SonlightBlog.com

Homeschool Support

2011-06-16T08:08:00.004-06:00

It's summer and homeschool conventions are in the air. I've traveled to four so far this year to represent Sonlight in various exhibit halls. Perhaps because I am reaching the half century mark this year, I found myself comparing this year's conventions and attendees to those I remember when I first began attending conventions some 17 years ago. Reflecting on the differences has made for some interesting conversation with others of my "generation".

I also have the privilege of acting as the program director for a state convention here in the northeast. We will be holding our post-convention recap and strategy meeting this weekend. Each year this meeting causes me to consider the perceived needs and wants of homeschoolers and whether or not we are effectively meeting those needs.

In the "early years" of homeschooling, conventions were eagerly anticipated as an opportunity to gather with others of like-minded thought when it came to educational choices. It was a chance to re-group and be encouraged in the rather unique path you had chosen. There was an almost desperate need to hear that what you were doing was right and good.

Today's conventions seem to be more consumer-oriented. With so many to choose from, most folks have the option of attending at least 2, and maybe 3, within driving distance. In this age of Facebook and Twitter, "virtual conventions" are also beginning to appear on the horizon. Curriculum choices are available to preview online, live chat services offer a curriculum advisor at your fingertips, and homeschool forums, chat rooms and blogs, provide virtually everything that a "skin on" convention has to offer without ever leaving home.

So are homeschool conventions and local support group meetings headed the way of the dinosaur? Will they soon be extinct? I truly hope not. While I believe that technology is a wonderful and useful tool, there is just nothing that meets our built-in need for relationship and encouragement like a homeschool convention (or a support group meeting). As I stood on various convention floors this year and talked with new homeschooling parents, admired their babies and toddlers, engaged in some Homeschool 101 conversation, encouraged them that they CAN indeed do this homeschool thing, and hugged them before they left ... I considered time and time again that nothing will ever replace that eye-to-eye, face-to-face experience that an "in-person" event has to offer. It is worth the effort of finding child care, saving pennies for convention registration and possible hotel stay, and arranging transportation.

A thought to contemplate ... if you're a "veteran" homeschooler as I am, and really feel no compelling need to attend a homeschool convention ... consider how valuable your life experience would be to new homeschoolers just beginning their journey. Give some thought to volunteering or working on your local convention team as a means of "giving back" to those who supported you during the early years of your homeschool experience. I guarantee you it's worth your time and effort.

Still traveling the path ...
~Judy
Sonlight Customer Champion

Encouragement and Reminders

2011-06-10T08:57:00.014-06:00

Are you feeling down or overwhelmed?

I often get depressed immediately following a great experience. I've been told that's normal. If you've been at the top of the world, even the mile high city pales in comparison. It's also easy, when thinking about the future, to become overwhelmed by everything we have to do. The events to come in the rest of our lives quickly swamp the few hours we have today.

Many families are finishing up their homeschooling for the year and looking toward the Fall. This can be exhilarating and exhausting. Summer is here, but that doesn't mean things can't be a little blue even with clear skies and perfect weather. I've found a little encouragement and some well-placed reminders to be very helpful when I'm down or stressed.

That's one reason why I love the latest update to Sonlight's website. You can now find encouraging photos and quotes in the sidebar on many pages of the site.

Encouraging Photos and Quotes

Do you have a photo and story that is a great reminder of the joy of homeschooling? Have you recently been encouraged by something that happened in your homeschool? Please, take a moment and share it on Sonlight's Photo Contest page. Your picture and story may appear in next year's Catalog and website as an encouragement to hundreds of families beginning and continuing their homeschooling journey.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Humor: You Know You're a Homeschooler When ...

2011-06-09T15:23:00.000-06:00

Sarita's Word

Does something ever happen that makes you think, "Wow, I really am a homeschooler!" I'd like to share some quick stories that fellow homeschoolers have emailed to me recently. These sure made me smile (or even laugh out loud). Enjoy!

You Know You're a Homeschooler When ...

