Owlhaven » Homeschooling

School today

Owlhaven — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:55:02 +0000

Books, books, books!

Owlhaven — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:39:57 +0000

I’ve had a terrible time lately finding time to do book reviews! In an attempt to catch up on months of neglect in one fell swoop, I’m going to tell you briefly about each of the books I’ve gotten recently.

E is For Ethics contains several dozen short stories about various ethical dilemmas and include discussions of virtues such as honesty, loyalty, and compassion. I’ve read several chapters out loud to my kids at lunch time. In each case the stories were interesting conversation starters. Since the book is not faith-based, I do think the book just begins the conversation. I can’t talk about ethics without talking about faith too. But I did like that the book has given us a reason to talk about a variety of topics. Bonus: here’s a link for a free coloring book that goes with the book.

I got The Colors of Grief from Tapestry, an online bookstore that specializes in adoption-related books. It took me awhile to get around to picking up this book. Frankly, it is a tough topic, and not one that I tend to be ready to focus on at the end of a long day. However, when I did pick this up, I was soon reminded of just how important this topic is to our adopted kids. They have experienced great loss–yes, even the ones who came to me as preverbal infants. And the more I understand and acknowledge that loss, the more compassionate I can be in my dealings with them.

Head First 2D Geometry is billed as a way to give a non-math-oriented kid a boost up in understanding geometry. The lively illustrations are reminiscent of a comic book— actually, if you own any of the Tightwad Gazette books, that’s the style of this book. Lots of stories, lots of pictures. It is definitely a livelier explanation of geometry than I’ve ever seen. This book looks to be a great boost to a kid who struggles with math but really needs to get through geometry.

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I will be giving away a copy of each of these books. In comments, tell me which of these books sounds most interesting to you, and next week I will pick one winner for each.

The new math

Owlhaven — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:55:37 +0000

Our new Teaching Textbooks computer math program came a couple weeks ago, and I am completely loving it. Setting it up for multiple kids on one computer was a bit tricky– basically you create user accounts on the computer for every kid and install the program into each user. But once we got all that straightened around, the program worked wonderfully.

Each lesson contains an audio lecture, practice problems, and a lesson containing 20 problems. Graphics accompany every description, and there’s a full explanation of every problem. That way if kids get a problem wrong, they can immediately see and hear the solution for the problem.

My kids who grew up in America listen to each lecture just once. My girls who came to America in 2007 do each lecture 3 times before attempting the lesson. The repetition helps their comprehension of math AND English– a real bonus.

Before, using my old math program, I spent at least an hour each morning checking and rechecking math for multiple children, not to mention all the time I was explaining the same concepts over and over to many kids. Now all three of the kids doing 7th grade math are computer-taught and computer-graded. All I do is peek in the grade book (also on the computer) when they’re done to see how it went.

The computer math only goes through 7th grade. My son doing pre-Algebra (the next grade up) gets to listen to a lecture on the computer, but his math is then done on paper. I grade it, but it’s still quicker and with better instruction than what I was doing before. Teaching Textbooks is adding 3rd grade math this summer. When they do, I will be snatching it up for my going-into-3rd grade daughter!

This computer based math give more more time to listen to kids read– hugely important. And– bonus– now that I’m spending more time listening to kids read, I actually have a bit of time each day to knit. (I’ve found that staying busy with something like knitting or peeling potatoes really helps me stay happier and more patient while listening to early readers.)

Love the new math!!

Best SAT Essay Tips

Owlhaven — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

I spent half an hour this morning googling SAT essay tips and thought I’d share the best links I found just in case any of you have student taking the SAT this year.

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On this day last year I was writing about my wedding day.

Technorati Tags: essay tips, SAT, SAT essay

Homeschooling: what curriculum do you use?

Owlhaven — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:03:57 +0000

These days there is a huge variety of choice when it comes to homeschool curriculum, with almost as many good options are their are homeschooling families. Below I am going to list my favorite curriculum. I hope you will add your own favorites in comments, below.

