Jul. 23, 2008
School Year Preparations

It's that time of year again at our house -- when Mama makes plans for our year as Daddy oversees the direction for the upcoming year.  I love his help -- he lets me know what is really important in his eyes, saving me much time and sanity. 

Last Wednesday, my dear friend took the kids for me so I could have a planning day in a quiet, quaint town near us.  I was thinking how rare it is that I ever have day to myself -- I love being a mommy, but how glad I am my friend offered to take the kids for me.

My morning did get away from me, but in a glorious way -- I had two "divine appointments."  The first was an unexpected phone call from our friend who did the Creation Camp -- the woman who had blessed the camp with the pontoon frame from the raft was leaving town and wanted to see pictures.  My camera was the main camera used at camp, so I met Brent at a coffee shop and downloaded the boat pictures onto a CD for him.

Next, I went to a park that looks out over the waterway, and read from 1 Timothy.  I felt God nudging me to talk to the person who I could hear on a bench behind me.  So I turned around and said, "Isn't it a beautiful day out?"  That started a chat, and he asked me what I was reading, which lead to a talk about churches, a relationship with the Lord, his past experiences in churches, and more.  Finally, as our conversation wound-down and we said our good-byes, I was able to give him an invite card to our church.

I went to lunch at a Thai resteraunt in town and then headed over to the library to do some planning.  I am tutoring again this year for Classical Conversations in their Foundations Program, so I planned my first 12 weeks of classes in the areas of history and science.  My friend said she wants to give me another planning day, which will help me with my other planning (our own homeschool, the rest of Foundations, and a Pressentials class I will be teaching at Classical Conversations).

I finished my day with a chocolate-peanut butter shake from a dairy bar in town and then met my friend at the chiropracter both of our families go to so we could get adjustments.  What a blessing my friend is, and our children had a great day together.  (Playing on their slip&slide, seeing their friends' great-grandmother, and exploring their backyard.)

Jun. 20, 2008
Home-Schoolers Threaten Our Cultural Comfort

Click here to read an article written by Sonny Scott where he offers a opinion of why the American public hates (or at least distrust) homeschoolers so much. He is like a psychologist explaining to a client that their problem isn't the other person (homeschoolers) -- it is themself (society).

He points out homeschoolers "savings to the taxpayers in instructional costs are conservatively estimated at $4 billion, and some place the figure as high as $9 billion."

He says that homeschoolers "very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an indictment of our lifestyles. Those families are willing to render unto Caesar the things that Caesar’s be, but they draw the line at their children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return."

While he generalizes about his opinions of the way homeschoolers dress ("clean but unfashionable clothes") it is an article worth reading and sharing.   Well said, Mr. Scott.  Well said.

Jun. 3, 2008
One or the Other -- Or Both?

HSLDA sent their weekly update today, and the first bit of news was letting homeschoolers know about a poll PARADE magazine was doing and an article from the magazine titled,"Intelligence Report" which discussed the recent court decision affecting homeschooling in California

One paragraph stated:

“If upheld, the California ruling will send shock waves nationwide,” says Richard Kahlenberg, the author of a number of books on education. He says the case “pits those who believe parental rights are paramount against those who place a premium on well-educated citizens.”

I don't believe, as Mr. Kahlenberg states, it has to be one side for parents' rights and another for well-educated citizens.  I'm sure many of my fellow homeschoolers will agree with me and Dr. Ray's research that in homeschooling, you have BOTH.

Read the comments at the end of PARADE's article for some very well written rebuttals.

Jul. 9, 2007
Homeschool Parents: Well-Meaning Amateurs?

Kathartine Trauger, contributing writer for Crosswalk.com, has written one of the best composed defenses for homeschooing (http://www.crosswalk.com/parenting/ 11545832/) after a friend asked if she read an article in a newspaper stating that homeschoolers are just well-meaning amateurs. 

After googling for the article that spurred her response, I found out that the NEA -- that's right the "balanced" National Education Association -- is the source of the anti-homeschooling article.  You can find it at http://www.nea.org/espcolumns/dv040220.html and it is titled "Home Schools Run By Well-Meaning Amateurs."

