot. Early in my homeschooling experience I tried a "hands-on approach", thinking my active children would prefer that. What I found was that I would spend an hour (and money on supplies) preparing, and my children would spend 15 minutes learning.
That's a balance that's out of balance! What I've found with Sonlight's literature-based approach is that the kids tend to become interested in things and want to follow up. Since it is their choice, rather than mine, they are motivated and creative as they build, make and do. My part is simple, "Yes, you can use that", "the scissors are in the drawer".
Pleasant surprises have included the time they decided to memorize and perform a humorous poem. They used an old desk and curtains to make a stage, then designed a printed program and illustrations for the performance on the computer. We videotaped the performance and mailed it, along with a program, to grandparents.
A friend's daughter designed dozens of dresses after they enjoyed one book. Another enlisted friends and siblings and they taped an impromptu scene from a Shakespeare play.
My active kids (like the one who just hiked 2.5 miles before starting school for today!), have done very well with Sonlight. They love the openness of following up on their interests, rather than a hands-on "schedule" that predetermines what is supposed to interest them.
So, is Sonlight hands-on? Well, not so much for you, but for your kids... It stimulates interests, and motivates them to pursue their curiosity.
I've heard those questions a lot. Early in my homeschooling experience I tried a "hands-on approach", thinking my active children would prefer that. What I found was that I would spend an hour (and money on supplies) preparing, and my children would spend 15 minutes learning.
That's a balance that's out of balance! What I've found with Sonlight's literature-based approach is that the kids tend to become interested in things and want to follow up. Since it is their choice, rather than mine, they are motivated and creative as they build, make and do. My part is simple, "Yes, you can use that", "the scissors are in the drawer".
Pleasant surprises have included the time they decided to memorize and perform a humorous poem. They used an old desk and curtains to make a stage, then designed a printed program and illustrations for the performance on the computer. We videotaped the performance and mailed it, along with a program, to grandparents.
A friend's daughter designed dozens of dresses after they enjoyed one book. Another enlisted friends and siblings and they taped an impromptu scene from a Shakespeare play.
My active kids (like the one who just hiked 2.5 miles before starting school for today!), have done very well with Sonlight. They love the openness of following up on their interests, rather than a hands-on "schedule" that predetermines what is supposed to interest them.
So, is Sonlight hands-on? Well, not so much for you, but for your kids... It stimulates interests, and motivates them to pursue their curiosity.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
American Sign Language, Part 2
Other reasons that ASL is a foreign language: it is conceptual, ie. signs communicate ideas, rather than words, and it is a form of communication associated with a distinct and unique culture.
Some people take ASL thinking it's an "easy" language. I heard a comment that the college ASL classes lose half the students after the first 2 weeks. It turns out to be much more challenging than they expected!
This is a language that can't be learned from a book. Videos or DVD's along with your book are better, but a live class or tutor is best. ASL is 3-dimensional, incorporating signs with one or two hands, directional movement and facial grammar. All these features combine to convey meaning.
This probably has made it sound intimidating, please don't give up if you are interested! ASL is useful, even for hearing people, you can ask questions or give directions over a long distance or in loud surroundings. You will learn cultural information about the Deaf people living around you, and maybe make some new friends. The Deaf people we've met have been kind, patient and encouraging.
By the way, speaking and signing together is the only way it is physically possible to communicate in two languages at the same time. Challenge your children to think about that!
Some people take ASL thinking it's an "easy" language. I heard a comment that the college ASL classes lose half the students after the first 2 weeks. It turns out to be much more challenging than they expected!
This is a language that can't be learned from a book. Videos or DVD's along with your book are better, but a live class or tutor is best. ASL is 3-dimensional, incorporating signs with one or two hands, directional movement and facial grammar. All these features combine to convey meaning.
This probably has made it sound intimidating, please don't give up if you are interested! ASL is useful, even for hearing people, you can ask questions or give directions over a long distance or in loud surroundings. You will learn cultural information about the Deaf people living around you, and maybe make some new friends. The Deaf people we've met have been kind, patient and encouraging.
By the way, speaking and signing together is the only way it is physically possible to communicate in two languages at the same time. Challenge your children to think about that!
Friday, July 10, 2009
American Sign Language
As I mentioned, my 19 year old daughter studied American Sign Language in high school. Most colleges accept ASL as a foreign language (check with the individual college to verify), and ASL is the 3rd or 4th most commonly used language in the US, depending on the source of information.
There are several forms of signed communication. The popularity and use of each varies by region. Think of them as a spectrum, with Signing Exact English (SEE) at one end, Pidgeon Sign Language (PSE) in the middle, and ASL at the other end.
SEE is NOT a foreign language. It is a sign system, but is essentially "English on the hands". Its grammar and structure are the same as English. Each word is at least one sign.
PSE uses signs from ASL and SEE, with its grammar rather mixed, but signs usually understandable by both ends of the spectrum.
ASL has its own grammatical structure, unique, and conceptual in nature. For example, in English, we might say; "The old man sat at the table in his small white house on the farm". To sign this information, we introduce the setting, the farm, then the house, indicating by the way it is signed that the house is small and white, then probably the table and the old man sitting at it.
This structure is why it's a foreign language. You learn not only the signs, but also the unique grammatical structure.
We started with a class at our adult education center, Beginning ASL. At the time my daughter wasn't old enough to take the class herself, so I attended (I had always wanted to learn ASL!), and later taught her. Not the very best way, but it was a start.
Once the beginning class was over, we looked around for more opportunities. To our surprise, we found a lovely lady at church who is an interpreter, and agreed to work with us. She tutored us for 1 1/2 years. We ended by completing the college text used for the first year ASL class at the local university, and Jesse interpreted a song of her choice and performed it at church. We invited a Deaf friend, and she enjoyed the performance. (She cried, I told Jesse I thought she'd done it right then!)
More coming on ASL!
There are several forms of signed communication. The popularity and use of each varies by region. Think of them as a spectrum, with Signing Exact English (SEE) at one end, Pidgeon Sign Language (PSE) in the middle, and ASL at the other end.
SEE is NOT a foreign language. It is a sign system, but is essentially "English on the hands". Its grammar and structure are the same as English. Each word is at least one sign.
PSE uses signs from ASL and SEE, with its grammar rather mixed, but signs usually understandable by both ends of the spectrum.
ASL has its own grammatical structure, unique, and conceptual in nature. For example, in English, we might say; "The old man sat at the table in his small white house on the farm". To sign this information, we introduce the setting, the farm, then the house, indicating by the way it is signed that the house is small and white, then probably the table and the old man sitting at it.
This structure is why it's a foreign language. You learn not only the signs, but also the unique grammatical structure.
We started with a class at our adult education center, Beginning ASL. At the time my daughter wasn't old enough to take the class herself, so I attended (I had always wanted to learn ASL!), and later taught her. Not the very best way, but it was a start.
Once the beginning class was over, we looked around for more opportunities. To our surprise, we found a lovely lady at church who is an interpreter, and agreed to work with us. She tutored us for 1 1/2 years. We ended by completing the college text used for the first year ASL class at the local university, and Jesse interpreted a song of her choice and performed it at church. We invited a Deaf friend, and she enjoyed the performance. (She cried, I told Jesse I thought she'd done it right then!)
More coming on ASL!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Why the current time in Peru?
This week my 19 year old daughter arrived in Lima, Peru for a missions trip. She has made all the arrangements herself for this trip planned to be a year long.
I'm excited for her, and yet LONG is the operative word! That seems like such a long time for her to be gone! I'm praying for her to have a fun, effective ministry with the Peruvian group there, and also for her to be safe.
Like many experiences, there have been ups and downs already. The Peruvian mission interns have been nice to her, but her Spanish-English Bible and her contact lens solution were missing from her luggage.
She's very excited about this opportunity to serve the Lord, but doesn't speak Spanish! (She studied American Sign Language in our high school, that will be another post.) I'm confident she'll learn Spanish quickly, she'll certainly be highly motivated!
It's scary for me to have her doing this. But I'm reminding myself that this is what we raised our children to do, to step into adulthood and live the life God has for them. (Please feel free to pray for her!)
