Oct. 30, 2009 - Homeschooling Through Unemployment
- 24/7 Family Togetherness – Homeschooling families spend a lot of time together. Togetherness goes hand-in-hand with homeschooling and, indeed, may be the reason for many families’ decisions to homeschool, but usually at least one member of the family goes off to work during the day.
- Trouble Staying On-Task – Husbands like to have projects to do. They like to stay busy and feel a sense of accomplishment whether they are getting paid or not. The children oftentimes see what Dad is working on and want to “help.” If this is a weekend project, it doesn’t usually interfere with school, but when it’s a weekday morning project it becomes a whole different story.
- Coming and Going – During the course of these projects, invariably a trip to the store becomes necessary. Then come the echoes of “Can I go too? Can I go too?” Everybody is bound to need something from the store, so a shopping list must be created.
I could probably come up with one or two more problem areas, but I really want to focus on the blessings. Most would not agree that unemployment could possibly bring anything good with it, but I have found some true blessings in the midst.
- Help With Teaching Math – Language Arts is my area of expertise and enjoyment. My math skills are quite limited, and I have a knack for not only confusing my children but myself as well. My husband is our family math whiz. Instead of calling him at work to get his guidance through a math problem, we have him right here.
- Running Errands – There are days that get eaten up by being on the road running hither and yon: pick up a prescription at the pharmacy, one of the kids’ has outgrown his shoes (again!) and needs new ones, we’re out of milk, we need stamps . . . It’s nice to have my husband run those errands while the rest of us stay at home getting schoolwork done. I think he offers because he wants to get away from the house; but if it keeps us from losing a day of school, I won’t take it personally.
- Help with Chores – My husband is a real pro at loading the dishwasher (those engineering skills are useful), After I get all the dishes that will fit crammed into the dishwasher, he will invariably find a way to sqeeze in 4 more bowls and a few more glasses. It’s a real talent. Not only that, but when my husband cleans an appliance, he takes it apart to clean it thoroughly inside and out and then puts it back together again. It would have never occurred to me to take apart the oven door to clean the stuff that dripped down between the inner and outer panes of glass (not that I could have put the oven door back on even if I had actually figured out how to remove it in the first place).
- Help with Computer Troubles – If you ask my children what I’m most likely to say while sitting in front of my computer, they would tell you, “I should really take this thing out to the backyard and just shoot it!” Unfortunately, my reliance on my computer far surpasses my knowledge of how to make it do what I want it to do. My onsite computer expert always comes to my rescue (or maybe he’s actually rescuing the computer). Working at my computer was much more frustrating when my husband was going off to work everyday. I would have to wait for him to get home in the evening, and by then I would probably have attempted every possible “fix” that I knew, thereby making a bigger mess for my husband to undo. Luckily for my computer – I don’t have a gun.
So, you see, unemployment is not ALL bad. I have to admit, I’m not totally looking forward to having my husband go back to work. I’ll have to go back to running my own errands and limping my way through math problems, but I do think I’ll appreciate payday much more.
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Jun. 7, 2009 - Accredited or Not?
Homeschooling families are faced with many dilemmas throughout the course of their homeschooling journeys. One of the dilemmas facing many homeschoolers is whether to connect themselves with an accredited school or to remain purely unadulterated and unattached. There are pros and cons with either decision.
Many families like the support and safety of an accredited program. In this method of homeschooling, students may actually be enrolled in a private school yet they complete their lessons at home. Some of these programs allow parents to grade their children’s work, while others require that the work be submitted to their staff for grading. Usually, when a child is enrolled in a private school/homeschool program, he is first given a diagnostic test to determine the grade level for each subject. The school will then notify the parents with a suggested plan of study. The school normally dictates the curriculum and specific daily assignments. Parents may have a great deal of contact with the school staff or a very limited amount of input from the school. Many schools assign an educational advisor to each family. These advisors will work to insure that each student earns the proper needed credits at each stage. This may be extremely helpful for families homeschooling high school students. Having an educational advisor, or graduation coach, at that point can be very beneficial. It can be quite traumatic to have a child on the brink of graduation and find out that he is missing a credit for a class he should have taken. Another benefit to being involved with an accredited school is the fact that students receive diplomas from that accredited school. The student’s transcript will show that he matriculated in a private school and earned a diploma from that school. This could make college admission a much easier and more pleasant experience - for the students and parents alike. Also, some scholarships are rewarded only to students with diplomas from accredited schools. Dual enrollment eligibility may require that the student is enrolled in an accredited program as well. For those homeschooling parents who don’t feel comfortable with being completely responsible for their children’s education, this can be a very attractive option.