That article, written by David Arnold, states that "Certain jobs are best left to the pros, such as, formal education" and calls home educators "wanna-be teachers."  I encourage you to read the article, subtitled "Schools With Good Teachers Are Best-Suited to Shape Young Minds."  (They DO shape young minds -- just not in the way that is always the best.  And as in all things, there are good teachers, etc and poor ones.  Just last month was a news story of how a teacher, school administration, and even the parents failed a young girl who desperately needed guidance. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,285794,00.html)

While Mr. Arnold's article may make you a bit perturbed, when I came to the end of it and read his credentials, I must admit I broke out into a smile and a head-shake. 

He is the head custodian at an elementary school.

Could I clean an entire elementary school all by myself, day-in and day-out, Mr. Arnold.  To be honest, no. 

But I CAN clean my house with safe, natural, non-toxic chemicals and involve my children in it, so that they too can be a part of our family's responsiblity to keep things orderly, tidy, welcoming & hospitable to others, while they learn good habits and important life skills. 

Am I able to teach 20+ students day-in and day-out, trying to teach to all their strengths and weaknesses and keep their undivided attention from 8:30 to 3:00 pm every day? No, that would be very difficult; even my sister who is an elementary teacher and by father-in-law who is a retired math teacher will admit to that.

But I can teach my own children a variety of subjects -- and even show them how they relate to one another -- as we gather around our table, drive in our car, snuggle in a rocking chair, explore outside, etc.  I can teach to their strengths and help them in their weaknesses.  I can involve them in their education and show them that they must also take responsibilty for their learning.

In his article, Mr. Arnold states that you would hire a professional to build a home, etc.  When my father-in-law first started teaching, to make ends-meet, he did framing and other carpentary work in the summer.  He then built three homes for his family and has remodeled numerous others for families he has known. 

Is he a "certified professional?"  Not really.  Does he have his name in the yellow pages?  No.  But would I have him in charge if I ever built a house?  Yes.

Why?  He is well-known for doing things very well, with excellence -- people who have work done by him tell their friends, and how well-done it was.  He has kept plenty busy just by word-of-mouth.

He has seen professional builders build homes that are filled with mistakes.  He wasn't making "another house" when he built those 3 houses to shelter his family.  He was building a home, and he wanted to make sure that they were done well, with extra-strength to with-stand the environment and to last a long time, and to have those little extra touches that most builders wouldn't do.

Yes, he got help from dry-wallers, electricians, plumbers, etc.  But he was the over-seer (and learned how to also do those things along the way).  He was ultimately responsible for how the house turned out.  He was on the sites every day, all-day long, working. 

So do we, as home educators seek help when we need it.  There are conventions, on-line seminars, books galore, tutors, co-ops, etc.  But we are ultimately responsible for our children's education and the way they are brought up.  We are there, every day, all-day long working and living with them.  We are the ones who know them best and are most interested in them.  I want to make sure that they learn things well, have extra-strength to with-stand the things that the world will throw at them, and to even have those little extra-touches in their personalities and characters.

We just aren't teaching our children, Mr. Arnold.  As the Latin-based word, amator states, I am a "lover, devoted friend, devotee, enthusiastic pursuer of an objective."  And that objective is to raise my kids to the glory of God, in their love for Him, in their knowledge of Him and His world, and to love learning all their days.

I teach my children because I LOVE them.  I want them to do the best they can, to see the gifts God has put into them for a purpose, and to overcome those weaknesses and human frailties that we all have.

We work towards high goals, while keeping a balanced view that if we "have knowledge, etc", but have not love (1 Cor. 13), we gain nothing.  As one of our family's life-verses states:

“Now the goal of our instruction is love

from a pure heart,

a good conscience,

and a sincere faith.”

1 Timothy 1:5

May God richly bless you all,

Karla

Sep. 6, 2006
Too Much Too Soon?

I blogged about this topic last month after my MIL and I emailed back & forth about it.  Today, I was forwarded the following site from an on-line group I'm on. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14638573/site/newsweek/

Sigh -- I'll take teaching my kids to read while snuggling on the couch, gently helping them master the foundations of learning as we live life and do school at home, and enjoy seeing them love to learn and explore, over government schools' techniques any day! 

While our DD learned to read early, and our DS seems to be doing great at basic phonics, and both of them just are little magnets for learning things, I fear the educational "road-map" of most school would dampen (if not crush) their learning.  They would quickly figured out they need to learn stuff, not for the love of it, but just to get "good" grades, to get into a "good" school, to get a "good" job, etc.  I think Solomon would call this "meaningless!" (see Ecclesiates)

Sep. 4, 2006
Why Any Other Way?

