Homeschool Weekly Journal

Science Experiment: Erupting Volcano

2011-11-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

This year for science we are doing Earth Science. I picked a curriculum that was a little above my 2nd graders level and a little below my 8th graders level so that we could work together. Two days a week we do science together. Day one we learn about a topic like say 'Earthquakes' and Day three we do an experiment pertaining to the subject. Days two, four and five my older son does extended work: more reading, research and writing.

This past week the topic was Volcanoes. Our experiment was of course to build and erupt a volcano. I'll be honest with you; I've never actual done one of these before. I never had to do one in school and as science was my least favorite subject in school, I had no desire to build one of these in my free time. So armed with instructions and intuition, we went to work on it. The good thing is that my oldest son loves science and building. So I mixed up some homemade play-doh and let the boys put it together over a small water bottle. I then assisted in the mixing of the ingredients to bring about the eruption (outside of course). We had a great time! And I think we might do it again sometime.

Recipe for homemade Play-doh:

Mix 6 cups of flour, 2 cups of salt, 4 tablespoons of cooking oil, and 2 cups of water in a large bowl. This will make a volcano the size of ours as we used ALL the dough. If you want something larger you will have to double or triple the recipe.

Instructions to build an erupting Volcano:

small drink bottle
60 ml water
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/4 cup vinegar
orange or red food coloring
few drops of detergent

After building your volcano, let it sit overnight to harden. You can also use clay or other material of choice. We built ours on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. That made it easy to transport around as well as clean up. I advise you to do the eruption outside--just in case. Place water, soap, food coloring and vinegar into the drink bottle. Last you add the baking soda. The instructions we worked off of said to wrap the baking soda in tissue paper and then drop it into the bottle as the last step. I like this idea as it gives you a minute more to see the eruption take place. My advice would be to make sure the tissue paper is super thin to fit into the bottle. Then your volcano will erupt. Make sure to have your camera and video camera at the ready. Also, you can paint your volcano or decorate it to make it look like a real volcano with a city down below to be destroyed. Make it as fun as you like. We plan to make several adjustments when we repeat this experiment at some point in the future.

Workboxes Part 3: What's in them?

2011-10-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

To finish off this series on Sue Patrick's Workbox system, I'll share what we put in them.

My 2nd grader uses the workboxes in the traditional sense as the author originally proposed they be used. We have a shoe rack and 12 plastic boxes on it.

Box 1 contains his Bible and his Bible workbook and the teacher's edition.
Box 2 contains either materials for history or science (we alternate days--2 days history/2 days science)
Box 3 contains reading and phonics materials.
Box 4 is the snack box. There is a sticker on the front which says 'Snack'. Sometimes I even put a snack inside the box.
Box 5 contains Math U See materials including DVD, worksheet and blocks.
Box 6 contains handwriting book and Explode the Code pages.
Box 7 contains the books for First Language Lessons and Writing with Ease.
Box 8 is the 'Fun' or 'Activity' box. This would hold materials for what some call 'Stations'. There might be a Lego set, parts to a project like putting together a solar system mobile, puzzles, play-doh, educational games, wipe-off books. Really anything that you usually would not have time for during school year but wish you did. They take 20 minutes and then put it away. I include a timer.
Box 9 is the 'Lunch' box. We usually get done before lunch and so skip this box but just in case we have a slow day we can take a break and eat some lunch before finishing our last subjects.
Box 10 contains 'seat work'. I give my youngest a little bit of busy work because a.) he likes it and b.) it gives him something to do when I can't work with him at that moment. I put in what he needs for our math fact program and worksheets from an old 1st grade math book and Phonics book.
Box 11 contains whatever Read-Aloud book we are reading.
Box 12 contains instructions or materials for elective classes. Right now that is Typing and Latin.

This is what we are using in the workboxes this year. I hope it has been of help to those of you thinking about using the system. It has been a real godsend this year. We have been productive. The kids have been less whiny about their work because they know what they have to do and want to get done with the last box. Most of all they are becoming independent workers.

Workboxes Part 2: How We Use Them

2011-09-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

Last time when I wrote about the Workbox system, I shared my decision to use it and where I went for information in understanding the system. Today I am going share how I implemented the system into our homeschool.

