Posted in Issues and Encounters

... I learned from - Clifford?

[Before I continue, it is important for you to understand, gentle reader, that my daughter's only exposure to public school has been the inside of the local high school for dance recitals.]

It's commonly said, and often repeated, but seldom really believed - young children are like sponges when it comes to learning. 

This can be hard on parents.  Really, it can.

You find yourself scratching your head at times, wondering where a behavior, phrase, or line of thinking came from.  You know where your child is, what he or she has been exposed to, yet they ambush you anyway with what they know.

Imagine my surprise when my daughter starts babbling away one day about "show and tell."  My first thought was, "Where did she learn about show and tell?"

Barely paying attention to what my daughter was saying, I'm wracking my brain thinking of all the cultural references she had encountered that would have demonstrated to her about show and tell. 

My best initial thought was the comics page.  Charlie Brown, Sally, and the Peanuts gang have show and tell.  So do the children in "Baby Blues," my daughter's favorite newspaper cartoon.

But, no, she tells me it's from watching Clifford, the Big Red Dog. 

Well, who would have guessed?

Now, my daughter is nearly seven.  And, if you're familiar at all with seven year olds, they like to talk.  I mean, they *really* like to hear themselves talk - a lot. 

So, teaching her to not interrupt has become a necessary goal in our household. 

I knew we were getting somewhere the night she raised her hand while my husband and I were talking.  Of course, being properly "socialized" by our public school years, we finished our line of thought then asked what she wanted. 

Then I realized what she had done - she'd raised her hand to be recognized to speak!  Where in the world had she encountered this notion?

My first thought was that we had been to a cub scouts function and they had done something similar with the scout pledge handsign to quiet the room.  Or maybe she had learned this concept in Sunday school.

I finally had to ask when she continued with the hand-raising-rather-than-interrupting behavior for several days.

Clifford again.  Of course!  Clifford, the big red teacher, strikes again.

Oh, and standing in line spontaneously?  You guessed it: Clifford.

So, when someone asks you how your children are ever going to learn to get along in life if they don't learn the skills taught in public schools, you now have an answer.

All I needed to know about public school, I learned from Clifford, the big red dog.

Posted in Issues and Encounters

Typically, the term micromanagement is used in a negative sense.  Usually, it refers to the nit-pickey, often "nosey," interference of a manager into one's job and responsibilities.

However, in many ways, micromanagement is an apt description of what homeschool parents do regarding their child's education.

But, is this a positive or negative thing? 

Of course, one of the parental benefits of homeschooling is the ability to tailor your child's studies to suit his or her needs, abilities, and interests.  Your second grader may read at a fourth-grade level, but need math skills at a low-second-grade level and be learning cursive handwriting (typically a third grade skill). 

You can study science in kindergarten, if you choose.  The curriculum choices and their levels are entirely up to you.

But, sometimes the level of detail that you gain through homeschooling can lead to frustration or even a sense of failure on the part of the teaching parent.  I think this comes, primarily, from the closeness one develops with a child through the teaching process.

For instance, you know what topics you've covered and what level of detail you hope your child has retained.  Yet he or she cannot answer a basic question about the topic at hand. 

Or an assessment of language arts skills reveals that last week's work on contractions "didn't stick" - and the word contraction has become a foreign concept.

Or, despite weeks of online practice, your child's math drills take a dip and seem to be slower, rather than becoming more solidified.

Parents, homeschoolers or otherwise, know their children's strengths and weaknesses.

Repeatedly, homeschool parents report that standardized tests don't reveal anything to them that they didn't already know - their child is good at math, poor at spelling, etc.  No surprises. 

But, this is where the "micromanagement" of homeschooling can seem to be a real curse to the parent. 

Not only do we know that Susie is strong in geography and enjoys science. But we also know the minute details.  Susie has problems with figuring her +9 addition facts.  She confuses -ant and -ent word endings in spelling.

It's this level of detail that can bog-down the homeschool parent.

It becomes the time when, if asked, the "grade" we would give our homeschool would be about equivalent to the grade our child received for any of the above-mentioned activities. 

This is a *trap* that we must guard against - equating the product of one assessment, or even one brief period of our children's life, with the entirety of our efforts at instilling a love of learning into our children.

What one needs to keep in mind at these times is the overall goal of one's homeschooling efforts. 

It's helpful, especially when things seem a bit less-than-optimal, to be able to review your reasons for homeschooling.  Keeping these reasons in writing makes this even easier and I believe is an exercise that all homeschooling parents should do at the outset.

Think of it as your "mission statement" for homeschooling, if you will - a "statement of homeschooling."