Our county just went back to school a week ago.    We, on the other hand, started our family's homeschool back-to-classes in July, so last week marked the end of our first term, or first 9-weeks.    My parents came into to visit us, so while the public & private schoolers were in classes, we picked Grandma & Grandpa (G&G) up at the airport.  Waiting for their plane to come in, we spent our time seeing a replica of the Wright bothers' plane and learned about their famous flight, and saw another display about aviation history of famous North Carolinians.    Throughout the week, we enjoyed "car-schooling."  While we drove Grandma & Grandpa to fun places for field trips, Gpa and DD did Latin and Addition flashcards in the back seat of the mini-van.   We learned more about our family heritage and heard stories about grandma, grandpa and even mommy growing up.  My dad is a history-buff so in our time together, when we came across something that pricked his memory about a topic, we would learn from him.   We watched a cool video together for our Polar Regions Unit Study about the story of Sheckleton and "The Endurance" in Antarctica.  Gpa read aloud a great story about Admiral Peary that both he and DD learned a lot from.    DD read the new books that she received from them, and she read-aloud to her brother the new books G&G and Auntie had given to him for his birthday.  I even caught Gpa several times reading one of DD's "America Girl" books.  One time I teased him, "Are you learning anything?" he replied, "Oh, yeah -- these are great!"   We even had a "spelling bee" one evening that was lots of fun and full of chuckles -- DD got "easier" words while mommy tried to trip up daddy and grandma with tricky ones.  Gma got to encourage DD to love math and spelling, sharing how much she enjoyed learning those subjects when she was her age, and DD got to see how good Gma was at them throughout the week.   Just one more reason I'm glad we homeschool -- I could never dream of our kids missing out on all the fun we had and all we learned last week, just so they could do what so many other kids in our county did last week -- wake up early to catch the bus, be away 8 hours a day, come home to do homework, and go to bed early.    What a blessing it is to homeschool!  Why would people choose any other way?

Aug. 25, 2006
Ages of Understanding & Comprehending

Recent chatter from a homeschool support e-group that I'm on, was about what to do when your kids are not "reading well" or "getting math."  Everytime I hear that, it makes me think that we need to remember something important. (Something I have to remind myself when I get caught comparing and getting nervous that my children are "not where some of their peers are."

My mom-in-law wrote to me when I mentioned my DD (who just turned 7) almost knew her addition facts except for a few that still stump her. And that she is JUST starting to enjoy math, especially double-digit addition (w/o carrying).

She wrote and told me what they used to do in school. It has REALLY changed & it's kind of scary how things in "education" have "progressed." For example:

*She (went to school in the 50's) did addition/subtration in 2nd -- I (went to school in the 80's) had it in 1st and 2nd -- today's kids have it starting in Kindergarten!

*She did multiplication in 4th -- I had it in 3rd -- I met a kid at a local private school who had it in 2nd.

*She did division in 5th -- I had it in 4th -- same kid said they will learn it in 3rd, and be introduced to the concept in 2nd!

It makes me concerned, because kids that are labeled "behind" may just NOT be READY and it can end up frustrating them and make their parents nervous that they may "NEVER get it."

But we have to TRUST that they will! Brain development-wise, it is so varied from the ages of 5-10 for different kids -- they will all "get it" if given a chance when their brain is ready, but I think some children will actually give up, b/c they aren't able to "do it" when the "course of study" tells them they should be. Seems to me the course of study has changed quite a bit!

We need to remember that people like Thomas Edison didn't do well in "school" but when given space, love and freedom to let their brains develop in their own time (and in their own way), they were the ones who loved learning and developing things for the benefit of mankind.

In His Hope,
Karla

(PS: One of my friends has 3 daughters. One dgt learned to read VERY early. The other two not until they were 9 and 10 yo's. Guess which one HATES reading now? The one who read early. And the 2 that learned later now LOVE to read!)

Jul. 17, 2006
Our "Curriculum" for the Summer Term

We homeschool year-round (July to June), so the new "school year" for 2006-2007 has begun for our 7 yo DD (and 2.75 yo DS)!  I say "curriculum" in the title kind of loosely -- perhaps "Learning Resource List" is better.  =)  We, like a lot of homeschoolers, use some purchased curriculums (Math U See, Classical Conversations, Robinson Curriculum booklist, Prima Latina) for a guide or framework, and then add lots of other resources.  (I'll write what we use and find helpful in a separate post.)