"Someone asks your children what grade they are in, and they try to help each other figure it out." –Mary Beth
"You have the math lesson timed to the dryer cycle!" –The B Family
"When you send your son off to college and he emails you and tells you that organic chemistry isn't that hard. [Update: He got an A in the class!]" –Sandra H
"Your kids are playing Simon Says with directions like 'pretend you are an oblique line segment!'" –Niki C
"When the conversation you are having about 6th/7th grade chemistry is so in depth that a college sophomore majoring in Engineering asks you if you have a degree!!!!! I told him yes, I have my 'M-O-M' degree. :)" –Stacey A
"My teenagers love talking things over with me and don't mind being seen in public with me." –Carol C
"You can take a picnic bench, an oatmeal container and a hula loop and turn them into an ear canal and eardrum." –Jeana R
"You go to get groceries and your kids bring pencil and paper so they can figure math problems as you go down each aisle." –Heather
"Your daughter wants to have a party and invites seven other homeschool girls to join her in working at the church Food Closet on a weekday morning." –Karen L
"Your daughter is filling in a blank on a questionnaire that asks, 'Where do you go to school?' and she writes, 'Under the dining room table.'" –Cindy

How about you? Do you have a good finish to the sentence "You Know You're a Homeschool When ..."?

Blessings,
Sarita

I think I can do this!

2011-06-09T06:04:00.005-06:00

I have been tossing around the idea of homeschooling my daughter since the day I found out I was pregnant with her. I finally made the decision that starting in Kindergarten I would be a homeschool mom! I researched for months looking for the right curriculum and I found that I loved how Sonlight had packages with instructors guides and tons of really cool books. This will be my first year homeschooling, so I really felt that I needed a curriculum that not only taught my daughter but also helped teach me how to homeschool.

Curriculum that Teaches Me How to Homeschool

My daughter is an extremely curious little girl so when I opened the boxes up she was right there with me going through each book. She meticulously placed each book in a pile according to size and told me which ones she was going to read first!

Looking Through the Books

She is so interested in animals that we immediately had to look through the Frogs and Tadpoles book. After being able to go through the boxes and get everything organized, I sat down with the instructors guide and read through it. It was so wonderfully laid out and I love that I have everything I need to get her started and loving school!

Ready to Start School

We are taking some vacations and "school" won't be starting until September but my daughter is asking everyday if it's time for school yet. I am taking the summer to read all of her books and even I am excited with the wide range of literature that is covered. I do not remember learning any of this when I was in Kindergarten so I am excited for my daughter. I finally feel like I CAN do this and it will be a wonderful journey with the help of Sonlight!

Thanks!

Alison K.

High School and Grading and Transcripts ... Oh My!!

2011-06-08T10:19:00.004-06:00

As Luke alluded to on Monday, grading is one of those topics that can generate a whole range of emotions among homeschoolers. Some folks began homeschooling to get away from the "stigma" of grades, others just want an easy way to assign a grade and be done with it, while others are just uncertain of how to navigate the whole grading/transcript maze.

Luke mentioned the whole pass/fail idea in his previous post. I would agree that homeschooling allows us the freedom to ensure mastery. In other words, there is never a reason for a homeschool student to "fail" a subject. Thus, if one of my students does not meet the expectation I've set for a particular assignment, he/she has the *privilege* of working on it again until the assignment/project is mastered.

The pass/fail concept is good in general. However there does come a time when you may need to create a transcript for your child, and more detailed or specific grading becomes necessary.

Let me offer a few suggestions that have worked well with the high schoolers we've graduated from our homeschool.

1) First, don't waste any time in ordering Cafi Cohen's book Homeschooler's College Admissions Handbook. This is one of the most practical and easy to read resources that I've come across on the whole topic of homeschooling high school, writing transcripts, and preparing for college or other post-high school options. So don't pass go, don't collect $200, order this book!! You might also find our high school webinar to be a good resource.

2) Set your expectations. Each time I began a new college class, the professor handed out a syllabus on the first day. It listed the titles of the books required for the course, an outline of what to expect during the course, and what it would take to pass the course. I have found it helpful to do the same for my high school students. A possible Core 400 syllabus might look something like this ....

Passing this course requires you to read 14 of the 24 American Litereature titles included in this program. You must read Moby Dick, but you may choose any other 13 titles.
Passing this course requires you to read the following History/Civics titles: Basic American Government by Carson, Never Before in History by Amos and Gardiner, and Emancipating Slaves by Hummel.
Passing this course requires you to read 6 of the 8 biographies/historical fiction titles included in this program.
Passing this course requires you to complete the writing assignments associated with the 14 American Literature titles you choose.
Passing this course requires your comprehension of the History/Civics titles you are required to read. This will be determined by verbal discussion with me, and occasional writing assignments (simple chapter or section reviews).

(IMPORTANT NOTE: I am *NOT* saying that a student should not read all the books in Core 400, or that these titles which I've listed are better than those which I did not! This is purely for the sake of demonstrating a possible syllabus.)

