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

 
Organization/time management
Planning Your Schedule

There are some things I have learned in my many years of homeschooling that may help you as well.

First of all, and probably most obvious, is to pray. Pray over each child asking the Lord to give you wisdom regarding that particular son or daughter. Pray with your spouse, if possible, for direction and unity. Additionally, pray with your child. It will soften their hearts to know that you approach the throne of God on their behalf.

Don't just focus on academics -- also consider character, areas of weakness, and home or life skills.

I also like to consult my student: Are there areas you would like to work on? Is there a subject you are struggling with that we can give extra attention to? Do you have an interest or hobby that we can incorporate into our studies?

I would limit your detailed daily or weekly plans to three-six weeks at a time. Then you can evaluate what is working, what needs tweaking and what needs to be added and you won't be throwing out a year's worth of plans or trying to make something fit that is actually causing more stress instead of alleviating it.

Also plan out blocks of time so you know how the day might flow. This can be as precise as 7:00 a.m. wake up, 9:00 family devotions. Or can be more ambiguous like: Morning: Bible study, prayer, math. Afternoon: read aloud, chores, language arts. Evening: computer time, family reading.

So now you are seeking the Lord, conferring with your spouse and consulting your children, making for a realistic, peaceful day.

Don't get discouraged, just keep hammering it out and praying. Remember what works for others doesn't always work for you, but God never fails. He will order the steps of the righteous and guide our path with the light of His Word.
blessedcp
 
Homeschool helps
Homeschooling a (Gasp!) High Schooler

Are you concerned about homeschooling your high schooler? Are you anxious about teaching subjects you yourself dreaded? You are not alone! I’ve got a suggestion or two that may help.

I have recently found a wonderful resource through my local library system. It’s the courses put out by The Teaching Company. I can get top-notch teachers from across the country to come into my home and teach my children. And if I check them out at my library, I get them to come do this for nothing! Except for what I pay in tax dollars, of course. The course come on audio tape, VHS tape, CD’s and DVD’s. I’ve even checked out a few myself. My eldest found out she actually LIKES Shakespeare!

Educating a high schooler may actually take a village. Ask for help. Maybe you can trade some tutoring with a former math or science or English teacher you know through church or in your neighborhood for some yard work or meals. Other homeschoolers may be willing to do such trades as well. I’ve invited other homeschoolers to join my family in studying biology and chemistry to help keep me on track. Those folks may have thought I was doing them a favor, but they were actually doing me one!

Your library probably has plenty of books that go over the areas of study your student is having trouble with. They may not be as new as the books you’d get from a bookseller, but they’re the right price. Or maybe a local school is replacing text books you can buy for cheap. As elemiller pointed out in The Monthly Chat, older editions can be just as effective as brand new ones – and sometimes more so.

Remember back to when you started this homeschooling adventure. You’ve had these concerns already. Have you always been positive this was the right thing to do for your child? Did you always know you could do this? Were you fearful about not teaching your little ones properly and damaging them for life? Well, all I can say is: look at where you are now!
pammylbear
 
Hist/Geog/SS: General
A Study of Current Events and More!

After using Sonlight last year, we needed to take a year off. I decided to focus our social studies (for my 4th & 6th graders) on Biblical Prophecy, Current Events, and Modern Times. Here's what we are doing:

For Biblical Prophecy, we are using the Explorer's Bible Study book called ''God's Perfect Plan.'' I highly recommend it. We are also reading through the Psalms this year. We begin our school day singing a hymn... which we sing each day until we all have memorized it. I have somes CDs with hymns on them plus we have CLP's Family Worship Hymnals. We have already memorized This is My Father's World and are working on Rock of Ages (which I have an awesome testimony about).

For Current Events, we are using the age-appropriate God's World magazines. Each child reads the magazine and takes the test that is included. I also have them do three things-- Map It, Explore It, and Think About It. For Map It, we copy (from Uncle Josh's Map book) a map from an area mentioned in the magazine, then the child colors and labels the map. For Explore It, we use the internet to find out more about an article's subject and then make a one or two page ''presentation'' showing what they have learned. For Think About It, they pick an article and write in their journals what they think about the article.

For Modern Times, we are reading the Little House on the Prairie series and making one journal entry a week contrasting life then and life now. (I came up with a list of ideas to help them think of things to contrast.) We are also reading the Hero Tales books -- simply because we have them... it's so good to use the resources you already own!

