Eclectic Homeschooling – Have we won?

I haven’t heard much talk about eclectic homeschooling in a while. I’m thinking that this might mean that we can declare dominance and victory, here’s what I mean.  Back in the day, homeschooling curriculum choices were few and somewhat poorly defined.  There wasn’t so much a market as an underground movement.  As time progressed, two general camps emerged in terms of their attitude towards curriculum.

On one hand, there were the boxed curriculum people: A Beka and Saxon and to a lesser degree, Sonlight. They provided a comprehensive recipe for education with day by day and lesson by lesson specifics on what exactly should be said and done.

On the other hand, there were the eclectics.  They taught with a little of this for math and a little of that for this part of language arts and a completely different approach to science. And they changed their mind and methods frequently.

Today, there are many good curriculum choices. Even the boxed curriculum people seem to have recognized that they provide materials subject by subject.

Furthermore, I think the great divide between the religious and the non religious homeschoolers has changed. I see lots of Christian homeschool families integrating standards based curriculum albeit by handling some materials as a teachable moment for the Christian perspective

Is this your impression too?

Accidental Homeschooler

I just read about the concept of an accidental homeschooler and it really speaks to me in the sense that so many followed so many confused sometimes conflicted routes in our lives.

While some families know from the start that they want to homeschool, others arrive at the decision somewhat “accidentally.” Accidental homeschoolers make up an underrepresented number of families whose children were first enrolled in traditional schools but – for many different reasons – it didn’t work out….

I remember the conversation that first made me aware of accidental homeschoolers. A mother called about our curriculum and said: “I don’t really believe in homeschooling but I have to try it. The schools haven’t worked out for us and I only want to do what’s best for my kids…” I was speechless as she explained that she had never intended to homeschool and that it became her last option after a process of elimination.

In later conversations with long-term Time4Learning members, I realized that this gateway into homeschooling happens more often than I thought. Veteran homeschoolers often forget that at first, homeschooling was a solution to a problem; not a lifestyle or philosophical choice. And although their stories and challenges are radically different, the end goal is the same. Do any of these stories sound familiar?

• My kids were brought up knowing the difference between right and wrong, but they’re easily influenced by their peers. Last year I met with both teachers and school administrators about the “morally casual” behavior they were picking up in the classroom. Instead of action, my concerns were met with excuses and the typical “we’ll look into it” response, which just wasn’t enough.
• Our school’s budget is tied directly to FCAT scores, so teachers teach to the test but don’t include the concepts behind the material. My kids are conceptual learners, so every night, I’d find myself re-teaching what they should have learned in the classroom. Finally, I decided that it would be better (and less stressful for everyone) to do it myself.
• I pulled my son out of school because he has ADHD complicated by some health issues. His class had 36 students in it, so his teacher spent more time babysitting than teaching. And because the only kids who got attention were the trouble makers, my son started picking up bad habits.

 

Get Out of the House

One of the best things about home schooling is the flexibility it gives you to learn new things in different places.  You can incorporate physical exercise into a nature hike that can be used as a Science lesson, or volunteer at a community center as a lesson in Social Studies.  These are great opportunities to learn more about your community while you and your children are contributing to it.

Jennifer says, in her sixth grade homeschool blog, “Kids in public school have field trips, and there’s no reason why homeschooled kids shouldn’t have them too!  Middle school students are hard to please, but field trips are a fun way to get out of the classroom, or out of the house in this case, and experience a bit of the real world.”

Spelling with flash cards

Flash Cards have always been one of my favorite ways to teach spelling and vocabulary.  They are inexpensive and easy to use.  One mom summed it  up at  this Spelling Program blog, saying:

“If you are trying to teach your student sight words, or high frequency words, one of the fall back methods to use is flash cards. Use flash cards to help your child study the words, just let them look through the cards. Next, ask your child to say the word, spell the word, and then say it again. You can also use the cards to test your child. Just use the cards as a list, and call the word out, then have your child spell the word. If there is a word that your child frequently misspells, ask them to write the word on a card, giving them the correct spelling. Then just add that word to your high frequency word cards so that your child gets more practice with that word. Flash cards are available to purchase, but you can easily make your own using index cards. Either hold them together using a ring, or place them in a card box. If you make your own, it is easy for your child to add words from literature, science, math, or any other subject. Eventually, the pile of cards can also include definitions as the words get more difficult, so that it is not just spelling, but a way to study vocabulary as well.”