MARY’S HOMESCHOOL FAVORITES

MATH
Grades K-3 — Alpha Omega Horizon
Grades 4 and up – Saxon math

SCIENCE

Beginning around 4th grade we start Apologia science
PHONICS and READING

ABeka Phonics

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

BOB books (very early readers)

Sonlight Curriculum -we don’t do the whole curriculum, but we have many of the readers. I love the diversity of the characters, and the way each stories illuminates a specific place and time in history. (Many different reading levels here)

HISTORY

Childhood of Famous Americans– This very diverse series of biographies is great for kids 2nd-6th grade, and is another great way to get reading and history at the same time.

Note: The above link will take you to paperbackswap.com, a great way to get affordable books. If you look at the site and decide to sign up, list me (owlhaven at aol dot com) as the person who referred you, OK? I’ll get a book credit, which will delight my kids, because they’ll get to pick books!
HANDWRITING

A Reason for Writing- Kids get writing practice by writing Bible verses

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Rosetta Stone- insanely expensive, but really good. Kids are able to work on their own, without parents having to know the language.

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OK, all experienced homeschoolers, it’s your turn. What homeschool curriculum do you love?

Planning a new school year

Owlhaven — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:25:41 +0000

Apparently I got the griping out of my system the other day, because I’m feeling more cheerful about the start of school. I’ve organized my existing books, and ordered more, including handwriting and a 3rd copy of Saxon 7/6 math — the latter on paperbackswap.com– hooray!

Last night I got a new chore chart made. I like to leave kids assigned to a job for long enough that they get excellent at it. But I also like them to be competent at multiple jobs. So at the start of each school year everyone gets a new job list.

Erika heads off to college on Friday, and our 17 year old will be juggling a job and a busy senior year of high school, so I’m basically assigning jobs to only the 7 youngest. My 15 year old also has a busy high school load — his only job besides yard work is cleaning the kitchen after lunch every day.

Next in the lineup we have our 14 year old daughter, then three 11 year olds. The four of them will be doing breakfast and dinner dishes, 3 meals per week per child, either M-W-F or T-Th-S. This summer I trialed having pairs of kids doing dishes together, but ended up deciding that kids were more industrious when they knew the entire task was their own to complete. This fall they’ll be working alone, but doing dishes a bit less often.

Kids in this age group also feed animals, sweep kitchen, clean living room and family room, and tidy both kids’ bathrooms each day. These jobs get done in the afternoon once school is done, for a total work time of about an hour per kid per day, maybe a little longer if they are moving slowly.

I am working on phasing our 7 year old daughter into more ’serious’ housework. She will be washing out the laundry room sink every day and spot-mopping the kitchen floor with a damp rag. (Our kitchen floor can always use some wiping, it seems.)

The four year old will be sorting clean silverware, sweeping the hearth and windexing the front glass door. Neither job will get done perfectly, but I can live with 4 year old effort in both those areas.

Now that we have the job list figured out, next on my list is actual school planning. Maybe this week. Along with picking a few pictures to bring to the fair, canning tomatoes, freezing corn, and begging people to take my cucumbers.

Because I do NOT need more pickles.

Homeschooling with preschoolers

Owlhaven — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:02:59 +0000

Homeschooling older children with little ones in the house can be a real challenge. Toddlers and preschoolers are energetic, inquisitive, and mobile. They make things happen. Woe to you if you’re not watching them while they’re making things happen. But how can you occupy them in a way that will still allow you to also teach older ones?

One of the things that has helped me over the years is an idea adapted from Montessori preschools. “Play stations” are independent activities set up in designated spaces on the floor. Children stay with one activity for 5 to 10 minutes. When a timer rings, they rotate to another station. Good activities include: dollhouse and people, Cheerios to string, blocks, stacking cups, Legos, simple puzzles, and stories on tapes.

Play stations require a little bit of training. At first you may want to be flexible with the time. With young toddlers, you’ll want to keep the time short– maybe 2-3 rotations of 5 minutes each once a day. Or you can let your child do an activity for as long as it holds his interest, and then pull out the next thing.