A similar approach can be taken with math (expectation to complete the math course, have a test grade average of 75 or better, etc...), with science, and any other subject assigned for a given high school year.

The value of a written syllabus, though it may take you some time at the beginning of the year, is that all players are aware of the "rules" and expectations from the start. You as the parent/teacher are not stuck making requirements up as the year progresses, and the student begins the course year with a thorough understanding of what is expected.

3) Create your grading chart. Determine ahead of time what level of work earns what grade and how that will ultimately translate to a transcript. Cohen's book is a good resource for how to grade and determine grade point equivalents for a transcript. Here's a suggestion of a grading chart you may wish to use:

Completion of all assigned work with exemplary output -
98-100% (A) ..... Credit Equivalent: 4.0

Completion of all assigned work with outstanding output -
90-98% (A-) ..... Credit Equivalent: 3.7

Completion of all assigned work with good output -
85-90% (B+) ..... Credit Equivalent: 3.3

Completion of all assigned work with average output -
80-85% (B) ..... Credit Equivalent: 3.0

Completion of all assigned work with a struggle -
75-80% (C+) ..... Credit Equivalent: 2.3

Completion of all assigned work (just squeaking by!) -
70-75% (C) ..... Credit Equivalent: 2.0

It will be up to you as the parent/teacher to define "exemplary output" or "with a struggle", but once you have that foundation, creating a grade equivalency chart will save you much time and effort.

Bottom line ... you as the parent/teacher will determine what grading you will use for your high school students. You will determine the standard by which your student is evaluated ... and the amazing blessing of homeschooling is that you can set that standard based on what you know about your student. The trick is to spend some time *well before* the school year begins to establish your expectations for every course, create a grade equivalency chart, and communicate these with your student(s). This level of grading detail is far less necessary in the lower grades where there is no need for creating a transcript. Creating a much simpler pass/fail or grade range expectation works just fine.

Homeschooling high school is an exciting challenge. You will encounter all sorts of life-changing experiences with your students and build memories that will last a lifetime. Don't let grading become a road-block to your high school journey.

Blessings ...
~Judy
Sonlight Customer Champion

Gender Matters in Education

2011-06-07T13:32:00.014-06:00

Gender is showing up in articles again and again and again these days. The basic thrust of this in vogue idea--which appears to have been around for a little over 50 years now--is that "gender" is more than just your physiology.

Okay, sure. But this idea is no more enlightening than to say that "orange" can refer to a fruit, a color or a non-rhyme-able word. Far more important is to consider the deeper root of the discussion. Are we talking about food or art or creative writing? Similarly, we must unearth what is driving this latest thrust to let our children "discover"/"decide" their gender for themselves.

To me, Storm's parents are simply confusing the issue. While social pressures do affect how we treat boys and girls--often damagingly so--the solution is not to try to mask biological gender. Rather, as Dr. Sax so masterfully explains: We must learn about the innate differences in biology so we can give our sons and daughters equal opportunities to succeed. In fact, I would argue that trying to ignore biological differences will make it harder for a child to develop because the innate differences are not addressed and applied.

The other issue is similarly mislabeled. The roles and preferences of children are not defined by society any more than they are by biology. Both impact the student, to be sure, but personality, opportunity, and aptitude are equally influential. To put such an emphasis on essentially overthrowing one's biology is a mistake. If anything, we should overthrow society's limitations and work within the various strengths our biology gives us as we pursue the things of which we are gifted and blessed to take part.

I've written about Dr. Sax's Why Gender Matters before, but this issue has come up yet again. Dr. Sax champions the point that understanding biology frees us from the assumptions of society. Gender matters in education because if we do not take the time to understand how it influences our lives, we will be limited by our ignorance.

If you have not read Why Gender Matters, I urge you to do so. I was blown away by what I learned. And considering how hot of a topic this is today, now is the time to get the facts.

Have you noticed a recent glut of gender discussion? What are your thoughts and insights?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

How Do You Grade?

2011-06-06T14:51:00.011-06:00

I grew up hearing terms like "80th percentile" and "satisfactory" when it came to my biennial tests. I knew that a letter-based grade system existed, and I quickly realized that--truly--the only grade I should ever get was an A. How could anyone settle for less than an A?

In our homeschool, we did things until we got it right. So, I guess, our "grading" was based on a pass/fail standard where failure was not an option. The concept of being forced to stop learning something so you could be given a mark on how well you did at that moment felt astonishingly myopic. How is that a useful statistic? Wouldn't it be better to master the topic at hand before moving on?

Certainly.