 

Math Vocabulary

Math is omnipresent in our everyday world. However, students all too often see Math as a purely academic subject that does not extend beyond quizzes and homework. So, from equations to word problems, for a math operation to be worth solving, the need for a solution must have real-life implications to which students can relate to. For a complete online Math curriculum in Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade, Sixth Grade, Seventh Grade, or Eighth Grade visit Time4Learning.com.

For Math vocabulary practice,

Kindergarten Math Vocabulary	5th Grade Math Vocabulary
1st Grade Math Vocabulary	6th Grade Math Vocabulary
2nd Grade Math Vocabulary	7th Grade Math Vocabulary
3rd Grade Math Vocabulary	8th Grade Math Vocabulary
4th Grade Math Vocabulary	High School Math Vocabulary

Homeschooling Laws

I speak with many parents who are new to homeschooling and they are often concerned with the “Homeschooling Laws”.  I actually spoke to one mom who has been homeschooling all along but now that her child is entering third grade she’s afraid that the state is going to begin looking at her work more closely.  Even though she is putting all of her effort forth in providing the best education for her children possible she feels like she’s missing something.  Honestly, I don’t think she’s alone.  We are parents and of course we want the best for our children so it feels natural to be worried about it at first.  I also feel once we get into the groove of homeschooling those worries disappear.

Here’s a mom who tries to do as much as possible whenever she can.   Her post can be found at http://www.thirdgradecurriculum.com/2011/01/homeschooling-in-garden-state.html

“I love homeschooling. Most of the time. I often wonder why they call it homeschooling. Take this week for an example. On Monday we went to Lego Engineering Class. We spent a total of 3.5 hours in the car that day. On Tuesday we had a play date. We actually only spent about 40 minutes in the car that day. On Wednesday we did stay home. On Thursday we went to Homeschool Soccer. We spent 3.5 hours in the car that day. And on Friday we stayed home. On Saturday we went to visit the Potter which has nothing to do with homeschooling exactly. But my son had a birthday party to go to right after our trip to the Potter so he went with me. We spent 3 hours in the car on Saturday. So we have spent 10 hours in the car this week. Looking at next week’s schedule, it looks like we will spend about 10 hours in the car again next week. Maybe we should call it car schooling instead of homeschooling.

So what do we do during all those hours in the car. This week we spent a lot of time going over times tables. My son does not really like multiplication. So it is a lot easier to work with him when he is captive in the car. He is really interested in the Greek and Norse gods and goddesses right now. So we talked about some of them. Sometimes we do spelling words. Other times we talk about the different countries we have studied in our Geography class. He is really excited that his friend’s mother is coming to speak to Geography class next week.”

Should 3 Yr Olds Use the Computer?

When my daughter turned three I finally allowed her to use the computer.  I was scared and anxious about it for several reasons. I was worried about:

1.  her clicking on something that was not age appropriate
2.  my computer getting damaged
3. the keyboard buttons breaking from her slamming on my keyboard

I read through several articles on internet safety.  Here’s one of them.

First recommendation, young children should be supervised at all times on the computer and net. This is to protect the computer and the children. Many parents place the computer screen so that they can easily see it while they are working or cooking. Put the computer with the screen facing the inside of the room (so its easy to see) and perhaps in the parents home office or kitchen but not in the children’s own bedroom. This is a great policy into the early teen years.

Second recommendation, get and stay informed about safety on the net. Good sites to look at are: Children Online, Get NetWise, and Parenting In an Electronic Age. And since the net and technology is evolving rapdily, plan on an annual update of your knowledge. Many schools host an annual evening helping parents to understand the risks from the evolving electronic media (remember, a cell phone can now also include email, chat, and web surfing!). If you need speakers, contact us and we might be able to suggest one. You should understand what facebook.com and myspace.com and the other student “social” sites are so that you can speak with your children about them with some authority. Many parents will decide that their children are not allowed on these sites: others will allow their children to participate but with strict guidelines.

