I have to chuckle . . .

As I have a morning saunter through blogs here and there, it is evident that all of Homeschoolblogger has started a new year.  There are new materials, new energy, new panic, new books, new character traits to build up, and a few to buff down.  Your enthusiasm comes at such a great time.

We run our year a little differently.  While in the rest of the country/world most people are happy to have their summers to be outside, trading their formal studies for gardens and what-not, we have no interest in being outside in the summer.  The Arizona desert at 117 degrees is just not that enticing!

But fall/winter?  That’s when we want to have less formal study and clear schedules for more ‘time to breathe’.  Our family starts our ‘year’ in January, and ends whenever we’re done, usually October or so.  We can enjoy the back yard without melting, and the Christmas season is blissfully clear.

That’s why you’re enthusiasm arrives in such a timely fashion for us.  Not only am I running low on energy as we near the end of our studies, but I’ve never felt like I got a grip on this year to begin with!

We changed gears a few months into our year after I discovered Tapestry of Grace.  This program does everything I’ve ever wanted to do – but didn’t have the education to pull together myself.  Anyway, we started it and were a bit overwhelmed at everything that was involved – there is an amazing amount of work to do!  Then just when I’d have all the plates spinning, one would drop, and as I ran to save it, down came the rest.  (Ever have one of those days, weeks, months, or years?)  How in the world were we going to get through this?  It got to the point of our skimming down to math and grammar and that was it for the day.  I didn’t want to face another attempt at getting a handle on the ‘to do’ list.

(By the way, don’t let this scare you if you are interested in Tapestry – I still LOVE it and highly recommend it as an very worthy option to research.)

But then I had an epiphany.

(OK, it was really one of those, “Duh!” moments, but doesn’t ‘epiphany’ sound so much lovelier?)

We don’t have to do it all.

We didn’t buy it to make us crazy; we bought it to give us a frame, a guide to follow.  A well thought out program that offers a wide variety of options to use while discovering all the interesting things there are to learn.

But I was using it to make me crazy.  Bad!  Bad!  Bad!

So I sat down and considered what was important and what we could really leave behind.  The goal was to get us through the end of the year, finishing strong, using our time wisely, while leaving my sanity intact.

So, while the rest of my Homeschoolblogger family here are all posting these beautifully full schedules of various subjects with new vigor, my offering reflects the ‘big push’ to the end of the ‘year’.

Math                                                    Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Violin/Viola Practice                             Daily

Grammar                                              Monday/Thursday

Reading/Discussing                               Daily – from the Tapestry of Grace plans

Commonplace Book Entry                    Daily

We keep Wednesday pretty light.  Violin/Viola lessons are that day, so we combine that with errands, etc.

That’s it!  No major projects, no ongoing writing, no nothing.  A bit dull, perhaps, but the girls are enjoying all the time this allows to read and practice.  I find the books we need for the next few weeks on the library website, place them on hold, and get them at the drive-through pick-up window.  The rest of the day runs itself.  The house is relatively clean, and I’ve even begun to plan and cook dinner again.  (I know – crazy!)

The girls are learning, and we have a little time to breathe.  Time for them to play and still help with the house and in the kitchen.  Time to sew, crochet, embroider, watch football, paint, whatever the season may bring.  (Hopefully peaches to can with in the next few hours, actually!)  Oh, and time for another run at a garden once we get the killer ants under control.

Now that we’ve got a grip, I can enjoy planning for next year.  The girls are looking forward to Year 3 of the Tapestry of Grace program, and all the wonderful books and ideas that will come with it.  I’m looking forward to a new found freedom in knowing that I control how deep we go under, and for how long.

And if we need to come up for air every once in a while, that’s perfectly ok.

Happy to be Breathing,

Mrs. L

If you missed it the first time around, you’ve got a second chance.

The, “Stupid in America” Documentary by 20/20's John Stossel will be re-run on September 1, 2006.  Check your paper, TV Guide, or tvguide.com/listings for your time and channel.

When it's over and you want to bring your children home but think, “I can’t do THAT.” that’s a lie.  Email me, I’d be happy to direct you to enough resources to get you started.  Have your children already started in ‘school’ (public, private, co-op, whatever) and it’s too late to pull them?  That’s a lie too.  All your friends’ children are there and they’d look at you weird if you pulled your children?  Too bad.  Are you packing a not-that-great public school education yourself?  Can’t teach algebra, physics, or thermal dynamics?  So what.  Bring your children home.  Stop listening to the NEA.  Stop listening to the world.  Start listening to your heart.

