The Monthly Chat


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Printable bits of wisdom, ideas, and reflections for your friends and
homeschool group, from the members of HomeschoolClassifieds.com
Opinions expressed are those of the individual authors.
©1997-2009 HomeschoolClassifieds.com, Knoxville, TN

 
Lang arts: readers/literature
Learning with Literature

I want to share with you a technique I use with my children that has worked wonders for our family. I call it Learning with Literature. There are study guides out there that will help you with this, but I do not use them (I'm a confirmed tightwad).
Let's say your children want to read Swiss Family Robinson. The first thing we do when beginning a book is to determine the time in history the story takes place. We ask ourselves how long ago that was, what else was going on at that time and then maybe place a marker on our timeline. The second thing is to determine the location. Where in the world did the Robinson family come from? Where did their ship wreck? Marking these places on a map gives the children a sense of geography. They always want to see where this is in relation to where we live and ask how far away that is or how long would it take us to get there...by car, by plane, by boat. If your children are older, you can take this even farther with social studies of the other location. If the location in the story changes, as in the travels of the Ingalls family in the Little House series, we will of course follow their travels on our map.
The Swiss Family Robinson is loaded with vocabulary words. This lends itself to word study and spelling. It is also loaded with the names of animals and plants and the uses and habitats of each. There are also many, many character lessons in this classic.
Currently, we are reading the Jungle Doctor series. Because there are so many volumes (19, I believe) in the series, we have had ample opportunity for African culture study. Many tribal words are used in these books which have given my young ones an introduction to a foreign language. We have even caught ourselves using some of the words of exclamation around the house. Because the books are based on actual happenings in the life of a true man, we have also enjoyed researching the doctor's life as he truly lived.
Give it a try. Interacting with your stories, instead of just reading them, opens a lot of doors of exploration.
cjalex

Other
Insomnia is good for ...

Reading!! Of course start with the Bible and work your way through the good ole book stack. I can't remember another time in my life that I have read so much! Ladies, does the insomnia go with menopause? Thanks. anna
pockets
 
Reference: general
Anna’s Favorite Homeschool Web Sites

www.hslda.org Public home school
www.chec.org Colorado state organization
www.donnayoung.org “getting started source”
www.faceschool.org Private school with home school
www.nheri.org Research org w/home schl
www.crosswalk.com/homeschool articles, encouragement
www.menus4moms.com Home school mom writes this
www.christianbook.com one of my “go-to” vendors
www.homeschoolclassifieds.com of course! buy, sell bks
www.cathyduffyreviews.com tons of info, curricula, books
www.Biblegateway.com Bible, study tools, etc

Don’t forget! www.google.com I under-utilized this in the beginning. Use discernment here! Free curricula, tips, ideas, etc!

You are going to do great as a wife, mother and teacher! Know that you can teach your children! Know your savior and know the “why”for you in extending your role in your child(ren)’s life. Be unified with your husband. Email me! amrounds@juno.com I am happy to help! Most importantly, Deut 6: 1-8, John 3:16,
pockets

Marriage & parenting
Being R. E. A. L.

I just went to a workshop at a used book sale where the speaker was tellling us to be R.E.A.L. Here are some of the notes I took. R=Relationships. Most importantly with God. Then your husband. Take time out for him even/especially when things are crazy. Then kids. E=Expectations. Be real about our expectations. Are they what God wants or what we want? A=Attitude. STOP AND SAVOR TODAY-BE THANKFUL FOR THE THINGS IN IT. Even if they seem ordinary or very hard to get through. L=Limits. We all have limits. Money, time, family size, etc. Remember yours and don't over commit in ANY area of your life.
colossians
 
Lang arts: readers/literature
Excellent Teen Girl Reads

This summer, my daughter read a few books that I think are worth mentioning.
As a teen girl is so easily influenced by the world, media, and peers, the book ''A Young Woman's Guide to Making Right Choices'' by Elizabeth George helps direct them in the right way. Would be excellent as a mother-daughter Bible study.
''Before You Meet Prince Charming'' by Sarah Mally is my daughter's favorite book. It deals with courtship vs. dating, premature 'love' (a.k.a. crushes) and many other romance-related issues in a sisterly way. Some will find this book too conservative, but it's overall message will make it applicable to all!
''Do Hard Things'' by Alex and Brett Harris is not only great for teen girls, but for guys and parents, too. This is a VERY motivating book! The Harris twins debunkify the myths of adolesence and clear away the lies that the teen years are a goof around time. The message is simple and clear, but very relevant and moving.
''Lies Young Women Believe'' by Dannah Gresh and Nancy Leigh DeMoss. This is a book for older teen ladies as it is very descriptive about the lies girls get caught up in. It takes you right to scripture and exposes the lies and replaces them with truth.
My daughter is always hungry for more books to devour- she loves to read- so I may have more recommendations in the future.
gr8_n_mighty