I'm excited for her, and yet LONG is the operative word! That seems like such a long time for her to be gone! I'm praying for her to have a fun, effective ministry with the Peruvian group there, and also for her to be safe.
Like many experiences, there have been ups and downs already. The Peruvian mission interns have been nice to her, but her Spanish-English Bible and her contact lens solution were missing from her luggage.
She's very excited about this opportunity to serve the Lord, but doesn't speak Spanish! (She studied American Sign Language in our high school, that will be another post.) I'm confident she'll learn Spanish quickly, she'll certainly be highly motivated!
It's scary for me to have her doing this. But I'm reminding myself that this is what we raised our children to do, to step into adulthood and live the life God has for them. (Please feel free to pray for her!)
Monday, July 6, 2009
Thinking ahead...
Several years ago I heard about Nanowrimo... National Novel Writing Month. The adult level challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. There is also a student site, the Young Writer's Program, in which the teacher sets the word goal for each individual student.
After reading about this, I decided to offer my high schoolers the option to participate in the National Novel Writing Month, or do the regular Sonlight writing assignments for the month of November. I also offered the choice of participating as an adult, with the 50,000 word goal, or I would help them determine a goal for the Young Writer's Program. Either way, I promised that I wouldn't read any part of it that they didn't want me to, but it had to be typed to be loaded onto the website for an official word count.
They both, to my surprise, chose to do the 50,000 words in a month. That's about the length of The Great Gatsby. One made it, and one didn't. I didn't either! But, it was a great experience. I was amazed by the difference in writing for quantity rather than quality.
I know that sounds like a bad thing, but you are truly able to think more creatively and not be paralyzed by trying to get everything 'just right'. My students were excited, challenged and enriched by the experience.
It also changes the way you read a book. Because you have dealt with unruly characters, questions and plot holes in your own novel, you notice and appreciate an author's skillful handling of his characters and story. You develop an insiders understanding of story structure that can't be easily learned any other way.
Locally there is a "Nano" group that meets weekly during November, and a few of us have continued to meet every 2 weeks, year round, for the last 2 years. Ours is not a homeschool group, our regulars have included only adults, myself and my daughter. It's been encouraging to meet together and write for a couple of hours, ask questions, talk about writing.
As a side benefit, by the way, it's a wonderful motivation to learn or improve at typing!
I have now finished the 50,000 word goal the last 2 years, and one of my daughters has exceeded the 50,000 word goal all 3 years she has participated. We both want to do this every year!
After reading about this, I decided to offer my high schoolers the option to participate in the National Novel Writing Month, or do the regular Sonlight writing assignments for the month of November. I also offered the choice of participating as an adult, with the 50,000 word goal, or I would help them determine a goal for the Young Writer's Program. Either way, I promised that I wouldn't read any part of it that they didn't want me to, but it had to be typed to be loaded onto the website for an official word count.
They both, to my surprise, chose to do the 50,000 words in a month. That's about the length of The Great Gatsby. One made it, and one didn't. I didn't either! But, it was a great experience. I was amazed by the difference in writing for quantity rather than quality.
I know that sounds like a bad thing, but you are truly able to think more creatively and not be paralyzed by trying to get everything 'just right'. My students were excited, challenged and enriched by the experience.
It also changes the way you read a book. Because you have dealt with unruly characters, questions and plot holes in your own novel, you notice and appreciate an author's skillful handling of his characters and story. You develop an insiders understanding of story structure that can't be easily learned any other way.
Locally there is a "Nano" group that meets weekly during November, and a few of us have continued to meet every 2 weeks, year round, for the last 2 years. Ours is not a homeschool group, our regulars have included only adults, myself and my daughter. It's been encouraging to meet together and write for a couple of hours, ask questions, talk about writing.
As a side benefit, by the way, it's a wonderful motivation to learn or improve at typing!
I have now finished the 50,000 word goal the last 2 years, and one of my daughters has exceeded the 50,000 word goal all 3 years she has participated. We both want to do this every year!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Choosing Readers
People often ask how to choose appropriate Sonlight Readers for young children. One way is to look over a description of the different options.
Readers K... for the student who is ready to learn the letter sounds.
Readers 1... to be used by the student who knows all the letter sounds and is ready to read 3-letter words.
Readers 2... for a child reading long vowel, 5- and 6- letter words, but needs more white space on the page, and not too much text per page.
Readers 2 Intermediate... More text per page, short chapter books, average 50-70 pages long.
Readers 2 Advanced... For students comfortable with a smaller text size, more words on a page, longer chapters. These books might average 120-150 pages.
You can use the Quick Reading Assessment on the Sonlight website, there are some notes on choosing Readers on that page as well.
What if your child seems in between these levels? I would suggest choosing the lower of the two choices. Don't worry that you are holding your child back. They will actually progress faster by reading more books at a comfortable level, rather than being constantly challenged by harder and harder books.
When your child is ready, having had the practice he needs, he will pull one off the shelf, and just start to read!
Readers K... for the student who is ready to learn the letter sounds.
Readers 1... to be used by the student who knows all the letter sounds and is ready to read 3-letter words.
Readers 2... for a child reading long vowel, 5- and 6- letter words, but needs more white space on the page, and not too much text per page.
Readers 2 Intermediate... More text per page, short chapter books, average 50-70 pages long.
Readers 2 Advanced... For students comfortable with a smaller text size, more words on a page, longer chapters. These books might average 120-150 pages.
You can use the Quick Reading Assessment on the Sonlight website, there are some notes on choosing Readers on that page as well.
What if your child seems in between these levels? I would suggest choosing the lower of the two choices. Don't worry that you are holding your child back. They will actually progress faster by reading more books at a comfortable level, rather than being constantly challenged by harder and harder books.
When your child is ready, having had the practice he needs, he will pull one off the shelf, and just start to read!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
"It turned out a little different..."
June was the month that "turned out a little different" for us (from a line in an old Jerry Lewis movie). We had anticipated a few things, helping another consultant at a convention, one daughter graduating from her massage therapy program, another heading off on a missions trip.
Then came the surprises. There are always those! The dog had an unexpected surgery to remove a strange nodule, my parents visited from out of state, our son and his wife visited, also from out of state, the daughter leaving on the missions trip needed more shots than I expected, as well as requiring multiple Dr. appointments for a sudden infection. Oh, and another daughter got her learner's permit, we started Driver's Ed in a Box again.
The visits went well, we so enjoy time with our son and his wonderful wife. We were able to finish the last shot needed on the day of departure for our daughter, and she has medications with her if the infection should flare up again. The Driver's Ed, we've had 2 short lessons and it's going fine.
I can highly recommend Driver's Ed in a Box, by the way. It thoroughly explains some of those things that as an experienced driver, I know, but didn't think to explain to my learner. (To my older children who learned to drive without this program, I apologize!)
I love the focus on "Collision-free driving". That is after all, what I want. I want them to not only learn to handle a vehicle, the usual focus of driver's education programs, but also to observe conditions, anticipate other drivers, and avoid accidents. Check it out here.
I would have preferred it to be organized a little differently, so I did change the order that some skills were addressed. I also found that the order of presenting various driving conditions weren't practical for our surroundings. It had the student driving the interstate before back roads for example. I just had my student work on those in the order that I found to be best for our situation.
Then came the surprises. There are always those! The dog had an unexpected surgery to remove a strange nodule, my parents visited from out of state, our son and his wife visited, also from out of state, the daughter leaving on the missions trip needed more shots than I expected, as well as requiring multiple Dr. appointments for a sudden infection. Oh, and another daughter got her learner's permit, we started Driver's Ed in a Box again.
The visits went well, we so enjoy time with our son and his wonderful wife. We were able to finish the last shot needed on the day of departure for our daughter, and she has medications with her if the infection should flare up again. The Driver's Ed, we've had 2 short lessons and it's going fine.
I can highly recommend Driver's Ed in a Box, by the way. It thoroughly explains some of those things that as an experienced driver, I know, but didn't think to explain to my learner. (To my older children who learned to drive without this program, I apologize!)