We are having a wonderful year so far. And I am amazed at how well everything is working out. As in every year, I prayed my way through all the many curriculum decisions so I know Who gets credit (and glory!) for how well it is going. Praise our Rock of Ages!
paminmaryland

Organization/time management
Too Big Shoe Organizer

With six girls, we save wearable shoes from one girl to the next.

I have found that writing the size on the bottom of the shoe with a black permanent marker, then store them in size order in a shoe bag that hangs on the back of the door. When the child needs shoes, this method makes it easy to see if they are available, or if they need to be bought.

I must give God the glory for this, as I had prayed for several years for a workable method of saving and passing down shoes.
mom27
 
College/vocation
Dual Credit Anyone?

We have high schoolers on their way to a school outside of our home for the first time in their lives.

We decided that allowing them to have their first college experience while in high school would be the safest way to make sure they had a clear idea of what to expect. We also wanted to be sure that they had a positive experience with the course itself so that it wouldn't be on their record as a memorial to not being ready. We chose dual enrollment for this experiment.

Our daughter took chemistry as a senior in high school at the local junior college. She was very intimidated by the syllabus, so she was careful to keep up and follow directions. Her diligence paid off as she made the highest grade in the class and was taken to lunch by her professor as a reward. The second best in the class was also a homeschooler.

We planned for our son to do the same but then discovered that junior colleges in this state would not take him without the prerequisite of Algebra 2 which he was doing at home. We chose not to put him in a one semester class of Algebra so that he could take Chemistry the following semester because Math was a subject he struggled with. So we put him in a computer class that we could not offer at home and which is related to his interests for college study. This gives him the opportunity to get an easy A in college and hopefully will solidify his interest in computers for the future.

I would encourage parents to offer their students this option before sending them off to college with five or more different instructors to deal with at once. Our children really appreciated the opportunity.
lisa1959

Other
Webmaster needs to add delete to Thoughts!

The thoughts category is great, but the webmaster needs to add a ''delete'' for it somewhere! No one can delete their thought, we can only update it.

The screen also requires you to add a certain amount of text (for some reason!?!?) before you can exit the screen and post a thought (or overwrite one you have been asked to change!). I guess this is to stop short cute mottos or other brief thoughts from being posted, but it is a bit of a hassle if someone needs to delete their posting!

This is a great website and I am very thankful for your kindness and generosity on setting this up for everyone's benefit. I have watched this site grow and grow since I first discovered it! I am thankful the Lord is blessing it!
luke15:10
 
Other
Socialization - Who Needs It?!

We are blessed with supportive grandparents on both sides of our family and friends who either understand and accept homeschooling as a viable option or who homeschool themselves. But I still get asked about the S word from people in our local school district and people who don't know us that well. On occasion, it's been asked right after the person makes a comment about how well-behaved my children are! If only they knew...

If the people are from church, I explain that my children are iron sharpening iron. God put them (and my husband and I!) together so we could learn from each other and get those rough edges knocked off. We won't be the shining diamonds we will be when we stand in the Lord's presence, but we're working on it. Besides, no one has complained about them in Sunday School yet, so they must have some social skills.

If the person is a casual acquaintance or someone we've just met, I may start out listing all the group activities the kids do. If that seems to satisfy them, we can move on to other topics. But if they are interested in discussing it more, I do my best to discuss it rationally. The subject of how to handle bullies or disappointment with friends or talking in front of a group have come up on these discussions. I've also pointed out that some of my most engaging conversation partners have been homeschooled students. These kids are generally just not fazed by talking someone older than them! Or younger, for that matter.

In short, every body needs to be around people. God has told us not to forsake the fellowship of others. But that doesn't mean it has to be peer groups who provide all your socialization.
pammylbear

Organization/time management
Chores and Organization

It's the end of the day and you're tired. You look at the mountain of dishes that have been piling up for the past two days. The kids' rooms are a mess - clothes on the floor (at least, you assume there's still a floor under all that), projects in various stages, and a heap of sheets and blankets constitute what passes for a bed. It all seems overwhelming, doesn't it? And it's only going to get worse tomorrow.