But I was growing up in the privilege of homeschooling where we had the time and freedom to pursue learning at a pace I required. Grades are, in my estimation, a nasty byproduct of mass education. They are the only motivator we can offer. They are the only metric we can measure. Grades are how we compare 30 students forced to move through content together.

The question, then, is: How do we apply this system to homeschooling? It certainly didn't fit with how my family did school.

I know some homeschool families give grades based on effort. That makes sense. So, I'm curious: How do you give grades?

On Wednesday, Judy is going to share about grading and Sonlight. I look forward to seeing what she has to say and how that compares to your insights!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Taking Time to Connect

2011-06-03T11:07:00.006-06:00

I've been thinking about Candy's post Dear Sergeant Ybarra for a couple days now. There is something powerful about someone taking the time to notice you. In fact, as Candy writes, those letters still impact her today. These simple, powerful interactions can change lives.

As I think back in my own life, the best teachers, pastors, and youth leaders all gave a focused interest in me. They demonstrated that I mattered to them and that they were happy to spend time with me.

We have the opportunity to do that with our children. Homeschooling enables us to take time to connect with our kids. It may feel more mundane than sending letters half a world away, but the impact is greater because of the frequency of contact. These benefits of homeschooling are easily taken for granted (or worse, completely overlooked), but when I think back to those who have poured into my life, my parents are definitely at the top of that list.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Eager Beavers

2011-06-03T10:45:00.006-06:00

Since we have to watch the exchange rate with the dollar quite closely, we decided to jump in and get next year's K curriculum in advance since the rate was quite good for us in May! And this year we got TWO boxes!! Oh the excitement. The boxes came while we were on our way to choir practice and I almost turned the car around when my Mom called to say the boxes had arrived. I just told Isabel there was a surprise waiting at home when we were on our way back.

The sight on her face was too precious. Quickly the first box was opened and slowly she started unpacking the most amazing story books! And then came the science and biology books (which she adores!). I had a quick peek into the science boxes but thought we'd wait until next year to show her the things we are going use for our experiments. Need to leave a few surprises!

Only after I had a chance to show everyone all the amazing books and materials, was the latter carefully put away in one of the boxes to be stored safely (I hope!). The books have been placed in a special spot on a bookshelf. I actually started reading A Hundred Dresses yesterday and was sorry to be interrupted because I haven't finished it yet! Today, lunch time, I'm going to do it!

Thank you Sonlight for making schooling an absolute pleasure! I'm a little bit daunted by the size of the parent's guide, but I know not to worry!

Kind regards
The G. Family
(Jhb, South Africa)

PS: Three weeks later they're STILL playing with the castle box!

Fun Box Day

2011-06-02T10:56:00.009-06:00

We had so much fun going through all the books and materials on box day. I told my girls we could open the box as soon as they were ready for bed. That was a great motivation. Once we opened the box they just wanted to stay up and look through every book!

Opening the Box

This is the first year I will be homeshooling my three little girls. I did a lot of research looking for the optimal curriculm and found Sonlight was the curriculm of choice (Core B+C). Ordering and receiving the materails now will give me all summer to get acquated with the material. I can't wait until September to start learning with my girls. Thank you Sonlight!

Looking Through the New Books

Boni K.
Moscow, ID

My Passion: To Equip and Educate

2011-06-01T14:44:00.002-06:00

How did a former atheist end up writing Christian curriculum at Sonlight? That's a long story that I can't answer completely in one blog post. Fortunately, every now and then I'll contribute a post here and can fill in details as we go. Let's start with who I am.

My name is Robert Velarde and I serve as a curriculum creator on Sonlight's product development team. I'm also father to four wonderful homeschooled children.

Although my bachelor's degree is in music, after I became a Christian I pursued ministry-oriented interests, being especially interested in anything relating to comparative religions and apologetics—the reasoned defense of Christianity. This resulted in many years of service with Christian ministries, graduate studies in philosophy, and a master's degree in religion. As I matured as a Christian, I had a desire grow to write books—something I've had the joy of doing repeatedly now.

At Sonlight I work with a gifted, creative team of dedicated people. I meet with Sonlight's president, Sarita Holzmann, regularly as we discuss ideas, refine products, edit content, and do the best we can to make homeschooling easy and edifying. One of the products I had the pleasure of working on recently is What Good is Christianity?

My passion is to equip and educate Christians so they know what they believe and why they believe it, and are able to understand and articulate their own perspective, as well as opposing viewpoints. In short, every believer needs to develop their view of the world. A robust Christian worldview is integrated into all of life and is capable of intelligently interacting with any ideas and challenges it encounters.