A second exercise that can help the "micromanagement blues" is journaling.  Aside from being a good thing to model for your students, a homeschool journal lets you chronical those "micro-moments" that are extreme positives, or negatives, and move on. 

Later, when things are going better, or if things take a turn toward difficulties, a journal can help you get an accurate picture of what's really been happening in your homeschool.  You can read about the progress your child has made in certain areas or note concerns that *may* need to be tracked in the future. 

And it can make for and excellent addition to a child's portfolio or records that will make great reading in the future.

However, it won't make your child's math drills come any easier, nor will it prompt them regarding their history narrations, nor reinforce their grammar skills.

But, it should remind you that there is a bigger picture.  You're in this for more important reasons than blog-perfect history narrations or complete mastery of multiplication facts at age six. 

Micromanagement in the homeschool setting need not be a curse if we are willing to accept that its revelations are not the totality of our homeschool experience.  It's simply one more aspect of the responsibility we accept when we choose to educate our children at home.

The details may not always be pretty, but the goal is a positive one.

And the closeness that you develop and maintain with your child through homeschooling probably creates more beauty than anything else.

Posted in Issues and Encounters

 

I strongly believe that homeschooling is a wonderful form of education - for parents.

 

There are so many things to be learned as one travels the homeschool path – things about your own character, your learning style, your teaching style, the holes in your previous education, your motives, even your religious beliefs and political views.

 

Recently, my husband informed me that we, as a couple, were viewed as “right-wing fundamentalist wackos” by some people, because of our beliefs and lifestyle choices. 

 

Funny the things you can learn about yourself from listening to others! 

 

But, after consideration – and some laughter – I realized that the path of parenting an only child is one less traveled.  Add homeschooling to the journey and it becomes an even less-populated trail. 

 

There are, of course, forces in our society that nudge, push, and at times actually shove us toward the highway of conformity.  Some of these are obvious, such as electronic and print media or large group activities.  Anonymity can be a positive thing at times and conformity helps. 

 

But there are other, less obvious, forces that can cause us to question what we do and how we do it. 

 

Consider the teller at the bank, who asks why your school-age child isn’t in school.  And then, because your only child is well behaved and things are quiet that day, proceeds to question how you homeschool, why, and when will you put the child into the system?

 

Or there’s the uncle at the family gathering who insists on asking “upper level” questions of your first grader.  Just to see “if the child is really learning anything in that homeschool of yours.”

 

Then there’s the pediatrician that pointedly asks your six-year-old child if she “likes being homeschooled?” as if the decision was up to the child. 

 

All of these encounters could be met with indifference and easily ignored.  But, quite often, they prey on our minds and cause us to question our homeschooling plans and methods. 

 

Yet, there are ways to use these encounters in order to learn and grow from our homeschooling experiences.

 

We can learn to trust our intuition.  Because, as parents, we spend so much quality time with our child, we know when programs are no longer working or when we need to find something more, or less, challenging.  I firmly believe that God is at work when that little voice inside keeps nudging us toward something different on behalf of our blessed little ones.

 

We can learn to be independent.  We can find an inner strength in knowing that what we’re doing is the best thing for our family. 

 

We can become teachers and mentors to others.  Because I’ve been put “on the spot” a few times about homeschooling our daughter, I’ve considered how to respond to “awkward” questions about socialization, testing, and reporting in a measured and calm fashion.  And because I’m confident about what we do as a homeschooling family, I’ve been positively influential in helping others make informed choices about homeschooling and their family. 

 

Like any other form of education, learning your role as parent, teacher, mentor, supporter, and friend in the homeschool world is a challenge.  We can choose to gladly read, research, and/or speak about our journey as willing participants in our own, and our child’s, educational growth. 

 

Or we can go quietly about our business and struggle to not to be influenced by the forces pushing us to conform.

 

Personally, I’ll take the negative comments along with everything else.  If what you’re doing makes people think, then you are probably doing something worthwhile. 

 

And others may grow a bit from their experience with you.

Posted in Issues and Encounters

It's made a bit of news recently, but for those who have not seen it, the following comments are based upon a recent article in the Washington Post titled, "The Handwriting Is On the Wall" from October 11, 2006.

 

The basis of the article is the demise of cursive writing. 

 

You remember cursive.  It was the first "sign of adulthood" that you could acquire, usually around second or third grade.  You were "on your way" when you could write and, maybe more importantly, read cursive. 

 

Those loops and swirls were neat and mysterious.  Difficult to decode.  Sometimes totally different from what was being taught in the classroom.

 

Ahhh, but there's the rub.  Apparently, with the need for higher standardized test scores, handwriting - and cursive in particular - is going the way of the fountain pen and shorthand.