Bible & Spiritual growth
A Word of Encouragement

I remember the early days of homeschooling, the struggles to teach each child their lessons, keep house, and care for husband, babies, and toddlers. My prayer for my children was that: 1. They would know God personally. 2. They would know God's calling on their lives. and 3. We as parents would equip them to fulfill their callings. We learned that school skills can be added later, but character is formed at a very early age.

Eighteen years of homeschooling later, we have wonderful children, ones we love to be with and others enjoy as well. We weren't perfect parents (are there any?), but we tried to set a good example, apologized when we made mistakes, and talked about things as they came up. Even after weathering difficult circumstances leading to the tragedy of divorce, the love among our four children was evident to others.

So, take heart as you prepare for a new school year. If God is the head of your school, your children will learn the most important lessons. If He is the Lord of your lives, He will bless you with all that is needful. I pray that you have grace and strength for the long haul, in Christ Alone.
jgirlmn
 
Homeschool helps
Home School Co-Ops

There are many home school co-ops to choose from, but which one will meet my families needs and are they worth the effort?

First, write out your core values and decide if the group will help you toward your family home school goals.

Second, decide and write down how you will monitor whether or not your goals are being met.

Lastly, do not become frustrated by the trials that come along with meeting together with other families. These trials are there to help you and your children grow into the image of Christ. These ''real life'' opportunities give you and your children a platform of life lessons whereby your children will see you live out truths like: ''Love covers a multitude of sins,'' ''Slow to anger, slow to speak, and quick to listen,'' ''In everything give thanks,'' and other truths that prove we are, ''Walking by faith and not by sight.''

So, begin writing out your simple home school philosophy, see how the co-op will or will not meet your goals, decide on how you will monitor your success, and look for opportunities to bless others and in turn you will bless your children for eternity!
gardengal

Handwriting
Blessings of Cursive

My question was this, ''Should I teach my child to print manuscript first or write in cursive?'' I have looked at the pros and cons of both. I thought perhaps it would be hard to identify letters if you were using manuscript in phonics while teaching cursive lettering in penmanship. Will my child have the dexterity and fine motor coordination to write out the letters at the age of four or five? I found for us the answer was cursive first. Our kids had no problem identifying all the letters in either manuscript or cursive in kindergarten. The cursive letters developed slowly as they matured. And they could read cursive and handwriting style fonts. Something I noticed their counterparts who learned printing first were struggling to do. By the time our children were in the second grade, their penmanship was legible and even nice. Then it progressed to be prettier and more stylized. Isn't that what we admire about our grandmother's old letter or writing on the back of a photograph?
Around the summer of third grade, we took a little time to teach them how to form the manuscript letters correctly. While I found the early years to be more challenging with cursive for penmanship, I would do it again the same way.
unseenc
 
Math: fundamentals
Choose a Math Curriculum and Stick to It

I have been teaching and tutoring math for the past 19 years. I have tutored both home school and public school students, and I have taught all the high school math subjects at a home school co-op. One thing I have noticed about the students who struggle is not that they are incapable of learning math, but that they have holes in their fundamentals that they don't know how to fix. Learning math is similar to playing Jenga. If you have too many holes on the bottom, the column will not support another block.

One way to cut down on the likelihood of ''holes'' in math fundamentals is to find a curriculum you like and stay with it. I suggest that by grade 3, maybe grade 4 at the latest, you need to decide on a math curriculum and not change until your student is ready for Algebra 1. I also recommend that you try to stay with the same curriculum throughout high school. The exception to this is geometry. You can generally use a different curriculum for geometry than you use for algebra 1 and 2 and pre-calculus without any difficulties. Different math curriculums teach different things at different times, so switching curriculums will tend to leave holes. Many times when I am tutoring students taking algebra 1 the concepts they don’t understand are from grade 5 or 6 mathematics. So, if your child is struggling with middle school or high school math, you might consider having him/her review the basic math concepts to see if that doesn’t clear up the problem.
mcdonough

Organization/time management
How to Get it All Done

This advice was actually given to me when I first began homeschooling. It freed me from the pressure to ''get it all done.''

