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Call me a paranoid, right-wing, nut job, but when the law doesn't require something from me, I don't typically volunteer it. When I buy gasoline, the law doesn't require that I produce a driver's license to prove I can drive, so I wouldn't dream of volunteering to show it. Nor would I show it if the gas station attendant came out and asked for it, because it's not required by the law. I am within legal parameters to buy gas without proving that I can drive. I have private tutored my children for the last several years without incident. This year, I am taking two students from different families that I will private tutor in my home. Despite the fact that I have submitted all that the law requires (copy of teaching certificate, background check, etc), their school districts of residence have both asked me for a yearly letter in the spring stating that I will continue private tutoring them. Today I called the one school district and asked about this "requirement" . She told me that the reason I need to send the letter is so that she can be sure the children are being educated. I asked if they require the same from students who attend private schools. I was told that they do not. I asked, "then how do you know those kids are bieng educated?" Her reply was - "We don't". She asked why it was such a big deal to write a letter when all the other private tutors in her district send in the annual letter. I explained that when school district requries something of everyone that is not the law, and everyone complies, then the school district will start asking for a little more and a little more, and it doesn't stop. Home School Legal Defense sent a letter to my home district (since this is one of the districts asking for this letter) that states:"...there is no provision that the private tutor submit the required documentation or any related notice to the local public school superintendent on an annual basis." If you are homeschooling under the Private Tutoring Provision of the Pa School Code, I beg you to please not hand in anything that is not required by the law. It raises the bar on what the schools will ask for. Even if you are not homeschooling under the Private Tutoring Provision, be sure you know the homeschool law inside and out. As an evaluator, I am aware that most of the school districts in the area "require" you to submit more than what the law requires and it's maddening. If you don't submit what the law doesn't require, there is nothing they can do to you. Period. |
Posted in Field Trips
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The 4th of July in Gettysburg is an event that lasts 3 or 4 days (at least). Typically, we stay home away from all the crowds and tourists. In the evening, we usually trek over to Hanover, Pa (about 7 miles away from our house) to see fireworks. This year, the weather forecast is calling for rain, so I figured fireworks were not a possiblity this year. Instead, we decided to go to Gettysburg to see what we would find. Here is what we found: A surgeon's tent where he showed us the bone saw and a metatarsal knife. I actually started getting light headed so I had to quit listening. I felt I couldn't leave because the kids were fascinated. There was also a bowl of (fake) hands and feet sitting on the ground next to this table.  A woman making lace by hand that dd9 had to get her picture with. Notice that dd had to dress according to this occasion, but I would be shocked if she didn't.  The Lincoln Train Museum where we took a virtual train ride with Abraham Lincoln.  The Rupp House where we learned about how a woman hid with her six children in the basement during the battle. Then she decided to cross town with her children and her valuable possessions through enemy territory to a safer place. (I have a great respect for this woman considering I have a hard enough time going to the grocery store with 3 children.) This gentleman at the Rupp House is showing us a gun used during the time.  At one point, ds4 spotted what we call a "real-life army guy". This was an active serviceman in his fatigues. Ds kept staring and the soldier waved to him. I turned and shook his hand and thanked him for his service to our country. I explained that our family appreciates the freedoms we have and realize that it's because of his service that we have them. He actually started to tear up. He took the American flag off his uniform and gave it to my son. (Note: I thank those guys every chance I get. Toby Keith's song Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue runs through my head when I see them. Especially the part where he says "...There's a lot of men dead so we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our heads") I didn't tell my children that any of this was school. I purchased paper doll books for all three kids and it's neat to see them so interested. Dd9, my reluctant reader, keeps reading and "teaching" me all about 19th century clothing. On the way home, we stopped by a homeschool family owned fruit stand/pottery store and purchased corn on the cob for our 4th of July "feast". Now we are home and it's raining. The girls are cutting out paper dolls and ds4 is playing with his plastic Civil War soldiers that he got today. He has informed me many times that his soldiers have "saved the day". It's been a good homeschool day. |
Posted in Philosophy of Education
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A little over a year ago, a friend was telling me that her daughters were having a hard time with history. "They just don't seem to retain anything," she explained. Then she asked, "What history textbook do you use?" I stopped and thought for a moment. It was a quick moment. However, in that moment, all the resources I use reeled through my head. I then answered, "None." She actually looked shocked. "None!?" I went on to explain that we use the library as our primary resource for history and science. Then the next question came, "How do you know you aren't missing anything?" I answered with another question, "How much do you remember from your textbooks in school? Do you remember how dry and boring they were?" Then I asked, "Do you remember any books you read as a kid?" Of course she did. I do evaluations for homeschoolers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Every year, I have a new homeschooler who feels they didn't cover art or music or whatever. I love talking with them and helping them to remember shows or other experiences that would be considered art and music (or whatever other subject they think they missed). I also get phone calls from new homeschool moms who are panicing and asking me which curriculum (or workbook) they should have their preschooler or kindergartener in. My reply is always, "None." With children that age, you should take out the play dough or the building blocks and let them play. Take them on walks and let them explore. Talk to them about all that you do and encourage them to talk to you. That is how they will learn best.