 

Some blame keyboarding and instant messaging.  Students no longer see a need for handwriting when so much, including school papers, is typed on a computer.

 

The article makes two points, neither of which I find surprising. 

 

1. That handwriting, when displayed, is often used as an indicator of ability, intelligence, neatness, and quality content. 

 

The article states, "When adults are given the same composition written in good handwriting and poor handwriting, "they still give lower grades for ideation and quality of writing if the text is less legible," [said Steve Graham of Vanderbuilt University.]

 

For better or worse, I believe this to be true. 

 

On occasion, I teach a writing course for a local community college.  Every semester, my first "encounter" with a student is through a handwritten autobiographical essay created during the first night of class.  And, all too often, I've found that the quality of the handwriting is an indicator of the quality of the content or its organization. 

 

Some may cry, "Foul!" but first impressions are important and often the only lasting first impression one leaves is via one's handwriting.

 

2. There's an undetermined link between handwriting skills and cognitive development. 

 

While the article doesn't go into great detail on this subject, it stands to reason that the process of translating a thought into concrete words on paper through writing creates a physical manifestation of an idea.

 

To put it another way, you can't know what you are thinking until you've either written it down or spoken it aloud. 

 

Either way, you force your brain to take "ideas" - often vague things fraught with emotion or other clutter - and make them substantial through word choice, definition, and organization. 

 

Some people are writers.  Some folks talk to themselves.  But both are accomplishing a similar goal - communication of the interior to the physical world. 

 

Handwriting teaches us how to do this.  And, if the Washington Post article is correct, it teaches us how to make this transition to our "lifelong benefit."

 

But, how do we make these unsubstantiated assets to handwriting relevant to our students?  What can we use to encourage them to master handwriting in order to achieve these unmeasurable benefits? 

 

The answer must differ for each child, of course.  For my daughter, handwriting is beautiful and the artistry and individual nature of that appeals to her.  Putting her best "face" forward through her writing is a source of personal satisfaction - even on a math worksheet, where a particularly stylized six has been faithfully reproduced since it's accidental birth several days ago.

 

No doubt keyboarding/typing skills are the wave of the future.  No doubt they are necessary for our children to learn.

 

Thus, in essence, the argument for handwriting works counter to our general culture. 

 

Helping our children develop discipline, independent thinking, and their own abilities are some of the primary goals of most homeschooling (and non-homeschooling) parents.  This often means valuing things that seem to have been discarded by our society. 

 

Actually, it may summarize a large portion of the typical homeschool journey. 

 

I'm off to refill my fountain pen and resume our grammar studies...

 

 

 

 

Posted in Issues and Encounters

All too often in blogs, forums, and e-mail groups, the notion of being put "on the spot" regarding homeschooling comes up.

 

Frequently, the questions get personal, and the homeschooling parent is put in the position of "defending" their parental choice to homeschool. 

 

However, sometimes the situation is totally different, yet eerily the same.

 

Over the past few years, I've developed a connection with women who share a common passion - needlework - and it's been a wonderful outlet for me.  Sometimes it's restful to talk to others about something aside from homeschooling and children - really, it is. 

 

But because homeschooling is a lifestyle, the fact that we homeschool our daughter did come up.  And, because this group gathers for at least a few hours at time when it meets, questions about our homeschool (always nicely phrased and inquistive, rather than inquisitorial) were asked. 

 

Never did I consider that my testimony and our example of homeschooling might suggest to someone in this group that this lifestyle might be right for them! 

 

Or what a awesome burden that would be. 

 

Now, my friend who has chosen to take up the homeschool path has not burdened me in any way.  If anything, being available to answer questions for her has been a delight.  Her committment, self-revelations, and honest care for her son are a joy to see. 

 

But, to realize that I played any part at all in her decision to homeschool her dear child amazes me. 

 

Often, homeschool parents encourage their children to act "their best" in order to put a good face on homeschooling.  It's even in the field trip notes for our homeschool group!  

 

But, how often do we consider how our actions, words, and dedication reflect on the lifestyle we've chosen?  How often do we impact others as they deliberate their educational options - and not even know it? 

 

In fact, it was a family member who initially planted the idea of homeschooling into my awareness.  And though I would have been thrilled to have had her for my mentor as we began our homeschool journey, that was not to be.  Nor does she even know of her influence in this regard.

 

I have been blessed to be made aware of the small role I played in my friend's decision.  And, I hope to be there to support her in any way she needs me to.

