Homeschool Soul Mates

How Are We Doing?

2010-04-28T03:00:00.000-05:00

I sat down this evening to write Wednesday’s blog and realized I couldn’t think of anything new to say. So I think it is time to ask for some feedback from everyone out there.

Are we covering topics that are meaningful to you and your homeschool experience?

Are there topics you would like us to cover?

What are you struggling with right now?

What kind of encouragement are you looking for?

What have you enjoyed about the content of this blog?

What have you disagreed with?

Please let us know if we are meeting a need for you all. That is why we do this, because we know how hard it is to follow through on this commitment you’ve made to the Lord and your children. Take a few minutes to help us help you better!

A Matter of Character

2010-04-27T03:00:00.001-05:00

For the first time in my life, this year I followed the NFL draft. I couldn’t help it because a homeschooler made history. At least (in my limited knowledge) I’d never heard of NFL teams considering a homeschooler before.

A lot of hoopla circled around Tim Tebow mostly because of his fine Christian testimony. Many of the naysayers downgraded his chances in the draft saying he dipped his arm too low as he passed the ball and the offense of his college team wasn’t conducive to the NFL.

Most predicted he’d go in the third round or later if anyone wanted him at all. But there was one thing everyone agreed upon. Even the detractors had to admit that he brought something important to the table: “off the chart intangibles”.

Translation: character!

No one could deny Tim Tebow’s leadership qualities and dedication to hard work. He’d already spent a month fixing the problem with dipping his arm before passing. He’d proven time and time again that he would be the one to be first on the field to work and last to leave. He’d shown how he could lead his team, inspire them, and take them to championships.

So when all was said and done, the Denver Broncos traded up and down the board and gave up a lot to go with the young man who displayed outstanding character.

I hope you moms who find yourselves in the thick of homeschooling will take courage in this. It’s not the academics that matter most. It’s not the advanced classes or increased time for creative outlets that will contribute the most to your children’s success.

It’s a matter of character.

Tim Tebow has already used his platform as a successful college football player to start a foundation for Christian ministry. So I took great delight as my Internet connection gave a live shot of Tim answering the phone call from the Denver coach. I look forward to see where this new platform leads him.

As you work day in and day out with your children, I pray that you will remember most of all to point them to Jesus and develop their character.

Mommy, Read Me a Story

2010-04-25T22:04:00.000-05:00

I just spent a very emotional afternoon going through our homeschool books for a garage sale. I realized that they are more than bound paper. They are representatives of my son’s obsession with dinosaurs and desire to write comedy, and my daughter’s fascination with fairy tales and interest in interior design. Our family’s life is wound through those pages.

I’m sure all of you agree. Homeschoolers and books go together like mice and cheese. Reading to our children is one of the greatest gifts we can give their emotional and intellectual lives. Here are some of the reasons you should make reading with your children a priority.

• Memories….My family still quotes favorite lines from Ramona the Pest –and teases me about my Irish accent I attempted when reading Jamie O’Rourke and the Giant Potato. They were precious times spent learning and laughing.
• Cognitive Development….Studies have shown that children whose parents read to them end up as better readers. Some have even suggested it may the single most important common denominator in successful students. When someone reads to a child before he can read (decode) himself, he learns to listen, pay attention, keep track of details, picture what is happening and anticipate what is next in the story. By learning this at an early age, the child can then concentrate on decoding when he begins to read for himself because he has already mastered the other factors of reading comprehension.
• Physical Touch….I don’t have to explain that cuddling up to read a good book together just feels good, which is an important part of a child’s (and mother’s) emotional well-being. It also makes a positive association with reading in the child’s mind.
• Discussion….Everything you read together can then be discussed and evaluated right away, helping us as parents to reinforce values in our children’s minds.

I wouldn’t trade a minute I spent reading to my kids. We read together until they were in high school, and many of my children’s strengths resulted from those times.

What are your family’s favorite books? Share them with us!

Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas?

2010-04-22T12:34:00.000-05:00

Simple answer: everywhere!

We writers sometimes laugh at ourselves because everything, and I do mean everything, blossoms in our minds as something to write about. Someone in the grocery line speaks snarky to us, and we smile inside thinking we’ve got a great place in our story to include those words.

Or we see a middle-age man at Starbucks every time we go in who’s sitting there hour after hour with a chessboard in front of him, waiting for someone to join him and play. We begin to ask questions: Why isn’t he at work? Do many folks play with him? Does he ever win? Why does he like chess so much? Does he have a family? Next thing you know, he’s the creepy antagonist in our story. Or even the handsome protagonist who’s in an undercover job!

Writers can take two unrelated news stories and combine them for a unique twist. Or they take on old classic story and give it a new slant. What if a Tom Sawyer story happened in 2010 on the streets of L.A.? After all, Cinderella (rags to riches) stories have been retold through the centuries, and we still love them.

Some writers focus on an issue such as Internet bullying and find a story. Others reach into their own lives or the lives of their grandparents to find what they want to write about. Once a dream my daughter told me about sparked a story idea.

I’ve heard of writers who simply write the first line of a story and follow it wherever it leads. Sometimes we simply play games of “what if”. One of my writing students started thinking, what if there was another American Revolution? What if another George Washington leader emerged, but the leader was a woman? What if the man she fell in love with was blind? (I promise you, she’s got a great story going.)

At times writers start with a plot first, and other times they start with characters. It really doesn’t matter because writers get their ideas from everywhere.

I’d love to hear how you came up with ideas to write about.

Cultivating Explorers

2010-04-20T09:49:00.000-05:00

I think homeschooling provides a great opportunity for children and young people to explore. I’m not referring here to just the people who travel to unknown or unusual places, although it could be included.

I’m talking about giving your students time and ability to explore some of their passions and even some areas of life they may not yet know they have a passion for.

One of my sons discovered after many years that he loves the medical profession. Since I’m not a medical person myself and didn’t have a clue of his interest, I never really provided him the opportunity to explore this possibility.

As you plan your homeschool schedule, consider adding opportunities to explore. Let them explore writing something different from the typical essays. Cartoons? Greeting cards? A screen play?

Or give them opportunities to explore different areas of science. Check out a book about chemistry experiments and see if you have a chemist on your hands. Let them explore making things out of wood or metal. Or let your daughter have her way in the kitchen. What if you led her in a study of colors and let her decorate her own room? And who says decorating is only for girls?

Some of these things will never happen if you don’t take time to schedule them into your day.

It’s hard to allow such exploration in a typical classroom, and homeschoolers can lose this opportunity as well if we’re not careful.

Schedule a time when you unleashed your children. Give them opportunity to explore.

Topics for Writing

2010-04-18T22:20:00.000-05:00

Your children haven’t written anything in a while, and you’re not sure what to assign? Here are some topics to get you started—and them writing!
• Describe a place you love (or dislike) focusing on those details that give you a specific impression. For example: The mall is the scariest place I know. Or: Walking into the library feels like coming home.
• Pick an article in the newspaper and write an essay supporting your reaction to the news event. Example: The city of McAllen should invest in electronic stop lights to catch drivers who speed through red lights.
• Narrate your most embarrassing moment, brush with greatness, a time when you were tempted, a turning point in your life, the most ordinary day, a glimpse into your future, a wild ride, the best day ever, or a disappointment.
• Detail how to make a parent mad, how to keep a secret, how to be a good friend, how to make the best ice cream sundae, how to clean your room in ten minutes, or how to drive your little/big sister/brother crazy.
• Compare your life to a video game—how are the two alike?
• Compare homeschooling to public school—how are they alike?
• Tell about what makes you mad.
• Tell about the person you admire least.
• Tell about the talent you wish you had and why you wish you could do that.
• What kind of music should be outlawed and why?
• Tell about the best way to stay awake when you are bored.
• Develop an argument for why tennis shoes are the only shoes a person needs.

These are just a few to get you going. Try to come up with something that will challenge thinking and maybe even be a little bit fun.

Happy writing!

Motivation for Moms

2010-04-14T03:00:00.009-05:00

The subject of motivation has popped up in my life on several levels in the last week. It first appeared in a writing class where we explored the role motivation plays in character development. Then it popped up in my own “work in progress”, as we writers call our manuscripts. Then I observed first hand a young man who bristles with potential but lacks motivation.

Finally, I remembered a challenge an author gave me a couple of months ago. She challenged me to find a quote, perhaps a sports quote, and paste it on my wall near my computer that I would read daily to motivate me to start clacking the keys on my computer and get to work on my novel. Then find a verse from the Bible that also applied to my writing.

Today, I’d like to challenge the homeschool moms to take the same challenge. Some days the difficulty and effort of homeschooling can overwhelm. I remember those days when the kids didn’t get it (and acted like they didn’t even want to get it), when the ungraded papers spilled off my desk, and when the floor went unmopped (again) while we raced to basketball practice.

If you’ve never asked why am I doing this, you probably haven’t been homeschooling for long. (Either that or you’re Super Woman and the rest of us aren’t sure we want to meet you.) Motivation answers that question “why”. A motivational Bible verse and inspirational quote just might help you remember why you’re doing this on those difficult days.

I’ll give you some examples, but I really hope you’ll find the one that speaks especially to your heart. When you do, place it on the wall or the fridge where you’ll see it often.

Sports quotes as applied to homeschooling:

The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making any excuses, that’s the day you start to the top.

Adversity cause some men to break; others to break records.

Sweat plus sacrifice equals success.

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.

The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.

The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.

Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.

Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision.

Champions never complain, they are too busy getting better.

Bible verses applied to homeschooling:

"Train a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Deut. 6:7

“For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Prov. 2:6

“My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of yur mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around yur neck. When you roam, they will lead youp; when you sleep, they will keep yu; and when you awake, they will speak with you.” Prov. 6:20-22

Once you select you inspirational quote and Bible verse, pray the quote before you start the day. For example, you could take a sports quote and pray, "Lord, help me to see that the pain and difficulty of this day is temporary, but to quit could have consequences with my children that last forever."

Please share what motivates you to keep on.

Holy Curiosity

2010-04-11T22:20:00.001-05:00

In his book, Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity, Mark Batterson describes in detail what he calls “holy curiosity.” God gave us the world to subdue, to discover and understand, and by doing that, know God a little better. Our minds our His, and if we are to love Him with our minds, we need to be passionate about learning about Him and His creation.

I remember teaching my children about quasars. I had never heard of such a phenomenon before. The idea of so much power and beauty existing out there somewhere astounded me. I told the kids over and over how amazing it was that God created such incredible things—and many more wonders that we have yet to discover—for his own enjoyment. Knowing that quasars inhabit creation with us revealed new information to glorify God with.

So how do we kindle a passion to learn about God’s order in Mathematics? His creativity in science? His beauty in art? More tests won’t do it. More textbooks won’t do it. More worksheets won’t do it. All of those things are fine to a degree, but they don’t spark wonder, and that is the key to education’s true goal—knowing God.

The way to encourage holy curiosity is experience. Don’t save trips to the wildlife refuge for when you can fit it in. Make those excursions the priority. Schedule visits to the museum often. Plan opportunities to serve at a nursing home. Grow a garden. Write a play together. Feed the birds. Try a dolphin watch boat trip. Visit historical landmarks. I could go on, but you get the idea. The experiences will foster the joy in learning what the rest of your curriculum offers.

Our children will forget most of what we try to cram into them, but they will remember what they discovered for themselves.

Study Methods: Work with the Strengths

2010-04-07T14:42:00.000-05:00

It’s important to teach your kids how to study—especially if they plan on attending college. One of the goals of a homeschool mother should be to take the high school students to the point of independence. It’s rather pleasant because you’re really working yourself out of a job as they learn how to learn for themselves.

One small part of that is to learn what study methods work best for them. This will often go back to whether they are a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner. While I think it’s good to make them sometimes stretch and use one of their weaker elements as they learn in order to strengthen it, it's still good to teach them to gear their study method to their strengths.

Here’s a few ideas on how to study with different learning styles.

Visual Learners

Use highlighters or colored pencils. This will require careful thought on the student’s part as to what is important enough to highlight. That thought process itself is key to learning and remembering. Some kids will enjoy using different colors for emphasis.

Organize the material in lists. This can be anywhere from formal outlines to simple 1,2,3, lists. Some students will remember it better if they’ve written it themselves.

Auditory learners

Use drills. Work with a partner (a.k.a. mother) and have the student answer questions aloud. An auditory learner remembers best if he hears it.

Use a recording device. Your local store will have all kinds of new, hand-held devices that a student can use to record the material he’s studying. He’ll get it once as he records it and again as he listens to it. My nephew used to record lectures in college and listen to them as he drove in his car.

Kinesthetic learners

Arrange material on note cards. The student has to walk across the room to pick up the right answer to questions.

Have the student walk, jump rope, or bounce on a mini-trampoline as he either hears or reads the information.

Act out the information. We used to do this even in science. My kids acted out Kepler’s second law of planetary motion. My daughter held a small ball (the planet) as she “orbited” around a larger ball (the sun). She gradually walked faster as she approached the sun and slowed down as she got farther away. She had to tell about the law as she acted it out. At the end she said, “You mean that’s all Kepler’s second law of planetary motion means?” What seemed complicated on the page, became simple as she acted it out.

As students use study methods that work with their strengths while still at home, they'll discover the best ways to study while in college.

What other study methods do your children use?

Journal Ideas

2010-04-01T03:00:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, Shelly shared with you why journaling is so important. Today, I thought I’d share some writing prompts that you can use for a student who thinks he has nothing to write about in his journal.

The Holiday I Wish We Had
Games I like to Play
Sunshine makes me feel . . .
The most amazing thing I’ve ever seen is….
If I could be doing anything right now, I’d be…
If I could change something about my life, it would be…(tell why!)
My Most Embarrassing moment
If I was President of the United States…
In twenty years, I’d like to be…
The best book I’ve ever read…(tell why!)
I’m thankful for…
Someone should write a book about…
Something people usually don’t notice about me is…
Things I've never owned but like
Write about an “ideal day”
A Time I Was in Trouble
If I could, I would give a special award to….
If I had $1000 dollars and had to give it away, I’d…
Write about the things you can do now that you couldn’t do five years ago.
If I could be on any television show, it would be…
One strange place I wish I could live is…
If I had one “superpower”, it would be…
If you could make up a brand new planet, what would it look like?
If you could go back in time and relive one day, what would it be? Why?
I think ….is a hero because….
For me, a perfect vacation would be…
Ten Things that Make Me Laugh
What would you do for a day if you were marooned on an island?
I think the biggest problem in the world today is…
What historical figure would you most like to meet? Why?

And one last topic suggested by my friend, Shelly: If there was a holiday named (Child’s name)’s Day, what would it be like?

Feel free to share more ideas in the comment section below!

Let Me Jot That in My Journal

2010-03-31T03:00:00.000-05:00

One way to keep your kids writing without all the stress of grading is to require a journal. This is not a diary for dreams and crushes, but a guided, informal, daily routine. The only true way to learn to write is to well…write, so the more often a student can force concepts into words on a page, the better writer he will become. The pressure of spelling and grammar and other conventions can erase most of the fun from the process of self-expression. Because I never corrected or graded journal entries, my children were free to write for the joy of it.

A child left on his own will find it difficult to produce material to write about every day, so we had lists of writing prompts that I’d made and several books filled with suggestions. They were free to choose to write on whatever question interested them that day. They always had the option of writing about whatever was on their minds at the time.

Many times the subjects my children explored in their journals ended up in their formal paragraphs and essays. Sometimes writing about an issue helped them to sort it out. And every time, the entries in those many years of journal writing were a record of what they thought about, what was important to them, what intrigued them, what made them laugh, and so much more.

So, if you’re thinking of how to shake up your writing routine a little, try journaling. There is really no reason not to!

Conquering the Blank Page

2010-03-30T03:00:00.003-05:00

A homeschool mom recently asked me how to help her son who struggled getting past a blank page. Sometimes a student comes up against this white wall because he’s afraid he has nothing to say. (Unless you’re dead, you do have something to say.) But in this case, her son had too much in his head to say, and it just seemed overwhelming. Where should he start? How could he get past the writer’s block?

I’d like to share a few tips for conquering the blank page.

Make sure the student understands the assignment. Is she writing a descriptive, narrative, expository, or persuasive composition?

Narrow the topic. Many assignments seem over-powering because the topic is too broad. Focus on a smaller part of the subject matter.

Brainstorm with a friend (or mother). The more ideas your student comes up with the better, and sometimes this storm of ideas will lead your budding writer in a new direction.

Research the topic. Far too often, students attempt to write on a subject they don’t fully understand. The blank page looms really large in that case.

Make an outline. (I can hear the groans already.) Often you son or daughter will feel you’re giving them extra work if you require an outline. I wish I could convince more of them that an outlines actually saves time and makes the composing stage much easier. It doesn’t have to be a formal outline—a simple list will do. Make a list of subtopics, number them, and he’s on his way, knowing exactly where he’s going. It sure beats staring at a blank page.

Allow your child a choice of topics. Suppose the curriculum suggests a composition comparing and contrasting sharks and dolphins. The purpose of the assignment is to learn to communicate by comparing two things. It doesn’t have to be sharks and dolphins. Give your child leeway in choosing something more interesting.

Encourage your child to give himself permission to write a bad first draft. A perfectionist can stare at a blank page for a long time. However, a rotten first draft can be edited, revised, and improved. It’s impossible to revise a blank page.

Do a mental review of your grading methods. I implore you not to bleed over your daughter’s composition with a red pen. You can make the same comments with a light pencil and make it less difficult for her to swallow. Something about writing touches us personally, and no one likes to see a masterpiece marked up. Yes, you need to help her improve, but do so gently.

Your turn! How do you help your homeschool student to conquer the blank page?

The Homeschool Mom's 23rd Psalm

2010-03-28T22:24:00.000-05:00

The Twenty-Third Psalm for the Homeschool Mom

The LORD is my school’s Superintendent,
I shall not feel inadequate.
He makes me see what my children need most.
He gives me the right attitude.
I can ask for His patience every day, all day long if I need to.
He will cover my personal needs, too, even when it seems like I have no life or time to myself.
He knows what I need, and He wants to provide for me.
I don’t have to worry that I am ruining my children.
He called me to this work, and He will show me how to do it.
He will glorify Himself through my family, our school, yes, even me.
Even though I’m in way over my head, even though I fail every day,
Even though I feel like I just can’t do this, like it’s too hard,
I will trust the Lord and wake up every morning looking forward to what He will do.
I will choose to anticipate the godly adults my children will grow to be to His glory.
I don’t face the school day alone. I don’t face the opposition alone.
I don’t face the curriculum catalog alone. I don’t face my little sinners alone.
I don’t face my own weakness alone.
He is with me—around me, ahead of me, cleaning up behind me, working within me.
I can relax because He is in charge.
No matter what my family, friends, strangers, neighbors say, I can be confident.
The Lord will not let me fall.
I follow His call and His call alone.
He gives me joy as I watch my children grow and learn and love their Lord.
I know wonderful things are ahead for my children and me because we are the Lord’s.
We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

What Do You Do With the Toddlers?

2010-03-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

Every homeschool mom who deals with toddlers while teaching older kids knows what this issue means. Sure, all the creative ideas sound great, but how do you do them with a preschooler hanging on your ankles?

First, take a moment to remember that they stay little for such a short time. I know that sounds unhelpful when you’re in the middle of diapers, runny noses, and crankiness due to missed naps. But a little perspective can help. I sometimes ask myself what I would do if I could have my three grown children back in their twos or threes for a few moments. Wow. I’d hug ‘em, kiss ‘em, and whisper “I love you” in their ears. Believe me, this stage lasts for a very short time.

However, dealing with them during a school day is still a reality. Here’s a few ideas that might help you keep the younger ones occupied while you work with the school age children.

· Try having a little “school” with the toddler first. Then you can remind him that it’s now big brother’s turn.
· Keep some quiet toys in the room where you’re working for the toddler to play with so he won’t feel left out. Aim for books, puzzles, building blocks, molding clay, etc.
· Rotate toys. Sometimes little ones have so many toys that everything becomes familiar and nothing interesting. Put some of the toys away and bring them out on a day when nothing else works.
· If they’re old enough, provide simple art supplies for them to experiment with.
· Have your older kids take turns looking after the little ones. This not only frees you up, but it’s great for building relationships with the siblings.
· Consider using fewer traditional texts and more hands on activities in which even the toddlers can join in. For instance, if you’re studying plants, you can go on nature walks to collect wildflowers. The toddlers can accompany you. Later, the older ones can identify the flowers, press them, and begin a notebook.
· Give the toddler a household chore to perform. Some of the new dusting tools just might catch his attention. Learning to do chores while they’re young is important. Many little ones love to feel they're helping.