These are just a few ideas and as I read others' blogs, I get so many more. |
Posted in Habits
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How many times have we gone to a homeschool function and felt that "I am so glad that this event isn't at my house." We look around and feel that everyone else has it so together. How many times have you told someone you homeschool and they say "Oh, I could never do that. I don't have the (patience, organization, discipline, etc., etc.)" I try not to put up a facade, although I often feel that others don't really care about my daily "hardships" so I don't burden them with it. I do have people over to my house and they get to witness the disaster area first hand. When others say to me "You are so organized". My rebuttle is "Have you seen the condition of my house lately?" So I try to convey that I am no June Cleaver. Okay, I like to post pictures on my blog. So just to prove that I don't have it all together here is a current picture of my kitchen / dining area. This needs to be cleaned up. So what do I do? I ignore it while I make popcorn and blog. Now don't get me wrong, I will get to it.  This picture is of what the FLY-lady would call a hot spot. It is ALWAYS blazing!  My popcorn. I make it on the stove. The microwave stuff tastes fake after living on this stuff.  On the upside, I am in the proccess of building habits. I've learned that this doesn't happen over night. So I am starting with routines in the morning and at bedtime. I feel those are the easiest times to start a routine. If a bedtime routine is in place, it's easier to instill a morning routine. Once the routines are established, the habits follow closely behind. Honestly, it wears me out just to think about it. So if I have disappointed anyone by confessing my shortcomings, I'm truly sorry. So far as having it together, I didn't even really mention how I talk to my kids when I am stressed out over (finances, closest relative living 4 hours away, the value of our home, etc., etc.). Maybe that will be another post. |
Posted in Field Trips
We decided to visit my mom for her birthday this year. We hadn't been to Pittsburgh since last August and I felt it was time to go. Although it cost us $100 in gasoline (a reality that occurred to me at the end of the trip), it was well worth it. On the day we arrived, we celebrated her birthday with food from the grill and a chocolate peanut butter cake the kids and I made. The next day, we took the "T" downtown and walked around the city for a bit and met my mom for lunch. The city is getting ready for the Three Rivers Arts Festival (that we attended last year).
Here is a picture taken at One Gateway Center.
 Then we headed over to the Gateway Clipper for a sightseeing tour. The weather couldn't have been better. It was in the mid 70's with little humidity. Perfect!
 Oh, and when visiting Pittsburgh, you cannot get away from the Black and Gold. It's just everywhere!
 While eating lunch with my mom at Macy's, my kids and I couldn't help but notice the bookstore right there. After we ate and my mom had to go back to work, we went to check it out. To my amazement, all the books were bargain priced. The books were all new and most were priced between $1 and $3. Since we will be studying Ancient Rome and Astronomy next, I scooped up a bunch of books on those topics. They also had nature field guides with list prices of $5 to $7 all for $1 each. I purchased one of each. I love finding a good bargain. The only problem was that we were on foot and I had to carry these books for the rest of our day. Dd (10) and dd(9) actually offered to help me carry them.
It was a good day in Pittsburgh!
Our trek back home was via I-68 that goes through West Virginia and Maryland. I wanted the kids to see Sideling Hill in Maryland (south of Breezewood, Pa - I think). There are picnic tables there and a little museum (free admission) displaying the various types of rock in the layers that can be seen in the cut. On a clear day, you can see for miles from this spot. It is absolutely beautiful.
To my amazement, the kids actually seemed interested in this. I think it's because I didn't tell them it was "school".
