yarns of the heart

Homeschooling Meets Miss Frizzle in the Ultimate Field Trip Series

2009-11-06T10:48:00.016-06:00

Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley contacted me about reviewing a new book series called Wright on Time, about the RV-traveling, homeschooling Wright family of four. She said she'd send me a free book (the first one about Arizona) if I'd review it for her. I liked the concept, so I said yes, and I must say, I love her book!

First impressions are everything when it comes to kids and getting them interested in something, so the way a book LOOKS is very important. Lisa found a great illustrator in Tanja Bauerle. The cover is colorful and fun. But as a mom and a teacher, the two pages that precede the text are awesome! Tanya has pencil drawings of Arizona's state bird, flower, mammal, fossil, insect, and gemstone, plus a topographical drawing of the state. I'd like to see that in a coloring page!

Then we begin the chapter book. The 76 pages are easy enough for a young reader, and mature enough for mom or dad to read aloud. I really like the "teaching" that goes on incognito. The kids learn all about caves and their inhabitants (animal and mineral) as they explore, and I like the more difficult vocabulary words sprinkled in and the glossary in back. The mom and dad are active partners in learning and do a great job modeling homeschooling in an unschooling sort of way. Anything in this book would be a good jumping-off point for more study.

Plus there's a mysterious object they find buried in the cave wall and mention of their next adventure in Utah at a dinosaur dig. My kids loved books in series, and I know they would have really been into this one. I'd say the best ages for these books are 6-12. Book 2 about exploring Utah is coming out soon.

One thing you left out Lisa. How does the Wright family support themselves as they explore the US in an RV? I know there are plenty of us out there who'd love to try it. :)

How to Prepare a High School Transcript for Homeschoolers

2009-10-27T16:38:00.007-05:00

Here is an excellent resource that will answer most of your questions. In my boiled down style, here you go:

1. Assume your child will go to college.

2. Find out what high school courses colleges in your state require for admission. Just do an internet search for a nearby college and check their admissions pages.

3. On a practice transcript copy, write out those courses over the four years. If a college says they want four years of English, call your high school courses English I, English II, English III and English IV.

4. Every year, make sure your student is doing things and reading material that correspond to those required courses. Keep notes and a file folder full of proof.

5. Your child will be doing much more than the required courses, and those will be "electives" or extra courses that every high school offers. To get ideas for what to call those courses, check out public high school websites. They often have a course catalog online. Here's an example from a small town near us. Giving public school names to your homeschooling classes makes things easier on your admissions officer.

6. Give normal A, B, C grades. See the resource I linked to at the beginning for a very helpful explanation of grading and assigning credit.

7. Keep each semester to six or seven classes. That's the normal load. Our local public school has seven class periods, and a student can take study hall, so that's really six classes.

8. Any learning or time spent on useful things that goes beyond the six or seven transcript-able classes should be listed as extra curricular activities. It's amazing how long this can be. Think through any volunteer work, pay job, music classes, sports, clubs, obsessions...

9. And don't forget to take the ACT and/or the SAT. You can take them as many times as you want, beginning at any age. Every SAT score will be sent to colleges, but you get to pick which ACT score to send, so keep that in mind. Also, some schools will limit how long a score is valid. In other words, they probably won't accept a score your child got five years ago. Here's the ACT site, and here's the SAT site. You can pick your testing location, sign up, and pay online.

That's all I can think of right now! Homeschooling high school can be a lot of fun, giving your child a chance to explore and mature without all the high school drama. :)

My transcript blank is here.

Applying for College

2009-10-23T09:15:00.008-05:00

Meg is a senior in high school and has been homeschooled since kindergarten. This picture is an example of her work in Culinary Arts class. She loves to cook, and our local high school has a class with that name, so that's what we call it. :) I've written a lot about her, so check the sidebar to get more articles about Meg. She's our second child and very artsy. She learned to read later than most kids (around age 10) and is drawn to theater, singing, dancing, and art of any kind. We all assumed she'd get into college with her musical theatre resume (which is quite impressive), but she's decided to go another route.

Last year she audited a college course called Lifespan Human Development and just loved it. It made her see that helping people is what she really wants to do with her life, maybe even becoming a counselor. She's had enough theatre experience her four years of high school to realize it's not the world she wants to live in. That's one good thing about unschooling--you can let your child dive into her interests until she's sick of it or at least has a realistic view to make informed choices for her future.

