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

 
Homeschool helps
Homeschooling Through Highschool

Are you wondering about homeschooling your almost high schooler? I would like to offer what I can to help.

We are entering our 14th year of home education - and I have never felt as encouraged or accomplished as I did when we graduated our oldest son, this past spring, from our family's home school. With the encouragement of many, we took on the task and finished well!

If you are looking ahead, unsure of what path to take, rest assured that there are many that have chosen the home school path ahead of you. Find a home school family that has graduated a student, odds are, they will be your best resource (and new best friend!) when you have questions.

Here are a few links that we found helpful as well;
www.hslda.org has the best overall information we could find. You don't have to be a member to access their home schooling through high school information. from 4-year planning to transcript making, help is here.

www.wellplannedday.com has a wonderful planner that goes beyond grade keeping or lesson planning. We used their High School 4 year planner to help us keep on track.

www.collegeboard.org will keep you up to date on the PSAT and SAT, should you choose to have your child take them. They have test prep information, too.

www.homeskedtrack.com is a lesson planning/grade keeping site that is free to use.

The amazing array of websites, books, curriculum and community programs create a rich pool from which to choose the best course of action that is right for your family.

So, take a deep breath and jump right in! I won't say it isn't a lot of work, but everyone will learn along the way, and isn't that what we have taught them to do all this time? Keep learning, growing, doing? Do a little research, you'll be glad you did!
oneway
 
Homeschool helps
Christian Curriculum Errata Online

Several Christian homeschool curriculum providers provide errata for their curriculum online.

Apologia Science has downloadable lists of errata for its ''Exploring Creation with ...'' books included among other ''Book Extras'' at:
http://www.apologiaonline.com/bookextras.
(NOTE: Lists are password-protected, with course-specific passwords included on the intial pages of student textbooks.)

BeginningsPublications has downloadable errata file for their ''Rainbow Science'' (Grades 7-8) program at: http://www.beginningspublishing.com/version2/rainbow.htm.

Bob Jones has book-specific errata listed on its book-specific Web pages, such as: www.bjupress.com/resources/math/grade-6/#corrections.

Heart of Dakota Publishing lists its curriculum ''Updates and Replacements'' at: www.heartofdakota.com/updates.php.

My Father's World has some errata mentioned in its Forum's messages, such as ''1850-MOD - Errata, SOTW activity book'' at:
board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10248.

Peace Hills Press lists the errata/corrections for its books on its Corrections page at: www.welltrainedmind.com/store/corrections.

Sonlight has errata online at
www.sonlight.com/curriculum-updates.html.
(NOTE: Different from www.sonlighteducation.com.)

Please let me know of other curriculum providers that provide online curriculum errata.

Thank you.
deut_6_7
 
Homeschool helps
Secular Curriculum Errata Online

Several secular curriculum providers provide errata for their curriculum online.

CPO (Cambridge Physics Outlet) Science has downloadable errata at:
http://www.cposcience.com/updates.shtml.

(The) Critical Thinking Co. has downloadable errata files at: http://www.criticalthinking.com/customer_service/errata.jsp?code=c.

Gravitas Publications has downloadable errata files for their (''worldview neutral'') Real Science for Kids curricula at:
http://www.gravitaspublications.com/products/errata.

Saxon has downloadable book errata at:
http://saxonhomeschool.hmhco.com/en/textbook_corrections.htm.

Singapore Math has downloadable errata files at:
http://www.singaporemaths.com/errata/.

Teaching Textbooks has downloadable errata files at: http://teachingtextbooks.com/v/vspfiles/tt/Errata.htm.

Something like this can be a help to homeschooling parents, especially for some of today's high school math courses which many homeschooling parents may have either forgotten or never had.

Please let me know of any other homeschool curriculum providers that provide online curriculum errata.

Thank you.
deut_6_7

Lang arts: readers/literature
Earn book $ and rewards for reading!

Not sure what is available in each area, but I would guess there are a number of different options out there that may be worth your investigation. We recently found that Half Price Books is offering $5 in HPB Bucks to kids who read and track it for 15 minutes a day for the month of July...they also did this in June. And then for each age group, if they read the most, they earn $20 in HPB Bucks! Just a little incentive for some reluctant or not-so-reluctant readers. Who doesn't love more $ for more books?!!
northland_homeschool
 