As kids settle in and their attention span increases, you can gradually increase the number of rotations, and the amount of time at each activity. If play is going really well, I’ll sometimes just turn the timer off rather than interrupt the child when he is really engrossed in an activity.

Vary activities often to suit your child’s interests. To keep several kids occupied at once, 4-6 activities are adequate. Set up stations a few feet apart to avoid squabbles. The time it takes to set up play stations will be rewarded by the sight of your little ones learning to play happily— and independently — near you.

MORE IDEAS

1.) Indoor ‘sandbox’: Put uncooked rice into a large bowl on a bed sheet on the floor. Add cups, funnels, and spoons. Afterward your child can help clean up with a small broom and dustpan.

2.) Toy Dump: Suspend a plastic bucket from the ceiling about a foot off the floor. Put a plastic dishpan under it full of small toys. Toddlers fill the bucket and dump it back into the dishpan.

3.) Ball Toss: Use a bucket and aluminum foil balls, and make a masking tape ‘free-throw’ line to stand behind.

4.) Sewing Cards: Glue a picture to cardboard, then outline the picture with a hole punch. Your child ‘sews’ the picture using a long shoelace.

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More homeschooling posts

Homeschooling: how we began
Homeschooling: why we stuck with it
Holy Experience: Pros and cons of homeschooling
Raising Five: Shelter is not a place

Technorati Tags: Homeschooling

Gearing up

Owlhaven — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:41:16 +0000

I’m not about to claim that I am READY for school to start, but I did at least get a start on pre-school organizing. All last year, the laundry room counter was the dumping grounds for kids’ books at the end of each school day. Books were supposed to be stacked neatly, but of course that never happened. With sharing books and working around laundry and many people in and out of the room all day, it was hard to pin down who left messes and made heaps tip– frustrating for mom.

Adding to the mess was an influx of new books someone had given to us. I knew that before I could do any serious school planning, I had to sort through what I had, give away what I didn’t need, and find space for what I intended to use.

I spent parts of two days sorting books and organizing them by subject in the upper cupboards. Once the counter was clear, I was able to move the school computer onto that counter. I think it will be a good place for kids to use the computer for typing, Spanish, Korean, or games. Last year the computer was in the living room, which when running tended to distract kids doing other work.

Once all that was done, my husband made cubby-style shelving for the books the kids use every day. The 6 youngest kids now each have their own slot in which (theoretically) to return their own books at the end of each day. I’m hoping this will make them more accountable, and also simply more able to put their own things away neatly.

Next step: lesson planning. It feels so much more possible now that the books are in order.

Homeschooling: Why we stuck with it

Owlhaven — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:29:55 +0000

Homeschooling: how we began

(As you read this, please know I am not dissing other school options or proclaiming homeschooling as THE answer for everyone. I know successful adults who have come from every type of school setting.)

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That first year of homeschooling, we charged into the school year with great excitement. I bought desks at yard sales. My husband made a chalk board for the family room wall. We even had a flag. Basically we were trying to recreate traditional school, right there in our family room.

The first year didn’t go badly– we went back for a second year, after all. But looking back, I do think I made it harder than it needed to be. My girls were second grade and kindergarten– they didn’t need 7 subjects, and their momma certainly didn’t need the stress of trying to teach 7 subjects, especially the very first year. And our lovely classroom? Not really necessary. We quickly learned we preferred our kitchen table, the living room couch, and various bedroom floors.

We began homeschooling as an affordable way to effectively teach our kids in an environment that would not undermine our beliefs. But as we settled in and found our groove, we found a host of other benefits.

Our kids developed close friendships with each other. We got to know them better, and to spend more time with them. We had the freedom to vacation whenever my husband could get time off. And — one of my favorites! — homeschooling mornings can move slowly if you desire. No racing and rushing to get kids out the door at a specific time.