I did some research into possible college options. My husband is employed by a state university, so we get tuition breaks at a handful of colleges if he gets rehired each year. Among those colleges, one of them had a minimum ACT score for homeschoolers (Northern Illinois University), so that one was out. But the other three were still possibilities. The one here in our hometown had the best major, perfectly suited to her interests, so even though she would LOVE to move to another city, she agreed to apply. I got online and saw that they were encourging kids to apply by mid October. Yikes! I looked at her transcript, updated everything, had her fill out their two page online application, and within just a few days, we had all the paper work in.

I was amazed at how little they required: a transcript with GPA and ACT score, a list of extra curricular activities, plus the online application. That was it! I was prepared to show them samples of her work through the years, along with book lists, etc, but was hoping I wouldn't have to get it all out. :)

We also included a letter of recommendation that was not required, but since she is homeschooled, I thought it might be a good idea. Meg approached the teacher of that college course she took last year and received a wonderful recommendation. Because Meg had written a small paper, taken a test, and participated in class, the teacher had a sense of Meg's ability to handle a college class.

After just a couple weeks, she received an acceptance letter! We are thrilled.

This has all worked out well for us because it means Meg can live at home and save some money. But since she also wants more independence, we're going to create an apartment in the basement of our church/house. You know we live in a 100 year old church, right?

Here's the transcript form we used. For her extracurricular activities, I organized them by year and typed it on a Word document. Just start making lists every month or two, and keep reminders of their activities (certificates, newpaper clippings, photos) in a file folder for each high school year. That will make the job easier in the end.

Home School High School Transcript

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Have you taken the survey?

2009-10-22T09:28:00.003-05:00

My friend over at The Stone Age Techie has been conducting a survey of homeschoolers. Over the past six months she's gotten great responses from all over the world, but she's wrapping it up at the end of October, hoping to top the 100-respondents mark. She'll compile the info and write a paper about why families homeschool. Read more about it here in her post.

I'm looking forward to seeing how trends are changing and what people are thinking these days. Thanks for doing this, Karen!

Foreign Language Requirements for College

2009-09-18T09:52:00.002-05:00

We are still waiting for certain soap supplies to arrive, so our adventures in soap making are on hold at the moment. Today I'm thinking through what college Meg is interested in and what major she is considering. Even though she has been pursuing a pretty arts-heavy curriculum, she is seriously considering Consumer and Family Science. That's a major at our local college that prepares kids for careers in social work, counseling, etc. It sounds like a very good fit for her, and she can still try out for musicals and take theatre as an elective.

Anyway, looking at the admissions requirements, I think she has a pretty good chance at being accepted. Looking at the courses required for graduation, I think she will love it. But they have a foreign language requirement, and I wonder what is going to happen there. She has studied American Sign Language pretty intensively, and I wonder if they will accept that or make her take Spanish or something before she graduates. I know she won't be too thrilled about that.

I did a little online research and found this list of US colleges that accept ASL to fulfill their foreign language requirement. It might be a good idea to include the list with her transcript.

For those of you still early in your homeschooling, keep this in mind. It would be good to have your kids study a foreign language during their high school years so you can put it on their transcripts. You can always hire a tutor or buy a curriculum or let them take it at the public high school. Any recommendations out there? The earlier you start the better because, as we all know, young kids are expert language learners. Do as much as you can before they hit puberty and their high school studying will be so much easier.

Peter has had to take a foreign language in college, but he likes that sort of stuff. He's taking German. So that's the conclusion: if your child does not have at least two years of foreign language study before he gets to college, he'll just have to take it when he gets there. And I hear rumblings of requiring four years of high school foreign language, so who knows what the requirements will be when your kids are ready.

There. My thoughts for today.

Making Soap is Chemistry Class

2009-09-07T13:11:00.008-05:00

What have we been up to? Well, Melissa is busy in public high school, getting a touch of girl clique backlash this week. Some girls were mad because she was spending too much time with someone out of the group. She was very surprised at how immature they all were. And they, in return, were surprise at how she didn't cave to their intimidation. Go Missa!

Peter is still enjoying his summer break in Chicago. Classes resume in a couple weeks.

Now onto Meg. We ordered some wonderful soap from a friend on etsy named autumnoak. Meg smelled this heavenly stuff and said, "I want to learn how to make soap!" That has always been in the back of my mind as a perfect chemistry class for her, so I jumped at the idea and started searching the internet for info. I found these great videos on youtube:

basic ingredients for making lye soap

basic equipment needed

the soap making process

chemistry of soap, not too techincal

dangers of lye

troubleshooting--very good

using soapcalc.com to make your own recipes

how to line the mold with freezer paper

another soap maker's slide show, uses a downspout for a mold

handling lye safely

commercial soap making

So now we are in the research-and-gather-materials stage. Any soap makers out there with advice?