A veteren homeschooling mom, Jane, told me the following:

''I told my husband that I can only get two of the three major things done in a day. So if he comes home and the kids have done school and supper is ready...the house is probably a mess.

If the house looks great and supper is ready...the kids probably didn't do much school work.

If the kids had a great day of school, and the house looks great...he'll have to decide what to scrape together for supper.''
joymusik
 
Homeschool helps
Observation as Recreation!

For an encouraging exercise, set aside 15-30 uninterrupted minutes to just observe your children learning. Young children are easiest, because their processing is more visible and their appetite for learning is insatiable, but just about any age is good. Prepare a safe, inviting environment for the child, (for a 1-year-old it could be the open door of the pots-and-pans cupboard; for a 7-year old it might be a balance scale and a box of small objects or a set of letter tiles; for a 7th-grader it might be a 3-dimensional puzzle or a pile of wires, magnets, batteries, small light bulbs, and other objects) say, ''See what you can do with these'', then just sit and take notes of what you observe. Do not interfere, comment, or help, unless the child asks. Your role should be mainly that of observer the entire time. You will be surprised by what you learn, by how capable your child is, and by how renewed you feel! Be sure to allow your child enough time to finish his or her exploration. And save your observations to read later!
river_elf

Other
Sometimes small things matter

In my search for this homeschool year's curriculum, I came across a reasonable-priced test answer key (on another website). Upon receipt, it was obviously a photocopied set. I contacted the seller who maintains that it is what she received from the publisher (BJU). To make a long story short, I received an email from her husband telling me I can't prove anything, I have too much time on my hands, I need to find a hobby and if I contact his wife again, he will have his lawyers contact me because slander and false accusations are a crime. But copyright infringement is against the law and is expressly prohibited by the publisher. The seller and her husband are professing Christians; their defensiveness and threat of litigation are not Christ-like. I questioned the integrity of what they sold me, even if it was a small purchase. I will destroy the test key because it is not an original from the publisher...even the small things matter. God sees all.
paloloshopper

Homeschool helps
Curriculum Choices: Limited by 24 hrs/day

With the vast amount of curriculum choices available, there is a tendency to ''over-commit'' ourselves as home-educators. There are only 24 hours in a day and with regards to curriculum choices and activities for our child(ren), sometimes ''less is more.'' We also do not need the added guilt of biting off more than we can chew, trying to use all the curriculum we buy simply because we paid good money for it. I find that when in doubt, wait, pray and see what the Lord would have you teach in the coming school year. He is faithful and will open and close doors, give to or take out the desire for certain books from your heart. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, ''our'' money, ''our'' time and ''our'' children. They are all His.
paloloshopper
 
Garden & Yard
How much math does a garden grow?

I have found that planning a garden is a great way to ''field'' test some basic math concepts. Here are a few of the ways you can flex your math muscles in the garden.

Use area formula to find out many 1 foot squares are in it. Draw a grid layout of your garden and place your plants. Read the seed packages, then measure the distance between holes for your seeds. Use a ruler to measure the depth to plant your bulbs or seeds. Find out how many corn stalks or okra plants are in your area by multiplying the number of rows by the number of plants in each row. Use a calendar and the seed pack information to predict when your veggies will be ready. Of course, the best part of a garden is watching something you have planned, planted, watered, and tended produce such a wonderful harvest.
unseenc

Organization/time management
Schooling Distractable Kids

Keep a timer right in front of the child. If you think a page should take 2 minutes, then set the timer for 4 minutes. If, during the training period, the child does not finish the page, give him extra work, such as writing out his spelling words once. I have used this for the last year, and told my friends about it. They have all liked the idea. This really works!

This incentive accomplishes many things. Firstly, it gives him a measurable goal. Secondly, it gives him a little game that he can work for. Thirdly, it is an incentive in which YOU don't have to give any prizes. Fourthly, he is playing against himself, not a sibling. This avoids undesirable sibling rivalry. Most important, I think, is that it takes the stress off the mom! No more nagging!
patti_jo

Organization/time management
Starting my day SATISFIED

As we start our new year, I must admit that I have faced days of feeling completely overwhelmed. Organizing, making plans, gathering resources, it can be so much. I came across a verse that gave me a reminder:

Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

To be a great wife, mom, and teacher, I must allow the Lord to satisfy me completely. If I need to be organized, scheduled, or rested to be happy and content then I will always be unsettled, pushing myself and the family. May I let the Lord fulfill all my desires and be SATISFIED.
iowamom
 
Homeschool helps
Avoiding Student Boredom

Some students, especially those who are younger, find it extremely easy to grasp new concepts and ideas, and use them properly. If it seems your students are becoming bored with their schoolwork, why not add a new twist to the routine?