 "Little Man" really liked the bears inside the museum.
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Posted in Field Trips
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We enjoyed 4 fabulous days at Cowan's Gap State Park near McConnellsburg, Pa. In Pennsylvania we are blessed with our state parks. We went to Cowan's Gap on Memorial Day and stayed in one of their cabins for 3 nights. Our favorite cabin is cabin K because it has an outdoor patio under cover with a fireplace. So if it rains, you can still have a fire. This time, we were in Cabin C, which was just as enjoyable. We like the week right after Memorial Day since it's still considered off season, but it's warm enough to swim (usually). The cost of renting a cabin in a Pa state park is only $33 a night. There are no bathrooms in the cabins, but they are close by and they are clean. I don't know about other state parks, but Cowan's Gap's cabins have a full size refrigerator and an electric stove with oven. This helps to keep the cost of this vacation very low. Here are some pictures of our trip. My husband taught the girls how to make a fire with flint and steel.
  We took many nature walks and found abundant wildlife.
  One day, some good friends of ours came to visit. When I took ds(3) to the bathroom, he found a snake on the driveway that was flattened. He picked it up with a stick and couldn't wait to show his friends. When we arrived back at the cabin, his friend found a snake just like my son's except his was alive!!!!!
  This one found a salamander.
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Posted in Opinion
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Parade magazine has posted a poll online about homeschooling and teacher credentials. Before you vote, keep this quote in mind.
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Posted in Philosophy of Education
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There is a woman in my life who has homeschooled her two sons all the way through. One she graduated two years ago and the other is 17 (I think). The other day we were talking about homeschooling and she said that when her boys were younger she "tried very hard to make that line between school and real life as fuzzy as possible." Didn't Charlotte Mason say, "Life is an atmosphere"? As I sit here and work on my goals for next year, these words keep scrolling through my head. This past year, I have put way too much emphasis on the 180 days that my children need to complete to be in compliance with the law. I think next year, I just need to put our attendance chart out of sight. I plan create a habit of math and copywork every day along with reading lots of books. We will also take up handicrafts in the afternoons. I'm hoping each girl will finish a quilt next year. There will be art and music appreciation incorporated into our days as well. |
Posted in Opinion
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Yes, I deleted my entry about Subway. Immediately I began receiving not-so-favorable comments and decided that I don't have the energy to deal with it, so I deleted the entry. I think perhaps that I didn't word my thoughts very well and it appeared that I was being close-minded and not looking at the whole picture. Anyway, my conclusion is that there are far more pressing things in this world to worry about than an essay contest. So our family won't be boycotting Subway. I'm happy to discuss my views with anyone who wants to discuss and not lecture me.
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Posted in Field Trips
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We attended a Greek Festival in Camp Hill, Pa today and we had a blast. It took us about an hour to drive there, but it was worth it. There was lots of food, Greek dancing, music, art and a tour of the church which included a history of the orthodox church dating back to 25 A.D. It was fascinating.
 The food was amazing. They had an "A La Carte" section where we ordered. We put all of the food on the table like a little buffet and everyone got to taste everything. I didn't try anything I didn't like. Did I say the food was amazing? Oh yes, and they had desserts, too. Just amazing. I even tried a Greek coffee. It got a little gritty toward the bottom of the cup, but it was very good. I guess I drank it around 4:30. Right now it's close to midnight and I think I'm still feeling a little buzz.
 The traditional dancing left me a little envious. My mother's family is Serbian Orthodox and all of my cousins had the opportunity to learn the traditional Serbian dances while we were growing up. If I lived closer to Pittsburgh, my kids would learn those dances as well. As it stands, we live in a cultural wasteland where zoning denies any culture from infiltrating into our area unless you count tattoo parlors as art. (Ooh, did I say that out loud?) Anyway, we had a great time and I highly recommend this festival as a field trip.