Pets Welcome at School

2009-08-27T10:20:00.007-05:00

The other day Meg was watching her Teaching Company lectures with her bunny. As I walked through the room, I stopped and said, "How many high school seniors can bring their bunnies to psychology class?" She smiled and said, "Only one."

She is really loving these DVDs, by the way. Her favorites are Psychology of Human Behavior and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Teaching Company lectures are given by college professors, and we've used many of them over the years. Some are better than others, and the prices are high unless you wait for them to go on sale. But overall, they are great because they expose your high schooler to what a college lecture will be like. Meg is taking notes and pausing the DVD when she needs to write something down. I told her to try to take notes without pausing because that's what real life is like. But there is also value in pausing and getting a good handle on the material. That will make it easier for her when she encounters the same topic in college. I suggested she try to take notes on a lecture without stopping about once a week, just for note-taking practice, but she can always go back and listen to it again.

Because I love The Teaching Company so much, and because we use them and I write about them, I got into their affiliate program. So, if you click on this Teaching Company link and end up buying something from them, they will send me a small percentage of your purchase. Just thought you should know. :)

I don't buy lectures unless my kids ask for them and are really interested in the topic. Meg is considering going into psychology as a career, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art lecture will go along with a visit to New York in the Spring. Senior trip!

MIT also has college lectures online for free. That's a wonderful resource. Check them out too. Here's the link.

And Peter reminded me about UC Berkley's free online lectures here.

picture: The fluff ball at the other end of the couch is our little Maltese dog. Yes, she's a full grown runt.

And so it begins...

2009-08-20T20:40:00.005-05:00

Another school year is upon us. Now I realize that unschoolers don't really start school at any particular time because learning never stops or starts and life goes on seamlessly from one season to the next. But, we also live in a culture where SCHOOL STARTS IN AUGUST. It's impossible to miss if you ever leave your house to go shopping. Back to School sales, school buses...etc. So my kids and I began to see August or September as a time of new beginnings. I would usually think through all their interests and needs, and come up with ways to mesh the two. Maybe they needed to sign up for a class here or there, or take lessons, or audition for a play. August has always been a time of reassessment and planning.

Melissa has now started her second year of public high school (they start really early around here) and Meg is facing her last year of homeschool. Peter is in Chicago, waiting for the end of September when his second year of college begins. Melissa is doing great. She's running with the cross country team and taking classes all day. Meg is a little bored. She had a wonderfully busy summer, working at our local theatre, running spotlights and working with costumes. But that just ended, and she's taking one class at the high school (choir) and that's about it!

Well, that's not exactly true. Like I said, it's the season of new beginnings. Meg is my only homeschooled child at the moment, and here is what we have lined up:

*She's working through a consumer math textbook.
*She's watching two DVDs from The Teaching Company. One is an introductory course on psychology, and the other is a guided tour through the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. That last one is turning out to be a survey of world history through art. I imagine having a great senior trip to NYC to visit the museum!
*She'll be reading The Grapes of Wrath (I just gave it to her today after she asked for some literature to read).
*She'll be volunteering at our local Crisis Pregnancy Center after she gets her application and references together. She's very excited about this because she's considering being a counselor someday, and they'll train her to have interaction with the clients.
*She's in the high school choir and their girls A Capella group that practices twice a week.
*She'll soon be taking dance lessons and preparing for the Spring musical.
*Other things we haven't thought of yet.

So Meg is in transition, and even though she has a lot lined up, not everything has fully started yet. That's OK. It's good to learn how to handle life during the boring times. Things will get busy soon enough.

Twenty Years Ago Today...

2009-08-11T20:47:00.010-05:00

...I had a baby boy. His name is Peter and he grew up to be a very nice young man. I really can't believe it was that long ago. And today is the first time I have not been with him on his birthday. I can feel tears well up and I push them aside. It is the first of many birthdays that I'll share with him over the telephone. His sister Melissa and I called this morning and sang "Happy Birthday" to him like my dad did for me every birthday we were apart. It's a bitter sweet rite of passage, I suppose. He's a grown man and I still see him as my little boy. I'm glad he still calls me mommy. Happy Birthday, Peter.

pictures: Peter (3 months old) with Dad, and Peter's 7th birthday with a Buzz Lightyear DQ cake. Yum!