For our "Summer Term" we are doing the following...

Bible/Character:  (30 minutes, give or take)

We are using Calvery Chapel's free worksheets -- DD colors while I read and then does the questions on the back to make sure she understands and to reinforce what we've read.  We are using the Character Traits and verses for copy and memory work from "What Your Child Needs to Know When."

Math:  (15-30 minutes)

Math U See Foundations (used last year and are continuing it it since it's a 2-3 year program), Calculadder drills sheets (along with freebies from the internet), and flashcards.

Spanish: (10-15 minutes)

Just doing this for the month of July as DD was interested in it.  We are using a big "Complete Book of Spanish" workbook we got from Sam's and are just going to focus on learning the numbers 1-20, alphabet, and names of family members.

Latin:   (15-30 minutes, depending on day)

DH is probably the most excited about this.  One of his goals is to learn Latin together as a family.  We are using Prima Latina and may start at the end of the month or August.

Language Arts:  (10-15 minutes)

We somehow are into workbooks this summer.  We've picked some up that are cheap and good, so use them for supplements occastionally.  We are now doing "Read & Learn with Classic Stories, Grade 2."  Some pages we write on, where others we just do orally.

Science:

DD is into space right now, so we are doing this is a unit study/notebooking approach using a couple of Magic School Bus episodes I taped, a Leap Pad book, lots of books from the library, and a kit that DH's aunt gave us way back.  This weekend we painted it and just need to hang it.   We'll see what else she becomes interested in next week or so. 

Reading:

There is a summer reading program at our library, so besides reading the classic stories included her lang. arts workbook, DD is just doing a lot of delight-directed reading.  (She's devoured the Magic Treehouse books there.)  After that program is done this month, I want to go back to the Robinson reading list and also have her read the Little House series this school year.

Classical Conversations:

We did a home group last year that was 35 minutes away from us, but those families are closer to the one starting an hour away from me.  So, realistically I think we are just doing it on our own, barring the Lord setting up a Divine Appointment of a family(ies) that cross our path interested in it in our area.  We will start this in August or September, depending on how it works out. 

Apr. 3, 2006
"Can I Enroll My Kid In Your School?"

A couple of weeks ago, I was hostess for our church's "Sunday School" class. (which is what we call at our church, "The Treehouse."  The babies through K are called "The Nest.")  I greeted the kids as they came into, and then went around seeing how the groups were doing.  (We do the 252 Basics curriculum at our church and they meet 15-20 in a small groups, before we bring them into the main /worshipteaching area.  If you think my avatar looks silly , you should see the fun things we do in the "Treehouse" on Sunday mornings!)

As I checked on my daughter's group, her small group leader commented, "Can I enroll my kid in your school?"  I must of looked a little confused (thinking, "But she doesn't go to a 'school' "), because she went on.

"You homeschool, right?  Your daughter is as smart as a whip!  My daughter is a first grader too, and she no where close to reading as well as your daughter is, nor can she spell like your DD can. Your daughter can spell words that amaze me and she has such neat handwriting.  Last week she was showing me places on the globe that I had no idea were even there!  She is the sweetest kid and I could just eat her up!"

That just warmed this mama's heart, and I was so glad she said it in front of my DD so she could get kudos and encouragement from someone besides Mommy & Daddy.  Looks like people are seeing the results of homeschooling and are impressed and are getting curious.  Perhaps if she mentions it again, I'll encourage her to think about opening up her own "school." 

Apr. 3, 2006
How We Use RC and Our "Typical" School Day

I got asked about the Robinson Curriculum, so I thought I would blog about it here.  Some people think that your kids are by themselves in front of the computer, and I thought that too at first.  But the more I looked into it and lurked on the yahoo RC group, the more I became convinced to try it.

It comes on 22 CDs. I got a GOOD deal on Ebay last summer. (There is also a similar program called A2.)  RC encourages them to learn how to be self-learners and not be dependent on a teacher -- I am more involved now than I will be when she is older, just due to her age and keeping her on track. But I do find that she will go at a faster pace at times than I thought she would for the week/month.  Plus her comprehension on so many levels has gone up.  (I think due to a combination of RC & Classical Conversations.)  In a nutshell, RC is stream-lined, easy to implementyet amazing results, K-12 for a low price, reusable and great e-group support.