And if you’re still terrified or don’t know where to start, let me know.  I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve got great resources, it’s not as hard as you think, and I know you’re children need to be raised by you.

Mrs. L

Who’s just pushy and passionate, and really not trying to run your life.

Reason #57

Recently I had to fill out some forms that asked the name of the school which my children attend.  Here in Arizona you don't have to have a 'school' name, but it does come in handy on occasion.  For a long time we were the L(ast Name) Academy for the Mentally Ungovernable.  (LAMU)  It fit.  But then I realized being mentally governed is alright – as long as you are fully aware and in agreement with what it is that’s mentally governing you.  I then shifted to the L(ast Name) Academy for the Autodidactic.  Much better.

Of course, later I was asked about it and again had to diplomatically respond. 

For those of you who know me personally, STOP LAUGHING, I can too be diplomatic!

Upon return home I started thinking that I really need a pamphlet to hand people that will educate them, while leaving me free to get on with my day and not be stuck explaining our decisions or dodging the barrge of questions and comments that are guaranteed to ensue.

Then I read this.

I think the NEA offers excellent content supporting the cause of home education.

And they aren't smart enough to know it.

And they're educating the public at large!

Ironic, isn't it?

Thankful to be home,

Mrs. L

So . . . I’ve struggled and struggled trying to get all these bits and pieces of our studies going all at the same time.  For months this has weighed on me.  I love what we’re using; I just couldn’t get all the plates spinning and keep them going.  I was seriously ready to pack it all in and hook the girls up to some computer or workbook method, because I certainly wasn’t getting much done.  I didn’t even know the bits and pieces of information I was to be teaching them.  And although our curriculum has tons on information for those of us left uneducated by the government education system, it still was not coming together.

Then I realized that I don’t have to do it all - and I won’t go to hell for it.

We decided to just take one good book about Jamestown, read through it, and have the girls make a lap book about the bits and pieces they remembered.  Great – I can do this.  I’ll read through slowly, they can write little note cards as I read, and they can use the cards later to organize and create their lap books – right?

Wrong

The reading at 2 mph (to accommodate the note taking) was just too tedious.  While Daisy did OK, Rose struggled with writing, and the perfectionist in her had her further slowed by spelling issues.  So we stopped for the day.  I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening trying to figure out how on earth people do this without having to do it for the child.  Take information from the book, organize the interesting points, lay out the lap book, etc.  How on earth?

“Without having to do it for the child” means the child does it for himself.

Hmm . . .

So . . . I did it.  The next afternoon I pulled the book out, and read them the first chunk.  Then I left them the book, gave them each a folder, the supplies, and the sample fold lap book that I have, and I turned them loose.

They had a great time.  They verified information, started their books and are looking forward to continuing.  They learned several things about planning, about the topic at hand, about construction, about materials . . .

And I learned something too . . .

Stand down, and let the children learn!

Mrs. L

"There is no need to suppose that human beings differ very much one from the other: but it is true that the ones who come out on top are the ones who have been trained in the hardest school."  -Thucydides

If you have not read A Thomas Jefferson Education, you must do so.  If you’ve read it, but not yet implemented a single idea, then you must read it again.

Guess who’s studies are about to change!

Mrs. L

I’ve recently read So Much More by Botkin and Botkin.  If you have girls, you simply MUST read this book.  One of the things they point out is the Marxist base of the government school system.  Although I am no supporter of the government schools, I thought these comments were pushing it a bit.

I was wrong.

If you have ever wanted layman's information for how the government is slowly turning socialism loose in the government schools, take a look at this article.  I think the saddest part of this whole thing is that it could very well be that they don’t even know that this is what they’re doing.  (Or not – I don’t know!)

Very interesting, indeed.

Mrs. L

Questions from TheHSMom of 2

1. What time of year do you do most of your home school shopping?

October/November.  Our year starts in January, so we don’t have to get bogged down in the July/August slam.  This also allows plenty of time to plan, go to convention in July and see what I’m considering, and then go home and further research before making final choices.

2.  Do you typically do most of your home school shopping all at once or at various times throughout the year?

I stay on top of what’s coming up in the year ahead, so I can take advantage of great deals when they are available.  30% of our supplies are obtained this way.  The other 70% get ordered all at once.

3.  Do you mostly shop online, from catalogs, at conventions or at local stores?

I ‘shop’ the catalogs, and then order the products I want online.