I love the focus on "Collision-free driving". That is after all, what I want. I want them to not only learn to handle a vehicle, the usual focus of driver's education programs, but also to observe conditions, anticipate other drivers, and avoid accidents. Check it out here.
I would have preferred it to be organized a little differently, so I did change the order that some skills were addressed. I also found that the order of presenting various driving conditions weren't practical for our surroundings. It had the student driving the interstate before back roads for example. I just had my student work on those in the order that I found to be best for our situation.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
How do we know we're doing the right thing?
As homeschoolers, our families often live on one income. It's easy to look around and see other families that might be able to provide expensive vacations, lessons, or all the "best" clothes and advantages. Comparing that to the simpler life we live can make us wonder if our children would be better off with the second income instead of homeschooling.
My first nursing job was at a university health service. Our facility provided not only urgent care services, but also limited in-patient services. It amazed me how much those young adults had to say in the middle of the night.
Without exception, every young person that talked to me said they wished their parents had spent more time with them. They lamented that their parents had spent their time working, to give them money and "stuff", but what the kids really wanted was time. You can't imagine how many times I heard, "I wish they had given me themselves instead of 'stuff' ".
Although you might wonder if you are giving your child what she needs when others are enjoying 'stuff', remember you are choosing to give of yourself to your child. That will last far longer, and have far more positive benefits than any 'things' you might have provided with a second income.
Invest in what lasts!
My first nursing job was at a university health service. Our facility provided not only urgent care services, but also limited in-patient services. It amazed me how much those young adults had to say in the middle of the night.
Without exception, every young person that talked to me said they wished their parents had spent more time with them. They lamented that their parents had spent their time working, to give them money and "stuff", but what the kids really wanted was time. You can't imagine how many times I heard, "I wish they had given me themselves instead of 'stuff' ".
Although you might wonder if you are giving your child what she needs when others are enjoying 'stuff', remember you are choosing to give of yourself to your child. That will last far longer, and have far more positive benefits than any 'things' you might have provided with a second income.
Invest in what lasts!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Summer Math games
While we hear about lots of summer reading ideas and programs, we all know summer math can suffer from neglect. Leaving math to wither over the hot summer means needing review as you start up again in the fall. Some classroom settings may spend one, or even two, MONTHS reviewing!
Let's not. Encourage your child to keep up his math skills; with estimation as you go to the store, with one or two math lessons each week, or the most fun, with games.
We used a board from a standard board game, 2 standard dice and a special die with the math symbols on it, +, -, etc. We found one at our local teacher store. Each player would roll all 3 dice, to yield 2 numbers and one symbol. The player performs the function, say, 3+5=8, and moves his token that many spots. It makes for a painless way to review those math facts.
If you do flash cards, make that a game. Each time the child can give the correct answer, let her keep the card. Who has the biggest stack after once through, you or the child?
There are unlimited possibilities, choose a variety of games and activities you both enjoy, and jump start your school year!
Let's not. Encourage your child to keep up his math skills; with estimation as you go to the store, with one or two math lessons each week, or the most fun, with games.
We used a board from a standard board game, 2 standard dice and a special die with the math symbols on it, +, -, etc. We found one at our local teacher store. Each player would roll all 3 dice, to yield 2 numbers and one symbol. The player performs the function, say, 3+5=8, and moves his token that many spots. It makes for a painless way to review those math facts.
If you do flash cards, make that a game. Each time the child can give the correct answer, let her keep the card. Who has the biggest stack after once through, you or the child?
There are unlimited possibilities, choose a variety of games and activities you both enjoy, and jump start your school year!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Extracurriculars....
One extracurricular activity that we enjoyed for years is 4-H. Although you might think of this as only for farm and ranch folks, projects are available for everything from Electricity and Rocketry to Cooking and Photography, as well as livestock.
Excited by the huge variety of choices, I WAY overestimated on projects that first year. By the second year I had realized that we needed to choose one or two and finish those. It wasn't until doing livestock projects that my children were interested in competing at the fair.
They put huge amounts of work into their livestock animals, and for the most part it was a great experience. We learned SO much about why the Lord refers to us as "sheep", not particularly a compliment, by the way. Sheep need care, they are silly, foolish, comical, and very lovable. They truly do know the shepherd's voice.
This summer may be a great time for you to check out a 4-H club (there are county rules that are common to all clubs, as well as club charters that specify rules for that individual club). Talk the leader, some of the parents and members, maybe attend a meeting. This is a busy time of year as members work on their books and do all the last things required for their projects to be ready for the fair.
Good questions for you to ask might be how often and what time are the meetings, are there project meetings in addition to club meetings, is there a project leader for the project of your child's interest, or will you be doing it yourself, does the club have requirements for when the project books are finished (the county does, but individual clubs might have additional rules). Become familiar with what the club might require in terms of time commitment.
This research will pay off in a good "fit" between your family and the 4-H club. Meetings often start up again in September or October and the sign up deadline is usually by Dec 1st.
Check it out!
Excited by the huge variety of choices, I WAY overestimated on projects that first year. By the second year I had realized that we needed to choose one or two and finish those. It wasn't until doing livestock projects that my children were interested in competing at the fair.
They put huge amounts of work into their livestock animals, and for the most part it was a great experience. We learned SO much about why the Lord refers to us as "sheep", not particularly a compliment, by the way. Sheep need care, they are silly, foolish, comical, and very lovable. They truly do know the shepherd's voice.
This summer may be a great time for you to check out a 4-H club (there are county rules that are common to all clubs, as well as club charters that specify rules for that individual club). Talk the leader, some of the parents and members, maybe attend a meeting. This is a busy time of year as members work on their books and do all the last things required for their projects to be ready for the fair.
Good questions for you to ask might be how often and what time are the meetings, are there project meetings in addition to club meetings, is there a project leader for the project of your child's interest, or will you be doing it yourself, does the club have requirements for when the project books are finished (the county does, but individual clubs might have additional rules). Become familiar with what the club might require in terms of time commitment.
This research will pay off in a good "fit" between your family and the 4-H club. Meetings often start up again in September or October and the sign up deadline is usually by Dec 1st.
Check it out!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Did you miss it?
I'm coming up for air again after the book sale. My friend, Cheri, and I have been organizing the Missoula/Bitterroot Homeschool Used Book Sale for 10 years now. It seems every year has its adventures, and this year was no exception.
A friend of Cheri's came early, poor dear, we put her to work right away! My daughter and I had arrived a little before Cheri, and along with Cheri's friend, we put up all the chairs, pulled out tables and were nearly arranged when Cheri got there, right on time.
In doing the name tags, we found we were short on tables, a perennial problem! I had tossed in 2 tables of my own, and Cheri went to her church and borrowed one, giving us exactly the right number. The Lord has provided just what we needed each year.
It was great to see so many people, and a wonderful blessing to know that people were able to buy and sell things they needed to. Every year we hear stories from fellow homeschoolers that they were able to find exactly what they needed at a price they could afford. That really makes our efforts worthwhile!
The only sad note this year, I got an email last night from a friend in Anaconda, wondering if she had missed the sale! Cheri and I try to be consistent in planning for the first Monday in June, don't miss it next year!
Congratulations to K.G. of Lolo, who won the gift basket drawing!
A friend of Cheri's came early, poor dear, we put her to work right away! My daughter and I had arrived a little before Cheri, and along with Cheri's friend, we put up all the chairs, pulled out tables and were nearly arranged when Cheri got there, right on time.
In doing the name tags, we found we were short on tables, a perennial problem! I had tossed in 2 tables of my own, and Cheri went to her church and borrowed one, giving us exactly the right number. The Lord has provided just what we needed each year.
It was great to see so many people, and a wonderful blessing to know that people were able to buy and sell things they needed to. Every year we hear stories from fellow homeschoolers that they were able to find exactly what they needed at a price they could afford. That really makes our efforts worthwhile!
The only sad note this year, I got an email last night from a friend in Anaconda, wondering if she had missed the sale! Cheri and I try to be consistent in planning for the first Monday in June, don't miss it next year!