Enrollment in an accredited program does have its downside. It can mean quite a financial commitment. Usually the school has an enrollment fee and a registration fee. These fees may be doubled or tripled for more than one child being enrolled. Some programs include books and/or access to online classes in their upfront fees. Others require that families purchase student materials separately. The curriculum may be rigidly designated with no allowable alternatives. Courses are usually limited to stiff time constraints. The student may not receive credit if the coursework is not completed by a set deadline.
Parents who don’t want outside limits imposed on their children’s education may take a different path. Pure homeschooling may be more appealing to these families. Parents have complete authority over curriculum, activities, grades (or no grades). If a student needs more than 180 days to complete a course, he has that freedom. If the students and/or parents decide that they just don’t like the curriculum they chose to use, changes can be made midstream. Also, families can use materials from more than one publisher. For instance, parents may choose to use Saxon for math and Shurley Grammar for language arts. Parents may decide to use only what is available from their local library, making for a very inexpensive homeschooling program. Student interests can guide subject choices, too; and student weaknesses can dictate that more attention is given to that particular area of study.
All of this freedom of choice calls for a great deal of research and decision-making on the part of the parents. It will be necessary for parents to become familiar with different types of curricula and to seek out recommendations from other homeschoolers. The parents will also benefit from becoming familiar with their students’ individual learning styles. These parents who prefer pure homeschooling will need to be true educators. That is not to say that they must hold degrees in teaching, but they must themselves have knowledge before they can impart this knowledge to their students.
Students who are homeschooled completely under their parents’ authority may meet with roadblocks when they apply to colleges. The homeschooling community looks forward to the day that homeschoolers will be wholeheartedly welcomed into all colleges, but for now this is not so. It may take more work on the part of the student to earn college admission. Each college has its own admission requirements, but by far the high school transcript is the most important required document across the board. For those parents who have chosen to “go it alone” the high school transcript may be the most daunting of their responsibilities.
There is, however, a compromise for even the most independent homeschoolers. Families can hire a professional record-keeper. Usually included in the list of services offered by these professionals is academic advisement. These record-keepers are educated in state requirements and can guide families in making choices that will keep them on the right path toward high school graduation. Of course, there is a cost involved in receiving professional help. The cost, however, should not be as much as enrollment in an accredited program. Some of these record-keepers offer personal consultations and ongoing personal advisement throughout the high school grades. They may teach the parents how to keep their own records or they may ask the parent to submit grades and course descriptions in order to create the transcripts themselves. This path does not lead to a diploma from an accredited school, and the student may be left open to questions and scrutiny. However, as the homeschooling movement grows and as homeschooling becomes more accepted as a legitimate form of education, homeschooled graduates will be increasingly welcomed into all institutions of higher education. Prospective employers will appreciate the dedication, diligence, and level of knowledge of hardworking homeschool graduates.
Homeschoolers indeed have many decisions to make on behalf of their children, but making the decision to homeschool is a great first step for any family who wants to help their children succeed in life.
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May. 7, 2009 - Saving Money on Curriculum
I am in the throes of making decisions about what programs to use with my daughters next year. I have found some great deals on stuff on www.homeschoolclassifieds.com. I've also posted some of my own things there. If you're looking to save some bucks on next year's curriculum, you should check this site out!
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Mar. 18, 2009 - Working Mom
When my husband and I got married, I was in my 3rd year of teaching and he was in his 4th year as an engineer for a local manufacturer. We weren't rich by any stretch of the imagination, but we had plenty. We have said more than once since that time that we wish we would have put more money into savings for the future. Instead of saving, we ate out at least twice a week. I bought pretty much whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it.
My husband began to see signs of trouble in his company and when he was offered a position in a company on the other side of the state, he just couldn't let it pass by. We had just found out that we were expecting our first child and we had only been in our new house for 6 months. We put our house on the market, packed up, and moved. I did not have any doubts about finding a teaching position. Teachers could find work anywhere.
Well, I didn't find a position right away. When I was finally offered a position (sight unseen), it was at a public junior high school in a very tough part of town. When my husband inquired with his coworkers about this particular school, they all agreed that they would never have their wives working there. It was too dangerous. So, I began looking at private schools.
I was called in for an interview with the headmaster at a Christian private school. My tummy had grown quite a bit by that point and it was obvious that I was expecting. The headmaster asked what I planned to do when the baby was born. I told him that I intended to put the baby in daycare and continue on with my career. That didn't seem to sit well with the headmaster. Before I left his office, I knew where he stood on the topic of working mothers of young children. I don't think he ever had any intention of hiring me once he realized I was expecting.