As far as shopping at convention - vendors rarely have better deals at convention.  BUT – it’s bad business to go to “Mom and Pop Shop Booth”, get my hands on the books that I’ve wanted to look at, and then leave knowing I was buying everything at soandso.com where I’m going to save 40%.  So, we do save a little of our budget to spend there, just so we can support the Mom and Pop vendors as we are able. We can’t afford to spend much of our money at the higher priced, yet smaller home businesses yet, but try to do what we can.

4.  How do you learn about new home school products?

Catalogs, friends, homeschoolblogger.  (I’ve recently discovered Tapestry of Grace through homeschoolblogger and am so excited!)

5.  Are there any areas where you'd like to see more products?

Daisy and Rose are 9 and 7 and doing 2^nd – 8^th grade work – so haven’t run into the problems of not having enough choices yet!

6.  What will typically sway you to purchase from a particular company?

Sample lessons, well thought out website, answered emails, free shipping or at least a choice of shippers.  Too many support UPS.  If I’m going to pay for shipping they need to offer FedEx or at least honor my request and account number.

To run this question in the opposite direction - I will say that I have well known vendors from whom I won’t purchase because their staff was rude at convention.

7.  How could home school companies better serve you?

Placement tests!  I don’t buy into standardizing, etc.  But it would be nice to know that when I’m moving from this math to that math, that I’m choosing the right book for the student!

8.  What subject would you say that you spend the most money on?

Literature and history

9.  Do you prefer things to be bundled together for convenience or separated so that you can pick and choose?

Pick and choose!  I started years ago with a “Year in a Box” and within 6 weeks ditched the fluff and fillers.  We only ended up using a third of it, wasting lots of money.

10.  When you are looking for the extra products (games, learning kits, etc...) what is most important about them?

Quality, ease of use and care, educational, cost, will work for multiple children in multiple ways.

Come on . . . you know you think about it . . . every once in a long while, I bet we all do, even if just for a fleeting moment.  Imagine, hours alone to have a beautifully clean home . . . you could read . . . you would have time to work out, and scrapbook, paint your toes and maybe start that little business you have dreamed about!  I've dreamed about these things . . .

But to give your child over as a pawn in the government school system?  And a toy for the teacher's unions?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but while you're cleaning your office, or paying some bills, or grading a math assignment, click over to this blog, and watch the 20/20 report, "Stupid in America".  It's about 40 minutes long, but wow - what an encouragement to me to continue doing what I'm doing, and to LOVE it!

Thankful to have the choice to keep them home,

Mrs. L

I read this post earlier and decided that my comment was much too long - thus, it gets it's own spot as a post here at home.

We do not participate in a formal “support group”.  Once a group of friends or like minded people get a little bigger than a small circle, incorporate rules, regulations, and policies, etc., they’ve become too political for my personal taste.  I have found that for the most part these tend to be (or turn into) groups of women acting like high-school girls, cliquing, gossiping, complaining about their husbands/family, etc.  These are not godly characteristics, so I don’t support or participate in them.

“Oh, but the children need to have an opportunity to play with other kids.”  We get together with our friends; invite each other over for dinner, etc.

“We meet once a week at the park so the moms can have an afternoon off.”   I don’t need one more thing on my calendar that will take me out of the house once a week, and if I wanted to have an afternoon off, then I shouldn’t have had children.

“We use our group for organized field trips.”  How many field trips do we really need?  And is the group discount really worth the politics of being part of the group?  Would you have chosen, on your own accord, to go on a field trip to that location if you hadn’t seen it on the group’s calendar?  (It’s like finding an item on sale.  It’s a great bargain, but was it something you were looking for in the first place?)

“I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have the group to “vent” with.  Venting isn’t biblical, it’s worldly foul.  If there is an issue about which I feel I want to vent, that usually means that there is rebuke or confession of sin that I need to take care of.  If I’ve got a legitimate issue that I’d like to bounce off of someone, I can take it (with right motives) to a trusted friend who will listen and guide me without allowing me to harbor bitterness or a complaining spirit.

“We keep each other accountable.”  In large groups, we tend to put on more false fronts.  I go for coffee with a girlfriend for accountability.  We know each other’s weak points, and we have the intimacy and freedom to get in each other’s faces when we need to.

“We pray for each other.”  That’s great.  But I have a hard time with praying for 52 different issues for a dozen different moms.  If I’ve got a smaller list of people/issues, I’m more likely to spend serious prayer time on the requests.