More about Quest Bridge

2009-08-10T19:06:00.001-05:00

Here's more about Quest Bridge, the organization that helped Peter get his scholarship to college. It's a powerpoint.

Quest Bridge Power Point

How Peter Got a Full Ride Scholarship

2009-08-05T08:58:00.013-05:00

Just yesterday I was thinking back to what I was doing last August, and it dawned on me that I should tell you more about QuestBridge in time for you to apply this year. We heard of them through a mailing, I think, and it looked interesting, but we set it aside. Then a couple of months later, Peter came bounding down the stairs and said, "I really think we should try this." He'd been researching Questbridge online and it seemed like a good fit for him. They are looking for "outstanding low-income students" who want to go to Ivy League type schools on full four-year scholarships. see profile of last year's recipient's income levels and other factors

The application process is completely free and is basically transcripts, letters of recommendation, and essay questions. Peter had very high SAT and ACT scores but his transcript grades were just Pass/Fail. I liked this process because it allowed Peter to explain his schooling and show who he really is. The application deadline is September 30. click here for how to apply

He had to choose eight schools from their list and rank them in order of preference. QuestBridge then looked over his application, and since he made it through their screening, they passed his info on to the schools of his choice (with no application fees). If his number one school accepted him, he'd get a full ride. If not, maybe his number two pick would take him, and so on down the list. You have to go to the first school that accepts you, so your list of preferences has to be well thought out. His first choice was the University of Chicago, and it is known for taking brainy, quirky kids, and that's him. It's the perfect place for him, and he loves it.

Here's a quote from the QuestBridge website:

The QuestBridge College Match process pairs outstanding low-income students with early admission and full four-year scholarships to top-ranked colleges.

Students participating in the College Match process complete one application by September 30 and use it to apply early to up to 8 of QuestBridge's 25 partner colleges, ranking the schools in order of preference. The rankings are binding (with the exception of MIT, Notre Dame, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale); students must attend the school highest on their ranking list that also admits them. Please see the College Match Process page for details.
Last year, 260 QuestBridge applicants who participated in the College Match process were selected as College Match scholarship recipients, gaining admission and full scholarships to our partner colleges.

If you decide to apply to colleges through QuestBridge, make copies of everything before you mail. Then, if you don't make it through all the screening processes, you will have a lot of paperwork ready to apply the good old fashioned way. This is an early admission process, and if you don't get a QuestBridge scholarship, they let you know as soon as possible, giving you plenty of time to apply to colleges on your own.

If you decide to apply through QuestBridge this year and need some advice, just leave a comment here. :)

Be sure to see my post Homeschoolers and College Scholarships.

Here are the transcript forms I used for Peter:

Home School High School Transcript

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High School Extracurricular Activities Template

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Carnival of Unschooled Life

2009-08-01T14:20:00.004-05:00

There's a new blog carnival out there for unschoolers. This is a great way to get inspiration from others who are doing it. Since it's new, there's lots of room for writers, so think about contributing a blog post next month. Go check it out at The Expanding Life.

What am I doing?

2009-07-28T16:55:00.006-05:00

It had to happen eventually. I'm learning to tweet. I signed up for Twitter yesterday and I'm trying my darnedest to figure the thing out. I'm there as midwestfinds. That's the name of our etsy.com store. Oh, that's the other thing I'm doing. You know us unschoolers...one thing leads to another until we're submerged in something enthralling.

Just a couple days after I started my blog break, my husband came home from a garage sale with a box of canning jars. Some of them were old and interesting, so we looked them up online and discovered there is a whole world of collecting and selling fruit jars. The lady at the garage sale was selling a bunch cheap, so we decided to go for it. Being the practical person that I am, I figured that even if we couldn't sell these things, they are useful for life and survival, and we live in a really big place, so we have plenty of storage.

A few days later was our 24th wedding anniversary, so we spent the day driving through little towns between here and St. Louis, stopping at antique stores, looking for more jars. Before I knew it, we were practically experts on Ball jars and we opened MidwestFinds on etsy.

Our etsy store has been so much more successful than I imagined. It seems Ball jars are all the rage these days, especially for weddings. So that's been really fun. I spend my mornings cleaning jars, and Bernard packs the boxes, getting them ready to ship by 3pm when the UPS man shows up at Ace Hardware.