In future posts I'd like to explore in more detail some of the ideas brought up here. I'd also love to hear from you.

What would you like me to blog about?
Would you like to hear about my life as a homeschool dad?
Do you want to know more about Christian apologetics?
Is some Bible problem or question about your faith troubling you?
What are you doing to equip your homeschooled children in their worldview?

Let me know!

Which Direction Does Fire Burn?

2011-05-31T14:52:00.012-06:00

The fire flickered as the parents talked and the kids played. The father turned to one of his sons and asked, "Does fire burn uphill or downhill?"

The boy paused, considering the question. He tried to remember if he had seen any examples of this happening in life. Had he witnessed a fire on a hill?

His father waited a moment. When it was clear the boy was fixated on the wrong information, he asked, "Does heat rise or sink?"

"Heat rises."

"So if a fire is on a hill, will it go up or down?"

The scene unfolded before me. I'd had similar conversations when I was growing up. But now the beauty of life-long learning struck me anew. 'Is this how most parents talk with their children?'

As a homeschooler, the idea of taking every opportunity and turning it into a discussion or "teaching moment" is natural. Of course fire should inspire us to ask questions about the physics of heat! But does everyone see it that way?

If so, then far more people should be homeschooling because they are already doing it.

If not, then far more people should be homeschooling because of how it changes the way we see the world and interact with our children.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

P.S. I just got my third order from Sonlight: Rosetta Stone Italian. With sale prices this low and a wife interested in linguistics, how could I refuse such an offer? Check out the incredible Rosetta Stone sale going on right now!

Rosetta Stone Italian

Bug Fix: Search

2011-05-27T11:14:00.012-06:00

Search on sonlight.com has been fixed.

For the past couple of months we've had a ton of feedback about the website. When things are working, we get positive comments about how easy the site is to use. That feels fantastic. But when something is broken, things aren't nearly as pleasant. And with good reason: When things aren't working, we've let you down.

If you've been frustrated trying to find something on Sonlight's new website, I have good news: We've updated search and it works now.

Search Feedback

If the new search tool still isn't helping you find what you're looking for, please use the search feedback form to let us know so we can improve it. Because not only do I want the site to be helpful for you, but I really like positive feedback too <smile>.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Quiet Box Day

2011-05-27T10:08:00.003-06:00

I just had to write--today was Box Day at our house! We just received our curriculum for next year for our two children--7-yr old Benjamin and 6-yr old Hannah. It took all the discipline we had (me included!!) to finish up our chores before opening the boxes to explore all our new books!! Now that the boxes are opened, packing list checked, and books spread out to be explored, my house is QUIET!! Both kids have found a book and a comfy place and they are engrossed in new adventures!! If we weren't having company tonight, I would be joining them myself!

Thank you for providing such quality resources for us to use to educate our children. What a blessing it is to homeschool with Sonlight!

Thank you also for the care that is taken in packing our orders. This upcoming year will be our fourth year to use Sonlight, and never has anything been missing from my orders, and it is all packed so well and arrives in PERFECT condition. I appreciate that so much!!

Many blessings to all of you at Sonlight,
Mark & Karen M.

Please chime in: Do homeschoolers need to teach organizational skills?

2011-05-26T13:35:00.003-06:00

Sarita's Word

I asked my staff a question recently, and I'd love to hear what you think, too. Do homeschoolers need to teach organizational skills to their children? Is there something Sonlight can or should do to facilitate this?

I've always been an organized person. I naturally "give a place to everything and put everything in its place." But not all my children learned from my example or inherited this trait!

One of my children seems unorganized. When he was young, I thought he was just messy. Then in his high school years, he kept nearly everything he owned in a jumbled heap in the trunk of his car; I just attributed it to messiness with a touch of laziness.

But I've since realized: it wasn't that he didn't care. My son truly lacked some important life skills. If I had taught him organizational skills, they probably could have helped him immensely in his high school and college years.

I just finished an interesting book about this very topic: The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond, by Donna Goldberg and Jennifer Zwiebel. It chronicles how they help disorganized public school students develop the skills they need to make it through school and beyond.

The authors say that disorganized students in public schools fear they won't have what they need, so they carry it all on their backs. When the teacher asks for a completed assignment or permission slip, students just rifle through their backpacks hoping the right paper will appear.

In grade school, these kids function OK because their teachers do so much to manage the paper shuffle. In junior high, these students start to struggle. They have multiple teachers with many subjects and no one holding their hand anymore. If they don't get help in junior high, they can really fall behind in high school. Not because they're lazy or unintelligent, but because they lack organizational skills.