Congratulations to K.G. of Lolo, who won the gift basket drawing!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Summer activities
We like to do a little school during the summer. Maybe one or two lessons of Math per week, some Science experiments, and we still read out loud.
Other summer activities for our family might include hiking, picnicking, gardening. On those hot, hot days, we like to splash in the creek across the road from our house.
Encourage your children to keep reading over the summer. Don't worry about searching out more and more challenging reading. You can find more reading material at about the same reading level by looking for more in a favorite series or more books by an author your child likes. Even though they are enjoying reading at a comfortable level, they will continue to build confidence and improve their reading skills.
You can stimulate their interest by being a role model so, pick up a book and READ!
Other summer activities for our family might include hiking, picnicking, gardening. On those hot, hot days, we like to splash in the creek across the road from our house.
Encourage your children to keep reading over the summer. Don't worry about searching out more and more challenging reading. You can find more reading material at about the same reading level by looking for more in a favorite series or more books by an author your child likes. Even though they are enjoying reading at a comfortable level, they will continue to build confidence and improve their reading skills.
You can stimulate their interest by being a role model so, pick up a book and READ!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Do you ever feel alone?
Like you just don't fit in with the crowd?
When we hear comments that challenge or ridicule our home education efforts, we can feel especially different. It can make us question if this is really a good idea. Then we start comparing. That's our downfall.
Remember that comparing what we are doing with what someone else is doing, or what the school is doing is a fatal exercise. Invariably we are comparing the externally visible strengths of someone else to our own weaknesses. We can't help but come up short.
This played out for me in an experience some years ago. One day each week we met with another family and did "team teaching", their mom taught all the kids certain subjects and I taught all the kids other subjects. The first day was nearly a disaster.
She started with English, asking the children to name the 8 parts of speech. Her kids named them off easily, quickly. My kids looked confused and said, "What?"
Then came geography... Down to her 5 yr old could list off the major oceans and seas. My kids said, "Um, what?" (I was having cold sweats in the corner.)
The capper was when asked, down to their 5 yr old could name the Roman emperors, in order!
Feeling completely defeated, I was ready to crawl under a rock, send my kids to school where they'd actually learn something! I nearly packed up the kids and left, but my brain was so addled I just couldn't come up with a quick excuse to go.
Then it was my turn to teach Biology, a favorite subject for me. We went over the differences between bacteria and viruses. To my utter shock... the tables were turned. Down to my 3 yr old knew the differences and could explain them, up to her older teen didn't know for sure.
That gave me much to think about. Not to say one area of knowledge is more important than another, we all prioritize according to what we think is more important. But more that if I had actually managed an excuse and left, I would never have known that I was comparing her strengths to my own weaknesses (or just areas that we hadn't covered yet). If I had left, I would have stayed defeated.
As hard as it is, don't compare. Instead, enjoy being unique!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Missoula/Bitterroot Homeschoolers!
The Missoula/Bitterroot Homeschoolers
Used Book Sale is scheduled for June 1st, 2009
at King's Christian Church, Hwy 93, Lolo, MT
Open to the public 1:30 to 4:30 pm
For questions or table reservations call:
Cathy Anderson 626-5534, or email me
or Cheri Perez 777-2570
I'll be there with my Sonlight materials so you have another chance to see things if you missed the MHEEC Convention in Kalispell this month.
Used Book Sale is scheduled for June 1st, 2009
at King's Christian Church, Hwy 93, Lolo, MT
Open to the public 1:30 to 4:30 pm
For questions or table reservations call:
Cathy Anderson 626-5534, or email me
or Cheri Perez 777-2570
I'll be there with my Sonlight materials so you have another chance to see things if you missed the MHEEC Convention in Kalispell this month.
Calling all Juniors!
If your student will be a high school Junior this fall, this is the year to take the PSAT. The PSAT is a Preliminary SAT exam. It is used as practice for the college entrance SAT exam, and as the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship competition.
The test is given once a year in October. Now is a great time of year to contact a local public or private high school and ask that they order a test for your student. The cost is approximately $13-$15, the school can set the exact price. The test is quite similar to the SAT, but does not have an essay portion.
Although the Junior year is the one that "counts" for the National Merit Scholarship, your student can take the test for practice in the 10th grade year as well. For the scholarship, it is the total score that is considered. While only the top few percent of students will receive any official recognition for their high score, the PSAT is well worth doing for the practice and allowing your student to become more familiar with standardized test formats. Feel free to use a "prep" book to help your student know what to expect.
The first time we considered having our 10th grader take the PSAT, I didn't realize I should have called well in advance. I found myself calling around to every local school, in a panic because September was too late to find a spare test available. One person finally explained it was only the 11th grade year that is considered for the scholarship competition. We waited until the next year for that student, and for subsequent students I knew to call early!
There is a homeschool code that your student will enter into a designated spot on the test form that will allow the test results to be sent directly to your home address. The score report will arrive around the first week of December.
For more information about the PSAT: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html
The test is given once a year in October. Now is a great time of year to contact a local public or private high school and ask that they order a test for your student. The cost is approximately $13-$15, the school can set the exact price. The test is quite similar to the SAT, but does not have an essay portion.
Although the Junior year is the one that "counts" for the National Merit Scholarship, your student can take the test for practice in the 10th grade year as well. For the scholarship, it is the total score that is considered. While only the top few percent of students will receive any official recognition for their high score, the PSAT is well worth doing for the practice and allowing your student to become more familiar with standardized test formats. Feel free to use a "prep" book to help your student know what to expect.
The first time we considered having our 10th grader take the PSAT, I didn't realize I should have called well in advance. I found myself calling around to every local school, in a panic because September was too late to find a spare test available. One person finally explained it was only the 11th grade year that is considered for the scholarship competition. We waited until the next year for that student, and for subsequent students I knew to call early!
There is a homeschool code that your student will enter into a designated spot on the test form that will allow the test results to be sent directly to your home address. The score report will arrive around the first week of December.
For more information about the PSAT: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Summer's coming! Now what?
The warmer weather is here, finally! This has seemed like a very long, slow process to me, but summer is right around the corner.
Now what??
Some families do school year-round, some take the full summer off, and others, somewhere in between.
We have actually done all those things in different years. Each has advantages but "real life" certainly affects what we might choose.
Initially, we did 2-3 days worth of school over each week in the summer. It wasn't an arduous schedule, but allowed us to rack up some time toward our annual goal of hours or days. My kids didn't mind starting before their public school friends, but they had a passion to finish the school year before them!
Over the years we did 4-H, we tended to do less school in the summer. Time is short and precious when you are doing livestock projects! That is of course, an education in itself, and requires some flexibility during the year. We took shorter holiday breaks to give us time to take off for lambing in February, for instance.
Summer can be a great time to do Science. You can do some or even all, of your Science for the year over summer. We like to do some Math at least, which means we don't have as much review time needed as we start up our full school year. It can be a wonderful time for art, craft projects, cooking, gardening, and of course, reading aloud.
Remember, you are in charge of your school and schedule. You needn't do school "the way we've always done it", or the way the public school does it. You have flexibility, take advantage of it to meet the needs of your children!
It was wonderful to meet so many of you at the MHEEC convention, thank you for stopping to see me! More on high school in the next post....
Now what??
Some families do school year-round, some take the full summer off, and others, somewhere in between.
We have actually done all those things in different years. Each has advantages but "real life" certainly affects what we might choose.
Initially, we did 2-3 days worth of school over each week in the summer. It wasn't an arduous schedule, but allowed us to rack up some time toward our annual goal of hours or days. My kids didn't mind starting before their public school friends, but they had a passion to finish the school year before them!
Over the years we did 4-H, we tended to do less school in the summer. Time is short and precious when you are doing livestock projects! That is of course, an education in itself, and requires some flexibility during the year. We took shorter holiday breaks to give us time to take off for lambing in February, for instance.
Summer can be a great time to do Science. You can do some or even all, of your Science for the year over summer. We like to do some Math at least, which means we don't have as much review time needed as we start up our full school year. It can be a wonderful time for art, craft projects, cooking, gardening, and of course, reading aloud.