Organization/time management
The Law of Inverse Accumulation

I've often wondered what it is about renting a vacation home that's so freeing - and has nothing to do with the scenery outside. I finally realized that it's the lack of clutter that's so restful and rejuvenating. We often think accumulating things will bring us joy, but frequently the reverse is true. I challenge you, fellow homeschoolers, to bring that ''vacation feeling'' home by letting go.
Take a second look at your ''stuff'' and reconsider what's really necessary to keep...what's here in my home that's useful? What's beautiful and brings me joy? What's nice but more than I need or use? Don Aslett's book ''Clutter's Last Stand'' was a great help to me in this process...lots of humor, but also great suggestions about how and what to let go. Paperwork related to school can accumulate quickly, so once the annual evaluation's finished, keep only what's legally required or ''the best of the best''. Financial records and bills are now online for the most part, so that's another area that's ripe for sorting and shredding. Outgrown toys, clothes, and hobby equipment take up a lot of our living space, and can be used and enjoyed by others when they've become clutter to us. Recycle, donate, or sell for a little bit of extra income. If something has sentimental value but isn't useful or beautiful, take a photo of it and then let it go. You'll be surprised at the mental stress and storage crunch that you can eliminate as you free yourself from the burden of storing, cleaning, and maintaining too many things. Take time this summer to whittle down what you own. It's like going on vacation without ever leaving home!
susie_r

Organization/time management
Gradebook

I created spreadsheets for tracking my students scores for the
year. One tabbed paged for each subject. There are
averages showing for each quarter and semester. At the end
of the week, I enter all their scores in, and everything is
automatically tallied. So when I have to report my scores at
the end of each semester its a breeze to just open my
spreadsheets and and mark the scores.

Save a blank one, and then each year just save a new one
from the blank. Saves me so much time!

Oh, and OpenOffice has a free spreadsheet program that is
compatible with Windows products.
tareesa
 
Homeschool helps
Best Homeschooling Advice

When I first started homeschooling, I used to attend a monthly homeschool meeting in our neighborhood. I was so excited about my new homeschooling life and I was anxious to learn all I could. I noticed an older homeschool mom sitting in back of the room. This lady who has now become a friend of mine, was nearly done homeschooling her only son. He would soon be graduating and then she would be moving on to other adventures. I asked her a question that I commonly asked back in those early homeschool days. I inquired, “Do you have any great homschooling tips?” I was so anxious to hear some really good advice about teaching reading, curriculum ideas etc.

To my surprise she offered this piece of advice that was somewhat of a let down to me. She said, the one thing she would have done differently was that she would have devoted more time to her husband and marriage!!! As a younger homeschool mom…idealistic and overly enthusiastic about teaching my children, this was a non-answer. What kind of homeschooling tip was that anyway? Now I'm the older mom...and I realize that she was right. Homeschooling does end....but our marriage is ''til death do us part.''
brendacox

Other
Parent - Teacher Conferences

I like to have Parent - Teacher Conferences with myself and the Lord a few times a year. In the daily swirl of life I don't always have time to reflect and refocus. These conferences give me an opportunity to sit down with God and let him remind me:

- why we are homeschooling,

- what our goals are, and

- the brevity of time.

I also use the time to ask him for help with situations in which I feel over my head or potential troubles I imagine down the road. I wish I could say I always come away feeling happy and calm. Sometimes I realize that significant changes need to take place (in me or in our schooling). Sometimes I recognize greater needs than I had seen before. But always he offers his peace, to know that nothing escapes his notice nor is beyond his wisdom.
segue
 
Other
Buyers and Sellers, Don't Leave Us Hanging

A friendly reminder: Buyers on Homeschoolclassifieds, please do not leave sellers wondering if you are still interested in purchasing their items. If you decide you are not interested in the item for whatever reason, just let them know. No one will get mad at you or think less of you. This way the sellers can move on quickly to the next potential buyer so they are not left unintentionally waiting and waiting.......

Sellers, on the other hand, please make every effort to remove sold items (or hide items when out of town) so potential buyers are not left wondering and waiting to see if it is still available. All this needless wait causes these buyers to lose out on another item that they could have purchased initially before it was sold.

Let us all take an extra minute, and do what is respectfully right! (Would you want this to happen to you? Think about it! I have!)
maf24

Science: general
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

Another great website! For you Arkansans out there and others, this website is full of items we can use in our nature and science studies. There are lesson plans, videos, publications to download, bird guides - there is honestly too much for me to name it all - go check it out! Here is the link:

http://www.agfc.com/Pages/default.aspx
kimberly66

Bible & Spiritual growth
Educational Gaps

Having graduated 3 from our homeschool with the last boy a senior, I feel I should encourage younger mothers to not cave in to the pressure to produce geniuses. It's okay if they don't spell well or hate to read. What is more important is that they love God. Because if they love God, the rest of the homeschooling will fall into place.
cdia