Now that we are also homeschooling kids adopted at an older age, we are finding even more benefits. Yes, the teaching is more challenging, due to the need to teach English right along with fractions and nouns. But it allows lots of bonding time– super important when settling kids into a new family–and you can really personalize the teaching to the child’s needs.

I’m only human– there are days when I wish for a break from teaching. But now that our first two home school students are all graduated and grown up, we know homeschooling works. Our 10th and 12 grade sons are doing well. And we can very clearly see the benefits of homeschooling for our younger children as well, right down to our 4 year old who already knows lots of phonics from hearing older siblings being taught. So we will carry on!

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Do you have questions about homeschooling? I’m planning one more post about homeschooling in the next week or two, and I’d be glad to take a shot at answering any questions you might have.

Homeschooling: how we began

Owlhaven — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:35:39 +0000

John and I had our first daughter in 1988, back when homeschooling was still far from mainstream. We both thought it seemed overprotective, maybe even downright odd. We never imagined ourselves as home-schoolers. However, the closer our oldest daughter got to school age, the less thrilled we became about the idea of public school. John and I had both gone to church schools for elementary school, so we investigated a local Christian school and decided to go that route.

Kindergarten for our oldest daughter was wonderful–she had a great teacher, only went for half days, and had only 11 kids in her class. She loved it.

First grade — not so much. She had a different teacher and a big class with at least 4 kids who were disruptive. When I volunteered in class, it seemed that the disruptive kids got 85% of the frazzled teacher’s time. The noise in the classroom was so great that our daughter was having a hard time completing assignments in class- and I totally understood her distraction. She often ended up finishing work while other kids were at recess.

Also in first grade, little-girl cattiness reared its head. Every week or two our daughter would come home upset because last week’s best friend had decided she liked some other friend better. A few days later, the storm would blow over and they’d be best friends again. But the social atmosphere was far from placid, even in this Christian school.

Even sadder was my daughter’s new obsession with friends over family. Suddenly she felt too old to play with her 2-years-younger sister. And when I asked her about school, she’d answer in single words. At the ripe old age of 6, it seemed she was distancing herself from our family.

During these early years of my daughter’s school, I was working part time as a labor and delivery nurse at a local birthing center. I had the opportunity to work with a lovely woman named Karen. At the time she had 7 or 8 kids. Like me, she just worked a day or two a week, and unlike me, she was a homeschooling mom.

She’d just had a baby, and when she worked, she would bring her baby and her teenaged daughter along to work. The teen hung out in one of the family rooms caring for the baby and doing homework. Karen would go check on them now and then, pausing to nurse the baby whenever she got a chance.

I got the chance to visit with Karen’s daughter, and discovered quickly that there was something special about her. She was poised beyond her years, could carry on a thoughtful conversation, and just seemed to radiate kindness. I remember thinking, “that’s how I want my daughters to be when they’re teenagers.”

I began to wonder how much her demeanor was related to having been home schooled. As John and I became less thrilled with the private school, I found myself asking Karen more and more questions about homeschooling. Her laid-back answers were reassuring. For example, when I asked her how she made sure the kids’ education didn’t have gaps, she laughed and said that everyone’s education has gaps. The important thing is to teach kids where to find out what they need to know.

The more I talked to Karen, the more sensible homeschooling seemed. But it wasn’t until the end of our daughter’s first grade year, when it came time to sign our second daughter up for kindergarten, that we really began to wonder if home schooling could be the answer for us too. When they laid the paper out in front of us, showing how much we’d need to pay each month, we realized that I was going to have to work another day a week just to afford this privilege.

By then we had 4 kids. The last thing I wanted was to be away from our little kids another day a week, just so that my bigger kids could go to school – especially when I was becoming more and more convinced that my older kids would get more teaching and more attention by staying home with me. A 1:4 teacher/student ratio beats a 1:24 all to bits.

Once again Karen encouraged me along. You don’t have to commit to homeschooling forever, she said. Give it a try and see if it works for you. John and I talked through our options, researched curriculum, and decided to take the plunge.

The year was 1995.

(Part two coming soon)