After doing much research, I had all kinds of possibilities circulating in my head about how I could put this theory into practice. I went to the store with ideas of what I hoped to find to use for my workboxes. To be honest I really couldn't find anything that would work without spending lots of money. So I decided for my oldest to use magazine holders and place them on his bookshelf in his bedroom. I had several plastic magazine holders of different sizes. I bought a set of the thick cardboard bankers boxes to give him a total of 12 boxes.

For the younger one, I followed Sue Patrick's advice to the tee about how to set up the workboxes. Up in my attic, I had a shoe rack that holds 12 plastic boxes. I only had to buy four more boxes which were $1 each at Walmart. So this ended up costing me very little money. Now for those of you with limited space and several students, I can see why you would chose something else. I had a spot for one show rack in our school room.

One of the resources at The Comprehensive Workbox site (post at the bottom of the page) had the little labels, charts and numbers created for you in bright colors. All you have to do is print them out on a color printer, laminate them and cut them out. Then get some of those small round velcro pieces (avaliable at Walmart in the sewing area). Put the bottom portion of the velcro on each box and on their chart. The top part of the velcro on the numbers. Each morning the numbers start on the box and when the box is completed, the number is transferred to the chart.

Each evening, I try to fill their boxes for the day. Now I have already completed daily lesson plans for the entire year. On a clipboard, I have taken the first page from each subject (it covers 6 weeks of school) for each child. Then I just have to carry around the clipboard. It also makes it easy to fill their boxes as I flip the page and see what needs to go in each box.

When a student completes a box during the day, he removes the number on the box and puts it on his chart which I have attached to a cabinet beside his desk. Then if he has a finished loose paper, it goes into the tray. Otherwise, the books go back into the box. More than likely we will need them again tomorrow. Now Sue Patrick suggests having a large tub and putting everything from the boxes completed through the day into the tub and stacking the boxes themselves together. Then when you refill the box for tomorrow you have everything there. To me it was more of a time saver to leave the boxes on the shelf and put the books and supplies back in the box.

We have been using the Workbox System for four weeks now and I have to say for both my 2nd grader and my 8th grader it has been a huge success. I chose to use this system for a couple of reasons. I am already a planner. So this wasn't about getting me organized and teaching more with ease. For us, this system works because it gets everything together we need for the day in each subject ahead of time, so we are saving time. The boys are working more independently in certain subjects which is a goal we have. They are able to skip to other subjects when mom is working with brother instead of waiting around when mom is free. For my oldest son, it has encouraged him to get up early and start school an hour before breakfast on his own thereby finishing school earlier.

Next time, I'll share what we put in the boxes.

A Walk Around the Neighborhood

2011-09-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

It has been really hard to get the boys out into the fresh air lately between our busy schedule, 100 degree weather and then an earthquake followed soon by a hurricane. We have had some crazy weather in the last month here in North Carolina.

However, I did get them out of doors a few days ago to enjoy the temperate weather recently. I've got some great pictures to share with you.

Here is the view from the end of our driveway. Yes, for my friends in CA, this is a residential neighborhood. There are homes hidden back among those trees.

Here is a view of the other side of the driveway.

These are the trees in the middle of our front yard.

Here is our house in summer. We feel like we live in the woods. There are just so many trees around us. ;)

This is our side yard.

More of the side yard.

A view of the backyard while standing on the driveway. Our property goes back for at least 1/2 an acre more beyond the tree line but I never go there this time of year. Too many creatures to be found.

Our front yard.

Trees in the front close up.

And now it's raining in NC again. Our yard still hasn't been cleaned up from the hurricane. Maybe later this week. Never a dull moment weather-wise around here. Hopefully I can get the boys out again for another walk soon.

Sue Patrick Workbox System--The Beginning

2011-08-31T04:48:00.000-07:00

Somehow summer vacation has faded into the sunset. As it has for many of you, the beginning of our school year has arrived. Lesson plans have been made, curriculum purchased (or created), supplies acquired, and our school area organized. It was about six days until our scheduled first day of school that I had this wild idea to implement the Sue Patrick Workbox system into our school. Now I live in North Carolina very close to where the creator of this system, Sue Patrick, lives. I’ve heard those in our homeschool support group talk about using the workbox system. In fact, Sue was at our bookfair this past July and gave several seminars explaining her system, but I was unable to attend the seminars. In fact, I didn’t even think I was that interested in her system at the time.