 

In Titus 2 vs 7-8 we are instructed, "In everything set them an example by doing what is good.  In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

 

In doing this, we set a standard for living, no matter what aspect of our life may be examined.

 

You just never know who might be watching, looking for direction.  It's best to be sure that the example you set is a good one. 

Posted in Issues and Encounters

When I think about how difficult it must have been to homeschool 20 years ago, I'm always thankful for those pioneering families who helped rejuvenate the concept of home education.

If you're one of those folks reading now, thank you.

I've actually heard homeschooling called "mainstream" recently.  I think that moniker was used a bit loosely, though in our county there are plenty of people homeschooling and this fact may have contributed to the statement.

But there are certainly many more resources available to homeschoolers than there were five, ten, or twenty years ago.  Of that I am certain. 

Of course, this is both a blessing and a "curse" of sorts.  Granted, I'm thrilled to have lots of options from which to choose.  But, sometimes they all look SO good. 

It's like being at a chocolate buffet - what's there not to like? 

Recently, a friend shared with me her sense of overwhelm at all the great things she has on her shelf to use with her only son next year.  With all the options, she sensed a lack of a plan as to how to use these resources. 

I think this could be a common problem - especially for those folks who have access to brick and mortar homeschooling stores, curriculum sales, book sales, garage sales, and the like. 

If you're going to be studying Ancient Egypt next year, why not pick up that great garage sale book on mummies for a quarter?  Or that one on Ancient Greece?  Or Knights?  Or....?

Except, when you get to the point of trying to figure out what to *do* with all those resources.  Then it can be ovewhelming. 

I won't claim to have all the answers here.  But, I've had some practice from another realm - cross stitching, where the options are also endless!  And some of those techniques and ideas translate to any collection of materials.

Note - I just called our homeschool resources a collection.  Think libraries and their collections.  That's essentially what you have.

So, here are some suggestions to help those drowning in the Resource Seas:

1. Organize the materials you have, both on your shelves and on paper or computer.  The point of this is to see how much you have for whatever you're planning. 

If you're following a Classical schedule, then maybe you've got LOTS of resources for Ancient Egypt and barely anything on the Romans.  Both are great subjects with lots of materials available, but balance can be helpful. 

Just knowing what areas are "light" and which are "heavy" can be helpful at the next used curriculum sale.

2. One or two great books on a subject are better than five mediocre ones.

This is my worst downfall.  As an adult, and a reader/writer/scholar too, I'll read several books on the same subject, looking for a few new details or better illustrations.

But most of our children, especially in the early years, aren't going to be interested to quite that level.  Not yet - that comes later, with maturity and more exposure to more ideas. 

So, consider - how many books on kangaroos do we really need to read at this level to cover the basics?  One or two good ones will probably suffice. 

The last thing you need is to go over and over materials to the point that your child thinks s/he is an "expert" on this topic, because they know everything that is in all the books you've provided.  That can stifle an interest as much as too little information.

3. Once you've organized your materials and figured out what's on the shelves, do nothing. 

This is difficult, I know.  But you need time to process what's there and what's really appealing.  Some folks need more time than others, of course.

But then, the next step is the fun one....

4. Look at your printed list (not the books) and consider each item. 

Which ones excited you when you looked at them as you organized?

Which ones did you look at and say, "My dc is going to LOVE this!"

Which ones can you not recall a thing about?

Obviously, put the non-recall items somewhere else, use them as extra readers if your child is extremely interested in the topic, or donate them to the charity or book sale of your choice.  These may not be the items you want to use. 

5. Once you've got your top choices narrowed down, then you can weed through and see, once again, where your needs are and where you can stop looking or shopping. 

Maybe you've got gaps in what you need.  And maybe you've got resources that can fill those gaps yet they didn't "light your fire" when you were looking at the printed list.  That's OK.  Check those items again - maybe it's because the topic is unfamiliar or the title was too non-descript to help you remember.  And, if the budget is tight - it's OK to use them.  Not every topic in history, or science, or literature is gripping is gripping to everyone.  Your dc might suprise you.

Maybe you have gaps and need to keep looking.  Now your search can be focused.  And, once you've evaluated the other items you do plan to use, you have some criteria for filling in the gaps.  This is really helpful as you move into areas where you might be less familiar with the subject matter.

 

Finally:

Try to reduce the amount of resources that you acquire to begin with.

This can be easier said than done.  When you start considering homeschooling,  often catalogs are your best friend.  You can look at resources, read articles, and consider options through catalogs. 

But then, those "friends" become marketing tools.  You start to get sucked in by all the great terminology, promises, and theories.  That company has a great art book; this one has wonderful history readers.  Maybe you look at these things at a convention and just can't resist.