Your turn! What do you do to occupy the toddlers in your home? Please share in the comment section.

Okay, Now What Do I Do About My Little Edison?

2010-03-21T21:14:00.001-05:00

Okay, so you might have a little Thomas Edison at your house. Now what?
First of all, know that you are doing the best thing for them by homeschooling. Divergent thinkers benefit from the one-on-one instruction and freedom of homeschool. Just make sure you are taking full advantage of those benefits.
Keep lessons simple to allow maximum time for individual exploration.
Limit media time.
Use multi-sensory lessons whenever possible. Manipulatives for math (Lego’s, action figures, coins, etc. all work well, especially for little ones), songs for memorization, experiments for science, picture books for History.
Use color codes for lessons. For some reason it helps the divergent thinker focus. Write a math formula on a colored card and then highlight the problems in the assignment that use that formula with the same color. Have your child highlight the parts of speech in different colors instead of traditional diagramming. Write a Spanish word and its translation in the same color.
Leave lessons as open-ended as possible. Let your child choose the topic for an English assignment. Allow him or her to pick a person from a particular time period to read more about. Give your children choices when you assign book reports (see our blog for lots of ideas).
Allow for breaks and active time during the school day.
Remember that Edison trait children often have to try and fail at a new skill many times before mastering it. Choose curriculum that will work with that. For example, we used Saxon math because new skills would return as part of the exercises for weeks. My Little Edison learned by missing most of the problems and figuring out what he did wrong until finally mastering the skill. A curriculum that presented a lesson followed by problems and then moved on to a new skill the next day would have frustrated him (and me!).
Remind yourself often that your child isn’t broken, and that lots of very successful people have struggled just the way he or she does. Commit yourself to learning to speak his or her learning language. And then marvel at our awesome Creator who didn’t make us all the same. He has a special purpose for your child, and you have the amazing privilege to prepare your little ones to fulfill that purpose to His glory!

Please leave any tips you may have for others. Or tell us about your problems or concerns.

90 % Perspiration

2010-03-18T11:28:00.000-05:00

Lest you get the wrong idea from our posts on following your dreams and divergent thinkers, it might be a good idea to remind those little Thomas Edisons in your home of one of his most famous quotes. He said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

In other words, your dream will take some diligence and old-fashioned hard work. Elbow grease, as my parents used to call it.

We live in a microwave society. Everyone wants instant potatoes, instant messages, and even instant books downloaded on their Kindles. (Don’t get me wrong, I love the new Kindle my kids gave me for Christmas!) But we face a difficult task in bringing up kids in this on-the-spot society. Does it condition them to expect everything at the push of a button?

We see this attitude carried over into other aspects of our lives. Kids who want a place on the starting five of a basketball team but haven’t put in the hours (no, years) of practice. Give me my game time, and give it now. Never mind the senior who’s put in six to eight years of work to get where he is. Could it even be something that’s led to the “entitlement” mentality of our society that seeks redistribution of wealth? It’s an attitude of “I turned up so I deserve it.” Never mind the hard work of others.

Dreams do not come to fruition by snapping our fingers. Your little Edison will need a good dose of hard work, or perspiration. We can begin by teaching this in little things at home, the old “no work, no play” ethic. Provide opportunities at home where they can see that hard work pays off. Help them learn than instant gratification often runs shallow.

The God-inspired dreams that are worth pursuing will require loving Him with all our energy.

Thomas Edison also said, “Great ideas originate in the muscles.” You might need to move some lessons in diligence to the top of your curriculum.

Little Thomas Edisons

2010-03-17T03:00:00.000-05:00

On Monday I told you about the book that revolutionized my homeschool, Dreamers, Discoverers and Dynamos. In the book, the author describes the life of Thomas Edison. Did you know Edison was kicked out of school—grade school—because his teachers considered him unable to learn? His mother brought him home and taught him what he needed to get by and then set him loose the rest of the day. Little Thomas spent those free hours exploring the world and pursuing the ideas that had kept him from concentrating in a boring school room.

Sure, he nearly blew up a neighbor kid and caused countless messes that I can only imagine made Mrs. Edison crazy. But what if she hadn’t seen that spark of something special in her little boy’s eyes? The teachers complained that he couldn’t sit still during his lessons (sound familiar to anyone?), and yet he sat still long enough to try hundreds of different materials for his incandescent light bulb. They said he couldn’t learn, but he picked up enough information to develop a phonograph.

Knowing these details of the life of someone I admire so much helped to see my job as a teacher from a totally new perspective. In the process of teaching our children, we are discovering them. Discipline problems should be dealt with swiftly, but chronic distraction shouldn’t always be in the same category as laziness or disrespect. Maybe the way teachers instruct children in a classroom isn’t the only way. Maybe we need to watch and pray and discover how our children best interact with information and the world around them.

For the child who struggles with daily lessons, try simplifying the lessons so he or she can spend time exploring what he or she loves. My son loved to build things, so once I understood that he was a divergent thinker, I allowed time for him to work on what our lesson had sparked in his mind. I decided I wanted to be Mrs. Edison instead of trying to force my son to be the kind of student I thought school should produce.

If you don’t mind hearing about this topic one more time, next week I’ll share some specific ideas that might help the homeschool mom with a potential Thomas Edison.

Do You Draw Out or Cram In?

2010-03-16T12:44:00.000-05:00

If any of you follow me on facebook, you know that I’ve been enjoying Mark Batterson’s new book, Primal. He mentioned something that I think homeschool parents should consider. He said that the Latin word for education means to “draw out”.

So why do so many curriculums seem to base their premise on cramming in? Memorize dates, fill in the blanks, cram it in, spit it out. I feel fairly certain that most of that sort of learning my kids did in high school and middle school, they had to relearn (no, make that re-cram) in college.

Why is that? I think it’s because such teaching methods squelch natural curiosity that God placed in all of us. A list of facts hardly stimulates us or makes us wonder or prompts us to ask why. Discovering some of those facts ourselves by looking into a microscope, mixing chemicals, or dissecting a fish, just might stir some curiosity.

A by-product of the stimulated curiosity will be to wonder at the marvelous creativity of God. How did He conceive of the shapes, textures, and colors of an underwater coral reef? Who but God could have thought of the idea of atoms bonding or reacting together? Only the One who is The Word could produce the complexities and beauties of our language that gives us masterpieces of our poets and hymn writers. If you want to stir your children to wonder and praise, unleash their curiosity.

Well, don’t they need to know when the Treaty of Versaille was signed? I can do a two-second search with Google and find that out if I need it. I’d rather spark their interest in why it led to another war. Or instead of the traditional history textbook, pick a period in history and let them read whole biographies of the men and women of that era. My son loved to read historical biographies. When we took a trip to Yellowstone one summer, he became our tour guide telling us about the mountain men and Indians of the area. He learned these things more out of his pleasure reading time than the textbooks.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying certain “tools” should be neglected. Drill the multiplication facts, but even that can be fun. Turn it into a race or sing them or say them while jumping rope. I believe grammar tools and math tools will aid your children in following their curiosity.

What I’m suggesting is that we quit trying to educate by force-feeding, and begin to draw out their curiosity. Homeschool families are in a unique position to do this. I believe you children will not only learn more, but will also learn to love learning—and that can last a lifetime.

Divergent Thinkers

2010-03-14T20:52:00.000-05:00

I have spoken with several homeschool moms in the last month about children who are easily bored or can’t sit still or just don’t seem to respond to the same teaching methods their siblings do. I know from experience that teaching a child who doesn’t think like I do can be frustrating and can lead to wasted time, crying, yelling, and temper tantrums, and that’s just the moms.

For years I faced my child’s seeming lack of attention and discipline with threats. I didn’t learn until we were well into our schooling career that his discussions of topics unrelated to the subject we were studying were not the result of bad behavior. They came from a mind that processed information differently than the average person. My epiphany came as a result of Lucy Jo Palladino’s book, Dreamers, Discoverers and Dynamos: How to Help the Child Who Is Bright, Bored and Having Problems in School.

When I read the book, the subtitle was The Edison Trait. That is what drew me to the book originally. My son enjoyed inventing things, so in my quest to understand how to teach him, I reached for information about the great inventor. What I discovered not only changed the way I taught him, it altered my perspective on learning and how our minds work in general.

It turns out lots of people seem like they aren’t paying a lick of attention when someone is trying to instruct them. People like Thomas Edison and Bill Gates. These people have brains that process information in a manner Palladino calls “divergent thinking.” Most of us get information and funnel it into larger pathways, finding ways the data is alike. These divergent thinkers, on the other hand, receive information, and then their minds take that tidbit and branch out with it. It’s the difference between a funnel and a tree.

My son wasn’t goofing off (well, some of the time he was). When he came up with some off-the-topic comment, it was because that is the path his mind traveled with the information. If we were talking about Africa, that might lead to thinking about deserts, which might make him think about being thirsty, which might lead to thoughts of Gatorade, which might make him respond with a question about how many teams are in the NFL. Frustrating? You know it. But understanding that he wasn’t messing around helped so much. I finally realized my child/student wasn’t broken. He just spoke a different language.

Sound familiar to anyone? Let me know if you’ve struggled with this sort of thinker. We will talk about it more on Wednesday.

Teach Your Kids to Dream

2010-03-12T10:51:00.001-06:00

I'm not talking about the kind you have while sleeping. I'm talking about the kind where a whisper of a "God idea" slips into their hearts. Something that may be a bit illogical or against many odds.

What will you teach them to do with such ideas? Will your advice be "get a real job first"? Will you flame or squelch such a dream?

Sometimes I wonder if how much we teach our children to doubt God by dousing these Spirit-induced ideas in their little lives. They dream of writing a book, and we tell them it's too hard to get published. Yes, but only if you leave the God-factor out. They want to write the next worship song that will hit the top of the charts, and we teach them to doubt the power of God because it's just so unlikely. Or they want to coach college basketball, and we ask, "Do you realize how few coaching jobs are available?"

What if we turn it all around and taught them to reach for the stars even if it makes no sense? Would they push beyond the human bond into the realm of God who says He's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think? You could just call this faith.

We all have a choice. Will we teach our children to dream the impossible, walking hand-in-hand with the God of the Universe? Or does the lure of status quo feel too safe?

Cultivating Relationship

2010-03-09T03:00:00.001-06:00

One of the most important things you’ll ever do is to cultivate relationships with your children. How will you keep the doors of communication open during difficult times? If you haven’t nurtured the relationship ahead of time, it’ll be almost impossible when the going gets rough.

Here’s a few suggestions for now—ahead of time:

1. Make a study of their interests. My oldest son’s a "man of few words" so I knew that to keep the lines of communications open, I needed to take an interest in the things that interested him. He loves basketball. I learned about basketball. I know the difference in a "three-two" defense and a "two-three" defense. I know about a "box and one" defense. I know the proper way to execute a pick and roll. A friend overheard us talking basketball and commented, "I didn't understand a thing you said."

I didn't learn these things to become an expert or to learn to coach. I did them because I wanted to communicate with my son. My son's now 28, and we still talk basketball. He lives five hundred miles away but he'll still call or text to let me know a game's on T.V. Since I took the time to learn one sport that interested him, he now assumes I'm interested in his side interests. He'll call me to watch a surfing clip on the internet or invite me to go to a concert with him. Neither one of us are perfect people (gasp, shock!) but we do have a relationship that has remained firm even during the difficult times.

2. Make a study of the child himself. My younger son’s the sweetest and the hardest worker ever. He's the type who I never had to ask to take the garbage out. He noticed and did it himself. (I promise, he's real, not one of my fictional characters.) However this sweet and hard-working son is VERY sensitive to verbal discipline. When we homeschooled, I tried to make a study of his learning style. He lands strongly on the auditory side. Not me, I'm so visual I can't remember a name without seeing it first. So I tried to teach him algebra by insisting, "look at this". I struggled to believe that anyone could learn concepts in algebra without looking. He didn't need to look, just needed to hear it. You can tell by the subject matter that it took me quite a while to accept this. But as I realized how auditory he was, I also realized how much words could either wound or bless him. A word of praise will put a song in his heart, and a word of condemnation will crush his spirit.

3. Give the gift of time. A lot of my interests got put on hold while the kids were growing up. It means I'm a late-bloomer in my fiction-writing business, but I do have strong relationships with my kids to this day. They are 28 and 25 years old, but even though they live over 500 miles away I get text messages, e-mails and phone calls daily.

4. Give unconditional love. Kids mess up. I messed up. We're all a bunch of messer-uppers, but one thing for sure. We love each other no matter what. This only comes, I believe, from an understanding of God's unconditional love.

What do you do to cultivate a strong relationship with your children?

To Break or Not to Break?

2010-03-07T23:57:00.001-06:00

To break or not to break? Every kid on the block will be running free next week. Does that mean your family should call a time-out, too? What factors should we consider when setting up our families’ yearly school schedule?

First of all, we must always remind ourselves that we have taken our children out of school, and the constraints of that system don’t apply to our situation at home. The school board must consider the needs of thousands of students, parents and teachers when making decisions about vacation times. We, thankfully, have only our own families to allow for.

Because of this, we can enjoy the freedom to take breaks whenever we choose. We can even opt to schedule our days off slowly throughout the school year. Our family usually took a break in March like the schools did, but when a trip to visit Grandma in April came up one year, we chose to shut down our school at that time instead. Another year we took advantage of the cool weather in the winter months to take off Fridays for several weeks. When my son needed extensive follow-up after surgery in San Antonio, we used extra days for travel and doctor visits, using the trips as an opportunity to also enjoy some fun in a new city.

We are required to be good stewards of the time we are given with our children, so planning days off ahead of time is an important practice. No one wants to get to the end of the year and realize they haven’t completed the goals they set out to achieve. But also remember the schedule is not your master and neither is the calendar of the school down the street.

Let your family’s interests, and needs be your guide when deciding when to take a breather and when to keeping plugging.

Should Homeschool Students Write Fiction?

2010-03-04T03:00:00.001-06:00

Maybe we should first discuss the pros and cons of even reading fiction. Here’s my list of reasons to read fiction:

God chose to reveal many truths to us through a story (check out the parables) so we follow His example. If you insist that none of those stories were “fiction”, then read the story about the trees in Judges 9.

Stories reveal truths that connect with our souls and emotions, not just our heads.

Stories wield power. How many times do we almost nod off to sleep in a sermon only to jerk awake when a story begins?

We relate to truths demonstrated in the human experience.

We connect with our fellow humans through stories. C.S. Lewis wrote: “We read to know that we are not alone.”

However, many consider fiction to be the most difficult art disciplines. Should you give your homeschool students fiction assignments? Here’s a few reasons why I think you should:

Children have an opportunity to use the God-given creative aspect of their character. Scripture teaches that God made man in His image. If God is the Creator and we’re made in His image, we have a spark of that creativity residing in us. (Thanks to my friend, Shelly, for teaching me this!)

Students who learn to write fiction discover ways to convey their thoughts in order touch hearts, uplift souls. Imagine an entire generation of Christian students able to bring the Christian message to those in the world who will never set foot in a church.

Stretching to write in a difficult discipline will improve all other writing.

Many creative children will get excited about writing a story when they may balk at technical writing. Tap into this bent for creativity for great English lessons. The excitement will generate a target of excellence they can take aim at.

If you need some ideas about teaching fiction writing, feel free to ask here or visit my other blog at www.anovelwritingsite.com. Check out contest for students while you’re there!

Killing the Monster

2010-03-03T03:00:00.000-06:00

If you’ve homeschooled for any length of time at all, you’ve had a scary visit from the Doubt Monster. Sometimes it sneaks in the door with family and friends. Sometimes it roars with the voice of a fellow mom telling about her youngster’s many accomplishments. It never took much for me to panic. The neighbor’s kids are already speaking fluent Spanish? My fourth grader can’t point out Australia on a globe for grandma? Yikes! Had I made a huge mistake with this whole homeschooling thing?

There are weapons that will kill that nasty beast. Here are some you should have in your arsenal.
• Your spouse. My husband wasn’t home all day witnessing what a failure I was as a teacher. He was great at pointing out the great things the kids were doing.
• A homeschool support mom. Nothing shrinks the size of the Doubt Monster faster than knowing he is spreading himself very thin out there. We often believe he lives only in our houses. It always helped to know I wasn’t the only one questioning myself. This special person will also be the one who knows what a great job you’re doing and can remind you of this. If you don’t have a close homeschool friend, find one as soon as you can!
• Prayer. God called you to this job. Where God guides, God provides. Let Him help you see that you can do what He led you to do.
• Collect some Bible verses. There are lots of passages in Scripture that focus on God’s faithfulness. Hold onto the ones that speak to your heart.
• The big picture. Lots of times doubt comes in because of a tiny lack we see in ourselves or our children. I worried constantly about my kids’ weakness in spelling. My daughter has impeccable grammar, and my son has an incredible imagination, but sometimes all I could see was the misspelled word instead of the more important aspects of the stories they wrote. (And thanks to spell check, they hardly ever misspell a word anymore!)
• Journal. Record why you are homeschooling. What experiences influenced your decision? What benefits have you seen in your children and your family life? What encouragement have you heard? Write it all down, so you can remember when you are struggling.

Remember, Teri and I have had every doubt you’ve had (maybe more), so feel free to share your struggles with us. Maybe we can help—or know someone who can!

The Essence of a Homeschool Mom

2010-03-02T09:44:00.000-06:00

Recently I’ve been studying characterization for writing novels. One of the things we’re taught to do is to give our character and “identity” which she wears as a mask. It’s the outward front she wears to protect herself from wounds of the past.

The author’s job is to peel back the character’s layers until she’s forced to rip off the mask and discover her essence, the part that is left when all the outward facades are stripped away.

This set me to thinking about our real lives, and homeschool moms in particular, since I spent so many years as one. It was my “identity”. Nothing wrong with it either: someone who sets aside her dreams to help her children reach theirs. Noble and God-honoring self-sacrifice.

Until it gets ripped away. In my case the graduation of my youngest children, twins, ripped it away. I was no longer a homeschool mom, the thing that identified me for so many years.

It wasn’t until I began studying this inner journey of characterization that I could see that I too needed to reach beyond the identity of homeschool mom to the essence of who I really am.

That certainly sent me running to my Bible! I think I found my essence in Ephesians 2:10. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

I decided to dig deeper into the word “workmanship”. After all, I was discovering my essence! The word in Greek is POIEMA. With more digging, I found we get our English word poem from that Greek word.

Eureka! I found my essence! I am God’s poem, written to this world, to my family, to my friends. It’s something that’s still there when everything else is stripped away because nothing can change it.

As you noble, self-sacrificing moms continue this journey, I encourage you to reach beyond whatever mask you might wear. Discover with God your true essence.

I suspect it just might make your homeschool journey easier.

Lessons from the Olympics

2010-02-25T03:00:00.015-06:00

News of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada has captured the headlines everywhere with tragedies, successes, tears, and shouts of joy. I found myself thinking about lessons homeschoolers can learn from these athletes.

Setting goals: None of these men and women would be at the Olympics if they hadn’t set goals. In our homeschooling, we also need to set a target. What do you hope to accomplish in character building this year? In academics? Like the old saying: Aim at nothing and you're sure to hit it.

Hard work: The athletes put in many hours of hard work to sharpen their skills. They willingly sacrificed the day at the mall for their dream. None of our children will gain excellence with half-hearted attempts. Working even when they didn’t feel like it is what propelled the Olympians to Vancouver.

Overcoming obstacles: Everything from broken bones to a death in the family barred their path to the podium. They persevered, pushing through the tough times. (I don’t think I need to give you the analogy here.)

Dealing with the unexpected: I’ve watched how the athletes deal with mistakes their teammates make, or even an unheard of mistake by a coach that got a gold medalist disqualified—a real heart-breaker. Are you teaching your children how to deal with siblings who makes mistakes? Instead of blaming the referee when he makes a bad call on your son's team, use it as an opportunity to teach your child that life isn’t fair.