I believe what started it all was trying to figure out how to get my oldest son organized and able to work in a bit more streamlined fashion while communicating to him what he should be working on independently. I had purchased a planner for him. I tried writing out what he needed to do on a daily basis and it just wasn’t working for me. Hmm,what to do? Time was running out before our start date. Then while cleaning up the school room, I came to the goody bag from the bookfair and again reviewed the materials from Sue Patrick. It got me thinking. Hmm, maybe...

In short, what is the workbox system? The workbox system as developed by Sue Patrick is a way of setting up your school and going through all your work in an organized way with your subjects broken down into easily accomplished tasks. Everything needed for each assignment/subject is placed in one plastic shoebox/workbox and the student works through each box until he is done for the day. I’ll go into more detail in the next blog.

The first thing I did was visit Sue’s website. http://www.workboxsystem.com/ It gives you some basic information on what the whole workbox system is all about and ordering information for her book which explains everything fully. In purchasing it, you are also allowed to log into her website for free downloads which are helpful in setting up your own workboxes. Well, I knew I didn’t have time to read her book. I wanted to have everything set up in the next couple days. Thank goodness for the homeschool blogosphere. (I am planning to attend a seminar later this month and buy the book eventually.)

I began searching blogs. Homeschool moms who blog are wonderful. They want to share what they’ve learned and share pictures. This was especially helpful in figuring out the practical side of setting up the workbox system in our own home. How could I feasibly put this together in a matter of days for low cost in the space we had? Well, with the inspiration in these blogs I came up an idea that works for both my 8th grader and my 2nd grader.

If you are considering the Workbox system, I would advise you to look at some blogs too. Here is a great place to start. https://docs.google.com/View?docID=dwstdgn_447mphsmf8&revision=_latest&pli=1 This is a collection of blogs explaining the workbox system and how it worked for them. This page also has some downloads made by homeschool moms to use with the system. Very helpful!

Next Time--I’ll share how we implemented the system into our school.

Math-u-See: Curriculum Review

2011-08-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

In our family we’ve had a real journey when it comes to the study of mathematics. We’ve used not one but six math programs in the seven years that we’ve homeschooled. Now let me open by explaining that I taught middle school math for three years in the Christian school. I’ve taught very bright students and those that struggle. Here I’m going to give you a little history so you will understand the relief at finding a math curriculum which finally worked for us. You might find yourself understand exactly our circumstance.

Our Mathematical History:

In our first year of homeschooling, I bought the complete 1^st grade Abeka curriculum. By the end of the second semester, we realized it just wasn’t working. So we switched to Alpha Omega LifePacs Math. In 2^nd grade, we used Horizons Math and that seemed to be an okay fit for us. In third grade, I put my son on Bob Jones DVD school for all subjects. He did very well. We did it again in 4^th grade and I could see him needing me more and more especially in math. For 5^th grade, I went back to teaching him all subjects and we tried Abeka for math only since that is what I taught in the Christian school. The year went satisfactorily, but I knew he was struggling. There were days we had tears and math would take a couple hours. In sixth grade, we started the year with Teaching Textbooks. That lasted a semester. He absolutely hated it. So we stopped and he just studied math facts for all operations while I tried to figure out what to use next. That’s when I investigated Math-u-See.

Basics of Math-U-See:

Math-U-See was created by former math teacher, Steve Demme. It works well with all learning styles at all levels of math learning from the struggling student to the advanced. Math-u-See is mastery based vs. spiral. That means that in each level there is a focus covered in each book. The levels are set up as follows:

Primer (which is an introduction to mathematics. It is best suited for Pre-kindergarten to kindergarten level students.)

Alpha (simple addition and subtraction)

Beta (advanced addition and subtraction)

Gamma (multiplication)

Delta (division)

Epsilon (fractions)

Zeta (decimals and percents)

That covers the Elementary levels of Math.Then there are the usual high level math classes:

Pre-algebra

Algebra I

Algebra II

Geometry

Pre-calculus

Calculus

Stewardship

The elementary levels being set up as mastery can be used at different grades levels depending on the math level of the student. For example, a fifth grader would typically be in Epsilon, but a struggling ninth grader might be using it as well. There are no grades assigned to each level.