RC has compiled great books and have scanned the original pages (A2 does not -- they have regular computer font much like Guttenburg).  I also glean ideas for books to read from A2's booklist and Keepers of The Faith, along with other booklists and catalogs, and them find the books on Guttenburg and other free e-book sites to print off.

RC is not like Switched on Schoolhouse where the kids are on the computer. (RC actually discourages computer & TV time.)  I just insert the appropriate RC disk number, find the book or worksheet, and print it off.  A big reason I bought RC was to save money, as it is a K-12 program -- I figured I would save LOTS of $$ in the long run, as we love books and our local library is lacking. I just print the books that we want to read that year off in advance and put them in 3-ring binders, or I hunt for them at garage sales or thrift stores really cheap. RC also have comprehension tests & vocabulary (both are great for test and SAT practice), grammar, spelling, penmanship, and flashcards for math, vocab, and phonics. For math, they encourage you to focus on having the student master their math facts (+,-, /, x) and then start on Saxon 54, but sometimes we do a little Math-U-See.  Science is included via the booklist, and we also do science for our Classical Conversations co-op, and we do nature studies here at home and pick up science and nature books from the library.

I like a good portion of RC's educational philosophy and find the course of study valuable, as well as the online RC group. It helps ground me, as sometimes there seems like "you could always do more" when you are homeschooling.  But by focusing on the 3 R's (takes about an hour or so at her age), we are free to focus on so much more and Abby is thriving. First we have bible time -- snuggle, read and discuss a chapter. Then math (Calculadder drill and flashcards). Then copywork/penmanship (bible verse, quote, a couple of sentences from a book, or her own orginal writing). Then reading (McGuffey reader &/or another book from our reading list). Then we do Classical Conversations (CC) or Konos anywhere from 2-4 times a week. She has also requested to start Spelling, which we do a few times a week after math.

We are done with all that by lunch if we don't dawdle. Then in her free time, she reads from the booklist and anything else we have around the house or library.  We can continue do KONOS or research something interesting that we are learning in CC.   We also do read-alouds, listen to books on tape, homeschool radio shows, nature study, crafts, science, games, or just relax and play, or do whatever the kids are interested in learning about. She probably has more interaction with her brother than if we were doing a packaged curriculum.

It is nice to say, "Abby, do your drill sheet and I'll time you, and then please go on the couch and do your stack of flashcards."  When she is done, she then does her copywork and then reads, sometimes aloud to me & Tyson, and sometimes in her head. During "RC" time, I can put in a load of laundry, do some chores or desk work,  play with or "teach" Tyson, all while keeping an eye on her & encouraging her and answering any questions, as we have an open floor plan.

Please note that we are VERY eclectic and use several parts RC, KONOS, Classical, and Charlotte Mason in our homeschool to fit our family's needs and we add different things at different times. ("Sounds" like a lot, but we are actually very relaxed and learn a lot without a lot of "extra book work.")  Konos is done occasionally & in the summer.  Classical Converstations is for two 12-week sessions during the fall and spring semesters, and gives us a way to learn drill and memorize LOTS of stuff in a very do-able fashion in 15 minutes or so a day.  We also school year-round and sometimes on Saturdays.  We also LOVE taking family trips and field trips.

A few good sights for more info on RC are:

https://home.comcast.net/~j.nodwell/homeschool/my_curriculum.htm

http://www.my.homewithgod.com/joyfullight/robinson.htm

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RobinsonUsers4Christ/

Mar. 24, 2006
Homeschooling the High Schooler

Lately on the Robinson Curriculum egroup that I lurk on, there has been a discussion about how to successfully homeschool your high schooler and questions about how to do your transcripts.  So imagine my surprise when I found out The Old Schoolhouse was asking for reviewers for another e-book they are putting out, titled "Homeschooling the High Schooler."

Even though my kids are no where near the high school age (being 6 & 2), I love reading all sorts of homeschooling information and gathering ideas, etc to use in our future homeschooling.  My husband and I are firm believers on knowing the facts so all the fears, "what ifs," and myths fade away, and all you are left with is truth and can then make the best decision for your family.  Being prepared and using the information around us to be well-planned and to create roadmaps for our family, helps grow us and our children into, we hope, the people God is molding us into being. 

After reading through this book, I highly recommend it for any parents who plan to homeschool their children through high school and those who are wondering if it's "doable."  I also plan, when that time rolls around, to have our kids read through it so they can be encouraged, empowered, and informed, so we can all sit down and discuss the plans for their futures and where they think God is leading them.