Winning/losing with grace: I’ve read about medal favorites who didn’t end on the top podium reacting with sour grapes, and the corresponding winner answer with grace and kindness. Your children won’t learn character qualities such as humility and graciousness without God’s Word, examples, and training.

The Olympians strive for excellence and gain their moment on the podium with the honor of representing their country. We train our children for a far great reward with the honor representing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Starting today, go for the gold!

Lessons From Two Former Homeschoolers

2010-02-23T21:22:00.000-06:00

Right now I am in Dallas spending the week with my two former students—my daughter, Theresa and my son, Stephen. I thought it would be interesting to ask them what they think were the best things about our homeschooling years. Here is their list of benefits.
• Being able to study what we wanted. Our curriculum was geared to what they were interested in. Drama, interior decorating, comedy, movie making, wedding planning, Jane Austen were all subjects of study in our school because those subjects intrigued my children. Those are some of the courses they remember and appreciate most.
Lesson: Take advantage of the opportunity to tailor your children’s studies to what they are passionate about, and it will stay with them.
• Being with each other. Because they weren’t subjected to the class system imposed by school children on each other, they got to freely like each other—in public and out in the open without fear of ridicule. So now they have good memories to bind them as young adults. Stephen, in fact, will be living with his sister for 5 weeks before her wedding.
Lesson: When your little ones are on each other’s nerves, and it’s driving you crazy, remember they are building relationships that will carry them through life.
• Developing confidence. Both of my kids carry themselves confidently, and I think being in a supportive, nurturing environment for their formative years helped develop that.
Lesson: Be your kids’ cheerleader. The rewards to their future selves are huge.
• Innocence. You become what surrounds you. I was criticized many times for trying to shield my children from the evils of the world. That they would end up unable to cope with reality. If only I could have protected them. But I was able to filter and guard, and that let them be little until they were ready to be big.
Lesson: Don’t be afraid of protecting your children. The world seeps under the doors and gets to your kids soon enough.
• I asked my daughter’s fiancé what he appreciated about my daughter that happened as a result of her homeschooling. He said her creativity. She can make do with what she has and create something beautiful. That was one of the goals that I wrote down when we first started. I wanted both of my children to be able to think creatively, and now they can.
Lesson: Pray for the Lord to show you what your goals should be and then trust Him to fulfill those goals.

Why I Homeschooled--The Real Story

2010-02-17T03:00:00.000-06:00

I recently read a blog article discussing why we homeschool. She mentioned the usual reasons we list for family members, curious strangers and skeptical friends—one-on-one instruction, protection from bad influences, Christian discipleship. But then she went on to discuss the real reasons, the gut-level motivation. It got me thinking about what the true value of all of those years of planning and teaching and training.

Academically, my kids fared well enough. Lots of subjects could have been covered more thoroughly by someone with more training in those areas. What my family will take into the rest of life isn’t the facts they ingested anyway. Our time together every day for all of those years left the mark of a distinct way of looking at the world and how they fit into it, of a comfort in the uniqueness stamped on them by the Lord.

Our homeschool experience wasn’t so much a matter of what was learned, but how it was learned. We have memories of reading stories about missionaries while cuddled up under blankets on the couch. My children learned to spell with me clapping and cheering for each success. Science was an adventure as we sought to discover the wonders of creation. I’m not sure they remember much of the substance, but I know they were shaped by the experiences.

I think both of my children live in the world our years of homeschooling introduced them to—a world of awesome opportunities and meaningful truth. A place where God has prepared a special place for them and molded them to fit that place.

Would any of these benefits have been possible if we hadn’t homeschooled? Of course all things are possible with the Lord. But for our family, God ordained them through homeschooling. So as you ride the rollercoaster of teaching your children, remember that the most important reason you were called to do it may not have even occurred to you yet. And keep in mind that God’s plan is way bigger than what we will ever know.

Why do you homeschool?

The Professor and the Fish

2010-02-16T03:00:00.003-06:00

Last week my son sent me a text message while he was in a college biology class. (I know, such things should not be done, but when your kids are 500 miles away, even text messages during a class are welcome.)

Here’s how the texting went:

My Son: Wow, we’re bipedal organisms. Only 2% difference between us and a fish.

Me: Depends on what you measure. Is there a 2% difference between your professor and a fish if we measure intelligence?

My Son: Not sure.

I’m assuming he was kidding on that last response, and at least he was texting about the things he was learning in class. I wanted to share this with you to remind you to make sure your children have a good foundation in Creation Science and maybe some training in logic before they leave your homeschool.

Statements such as the one my son texted could easily make someone think we’re not much different from a fish. But when’s the last time you saw a fish enjoy a Beethoven sonata? Or when’s the last time the goldfish in your tank marveled over the use of symbolism in Dickens?

Like I said to my son, it depends on what you measure.

The issue with the professor and the fish is just one of many that my son has faced. One professor mocked him for believing “like your parents”. It’s important for our kids to be able to recognize such comments as attacks on their faith and flaws in logic.

One of my favorite websites for logic, apologetics, ethics, etc. is Stand to Reason. It just might be good to assign your high school student a writing assignment that would require him to do some research on a topic from that web page. You can find it at: www.str.org.

What other resources on creation science, logic, and apologetics can you share with us?

Working with the Wiggle Worm

2010-02-14T22:29:00.000-06:00

It seems that no matter how calm and even-tempered two parents are at least one child will end up a little wild and antsy. It’s not that this child misbehaves so much; he/she just can’t sit still. Most of us require a certain amount of quiet and control to make it through a math lesson, so how does a homeschool mom handle the extra activity?

Here are some ways to handle the child with a little too much energy.

• Incorporate activity into the lesson. Have your wiggle worm bounce a ball as he practices his multiplication tables, jump as he spells the words on his list, squeeze a ball while listening to a history lesson.
• Take frequent breaks.
• Instruct your child to work on an assignment for 15 minutes. Set a timer. If she has worked hard for the whole time, reward her with some free time. Set the timer for longer and longer time periods.
• Try to readjust your own ideas for the proper posture for learning. A teacher with a classroom filled with 25 students needs everyone to sit up straight in their desks. We have a little more freedom one-on-one. My son regularly hung upside down from a chair during his lessons. It helped him concentrate, and once I got used to it, didn’t distract me.
• Keep lessons simple. Choose a curriculum with straight-forward lessons and no busy work.
• Pray for calm.
• Try to remember to analyze the methods you are using and the other factors that could be impacting your child’s behavior before assuming it is a discipline problem. I regret many things I said to my active child before realizing he only needed a different approach than his sister.
•

Get Rid of Excessive energy, Increase the Focus

2010-02-09T03:00:00.002-06:00

Today we have Sarah Smith, an Occupational Therapist, visiting on our blog. She wants to share some techniques she uses to increase the focus of students, but she first wants to explain why it works.

Here's Sarah:

The sensory system consists of sensory receptors, neural pathways, and parts of the brain involved in sensory perception. Each child has a unique set of emotions, abilities and behaviors, and these are regulated by our unique nervous system which reflects a child's personal development. Sensory information constantly enters into our bodies through our five senses, as well as internally, through our muscles, joints and movement receptors (in the inner ear). In the field of sensory integration, the sensory system is broken up into three main areas: tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive.

The last system deals with body position, and Occupational therapists are especially interested in determining a child's strengths and needs in the area of sensory processing. A lot of excessive energy can be controlled with proprioceptive input. Proprioceptive input is a big word that means we are able to process information about body position received through our muscles, ligaments and joints. Proprioceptive processing refers to the functioning of receptors that we have in our muscles and joints and are stimulated when we engage in active movement. Another description provided by a scholar by the name of Fisher (1999) stated, “Proprioception gives us information about spatial orientation of our body, the rate and timing of our movements, the amount of muscle force being exerted, and how fast and how much a muscle is being stretched”.

10 ideas that provide proprioceptive input to increase attention and decrease excessive energy:

1.) Sometimes, something as simple as having gum to chew on will increase attention slightyl during tasks.

2.) Have child sit in a textured cushion (disco sit cushions), or a exercise ball.

3.) Try Fidgits: toys that provide some resistence when squeezed. For example: fill a balloon with birdseed and secure the end in a knot, use stress balls, use hackey sacks, etc.

4.) Place a weighted cushion, beanbag, snake, or other item on your child’s lap. Sometimes this will provide enough proprioceptive input to increase their focus.

5.) Have your child do 10 chair pushups (while seated put hands on the chairs seat and raise the whole body off the chair). This provides proprioceptive input to the upper extremities.

6.) Have your child do 10 jumping jacks or jump up in down in place. This provides deep proprioceptive input throughout the lower extremities and will calm your child and channel that excessive energy.

7.) Proprioceptive input can be provided to both upper and lower extremities with pushups, bear crawling, frog jumping, crab walking, etc.

8.) Have a quiet corner with heavy pillows, blankets, bean bag chairs that a child can place on top of self .

9.) I had a teacher at a school once who was at her wits end, and I recommended having her put the child’s backpack on the child and fill it with a few books to provide slight pressure on her shoulders. This calmed her down and allowed her to focus on her tasks.

10.) Carrying weighted items: carrying a book across the room or pails filled with bean bags. After 10 minutes of “heavy work”, have the child sit and focus on a math lesson or other cognitive task.

BONUS: Some other basic ideas would be to alternate between physical and mental activities/tasks. This will allow the child to get rid of their excessive energy and then transition into an activity where they have to sit and use their little brains.

Here’s a great website where one can purchase sensory aids at a relatively inexpensive cost; however, all of the items listed above can be homemade. http://www.therapyshoppe.com/therapy/index.php

I read a great quote once that stated, “The sensory systems serves as the foundation for all self-awareness, motor skill, relational abilities, communication and learning - one's human occupation throughout the lifespan”. Every child is different so you will need to try several of these ideas to see which one works best for your child.

Teaching Your Kids About Money

2010-02-08T14:13:00.001-06:00

Most education systems spend lots of time teaching kids how to grow up and make lots of money, but almost no one teaches these kids about what to do with the money once they get it. As homeschoolers, we have a unique opportunity to prepare our little ones to avoid the financial problems that so many people face in life.

Here are some ideas to get your children started on the path to financial security.
• Wait to buy—if your child wants something that you consider a big purchase, instruct him to wait a few weeks to buy it. The time will either confirm the desire or show your child it wasn’t that important. This is good training for later in life when the desired item is a new car or television—purchases that shouldn’t be made on impulse.
• Start saving young—the real money magic happens with time. The more years you have to grow what you’ve saved, the greater the benefits. Encourage your children to save 10-20% of any money they receive in an account for their future (how far in the future is up to you). If they start saving with their first paychecks and make that a habit, they can avoid many of the money woes we see in the world around us.
• Do your homework on the difference between investing and saving.—Look this up as a family. How much of a return can you get from different investments? Savings accounts? The difference in the rate of return can mean thousands of dollars over time.
• Let your children participate in the family budgeting process.—Children need to understand that not all money is spent on fun stuff. The sooner they are exposed to taxes, insurance, utilities, mortgages, etc., the more comfortable they will be with budgeting for them.
• Remember to “Pay yourself first.”—This is not about selfishness, but self-discipline. It just means putting money into savings first and learning to live off the rest.
• Model and encourage tithing
• Start savings/checking accounts young.—The more practice a child has balancing a checkbook, and keeping track of savings, the more prepared he will be to handle money in the future.
• Give your children an allowance.—To learn how to handle money, they have to have experience with money of their own. My children learned to save for toys, separate money for their tithe, and regret purchases. None of these l

Making Them Do It, Part 2

2010-02-04T10:13:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday we looked at four possible causes when our children struggle with completing the work: discipline, curriculum, boredom, and concentration. Let’s take a look at some suggestions for each one.

Discipline

If it's mostly discipline, then you have to move swift and without remorse. Take away what he likes most until that work is done. It's gotta be something that will hurt. Let him know the consequence (for my sons it was no school work, no basketball practice). Carry out the consequence immediately if it's not done. I had a rule about complaining with my kids. I tried to be reasonable with how much I gave them, but if they said even once that it was "too much" that meant they automatically got another problem added or another chapter to read or something. They got more, not less. Sometimes following through even once with this was enough. If you soften the consequences, the little rascal will probably master techniques to wiggle out.

Curriculum

If it's a curriculum problem, then consider his learning style and try to find things for him to do that fit in with that. Some kids are so "hands on" that they will not learn well with workbooks. If he likes to read, consider using a curriculum that focuses on reading real books in all subject areas. If he learns best by doing, then forget the science textbooks and do science experiments.

Boredom

Or think about whether he's bored with it being too easy or too hard. However, no one needs to fall into the trap of making all schoolwork as fun as a trip to the circus. Remember the ditty: "school work doesn't have to be fun; It just has to be done."

Concentration

If it's a concentration problem, then either a lot of running before he starts or frequent breaks where he does a lot of physical exercise helps. One occupational therapist I know recommends a large therapy ball instead of a chair. It allows movement, and a bouncy kid can focus for a longer period of time. Some kids actually have the opposite of this problem, and their "engines" run too low, and they're lethargic.

For sure, if you put him in public school, he won't have a teacher who cares one-tenth as much as you do. One book I read years ago said that kids need to make a progress from parent control, to self-control, to God control.

I often think that we can be thankful that the Lord brings these issues to light while the kids are still young and under our roof. We can still deal with them. If it slips by (as it might in public school), the problem may get a great deal worse as he gets older.

Again, don't feel alone in this. I think most any mother with a son could identify, and many mothers with daughters will too.

Please share with us things that have worked for your family.

Words of Wisdom

2010-02-02T23:14:00.000-06:00

We all need some wisdom and encouragement from time to time. Here are some quotations from famous people about education.

Enjoy!

Albert Einstein
It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry.

Alvin Toffler
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

Anatole France
Nine tenths of education is encouragement.

The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.

Annie Sullivan
Children require guidance and sympathy far more than instruction.

Beatrix Potter
Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.

Pablo Picasso
All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once one grows up.
Virgil
As the twig is bent the tree inclines.

William Butler Yeats
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Let us know……

Making Them Do It

2010-02-02T03:00:00.009-06:00

Yesterday I got a plea for help from a mom who's struggling with a child not doing his work. I know this mother to be a fine homeschool mom who has already been successful. Since I faced this problem at times, I suspect many more do too.

Most moms who have boys do. That's part of the key right there: boys! The way God made girls often (though not always) fits in better with school work than boys. However, God has special purposes for the men of this world so we need to work along with His plan--but believe me, I know it's not easy.

First, I'd suggest you take a look at what you think the root or main cause of the problem, then think about what underlying or secondary things may be adding to the problem.

So, what is it?

1. A discipline problem: it it laziness, or plain old rebellion?

2.) Is it a curriculum problem: does he hate workbooks, and that's what's he's doing most of? Or does it require lots of reading and he's more of an auditory learner?

3.) Is it a problem of boredom? Is the work too easy and he's bored? Is it too hard,and he's discouraged?

4.) Is it a concentration problem? Most boys are born with enough energy that it'd be easy to tag them with an ADHD problem. However, homeschoolers have much better ways of dealing with this. I know of one homeschool mom whose son has pretty severe ADHD, and she requires him to run (I think it's a couple of miles) before he even tries to sit down to do school work. She wears him out, and then he can settle down to work. (He's on the basketball team and when the whole team has to run, this kid isn't even winded when the others are dying.)

Is there another thing that you think is the root cause? Pick which one you think it is, then you and you husband (you'll need his support!) need to sit down with your son or daughter and have a good long talk. He's got to know who's boss and how things are going to be from here on out.

We will take a deeper look at each of these issues next time, but until then here's some suggestions for possible consequences if the work's not completed.

*Take away what he most loves if the work isn't finished; it must hurt

* Decide on an acceptable amount of work for the morning, and no lunch until it's finished

*No fun or social life on the weekend if all the week's work is not finished

*Sloppy work must be redone

*If the assignment is not completed in a given reasonable time, more work is required, not less

*Diligent students earn an extra field trip, park day, or movie with dad

*Assign a goal and give a reward (after so many books are read, etc.)

*Discern your child's love language and dish out liberal doses when the work's completed

Please share your tips with our readers. How do you make them do it?

Dear God......

2010-01-31T20:04:00.001-06:00

One of the realities that kept me going through all the doubts and fears of homeschooling for seventeen years was that I knew for a fact my kids’ teacher prayed every day. I couldn’t think of facing them without divine power. I’m sure lots of homeschoolers agree.

I thought today I would share with you all some of the prayers that made my list in that season of my life.
• Confession for how I had failed the day before. For His cleansing and restoring power.
• The filling of the Holy Spirit
• Patience –I used to shy away from this prayer for fear the Lord would give me opportunities to practice during the day, but realized I needed to gut it up and face my desperate need for patience no matter what that meant. (I had to laugh when people would tell me they could never homeschool because they didn’t have the patience. Whoa, were they over-estimating me!)
• Order and discipline—since I was not gifted with either naturally
• Wisdom in choosing activities, discipline, and encouragement
• Fun
• Relationships between my children and me and my children
• My children’s character and godly development. I knew very well where my children were weak and made a practice of praying Scripture over those areas.
• Guidance to see where the Lord may be leading my children so I could help prepare them.
• God would cover where I was weak.
• God would give me confidence in His call.
• Above all else God would be honored and pleased by our school
• That I wouldn’t freak out about areas of difficulty –for example, spelling!
• Peace
• Efficiency
• Good Christian friends for my children—and me
• God would provide the opportunities my children would need to be the people He made them to be (tennis coach for my daughter, baseball team for my son, etc)
• And this might sound like a made-up prayer, but I honestly prayed it often—God, please don’t let me ruin them!
I have to say, we had our share of difficulties, but God was good and gracious to his poor, pathetic daughter who woke up every morning sure she had heard God wrong about this whole homeschooling deal, and that she was in way over her head. So I guess I can say –Praise the Lord! He answered my prayers!

What are some of the prayers on your list?

Meet a Canadian Home School Graduate

2010-01-28T03:00:00.001-06:00

Amy Jo Smith comes from a family of seven. She has three older brothers and one younger sister, and a mom and dad who took on the task of homeschooling from Grade6 through high school. She lives in Ottawa, Canada, and enjoys the beauty of each different season and the new activities each brings, whether it's skating, skiing, camping under the stars, or enjoying a hike in the colorful fall maples. She also loves to travel and visit new places...some of her favorites are Teton National Park in Wyoming, Mexico, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic. She says she’s blessed to work every day with little people that keep her learning and often make her laugh!

Homeschool Soul Mates: Would you ever consider homeschooling your own children someday?

Amy Jo: Yes!! I would definitely consider homeschooling my own children! I am appreciating more and more the time and energy my mom put into teaching me, not only planning my curriculum and patiently helping me when I had challenges, but also in using every opportunity to help shape my character and my faith. As a homeschooling mom, she was able to make the most of many 'teachable moments' in and out of the classroom. Although I didn't always appreciate her being in 'teacher' mode (even when we were driving across the US on vacation and had to read 'brochures' on all the historical sites!) I really think that it brought a richness to my education and life experiences.

Also, I think I would enjoy learning along with my kids too much to send them off to school! I love watching children explore the world that God has created for us, and to see their excitement in learning and mastering new concepts. And from my observations, it seems like parents already have a head start on being the best ones to educate their children. They know their children better than anyone else; their strengths and weaknesses, learning styles, and interests. Add to that a love for their children, a desire to see them succeed, and most importantly, a desire to see them 'grow in grace' and be strengthened in their faith. However, I wouldn't rule out sending my children to public education if I was able to be very involved in the school, and would give the decision lots of prayer and careful consideration.

Homeschool Soul Mates: How did homeschooling shape you as a person?

Amy Jo: I attended public school until grade 5, and was homeschooled from Grade 6 on. I am so thankful in looking back, to see all of the opportunities the Lord allowed me to have as a homeschooler that I wouldn't have had in the classrooms and halls of a public school. One of those opportunities was to meet many Christian families, from different backgrounds and denominations, and to see the common thread of love for the Lord and commitment to teaching their children bring them together. I was able to see God working to provide unity and a desire to share each others gifts with one another.