Remember, you are in charge of your school and schedule. You needn't do school "the way we've always done it", or the way the public school does it. You have flexibility, take advantage of it to meet the needs of your children!
It was wonderful to meet so many of you at the MHEEC convention, thank you for stopping to see me! More on high school in the next post....
Monday, May 11, 2009
High school: The OTHER scary part...
People have often told me the two scariest times in their homeschool experience are teaching reading and homeschooling high school. We've talked a little bit about teaching reading, let's look at high school.
First, deep breath, maybe have a cup of tea, calm those trembling hands and shaking nerves. You can do this.
A great first step (after your tea) is to make sure you are familiar with the homeschool law in your state. This will help you know what you need to comply with, such as keeping a basic log of hours spent, topics taught, etc. More about records in another post.
Before the beginning of high school, I strongly suggest you make a simple chart. I like to list the courses down the left side of my page and the years across the top, 9th, 10th, and so on.
As you fill in "X's" in the intersecting boxes, you are planning out your student's high school years. Remember this is a general plan. You can list "English" on the left. It's usually done, in some form, each year, so place X's in all four years. That's fine, even though later as you plan in more detail, one year might end up, "Poetry" or "Composition 1" or "Creative Writing".
This will help you plan out the pace of the four years so your student isn't twiddling his thumbs one year, or hearing; "Honey, guess what, you're going to earn 32 credits this year!" Along with the overall pace, you can plan out courses that need certain courses done first. For instance, Algebra 1 is usually a prerequisite, a "do-first" (or at least a co-requisite, a "do-at-the-same-time) for Chemistry.
If that sounds awfully organized, I'll let you in on a couple of secrets: I do this in pencil, not pen, and I've lost that master chart at least once for each child. You can re-create that chart if needed (because you not only lost it, but didn't find it again. Ask me how I know!).
Where do you get the courses? I've looked at the Office of Public Instruction website and the Montana state law to make sure I am exceeding that. Then at lots of college websites for admission requirements. I made sure to look at a range of large and small, public and private colleges, and a wide variety of geographic locations.
At first glance, this might seem daunting and very rigid. Keep in mind that most of those places listed something like: "Engligh, 4 yrs, must include composition and literature". As I mentioned, you have lots of freedom to both meet the student's needs and satisfy his interests, Poetry, Creative Writing, American Literature, English Literature, etc.
We've just scratched the surface! I have lots more to offer, stay tuned here, and I hope to see you at the Montana Homeschool Convention, coming up this weekend!
First, deep breath, maybe have a cup of tea, calm those trembling hands and shaking nerves. You can do this.
A great first step (after your tea) is to make sure you are familiar with the homeschool law in your state. This will help you know what you need to comply with, such as keeping a basic log of hours spent, topics taught, etc. More about records in another post.
Before the beginning of high school, I strongly suggest you make a simple chart. I like to list the courses down the left side of my page and the years across the top, 9th, 10th, and so on.
As you fill in "X's" in the intersecting boxes, you are planning out your student's high school years. Remember this is a general plan. You can list "English" on the left. It's usually done, in some form, each year, so place X's in all four years. That's fine, even though later as you plan in more detail, one year might end up, "Poetry" or "Composition 1" or "Creative Writing".
This will help you plan out the pace of the four years so your student isn't twiddling his thumbs one year, or hearing; "Honey, guess what, you're going to earn 32 credits this year!" Along with the overall pace, you can plan out courses that need certain courses done first. For instance, Algebra 1 is usually a prerequisite, a "do-first" (or at least a co-requisite, a "do-at-the-same-time) for Chemistry.
If that sounds awfully organized, I'll let you in on a couple of secrets: I do this in pencil, not pen, and I've lost that master chart at least once for each child. You can re-create that chart if needed (because you not only lost it, but didn't find it again. Ask me how I know!).
Where do you get the courses? I've looked at the Office of Public Instruction website and the Montana state law to make sure I am exceeding that. Then at lots of college websites for admission requirements. I made sure to look at a range of large and small, public and private colleges, and a wide variety of geographic locations.
At first glance, this might seem daunting and very rigid. Keep in mind that most of those places listed something like: "Engligh, 4 yrs, must include composition and literature". As I mentioned, you have lots of freedom to both meet the student's needs and satisfy his interests, Poetry, Creative Writing, American Literature, English Literature, etc.
We've just scratched the surface! I have lots more to offer, stay tuned here, and I hope to see you at the Montana Homeschool Convention, coming up this weekend!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Helping your struggling reader
When I began teaching reading for the first time, I had thought that we would introduce and practice a letter sound 20-30 times, and my budding reader would have it down. Wrong! Instead, it was more like 2 or 3 hundred times! I had no idea it would be like that.
When you are going over anything that many times, you need a little variety. We played many games and worked with those pesky letter sounds in as many ways as I could think of. Remember at this point, you don't care if the student knows the letter names, you are after the child knowing letter sounds. Here are a few games you can try:
Make a list of letters, only say, 6-8. A mix of letters the child knows well with only a few that are newer to him. Using that list, dictate those sounds and have the child write them down. Let him compare your list to his, "reading" the sounds to you. Then the real fun, let him take your list and dictate those sounds to you. Again, let him compare your original list to your dictated copy. My kids loved the whole idea of "testing" me to see if I knew my letter sounds.
With this and other games, the best strategy is using a few at a time and a mix of known and new letters.
We wrote letters on index cards and used those to spell short words and practice reading them, cat, hat, pen, can, etc. (You could use Scrabble tiles to do this too.)
You can use those same cards to play a concentration game. You'll need 2 cards of each letter. Mix them up, lay them face down and let the child work on finding the matches. When he has matched all of them (remember, only 6-8 at a time, not all 26 letters!), let him read the sounds of all the pairs to you.
We enjoyed the Sonlight Language Arts games, Go A to Z and Alphabet Sounds Bingo.
A favorite game is a wonderful whole body reinforcement of letter sounds, but it does get wild and silly. I wrote a single letter on each piece of paper. Lay out 9-12 papers with different letters on the floor. Call out a letter sound and let the child jump onto the page with that letter. This is great for kinesthetic learners especially, but all of my children enjoyed it. Those papers will slide on the floor and between jumping, falling, and giggling, it does get pretty loud!
Encourage even older struggling readers to play these games. An older student can play them with a younger student as your "teacher's aide". It's learning for the younger child and review for the older one.
It takes a lot of work to become fluent with reading. Variety will help relieve the monotony of practicing the same thing over and over.
Now, go play a game!
When you are going over anything that many times, you need a little variety. We played many games and worked with those pesky letter sounds in as many ways as I could think of. Remember at this point, you don't care if the student knows the letter names, you are after the child knowing letter sounds. Here are a few games you can try:
Make a list of letters, only say, 6-8. A mix of letters the child knows well with only a few that are newer to him. Using that list, dictate those sounds and have the child write them down. Let him compare your list to his, "reading" the sounds to you. Then the real fun, let him take your list and dictate those sounds to you. Again, let him compare your original list to your dictated copy. My kids loved the whole idea of "testing" me to see if I knew my letter sounds.
With this and other games, the best strategy is using a few at a time and a mix of known and new letters.
We wrote letters on index cards and used those to spell short words and practice reading them, cat, hat, pen, can, etc. (You could use Scrabble tiles to do this too.)
You can use those same cards to play a concentration game. You'll need 2 cards of each letter. Mix them up, lay them face down and let the child work on finding the matches. When he has matched all of them (remember, only 6-8 at a time, not all 26 letters!), let him read the sounds of all the pairs to you.
We enjoyed the Sonlight Language Arts games, Go A to Z and Alphabet Sounds Bingo.
A favorite game is a wonderful whole body reinforcement of letter sounds, but it does get wild and silly. I wrote a single letter on each piece of paper. Lay out 9-12 papers with different letters on the floor. Call out a letter sound and let the child jump onto the page with that letter. This is great for kinesthetic learners especially, but all of my children enjoyed it. Those papers will slide on the floor and between jumping, falling, and giggling, it does get pretty loud!