I've started a blog about our etsy shop, so if you want to know more, head on over. I'd love to get some comments. I think I only have two so far. :)

The kids are all really busy and hardly need mom at all, so this little business has been great for my transition. Melissa went to Mexico for 10 days and stayed with a family who takes care of children in need. Now she's running with the track team everyday and spending time with friends. Meg has been working at the theatre, running the spot lights and doing costume things. Peter is living in Chicago all summer, working a part time job and doing lots of reading. He ended his first year at the U of Chicago with straight A's and is looking forward to classes starting up again in September. He came home for a week and got stocked up on groceries and new clothes. :)

Just wanted to catch you all up on things. Hope your summer is going great.

Outtakes:

She's Still Got It

2009-05-23T18:57:00.012-05:00

I thought I'd wrap this year up in my last post, but Melissa still had a couple weeks of school left, so I should have known there would be more to share.

While I was in Brazil, Melissa reconnected with her love of law enforcement. She and her dad went to a book store where she got a criminology book called The Gift of Fear. She read it every spare moment. One day her teacher said, "Melissa, this is English. Put down the book." The irony is not lost on any of us.

Her math teacher noticed how much she was reading, looked at the book and said, "Are you really a fifteen-year-old girl?"

During P.E., they have been going to a nearby putt-putt golf course, so Melissa would bring her book, but leave it on the picnic table. One day her teacher noticed the book wasn't there because she had forgotten it. "But I was almost done!" Now she's borrowing it so she can read it anytime she wants.

"Whenever I get really interested in something, it's hard to sit in class. It's all I can think about, and I just want to get home." Ah, yes.

She made her bedroom a command center. She now has a police scanner and a map of our city above her desk. And since the police chief's office doesn't have clothes laying all over the floor, her room got cleaned up nicely. As she was going through her desk drawers, she found an FBI pin she had once bought online, all her old police/spy supplies, and some tickets she had issued to family members over the years.

"It's a good thing I was homeschooled. I had time to really focus and do fun stuff." That makes me feel good because it's been a hard year, letting go and letting her go to school. Oh, and by the way, she was the only person in her English class who knew the difference between "to," "two," and "too." Her teacher has stopped calling on her because "I know Melissa knows all this stuff. I want to hear from someone else."

Tonight, as we walked to the car from the grocery store, she noticed the brown paper bags we were carrying. She said, "You now, these bags would make great treasure maps. You could cut them open and draw a map..."

"then crinkle them up..." I add.

"then burn the edges. Yep, I still got it."

pictures: Missa around age seven and going to prom this Spring

Let's Wrap it Up

2009-05-13T06:35:00.009-05:00

The school year is coming to a close and I've decided to put my blog aside for awhile. But to tie up some loose ends, here you go:

Melissa has loved her freshman year at the public high school. She got straight A's first semester, and with only about 10 days left, she's got solid A's in every class. She played basketball and was on the track team. She sees the problems with the traditional school system, but she's willing to "play the game" and so far, I see that it's working for her. This summer she'll go back to Mexico for a couple weeks.

Meg will probably take some community college classes next fall as she enters her senior year of high school. This will give her some general education courses to take with her to college. She is still undecided about a major, but it will probably have something to do with theater.

Peter is finishing up his first year at the University of Chicago. It's been a wonderful year and I couldn't be happier for him. He plans to stay up there this summer and to keep working with the public school system. His ultimate goal is to be a professor of history or philosophy or the history of philosophy and science, or...He should be the one blogging!

Keep in touch. You can talk to me by leaving a comment or emailing. I'll always take questions, so feel free. And don't be surprised if I post once in awhile. I love talking about education!

Back from Brazil

2009-05-09T17:41:00.006-05:00

Just a couple days ago, Meg and I returned from Brazil. Here she is in the historic part of Sao Luis in Northeastern Brazil (my kind of field trip!). We traveled with four other ladies from our church and visited a missionary couple we know there. As part of our trip, Meg got to sing to a few hundred people, and we provided a children's program while the moms were in seminars.

I was very impressed with Brazil. They have so much more going for them than the people of India (my main point of reference for life outside the US). I saw no homeless, no begging children, and no roaming cows. They even have garbage pick up! But there is still a lot of poverty and a real need for better education in all areas. We were thrilled to get to go on this trip and do what little we did.

Now I'm back home, playing catch up in several areas. Thanks, Duska, for taking care of the give away while I was gone. I missed you all.

We Have a Winner!

2009-04-18T23:26:00.009-05:00

Congratulations to Micah for winning our Mother's Day give away from Persimmon Lane! You will be contacted right away to make arrangements for the delivery of your goodies!