I read this and thought, Wow! Are we doing our homeschooled kids a disservice? So often in a homeschool, mom keeps track of every paper, cleans up the school area and makes sure everything gets put back into its place. Students aren't naturally forced to develop organizational systems.

But when students go off to college (or jobs or any other calling), they must keep track of assignments, papers and all sorts of stuff. And, one day they'll have an entire house or apartment to organize. With bills, doctor's appointments and car insurance to keep track of, do they have the skills they need?

I really don't know the answer, so I'm asking you: What have you observed in your homeschool? Do your kids naturally know how to be organized? Do you teach organizational skills? Would you like to teach those skills? Is there a product or service that would help you teach organization?

I promise I'm not asking this to make you feel guilty. The last thing most homeschool moms need is another area to worry about. But if this is a legitimate area of need, I'd love to be able to help somehow. So please, share your thoughts. I'm eager to hear what you think.

Blessings to you and yours,
Sarita

The Cost of Customizing

2011-05-25T14:22:00.016-06:00

I never buy a pre-configured computer. I love playing with all the components to see if I can get more monster for my money. My mom would never do this. Why the difference?

I love playing with technology. My mom does not.

For me, selecting a computer is fun. It's a chore for my mom. Worse, she doesn't feel confident around technology, so the process is even stressful. Confidence makes a huge difference. That's why I don't relish modifying certain code: I have no idea what I'm doing. And I'll fiddle away hours trying to figure it out. Rarely do I not have to get help from someone else.

If you are new to homeschooling with Sonlight, the prospect of customizing your curriculum can feel overwhelming. It can take a while to become familiar with certain homeschool lingo. Your child's education is at stake and you may not be sure which program will match his or her learning style. All the options may blur together and the whole experience could end up being stressful.

That being the case, a Multi-Subject Package may be just the thing you need: All the subjects for your upcoming homeschool year in one complete package. Plus, you get the benefit of Sonlight's best discount and all the other perks we offer.

Of course, you may love customizing your homeschool experience. You enjoy mixing and matching different programs to perfectly fit your student's educational needs. Fantastic! Start with a Sonlight^® Core and add subjects to that.

The cost of customizing comes down to one thing: Comfort. If you're not comfortable getting something "out of the box," select the parts you want. If you're not comfortable selecting specific components yet, start with a complete package. As you discover what works and what could be better, you'll see your confidence increase.

Not sure what program you should get? Have a few questions about the program you are customizing? Chat with a Sonlight homeschool curriculum advisor today.

Do you enjoy customizing your homeschool curriculum? If so, have you always enjoyed the process?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

View booklist with descriptions

2011-05-24T14:52:00.008-06:00

Go to the homeschool curriculum package you are interested in and click on the "Included Items" tab. Then click the little View booklist with descriptions link.

View booklist with descriptions

Nifty, eh?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Questions About the End of the World

2011-05-23T14:51:00.017-06:00

You've probably seen them too: The quips about how the world's still here. Turns out we get pretty smug when we're right. "No one knows when the end will come." Seriously, how much clearer can Scripture be?

And it's not like we haven't been here before. For example, allow me to remind you of Calvin and Hobbes's take on the end of the world way back in 1986. And perhaps that's the best reminder: Since we don't know, keep working diligently.

But as I read yet another post about how wrong what's-his-name was, I was struck by the rest of the passage people keep quoting. While the idea that not even Jesus knows the time is something important to remember, we've somehow forgotten the reason why Jesus told us He didn't know: Because we're supposed to be ready and keep watch.

Like the boy who cried wolf, I wonder if all these "false alarms" are actually doing us harm. When the day finally does arrive, will we pay attention? If my reaction this last week is any indication: No. I won't. By midnight, I was contentedly fast asleep, certain the end hadn't come. But what if, at that moment, the bridegroom had arrived?

For all the talk this weekend about Matthew 24:36, I didn't hear a single person actually discuss the signs we're told to consider in the immediate context.

Did you?

I love that homeschooling encourages us to discuss these kinds of things with our children. We can go beyond the pop-culture/Christian snide remarks and allow this to be an opportunity to dig into Scripture.

Did your children have any questions about the end of the world? Do you, like me, find yourself thinking, 'I've still got a long time'?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Graduation Photo Op

2011-05-20T11:00:00.009-06:00

Several of you have mentioned that your school year is coming to an end. And with the launch of Sonlight's 2012 Catalog Photo Contest, now would be a great time to take advantage of your photo ops:

Grab a shot of your family with your favorite book (or books) from the year.
Snap a picture of how much you've read and accomplished.
Show off some of the art projects, science activities or history re-enactments you have created.
Share your celebration of completing another year of formal home education.