Third recommendation, Share your information about the risks with the children. We recommend that you reach an agreement with your child about the what they will and will not do on the net. There are a number of templates for this but essentially, the agreement helps you and your children communicate about the risks and how the child has to take responsibility for not disclosing any personal information. We recommend that the signed agreement be taped to the wall by the computer.

Fourth recommendation, purchase and install web filtering software for all children under the age of 16. Web filtering software acts as a barrier between your child and the Internet. It attempts to filter out bad/inappropriate content before your child sees it. Filters help support the boundaries you set such as the hours of usage, the sites that they can visit, and their usage of email or instant messaging. We recommend Cyberpatrol for the PC and Content Barrier for the Mac. Also, parents should look at all electronic media and find a trusted source of family-friendly info on electronic media.

Lastly, while it’s important that you understand and manage the risks of your children using the Internet, we believe that you should make efforts to have your children take advantage of the Internet. Just like bicycles and cars and sports, there are risks. But these risks are manageable.

So I finally gave in and she began her very first computer experience.  Within three weeks she learned how to click around and use the mouse.  I was pleasantly surprised and the anxiety I had in the beginning left.

Soon after I put her on an online homeschool curriculum to ensure her online safety.  It’s been great! I particularly like their homeschool preschool learning materials.  BTW, I learned about this from a blog about preschool online activities.

1st Grade Curriculum

So what does a first grade curriculum consist of?  My how times have changed.  I remember when I was in school I was in the beginning stages of learning how to read in first grade, if I remember correctly.  I can’t believe that kindergarteners are required to know how to read before they are in first grade.  It seems so early but who am I to say.  Don’t get me wrong, I want my child to learn as much as possible but a small part of me feels like we’re trying to cram so much knowledge so soon that they might miss the important stuff.

Homeschool Curriculum for Elementary Levels

There’s often talk about the basics that need to be covered as part as your elementary homeschool curriculum including learning the alphabet, learning how to write the letters, how to read and write, etc.,   Homeschooling gives us the opportunity to incorporate our teaching with the day to day stuff. 

Here is a part of a post I found that I found interesting.  It explains ways we can teach music to our children.

“Not many homeschool parents work as music instructors on the side. So how do those of us without music backgrounds teach our kids about music? Many parents choose to enroll their child in music classes or piano lessons, not at all unlike what their public school counterparts would do. You don’t have to be a homeschooler to take piano lessons, after all.

There are some music programs for young children that provide a wonderful mix of music and movement, such as the Kindermusik program. While expensive, most children really love these classes, where they learn about rhythm and moving with the beat. What 5 or 6 year old doesn’t like to jump up and dance? They even learn to use basic instruments, like a drum, whistle, maracas, and xylophones, and have fun doing it.

But if you’d rather take a do-it-yourself approach, just playing a variety of types of music for your kids is a great start. Kids who are exposed to all types of music appreciate music more than kids who only hear mom’s favorite radio station. When you get in the car, play a different CD each time. You can check out music CDs from the library so your kids can hear classical, reggae, Celtic music, and maybe even songs sung in a foreign language. If you throw in a few short sentences where you explain to the kids what they’re hearing, or perhaps a little about the artist or time period the music is from, it’s more like a school lesson. All these little bits of music exposure add up to some real learning!”

Finding the Right Books

Not all children enjoy reading but it shouldn’t mean that we ignore it.  Finding the book that’ll keep them interested and engaged is one key to starting an engaging involvement with books.  I’ve been watching my boy, now age 11, over the last year as he turned into a reader. It’s mostly fantasy adventure, science fiction, and kids detective stuff which has him hooked. Happily it does.

Here’s an interesting observation. I’ve started reading a lot more now that I use an e-reader. Specifically, I use the Kindle software on an Ipad. But when I like a book, I usually want the book around my home. I really miss it.  So fAR, while I know a lot of adults that use ereaders, I haven’t seen anyone under the age of 18 using one. hmmmm. I would have thought it would work the other way.

Speaking of books, take the time to ferret out some homeschooling books that  might be of interest to your kids. They’re easy to find. Right there on the website: homeschool literature.com.   Thanks to another niche site, Secular Homeschooling, for pointing me towards it.