I think that homeschooling gave me a broader perspective of the body of Christ, and an appreciation for different personalities and perspectives. I also had the opportunity to have a Biblical perspective woven throughout many of my textbooks, and throughout my school days that started with prayer and Bible reading. As a result of the many hours of prayer I know my mom and dad put into teaching me, I grew in my desire to know the Lord and seek His will for my life, and in the knowledge that He loves me and has a perfect plan for my life. I also grew in my love for my family, and appreciation for all the times spent with my siblings...even if I didn't always appreciate it at the time, when we were arguing over who would ready the biology lesson, or frustrated with trying to concentrate in a busy house!

Homeschool Soul Mates: We have lots more that Amy Jo shared with us, but we’ll save it for another day since this is already getting long! Praise God for such an articulate young lady!

Where Has All the Integrity Gone?

2010-01-26T03:00:00.001-06:00

On my facebook page today, a friend complained that the quality of customer service in the U.S. has deteriorated. (If you don’t believe this, just try to get technical help for a computer problem.)

My friend lamented that many places are going with automated help only, partly because they no longer wish to deal with rude customers. The discourteous have ruined the old saying, “The customer is always right.” Anyone working in retail sales will confirm this.

So what does this have to do with homeschooling? A few good character qualities will take our children a long way in their education and in life in general.

Diligence—If they learn to do their work on time without dallying at home, they’ll be miles ahead in a college class or in the office where they work.

Commitment—Learning to stick with the things they begin, no matter how hard it is, they will be less likely to bail out on relationships when the going gets tough.

Honesty—How many people all over the world would like to find one honest worker? A boss will promote the person he can trust.

So how do we teach these character qualities to our children?

I recommend you begin with the Bible. The book of Proverbs is marinated in truths about character qualities. Have you children memorize them. The life of Jesus as presented in the gospels will inspire them to be more like our Savior. Find those character qualities and admire them with your children. When real-life situations arise, they can “practice” being like Jesus.

Reward them when they finish assignments on time without being nagged.

If they begin something, even a sports team, and find they don’t like the leader or coach, the assignment or amount of playing time, or the classmates or teammates, encourage them to stick with it. They’ve committed to a team, and the lessons they learn in over-coming the difficulties will enrich them for life. It’s hardly a lesson in commitment if they can drop something the moment it gets hard or doesn’t go like they expected.

How about trusting them to grade their own math assignments? It’s one area where it’s black and white, and having the integrity to mark their own problems wrong, can teach them how to be upright.

Character qualities trump academics in importance. After all, what good is a genius in math if he can’t be trusted?

What resources for teaching character qualities do you use?

Teaching Missions

2010-01-24T20:31:00.001-06:00

We’ve all been riveted in horror to the images of Haiti streaming into our living rooms since last week. This is a good time to discuss and model the response to need and crisis that want our children to display in their lives.

Here are some ideas I used to encourage compassion and mission-mindedness in my kids.
• Study the lives of great Christian missionaries. Their lives are a blueprint and inspiration for self-sacrifice and godly focus.
• Learn about different cultures. This is a perfect addition to a geography curriculum. Introduce the children to the food, music, dress, customs, games, living conditions of the people groups you are studying.
• Devote a portion of the family budget to missions giving or devise a way for you to raise funds for this purpose. Adopt a missionary, give to a specific child, the options are many and varied. Make sure the children are involved in the decisions and the giving.
• Get involved with a local effort. Visit a nursing home, help out a children’s home, volunteer at the food bank, anything that will develop a habit of reaching out to meet the needs of others.
• Discuss disasters that happen around the world. Young children, of course, should be shielded from gruesome details, but knowing that people are suffering in some way, and that we as the people of God can help is a first step.
• Study Scripture that refers to our responsibility to care for others.
• Let them see mom and dad reaching out, working with people different from themselves, sacrificing their own needs for the needs of others. This one is the kicker. I’m not sure I ever covered this one, but I offer it as a challenge to all of you!

What Are Homeschooled Kids Doing In These Careers?

2010-01-21T03:00:00.012-06:00

If homeschooled kids are so lacking in social skills, what are they doing in these careers? I’ve listed only the ones I know personally, right off the top of my head.

Now serving in these careers:

· CIA agent in Washington D.C. (rather secretive about what he does, but I imagine he’d needs some top-of-the-line social skills)

· Occupational Therapist (this one works some in the public schools with kids that sometimes need help with socialization—does anyone else see the irony?)

· Business manager (interacts with employees and customers, requiring above average social skills)

· Physicist for the U.S. government doing things he’s not allowed to talk about (I have no idea if he needs any social skills for this job, but we loved having him in our home many times.)

· A youth pastor (any social skills needed here?)

· A missionary with New Tribes Mission (hard core socialization when you go to stone-age tribes who have no written language!)

· Accountant (CPA)

ScScheduler for a large Home Health Care Agency (Deals with about 30 therapists and over 800 patients a week as well as other office workers.)

· A stay-at-home Mom (so thankful for these!)

· Nurse (I’m guessing she deals with folks who will appreciate her ability to socialize.)

· Doctor (Bedside manners = social skills)

· Paramedic (the kind trained to jump out of helicopters)

· Teacher (helping public school kids improve their social skills)

· Fashion Design

· Music Minister

· Graphics Designer

· Insurance sales (I think a lack of social skills here would be a killer.)

· Event planner (Here’s the elite of socialization, our Social Queen, if you will.)

College students working on degrees

· Physician Assistant

· Criminal Justice

· Nursing

· Physical Therapist

· Biology

· Chemistry

· Theology

· Athletic Trainer

How can you be “unsocialized” and work in these careers? These talented young men and women are some of the best in our society.

Case closed?

The Proof

2010-01-19T23:20:00.000-06:00

I couldn’t resist one more word on the socialization issue. For those who still have doubts about whether or not homeschoolers can be properly socialized, here are some examples of homeschoolers in action I have personally witnessed.

Teenagers working on a project with adults—asking questions, offering input, even enjoying a few laughs. All without eye-rolling.

Groups of students writing skits together, kidding with each other and encouraging each other.

Varsity basketball players offering their free time to help with the junior varsity practices—high-fiving kids five years younger than they were.

Kids baffled by what certain swear words mean.

Hearing Yes, Ma’am and Yes, Sir from a group of teenagers.

A girl who fashioned a one-of-a-kind skirt from her father’s old neck ties who wore her creation confidently.

Hearing my children’s friends inquire about my life and then actually listen and respond to my answers.

Teammates admitting they messed up to each other.

These are just a bit of the evidence that proves to me homeschooling doesn’t harm the development of respect, teamwork, confidence, humility, concern, decency, self-sacrifice, and sense of humor that are the hallmarks of the socialization process. In fact, the age-integrated and parent-supervised nature of homeschooling probably encourages these valued characteristics. So the next time any of us is challenged by a world that doesn’t understand or misrepresents what we have been called to do, we can remember the awesome kids who everyday prove the critics wrong.

Homeschool Family Invites the Radio Host to Supper!

2010-01-19T03:00:00.008-06:00

One of our local homeschool mothers wrote the following letter to the radio host who expressed doubts about the socialization of home schooled children. Stephine (unique spelling) gave us permission to publish her letter here with slight changes to protect their identity.

Colonel Ray,

I was disappointed by the negative names you called home schoolers earlier this week. Your attack on the parents’ decision of how to best educate their children was surprising in itself given your libertarian views. However, your name calling was just juvenile. Exactly what initiated your monologue on home schoolers’ social lives? I am curious to know. Apparently your hang up with home schooling is limited to your concern for the children’s social lives. You didn’t mention the quality of education nor the opportunities available to them nor their ability to contribute to the community.

I am responding to your comments because my son is home schooled. When asked, he doesn’t miss sitting in a classroom for 8 ½ hours every day. I am not sure how classroom participation counts as socialization. Perhaps lunch is the socializing time? He was required to sit in an assigned seat and had exactly 20 minutes to eat. No socialization there. Perhaps it is recess? He had exactly 15 minutes of recess a day. I guess that is the 15 minutes of daily socialization you think he is missing. No other free time to learn to build relationships. Some of the extra-curricular activities he participates in are after school hours with children who attend a variety of school arrangements. In addition, he actually gets to socialize during “school hours” with other home schoolers.

My husband was home schooled. It hasn't seemed to hurt him a bit. He has served in federal law enforcement for over twenty years. His assignments have taken him to as varied places as the White House, Baghdad, Singapore, Houston, and McAllen. You could ask the officers that work for him or the fellow supervisors that he has dealt with all over the world whether he is socially inept.

Like you accuse Rush Limbaugh of doing, you should consider what you say and what labels you attach to people before you broadcast your comments valley-wide.

In order to give you a frame of reference before you speak of home schooled children again, I would like to invite you and your family to my home for dinner. You can judge for yourself whether my husband and son are socially backward. Since we have other things in common, I think it could be a pleasant and interesting dinner conversation.

I also would like to invite you to come visit our home school coop classes one day. The parents and kids would love to have conversation with you. Perhaps you could join us for one of our community projects, like putting flags out on the veterans’ graves on Veterans’ Day. I will let you know the next project we have. Stephine

Listen to the Coach

2010-01-17T19:55:00.000-06:00

I married a jock, so I got to spend huge globs of time during my children’s growing up years at tennis matches, baseball games, basketball tournaments and soccer games. It never failed that those contests would get tense, and parents and other spectators would get worked up enough to yell suggestions to the players on the field/court. I could count on someone hollering “Shoot, shoot” when the kid with the ball seemed oblivious to the fact that the buzzer was about to end the half. Fans yelled “Home” when the player on third base didn’t make a move to score after an outfielder dropped the ball.

Even more distracting were the fans from the opposing team who would intentionally scream out directions to mislead our team’s players—the fake countdown to force a shot, the declaration “I got it!” to confuse our infield. All of this was annoying to my husband who coached many of these teams. He was the only one the players needed to listen to—something lots of parents refused to acknowledge. But it makes perfect sense. Garry was the one who taught and practiced the plays the kids were executing. None of the parents, and certainly no one on the opposing team knew what the original call was. All of their recommendations were at best useless.

What does this have to do with homeschooling? If you have been reading this blog lately, you saw the response to criticism discussed of homeschoolers’ socialization last week. That kind of talk can be just as distracting to us as homeschool parents as a rude fan yelling “I got it.” We have a Coach, the One who called the original play. All of these other voices weren’t there during our “practices”—those times when we wrestled in prayer over the decision to take on our children’s education.

My husband used to instruct his players to ignore all the voices in the stands, even the friendly ones, and focus on what he told them to do. I think the Lord would tell us to do the same.

Answer to a Local Radio's Station Bashing Home Schoolers over Socialization.

2010-01-14T03:00:00.013-06:00

Every time I think we've answered the socialization question once and for all, it pops back up again. Yesterday I turned the radio on in the car to hear a local commentator bash homeschooling--not for the excellence of academics, but for the lack of socialization.

I'd like to ask that commentator how many homeschool students he personally knows. His comments were so far out that I wonder if he knows any. He did have plenty of the stereotype ideas about home schooled kids.

According to him, kids shouldn't be home schooled because his high school years were some of his happiest ever. So this settles it once and for all? Or should we ask home school students about their experience? My daughter often says her home school years in high school were the happiest of her life! Her friends agree heartily.

Then he said he felt sorry for those poor kids sitting at home alone all day with no friends. That's when I began to suspect he didn't know many, if any, home school families. None that I know are like that. My kids laughed when they heard someone feeling sorry for them for lack of socialization.

Like the time a public school proponent lamented for them as they were in the gym for a basketball practice. My response, as the boys went down full speed for a layup was, "They seem to be having a pretty good time right now."

Wait. Did I just suggest that home schoolers play basketball? Surely, not on a real team. With real uniforms? (Yes, once someone actually asked us that. We were sorely tempted to wear t-shirts with duct tape numbers to the next game.) But I did say basketball, real teams, real referees, real tournaments. It took a while, but one of our persistent coaches finally got the local newspaper to report our games and stats along with all the others. It was kind of hard to refuse when we had one of the top players in all the area on our team. Public schools now call to invite us to play them and participate in their tournaments.

Bet the radio announcer had no idea.

Here's a few other things my kids did that gave them so much socialization that they learned to laugh at the naysayers.

Ran for student council vice-president, won, and served in that office for a year
Served on a home school yearbook committee
Did community service with other home schoolers at the food bank, habitat for humanity, the humane society, and beach clean-up (to name a few)
Planned and provided a meal and a game day and Christmas gift drive for an orphanage in Mexico for many years
Attended many out of town tournaments including the National Homeschool Basketball tournament where over 300 teams participated
Went on field trips with other home school friends
Planned and attended a spring formal banquet with home schoolers
Planned and participated in talent programs with their friends
Went to the mall to hang out with their homeschool friends (gasp, home schoolers do that?)
Spent way too many hour texting their friends (I include this because the radio announcer felt that the public school kids were so blessed to be there texting their friends. If homeschool parents didn't pay for unlimited texting we'd be broke.)
Participated in co-op classes with their friends
Took concurrent enrollment at a local university during their junior and senior years
Went on year-end trips to places like Austin, San Antonio, and Houston
Had way too many sleep-overs

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. This doesn't even include other activities I know our home school friends do each year like attend symphonies together, participate in the Nutcracker each year, join our Chess club with local chess tournaments, 4-H galore, and academic contests. Then there were skating days, picnic days, pubic speaking forums, and everyone-come-over-to-my-house days.

This doesn't even include the socialization with their church friends. The idea that home schoolers sit at home with no friends and no social life is a MYTH.

Now, have we finally got this issue settled?

Refocus: It's For The Children

2010-01-12T03:00:00.001-06:00

Recently a light went on in my car saying something about "engine tune-up". It was one of those precaution lights warning me it was time for a check-up. Thankfully, it wasn't a warning that something was seriously wrong, just a reminder that it was time to slow down and take care of the engine before something did go wrong.

Every now and then it's good to have our focus in homeschooling tuned up too. When I did this, I always came to one conclusion: I do this for the children. Did homeschooling send me in a tail-spin over complicated algebra problems? You bet. Chemistry equations? Oh, brother!

And since my kids weren't alway perfect angels, sometimes a call to the local public school didn't sound so bad. But when I stopped and refocused, I knew it was worth it. For the children's sake.

Our community has an active homeschool support group which is a great blessing. But it's also a source of disagreement especially since we homeschoolers seem to come in a variety of backgrounds, most of which begin with the adjective "opinionated". (Yes, including me.) When our homeschool sports program runs into snags, I remind our sports coordinator of one thing: we do it for the children. When our co-op director receives more complaints than compliments, I remind her of the same thing: we do it for the children.

So if you're having "one of those weeks" at home or within the homeschool community, maybe it's time for a focus tune-up. Why do you do this anyway? The over-riding answer that always kept me going was: for the children.

That warning light on my car mysteriously disappeared while I was away on a trip. I'm suspicious my husband had something to do with it. If circumstances in your homeschooling has flashed a warning light, take that time for a check up and refocus.

Your children children are worth it.

Making Your Own Essay Tests

2010-01-07T03:00:00.003-06:00

In spite of the fact that several Christian publishers have produced amazing textbooks, especially in upper level science and history classes, I’ve never been a fan of their tests. Too many questions are fill-in-the-blank or “multiple guess”. I found that my kids could fake their way through these tests without being able to articulate what they had learned. Or they could memorize enough facts for an hour or so but promptly forget it.

So I switched. I kept the textbooks, but made my own essay tests. For instance, after we studied Abraham Lincoln, I gave them the essay question something like this: Tell all you know about the life and work of Abraham Lincoln. You must include the topics of his early life, his campaign for presidency, his role in the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, the significance of his Gettysburg Address, and his death.

I figured if my kids could articulate all those details, they’d absorbed enough about the life of President Lincoln to pass a rigorous test.

In science, I might write an essay question like this: Explain Newton’s Three Laws of Motion and give an example of each. Or perhaps something like this: Explain Keepler’s Three Laws of Planetary Motion.

If students can articulate essay questions such as these, they are much more likely to remember what they have learned.

If you asked my children at the time if they liked essay tests, they would have told you “no”. However, my daughter came to appreciate such tests, and when she was in college, she preferred essay tests and always scored her highest grades on them.

How do you grade such tests? I would read their essays and place a check mark on each correct detail that they mentioned. If they got something mixed up, I placed a small minus mark there. I decided how many check marks they should have for a 100 and then deducted the minus marks.

Don’t feel bound by the tests publishers give you. There are many other ways to test you children. Some of your own ways may be better.

Have you ever made your own tests for your children? Please share your ideas in the comments section.

Big Idea Number Two

2010-01-06T03:00:00.000-06:00

As I promised Monday—Big Idea Number Two!

When my children were first learning to write, we decided we needed to share the wonders of their imaginations with all of our family and friends, so we published the “Dippel Kidbits.” The beauty of this particular activity was the diversity it produced. We typed up, illustrated and copied a few months of writing assignments for each issue. The best part was it provided us with an audience—one that often responded with cards, letters, even newsletters of their own.

Here are some of the departments our newsletter covered……….

• Current Dippel events
• Comics—yes this counts as writing
• Movie reviews
• Jokes
• Book reviews
• Poems
• Short stories
• Bible verses
• Art work
• Sports reports—baseball wins/losses, tennis tournament results, highlights
The kids were so much more motivated to write when they knew there was a reason for it, and producing a newsletter was an exciting reason. As you can see, it also gave them a wide variety of choices and opportunities to develop different kinds of writing. I still have every issue of “Dippel Kidbits,” so an added bonus is the adorable record of your children’s early years it produces.
As you can probably guess, the coolness of it wore off after the elementary years. But my kids learned the building blocks of good writing in a way that felt like fun. To me, that qualifies our little newsletter for the homeschool hall of fame.

Let us know if you decide to publish a newsletter. We’d love to see it!

Developing a Love for Writing

2010-01-05T11:50:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to extinguish a child’s love for just about any academic activity. Writing often tops the list of many students I-hate-list, but it is the tool that will perhaps benefit them most of all as they move on to university.

Heres a few tips for helping your children develop a love for writing.

Use flexibility in writing assignments. Instead of assigning a topic, allow them to tell you what they’d like to write about. Help them brainstorm for ideas using some of their favorite activities, hobbies, or specific interests. Nothing will douse a love for writing like being forced to write about something they have no interest in. (They’ll have to do plenty of that in college!) If the curriculum you’re using says they must write a descriptive paragraph, at allow them to choose what they’d like to describe

Try different genres or types of writing. If their heads love to concoct stories, allow them to choose if it’s going to be a fantasy, science fiction, or historical mystery. If fiction’s not their thing, maybe they’d like to write newsletters or even make their own newspaper. Let them try their hand at cartoons, plays, or poetry.

Avoid making every assignment a masterpiece. While they do need to learn how to edit and revise, it doesn’t have to be perfect every time. Remember, if they love to write, they’ll improve faster than if they hate it.

Celebrate successes. Compliment them on word choice or find a sentence that is particularly good and let them know.

Publish the writing. Our local homeschool group publishes a Literary Magazine each year with students writings and artwork. We’ve had both elementary and high school students submit work for it. The cover of the magazine is a contest for the best artwork. If you don’t have a group to work with, them publish your own Magazine of all the work your child does each year. Grandmothers love to receive such work and often offer outside praise that will further encourage the writer.

Realize that not everyone excels in every subject. If you have a math-oriented child, his writing skills may not rise to the level of his math skills. Help him gain enough skill to help him in college, but don’t try to make him a literary genius. Being a math genius is okay!

Study the Masters. When you read good books with your children, point out some of the great word choice or sentence structure. Or talk about the page-turning plot. Help them to study from the pros.

Remember to bless your children. Give them praise and loving touches. Let them know that you see a bright future for them. This may not turn them into famous authors, but it will help them to appreciate good writing.

Big Idea Number One

2010-01-03T17:25:00.001-06:00

Ask any homeschool mom about her favorite activity with her children and expect a detailed, enthusiastic description of books, art projects, or field trips. We all have those times when we can recall the light of actual learning burn so uncharacteristically in our children’s faces that we can hardly stop talking about them.

Today and Wednesday I will share with you all my two best projects, and I’ll try not to go on and on!

Winner #1
History Time Line
This was without a doubt the best learning tool we used in History. After studying an era in our lesson, the children would choose the twenty or so most important people or events. So they used their little brains right from the start to assess importance to what they had just learned.