Nancy Carter, the Project Editor, gathered wise homeschooling parents (many whom you see in TOS and homeschool blogger) who have "gone before" and has filled it with encouragement, lots of how-to information, and many resources for parents and teens to glean from. 

Part One: "You Can Homeschool Through The High School Years!" contains chapters that get to the HEART of homeschooling (valuable for whatever age you are currently homeschooling), how to make it practical and look for opportunties along the way, and ends with some encouraging articles from homeschooled high schoolers themselves. 

Part Two:  "Options and Resources to Help You" shares how to do things such as the options you have on the high school journey, dual enrollment, how to deal with higher level math & sceinces (a concern on many homeschooling parents minds), and how to build your teens into effective communicators using the language arts.

Part Three:  "Preparing for the Future" covers the all-important transcripts, documentation, and diploma issues, how to convert extracurricular activities into credit courses, selecting a college, exploring apprenticeships, and how to grow your kids into entrepreneurs.

If you are considering homeschooling through high school, (whether Little Johnny is 17 or 7 right now) you will LOVE and appreciate this book.   

Jan. 29, 2006
TV as a Tool

Yes, TV can be your friend.  You just need to know, like every other tool, the appropriate way to use it. 

We don’t do a lot of TV (and have seen a lot of positives by decreasing the time we spend in front of it), but have enjoyed watching shows on the History, Biography, etc. channels.  They are a great way to supplement learning.  We tape them and then watch them later to help “bring things to life” (for us and DD now, along with DS in the future). 

As with everything, we’ve found you have to “watch” what you are watching –we are choosy about what we tape and even then occasionally some of the things they show/info they give needs fast-forwarded or leads to good discussions on worldviews, etc.

(My dad loves history & war information, so I’m also taping shows I think he will enjoy and will send him copies throughout the year, as they don’t have cable.  It’s a great “gift” and it lets him know I’m thinking of him.)

Discovery School  (commercial free from 5-6 am ET&PT)

http://school.discovery.com  (This is a great site, so make sure to browse through it)

History Channel Classroom Calendar  (commercial free from 6-7 am ET&PT)

http://www.historychannel.com/classroom/classcal/root.cgi?year=2006&month=2

Biography Classroom   (commercial free from 7-8 am ET&PT)

http://www.aetv.com/class/classcal/root.cgi

·    For History & Biography, click on the month desired.  I print them out and highlight the shows I want to tape that month.  The shows that are underlined have a link to study guides.  Some if it might be over little ones' heads, so we modify it to fit our needs. 

Jan. 8, 2006
What We Did to "Start" Homeschooling

This was the 2nd question I got asked via email by a new homeschooler starting out and I'm adding it to our blog...

"What did you do to "start" homeschooling? 

What curriculum did you use for younger ages?"

I think the main thing to do when you are starting out, is to "Read and Research" to see what you might think your philosophy will be and what curriculum(s) you may want to use to reach those goals.  (The library in Richmond had tons of books -- not so down here.)  I also subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse magazine and that helps keep me up-to-date, encouraged and informed, along with browsing homeschool websites and other moms' blogs, etc.

We "started" young, but didn't push.  I like your statement of "letting learning happen."   A group of 3-4 friends and I swapped "teaching" a-once-a-week preschool co-op we created for our kids in Richmond (DD was 3 & 4).  That got our feet wet.  I did buy cheap thick workbooks at Sam's/Walmart and got free resources and worksheets from the net for early math, handwriting readiness, reading readiness, etc.  We did "school" for about 15 to 30 minutes max./day.  Then we played a lot of games and read.   We did silly & fun stuff that made her learn without realizing it. 

DS (age 2.5) is already learning by "just living."  We also have a set of 8 flashcards that introduce shapes, colors, numbers, and letters that we did with DD and are doing with Tyson sometimes.  Also, everything can become a learning lesson:  counting and sorting toys, laundry, etc; cooking in the kitchen; finding answers to all of those wonderful questions your kids come up with -- if mommy is learning too, I think that is a VERY good sign. 

For reading, we do "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons."  Started DD at 4;  she didn't quite get it, so no big deal -- just stopped and reintroduced at 5.  She learned to read in a few months.  I really think this method has helped her attain her high reading level.  It's around $20, everything is in the book, and you sit with them on your lap and do a lesson, and then have them work on handwriting if you want.  Super easy and effective.