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After all the preparation and anxiety, the evening is over. I should have had an evaluation sheet that I passed out so I could get some immediate feedback. Overall, it seems to have gone well. Right after I finished, I began thinking of things that I didn't mention that I would have liked to. I had two focal points for the night: 1. Educating without textbooks 2. Getting a CM edcuation into a Pennsylvania portfolio This is just one aspect of CM but that's really all I could fit into an hour. I was able to pull together a power point presentation to go along with my talk and I think at a couple of moments, it was effective. There was a table set up with books by Karen Andreola, Penny Gardner and of course CM's original 6 volume set. There were also books that we use in our homeschool as well as my kids' Book of Centuries. (I forgot to take their nature notebooks.) Since the Pa Homeschool convention was this past weekend, I was able to get stacks of catalogs from Queen Homeschool, My Father's World and Math U See. I made up a hand-out with websites and book titles that I recommend and kept referring to Ambleside Online. All in all, I think it was a good evening. Quite a few people came to me at the end to tell me they were inspired. If I can help anyone use less textbooks in their homeschool, then I feel that I've accomplished my goal for the evening. |
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Over the past couple of years, I have had several people ask me about Charlotte Mason. When I find myself repeating information frequently, I feel it is time for a gathering. In the past I have had luncheons and dessert teas at my home to talk about Charlotte Mason. This time, I have reserved a space at a nearby church in which to do "An Evening With Charlotte Mason". I put an invitation out to my local homeschool group and it seems there will be a good turn-out. I am excited about this, but at the same time I'm nervous. I plan to talk about what a CM education looks like, emphasize non-use of textbooks and explain how to document it into a portfolio for Pennsylvania evaluations. I'm also making a power point presentation to go along with my talk.
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Posted in Day to Day
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Chicken update - The chickens now reside outside instead of in our basement. We had them in a huge rubbermaid container and one morning I walked into the basement and one was perched on the edge of the container. That night, they were outside.
Tadpoles - A good friend called one afternoon to tell me that she found tadpoles at our local park. I was thrilled. The first chance we had, we went over and scooped some up for a nature study. I was thrilled that even my 3 year old wanted to make a page for his nature journal.
Homeschool Evaluations - Evaluation season is starting here in Pennsylvania. I look forward to and enjoy this time of year when I get the opportuntiy to do evaluations. It's fun to see all the creative projects and field trips that families have participated in. Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival - Today, we went on a field trip to Maryland's Sheep & Wool Festival. It was a blast. We watched a demonstration of sheep dogs herding sheep. We also saw some unique art, listened to music that was fun and music that was beautiful and I was able to get a funnel cake (one of my favorite parts of any summertime festival).
The weeks ahead - May is a very busy month. Tomorrow evening I will be hosting a Portfolio Share at my house. This will be an opportunity for those new to homeschooling in Pennsylvania to see what goes into a portfolio. On May 12, I will be giving a seminar on what a Charlotte Mason education is and how to do it and still comply with Pa homeschool law. I am really looking forward to that evening. At the end of the month, we will be taking 4 days to go camping in a cabin at a state park that is about an hour away. I am really looking forward to that annual family event as well. Somewhere in there, we will be continuing to work on Ancient Greece and all that goes with it. Over the summer, I plan to have the kids do a math page out of their Math-U-See books each day except weekends. I am also planning lots of trips and other fun activities, but dont' tell the kids they might learn from it, because then they might resist. |
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We are making another attempt at putting our house on the market. I know, I know... this is the worst housing market in recorded history. Nontheless, we are hopeful to get a bigger piece of property in the area where we currently live. Anyway, as part of this, we decided to clean up our house so the realtor would take us seriously. We felt that all the clutter in our house might be a deterent for a potential buyer.
I managed to fill 4 large garbage cans and took 2 loads to Goodwill. That has helped tremendously. I also got cubic shelving units for the kids' rooms. That turned into an impromptu homeschool project in which all the kids participated.
Now I'm working on where to put this in our portfolio. Pa homeschool law doesn't list "life skills" as a mandatory subject. Hmmmm....Let's see.......Language Arts? They had to read and follow the directions. Math? Count out the correct amount of nails. Consumer mathematics? If the house is tidy, we might get a better offer. Art? Building a useful shelf to make our rooms neater and prettier. This was a very "hands-on" activity and has value and there must be some place to put it.
Below are pictures that tell the story better than I can.
Using real tools
  DS's room Before
 DS's room after
 Dd's room before
 Dd's room after
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Posted in Nature Study
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 We are turning into a regular farm here. Have I mentioned that we live on a fifth of an acre in town? Yes, one fifth of an acre.