The next step was to draw a picture depicting the person or event on a three-by-three piece of paper. For this activity they had to recall or research details. An added plus—counts as art, too.

Step number three—the children then affixed the pictures to the timeline that for years adorned a long hallway at kid-height. They looked up the date associated with the picture and positioned it near the date on the timeline. Then they drew a line to the actual date and noted the event or person above the date.

This may seem like a simple activity, but making the timeline was excellent review and more importantly, caused them to appreciate the sweep of history and not just a series of battles and treaties. We included the composers, artists, scientists, and writers we studied, so the work of Charles Dickens made more sense in light of the Industrial Revolution. They could see the interconnectedness of our world—an ability I hope they have taken with them. A singer like Marilyn Manson doesn’t spring up out of nowhere, and neither did a composer like Bach.
It’s all documented on the timeline.
Share some of your best today. Who knows who could benefit from a fresh idea?

A Vision for the New Year

2009-12-31T03:00:00.003-06:00

For some reason, the New Year stirs up reflections of the out-going year and resolutions for the in-coming one. Just check out all the posts these days on facebook!

But a check-up on your homeschool vision might be just what you need for the coming year.

The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.” Proverb 29:18.

So a vision, restrains us. It keeps us from going down trails that only distract or hinder us. A vision is a target that we can aim at in all our homeschool activities.

I recommend you take stock of your homeschool vision with your spouse. It’s important to have the same vision otherwise you end up with di-vision. (Di=two, two visions = division.)

As you begin this new year, take time to reflect. What is it that you hope to accomplish with your efforts? Where do you wish this journey would take your family?

Once you establish the vision, it will be a lot easier to say no to things that will distract. The vision will restrain you, guide you.

May God guide are you seek from Him a vision for the New Year.

We’d love for you to share your vision in the comment section below! It may bless many!

A Soft Word

2009-12-30T13:07:00.001-06:00

I stuttered most of my life, pretty much from when I started talking until after college. I went to many speech therapists who helped to various degrees. I don’t remember most of them, but the one that stands out to me was a woman in downtown Cleveland who spoke in a drawn-out whisper, like she was taping a hypnosis aid. She never did hear me stutter. I was so calm in her presence that I mimicked her slow, soft speech. The tension that initiated my speech problems melted away.

So what does all this have to do with homeschooling? Every day we face the potential for tension with our little students. Lost books. Unfinished assignments. Bad attitudes. Too many times I responded with a raised voice, threats, and I admit, the occasional tossed textbook. If I had recalled and employed the soft-spoken approach of my therapist, perhaps I would have gotten the response she produced in me—calm and compliant.

As we contemplate the New Year and things we would like to change, maybe we can commit to sweeter words in response to stressful situations and see what happens. I wish I had a chance to work on that harder. My kids finished school before I made a serious effort to modify my tone in our school time. But I can still work on it in life. I am proof it works.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath…” Proverbs 15:1

'Tis the Season for Extended Families

2009-12-29T14:57:00.000-06:00

My extended family blessed and enlivened our holidays this year. My parents welcomed us all in their home, and the ceilings rang with our laughter from our games and watching all the little ones enjoy their gifts. Some friends dropped in, and I imagine they thought we were all a bit crazy, talking at once in the sheer delight of enjoying each other.

It set me thinking about the way our extended family enriched our homeschool days. Here’s just a few.

A grandpa came and played Monopoly with my son and purposely paid all his bills to the bank with large bills so my son had to learn to make change.

Cousins took us on camping trips and taught us about loons and their weird, but charming calls. They followed it up with a tape giving the meaning of the calls.

A grandmother who taught first grade for many years made sure we had all the best books for kids.

The same grandmother gave us a piano which has filled our home with great hymns and classical music.

Birthdays crescendoed with delight over the gifts extended families sent in the mail. Gifts such as a calligraphy set, Scrabble, Word Search, and a sewing kit.

Extended family members also passed on their love of hobbies including gardening, camping, and crocheting.

But the greatest blessing of all was a simple one that cost nothing: encouragement. They applauded our successes and prayed us through the difficulties. Their support in the face of nay-sayers kept us going.

How has your extended family blessed your homeschool?

"His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful"

2009-12-24T03:00:00.001-06:00

All other names of our Lord Jesus are nouns. This one only is an adjective, and it can be placed with all His other names.

A Wonderful Savior

A Wonderful Shepherd

A Wonderful Prince of Peace

A Wonderful Counselor

It’s easy to find out if the Lord fulfilled this prophecy concerning His name. Just read the gospels!

May you each have a wonderful Christmas as we remember that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

Reading Aloud to Children

2009-12-22T03:00:00.004-06:00

It’s almost impossible to over stress the importance of reading aloud to young children. Important comprehension processes take place in the minds of children as they hear words and sentences. The story captivates their mind, and they begin to understand what the words mean in context.

You don’t get the same process if when they watch movies. The story is all played out across the screen and much less thinking about the meaning of words takes place.

Children progress in comprehension every time a story is read to them. When they are old enough to begin to learn to read, they already have the understanding in place, and it’s a simple thing to learn to sound out words. If children haven’t had the experience of listening to books, they’re farther behind in comprehension and must tackle both processes at once.

Another important benefit of reading aloud is the appreciation of fine literature. There’s something special about the lyrical sounds of words, and children with a rich background in stories will be more likely to incorporate it into their own writing.

Here’s a list of some of our favorite books to read aloud:

· One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey (all of his books should be read aloud!)

· Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina  

· The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh

· Corduroy by Don Freeman

·  The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats  

· The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise  

· Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

· The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

· The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter  

· Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish 

For older kids:

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan  
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

I haven’t even touched our favorite nonfiction books!

Have you read all of these to your children? Which books are your favorites?

10 Ways to Help Children Love Science

2009-12-17T09:01:00.000-06:00

Nix the elementary science textbooks. Too many textbooks are a vocabulary soup of terms. Can I say boring? Some of the Christian versions of these textbooks are better than the secular ones since they do bring in some of the “wow” factor, but they still are not likely to make your child say, “I love science.”
Do science experiments. When you study chemistry, do it with explosions and eruptions in a test tube. When you study light, do it with prisms and lens. Your local library will have a shelf full of simple experiments you can do in the home.
Study botany by making wildflower collections and leaf collections. Use a field guide to identify them. Dissect a flower and find the pollen tube. (A hibiscus flower is perfect for this.)
Study anatomy by dissecting animals. My kids dissected a worm, frog, crayfish, fetal pig, fish, cat, turtle, sheep’s eye, and more. Dissection was their favorite part of science. This could be part of why they are all three in the medical field today.
Study geology or the seashore with collections of rocks, minerals, shells. Again, use field guides to identity the specimens.
Read biographies of famous men and women of science. This will inspire them with the adversities many of these people overcame. An added advantage to this is that many of the scientists through the years were Christians.
Watch the Moody science videos. My son had them on once and kept calling me in to see the next cool thing.
Invest in a good microscope. We started out with a cheepy and thought we just weren’t talented enough to see what we should see. Later we purchased a good quality microscope and were amazed at everything we saw. Exploring pond life brought out more of that “wow” factor.
Explore a good science museum. On our summer travels, we often stopped at science museums. They are specialists at making your kids’ eyes grow wide.
In all the science studies, point out the amazing things that only God could do: the vast numbers of stars, the intricacy of the eye muscles, the amazing compound eyes of insects, etc. This list goes on for a lifetime. Include materials from the various organizations who study Creation.

In the upper level grades, you may need to use science textbooks. But if you want your children to love science, I suggest you try these ideas in the younger years. Bringing back the “wow” factor in Science, puts the Creator front and center.

Please share with us more ideas for exploration!

Materials for a Proper Art Studio

2009-12-15T22:17:00.001-06:00

If you haven’t already blown your whole homeschool budget, why not think about starting the second half of the year with some exciting new art supplies? Every year I designated a portion of our book money for an investment in quality art materials. I believe that investment has paid off. Both of my children appreciate art and make time for artistic pursuits. Here is a list of some of the goodies we made part of our home art studio.

Artist quality colored pencils. These are very expensive, but last years. There is no substitute for the rich color and smooth texture of good pencils. My son still uses the set I purchased ten years ago.

A good set of brushes. Teaching the children to care for them is part of the lesson.

Sketch books. We often brought our sketch books with us on nature hikes. Don’t forget the colored pencils!

Artist quality markers. There is no comparison between these and the Crayolas at Walmart. They are recommended for their superior vibrancy in many of the art books we used . Kids get excited about art when they are excited about what they produce. Good markers=outstanding results.

Drawing pencils. Not to be confused with writing pencils. They blend and shade with professional results and are another great field medium.

Real acrylic paints and palette. Learning how to mix colors is a basic art skill and is fun, too.
Of course, I didn’t buy all of these at once. We had a special shelf for the good art supplies, and they were treated with extra respect and care. I bought one or two new items a year, and many are still alive and active. Maybe one of these could end up in a little artist’s stocking!

Field Trips: More than the Mall and Movies

2009-12-15T03:00:00.001-06:00

I’ve been amazed to see large school buses pull into mall parking lots or into movie theaters. I used to ask why they were there, but now I know: field trips!

Those trips puzzle me. Where are the more creative ideas for field trips? It seems they should be educational and unique. Don’t the kids get enough movies and trips to the mall on their own?

Here’s some trips our homeschool kids took.

The F.B.I.: Even medium size towns often have an office. The F.B.I. here gave our kids a wonderful tour and even let them try out some of their fabulous gadgets such a night vision goggles.
Border Patrol: we got to see a search dog in action, discovering hidden money.
Court: The kids got to observe actual court proceedings.
Fire station: the firemen even came to us!
Wildlife retreat: We took binoculars and a field guide to identify birds.
Seashore: turn it into a fishing trip and maybe even a dissection lab.
History museum: call ahead to find out their major displays so you can study ahead of time. It'll make the trip much more meaningful.
Science museum: Many of these have awesome presentations that you can't do at home.
Post office
Recycling Plant: show the kids it really works.
Water Purification plant: it may make you want to drink spring water!

Some field trips can combine with community service projects.

The Humane Society
Beach clean-up
The Food Bank
Nursing homes for the elderly

How about you? Do you have ideas for field trips that are more than the mall and movies? Please share ideas with us!

Acting Fun

2009-12-13T23:30:00.000-06:00

Today I’m going to let you in on a fun activity to try with your children. This will be especially fun for those families with a drama king/queen, but more reserved children will benefit from the practice. The name of the book is On Stage: Theater Games and Activities for Kids by Lisa Bany-Winters, and it is full of real improv projects to teach drama skills. They not only help with acting, but self-confidence and quick thinking.

Here are a few examples to give you an idea of the fun your family could be having.

• Play the Talking Ball Game—Players sit in a circle with a ball. One player begins a story and tosses the ball to another player who then continues the story line where the first player left off. This continues until the story comes to an end. Only the person holding the ball may talk.
• Divide into groups. Each group comes up with three unrelated words and gives them to another group who then has to use those things in a scene they create.
• Choose one member of your group/family to be the “photographer.” The rest will be the family members in the photo. The photographer calls out a kind of family like “the sleepy family.” Everyone then poses as that sort of family would. The family must be ready to change position and expression as the photographer changes family types.
• Play the Dubbing Game. Choose two players to be actors and two to be their voices. The actors begin acting out a scene, but they only move their mouths as if they are speaking. The other two must provide the voices based on what they believe the actors are doing.

These are just a few of the 100+ activities detailed in the book. Give it a try—but be sure to have your video camera handy. You won’t want to miss recording the fun!

Book Review: Wordsmith by Janie B. Cheaney

2009-12-10T07:00:00.001-06:00

I studied writing books for years including some of the ones considered classics: On Writing Well by William Zinsser and The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White. Following their writing tips can make any prose better--guaranteed!

When I began homeschooling, I searched for a writing curriculum that taught some of the same principles of sound writing found in these excellent books. And I searched. And searched.

I was frustrated until one fine day, I discovered Wordsmith by Janie B. Cheaney. It was the first curriculum for young students that taught what I’d learned from Zinsser and E.B White.

I love the way Ms. Cheaney begins with word choice, then builds with sentences, and finally goes on to paragraphs and essays. It seems like a natural way to build composition skills to me.

She also has a section on figures of speech which can bring a lyrical sound to your child’s prose. Each section has exercises which the children can do over and over until it becomes natural for them.

The teacher’s guide is short and sweet, not at all hard to follow. For the upper level, Ms. Cheaney has a book called Wordsmith Craftsman. I used that one book for all three years of my children’s high school writing. I simply changed the individual assignments, but followed through the book three times. My daughter gives a lot of credit of her excellent grades in college to the ability to write well.

My hat’s off to Ms. Cheaney for creating a book that teaches writing like the pros on a child’s level.

P.S. I’ve never met the author of this book nor do I receive anything for recommending it. I just wanted to share a jewel with you.

What are your favorite writing books? Have you ever tried Wordsmith?

Tips for Developing Creativity

2009-12-08T23:22:00.001-06:00

Here are just a few ideas to get you started in encouraging creativity in your children……

• Have your children design their own games. I would sometimes give them ingredients like a deck of cards, a piece of cardboard and a timer. You’ll be surprised what they come up with. Then, the most important part, play the game together as a family.
• Design greeting and holiday cards.
• Write and perform jokes. What kid doesn’t love a good knock-knock joke?
• Allow the children to decorate their own rooms.
• Place a common household item in front of them and have them list ten new uses for it.
• Start a tradition where the children write and perform a play for special occasions. Gathering the costumes, sets and props are part of the fun.
• Have them write new words to a familiar tune. Sing the new song as a family.
• Let the children plan their own birthday celebrations (with a budget, of course).
• Create a new candy, business, amusement park ride, kind of pizza, flavor of ice cream…
• A comic strip is a fun, creative activity.
• Construct a fort or club house.
• Write stories—type them and illustrate.
• Make puppets for puppet shows. Invite Grandma and Grandpa for a show.
• Collections are a good way for a child to express his individuality.
• Let them borrow the camera or purchase a cheap or disposable one. See how they see things, what they focus on.
• Don’t rush to solve problems for them. Allow them to think through possible solutions.
• Display their creative achievements, laugh at their jokes, clap at their plays, hang up their art work.
• Put aside your ideas of how things should look.
• Provide raw materials.
• Limit consumer fixes. Don’t fill all needs at the department store. Desire fuels creative thought.
• Help them develop skill they need to express themselves creatively.
• Accept that a creative house might sometimes be a little messy.
• Have fun with it!

Bringing Poetry to our Prose

2009-12-08T03:00:00.000-06:00

Here in the deep south, we like our food spicy enough to make our ears burn so there’s nothing so disappointing as dipping a chip into salsa that’s only one step away from ketchup. But I’d like to suggest that prose without metaphors or similes is just as bland as salsa without the peppers.

Metaphors allow us to see things in a new way. They make us pause and think, “Oh yeah, that’s true. There’s a connection between something like taunt nerves and the strings on a violin.” Figurative language brings poetry to our prose.

You can begin to teach your children how to write metaphors and similes with some of the following exercises.

Have you children make a list of things they think about when they hear the word red. A first they may come up with simple one word answers, but don’t let them settle for the first and easiest things that come to their mind. Help them turn these ideas into similes or metaphors: as red as my little brother’s cheeks on a snowy day. Here’s more words to give them: soft, green, wet, fast, hot, etc.

Have them take a cliche and turn it into something new. One writer recently took the cliche “a million dollar smile” and transformed it: a million dollar smile, tax free. Instead of saying he knocked our socks off, tweak it into something fresh: he knocked our Fruit-of-the-Loom socks off.

Give your children some examples of personification, and then have them write as many as they can in two minutes. Example: The clouds peeped over the horizon. One of my students recently wrote that as a girl grinned, freckles danced across her face. If I had any freckles, they’d be dancing across my face as I smiled at her figurative language.

Read a book like Robert McCloskey’s Time of Wonder with your children, and point out the lyrical language.

Have your children impressed you with figurative language recently? Please tell me about it in the comment section below!

Teaching Creativity

2009-12-07T03:00:00.000-06:00

We all want our children to be strong and flexible, to be open to new ideas and able to think for themselves. One way to accomplish this goal is to encourage creative thought. Creativity, it turns out, can be taught. Most people believe some special souls are endowed with a magical capability to see things in a new way and produce inventive solutions to problems. But that goes against what the Bible tells about how we were created.

We know Genesis 1:27 tells us God created man is His own image. The Lord’s first act recorded in Scripture is creating. We carry a bit of the character of God in us. Why would creativity be left out? We and our children were born with a capacity seeing the world with new eyes. We just have to be open to new possibilities.

What are the benefits for our children? There are so many more than just being able to paint or write, although those things in themselves would be worth the effort. Creativity is so much more. Decorating a home on a newlywed’s budget. Planning a party. Coming up with a solution for a company’s lagging sales. Devising a program to meet the needs of single moms so they can experience the love of Christ. The list is literally as long as God will allow.

Being home with our children every day without the constraints of a state-run curriculum, we have an incredible opportunity to encourage and train them to think creatively. It is one of the most exciting inherent benefits of homeschooling.

Check in on Wednesday for some fun ideas to encourage and teach creative thought to your little minds—and to preserve the creativity they were born with.

Dealing with the Wiggle Worm

2009-12-03T09:32:00.002-06:00

Wiggle Worms. Hyperactive. Whatever you call them, these kids have their engines running too high to settle down for school work. Children use their own coping methods when this happens, but often their methods are not socially acceptable.

An occupational therapist gave our homeschool support group tips for working with the wiggle worms.

Before you begin school work, use firm touch to calm them down. For most people, firm touch is soothing, and light touch is irritating. (So tags in clothing bother some children.) Have the child stretch out on the floor while the parent rolls a large therapy ball over him. This puts weight on as much skin as possible and activates receptors in the brain that calm.
Use a weighted vest (a google search will give you companies that sell these) or lay heavy afghans on them.
Tell them to play “burrito” and wrap them in a light-weight sheet. They can leave their arms out, lie on the floor, and do their reading or school work. Get feedback from your child. They will tell you what feels good to them.
Have your child sit on a therapy ball instead of a chair. This allows the movement they crave and still allows them to do seat work. (Warning, give them opportunities to sit on the ball before you want them to actually work so the newness will wear off!) I know of one child who went from a five minute attention span to a forty minute attention span by sitting on a ball.
Give them training for track before you begin to work. One mother I know sends her son out for a long run every morning before her son begins to work.

Please give us suggestions that you use to calm a over-active child.

Art Projects for a Rainy (Snowy) Day

2009-12-02T03:00:00.002-06:00

Now that the weather is getting a little colder—even down here in South Texas, art projects are a perfect way to spend an afternoon. You can keep the kids occupied for hours and know that not only are they out of your hair, but they are developing skills and expanding their creative capacities—both will serve them throughout their lives.

All you need are some basic materials and some ground rules—especially when glitter is involved. (Isn’t everything better with glitter?) These ideas are open-ended because the goal is not perfection. It’s expression. Who knows? You may have a future artist messing up your kitchen table!

• Give the kids magazines and have them cut out colors—green grass, brown hair, blue sky—into small, tile-like pieces. They can then use these to “paint” pictures, gluing the snips of magazine to construction paper or card stock instead of using paint or markers. The results are impressive.
• A variation of the first idea uses the same general plan. You paint designs of any kind with any combination of colors and cut the shapes needed for the picture out of those designs. You could end up with a palm tree with fronds of green with yellow polka dots and a trunk of black and white stripes. Again, it is best to let the children go crazy—with minimal direction from mom.
• Have the children make self-portraits using their favorite things as parts of their faces or bodies. We had baseball bat arms, pizza eyes, tennis racquet ears on ours. They are precious.
• Get out the paint and set up a still life. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated. Look through the fridge and see what looks interesting. Then have the kids paint the objects from any angle but straight on. Try looking up at the items from underneath, or from a bird’s eye view. It’s always fun to see something in a new way.

Hope these help get you started on some artistic fun. I still have lots of examples of these very projects hanging in my home. That’s how stunning they can turn out. Enjoy!

Yikes! The Kids Are Here All Day!