And, of course, there's the Internet.  The options there seem endless.  But the Internet is my greatest tool in determining which resources may get my money and attention. 

I keep a wishlist.  It's a file in Excel in which I note the resource, the weblink to see it, and other vendors, plus price.  If I hear of something I want to look at more closely, I make a note on the wishlist.  Then, I research it online. 

If it's a curriculum or spine type item, like Story of the World, or Mystery of History, or a math or science program, I see if there's a Yahoo Group for it.  If there is, I join.  You can often get a sense of the program from the types of questions users post, how much activity the list gets in general, and what types of files the group keeps available to members. 

I also will make an inquiry with my "chat" type Yahoo Groups.  There are plenty of veteran homeschoolers on these lists that have, collectively, seen it all - almost.  They can give real user feedback, which can really help.

If the item is a story or other book that would get limited, short time, use, I check our library.  If they don't have it, but something about it makes me think it would be a *great* thing if they did, I make a note about that in my file too.

Then, with any resource, I wait a while and do nothing.  

I review the list occasionally and sometimes I wonder, "What was I thinking?!" and the "must have" item comes off the list.  Sometimes I think about an item and decide I really want to use this, but only if I can "see" it first or return it easily.  And, occasionally, I mark an item as something I really plan to use for now.  Until something better comes along.

It also helps if you can work ahead a bit.  I've got most of our resources for our history studies for the current year on the shelves.  So, my research, wishlist, and information gathering is focused on 2nd grade materials - medieval studies, new art ideas, science options, etc.  If a resource just calls to me and I think it would be a great thing for our public library to own, I put in a request for them to acquire the item.  I've done this maybe five times in the past year.

I try to be selective with this.  If the library already owns several titles by an author, but this one is new or different, then I add that note to my request.  If the library has nothing on this topic for younger children or readers, I add that note. 

All of this doesn't eliminate the "white noise" of all those curriculum options.  But it helps. 

It also helps to remember something we hear all the time, but forget to actually implement - this will not be the first time your child will go over or learn this information, especially in the elementary years.  So, if three history options sound fascinating to you, consider which one is best for now. 

The others, if they are any good, will still be there when it's time to cover that material again.  And, something even better may be out there by then, too.

I try to keep in mind something that I read from A Thomas Jefferson Education, 2nd ed. by Oliver Van deMille: "Teaching, not education, should be our focus because great teaching inspires students to educate themselves....Education occurs when students get excited about learning and apply themselves," (pg. 12). 

That's what all the resources are about, in the end.  To excite our students so they will choose to educate themselves.  And there's nothing they can't learn when they apply themselves to something that inspires them. 

Aspire to inspire your student with the resources you provide. 

Posted in Issues and Encounters

I ran across another version of the "socialization question" recently.  I was asked by a lady, considerably older than myself, about "shared experiences" that my daughter would miss enjoying with other children.

 

When I asked this lady to be more specific, she used the example of same-age peers discussing how they "thought the math teacher, Mrs. Smith, was mean."  

 

I'll have to admit, my response didn't win any points with her, for I said, "And how is that a positive experience I want my daughter to enjoy, exactly?" 

 

For once, the witty rejoinder at the right moment.  My error was in opening my mouth and uttering it.

 

However, I recently saw this "shared experiences" concept in action.  My daughter and two friends bumped into each other in a public place.  Each child attends a different school - one public, one private, one homeschooled.  The first friend has recently "discovered" that we homeschool (this is the K and 1st grade set here, for what it's worth) and explained this to the second friend.

 

So, the second friend asked my daughter, "Well, what do you study at home?" And Kate describes our geography reading, our phonics book, our writing workbook, and the math program.  Then they all start comparing writing handbooks (ours has lines with two colors; mine has pictures), moving on to math workbooks (mine has blocks we use; ours has a dog on each page).

 

Shared experiences - though from totally different realms in each case.

Exactly what adults do when they don't work at the same place or live together and have to make small talk in social situations.  They find what they have in common and talk about that.

But something that seems common among homeschooled children is their ability to socialize with people of all ages and backgrounds, not just age-group peers.

My daughter can just as easily converse with our elderly neighbor as with her dance class friends.  She is as content attending a wedding reception as she is a friend's birthday party.  Admittedly, she'll be more excited by the party, but she won't fuss over the reception being an "adult" event and will look forward to the experience, and the cake!

There are many facets to the socialization issue.  Each family who chooses to homeschool will have to decide for themselves what this question means to them and how to handle it.

Meanwhile, it helps to keep a sense of humor and one's tongue in cheek.  Or, in my case, a lock on my tongue!