The Math-u-See system utilizes blocks in all levels of math even through the high school levels. These are very important and really make the Math-u-See experience different than other math programs. Most of us moms, dads and teachers were taught how to do math but not the whys about math. We were taught to think of math in an abstract manner. With this program students are taught to know the whys about math and with the blocks they learn math in a concrete way and then move into the abstract. It makes math much more understandable and (even more) it takes math concepts and rules and allows them to make sense so that memorization is not really necessary.

Teaching DVDs are included with the Teachers Manual. The idea is for the teacher to watch the DVDs and allow Mr. Demme to teach you the system of Math-u-See so that you can then teach your children. However, if you have children in the 3^rd grade or above, it is completely acceptable to have them watch the DVDs with you and then you can go through the lesson together. If you have an even younger child who learns well through listening or watching, then you can view the DVDs together as well. They are a great learning tool.

Our personal experience:

I decided to give Math-u-See a try after a couple weeks of searching through other math programs. We decided to put our sixth grader into the Alpha level which can normally be used in the first grade. He moved through Alpha quickly starting in February and finishing it in April. Math now took us 20 to 30 minutes a day. He was not only finishing quicker but understanding more fully—really understanding how math works. He could now do mental math—figuring out computation in his head. The addition and subtractions facts were learned. Then we skipped to the Gamma level which teaches multiplication. He finished it that summer. This past year in seventh grade, he completed Delta (division) and Epsilon (fractions). This summer before 8^th grade, we have been going through the Zeta book—decimals and percents. We should finish just in time to start the new school year and pre-Algebra, putting him on track for grade level. That’s a lot of math in 18 months. This past year I put my 1^st grader into Alpha. He is much more math minded than my older son, but he still did great with Math-u-See. No tears here.

Advice in using math u see:

Math-u-See books are divided into 30 lessons with a test after every lesson, four unit tests divided through the level and a final exam. Within each lesson, there are seven pages to be completed (A-F plus test). Do you need to complete all those math pages? Absolutely not. Pages A-C cover the same new material. Pages D-F are called systematic review and include the new lesson material as well as review material. With my younger son, we did math only four days a week. We viewed the lesson on Monday and did the A paper. Tuesday we did the B paper, Wednesday we moved to the D paper and Thursday he took the test. If I found that he needed more review, we could take another day to do so. My older son who was moving through the lower levels at a much quicker pace might do the Lesson and A paper on one day, the D paper the next and the test the third day. Then we started the next lesson. This is all to say that you, the parent and teacher, can decide how much time you need to take for each lesson.

Make sure to purchse the blocks (both sets). They are imperative to this math system and used through all the levels. There are other manipulatives used in the upper elementary levels which can also be purchased to demonstrate those concrete methods of teaching things like fractions and decimals which we adults never had as students.

One other thing is that it is very easy to purchase used Math-u-See items and to sell your used items. Look for a local place to sell used curriculum or there are several online places to buy and sell including a special Math-u-See Yahoo group.

Visit the website to learn more about Math-U-See http://www.mathusee.com/ . There are video segments to watch and sample pages to view from the books.

Tomorrow is Fresh with No Mistakes...

2011-07-21T04:30:00.000-07:00

The Good ‘Ole Summer Time. Time for refreshing watermelon, lazy days on the beach and even the sound of the cicadas. Summer is also when many homeschool teachers are preparing for the next school year. (Although, it is tempting to just relax on that beach.) During this period, when things slow down a bit is the best time to evaluate the previous year. What worked and what didn’t. It’s easy to become frustrated, disillusioned and even fearful when the school year didn’t meet expectations. Questions fill your head: ‘Am I doing a good job, are my kids learning, have we done enough, should I put them into a traditional school next year?’

First of all, take a deep breath. Exhale. All teachers have doubts in themselves whether they teach in a traditional school or a homeschool. Life happens. Maybe you had a baby this year; discovered one of your children had a learning disability or a serious illness; had a death in the family or experienced a move. All of these things and many more reasons can disrupt the whole flow of your school year. I repeat…Breathe.