FlyLady to the rescue! If you need help getting your children and yourself organized in the area of home management, go to http//flylady.com . This website has grown by leaps and bounds since I was introduced to it years ago. If it seems overwhelming, it can be. Do like FlyLady suggests and take it all in in baby steps. Read the first paragraph, read the FLYing lessons, sign up, and you're FLYing on your way!
pammylbear
 
Science: biology, chemistry, & physics
Web Links to All Types of Dissections

On-line weblink to numerous dissection links:
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~sraylman/comparative/links.htm
If you scroll down a bit on this page there are numerous links to all types of dissections:

Fetal Pig dissection:
http://www.whitman.edu/biology/vpd/

Crayfish dissection:
http://sps.k12.ar.us/massengale/crayfish_dissection.htm

Earthworm dissection:
http://sps.k12.ar.us/massengale/earthworm_dissection.htm

Perch dissection:
http://legacy.ncsu.edu/classes/zo442001/dissect1.html

Frog dissections:
http://frog.edschool.virginia.edu//home.html
http://www.ofsd.k12.wi.us/science/frogdiss.htm
http://amphibiaweb.org/amphibian/facts.html
luke15:10

Health & PE
Physical Education in Your Community

Physical education has been a problem for our family in the past. I had taken to counting the family games of three-on-three wiffleball as PE for a while. But there are other options.

I have been blessed by a number of other homeschooling moms who stepped up to the plate and organized physical education classes. We've taken Tae Kwan Do, swimming, archery, and basketball because these selfless moms contacted teachers in the community and asked if they would be willing to offer classes to homeschoolers during the day. In many cases, this was a win-win situation. We got a class at a time that worked for our groups and the teacher got a little extra income for a time slot that had previously been dead time for them.

Other classes that we haven't been able to take advantage of include: ballet and dance, karate, and softball. The list could be longer, depending on what's available in your area. I myself am forever grateful to the moms who climbed out on that limb and said ''If you offer it, they will come''.
pammylbear
 
Lang arts: spelling/vocab
Some Thoughts on Spelling

A few interesting thoughts about spelling (posted on our local homeschool group's message board, by some experienced homeschool moms & former teachers):

* Most books group words. If a kid is savvy enough to catch the pattern, he can 'learn' the words...then forget.

Some children need to learn the words in word family lists first. It is like learning the multiplication tables. We teach skip counting, then the tables in order, and then later drill in random order. This approach can be very beneficial to some learners.

* If you have to use some kind of list, at least put the words into sentences/paragraphs that MEAN something related to what the child is studying.

For some children, the sentence and it meaning take the child's focus away from the actual task of memorizing the order of the letters in the word.

* I think lots of reading can produce good spelling for some children.

Please note, the writer says ''can'' and ''some.'' Not all readers are good spellers. Recognizing a word is a different process from spelling the word. See what works for each child.
luke15:10

Homeschool helps
Preparing for College

Just having had two students enter college at 16 and 17, I've learned a couple things.

Firstly, students need to take their ACT tests at the optimal time for them. To me, that would be right after Algebra II and after a good language composition program such as A Beka(eighth grade level or higher). Make sure your student is very familiar with graphs as that is what they will be doing in the science portion of the ACT.

Secondly, taking the test a few times will help not hurt them.There are many helps for the test and making use of them is wise. We saw students as young as eighth grade taking the ACT.

Finally, sending younger students off to college means spending more time with your student to keep intact the years of learning and training you have invested in your student.
holli
 
Homeschool helps
Our First Year

Starting our first year of homeschool is very intimidating. Thank the Lord I have had many supportive people. Getting to this decision was like being on a teeter-toter. I'm doing it (up), I'm not (down), okay I'll do it (up), should I really? (back down) I think I need more prayer (halfway up and stuck). I needed those encouraging people to keep my head up and help me stay positive. Remembering why I starting thinking about homeschooling in the first place.

However, there are the people who make me doubt what I'm doing. I wonder why I let them get to me when I know what I'm doing is right. I have been led down this path for a reason- by the Lord, and I should not let anything or anyone derail me! It is just so discouraging to hear, ''OH, really.....'', or ''WHY are you doing that?'' when telling them I am homeschooling my daughter instead of hearing, ''that's nice'', or '' how great!'' You would think people would be supportive.
None the less, she is MY CHILD and I am doing what I feel is best for her. My husband and I have made this decision together and waited for the Lord's approval. I don't need their approval. Only one approval. The one that counts! Our Father.