I'd love to see your picture and read your story in the 2012 Catalog!

Next week Brittany and I will be attending several graduation parties. Are doing anything to celebrate your success? If you school year-round, how do you celebrate transitions between years?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

The High School Milestone

2011-05-19T09:40:00.004-06:00

This past week I have had a number of opportunities to chat with moms and dads who are considering the monumental task of teaching a high school student. Many are already homeschooling, but the thought of tackling subjects such as Chemistry or Economics or Calculus has them seriously doubting their ability to continue.

I reassured each one that teaching high school was a milestone just like the many others they had already hurdled with their children. Those milestones always look daunting from a distance, and even more challenging as the time grows closer ... but many have paved the way ahead of them and demonstrated that it can be done successfully! I remember vividly when our oldest was beginning her 8th grade year, and wondering how I (who was a miserable math student) would ever be able to teach high school math, let alone get her ready for college or any other post-high school destination. She graduated from college two weeks ago and we thoroughly enjoy the journey getting there.

So perhaps a few practical suggestions as you consider the possibility of homeschooling a high school student ...

My first and most often repeated suggestion is to purchase the book The Homeschooler's College Admissions Handbook by Cafi Cohen. This book was a lifesaver for me as it is full of great ideas, sample transcripts, tips and pointers on the college admissions process, and testimonies from other homeschoolers who have "been there, done that".
Check out this Homeschooling High School video. This is a workshop that Kelly (homeschool veteran, three high school/college grads) presented to a group of folks interested in pursuing the possibility of homeschooling through high school.
Keep in mind that a diploma is just a piece of paper with a signature on it. It is not a demonstration of your child's achievements and knowledge base. Many colleges look primarily at SAT and ACT scores, as well as a high school transcript when they consider your student for admission.
Sonlight's Career Planning Guide is a great tool to begin using as early as junior high school. Whether college or the work world is your child's destination, this product is a valuable resource.
Finally ... keep in mind that homeschooling through high school will open the door to many opportunities for your student. The flexibility of your homeschool schedule will allow for job shadowing, volunteering, a part-time job, and much more. The chance to make college visits outside of those well-planned College Campus weekends is great for seeing your child's potential school without all the marketing hype.

Homeschooling high school may not ultimately be the best choice for your student, but don't let lack of confidence stand in your way. There are many resources out there to help with difficult subjects, offer suggestions for high school plans, and encourage you along the way. And you'll be amazed at what wonderful adults your students turn into.

Still walking the path ...
~Judy
Sonlight Customer Champion

Save an Extra 2% on Homeschool Curriculum

2011-05-18T15:17:00.017-06:00

Would you like to save an extra 2% when you purchase your homeschool curriculum?

Of course.

But it depends on what the catch is. If you have to sign up for a new credit card, forget it. Dave Ramsey is totally not cool with credit cards. I like mine, but there's no way I'm signing up for another one!

So how can you save an additional 2% off your next Sonlight order? Buy all the subjects you need from Sonlight in an easy-to-order Multi-Subject Package. You not only get the 10% Core discount, but you get 2% on top of that. That's 12% off a program you may have been planning to purchase somewhere else.

Granted, just like credit cards, Multi-Subject Packages aren't for everyone. But if you need Language Arts, Math, Science and Handwriting anyway, it's worth looking into a Sonlight^® Multi-Subject Package.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

P.S. Unlike credit cards, if you discover that the Multi-Subject Package isn't right for you, you are covered by Sonlight's one-year money-back guarantee. You have a year to check out half the program, and if you're not thrilled with the materials (and your savings), send it back for a refund. Dave Ramsey totally has a point when he talks about the dangers of credit cards. Sonlight's Love to Learn Guarantee allows you to only pay for the homeschool curriculum you love and use.

You are Part of a Team

2011-05-17T14:21:00.018-06:00

Your students have the benefit of an education tailored to fit their needs. You, as the homeschooling parent, have the privilege of making those choices. You can do what you want with almost no outside input.

Such freedom is a beautiful thing.

I can relate, having had this blog to myself for the past couple years. But now others here at Sonlight will share their insights with you as well. You will be able to benefit from the multiple perspectives and combined years of experience.