Before our son was born, I did take a long-term substitute teaching position, and I was actually needed longer than I was able to stay. Times were tough with buying a higher priced home and having a baby to care for on one income. But, you know what? We did it. We never lacked anything we needed. We learned to cut some corners and live more frugally. We even used cloth diapers to save money. By the time I could have gone back to work, we had already realized that I didn't have to work. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving my baby boy with someone else all day long.
That was over 16 years ago and I've been a stay-at-home mom ever since. It's the best career I could have ever had. If I had it to do over again, I would major in home economics instead of English. That would have been more practical; however, I do use my English teacher knowledge a lot in homeschooling.
I might get back to my career after my children leave home, but something tells me that I'll probably have other interests by then.
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Feb. 27, 2009 - Teaching Tunes
Teaching Tunes
16 years ago my husband and I were blessed with a little boy. We named him Christopher. After my initial concern for getting Christopher to sleep occasionally, I began focusing on other issues such as – How will Christopher ever learn to spell his name? Do you know how many letters are in the name Christopher? 
Way too many for any little fella to remember in order. I was concerned that Christopher would be the only child in his kindergarten Sunday school class who couldn’t spell his name. He was less than 2 years old at the time, but we moms who want only the absolute utmost for our firstborns have to plan ahead for these kinds of things. Well, I set to work trying to figure out how to deal with this dilemma.
I remembered that as a student I would frequently have difficult things to memorize. Oftentimes I would put those things to music—nothing fancy, just a short little childhood tune. I was already very familiar with the songs, so it was easier for me to remember facts that I set to those tunes. This method helped me remember such things as important dates, world events, vocabulary words, parts of the body, etc. You get the picture. I even took that method with me to college working on my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I usually studied by myself so I didn’t disturb anyone else while singing my little ditties. “But what about the test over the material?” you ask. Well, one of my other hidden talents is humming in my head. No one had a clue what I was doing. But I do remember getting a few strange looks when I bobbed my head to the silent tune. (Yet another argument for homeschooling: Chances are no one is watching , so homeschoolers can bob their heads all they want — OR even sing out loud!)
Anyway, I figured if that method worked for me, it might work for Christopher. So I set about putting his name to music. “Christopher” doesn’t fit well with most children’s songs. I went through lots of familiar tunes, and finally I remembered the song from The Mickey Mouse Club. You remember — the song that the kids sang at the beginning of the show while wearing their Mickey Mouse ears (I’m not sure how to spell “mouseketeers,” but that’s what they were). Many of you will have to do an Internet search to find out what in the world I’m talking about. Trust me; it was a real show.
Getting back to my point: “Christopher” fit perfectly to that tune.
I was so proud of myself! I went and sang it for my husband, and I sang it for my friends, and I sang it for my mother and my sister... And then I sang it to Christopher, too. Here’s how it goes:
C-h-r-i-s-t-o-p-h-e-r.
Christopher, Christopher.
That is how we spell Christopher.
C-h-r-i-s-t-o-p-h-e-r.
OK, so I’m not Barry Manilow. The point is that it’s catchy and easy to learn. Christopher caught on quickly. I proudly made Christopher perform his name song for the nursery workers in the toddler room. He was just going into the 2-year-old class. Hey, how many kids do you know who can spell their names at 2 — much less spell Christopher? (He’s going on 16 now, so I don’t make him sing his name song any more.)
Fast forward 2½ years. A little brother joined Christopher. We named him Nicholas. We really liked the 3-syllable names. I set about creating a name song for Nicholas. I don’t think Nicholas could sing his name song at 2, but that was because he always had that “boppy” hanging out of his mouth. (That’s another issue for discussion.) But, he did know how to spell his name well before he started kindergarten. Here’s how his name song goes. It’s to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Everyone sing along with me.
N-i-c-h-o-l-a-s
Nicholas, Nicholas.
He loves to make a mess.
N-i-c-h-o-l-a-s
Nicholas, Nicholas.
He never likes to rest.
I put this song in 3rd person, because remember — Nicholas wasn’t the one singing at first due to his pacifier obsession. (He’s over that now.)
Five years later, Rebecca joined us. (We had to stick with the 3-syllable trend we had started.) Rebecca liked to sing her name song. Here’s how it goes. It’s set to the tune of “Ten Little Indians.”
R-e-b-e-c-c-a
I’m Rebecca, and I’m here to say
R-e-b-e-c-c-a
What a happy day!
Were you singing along that time?