I love that line from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery: ‘Tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it (yet).’ That really is something you have to internalize as you evaluate your previous year. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If last year didn’t go as planned…get in line. We’ve all been there. But in being a homeschooler we have flexibility on when and what we teach. If you didn’t get as much history or grammar in this year, then that can be a focus in the next year. If you plan to homeschool through high school, you have plenty of time to get everything covered. Even if you only plan to stay home one more year, that is still one more year to address the areas that need special care.

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First, make a list of everything that worked well. Those are the things you will most likely stay with next year. If your 1^st grader did well in one particular phonics program then you should stay with it. If, on the other hand, it didn’t work; you may need to search for something different.

Then make a list of those things that didn’t work for you. Those are the areas that you need to make a change in. Talk with friends in your homeschool support group. More than likely they will have ideas for you to check out. Visit some of the online homeschool curriculum groups. Post a question. No doubt you will get lots of advice and help.

After that, put together some yearly goals specific to each child. This doesn’t just have to cover academics but also spiritual, emotional and social aspects as well. If you have goals you are more likely to reach some or all of them. When you just have a vague notion in your head, it may stay just that…vague and wishful but not concrete and affecting your school.

Next, consider which subjects you will cover. Did you have too many topics to cover everyday so that you didn’t have enough time to tackle the hard or struggling subjects? Maybe you didn’t cover enough subjects. Asses which exact subjects you wish to cover with each child and try to combine the grades together as much as you can if you have multiple children.

Plan. As much as you can, plan out your days. Give your older ones a list of all they need to finish for the day. This keeps them on task with a goal to attain. The more you plan, the more of a chance you have of actually fulfilling your yearly goals.

Finally, think about your schedule. Sometimes life gets in the way day after day and that should be a clue that your schedule isn’t working. If you have younger and older children, schedule the older ones to work on independent work while you work with the younger ones in reading. And keep in mind that the schedule which worked during the 1^st quarter may not be what you need nine weeks later, so adjust and change as needed.

Tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it. It’s a lovely thought isn’t it? Of course, what we do each day does affect tomorrow; but we can’t get bogged down by yesterdays and what ifs. Instead, we have to keep learning and assessing for the future.

Beginning Narration with Aesop's Fables

2010-11-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

If you've been involved in the homeschooling movement for any amount of time I am sure you've learned about the idea of narration as a teaching tool or should I say a learning tool.

I don't want to go into a whole description of narration today. That could be an article all by itself. Simply stated oral narration is just saying back what someone else just read to you or you read yourself. Oral narration can be utilized in children ages 5 and up but starting in 1st grade is best.

This fall quarter, I decided to start my 1st grade son in some narration by reading Aesop's Fables. I would read at least one story to him a day. At least 2 or three times a week, I would ask him to tell the story back to me and I would write it out in a notebook for him. I got one of those primary journal notebooks that has lines on the bottom half of the page and blank space on the top half. That way we could record his narration and he could then draw a picture of the story. Occasionally, I would just ask him what is something we learned from this story and I would write in on the white board and he would record the moral of the story in his notebook in his own handwriting.

We finished our book of Aesop and now have several pages of narration recorded. It is a step toward learning to narrate which is a terrific skill to learn as your children devlop. Teaching this skill at age 5-7 is much easier than even 10-12. Aesop's Fables are quite short and simple stories making them simple for your early narrating student to learn these important narration skills.

Teaching Writing with The Hobbit

2010-11-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

I know the idea isn't novel (Ha!) but yes I am teaching writing while using the Tolkein novel, The Hobbit. My 7th grade son really does enjoy Lord of the Rings. The movies and the online game. He's never read any of the books because I just didn't think he was ready for them. Well, this year in planning his curriculum I thought reading the Hobbit would be a great way to start his junior high study of Literature.

My son does enjoy reading. He loves to orally retell things he reads and watches, but when it comes to writing it down it's like pulling out hairs. In fact I've had suspicions that he might even have some kind of non-verbal learning disability.

In preparing this unit on the Hobbit, I thought it would be great to learn the hero's journey. My son has taken well to that and has easily made comparisons to other books and movies as they progress through the hero's journey. I also have included in our study that he keep a Hobbit Journal as though he is Bilbo. So after reading each chapter he sits down at his computer and adds to his Hobbit Journal writing in first person of what has happened to him. I thought he'd hate it. I figured he'd despise reading the book even because that meant he'd have to write.