Encourage even older struggling readers to play these games. An older student can play them with a younger student as your "teacher's aide". It's learning for the younger child and review for the older one.
It takes a lot of work to become fluent with reading. Variety will help relieve the monotony of practicing the same thing over and over.
Now, go play a game!
Monday, May 4, 2009
"I can't read!"
Has your child said that? Mine did. I winced painfully as she said this point blank to a lady, in of all places, a bookstore.
Especially if you are a parent who loves to read, it can be mystifying and frustrating if your child struggles or doesn't enjoy reading. There is hope!
Encourage any effort your child does make, pay attention when the child reads to you, talk about the story, tell your child your favorite part and ask what his was.
We kept a book list on the refrigerator for each young learner. I let my children list each title as they finished the book or story, and I let them list it for each time they read it. If they read the same story 4 times, they could list the title 4 times.
Every 10 titles, we would do some small special thing. A small, one-scoop ice cream cone after lunch, the child gets to pick what is for dinner from 2 or 3 options, we go for a walk and picnic, there are lots of possibilities!
One of my children liked to list not only title and author, but also number of pages in the book. At the bottom of each page she would total the number of pages she'd read.
Your children will get farther, faster with their reading skill by reading more books at a level that is relatively easy for them, rather than dialing up the challenge each time they complete a story. I know this seems counterproductive, and it's agonizing when your older learner is still reading at a level below their age-mates.
While there are times, of course, that issues such as learning disabilities, vision, etc. affect learning to read, keep in mind that each child is unique. Each will need "X" amount of practice before gaining fluency, and we really don't know how much "X" is for each particular child.
Know that others have trod this road as well, and it is a difficult one! The pressure from friends and family can make you feel you have failed your child. Don't go there. Explore creative ways to help your child practice letter sounds and reading, and be patient! The day will come when your child surprises you by pulling a book of the shelf (voluntarily!) and says, "Mom, I'm going to read this." And he does.
(More on Language Arts games and creative ways to practice in the next post!)
Especially if you are a parent who loves to read, it can be mystifying and frustrating if your child struggles or doesn't enjoy reading. There is hope!
Encourage any effort your child does make, pay attention when the child reads to you, talk about the story, tell your child your favorite part and ask what his was.
We kept a book list on the refrigerator for each young learner. I let my children list each title as they finished the book or story, and I let them list it for each time they read it. If they read the same story 4 times, they could list the title 4 times.
Every 10 titles, we would do some small special thing. A small, one-scoop ice cream cone after lunch, the child gets to pick what is for dinner from 2 or 3 options, we go for a walk and picnic, there are lots of possibilities!
One of my children liked to list not only title and author, but also number of pages in the book. At the bottom of each page she would total the number of pages she'd read.
Your children will get farther, faster with their reading skill by reading more books at a level that is relatively easy for them, rather than dialing up the challenge each time they complete a story. I know this seems counterproductive, and it's agonizing when your older learner is still reading at a level below their age-mates.
While there are times, of course, that issues such as learning disabilities, vision, etc. affect learning to read, keep in mind that each child is unique. Each will need "X" amount of practice before gaining fluency, and we really don't know how much "X" is for each particular child.
Know that others have trod this road as well, and it is a difficult one! The pressure from friends and family can make you feel you have failed your child. Don't go there. Explore creative ways to help your child practice letter sounds and reading, and be patient! The day will come when your child surprises you by pulling a book of the shelf (voluntarily!) and says, "Mom, I'm going to read this." And he does.
(More on Language Arts games and creative ways to practice in the next post!)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Growing curious learners with Sonlight's Science programs!
The levels from K through 6 Science have been newly revised and updated. I love the changes they've made!
There are new, optional "Do-Together" activities that reinforce the concepts being studied. In the Sonlight Science 2, for example:
Do you constantly fight with your children about washing their hands? Reinforce what they learned today about germs with this simple activity that will help teach them the importance of washing their hands with warm water and soap. Put a small amount of hand lotion on their hands and ask them to rub it in. When they’re done, sprinkle some glitter onto their hands (a bucket will come in very handy to prevent a mess!). Explain that the glitter represents germs that get on their hands all throughout the day. When their hands are sufficiently “germy,” give them a dry paper towel to use to clean their hands. Not very effective, is it? Next, let them run cold water over their hands. Still germy? You bet! Now have them wash their hands with warm water and soap (over the bucket!) until all the “germs” are gone. Do they understand why it’s so important to wash their hands regularly with warm water and soap?
This activity particularly hit home for me as a retired RN (the operating room was my favorite specialty area). I have stressed the value of handwashing for my children, but this is a much better, visually dynamic demonstration than anything I did!
The Student Activity Sheets contain questions for your student to answer on the topics covered during the week, and full answer keys for you.
Like many Montanans, we live a distance from town. I love having a note each week on not only the Science supplies I might need for this week, like an apple, but also next week, say, a box of gelatin. I can put those on my list, and not find myself setting up for the experiment only to have to call it off until after our next trip to town.
Check out the Science Instructor's Guide samples on the website!
Instructor's Guide samples
There are new, optional "Do-Together" activities that reinforce the concepts being studied. In the Sonlight Science 2, for example:
Do you constantly fight with your children about washing their hands? Reinforce what they learned today about germs with this simple activity that will help teach them the importance of washing their hands with warm water and soap. Put a small amount of hand lotion on their hands and ask them to rub it in. When they’re done, sprinkle some glitter onto their hands (a bucket will come in very handy to prevent a mess!). Explain that the glitter represents germs that get on their hands all throughout the day. When their hands are sufficiently “germy,” give them a dry paper towel to use to clean their hands. Not very effective, is it? Next, let them run cold water over their hands. Still germy? You bet! Now have them wash their hands with warm water and soap (over the bucket!) until all the “germs” are gone. Do they understand why it’s so important to wash their hands regularly with warm water and soap?
This activity particularly hit home for me as a retired RN (the operating room was my favorite specialty area). I have stressed the value of handwashing for my children, but this is a much better, visually dynamic demonstration than anything I did!
The Student Activity Sheets contain questions for your student to answer on the topics covered during the week, and full answer keys for you.
Like many Montanans, we live a distance from town. I love having a note each week on not only the Science supplies I might need for this week, like an apple, but also next week, say, a box of gelatin. I can put those on my list, and not find myself setting up for the experiment only to have to call it off until after our next trip to town.
Check out the Science Instructor's Guide samples on the website!
Instructor's Guide samples
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Be the hero...
It can be easy to get into a routine. I used to call it, "Wash the kids, wash the clothes, wash the dishes... wash the kids, wash the clothes..." Feels like it goes on forever, doesn't it?
Those routines are useful, helpful, but can be uninspired too. Our kids need more from us than clean clothes and dishes, they need our time and attention. They need to know they are a highlight in our lives.
Years ago, when my husband was in college, I was working full-time and our older kids were in school or daycare, I was in that routine. Focused on doing what I had to do. I was really tired one Saturday, my husband was studying at the campus, and my son wanted to fly his kite.
I told him I was really tired and going to lay down, but he could go out and play with it in the backyard. Minutes later I was laying in bed, but I looked out the large window and there he was. Throwing the kite in the air with all the effort his 8 year old arms could muster, then trying to dash forward and pull the kite into the air. Of course it wasn't working. Again and again the kite thrashed wildly and plunged to the ground.
Grief tore at me, and that small voice we sometimes hear whispered, "What would it cost you to go out there and play with him? Come on, be the hero."
We had a great time. Although we never did get the kite to fly, we had a time of laughter, growing closer, and he got a message that he was valued.
What would it cost you to play dolls, color a picture, or run in the sprinkler with your kids? Decide to be the hero.
Those routines are useful, helpful, but can be uninspired too. Our kids need more from us than clean clothes and dishes, they need our time and attention. They need to know they are a highlight in our lives.
Years ago, when my husband was in college, I was working full-time and our older kids were in school or daycare, I was in that routine. Focused on doing what I had to do. I was really tired one Saturday, my husband was studying at the campus, and my son wanted to fly his kite.