Thank you to all of you for your thoughtful comments....some truly lovely sentiments about motherhood! The winner was chosen randomly from among all of our participants. We hope you enjoyed being part of our giveaway...perhaps we'll do another one very soon!

A happy Mother's Day to you all!
Duska (for Jena in her absence!)

A Mother's Day Giveaway

2009-04-18T22:45:00.015-05:00

I will be away from my blog for awhile because Meg and I are going on a trip together. I'll tell you more when I get back. So as I pack and head out, I want to leave you with something fun--A Mother's Day Giveaway!

My friend Duska has just opened an etsy shop called Persimmon Lane. So as a way to introduce her and to give me something fun to do on my blog, here you go. To enter, leave a comment about motherhood. That's it! And of course you don't have to be a mom to comment.

On Saturday April 24, at midnight, we'll pick a winner with the random number picker, counting down from the first comment.

How will we contact the winner? Blogger doesn't automatically capture your email address, so you'll either have to leave it in your comment or have it available through your profile page. Or you can check back here, and if you win, you can email me with your mailing address (yarnsoftheheart@gmail.com).

Here's how she describes the giveaway:

In this giveaway, you will receive three items. First, a lovely milk glass dish with a pedestal and scalloped design. It is filled with a fun collection of "button babies." There is a mix of both shell and acrylic buttons with no holes. These were purchased at a sale including items from a former button manufacturer. They are great for display, and they also make fun game pieces or math tools for your schooling projects.

Second, I'm including a delicate handmade doily with cutwork. Very pretty. Last, but certainly not least, is a 1929 edition of Little Women. Don't you love to read from old books....it just adds to the charm of the story!

Yes, button babies and Little Women! I'd go for just those. The button things without holes are amazing. They're smooth, cool and weighty. Nice and tactile.

So there you go. Leave a comment and good luck! And visit Duska's shop to see what she has. We live next door to each other, and I must say, she has treasure over there! She's always adding new things, so check back often.

Homeschooling for Free: Science Links

2009-04-17T09:57:00.007-05:00

Every Friday I get The Scout Report from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. This week they highlighted the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Here's how they describe it:

Created by science teachers for science teachers, the Teacher Institute Podcasts are five-minute podcasts that give educators science facts, science history, and pedagogy tips for new teachers. The podcasts are hosted by the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and support for the project comes from the National Science Foundation, The Noyce Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and others. Visitors can browse through the podcast series, and they will find thoughtful and fun suggestions on how to make a straw oboe, how to better manage the classroom, and how to build a Brazilian instrument called the cuica. Also, visitors can read up on the Teacher's Institute's summer institute program for science educators and also sign up to receive new podcasts via iTunes or RSS.

After some poking around, I found these useful pages on their site:

hands on activities

more hands on activities they call "snacks"

They have short pod casts and webcasts, so you can watch the science demonstrations. I think these would be fun, easy-to-do activities as a family or for a child on his own. If you have an interest in a particular area, say weather, just look for what they might have on that topic.

Also, check out Topsy Techie's Friday's Hardwired Hints. Every Friday she gives us links to great places around the Internet.

It really is possible to completely homeschool your child for free just using the wealth of the Internet. Do you have any favorite links to science places on the net?

Education Observations from My Teenagers

2009-04-16T15:34:00.005-05:00

Our public school district allows homeschoolers to take classes if we notify them by May 1 of the previous school year. So with that deadline coming up, I asked Meg what classes she'd like to take next year. She said she just wanted choir again.

"But this is your last year. Maybe you feel like you've missed out and want to be able to say you experienced more of high school." She has brought that up in the past.

"No," she said. "Everyone hates high school." I just had to laugh. She hangs out with public school kids, so it no longer holds its magic. Last night she went to their musical practice. Because she's not a full timer, she can't be in their musical, but she is the assistant choreographer, and she loves it. She came home just glowing. She told me how she gave various people pointers and explained a dance or two. Everyone was very appreciative, and she beamed, "I feel so smart in theater!" That was a very telling comment, because Meg could not read until she was 10, and academic things have always been a struggle for her. When she was little she'd cry that she just wanted to be "smart." Well, I think she's found her place in the world. She loves theater, and she's realizing she likes behind-the-scenes work even more than being on stage. She'd love to direct. So now we're thinking about which college would have a major for her.