It was at this point that we decided to homeschool our children. It occurred to me that I could really put anything I wanted to remember to music — or rather, wanted my children to remember. I started with days of the week, months, and the five senses. Then I branched out to the fruit of the Spirit and colors in their natural order. I was really onto something. Hey, what about other stuff I wanted the kids to know? What about abstract concepts? Yep. It works for everything! Kids can learn just about anything as long as it rhymes and is set to music. Just think about how long it takes your kids to pick up songs they hear on the radio or commercial jingles from TV. Why do companies use catchy jingles to sell their products, anyway? Because we get the jingles stuck in our heads and go around singing them (sometimes even when we’re not really impressed with the product and intend never to spend money on it). How many of you can still sing the Oscar Meyer song or the Burger King “Have it Your Way” song? Well, you get the point. I want my kids to remember important stuff, not just the theme songs from their favorite shows. Can I hear an “Amen!”
Have fun singing with your kids. Who knows – you might find out that you have the next American Idol living right in your own home. It could happen ... but if it does please let me know.
Here’s a sampling of some of the teaching tunes I have used.
5 Senses (“B-I-N-G-O” tune)
I have five senses God gave me.
Have you heard of such?
Hear, see, smell, taste, touch;
Hear, see, smell, taste, touch;
Hear, see, smell, taste, touch.
Have you heard of such?
Colors (“Ten Little Indians” tune)
Red and orange and yellow and green;
Blue and Indigo and violet I’ve seen
Arching over the mountain and tree-
God made a promise to you and me.
Months (“Mulberry Bush” tune)
January, February,
March and April,
May and June,
July and August,
September, October,
November, December –
12 months in a year.
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Oct. 29, 2008 - A Bump in the Road
My family has hit a bump in the road in our homeschooling adventure. Unfortunately, I have been having health problems and I cannot count on having the energy to “do school” everyday. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 6 months ago. I have good days and not-so-good days. On not-so-good days I am unable to do much of anything at all. The kids are able to keep up with the subjects that they do on the computer, but what we miss most is our reading together time. I end up feeling guilty about that and the dirty laundry that piles up, the dishes stacked in the sink, and supper not being ready when my husband comes in from work. Invariably, I feel as if I need to explain myself and make sure that no one thinks I’m just being lazy.
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Oct. 1, 2008 - An Ode to the Homeschooling Mom
Now I sit me down to school, attempting to obey our number one rule-
Work then play, read then rest; then prop my feet up after giving a test.
I call all the children to sit on the couch. That’s not really easy as many can vouch.
After getting the kids all attentive and quiet, what do you know, out breaks a riot.
“Ouch! He pinched me!” yells the little one in tears. “Well, she started it!” shouts another of my dears.
“I’ll tell you what happened,” from the one trying to help. “That’s where he pinched her,” as he points to the whelp.
“Well, she broke my favorite CD last week, and she told all my friends that I look like a geek.”
As I called everyone’s attention back to our book, I was greeted by a collective blank look.
“Now where were we?” I ask looking down at the page. “Mr. Popper and his Penguins are out on the stage.”
“Brriing, brriing,” I hear from the next room – another telemarketer, I presume.
The child who loves to answer the phone, jumps up right away as the others sit and moan.
“Mom, it’s the pastor and he asked to speak to you!” I get up reluctantly, shushing the crew.
The pastor reminds me of a meeting and asks if I mind bringing something for eating.
I head back to the couch after hanging up the phone to find the two oldest went off on their own.
“Oh, well. I’ll just read with the youngest,” I think, when I notice in my vicinity something starting to stink.
I follow my nose to the source of the stench and find a rotten banana peel that makes me flinch.
After tending to the mess and returning to the couch, I notice the little one digging around in a pouch.
“Mommy, should I put on eye shadow or blush? For lip gloss I have iced pink or orange crush.”
I sit down and discuss how natural beauty is best, and how with blue eyes and curls she has been blessed.
At that point, the others come running back in, each of them wearing a mischievous grin.
I make an attempt to get back to our reading, when one of them notices another’s leg is bleeding.
The smallest one dashes off for first aid, and I realize my morning’s beginning to fade.
After the surgery on the boo-boo is complete, one child whines, “I need something to eat.”
“Me too,” says another. “And me,” says the last. “Okay. Get a snack, but make it fast.”
The dryer buzzes, meaning the clothes are dry. I pull myself up as I heave a sigh.
I shout to the kids, “Meet me back on the couch,” when I realize I’m beginning to feel like a grouch.
Twenty minutes later, we’re back to our book. I come to a picture, and they all need to look.
We get through two chapters, and then it’s time for lunch – peanut butter and jelly and bright red fruit punch.
I gaze at the faces stained with red, covered with jelly and crumbs from the bread.