I told him I was really tired and going to lay down, but he could go out and play with it in the backyard. Minutes later I was laying in bed, but I looked out the large window and there he was. Throwing the kite in the air with all the effort his 8 year old arms could muster, then trying to dash forward and pull the kite into the air. Of course it wasn't working. Again and again the kite thrashed wildly and plunged to the ground.
Grief tore at me, and that small voice we sometimes hear whispered, "What would it cost you to go out there and play with him? Come on, be the hero."
We had a great time. Although we never did get the kite to fly, we had a time of laughter, growing closer, and he got a message that he was valued.
What would it cost you to play dolls, color a picture, or run in the sprinkler with your kids? Decide to be the hero.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Have you ever had one of those days?
You know the ones... It seems like everything goes wrong, everyone is in a bad mood, and the washer overflows (or maybe the dog does, we've had both!)
We all have them. As Job says, "Man is born for trouble as sparks fly upward." Those are good days to do some extra praying, keep your "To do" list short, and have an extra cup of tea (or coffee, and maybe chocolate too!).
Realize that your children will have them too. Be gentle when your child is struggling, trying but not quite able to grasp that math concept or new letter sound. Granted that you will have to distinguish between disobedience or rebellion and genuine struggle. But in the case of genuine difficulty, an extra hug, smile, and encouraging word will pay off in your relationship long after that math concept or letter sound is mastered and the struggle forgotten.
It's easy to forget that we have been forgiven and given grace by our Parent in heaven, not only for the times of genuine struggle, but even for the days our hearts are rebellious. Remembering that can help us see our own children with an eternal perspective.
We all have them. As Job says, "Man is born for trouble as sparks fly upward." Those are good days to do some extra praying, keep your "To do" list short, and have an extra cup of tea (or coffee, and maybe chocolate too!).
Realize that your children will have them too. Be gentle when your child is struggling, trying but not quite able to grasp that math concept or new letter sound. Granted that you will have to distinguish between disobedience or rebellion and genuine struggle. But in the case of genuine difficulty, an extra hug, smile, and encouraging word will pay off in your relationship long after that math concept or letter sound is mastered and the struggle forgotten.
It's easy to forget that we have been forgiven and given grace by our Parent in heaven, not only for the times of genuine struggle, but even for the days our hearts are rebellious. Remembering that can help us see our own children with an eternal perspective.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Would you like to WIN A YEAR OF CURRICULUM FREE?
You can enter by requesting your very first Sonlight catalog on the website!
Sponsor:
Sonlight Curriculum Ltd.
8042 S. Grant Way
Littleton, CO 81022
main@sonlight.com
303.730.6292
Official Rules:
*NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER.
*Must be 18 or older to enter.
*Limit of 1 entry per household.
*Contest for US residents only (AK and HI are included)
*Only new catalog requesters will be entered in the contest. Customers with any order history or individuals whom our records indicate have requested a catalog in the past are not eligible for the contest and will not be entered upon ordering a catalog during the applicable timeframe.
*Two random drawings will take place and a total of 2 winners will be selected.
*The first drawing will occur on June 20, 2009 for entries made from April 1, 2009 through May 31, 2009.
*The second drawing will occur on September 30, 2009 for entries made from June 1, 2009 through August 31, 2009. You will be contacted within 15 days if you are selected as a winner.
*The estimated odds of winning are one in ten-thousand (1:10,000).
*Each winner will receive a Sonlight Newcomer Package or equivalent (for upper levels 6 and above) for 1 child with a retail value between $261.90 and $1028.94.
*Each winner will also receive all Club Benefits for one year so that they can truly experience being a Sonlighter. The Club Benefits include, but are not limited to, Free Membership on the Sonlighter Club Forums, Free Subscription to the "Beam of Sonlight" Newsletter, 10% Discount on all future orders for a year, and an Ancient Roman "Widow's Mite" Coin Pendant.
*Sonlight will not share a participant's personal information, including address and phone number, with any third party.
*Employees and outside contractors, along with their immediate families (parents, brothers, sisters and children), of the Sponsor, Sonlight Curriculum Ltd. are not eligible to win.
Pass this along to your friends!
Sponsor:
Sonlight Curriculum Ltd.
8042 S. Grant Way
Littleton, CO 81022
main@sonlight.com
303.730.6292
Official Rules:
*NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER.
*Must be 18 or older to enter.
*Limit of 1 entry per household.
*Contest for US residents only (AK and HI are included)
*Only new catalog requesters will be entered in the contest. Customers with any order history or individuals whom our records indicate have requested a catalog in the past are not eligible for the contest and will not be entered upon ordering a catalog during the applicable timeframe.
*Two random drawings will take place and a total of 2 winners will be selected.
*The first drawing will occur on June 20, 2009 for entries made from April 1, 2009 through May 31, 2009.
*The second drawing will occur on September 30, 2009 for entries made from June 1, 2009 through August 31, 2009. You will be contacted within 15 days if you are selected as a winner.
*The estimated odds of winning are one in ten-thousand (1:10,000).
*Each winner will receive a Sonlight Newcomer Package or equivalent (for upper levels 6 and above) for 1 child with a retail value between $261.90 and $1028.94.
*Each winner will also receive all Club Benefits for one year so that they can truly experience being a Sonlighter. The Club Benefits include, but are not limited to, Free Membership on the Sonlighter Club Forums, Free Subscription to the "Beam of Sonlight" Newsletter, 10% Discount on all future orders for a year, and an Ancient Roman "Widow's Mite" Coin Pendant.
*Sonlight will not share a participant's personal information, including address and phone number, with any third party.
*Employees and outside contractors, along with their immediate families (parents, brothers, sisters and children), of the Sponsor, Sonlight Curriculum Ltd. are not eligible to win.
Pass this along to your friends!
Friday, April 10, 2009
End of the school year, bang or blah?
We are quickly approaching the end of the traditional school year. Are you feeling blah, in a hurry to get it over with? Or are you enjoying school right to the last page?
Our family has a tradition that we began way back the first year we homeschooled. We decided that we would celebrate as each school book or subject was finished.
Our little first grader had started her school year in public school, then in homeschool, finished her first grade Math book by early June. We wanted to celebrate this accomplishment and cast about for some interesting way to do it.
We settled on a "Math book party". Each child or year is different, but that first year was one of our favorites. We bought several cases of generic soda pop cans, took them into the back yard, every member of the family grabbed a can and shook it vigorously. You might know where I'm going with this!
We did a countdown to 3, and opened the cans, shrieking, running, and spraying each other. (I had made sure the water hose was ready to rinse us off and had towels ready inside the back door, LOL.) We had a wonderful time, all the kids still remember it and laugh about it.
This custom has continued, it may be water balloons, an ice cream cone, the "book finisher" gets to pick what is for dinner or dessert, a walk and a picnic lunch, there are lots of options. (Just a little tip though, don't spray orange soda pop! Stains!)
I would encourage you, with your children, to plan some kind of event or special activity to celebrate, not necessarily that school is out, but the sense of accomplishment that comes in finishing a book for the year.
Email me for an invitation to join my free, private Sonlight forum. I would love to hear how you have or will celebrate!
Our family has a tradition that we began way back the first year we homeschooled. We decided that we would celebrate as each school book or subject was finished.
Our little first grader had started her school year in public school, then in homeschool, finished her first grade Math book by early June. We wanted to celebrate this accomplishment and cast about for some interesting way to do it.
We settled on a "Math book party". Each child or year is different, but that first year was one of our favorites. We bought several cases of generic soda pop cans, took them into the back yard, every member of the family grabbed a can and shook it vigorously. You might know where I'm going with this!
We did a countdown to 3, and opened the cans, shrieking, running, and spraying each other. (I had made sure the water hose was ready to rinse us off and had towels ready inside the back door, LOL.) We had a wonderful time, all the kids still remember it and laugh about it.
This custom has continued, it may be water balloons, an ice cream cone, the "book finisher" gets to pick what is for dinner or dessert, a walk and a picnic lunch, there are lots of options. (Just a little tip though, don't spray orange soda pop! Stains!)