Does this mean that all groups are bad?  No.  Does all this mean that I am perfect, never guilty of gossiping, complaining, wanting to have a break, take a fun field trips with a group, or vent?  Certainly not!  I just try to avoid the snares.

My support group is made up of our like-minded friends and church family.  We are the same people who take care of each other’s children in an emergency.  We are the same people who cook dinner for the other when someone is sick.  We are the same people who loan a car when the other’s is in the shop.  We are the same people who hold each other up when tragedy has struck.  We are a very convenient group, no dues, no rules and regulations, no politics, no registration, no meetings.  I guess you could call us the “Body of Christ” home school support group.

Do we really need more?

Mrs. L

These last few days I’ve ran into several blog postings about signing and American Sign Language, etc.  Many of you have either been bit by the bug yourselves, or have children that want to learn how to sign.  Now you’re wading through the growing number of resources available to help you teach your children.  Videos, DVD’s, books, software, websites . . . there is much out there from which to choose, and new things are being developed all the time.  This is great, but you want to be making educated choices.

What Are You’re Buying?

Some things are obvious.  Do you have a student who loves computer games?  Then your purchase of a software program over a book is a no-brainer.  Do you have many children and the older ones want to learn?  Buy the DVD format over the video – you’ll be rewinding and fast-forwarding a lot and it will last through to the youngest.

Why Are You’re Buying It?

If little Suzie Q just wants to learn a few songs and the manual alphabet, then a cutesy video geared toward the younger set is fine.  Actually, hit your library and see what you can borrow instead of purchasing.  A student showing a little interest for learning sign as a hobby is more likely going to fit with a computer program.   They’re fun enough that the interest may last.  If you’ve got a student who seriously wants to learn the language, then look into investing in a combination text/video course.

What Do You Want From It?

For a fun and interactive activity or a passing interest, any book, video, or game will do.  BUT – if you’ve got a student that wants to use ASL as his foreign language then you must be very careful to know what constitutes a foreign language and what doesn’t.  There is a lot of ‘sign’ stuff out there, but not all of it is American Sign Language.

What’s The Difference?

American Sign Language is a language all its own.  It’s not a code, it’s not signs put in English order, nor is it English.  There are characteristics of ASL that have no relation to any spoken language.  It has its own way of being written, and more importantly, its own grammatical structure.  This unique grammatical structure is what qualifies it as a foreign language*.

For instance – if you don’t care about the foreign language issue, then it doesn’t matter if the book you’ve selected really teaches what’s called “SEE Sign”, or Signed Exact English.  In this instance you will be taught that if you want to say

I’m going to the store; would you like to go with me?  Then you will sign,

“I AM GOING TO GO TO THE STORE; YOU LIKE TO GO WITH ME?”

(Before I go on, I’m not virtually yelling at you.  Labels for signs are written in all capital letters.  Each ‘word’ written in a capital letter is really a label for a sign.)

See?  This uses one sign for every word, and puts them in English order.

On the other hand, if you are using ASL to say the same thing, then you will sign,

___t___                    _______whq_____

“STORE, I GO-TO, WANT GO-WITH?”

A little bit different, isn’t it?  Not only are these labels not in English order, but there are transcription markers above parts of the sentence, denoting what non-manual behaviors the signer needs to be using with those particular signs. 

American Sign Language is not English, nor is it related to English.  ASL is also not a universal language.  There are at least 85 signed languages in the world, and I’m sure many that are not known in the mainstream.  So – if the Lord is leading you to the mission field to work with the Deaf in Germany, don’t bother with ASL – it’s not going to do you any good there!

So, if you are entering the world of sign for a foreign language, BE SURE that the book/video/program you’re considering is specifically ASL.  If you’re not sure, call the publisher and ask.  If they can’t tell you, then it’s probably not ASL.

Whatever you decide is best for your student, learn it together.  Use it at home, during errands, at church, where ever.  Practice, use it, have fun – and be sure to let me know when I can add you to the Fully-Addicted-to-Sign-Club.

Happy Signing!

Mrs. L

*  On the topic of foreign languages – not all colleges/universities recognize ASL as a foreign language.   (It is, but they don’t all know it yet.)  If you are looking for something to use for high school foreign language credit in anticipation of moving from your home school to a college or university, be sure to ask a counselor at the university if they accept ASL for foreign language.  You don’t want to get a year and a half in and then find out that they want a verbal language.