The borough says that we can have any type of animal here but pigs. So now we have three chickens. I felt it would be a good experience for the kids to watch them grow and take care of them. They can keep track of them in their nature journals. We are going to use Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study to guide us in this little adventure. Here are a couple of pictures.... This used to be a happy little playhouse. Is it our new barn?  The chicks seem happy here!  A closer look.  A farmer boy in the making.  |
Posted in Field Trips
Our homeschool group raised money through various fundraisers to get a bus to take us to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Once there, each family could do their own thing according to their homeschooling goals and objectives. At the Inner Harbor you can find The National Aquarium in Baltimore, The Maryland Science Center, USS Constellation, USS Torsk (submarine) , Baltimore's World Trade Center. .JPG)  We had a great time "Finding Nemo". We also spotted Dorey there.
The trip was well worth it. Although Baltimore is only about an hour and a half drive from where we live, getting the bus was worth it. I wasn't stressed when we got there because I didn't have to navigate city traffic or find a parking space AND I had a chance to talk to friends during the trip.
The giant Barnes & Noble bookstore right next to the aquarium was a huge temptation to me (there are four floors!!). It took all there was in me NOT to go there. My kids even commented that I should stop staring at the bookstore and get into the aquarium FAST!! Oh well, maybe next time.
.JPG) Did I mention that our trip was on a bus with a bathroom? Once my little man learned this, he had to go to the bathroom an awful lot! The picture above is about his 5th trip to the bathroom in about 20 minutes.
Two other moms in our group posted about this trip on their blogs. |
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For a printable image, click here. |
Posted in History
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We are starting our study of the ancient Greeks and it is going very well. We are using the Story of the World - The Ancients Vol. 1 as our core and we are using the Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of the Ancient World, Ancient Greece: 40 Hands-on Activites to Experience this Wondrous Age along with books we find at the library to enhance the study. This week we are focusing on the Minoans of Crete and one of the activities I found in our books was to do a fresco painting using plaster of Paris. This makes it very easy to include ds(3) in our activities.
Here is the finished product.
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I am THANKFUL...for so many things. My husband works hard, my kids are healthy and warmer weather is approaching.
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Posted in Copywork
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Texts of Laws and Regulations of the Pennsylvania School Code Act 169 Section 1327.1 (1) At the elementary school level, the following courses shall be taught: English, to include spelling, reading and writing; arithmetic; science; geography; history of the United States and Pennsylvania; civics; safety education, including regular and continuous instruction in the dangers and prevention of fires; health and physiology; physical education; music; and art My focus this morning is on language arts. Confession: In our homeschool last fall, I attempted to get a boxed curriculum and apply it to my children. This turned out to be stressful for both the children and me. We started right after Labor Day and I finally threw in the towel at the end of October. I couldn't do it anymore. The children came to the table each day rolling their eyes with slumped shoulders and trudged through the list of assignments for the day. Even though my daughter requested doing a spelling list each week, it turned into tears every time I had her copy or practice her words. And the weekly test - well I won't even get into that. After lots of reflection and prayer, I decided that Charlotte Mason was the only way to go. Even though I strongly believe in Charlotte Mason and her methods, I don't know what possessed me to go elsewhere. I poured over books discussing the CM method as well as the original 6 volume set and our household was back on track. As a certified teacher in the state of Pennsylvania, I am approved to do the required testing for grades 3, 5 and 8. I have the testing supplies with me all the time. I test my own children annually even though the tests for them are considered invalid since I am their mother. I test them anyway so I can see where they are. Yesterday, both of my girls (ages 10 and 9) tested at or above their grade level on the entire test. I am thrilled because I was a little worried about the spelling part. This is just another affirmation for me that CM methods are very good and they work. Copywork covers language arts, handwriting, and spelling. There are always opportunities for mini language lessons in copywork. Anytime a child makes a mistake in his copywork, be sure to have him correct it and briefly mention the rule. For example, if the child forgot a capital letter, be sure to mention why a word needs to be capitalized. (Is it at the beginning of a sentence? A proper noun?) When doing your portfolio, be sure to keep the copywork. Make sure you have samples from the beginning, middle and end of the year to show progress. In the part of the law that I quoted above, it states that we need to cover "writing". It doesn't specify handwriting or composition. If you want to cover both, remember that narration is the perfect opportunity for compostion. The child may simply write the narration for you. (I'll talk more about that in a future post.) One more note: Did you know that Benjamin Franklin used copywork as a method to become a better writer? |