Well, thank God I was wrong. He's been loving this one hundred percent. And the writing pieces he's been creating have been outstanding. Exactly at grade level when previously his writing has been much below grade level. It just goes to show that when a student is excited about an assignment that they do so much better. This has also shown me that he can write and do it well.

He is keeping track of the hero's journey as he progresses through The Hobbit and he's been keeping notes on specifics in the book for each part of the journey. He will be writing a short paper in comparing the hero's journey in The Hobbit.

We have been having a terrific time reading this book and delving deeper into writing. I look forward to more literature this year as we continue through the seventh grade.

Analytical Grammar: Curriculum Review

2010-10-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Whenever I hear about a new curriculum that sounds interesting, I go ahead and check it out. I was on a homeschool curriculum review yahoo group when I first heard about Analytical Grammar. I went ahead and visited their website. First of all I have to say that they have a terrific website and I encourage everyone to stop over there. It is comprehensive and informative. They have some excellent videos which explain their program extensively. Be sure to take the time to view those. The Analytical Grammar curriculum is meant for grades 6 and up.

The program was written by an experienced English teacher who created the curriculum while still teaching. She adjusted the course over the years as she experiment with her students. It is a well tested program, you can't deny that.

The idea of this program is that grammar is not a subject which needs to be taught every day and every week of the school year. It is knowledge that can be learned and then you can move on and use that information in your writing. They have broken down the grammar instruction into three seasons. That can be taught over three years, two years or even one year as necessary. Year One takes ten weeks, Year Two takes seven weeks and Year Three takes seventeen weeks. To learn more specifics of the program visit their website. It is on the pricey side as it cost nearly $100. That includes the teacher and student binders. The good news is that you can use it for the next three years.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
As I learned more and more about this program, it looked like a perfect fit for my upcoming seventh grade student. He has always been a good grammar student, grasping grammatical concepts as early as 2nd grade that I wished many of my eighth grade students had so easily understood. In the 5th grade, we used EASY GRAMMAR and had an intensive year of grammar. He did terrific and it gave him a strong background in grammar. In the 6th grade, we focused a great deal on his special needs in math. Therefore, grammar took a backseat. I felt that we had covered so much the previous year that we should place our attention on the subject needing it.

Before purchasing the program, I contacted the company. I discovered that they were local to where I lived and I wondered if I could purchase the materials from them directly and avoid the shipping costs. They were great in responding to my question and even sent me to a local retailer where I could buy it.

The Fall came and I started my son in Analytical Grammar with much excitement, but after that very first day I felt disappointed . Not so much in the curriculum as in my son. He seemed to have forgotten so much of what we had previously learned and I couldn't understand why. After a week I decided maybe he just needed to review some things. I took out the 5th grade Easy Grammar book and reviewed prepositions. He did super! We went back to AG for another week. He did better but I still felt he was struggling with the material. And I realized why.

The material and the idea of the program is great. I don't doubt that when we come back to it that my son will thrive. AND WE WILL COME BACK TO IT. But at this time, it has just been a little confusing to him. The reason is because the sentences used from the very first lesson are very complicated. They use phrases, clauses, infinitives and so on. Usually when you begin a study in the parts of speech the sentences gradually become more and more complex as the student progresses. I know this because I taught 8th grade English in the traditional classroom.

If your student has a thorough grasp of grammar--parts of speech, phrases and clauses--then he or she will do well with the program. If, however, your student is shaky in grammar or needs a good review, it might be better to start with something simpler. I am currently using the 8th grade Abeka book with my 7th grader and he's doing terrific. I hope that at the semester or next year that we can switch back to the AG. I do belive it has merit in the idea behind it. I probably would have started with simplier sentences in the beginning myself, but I am sure they have their reasons behind why it was designed that way. Next year I hope to review this program again having gained more experience with it.

Learning with BBC Sherlock

2010-10-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Coming home from church last night, I knew I wanted to make it in time to watch Mystery Classic on PBS. They were airing the first (Study in Pink) in a series of three movies from BBC's Sherlock staring Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson. In this incarnation of Holmes, the plot takes place in the 21st century. Same Holmes, same type of fascinating cases and the same consulting detective exploits of observation and deduction.

What does all this have to do with homeschooling and learning? Well, the last couple weeks we've been studying the hero's journey and also certain literary terms. For example, hero, protagonist, antagonist, villain, etc...