Yesterday I got an email from a friend asking how to prepare her 8th grade homeschooled son for math in a public high school. I told her to shore up his elementary math foundation (multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, percents) and maybe introduce him to pre-Algebra. That's what I did with Melissa. She went into Algebra 1 and is doing great--A's so far. When I told Melissa about it, she said, "He'll have no problem. It's easy. They dumb everything down in high school." And a few nights ago, she said, "The days just fly by in school. I don't learn anything, but they sure go fast!" Great. But at least she's having fun, right?

Peter has also been thinking a lot about education this week. He helps out in a fourth grade classroom and went to a political meeting about education in Chicago. He called me as he walked home, and he had some very interesting observations. I asked him to write a post for me. Let's see if he gets around to it. :)

Psst...today is StoneAgeTechie's birthday. Go wish her a happy one.

A Survey for Home Educators

2009-04-14T07:30:00.003-05:00

Why do you homeschool? Is it for the educational excellence, the values education, the religious training, the sleeping-in? Karen at Stone Age Techie wants to survey as many homeschooling families as possible and compile the information for us all. She says, "I believe that schooled children will benefit from our stories, because we homeschoolers show every day that education must be shaped to fit the child, and not the other way around. If we can be open about why and how we educate our children, then we give hope and strength to non-homeschooling families everywhere. We are saying, loud and clear, that there's more to life than school, and many ways to become educated." Read the whole post here.

To get the survey (you can stay anonymous if you want), email her at whywehs@yahoo.com. And you can put the Why Do You Homeschool? button on your blog to encourage your friends to chime in. Here's the code. Just copy and paste into a post or your sidebar.

If your friends don't have a blog or don't read blogs, you can still pass on the info through your homeschooling email list.

Thank you!

Quality Control in the Homeschool

2009-04-13T09:57:00.007-05:00

Jamie from SteadyMom.com has been asking me some great questions and I have been so distracted around here that I haven't been answering. But no more! Today I begin on her questions.

Here's the first one:

I wonder if you could address how you handled the issues of Quality Control in your homeschool. So in areas like books, television, and video games for example, how did you make sure that your children were playing, watching, reading, etc good quality materials? Or did you? I have young children, but definitely want to steer them toward well-constructed materials when they are ready to choose their own. Did you let your kids pick out anything from the library, or did you try to direct them? Did you censor their tv watching and the type of video games they had, or was it whatever they wanted?

We don't have cable, but our kids watch DVDs from Netflix that I choose. They don't use the computer at all yet or any video games, and I'm happy to keep it that way for a while (they are only 5, 4, and 3). And I choose the majority of the books we read (although they pick some out from the library as well). I want them to have more freedom as they get older, but also maintain the high quality of materials.

I think you are doing a great job. As parents we try to choose nutritious food, healthy relationships, and a rich educational environment for our kids. That's just natural. And the younger they are, the easier it is to maintain all this. Like you, I tried as long as I could to keep things the way I like it. I wanted to lay a good foundation for them, giving them a taste for the "finer things," so to speak, so that when they got older and were making their own choices, they'd have a point of reference. I let them pick out library books, and I brought home my own picks. We didn't have cable, and their video choices had to be approved. But generally, we stayed in the children's section of the library, so there were hardly any disputes.

If you have cable and your kids are stuck on watching a lot of TV, just try to entice them with interesting things, or have a limit on the daily TV time. We even had a TV free week once in awhile that ended with a big reward. That helped them see that there is life beyond sitting in front of the thing all day. If they're interested in video games, buy them really fun games that you approve of. There are tons of great ones, and if they are getting their fill with the good stuff, they'll be less likely to acquire a taste for the ones you'd rather they avoid.

And don't forget that plain old play is quality education. Your kids don't have to be doing something "educational" all the time. We'd go days without purposeful reading. It's the climate, not the day to day weather that defines your homeschool.

The topic of "censoring" in the unschooling world is an interesting one. Some people think we should let our children choose everything. And I can see their point, but based on what I just said, you can see that I think it's OK to censor, especially in the young years. And now that I have teenagers and one in college, I get to express my opinion, and because my kids respect me and we all want to maintain good relationships, they often don't choose something that will completely freak mom out. For example, during Peter's last Halloween at home, he wanted to be a vampire. OK, I know there are vampires all over the media, but considering Peter has never been anything more daring than a cowboy for Halloween, I was a little uncomfortable with the idea. So I said, "How about you save the vampire idea for next year when you're away at college and I won't know about it?" He laughed and decided to be something else.