2009-12-01T07:51:00.000-06:00

    Since Homeschool Soul Mates is a place where we can be honest, let’s admit that every homeschool moms face challenges. Sometimes tough ones.
    What if I fail? The more I talk with moms, the more I hear that many are afraid even to begin homeschooling because of fear of failing. God has not given us the spirit of fear. Refusing to homeschool because you might fail is as bad as not getting married because you might fail. I recommend you commit this to the Lord in prayer. As the year pass, I think you’ll gain confidence, and the Lord will show you if this is His plan for your family.

     Yikes! The kids are here all day! Yes, I’ll admit this is a challenge. In my case, the Lord used the constant togetherness in two ways. First, He revealed some of our weaknesses—things I needed to work on and things the kids needed to work on. Personally, I’d rather have these weaknesses brought to light while kids are young than face them later when they are older. Second, the Lord used the togetherness to as a great bonding time. I love it when my twenty-five year old daughter still tells me, “Mom, you’re my best friend.”

     It’s a lot of work! No argument there, and that’s one reason Shelly and I made this place for you to come and fellowship with your Homeschool Soul Mates. Take some time after lunch to rest. If your kids are beyond naptime, then make it a quiet time when they read quietly. Ask your husband to give you a few hours each week apart from the children so you can get your energy recharged. Plan a Mom’s Night Out with other homeschool mothers or special friends. And if you need a place to talk to someone a little more mature than an eight-year-old, come visit us here!

How have you faced these challenges? What do you do to relax and recharge?

I Wish That I Knew Then What I Know Now

2009-11-30T00:39:00.000-06:00

I love the song that goes, “I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger.” It expresses how I feel all the time as I get old enough to have years to look back on what I thought and did in the past. Nowhere is that feeling more acute than my memories of our homeschooling years. I started by the seat of my pants and never really caught up. So I’m going to share with you today the lessons I’ve learned as I look back and groan.

• Don’t expect all of your kids to learn the same way. I could have saved myself (and my kids) a lot of grief if I had been more willing to gear the curriculum to the children and less determined to cram them into a curriculum.
• Don’t be a slave to any book, ideology, curriculum, method or activity. They are your servants, not your masters.
• Don’t freak out if you don’t finish every activity in a book. We could finally breathe when we realized we could pick and choose what worked for us—and when I remembered how few books I finished in my school career.
• Keep it simple. Complicated schedules=stress=zero actual learning.
• Have fun with your kids. One of the most important things they will take with them is good memories and strong relationships.
• True learning isn’t always measured by tests.
• Keep accurate records—especially in the high school years.
• Read good books. Listen to quality music. Study great art. Set high standards.
• Relax. Nothing is as important fifteen years later as it seems the day it happens (or doesn’t happen).
• You can’t pray too much. You can’t trust God too much.
• Remember learning is more than checking off a chapter read or workbook page completed.

I hope you will benefit from lessons I learned. Do you have any lessons you would like to share?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T03:00:00.001-06:00

This week I asked a number of kids why they are thankful for homeschooling. Here are some of their answers with either their ages or grade:

“I am thankful for homeschooling because I can learn more about God and I am taught by my Mom.” –Eric, 13
"I'm thankful I don't have to worry about being bullied and being made fun of." --Kristin, 7th grade
"I like not having to stuff all my books and papers in a backpack and then run out a mile to catch the bus every day." --Jenna, 2nd grade
"I'm thankful for coloring." --Kayli, preschool
"I like the flexibility." --Mike, senior
"I like that I can start my school work when I like, and that it will work around my work schedule, and that I think I get a better education." --Allan, senior
“I'm thankful there are no bullies at homeschool.” –Heath, 2nd grade
“I’m thankful I get to stay home for the school part.” –Kelsey, 8th grade
“I’m thankful for homeschooling because I get to spend more time with my family.” –Gabriela, senior
“I’m thankful because I get to be with my family, and we can worship God.” --Ashley, 15
“I’m thankful because we don’t have to go to public school because they don’t teach the Bible.” –Shanae, 8
“I’m thankful because there’s no people to beat me up.” –Trista, 6

Okay, readers, now it's your turn. Why are you thankful?

What Do You Want?

2009-11-25T11:36:00.000-06:00

It’s time to take a few days off for Thanksgiving. Why not take this opportunity to snuggle up with your spouse and discuss what some of your goals are for the rest of the homeschool year? Or for your homeschool career?

Here are some questions to consider……….

• What are the five main characteristics we want our children to exhibit by May? When they leave our home?
• What are some experiences we want to have as a family this year? Before the kids take off to college?
• What Christian role models do we want to encourage our children to get to know?
• What is the weakness we see in each of our children? What is our game plan to help them work on that?
• What is the strength we see in each of our children? How can we help them develop that?
• What is our philosophy of education?
• What is our family motto? (This is a fun way to think about what values your family has.)
• What are the skills you want your children to leave your home with? (For us being comfortable with most sports and writing well were important.)
• How might the Lord be calling our family to serve Him?

These are just a few of the questions we asked as a homeschool couple. Spend some time discussing and have a more purposeful homeschool year.

Relationships Trump Academics

2009-11-24T03:00:00.001-06:00

     I know. We must live up to the fine academic standards so many of the homeschool students have set, and since the education of our children sits squarely on our shoulders, we stress over academics on a regular basis.
     But as a homeschool mom who now faces an empty nest, I can assure you that my relationship with my kids is far more important than whether we fully covered physics or chemistry in their high school years. Or whether they can shoot out pages of impressive prose or still struggle with compositions. They can continue to learn the academics, but the type of relationship we form with them at home will last a lifetime.

     Here’s a few ideas to keep your relationships strong.

• Take time to play with your children.

• Find books, movies, or games that make you laugh together. (This may be one of the most important things you do with your children!) Laugh together!

• As long as they work for you most of the time, take some time off on days when things aren’t going so well.

• Learn about their interests. My son liked basketball, so I made a point to learn all I could about it. He’s now 28, but we still enjoy a good chin-wag over the pick-and-roll or what’s a good press break. (Be careful on this one. If you learn too much, they might tag you to coach a team!)

• Pray with them about things that matter to them.

• Refuse to condemn them. Instead, assure them they can come to you with their problems or failures.

• Make family meal times enjoyable with fun discussions. Give each one an opportunity to pick a topic.

• Enjoy the fine arts together: concerts, plays, good literature, art, crafts, etc.

• Affirm your confidence in their abilities.

• Refuse to allow stress over the academics rob you of a loving relationship.

What suggestions do you have for maintaining good relationships with your children?

Christmas School

2009-11-23T00:10:00.001-06:00

We are headed into one of the most distracting times of year for the homeschool family. With the possible exception of senioritis, Christmas fever is the deadliest disease we face. Those of you with early elementary age children can combat this ailment with a month-long dose of Christmas school. If you have a curriculum that will allow for a slight detour, try putting the regular agenda aside this year and learning with Christmas as your focus.

Like any unit study, all you have to do is base all of your subjects on some aspect of your topic, which in this case is Christmas. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Math—measure surface area of boxes to be wrapped and cut paper to that measurement.
• Math—have children measure ingredients for Christmas baking
• Math—calculate budget amounts for gifts and have children add costs as you buy presents and subtract from budgeted figures.
• Handwriting—have children sign and address Christmas cards.
• Writing—compose stories or poems to include in family Christmas greetings
• Writing—journal family Christmas activities and traditions
• Writing—have children write letters to out-of-town family members and of course, thank you cards for gifts.
• Literature—read classic Christmas literature like “A Christmas Carol,” or “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.”
• Social Studies—go to the library and check out books on Christmas customs around the world. Discuss how a culture’s Christmas traditions are influenced by other aspects of their society.
• History—study how Christmas celebrations have changed through the ages. Find out how traditions changed during times of war or other societal upheavals.
• Art—study depictions of Jesus’ birth by famous artists.
• Art—take this opportunity to use school art class to produce some masterpieces for gift giving.
• Science—this is a good time to study evergreens, electrical circuits, astronomy, and snow.
• Missions—work on a special project for a local ministry, or send cards or small gifts to overseas missionaries.
• Music—listen to classical Christmas music and maybe even produce some of your own. Practice carols to sing at a local nursing home or in your neighborhood.
• Bible—obvious!

Sound like fun? Trust me, it is. If you are at a point where you could all really use a change in the routine, try learning through digging into Christmas. My kids will always remember the year we took December to have Christmas school!

The Lighter Side of Homeschooling

2009-11-20T10:10:00.000-06:00

Sometimes we can’t believe how critical others are about homeschooling, and sometimes their enthusiasm shocks us. I once experienced such fervor during a conversation with an acquaintance (I’ll call her Mary) whose daughter was struggling with some peer problems at school.
The mother called me quite distraught, detailing the teasing and bullying her daughter endured each day. She met with teachers, principals, parents. She knew she couldn’t hire a body guard, or try to squeeze herself into one of the desks in her daughter’s classroom, so she gave in to the last hope of a desperate parent. She inquired about—homeschooling.
I got the call one afternoon after her daughter had been home for almost a week. I shook my head as she shared with me the details of their ordeal, for I had received other calls just like that one many times during my long tenure as a homeschool mom. She asked the normal questions—was it legal? How did I get started? What about socialization?
I assured her that the decision to homeschool was a difficult, deeply personal one that should only be made after much soul-searching and prayer and that I would be happy to help her. I hung up the phone feeling the satisfaction of using my experience and wisdom to aid a Christian sister in need and marched my sympathetic, nurturing self into the school room where I gathered catalogs and books to get Mary started on her family’s new adventure.
The next morning the doorbell rang, and on my front porch stood Mary and her daughter. “My, they are eager to get started,” I thought. “My talk must have really inspired her.” Before I could turn to fetch the materials I had collected, Mary’s daughter walked through my front door, and Mary was turning to leave.
Like during a movie with a surprise ending, I replayed the previous day’s exchange and realized she never once mentioned her homeschool. She referred only to my homeschool. She never asked about what curriculum she should order. She asked about what I used. She thought I was going to educate her little darling.
That is not what I had in mind at all, and I’m sure the surprise was evident in my bulging eyes and gaping mouth. There was no graceful way out of it. We were both doomed to embarrassment.
She apologized many times, and I reassured her of what I assumed I had offered in our phone conversation—that I would help her teach her child.
I never heard back from her. The rumor was that she sent her daughter to a new school. I hope she is doing better there.
So on those days when you can’t face another math lesson or failed science experiment, on those days when this homeschooling thing seems too hard, remember—it is. But also remember what Mary never got a chance to discover—it’s worth it. To God be the glory!

Three Problems with Writing Assignments

2009-11-19T03:00:00.003-06:00

     If your child struggles in writing compositions, the problem may start right at the assignment level. I see three problems with some assignments.
     1. Generic topics planned by the curriculum. If we are married to a curriculum, then we assign the topic they are to write about without giving them a choice. “How to execute defensive moves on a basketball court” might not be the best assignment for a piano player, but it’d be just fine for your sports aficionado. Why not brainstorm with your child for a while before you assign a topic? No matter what their interests are, you can turn it into a narrative, expository, descriptive or persuasive essay.
     2. Unfamiliar topics. Sometimes you will want to assign a research paper, but not every writing assignment should require time spent learning about a new topic. If they are writing a descriptive paragraph, make sure they’ve visited the place or seen whatever they are describing. Pull out pictures to jog their memories. Let them write what they know.
     3. Broad topics. One of the fastest ways to create a boring essay is to ask them to write about a topic that is too large or too general. Teach them how to narrow the topic down. Here’s how it went with us one day. Take “My Summer Vacation” and narrow it down. My daughter chose “Our Trip to Canada.” Still too large. She narrowed it down to “Wilderness Camping While in Canada.” I sent it back to her one last time. She came back with “Nighttime in the Wilderness”. Now she could concentrate on specific details of the raccoon that visited them in the night, the feel of the pebbles underneath her sleeping bag, and the sound of the snores from her daddy’s tent. She came up with fun sentences and a paragraph we enjoyed reading.
     Before your kids write their next assignment, try giving them a choice, selecting a subject they’re familiar with, and narrowing the topic down. I think you’ll see a great improvement.
     How do you come up with good writing assignment? What other topics would you like discussed here?

Creative Art Display

2009-11-18T03:00:00.000-06:00

What is one thing besides books, questioning stares from fellow shoppers when you bring your school-age children out into the world on a school day, and more books, that all homeschool families collect loads of? Kids’ art work—finger paintings, leaf rubbings, magazine cut-out mosaics. My family produced boxes of it.

The problem was where to display the masterpieces. The fridge could only handle so much, so satisfy the demands of my budding Renoirs, I had to get creative. Here are some of the ideas we came up with to turn our humble home into an art gallery.
• Hang a clothesline in a hallway and suspend a rotating display of art treasures from clothespins.
• Cover three or four large cardboard boxes with colorful wrapping paper and stack them. Tape artwork to boxes for display.
• Collect an assortment of frames and spray paint them the same color. Hang them on a large wall or in a hallway with your kiddos’ artwork inside.
• Attach pictures to calendars available at copy shops and present to family members for gifts.
• Make a fabric transfer on your home printer of a favorite picture and affix it to a pillow, apron, tote bag, t-shirt, anything made of cloth. (You can find the necessary materials at any craft store.)
• Copy artwork on cardstock, fold and send one-of-a-kind greetings.

Hope these help you get those watercolors out of the storage boxes and into the world where they belong. Who knows? With all of the attention, your kids might just be inspired to be in a museum someday! (I call I get an invitation to the opening!)

A Homeschool Public Speaking Forum

2009-11-17T03:00:00.004-06:00

     Public Speaking? Oh, that’s another one of those things homeschoolers can’t do. After all, standing up in front of Mom and Dad reciting The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere doesn’t count. At least not in the minds of the naysayers.
     But our homeschool support group found a simple, yet effective, way around this. We schedule a once-a-month Public Speaking Forum. Since our group has a private library, we have it at our library, but any room large enough to accommodate the crowd would do

     Any student who wishes can give a brief speech on any subject. We’ve had topics from playing a musical instrument to how to dribble a basketball. From long poetry recitations, to a single Bible verse. Girls have baked cookies, told us how they did it, and brought samples to share. (Needless to say, this is a popular speech.) Boys have given speeches on knights or wood-working projects. Older students sometimes use Power Point presentations, and younger students often hold their mother’s hand until they gain courage.

     Our purpose at the forum is not to critique. We simply give our enthusiastic support and allow the parents to mentor their students at home. The purpose is to provide a forum with an audience.

     The number one fear for many Americans is giving a speech. Our Public Speaking Forum has given homeschool students an opportunity to practice this over and over until they lose this fear. The secret is to do it often. The students who have done this every month for several years now give polished presentations and excel in local 4-H speaking contests.

     I encourage you to try this simple but effective way of providing a forum for homeschool students in your area. It costs nothing, but I’ve seen the benefits first hand.

Silencing the Critics

2009-11-16T03:00:00.000-06:00

If you are homeschooling, are thinking of homeschooling, or are even leaving the tiniest window of opportunity open to homeschooling, you need to know the rest of the world thinks you are a mutant. Something went wrong somewhere in your development to cause you to ignore the institutions established by highly-educated professionals and choose to keep your children home with you when it is obviously best for everyone if they go off to spend most of their days with groups of their peers.

Have you heard any of these criticisms before? If you haven’t, you are either surrounded by saints or have kept your decision a secret. If you have, how do you respond to the well-meaning (mostly) questioners of your convictions?

Let’s tackle the number-one, all-time favorite question posed to homeschoolers or potential homeschoolers, the granddaddy of skeptical quips—what about their socialization?

The very thought of it makes a parent tremble. Do we want to produce awkward, uncooperative adults as the result of our homeschool experiment? Of course not, so we stumble at the suggestion that our children will not be able to function properly in the world without adequate doses of interaction with kids whose birthdays fall within the prescribed parameters.

Here is the response I developed during seventeen years of fielding this question. (Yes, I heard it even as they were about to graduate.)
Are you ready?
I would simply ask them what they meant by “socialization.” It never failed to end the conversation quickly. It turns out most people aren’t really sure about what they mean by the word socialization. A few would begin to define the concept, and as they did, I could deal with each of their points as they made them. I was no longer on the defensive or pressured.

Now, there are wonderful studies to support the idea that homeschooled children turn out just a well-socialized as their public school counterparts, and we can use those to calm our own fears. I firmly believe, though, that we do not owe the world an explanation for what we know the Lord has called us to do.

So go to that family reunion, hold your head high, and remember “What do you mean by socialization?”

Interviewing a Homeschool Mom

2009-11-13T03:00:00.004-06:00

Please join us in welcoming Becky Saylors for an interview!

Homeschool Soul Mates: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Becky: My name is Becky Saylors. This fall I began my seventh year of homeschooling. My husband Larry and I have been blessed with three children: Charity is a seventh grader, Destiny is in fifth grade, and Christian is now in second grade.

Homeschool Soul Mates: What do you do to keep your sanity while doing this?

Becky: To keep my sanity I make sure my calendar is clear so that I can attend our homeschool moms' fellowships twice a month. It's so great to hear others share of God's work in their lives and to have the opportunity to share His work in mine too. It usually ends with some good laughs, and we all know that laughter is the best medicine.

Homeschool Soul Mates: I agree that laughter is a great stress-reliever. What did you love the most about it?

Becky: I can't say that I've always loved homeschooling. Honestly, we started homeschooling out of necessity. Our oldest was in a small Christian school for PreK and Kinder. We were barely able to afford it. It was because of finances that my husband suggested we homeschool. I struggled through the first year with my daughter (a first grader at the time). She and I shed buckets of tears that year. I selfishly resented giving up my "freedom". When summer arrived, I began praying about God's will for school that fall. I asked God to give me a love for homeschooling if He was calling me to that. He answered my prayer, and I can honestly say I love homeschooling. Don't get me wrong, we have our days . . . but when it comes right down to it, I wouldn't trade this privilege for the world! I've had the privilege of being there when my youngest announced in the middle of classes that he wanted to ask Jesus into his heart. We got down on our knees in the front yard (yes, our school room was the great out of doors that day) and prayed together. I've been blessed to be able to be the one to answer my kids' questions on the important things in life. I'm there every day to correct those attitude problems that arise, to encourage one of my children through a difficult day, to train them in godly character, to get and give all those hugs and kisses and to share those precious moments. I can't imagine giving that away!

Homeschool Soul Mates: Wow, thanks for the honest answer. How awesome that your son actually got saved at his homeschool class! What advice would you give to new homeschool moms?

Becky: My advice to a new homeschooling mom would be to cut yourself (and your kids!) some slack. You don't have to be a perfect mom, teacher, wife, etc., etc., etc. Be careful not to make your home a carbon copy of school. You have lots of freedom and choices. Get on your knees and seek God's wisdom. He has promised to give it to you if you ask. He will do some awesome things in your life as He does some amazing things in your family's life. He's there for you through each day. Then don't forget to take time out to be refreshed! For me that means a daily quiet time with the Lord every morning before everyone else gets up and then time out with other homeschooling moms.

Homeschool Soul Mates: What method did you use?

Becky: My homeschool philosophy has changed over the years. Because I began homeschooling "out of necessity", I didn't really take time to sit down and figure out what my goals were. I chose a curriculum based on what my daughter had been using in her Christian school. It had worked for her so I figured "why change it if it's working". I could not have seen the work that God was going to begin in my life personally. Day by day, month by month, year by year God was revealing to me that homeschooling was way bigger than educating. Even though education is important, I began to see the bigger picture. I realized that we all homeschool for various reasons, and we all have different "visions" for our children's lives. My husband and I are missionaries. Serving is VERY important to us! That caused us to make choices to steer our "extracurricular" activities more toward serving. We started asking ourselves questions when opportunities for activities arose. Understanding God's direction for homeschooling in our family has set us free to say "no" to the things that will fill time but keep us from being the servants God has called us to be. This direction has also led us to make changes in our curriculum. I started feeling "married" to the curriculum. I found myself thinking, "we really need to bring this in, but we just don't have time". That began weighing on me. I was seeking God's direction for our 2009-2010 school year. I would now have a seventh grader, fifth grader, and second grader. How was I going to fit it all in? Thanks to a friend who passed me some info on a curriculum I had never heard of, God led us to make a change in our adventure. I thank God often. I'm loving teaching and my kids are loving learning for the first time. It is so exciting . . . many of those things that I would often think I would like to incorporate if I just had the time, were actually part of this new curriculum. God is sooooo faithful. I'm thankful for His patience with me. He's there ready to teach you too!