For instance, offer incentives if they stay focused and attentive to details. These incentives could be in the form of reward stickers or special projects created just for them. Maybe they could help you in the kitchen the next time you bake a cake or cookies.

Kids often get stuck in a routine and these hints might help to avoid some of these pitfalls. Blessings!!
mihsmom

Sewing & needlework
A Special Sewing Circle

I suppose there are many homeschooling moms who learned to sew as a young lady. They, undoubtedly, are able to teach their own daughters the craft of sewing. I was not such a young lady. So when my oldest daughter wanted to learn to sew, I could only show her a few basic things. But I did not give up...nor did I put on a Supermom cape and learn to sew!
Instead, I found a special sewing circle for her. Knowing my daughter had no living grandmother, a dear older lady at our church offered to teach my daugher to sew. So once every other week we would drive to her home for sewing class. Friendship and skills were both results of our special sewing circle. Sewing and needlework were the classwork, but the real lesson is to find special people to teach your children special skills.
unseenc

Bible & Spiritual growth
You are Worth More Than Diamonds...

Do you feel unworthy? Unloved? GOD LOVES YOU!

The Lord emphasizes in His Word that each of us is worth more than the possessions of the entire world! This is true JUST because we are human beings - created in God's very image - NOT because of who we married, or what our parents do, or how much money we have, or how much we have accomplished in life. Those earthly factors make NO difference to God!

God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Luke 16:15
tworubies
 
Homeschool helps
The Road Less Traveled...

'' Two roads diverged in a wood...
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference'' ~Robert Frost~

This kind of sums up how I feel about homeschooling...most
people take the well traveled (safe) road, which is public school;
we chose the one less traveled and what a difference it has
made in our lives and in our children's lives!
dbhill

Science: general
Apologia Teaches How to Think

When looking at science books, think about whether you want to
teach just facts, or whether you want to teach your children
how to think! Apologia excels in showing students how to analyze
scientific issues. For example, if there is any controversy about
any area of science, he will show the students both sides, then
give his opinion, and God's truth, if it applies!
nnemec

Bible & Spiritual growth
Theology and Philosophy

High schoolers preparing for higher education, or life as an adult in today’s world, need a general understanding of key terms and concepts of faith and reason. Bombarded by rhetoric and fallacy, it is necessary to unpack a systematic approach to theology. We should find the revelation of God as reasonable and not to be compartmentalized.

A general overview of Systematic Theology connects with philosophical questions of meaning and purpose. Contemporary theological issues should be understood in light of the core premise of who and Whose we are.
jrclarke

Other
Make Your Windows a Blackboard!

You can use dry erase markers on the windows if you need extra space for diagramming sentences or working out math problems. Wipes off just as easily as a dry erase board, and doesn't take up any room at all!
cncelliott
 
Reference: general
Interesting Fact re: Homeschooling.

American Family Association just recently posted a report that shows that home schooled students test higher on SAT tests and the average cost to home school a child is about $500 whereas the public school spends $10,000.00 per child.

My thought: This proves that parents are more effective than the government in successfully educating our children.

When ever the government is involved there is often excessive waste.
artismyhobby

Marriage & parenting
Mom vs. Wife: Must We Choose?

Today, a beloved friend who happens to be 15 years my senior exhorted me to note that my son is no longer a baby, but 9 years old. Having been consumed these past 9 years with my son's eating and sleeping schedule, my friend reminded me not be make the same mistakes she made with her former husband. Our children will grow up and leave the nest one day (hopefully!), but our husbands will still be with us (hopefully!). So today I was reminded once again to take the time for an occasional ''date'' with my husband. I know my husband and I (and our son) will be glad I did.
paloloshopper

Bible & Spiritual growth
God cares...

Did you know that God sees you when you hurt? He knows those deep fears and frustrations that you thought no one understood. He knows the longings of your heart.

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceived my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Psalm 139:1-3
tworubies

Marriage & parenting
You Are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Dare not to compare! God has equipped you with all the right skills,
knowledge, and wisdom you need to homeschool your OWN CHILDREN.
Don't compare yourself to other wives and moms. Do what's best for
your family, and TRUST in the one who has called you for such a time
as this.
justlife