While watching this program with my 7th grade son, the conversation began concerning who was the hero vs protagonist of the story. He said it seemed to be that Watson was the protagonist since the story followed him but of course Holmes is the hero. I have to say that I agree. It was great to see that he made a connection between what we've been learning in school with a story outside of the classroom.

Socialization & Burning Out

2010-10-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

When the topic of homeschooling comes up amongst those who have very little experience and knowledge of the homeschool movement, the issue of socialization will inevitably come up. WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION??

I'll be honest that in the years that I've homeschooled I have not incorporated enough social activities. That's not from lack of opportunity but from motivation on my part. Since moving to North Carolina, I became a published author and things got busy and crazy at my house. Is that an excuse--well, sort of. So, this year I decided to rectify that situation.

I signed up for several activities for both of my children. Field trips, park days, skating, bowling, etc...My oldest is taking band. The youngest is in Cub scouts. Then there is church. We had it covered. We were socializing!

The problem was we were socializing too much. By the weekend, I was burned out and I had schoolwork to look over and file. I had new lesson plans to write out and supplies to buy. When did I have time to breathe--let alone write?

Socialization is never a problem when homeschooling. The real problem is picking just a few activities and sticking to it. What I did is give each of my boys one long term activity that takes place weekly and then the occasional activity only one a week or every other week. It's enough to keep them involved without burning out.

When the socialization question comes up--remember to think about who you want socializing your children. Is it really important to have peers socialize your child? Just how long will your child be a child and an adolescent? And how long will he be an adult? Having your children learn to interact with kids and adults of all ages is much better for them in the long run. Gaining the ability to converse and interact with adults will prepare them more for life. And that's really what we are trying to do here--Train Up A Child In The Way He Should Go...Prov. 22:6

The Comeback of the One-Room schoolhouse

2010-09-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

As another summer comes to an end and fall lingers just around the corner, all teachers both at home or in the traditional classroom are faced with the daunting task of going back to school. This year our homeschool like many others had reached a point of growth when I had more than one child needing my attention. And the question I asked myself, as so many others have asked, ‘How can I do this?’

I spent months during the previous spring reading and researching on the topic, and I kept coming back to the same idea whether from talking to fellow homeschoolers, or reading articles and books on the subject—The One-Room Schoolhouse.

Really there is nothing cutting edge about this idea. It’s as old as American education—next to homeschooling that is. I just had to figure out a way to format my homeschool into the old fashioned one-roomed school house. Over a hundred and fifty years ago, the common method of schooling took place in a one-roomed schoolhouse. President Herbert Hoover, Alan B. Shepherd the first American in space and even Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales were all educated in a one-roomed school house. Obviously, they went on to achieve much. The practice must have its merits.

The main tenant of the one-room school house is to have all your children in one place and educate them all at once. That means you can schedule certain subjects like Bible, History, Science and even handwriting together. Then you schedule other subjects separately but in a way that keeps everyone busy. For instance, my oldest son does math on his own using a DVD system. While he’s busy with that, I teach my younger son phonics and reading. When I’m holding spelling lessons with one, the younger one is looking at a library book on his desk or using the chalkboard to phonetically spell words he’d read that week in his reading book.

For me, the main problem with teaching two children simultaneously is that my sons are six years apart. How do you teach a first grader at the same time as a seventh grader? The answer—careful planning. Luckily for me, middle school is my forte. I taught it for several years before deciding to stay home and homeschool my own kids. Six years later, here I am teaching my own son those same history lessons.

Many homeschooling families have come up against this dilemma—how do I homeschool multiple children? In fact, most of the families I’ve interacted with have three, six, nine children at home. What many of them end up doing is combining subjects and grades as much as they can and just adjusting the work for each level. They have older ones working with the younger ones. This not only frees you up to work with other children, but it also ensures that your older child really does understand the information as well as instructs your younger child. It’s a win-win.

If you’ve found that you are running around the house from child to child and are exhausted at the end of the day, the kids hate school and are working far too many hours the answer might be to set up your own one-roomed school house. In the end I found my kids loved it, I loved it and God is blessing our school.