Homeschool Soul Mates: Thanks for sharing this with us, Becky. We pray that your wisdom will bless and encourage others.

If you have questions for us or for Becky, please ask them in the comment section.

Secrets for Writing Strong Sentences

2009-11-12T03:00:00.003-06:00

    Ever feel like pulling your hair out over the weak sentences your children write? So often when we assign a descriptive paragraph, kids write sentences like this: There are flowers in the yard. There were waves on the beach.
     Here’s a simple technique you can use to help them beef up their sentences. First of all, go back to the power verbs and precise nouns we spoke about in an earlier post. Change the “flowers” to something specific: dandelions. And since the sentence is really about the flowers, bring that to the beginning of the sentence. Then get rid of the weak verb.

The new sentence: Dandelions dotted the yard.

     Use the same technique for the next sentence. Bring the waves to the beginning of the sentence and use a power verb.

New sentence: Waves crashed on the beach. Or for another feel: Waves lapped on the sand.

     You can also teach your children to vary their sentences. Once they understand the concept of compound and complex sentences, encourage them to vary the length and structure of the sentence. They can also practice moving around prepositional phrases.

     For strong sentences, they should also avoid the passive voice. This sometimes trips up some of the best writers. In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence does not do the action of the verb. “The dog was chased by the cat.” The dog is the subject of the sentence, but it didn’t do the action. To change this to active voice, make the subject do the action. “The cat chased the dog.”

     Do children need to learn grammar? In order to present these simple concepts about sentences to you, you’ve needed to understand about nouns, verbs, prepositions, voice, and sentence structure. In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons they do need some basic lessons in grammar. Otherwise, they don’t have the background to understand when you begin to teach good writing techniques.

Do you have more tips to share with us about writing strong sentences? Share them with us in the comment section. If you have questions, ask away!

Teaching Science to Little Ones

2009-11-11T03:00:00.000-06:00

You are paging through the curriculum catalog, bombarded by all of the choices for teaching your little guys the wonders of science, and you feel the pressure to spend the big bucks on an entire program. The problem is children in early elementary don’t need a complex course. What they really need is some good books, fun activities, and a teacher who is excited about God’s creation.

Here are some ideas to get your K-5 children started on a love of science!

• Choose a topic for each month—the moon in September, invertebrates in October, magnets in November, etc. Then head to the library and check out books on the month’s topic—story books, informative books, experiment books.
• Collect magnifying glasses, terrariums, butterfly nets and binoculars and go outside. Collect, draw or photograph your sightings.
• Keep bird, tree, flower, insect and small reptile field guides handy to identify specimens you collect, draw or photograph.
• Visit parks, wildlife refuges, lakes, beaches, woods, fields, canal (yes, they are gross, but teeming with life!) and see what you can study. (We caught some cool tadpoles once—really fun!)
• Take advantage of local programs at libraries, zoos, parks and museums. Let the kids learn from the experts.
• Have experiments going all the time. Get ideas from books and from your children’s curiosity.
• Keep a science journal where your children can record experiment results, nature identifications, questions, etc.
• Use videos from the library or science programs on television to add to the wonders your children can experience. For example, you can go to the beach and study the marine life on the shore and then go home and watch a video that will allow you children to see squid or sharks up close.
• Collect rocks, shells, leaves, and flowers and have the children organize them according to different criteria. Classification is an important skill for the future scientist.

To prepare for college, your children will have to have more structured instruction in the upper grades, but in lower elementary, let them explore God’s creation with their curious minds leading the way!

Share any of your cool, fun, science ideas! We’d love to hear them.

Worldview on Child Training

2009-11-10T03:00:00.006-06:00

Our worldview guides the way we train our children. If we view the world through a Christian lens, we will train, correct, and guide them in a different way than a humanist or socialist would. What scares me a little is that too few parents take the time to articulate how a Christian should view child training.
I’ve noticed a number of humanistic views on child training slipping into our society almost without us noticing it.
Here are a few of the dangerous ones:

• Since children are born into this world as innocent and sinless, they will do what is right if we do not impose our own prejudices on them.

• Since children are pure, they know what is best for themselves so parents have no right to impose their desires on them.

• Children are fragile and discipline, even if intended in love, could damage them for life. (I’m not advocating being either physically or verbally cruel in any way, but let’s give children credit for the strength God has given them.)

• As long as children are given all they need, they will grow up to be good and unselfish

• The community has the responsibility for our children. After all, everyone knows it takes a village to raise a child.
Let’s contrast that with a Christian worldview:
• Children are born into this world with a sinful nature. Defilement comes from the heart of man, including children. (See Jeremiah 17:9)

• Children do not have to be taught to lie, steal, bite, or pull hair. Again, these things come from the heart. The challenge is to teach them not to do these things.

• Apart from the grace of God, uncorrected children will grow up to be a burden to their parents (See Proverbs 29:15)

• God has given parents the responsibility to train their children, not the city, state or federal government.

• Discipline given in love will make a child feel more loved than allowing him to have his way in everything.

Your turn: How do you view the essence of children? What would you add to either list?

Spiritual Refreshment Part 2

2009-11-09T03:00:00.000-06:00

As I promised last week—your list of spiritual refreshments. I hope you don’t need them today, but just in case, here they are……….
• The Bible is full of cool drinks of new perspective. I had Scripture verses that I knew helped me get through rough days printed and posted in our family room/school room. Sometimes I would take a break and the children and I would read appropriate Scripture together.
• Call a homeschool buddy. If you don’t have someone you can call anytime, someone who understands you, loves you and encourages your homeschooling, ask the Father to bring you that special person.
• Call your husband. He knows you and what you might be up against with your little darlings. If he is free to get calls during the day, ask him to pray for you.
• Play some Christian music. Not only will it help you to focus on the great God who called you to this precious work, but the soothing quality of music often calms the most difficult situation.
• I kept a list of the best things I saw in my children and added to it frequently. When I got frustrated (and I did that often), I would refer to that list and see my children in a new way.
• I also kept a list of the weaknesses I saw in my children, complete with corresponding Bible verses. When these weaknesses threatened to overwhelm me, I remembered I had put them before the Lord earlier that morning.
• Take a deep breath.
• Take a walk around the block.
• Take a long look into the eyes of each of your babies and thank God for the privilege of being their mommy and their teacher. Then hug them. (No matter how ornery they’ve been!)

Peaceful homeschooling!

Benefits of Competitive Sports

2009-11-06T03:00:00.001-06:00

The question to our guest, Garry Dippel, baseball/basketball/tennis coach:
Why is participation in competitive sports important for children?

Competitive sports are important for many reasons. First, they prepare a child for the challenges he will face in life like almost no other activity. The pressure of competition forces one to react to new situations constantly. Also, the desire to win in a competitive arena will draw out the very best in a child. There is a challenge followed by an immediate reward for excelling. Very few activities provide this set-up.

The truth is that competitive sports reveal a person’s character. Is the player willing to try regardless of an unfair call by a referee? Can he keep his cool when taunted by an opponent on the field? How does she react when the coach puts a sub in for her? All of these situations show the child how to respond to the difficulties and injustices of life.

Another benefit of team sports is learning to function on a team. Players learn to respect teammates on the court or field regardless of their personal feelings. Many times in my own experience as a player I had to work in harmony during a game with people whose views, lifestyles or personalities were out of line with mine. I also had to put aside my own ego to accomplish the goals of the team. I have witnessed many cocky or self-centered young people learn to ignore their own desires in order to win for the team.

Many times in competitive sports it is clear that hard work and desire triumph over talent. This realization teaches a young person that desire to succeed ranks above everything else, and that can make the difference between excellence and mediocrity in his life.

Building a Solid Foundation for Good Writing

2009-11-05T03:00:00.003-06:00

     Writers build excellent compositions with good paragraphs. They form the paragraphs with good sentences, and build the sentences with good word choice.
     So it makes sense to build your students foundation with a study of good words. But what makes one word better than another? It’s more than just choosing a word from a thesaurus.

The most important word in a sentence is the verb. Strong, vivid verbs bring life to a sentence. A single vivid verb can elicit a visual picture in the mind. Here’s a few examples as we change only the verb:

• The lady tiptoed across the room.

• The lady pranced across the room.

• The lady staggered across the room.

     Notice how each specific verb gives a different picture in the mind. This one great secret can transform your student’s sentences.

     We used to play a racing game with verbs. I’d set a timer for one or two minutes and give my kids a generic verb like talk. They’d race to see who could come up with the most vivid verbs for talk: whisper, lisp, scream, mumble, etc. I always had a small prize for the winner. Here’s a few more verbs to use: drink, walk, look, sit, get, take, hold.

     Nouns deserve your attention next. Play the same game with a generic noun such as tree. They’ll write: oak, pine, palm, mesquite, etc. Here’s some more nouns to try: flower, vehicle, fish, bird, dish.

     Have these races often. Once they’ve latched on to the idea, remind them that these words are the ones you want them to use. Don’t allow them to tell you that Grandma’s yard has flowers. No picture forms with such generic words. Grandma’s yard has daffodils. Better still: A gentle breeze sways the daffodils in Grandma’s yard. Now we’ve used a strong verb and a specific noun for a better sentence.

     Remember, verbs and nouns form the foundation of excellent sentences.

     Do you have other word games you play with your children? Please share them with us!

Time Out

2009-11-04T00:23:00.000-06:00

Time out
It’s November fourth. Most Homeschool families are into their third month of school—moving past the review sections in their math books, remembering how tough it is to stay focused, trying to balance home, church and outside activities. By this time I had already run to my room to pray for patience at least three times, rewritten the number to the public school a few times, and questioned the Lord’s call I was so sure of in August every other day it seemed.

Sometimes the difficulty of our choice to educate our children overwhelms. It’s okay to admit that. We face our beloved little sinners everyday (with our own sinful hearts in tow) and endeavor to teach them all the things they will need to be all God created them to be. That is no small order. So give yourself a break if any of what I described sounds familiar to you. And I mean that both literally and figuratively.

When I felt the weight of my children’s mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, academic, and social development crash down on me—usually right after I had lost my composure over a lost notebook or a sloppy report—I needed a time out. And I highly recommend the practice to all of you still out there in the trenches.

Take ten, fifteen, twenty minutes—go ahead, take a half-hour—and get quiet with the Lord. I used to hold out my hands and imagine my Heavenly Father grabbing onto them. I told Him each frustration, each failure, each fear. Sometimes I cried. Sometimes I yelled. Sometimes I just sat there. It didn’t always change the situation, but it never failed to change me.

Next week I’ll share some ideas I discovered to help me tackle the huge and precious job of homeschooling my little ones. Take a deep breath. It will be okay. I know. I’ve been there.
How do you handle the difficult times? Any suggestions for how to stay spiritually balanced?

The Kids Who Need Homeschooling the Most

2009-11-03T03:00:00.001-06:00

Children who learn by doing and by direct involvement are tailor-made for homeschooling. These kids remember best by what was done, not what was seen or talked about. They are often the wiggle-worms who find reasons to move no matter how much they're told not to.

If you force these children to sit at a desk all day to do their work, it's about like fitting them in a straight jacket and telling them to have a nice time doing their work. They'll concentrate so hard on ways to move, they won't be able to concentrate on their work.

Instead of stressing over them, unleash them and let them go. After all, someday they just may be a David out slaying a Goliath. God put this extra energy in him for a purpose. Reward this child with pats on the back, hugs, or better still, just go play ball with him.

But here's a few more ideas for those kids who need movement to learn:

Have them jump rope as they learn the times tables
Let them race, jump on a mini-trampoline or have some other physical exercise in between subjects.
Have them do their work on a large white board.
Have them act out a story instead of writing it.
Allow them to squeeze a soft ball as they work.
Allow them to work at a standing position.
If they must sit for a while, let them sit on a large therapy ball. (I know of one boy who went from a five minute attention span to forty minutes after he began to sit on a ball.)
Allow them to mold clay as they learn a new concept.
Place the answers to questions across the room on note cards and have them cross the room to bring the right answer back.

Whatever you do with these kids, don't keep them in the prison of a chair and desk.

What ideas can you share with us for a kinesthetic learner?

Stealth Teaching

2009-11-02T03:00:00.000-06:00

Using Movies to Teach

We all know television is the enemy of education. Every hour our children pass mindlessly watching the Disney Channel is an hour they aren’t reading, exploring or, well, thinking. There is something powerful about visual media, though. We have to give our opponent that. Only the time I started a fire in the kitchen held my kids’ attention like an episode of Sponge Bob. Why can’t we take that power and use it for our side? If nothing else, just announcing you will be watching TV for science today will get your children’s attention.

Here are some ideas to get you started.
• Find the movie version of books your children read and watch them after they finish. It is fun to discuss who they would have cast as the main characters, how the director’s vision of the scenery compared with theirs, or how the book differed from the movie version.
• Use movies about different time periods to give your children a feel for the time. Many movies are very well-researched and depict dress, speech and daily living quite accurately. We watched Gone with the Wind while studying the Civil War, for example.
• Make use of programs and videos that discuss animals, different countries, space, etc. Watching a video about sharks and seeing them up close on the screen will inspire them like no textbook can. And maybe they will actually remember something.
• Movies are stories. Use that to teach literary concepts like characterization, setting, mood, or theme. Watching should never be a substitute for reading, of course, but a little change can bring new perspective.

Save some of these ideas for the days when you have a long to-do list or are not feeling your best.

There is nothing wrong with an occasional sneak attack!

A Childlike Mom

2009-10-30T03:00:00.002-05:00

Today we have guest blogger, Melody Flemming. Melodie is a published author, pastor's wife, and home school mom. Check out her regular blog at www.melodiefleming.blogspot.com and enjoy digital fellowship with her at www.facebook.com/melodiefleming or www.twitter.com/melodiefleming.

A Childlike Mom

by Melodie Flemming

Home schooling? What have I gotten myself into?

I keep looking, but I can’t find a magic button that transforms children into hard working, mannerly, well scrubbed little creatures. So, I guess I’m stuck with the real world – where kids are kids, grown ups are grown ups, and parents bridge the gap from childhood to adulthood.

I have to admit, life would be less joyful if my kids grew up quietly. Even potty humor sometimes makes me chuckle.

From my son, I’ve learned that life is science. Every day is a grand experiment. Yes, it bugs me that he can’t just walk from house to car without some antic. But if it weren’t for him, I’d miss the wonder in my world.

From my daughter, I’ve learned that life is art. The world is comprised of shape, color, and shades of light. Sure, I get nervous when she explores my jewelry box. But if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t see how life sparkles.

I recently read Herbert Hoover’s book On Growing Up: His Letters From and to American Children. One theme reoccurred: enjoy your childhood. Not the advice I expected from a former world leader. Yet, according to him, serious thought is the work of adults. Childhood is best spent in constructive fun.

Hoover’s perspective made me think of Christ’s. Although the Bible tells us to train up our children, we are never called to make them into miniature adults. In fact, Jesus tells grown ups to be more like kids.

This concept is one of the things I enjoy most about home education. Sometimes books are better read underneath a blanket tent. Phonetic techniques are more effective when cuddling on the couch. Journal entries might be more creative if written from a tree limb. Worksheets are sometimes a necessary evil, but natural science is better on a nature walk. And playtime is just as important for education as book time is.

What have I gotten myself into? I traded one difficult job I loved (teaching) for another difficult job I love even more (teaching my own kids). I exchanged the rat race for the family marathon. I swapped late night homework for restful evenings. I’m still in metamorphosis, but I think I’m also trading excess intensity for a child like faith.

I think Herbert Hoover would approve.

I know Jesus does.

How to Spot an Auditory Learner and What to do About Him.

2009-10-29T03:00:00.002-05:00

Learning Modalities

We all have our own learning style, or maybe I should say our own mixture of learning styles. I’m talking about the way we take information in, not how we process it. If we analyze both our child’s style and our own, we can understand better how to present material and how to avoid some major battles.

Auditory Learners

Let’s talk today about the auditory learner. I had one of these. Boy, oh boy, auditory children like to talk. They’re the ones who love to ask questions but hate the answer: “look it up.” This is kid is usually at the door when Dad gets home because he wants to be the one to recount the events of the day.

Strengths

The auditory learner has many strengths which you can capitalize on. They remember things by oral repetition and are good at listening games. This child does well at memorizing math facts set to music. He may remember more details from a book read aloud or on a CD than from one he reads himself. The greatest reward for this student may be verbal praise.

Weaknesses

But…here it comes. Even though he may like to talk problems out, sound easily distracts him. If he sees a long written assignment, he may turn his head away from the sheer overwhelming feeling of having to focus on a written page for so long.

Combining the Teacher's style with the students

If the teacher’s learning style contrasts with the student’s, there’s potential conflict brewing. I used to get frustrated with my son while teaching Algebra because I’m such a visual learner I didn’t think he could understand complicated problems without putting his eyes on the solution I worked out. Then one day I read aloud a problem to his older brother in a higher-level math book. The auditory son sat on the sofa doing his own assignment, but he called out the answer! It was my first clue that I could trust my son to understand by listening. He didn’t have to see it.
A teacher who is a visual learner will often say to her students, “Look at this.” An auditory learner will say, “Listen to this.” Which does your child need you to say?

Suggestions

Use CDs, lectures, group discussion, and music to aid you child if he is an auditory learner. Give him oral instructions. Play to his strengths, and then work on the weakness bit by bit.

Your turn: What do you do to help an auditory learner? Has you learning style affected your teaching style?

When You're Not Super Mom

2009-10-27T03:00:00.002-05:00

We all have those days. Days when you’re certain that every other homeschool mom in the nation is doing a better job than you are. Days when you can’t face another struggle with Billy not understanding what should be a simple math concept. Or days when the you can’t untangle those misplaced modifiers yourself, so how in the world will you help Susie with it?

What do you do on those days when you’re not super mom? Admit failure and hide in the bedroom? Spend the day on facebook reading what all the other successful moms are doing?

Here’s some alternative suggestions for redeeming days when you’re not supermom.

Gather the children and watch some educational DVDs. They’ll pick up on something, and you won’t feel like the day is wasted.
Take off for the beach (or forest or meadow, depending on your location) and enjoy a day off. You can encourage the beginning of a shell, rock, flower, or leaf collection. If the kids are old enough, they can check out a book to help them identify and label their collection.
Take binoculars and toss in some bird watching. Voila, you’ve redeemed your school day and relaxed at the same time.
Take an educational field trip to a fire station, water processing plant, wild life reserve, etc. The kids can write about it (or narrate their experience) after they get home. Sometimes that just means telling Daddy about it, but they children learn to put together words and ideas to express themselves. The day is not lost!
Read great books or listen to them on CD. Reading aloud to children is one of the best activities to increase their comprehension. If you chose books that are just above their reading level, it will expand their vocabulary. Have them tell the stories back to you or draw of picture to illustrate the story. You may feel like you’re taking the day off, but the kids will be absorbing and processing a lot of information. Who knows, this may turn into something so valuable, you’ll add it to your regular school day.

Your turn: What do you do on days when you’re not super mom? Do you ever give yourself a day off?

Book Reports for the Rebellious

2009-10-25T23:56:00.002-05:00

Book Reports for the Rebellious

We homeschoolers may disagree on many of the specifics of how to educate our children, but one activity is central in every school day in every homeschool family I ever knew in my seventeen years—reading. We love books. We check out armloads from the public library, we put them on Christmas lists, we swap them, track them down online, spend grocery money on them. And then some of us make the mistake I made—we require our children to write boring paragraphs about what they read.

While I was in school getting my English degree we read lots of books, and each one generated a long and complex analysis, so I thought that was the only way a student could prove he had read and understood every book. The problem is that most novels were written to be enjoyed, and my chain-gang approach to reading comprehension was killing that joy.