With that on my side, lots more prayer and our new school supplies, we are on our way. Wish us luck and pray for our first year of homeschooling!
ranileah

Bible & Spiritual growth
Being a Blessing and Being Blessed

My children and I have gone monthly for the last 4 years to a local Alzheimer's Care Facility to play violin and piano and to sing songs for the residents. It has been wonderful to see the children gain confidence in performing, and to see the delight in the resident's faces. Many of these elderly people get no visitors, so to see children is a real joy. We go with another family, and between us we have 11 children, so it is fun for the residents.

In the last year or so, they have gotten a new Activities Director, who has asked us to participate in a multi-generational craft time right before we perform music. This has been a wonderful blessing for me because I find it hard to make time for crafts with a new baby. The Activities Director has all the cutting out of construction paper done or whatever we need, and has all the supplies ready (it's part of her job and the supplies are supplied by the facility) so all we do is show up. No extra mess to clean up at home!

This is a wonderful opportunity to be a blessing and to be blessed at the same time. I love to watch my children work side by side with the residents.
smith8
 
Homeschool helps
Moms, If It's Easy for YOU, It's the Best Choice!

At the Curriculum Fair Convention this year, I heard some advice that is well worth pondering. ''Homeschool MOMS, if the curriculum you choose is EASY FOR YOU TO USE, then you have chosen the RIGHT curriculum''.

I'm in my ninth year of homeschooling as well as my ninth year of leading a homeschool group. Before this I taught elementary education at a private, Christian school. Have I experimented with the vast variety of books, curriculum, and resources available to homeschool families today? You betcha'!

Such a simple phrase, at first sounding almost silly and under-estimating of our homeschool efforts. And yet, the words stuck with me, and nudged at me, until...they became a part of my own philosophy of education. For looking back, our most successful homeschool years were those in which I taught something that I PERSONALLY loved! It was easy to use what I liked, and it was easy to pass on my passion for learning!

Looking for the right curriculum, Mom? Then pick what YOU find user-friendly and what makes YOU look forward to -- not dread -- the school year. There's a lot out there, but it's not all good for your own family. Choose YOUR best!
hcinfo

Handwriting
Dysgraphic Students

My 13 year-old boy has moderate dysgraphia -- that is, a difficulty getting ideas from his head to the paper via pen or pencil.

If your child struggles with this, allow him/her to learn to keyboard and use a computer for as much of work as possible. The neural pathways from the brain to the fingers are different for writing and typing. Typing for some reason is a much simpler neural process.

For math, have your dysgraphic student use graph paper, writing only one digit per square. This will help keep numbers in the correct column and reduce careless errors.
lady_katherine

Organization/time management
Paperback Books Getting Worn Out?

Remember when we were required to cover our textbooks in school with brown paper bags? It's actually a great idea to cover the books you use over and over, as they get worn out, especially paperbacks. Instead of paper bags, I use clear contact paper. You can find it in the kitchen section of Walmart. It is inexpensive and makes covers (particularly workbook covers) last much longer.
stacymac
 
Organization/time management
End of School Year Survey

Both my daughters have graduated from our homeschool and are attending college. As I look back, one of the ideas that I found very helpful was an End-of –School Year Survey.

Toward the end of each academic year, both girls answered a variety of questions I had put together. For example: favorite subject, field trip, activity, etc.., things mom can do to help you be more successful, changes you would like to see made. There were never any earth-shattering answers but if often reinforced what I was thinking or prompted me to make the effort to include activities they really wanted (ski club), or make changes that were needed (grade tests/quizzes promptly).
jewels5440

Science: biology, chemistry, & physics
Free Download of Periodic Table of the Elements

This is a detailed full-color poster-type file you can download to your computer and/or print out.

For each Periodic Element on the chart, its box also gives some details and information about the element's discovery (by whom, year, and how discovered or made), the elements appearance and characteristics, the element's form(s) and uses, as well as where it is found and in what form(s), i.e. as an ore, etc.

http://www.mii.org/pdfs/Periodic_chart.pdf
luke15:10

Baking & cooking
Kids Cooking Night

To help my children get in some cooking and meal planning time, at the beginning of each month, I had them choose a partner to cook with (we have seven children), making sure a big kid was with a little kid (the next time a particular big kid cooked, it would be with a different little kid, and so on.)

They would plan the meal, write the needed ingredients on a list with their cooking date on it, and give it to me. They were responsible for clean up after the meal also. Pictures of them cooking documented this activity for 'School'.
mom27