I would encourage you, with your children, to plan some kind of event or special activity to celebrate, not necessarily that school is out, but the sense of accomplishment that comes in finishing a book for the year.
Email me for an invitation to join my free, private Sonlight forum. I would love to hear how you have or will celebrate!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The upcoming convention...
Do you plan to attend the convention in Kalispell this year? I'll be there and I'd love to answer any questions for you. There will be a drawing for a gift tote like this one, don't forget to sign up!
Conventions can be overwhelming. So many things to see and so much to choose from. Many vendors have special sales or bonuses for buying at the convention. With all the hype and excitement, it can be tempting to buy materials that might turn out to be items you didn't really want and won't really meet your needs.
Sonlight doesn't actually sell anything at the conventions. The books you will see at my booth are my own. You have an opportunity to look things over, ask questions, but you will face no pressure to "BUY NOW!". Sonlight has several ways to receive discounts and benefits with your purchases all year, not just this one weekend. It's ok, you have time to think about it.
Check out Sonlight's free Convention survivor's guide with lots of tips for getting the most out of your convention attendance.
Be sure to stop by the Sonlight booth and say hi!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Spring is here!
And with it come catalogs, turning the garden soil, and prayer (ticks too, but we won't go there!). I love getting my Sonlight catalog, every homeschool catalog really. I flip through all of them and am reminded why we chose Sonlight, all those great books!
Spring is a great opportunity to pray specifically for each child and his or her particular needs. This has really helped me to see the areas we should concentrate on in the upcoming year and ideas I can use to encourage that child.
We all have strengths and weaknesses, that will be true throughout our lives. I think part of my educational "job" is to help strengthen the weaker areas and continue to encourage the strong areas. Work with your child, at his level, whatever it is. It's easy to see that if a child is very strong in writing for example, you wouldn't say, "Wow, that's great, you don't need to write anything for 3 years." Of course not! By the same token, don't expect a child that is struggling in a subject to jump up to where he "should" be.
As you plan for next year, remember what it's like to work in the garden. You turn the soil, fertilize it as needed, weed it, water it. You provide conditions and care that will maximize the God-given ability to grow. You invest your time and energy to enjoy a future benefit, much as you are doing with your children!
Spring is a great opportunity to pray specifically for each child and his or her particular needs. This has really helped me to see the areas we should concentrate on in the upcoming year and ideas I can use to encourage that child.
We all have strengths and weaknesses, that will be true throughout our lives. I think part of my educational "job" is to help strengthen the weaker areas and continue to encourage the strong areas. Work with your child, at his level, whatever it is. It's easy to see that if a child is very strong in writing for example, you wouldn't say, "Wow, that's great, you don't need to write anything for 3 years." Of course not! By the same token, don't expect a child that is struggling in a subject to jump up to where he "should" be.
As you plan for next year, remember what it's like to work in the garden. You turn the soil, fertilize it as needed, weed it, water it. You provide conditions and care that will maximize the God-given ability to grow. You invest your time and energy to enjoy a future benefit, much as you are doing with your children!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Catalogs are coming! The Catalogs are coming!
Catalog season is upon us! That means spring is nearly here! I had great hopes the weather would continue to agree with that, but with the snow and blowing yesterday it looked more like December!
However, I have my Sonlight catalog in hand, which tells me milder days are right around the corner. If you don't have your catalog yet, you soon will.
I think I'd mentioned telling my "catalog story". Every year I am impatient and eager for the Sonlight catalog. I love to read it cover to cover and see all the new books and changes and updates to the Instructor's Guides.
Some years ago, my family thought they'd play a hilarious trick on me. Hilarious to them, that is! When the long-awaited catalog arrived, my husband, enlisting the children in on the secret, hid the catalog under my pillow. He thought I'd be delighted to find it as I went to bed.
That evening he was working on taxes (yes, it's that time of year too). He wanted me to be around in case of questions, finding any documentation, etc. I had a book going I wasn't really all that interested in, and was restless and bored for the couple of hours he was doing taxes.
When I finally went to bed, a tad irritable anyway, what did I find... my catalog. I was furious.
"You HID my Sonlight catalog!? WHY?? What were you thinking? I could have been reading THIS for the last 2 hours! AGH!"
LOL. Needless to say, ever since, when my catalog arrives, it is carefully and immediately delivered safely into my hand. For the rest of the day, they know it's not much use to ask Mom anything, she's busy reading the catalog!
I hope you enjoy yours as well. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me!
However, I have my Sonlight catalog in hand, which tells me milder days are right around the corner. If you don't have your catalog yet, you soon will.
I think I'd mentioned telling my "catalog story". Every year I am impatient and eager for the Sonlight catalog. I love to read it cover to cover and see all the new books and changes and updates to the Instructor's Guides.
Some years ago, my family thought they'd play a hilarious trick on me. Hilarious to them, that is! When the long-awaited catalog arrived, my husband, enlisting the children in on the secret, hid the catalog under my pillow. He thought I'd be delighted to find it as I went to bed.
That evening he was working on taxes (yes, it's that time of year too). He wanted me to be around in case of questions, finding any documentation, etc. I had a book going I wasn't really all that interested in, and was restless and bored for the couple of hours he was doing taxes.
When I finally went to bed, a tad irritable anyway, what did I find... my catalog. I was furious.
"You HID my Sonlight catalog!? WHY?? What were you thinking? I could have been reading THIS for the last 2 hours! AGH!"
LOL. Needless to say, ever since, when my catalog arrives, it is carefully and immediately delivered safely into my hand. For the rest of the day, they know it's not much use to ask Mom anything, she's busy reading the catalog!
I hope you enjoy yours as well. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Homeschool? What’s that? (And who would want to?)
A basic definition might be: Homeschooling is when parents teach their children in educational subjects, such as English, Math, etc.
Reasons for homeschooling range from; seeking academic excellence, my child is gifted, my child has special needs, I want to share my beliefs with my child, I want to provide a safe environment for my child to learn at his own pace, better interpersonal relationships, positive socialization, time to pursue special interests, and more.
If you have decided to teach your own children, the good news is; normal people really do this! There are a variety of reasons to do it, and a variety of styles used to get it done, but “real” people are successfully educating at home, and you can too!
Wait! Before you start buying books…
There are endless numbers of books and materials out there to choose from. You will want to think about your reasons for this decision. Write out your goals to help you prioritize what you purchase.
Think about the style of education you and your child will be comfortable with using. Traditional textbooks, unit studies, and literature-based curriculum are all among the readily available options. Any of your goals can be accomplished by any of these curriculum choices, but you may find some easier than others. Your school does not have to look like what we were used to when we were in school.
Remember you don’t have to do it all right away. This is a learning process for you and your child. There will be an adjustment period, as there is with anything that is new and different for your family.
Once you have determined your priorities and decided what you would like learning to look like at your homeschool, you are ready to research specific curriculum options.
Reasons for homeschooling range from; seeking academic excellence, my child is gifted, my child has special needs, I want to share my beliefs with my child, I want to provide a safe environment for my child to learn at his own pace, better interpersonal relationships, positive socialization, time to pursue special interests, and more.
If you have decided to teach your own children, the good news is; normal people really do this! There are a variety of reasons to do it, and a variety of styles used to get it done, but “real” people are successfully educating at home, and you can too!
Wait! Before you start buying books…
There are endless numbers of books and materials out there to choose from. You will want to think about your reasons for this decision. Write out your goals to help you prioritize what you purchase.
Think about the style of education you and your child will be comfortable with using. Traditional textbooks, unit studies, and literature-based curriculum are all among the readily available options. Any of your goals can be accomplished by any of these curriculum choices, but you may find some easier than others. Your school does not have to look like what we were used to when we were in school.
Remember you don’t have to do it all right away. This is a learning process for you and your child. There will be an adjustment period, as there is with anything that is new and different for your family.
Once you have determined your priorities and decided what you would like learning to look like at your homeschool, you are ready to research specific curriculum options.
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