Sick Days ~ Flexibility

2010-09-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Well, we started our new school year very well and had a phenomenal first week. My 7th grade son was actually sick with a sore throat when we started, but I knew we had to get going. He ended up handling it well. The problem was that as we started our second week that I'd caught his sickness. I probably should have taken it slow and rested. It's my school after all, I can have a sick day if I want to. But I couldn't do that. It's only the 2nd week. There is no time for sick days!

I toughed it out and by Thursday I felt miserable. I gave the boys Friday off from school and made an appointment to see the doctor. That's when I found out I had a touch of bronchitis. No wonder I felt so terrible. I've been on antibiotics for about 20 hours now and feeling improved. Today I did nothing but sleep and rest. Hope I can get some lesson planning done tomorrow. We have to have school on Monday, right??

The thing with homeschooling is that the world is your oyster. Whatever you want to do, you can within means. I'd decided at the beginning of the year that my mantra would be 'FLEXIBILITY.' You see, I came into this homeschooling thing from the viewpoint of a traditional school teacher. It's taken me time, but I now see our time educating as different from just school at home. It's a whole different kind of learning and teaching style. It's a philosophy of how you view schooling and learning. Sometimes my training of the past, rears it's ugly head and gets me into a whole lot of trouble. Flexibility is a grand idea, isn't it? I need to infuse our school with flexibility so that we have a fun time learning but that learning still takes place.

Next week, we will have school, but I won't be so worried about my schedule and if we get everything done that I planned. Learning at home is a way of life. As we live, breathe, read a book, add numbers, write our names, bake a cake and wash clothes--we are learning.

How I Became a Homeschooler

2010-09-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl I said I wanted to be a teacher ‘just like mommy.’ As I grew older the desire to teach increased. In my teen years, I planned to get my PhD in history and teach college level and write fiction on the side.

To be honest, my reality came very close to that dream. I'm now a published author, I gained my degree in history and I started teaching middle school shortly after college. Several years later, I had a son in kindergarten, I was teaching 8th grade at a large Christian school and I was pregnant with son #2.

I faced a dilemma at the end of that year. Should I go back to work and put my baby in childcare or stay home? Well, to be honest, the decision was an easy one. My older son had struggled in kindergarten--not academically--but socially and emotionally. He needed a break and more one on one time. Besides, I really didn't want to send my baby off to be raised by someone else.

So I decided to try homeschooling for a year. My mom, who was also a teacher, had stayed home with my brothers and sisters for one year and did the homeschooling thing. I could do it too.

That first year, I learned a lot about homeschooling and even teaching. At the end of the year, we decided to homeschool again for ONE MORE YEAR. We did that for four years. Finally in year five, I realized we were probably going to be doing this for awhile. In fact, my oldest son told me last year in sixth grade that he wanted to do this all the way through high school. So I went to a seminar for homeschooling in high school and read some books. We are in it for the long haul now.

Last fall, my baby boy started kindergarten and that meant teaching two kids. I just keep learning, changing and adjusting. It's been a great six years. Son #1 is halfway through to graduation. I can't wait.

First Week

2010-09-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not summer is over and it's time to get back into the swing of school. We actually started school last week and I have it say it was the best first day and first week we have had in six years as we start this seventh year of homeschooling.

Both my children were dreading school...well maybe thats too harsh a take on thier impression. Needless to say, they were not looking forward to the first day. I asked them both (at 12 and 6 years old) to try to have a more positive attitude as we moved into our school year. The 12 y/o said he would try and I knew the 6 y/o would follow his lead. Well, lo and behold we had a great day, the new schedule worked beautifully and three days later the 6 y/o told me he liked school. Wow! I was just blown away. This was the same kid that ran away and hid whenever I even mentioned school to him. Praise the Lord! We had a blessed week and I am looking forward to another great year learning at home.

By the way, the 7th grader told me by the middle of the week--"If this the way school is going to be all year, I can handle it." Now that's positive feedback.

First Day on the Blog

2010-09-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

Although this is not my first day homeschooling, this is my first homeschooling blog. I hope to record my experiences and keep track of where I am with this blog. This is my 7th year of homeschooling. (Prior to being a homeschooling mom, I taught middle school .) I have a 7th grader and a 1st grader. So this year I am not only teaching the oldest but the young one too. Like every year, I am trying new things, new curriculums, new schedules. Hopefully we'll hit a winner one day. :)