This is what we used for Kindergarten:
1.  Math-U-See Introduction
2.  100 Easy Lessons
3.  http://penmanship.donnayoung.org/ for handwriting, along with 100 Easy Lessons;  I also wrote using a highlighter on handwriting paper and had her copy that.
4.  KONOS
5.  Her interests -- trips to library, researching on internet, etc
6.  Occasional Nature Study

On a side, note Cindy Rushton has a great free on-line seminar that you might like to hear called "15 FUN and EASY Ideas for Making Homeschooling Great!":
http://members.audiogenerator.com/postcard/?3323308X1166

Jan. 7, 2006
Why We Started Homeschooling

I got asked this question today in an email, and thought I would also share it on our HS blog:

"Why did you start homeschooling?"

In a nutshell:

Because we wanted a strong family,

strong kids (in many areas),

and (for me) freedom in our day. 

So, what got me thinking about homeschooling, after being raised in an area where NOBODY did it?  When I married DH almost nine years ago, I saw how well his aunt & uncle did with their kids -- that they "normal" & yet also very smart, could talk to anybody, were (and still are) growing deep in their walk with God, and that they cared about more important things than most teenagers do.  Also that they loved and had close relationships with their parents and siblings.   They weren't perfect, but I was impressed.  (Especially after "hearing" from society that homeschoolers were an odd, socially-inept, strange bunch of people, it was really good for me to see the opposite first-hand.)

So, after living in the same neighborhood with them for 2 years and meeting more homeschoolers and seeing their results, I thought, "We can do this." 

I think we would say is the main priority for our family is to have, and to keep, our children's hearts, and to have them grow up into strong, godly, wise people.  We found the book "Keeping Our Children's Hearts" by the Maxwells very helpful in this area.  (www.titus2.com/ecommerce/products/prod_listing.php/1140 )

We also have gleaned a lot from the No Greater Joy Ministries and Vision Forum.  (http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/  and http://www.visionforum.com/)

I think it's hard to truly do this when they are gone 7-8 hours a day and have peers, etc pulling them in different directions, than the direction we as a family want to head in. 

We really want them to understand that God is first and HE is THE TRUTH.  I see parents trying to undo stuff that is not only taught at public schools, but also what they are exposed to when they are there.   It is a hard, up-hill battle for them.  Sadly, the same goes for some private schools.  There are times when I don't see much difference between public & private school kids' behaviors, mindsets, desire for worldly stuff, etc.  This goes for kids that are active in church as well.  (Hubby went to mostly private Christian schools growing up and could share a few things about this.)

(I know dear teachers who are Christians who have their hands tied -- I'm glad they are in PS system, but it's pretty sad, because at times it's hard for them to have any positive impact with the way things are in schools today.) 

I think everything comes down to this:  Who has your heart?  God, or the world?    Really, those are the only 2 options in life when you boil it down, and how you answer the question and live it out will impact the way you live your life.

I also want them to love learning, to learn HOW to learn, and to have them grown up to be life-long learners.  I like the Charlotte Mason philosphy in regards to this, as well as KONOS and points from the Robinson Curriculum.  We give them a strong foundation and let them know that they can do amazing things.   DH really expects them to not "meet" normal school standards, but to SURPASS them. 

As a bonus, we also can go WHENEVER we want.  We are not tied down to a school-year schedule and that gives us a lot of freedom and opens lots of doors for us.

Dec. 18, 2005
Hubby Found A Homeschool Find -- "The Bible Timeline"

Today we went shopping and ended up at Barnes and Noble.  DH found a great book called, "The Bible Timeline" by Thomas L. Robinson.  It was under $10 and has 16 fold-out accordian panels (so if we wanted to, we could remove it from the hardcover of the book and put it on the wall).  You can see what was going on at the same time in other parts of the world.  I wanted to pass it on, because we were really excited to find this, and it is cheaper than some other similar wall timelines I've seen.

The definition of features is as follows:

"It goes through bible history chronlogically, with Bible verse citing every event.  The panels are broken into five sections, each covering a different part of the world. The emphasis is, of course, on biblical events, with simultaneous events noted in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Mediterranean, and the World. In this way, the reader can clearly see what was occurring in other places at the same time as a particular biblical incident. The final section shows the period covered by each book of the Bible."