So how does one set her little ones free and still prepare them for the rigors of higher education? Let them choose from a list of report formats that gives the information and includes some fun.
Here are some ideas to get you started. We did all of these at our house at least once. They are kid tested and mother/teacher approved.
• Try assigning reports for every other book read.
• Have your child design a book jacket—complete with artwork, reviews, biography of the author, blurbs and excerpts.
• Draw a cartoon strip of the basic plot.
• Construct an illustrated (or not) timeline of the major events in the story.
• Act out a scene from the story.
• Compare/ contrast the story to a story in the Bible.
• Write a new ending to the story.
• Suggest the plot for a sequel to the story.
• Choose music that would be appropriate for a movie version of the story.
• Write a short story using elements of the story read.
• Write a review of the story.
• Write a few entries of the main character’s diary.
• Interview your child about the book.
• Write a letter to the author of the book if he or she is still living. (Good library skills here finding contact information.)
• Paint a favorite scene, including all important details.

I hope these help get your creativity flowing. Do you have any creative book report ideas you’d like to share? How do you keep your kids interested in reading? We’d love to hear from you!

A College Student Talks about Homeschooling

2009-10-23T03:00:00.000-05:00

On Fridays, we have some special treats lined up for you. We’ll conduct interviews, entertain guest bloggers, and tell funny homeschool stories.

Today we’re interviewing a homeschool graduate, Lindsay Burt, from Texas.

Homeschool Soul Mates: What would you like us to know about you?

Lindsay: Because I was homeschooled for all 12 grades I never experienced public school. People say I missed out on so much, but I actually think I missed all the negative things and gained so much more than anyone in a public school setting could ever find.

Homeschool Soul Mates:
How did you meet homeschool friends and do you still keep in touch with them?

Lindsay: I met other kids by becoming involved in a homeschool group. We took classes together, played sports together and became a family. In a homeschool group, the other kids and families become like your own family. You do everything together, and you become so close that it stays with you forever. I am 24 years old and all of my best friends are the ones I played sports with and hung out with in high school. A couple years ago, I saw a girl I played ball with, and we talked about the fact that even if we hadn’t stayed in touch we knew that if at any time in the future we were to need something we could always call a fellow homeschooler, and they would be there. I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.

Homeschool Soul Mates: Did you think socialization was a problem when you were homeschooled? Why? Why not?

Lindsay: When my mother decided to homeschool me at age 5, my father’s side of the family wasn’t too excited about it. They were so concerned with our athletics and “social life” (or lack thereof). My grandmother quickly learned when we moved right next to her that we were most definitely not lacking in that department! She said “I can never get a hold of you, you’re always doing something!” Socializing is a choice. When you are involved in a group, you will always have friends, things to do, and fun to have! I’m pretty sure we drove our parents crazy sometimes with all of our activities (I know my poor mom was worn out!), but they made high school so much fun. I have many days now where I wish I could just go back to high school! (And I haven’t found any public school kids with that thought!)

Homeschool Soul Mates: Would you ever consider homeschooling your own children someday? Why or why not?

Lindsay: I am actually planning to homeschool my children someday. It can be difficult to find a boyfriend who went to public school who won’t refuse it, because they don’t understand the positive impact of homeschooling (they are usually concerned about the athletics!). I feel that as a Christian and a parent I want to be the one raising my child and teaching them the way they should go. Because I was homeschooled I know all of the activities and opportunities there are for children as well as the positive impact other homeschool parents can have on your children. The other positive to homeschooling is the amazing closeness of your family. My siblings and I are inseparable, and I have yet to meet a homeschool family where the kids were not closer than anyone could imagine. (Although they still might fight… we aren’t perfect ) I want that for my children because I believe family is number one.

Homeschool Soul Mates: Wow, great answer. What are you doing now and how do you think homeschooling prepared you for it?

Lindsay: I am currently finishing up my degree at Texas Woman’s University. Don’t let anyone ever tell you as a parent, or as a homeschooler, that you won’t make it in college. It’s a lie. The self-discipline required in homeschooling is a great aid in college coursework. And personally, I think we might even be kinda smart J. Every homeschooler I know that wanted to go to college got in… and actually graduated (many with masters and quite a few going through PhD programs).

Because my mom is so passionate about hard work, she drilled it into us daily (the benefit of having your child in your hands at all times!!). That has led to success in my work life as well and enabled me to secure a job and the ability to move up in a massive company.

Homeschool Soul Mates: Sounds like you have a great mom! How did homeschooling shape you as a person?

Lindsay: I feel that the shaping of a child is largely due to a parent’s involvement. Because I was homeschooled, my parents molded and shaped me to be a hard-working Christian. People that don’t know anything about homeschooling think they know what a homeschooler looks like. Well… they’re wrong. No one I have ever worked with ever knew until I told them. Being homeschooled doesn’t mean you are shaped to be a “nerd” and incapable of properly socializing. I feel that in many cases your social skills are increased, and you are shown many things about the world without having to become involved in them. The interaction with parents on a consistent basis and the impact other parents had on my life will stay with me forever. You feel wonderful about yourself with so much support around you, and that confidence in yourself will carry you farther than any amount of education.

Our thanks to Lindsay for joining us today! I was planning a blog to blow the cover off the socialization myth, but Lindsay did it for me! Does it encourage you to hear of homeschoolers who are successful in college and plan to homeschool their kids some day? What questions would you like us to ask homeschool students in the future?

I Can Grade a Math Quiz but What about Writing Assignments?

2009-10-22T03:00:00.001-05:00

Last time we talked about losing the red ink pen and allowing time for development so that today’s assignment doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s time get down to the basics of evaluating your student’s writing assignment, but first I’d like to encourage you that you probably know more than you do. If you think the prose is lacking in depth, it probably is. If you think he could have used more details to support his argument, you’re probably spot-on. So don’t diminish your own ability to evaluate writing projects.

Consider these areas as you look over the assignment:

Content: Did they develop their ideas in depth? Did they use examples, facts, or illustrations to make a point? Did they give enough specific details to make you see the person, place or thing they described? Was the quality of their argument valid? Did they go beyond the surface and dig deep into their topic or did they make only general statements?

Organization: Is there a clear order to the composition as a whole? Did they use chronological order where appropriate? Did they present an argument point by point and save the strongest until the last? Consider the coherence of the paragraphs. Does everything they included fit into the topic? Did they use proper transition between paragraphs or ideas?

Readability: How does the prose sound? Is there an appropriate tone for the intended audience? Did they state ideas in a concise way or did they use big words and complicated sentences that diminish the power of their thoughts? Was it fun to read?

Correctness: Did they use correct grammar and punctuation? Are there any spelling mistakes or errors in word usage?

How to weigh the four areas

Once you ask these questions, you can evaluate each area according to weak, low average, average, high average, strong, and exceptional. This will give you a reasonable idea how to grade the paper. Don’t forget to consider the grade level of your child and praise what you can.
You may find Shelly and I disagree on one point here. I weigh the content double in comparison with the others because I think it contains the essence of why we write. Shelly weighs them all equally because the other three can diminish the power of the content. But don’t expect us to fight over it, because we’ve already agreed that it’s okay to disagree.

Your turn
Do you find it hard to evaluate compositions? Do you have other questions about evaluating writing? What ideas do you have to share?

Fitting Physical Education into a Busy Day

2009-10-20T21:52:00.002-05:00

Working Physical Education into a Busy Day

We’ve all driven by the local public school and watched as the children played soccer or ran laps and felt that sinking feeling that somehow our children were missing something important. Not many of us have time in our busy teaching schedules to make time for sports, and even fewer of us feel qualified to teach our kids how to do much more than play tag.

Considering how sedentary our society is becoming, though, physical education is an area we cannot afford to ignore. Thankfully, there are ways to include physical activity into a basic school day.

• Start each day with some strength-building activities—push-ups, sit-ups, squats.
• Jump rope while counting by sixes or repeating multiplication tables.
• Set up cones on the driveway and have the children dribbles around them with a basketball or a simple playground ball for a quick activity break.
• Time the children as they run sprints and have them keep a graph of the results.
• Have children play catch with a tennis ball, moving farther apart each throw. Then have them measure where they end.
• To work on eye-hand coordination, have children hit a ping pong ball against the wall with their hands.
• Bounce a tennis ball into the air with a racquet facing upward.
• Tape Bible references on the wall where they will be a stretch to reach and have the children jump, touch a card, and quote the corresponding verse.
• Balance on railroad ties while reciting memory verses or poems, etc.
• Set ropes 3 feet apart and have the children jump from one to the other, moving the ropes further away for each jump.
• Play music from different cultures or time periods that correspond to what you are studying and dance
• Take field trips to batting cages, driving ranges, public basketball courts, tracks, tennis courts, or bike trails. Maybe one of the children will choose to pursue one of the activities you try!
• Get involved with local parks and recreation programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA’s, or private gyms that have programs you could get involved with.
Give your kids the gift of a healthy lifestyle for the future and the confidence and social contact physical education can offer!

On your mark, get set, go!

Help! How do I grade writing assignments?

2009-10-20T03:00:00.001-05:00

One of the big questions Shelly and I often get from homeschool moms concerns the evaluation of writing assignments. Some moms tell us they don't have a clue how to begin. Others say they know good writing when they see it, but still aren’t sure how to evaluate it.

Let’s start with some general observations about writing and then another day we’ll get more into some of the nitty-gritty details.

Purpose of writing. Before you begin to evaluate your children’s writing, remember why Christians write. We write for the glory of God to inspire, to instruct, and to entertain. Writing is a blessing, so don’t allow past struggles, doubts, or comparisons with others cheat your children out of this blessing. If there’s one thing you can give your children to help them in college, it’s the ability to write well.

Applaud their efforts. There’s something personal about writing. It’s like you’ve bared your soul for others to see—even if the article isn’t about you! So find something to appreciate about your child’s efforts. Notice the good imagery or word choice. Appreciate their creativity. Or at least comment on the nice handwriting.

Consider losing your red pen. Seriously, how many of you moms liked having a teacher bleed all over your papers? For years in my writing classes with homeschool students, I placed a small pencil dot in the margin where I found a mistake. Then I required my students to make corrections themselves. I think it’s a good learning process if they have to process for themselves what’s wrong.

It’s only one assignment. Don’t fall into the mistake of trying to make everything about the assignment so perfect today that they’ll hate writing tomorrow. Not every assignment has to be ready for a contest. Celebrate this one even if he’s improved a little. Take into consideration your child’s age. Second graders probably aren’t ready for complicated fiction assignments.

Shelly and I love writing so we have lots more to share with you. We’ll give you more specific ideas this Thursday on how to evaluate your children’s writing.

How about you? Do you struggle with evaluating your children’s writing? Are your kids sensitive about their writing? Feel free to ask questions or share your experiences.

Train Up a Child (Part Two)

2009-10-19T03:00:00.001-05:00

Here are the practical tips I promised you last week. Have fun!
• Reserve some time each day or week for exploration of new skills and interests.
• Provide the raw materials for activities not covered in your curriculum—a camera for the future photographer, fabric and sewing machine, broken vacuum cleaner, musical instruments, jump ropes, basketballs, paints and brushes. You get the idea.
• Set aside room in your home and backyard for projects. Remember that your children’s visions will need space to become reality.
• Network with other families from your homeschool group, church and community to teach skills to each others’ budding experts in the field. (We’ve swapped tennis lessons for swimming lessons.)
• Be open. Try not to judge what your child is interested in pursuing unless it is against the law, the Bible or common standards of human decency. (Our homeschool group gave our son a stage to try his hand at stand-up comedy. Not your normal endeavor, but he loved it.)
• Keep in mind that lots of people end up pursuing careers in areas that they once considered only hobbies. (My daughter now makes most of her money giving tennis lessons—a skill we encouraged during her school years.)
• Remind your children that working on a skill whether it is math or violin is honoring God—the One who made them.

Interview With a Homeschool Graduate

2009-10-16T03:00:00.004-05:00

Today we welcome Angela Bell to our blog!

Homeschool Soul Mates: Welcome, Angela, and thanks for the interview. Can you tell us how long you homeschooled?

Angela: I have been homeschooled my whole life. I gradated on June 14, 2008.

Homeschool Soul Mates: How did homeschooling shape you as a person?

Angela: It gave me strong relationships with my family, especially my mom, which has shaped me into a family oriented person. It also developed in me a firm belief and passion for Jesus and my Christian faith. I can't wait to have a family of my own to teach about the love of Christ.

Homeschool Soul Mates: I love that answer! Would you ever consider homeschooling your own children someday? Why or why not?

Angela: I am planning on homeschooling my children because I want to instill in them the love for learning my mom has instilled in me. I want to give them the opportunity to pursue their dreams instead of sticking them in a box labeled "traditional education". I also want them to learn in an environment where God is honored.

Homeschool Soul Mates: Did you think socialization was a problem when you were homeschooled?Why? Why not?

Angela: Every child goes through a stage when they feel awkward and shy around people and have a difficult time making friends. I personally feel being homeschooled gave me an advantage in my social development because during that awkward stage I had a strong foundation at home.

Homeschool Soul Mates: What activities were you involved in outside your family?

Angela: I took ballet lessons for seven years and was a member of my church's children's dance team. I also took swimming lessons. In high school I was involved in the H.O.P.E. Student Council for two years, one year as Secretary. Most recently, I was a member of my church's youth worship team.

Homeschool Soul Mates: What did you like most about your experience as a homeschooler?

Angela: My father is a minister and travels often mainly on the week-ends. Homescholing has given us flexibility to work around my dad's schedule. If he was gone on the week-end we'd do school while he was gone, and when he was home on a week day we'd take time off to be with him.
Now, I'm taking a fiction writing course, taught by Miss Teri, and am pursuing a career as an author. Homschooling gave me such a love for books and reading. I'd love one day to see a book I wrote on a shelf in someone's home. I also work in my church's infant nursery, and work part time as a mother's assistant.

We wish you the best in your pursuit as an author! Now I'd like to ask our readers something. How has the flexibity of a homeschool been a blessing to your family?

Making Them Do It

2009-10-15T03:00:00.000-05:00

Since this is the place to be honest, I’m going to confess that my kids didn’t always want to do their schoolwork. I’ll be a little surprised if there’s any homeschool mom who hasn’t faced this challenge. Sometimes I resorted to “because I said so.” As far as obedience goes, that’s one level of motivation, but it won’t carry them far.

I believe there are three other levels of motivation that will last longer, carry over into their adult lives, and potentially lead them to God’s purpose for their lives.

Level 1: “I want to learn this.” Our oldest son loves music and needs no pushing to get him to sit at the piano. He played the piano long after his practice time was over. The youngest son enjoyed hands-on science experiments with the test tubes, chemicals, and alcohol burner. Hey, we weren’t studying but just having fun blowing things up or turning clear liquids into bright pink.

This level of motivation is easy if they have a passion for the subject. But even if the subject is not their favorite, you can add a dash of fun to make them want it. None of my children were math wizards like their dad, but when they needed a little extra motivation to memorize their multiplication tables, we promised a trip to the ice cream parlor as soon as they could beat their father’s time in a page of one hundred facts. Suddenly the kids asked if they could take another test, and beating their dad was more of a reward than the ice cream.

Level 2: “I need to know this.” A teenage friend once complained to us about the value of studying algebra. Who ever used it anyway? Oh boy, he asked the wrong person that day! My husband showed him how engineers use algebra to design an airplane motor. Oh, but he wanted to be a doctor, not an engineer. Poor kid. He got a lesson in how he’d need the principles of algebra to balance a chemistry equation.

Our friend didn’t come to the point where he liked algebra, but he did come to an appreciation of his need to learn it. (Happy ending: that young man is now a dentist!)

Level 3: “God wants me to learn this.” Motivation can also be based on God’s will for our lives instead of our own wants or needs. Teaching our children to seek God’s purpose for their lives and then press on to the goal for His glory is certainly the highest level of motivation.
For instance, we may study a foreign language, not because we like it or need to know it, but in order to share God’s Word with others. The joy of seeking to motivate our children to study for the glory of God is that we serve a loving Master. His will for our lives includes not only all we need, but also a plan that is well-pleasing to God and to ourselves. I like to tell teenagers not to be afraid of God’s will for their lives, because they’re going to love it.

What about you? Do you ever struggle with getting them to do the work? What do you do to motivate them? Please share with us!

2009-10-14T03:00:00.001-05:00

Train Up a Child

My philosophy of homeschooling can be summed up by Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” As homeschool parents, we have the incredible opportunity to know our kids—what makes their eyes light up, what they have a special knack for, what they will rush through their other subjects to get to do.
We get to glimpse the spark our Creator God blessed our children with in an up-close and every-day way that most parents can’t imagine. The catch is we have to be willing to pay attention and give them the freedom to explore the world.

Then, when we see signs of “the way he should go” we have to do the really hard thing. We have to be willing to trust the Lord with that information and pray He will help us to develop that special gift that we have been blessed to witness.
So, what does this mean as we open the books on Monday morning, knowing we have five math, science, English, history lessons to complete before Friday? How do we prepare our little ones for what they will need in the world—and guide them to be who God created them to be?
Next week I will share a list of practical suggestions, but for now I just want to encourage you not to flinch if you have an idea of the particular bent of one or all of your children. Your neighbors may scratch their heads and look at you like you are crazy, but go ahead and let Junior scour the alley behind your house for scrap wood he needs to build furniture for his room. (I did. True story.) Grab on to the awesome adventure God has opened up for you and your family.

Setting Goals

2009-10-13T04:00:00.001-05:00

As the librarian at our homeschool library, I often get a panicked question about what should my child know and when should they know it. Having learned the hard way, I try to guide mothers away from this thought process. Who’s to say when kids must learn to multiply fractions or know the parts of speech? Yes, these things are important, but rather than compare our kids with all the others, I think we’re better off setting concrete goals—and there’s many things on my list ahead of academics.

Set character goals. What moral virtue would you like to instill in your children? Pick one and spend a month on it, or many a year. Responsibility, honesty, kindness, patience, hope…you decide what’s essential for your family. You may have the smartest kids in the world, but if they flunk the character test, big problems are ahead. More students fail in college because of a lack of discipline or responsibility than a lack of math facts.

Set Worldview goals. How do you view the world? Like a socialist? Humanist? Christian? Many of these views permeate our society and can creep into our lives if we’re not careful. We need to teach our children the difference in the way a humanist views the world as opposed to a Christian. Stand to Reason has a wonderful web site full of great articles on worldview. Find them at www.str.org.

Check out these books: How to Be Your Own Selfish Pig by Susan Schaeffer McCaulay, Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door by Josh McDowell, and The New Tolerance by Josh McDowell.

Set Academic Goals. Many books will give the scope and sequence of what they teach at various grade levels, but I like to see other types of goals. Our family will read ten books on missionaries to different countries this year. My high school student will spend his senior year reading two of the classics each month. Each of my children will complete a research paper this year, including the proper use of note cards, making an outline, and using the MLA format.
I think goals like this will take you farther than stressing over what your child should know at each grade level. After all, it seems the Bible teaches that comparing ourselves among ourselves is not wise.

How about you? How do you decide what and when your children should learn? What goals would you add to this list?

welcome

2009-10-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome homeschool moms and dads—all of you warriors who daily rise only to fall immediately to your knees and beg for the grace to unravel the mysteries of Algebra, Cubism, dangling participles or the French Revolution and somehow weave them into the fabric of your children. All this while preparing them for life in the world and molding God-fearing men and women.
We want you to feel like this is your place—to drop in when you need advice, practical ideas, encouragement, or just a place to vent. Consider this the place where you don’t have to be perfect or have all of the answers.
Just threatened to throw all of your kids’ school books in the recycle bin?
We’ve been there.
Just endured a family dinner where the topic of discussion was homeschooled kids people had heard ended up as homeless crack heads?
Been there, too.
Just spent the entire day trying to remember how to subtract fractions?
We understand.
We’re here to listen to you,
cry with you,
laugh with you,
and, Lord willing, help out a little.
Homeschooling is not for cowards—nor is it for lone rangers!
We’re here for you.
And we’re ready to hear from you—what you’re struggling with, what you have questions about, where you’ve had victory. Tell us what topics you would like us to discuss here.
Welcome!

Coming Soon!

2009-10-04T19:54:00.003-05:00

Ever feel like you'd pay big money to be able to chat with someone above the age of ten? Or do you need encouragement and fresh ideas to keep this crazy homeschool venture going? Maybe you have some questions.

Join Shelly, Teri and other homeschool moms every Monday through Friday right here to share your successes, fellowship with us, or just vent a little. We have over 35 years of experience between us, and we'll be sharing ideas from homeschool moms all over the world.

October 12, 2009 is the official kick-off date.