And I think to myself I would never trade my life. My joy comes from being a mother and a wife.
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Aug. 17, 2008 - Deciding Factor
Before having children of my own, I had earned a Master's degree in Secondary Education and had actually taught for 3 years. I was an English teacher at a small high school in a neighboring county. I really thought that because I had a Master's degree that I was somehow a master teacher, and that I was a better teacher than most of my colleagues. And more than that, I believed that homeschooling parents were actually abusing their children by not allowing them to get a public school education. So, on a scale of 1-10, with10 being the best type of education, I would have ranked homeschooling as a 1.
After having my first child and enrolling him into public school. I became less enamoured with the education that he was was getting. I had become a stay-at-home mom with the birth of my oldest son, and I decided that I could do a much better job educating my own children than the elementary school that my son was attending. My husband and I made the decision to homeschool. So I set about choosing a curriculum to use. I became convinced that homeschooling was always the best option for every family, and I thought that anyone who claimed that she (or he) could never homeschool her own children was just selfish and lazy.
Well, here I am 8 years later. This school year I have 2 of my children attending public school and I am homeschooling the other 2. My 7th grade homeschooler is taking a science class at a private Christian school, so I guess that means he is not exclusively homeschooled. My opinions on education have softened since being confronted with real-life issues. Today, I firmly believe that God's will should be the deciding factor in whether or not to homeschool. Reality is that every child is different and lives change over time. Parents are called to oversee their children's training and education and to love and to discipline them. I don't think that anyone besides God can dictate the decisions we make on behalf of our children. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5 (NKJV) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. " Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
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Aug. 6, 2008 - Moms Like Me
Positively Homeschooling
This time of year especially, moms everywhere lament all the extra time they are forced to spend with their children. They mourn the last day of school before summer break. They speak of summer as being something they must endure -– like a mammogram. And as summer draws to an end and back-to-school sales begin popping up all around, Moms seem to get a little giddy. Smiles are bigger and one can almost hear that collective sigh of relief with the passing of yet another summer break. Whew! Everything will be getting back to normal now –- for some moms, anyway.
I have often wondered just what it was that causes moms to dislike spending time with their kids. Yes, in the summer all the kids are at home at one time. And, yes, moms are on constant kitchen duty. And, yes, it’s hard to keep snacks in the pantry with everyone in and out of the kitchen all day. Yes, yes, yes. . . BUT if we can’t stand to spend time with our own kids at home everyday for a couple of months, what makes anyone think that teachers can stand to spend 180 days with them any better (in a small classroom)?
And then there are moms like me. I’m one of those bizarre homeschool moms that spend every waking moment with their kids. I have to admit, there are times that it does become very trying. There are times that I want to scream. But that is real life. I don’t know anyone that could stand to be with the same folks 24/7 and never get the least bit irritated. Normal for us is spending time together -- talking together, playing together, reading together, cleaning together. I view being a homeschool mom as a privilege. Others might look on me with pity and wonder, but I genuinely like spending time with my kids. They are smart and witty and loving and fun. I get the opportunity to really get to know my children. I get to watch them as they learn new things. I’m there when they succeed –- and when they fail. I’m always there. My children count on that. When they learn how to do something new, it’s me that they come running to yelling, “Look, Mom. Watch what I can do!”
I’ve been there from the very beginning to witness first steps and to hear first words. I saw the first tooth pulled, the first bicycle ride, the first dive into the deep end of the pool. I’ve also heard the first words sounded out in a reading book, seen the first math problems solved, the first sentences written, the first science experiments performed. I’ve seen many successes and just as many failures. I love knowing that whether my child is a huge success or whether he falls flat on his face, I’m the one who gets to share the hug. I’m the one experiencing life right alongside my children. I hope that my constant presence helps ease their disappointments and gives them encouragement to try new things.
The response I usually get from other moms when they find out I homeschool my children is either pity or amazement. Without fail moms tell me, “Oh, I could never do that. I couldn’t spend that much time with my kids. I would go crazy.” Maybe that’s how I do it –- maybe I’m already crazy. Actually, I am crazy about my kids, and I wouldn’t trade away any moment I have watching my children learning and growing. Instead of hearing about their accomplishments second-hand through a teacher, I’m the one who’s there cheering them on.
About the Author: Tina James resides with her husband Steve and 4 children in Evans, GA. The James family has homeschooled for the past 7 years. Tina and her husband founded the Ogeechee Area Christian Home Education Association in 2004 in Bulloch County, GA (their previous home); and they have worked in children's ministry and middle school ministry for the past 12 years. They are members of West Town Community Church in Evans, GA where they lead the middle school ministry, Club Medio.