As kids get older, you really can't censor as much as your mother's heart would like. We can say no (and I do about what I think is truly dangerous), but that won't stop them from doing what they want. So, in the young years, before they are teenagers, do all you can to show them how fun and rewarding learning can be. Give them a taste for good literature, open discussion, and lots of love and acceptance. Communicate your belief that they can do anything they love to do. Give them time to play and discover who they really are. Build that mutual respect and open communication. It's priceless.

Hope that answered your question. Jamie has a couple more questions that I'll post about this week. But enough for now. I thought of some related posts as I wrote this...

Related Posts

Capturing Your Child's Heart
The Power of Play
When it Looks Like They're Not Learning
Motivating a Child to Learn
Setting Boundaries for Kids
Saying No to Your Kids
The Bare Minimum
Facing Resistance from Your Kids

Free Dover Activities

2009-04-09T11:25:00.008-05:00

Well, I 'm a little busy today and wasn't going to post anything, but in my email I had a link to free Dover samples, and just had to share. If you click this link you'll get to this week's samples. I especially liked the first one: cupcake coloring page and recipe. They also have dinosaurs and mermaids and how to draw birds, among other things. All great stuff to capture someone's interest.

Happy Easter to everyone. We'll be going to my mother-in-law's house for dinner after church. She lives in a little town about an hour away. Our first Easter without Peter! I should send him a care package of candy next week when everything goes on sale. :)

If that link expires, you can see lots of Dover coloring book samples here.

Spring Musical Time

2009-04-07T10:51:00.012-05:00

It's Spring Musical time around here. Meg and Missa are both in Willy Wonka, Jr. at our local theatre. Meg is the candyman/narrator, and Melissa is Mrs. Bucket, Charlie's mom. It's been a great show. This week they are doing school shows, which means kids come in for field trips. And since they are during the day, Missa has to miss some of her public schooling. That makes life a little more complicated, but it's working out OK.

Meg and Missa both get to wear wigs in this show.

Yesterday there were no shows to do (today there are two!), so Meg and I got to celebrate our birthday. Yes, 17 years ago I spent my birthday in labor. At first I wasn't too sure I wanted to share my birthday, but as time goes on, I see how special it is. I tell her she's my favorite birthday present, and because of her, I've had a princess birthday party every year! We just figured out that on my 50th, she'll be 21. We'll have to plan something spectacular.

Raising a Future Leader

2009-04-01T08:45:00.003-05:00

Spending a week with two three-year-olds reminded me of a few things. Oh, and they're not twins. One is adopted from China. During the waiting period, my friend got pregnant and the girls were born about six weeks apart.

As we went through the week, I relived my days with Meg. One of those little girls, Lena, reminds me so much of my fiery, dramatic middle child. Lena could go from screaming frustration to giggles in about five seconds. And she was IN CHARGE. She knew what everybody should be doing and if they weren't doing it right, you'd hear about it.

So after a couple days, Lesley said she wanted to know more about how I've been parenting Meg, hoping it would help with Lena.

Three things came to mind:

1. Work on self-control. If she can stop screaming for three seconds, reward her. Praise her every time she holds back from hitting someone. And as she gets older, talk about how to do things differently next time someone crosses her, planning ahead as you go into volatile situations. We had weekly get-togethers with other families when Meg was 9 or 10, and inevitably, the boys would not let the girls play football or something, and it would always be me pulling Meg off some whimpering boy. Yes, she is tough. But let me say, she has matured tremendously. This Christmas we got her a CD player for her car, but a part was missing, so she wasn't able to use it for a few days. When I said how sorry I was about this, she said, "That's OK. Meg is a lot more patient than she used to be." :)

2. Give her opportunities to lead. She wants to be in charge, and she's good at it, so give her a chance as much as you can. Churches are always looking for older kids to help out in classes or VBS, and there are usually volunteering opportunities in the community. Or if she wants to start a business, let her. It just helps to let that leadership tendency out and not stay bottled up inside. In the process she'll learn a lot about herself and how to deal with other people in a positive way. I like this quote from Booker T. Washington: Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him and let him know that you trust him.

3. Maintain a good relationship with her. Over the years, this will be very important. She has to know that you love her and trust her and believe in her. Right now she's screaming because she's not getting her way. Later she'll have a car and be able to drive away and the consequences can be life-changing. Do everything you can to be someone she's willing to talk to so you can always be there to help her think through things and make wise choices.

All this works best when you spend a lot of time with your child, being there for the "teachable moments," developing a consistently positive relationship. Homeschooling, right?

Related

Capturing Your Child's Heart