So too with your homeschool. You are, most likely, also part of a team. Your spouse may give you free reign to do as you please, as Sonlight gave to me. But just as there is strength in having others post to this blog, your husband*s input can make your homeschool even better. But if your husband is opposed to homeschooling, things won't go very smoothly. That's why I don't recommend a family begin homeschooling if one of the parents is absolutely against it.

So how can you get your spouse more involved? Some ideas:

Hand your spouse a Read-Aloud for the kids' bedtime story
Save some of the Science activities for weekends
Make sure you share the latest "light bulb moment" your son or daughter had

Freedom to do things on your own is fantastic. But being part of a team has a whole different set of benefits.

How do you get your spouse involved in homeschooling?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

*I realize you may be a homeschooling single parent/dad. If you are, I'd love to hear from you!

Don't Mind the Gaps

2011-05-16T13:44:00.006-06:00

Your child will never know everything.

Now you know.

Worse still, if your students are anything like me, they will likely forget much of what they learn. As the years tick by, more and more of their formal education will seep out of their minds.

But don't be alarmed. This shouldn't cause you any concern whatsoever. Our brains retain the bits we use and tend to dump the rest. "Use it or lose it," as the psychologists say. Gaps and information loss are common, natural, and probably even healthy. In fact, gaps offer a huge benefit: You get to (re)learn something!

I've recently started reading Enchantress from the Stars to my wife. I remember, years ago, finishing the book and thinking, 'Wow.' But now that I've started reading it again, I realize I have forgotten everything: The plot, the characters, the central conflict. I'm now mourning my memory loss, but I'm also secretly excited to experience the book again ...almost for the first time.

The purpose of education, then, isn't to cram information into one's head. Rather, a good education is one that teaches us how to learn and inspires us to learn more. Put another way: Don't Mind the Gaps.

Don't Mind the Gaps

Last week, Lori said it even better in her post Home Schooling or Home Education?

May you enjoy learning (and relearning) things with your children as you finish up school, enjoy the summer, and look forward to another great year of homeschooling next year!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

With the box comes the reality

2011-05-16T09:50:00.000-06:00

Our homeschooling journey has taken a few twists and turns, but it was with the arrival of our big boxes that the reality of what we were going to do set in. Since our children were little, my husband and I have wanted to help them experience the world. It saddened me to think of them going to school and being away from me. But I had always thought that was the way things go. Children grow (as much as they can be considered grown at 5 years old) and go off to school. There they will spend many hours learning and then I would get them for a few hours at night before starting the bedtime routine. I didn't like the idea of seeing them for only a few hours a day that would also be taken up with homework. After much thought, we come to decision to homeschool. It seemed a natural fit: I loved being home with them and we were already schooling them at home. So why not just call a spade a spade and homeschool them?

And that is what we did. Ever since they were babies we taught them. We took hikes, played counting games, sang the alphabet song, and traveled. They were learning so much and we had not even cracked open a textbook; not that preschoolers need textbooks to learn. But as the "official" school year approached, more and more people asked us where my daughter would be going. I began to doubt my ability to teach her. Voices of other people crept in saying that "school was what was done," and, "how would she be socialized," and, "didn't I want to send her to school so I could have a break?" I knew in my heart that I could homeschool her and she would do wonderfully, but I still doubted. We looked into schools and my daughter started to ask to go to school. She was 5 at the time and we found a wonderful private school for her to go to.

Her first day of school is one I will always remember. She was so excited with her new backpack, which was almost as big as she was. I looked around and thought "OK not homeschooling but it's not so bad." And for a few months it was great. But then the reality set in. So much time was devoted to repetition and busy work. My daughter was already asking for more things to do but the teacher needed to make sure that the whole class was ready to move on before starting new subjects. My daughter loves science, but the class didn't cover that. I found we were still homeschooling to make up for the things she was missing out on.

After much thought again, we decided that after the school year ended we would homeschool. The situation was not so dire that we felt we had to pull her out, but we knew that we wanted her home. It meant a lot to make that decision, but then the work began. I started to research curriculum and Sonlight was one of the first ones I saw. I loved all the books. I had worked at a bookstore while pregnant with my daughter and my love of reading and being surrounded by all the books since her beginning has made my daughter a lover of books. We read every night and love to drag blankets outside to read under our big tree.

But even when I decided this was the curriculum for us, it still took me a while to order. The day my package arrived was very exciting. We came home from dinner at my parent's to find two big boxes. My two kids knew what it was right away and begged to open them. Even if they had been able to wait till morning I don't think I would have. It was so amazing to pull out all these books and realize that I would be the one guiding my children through them. Some of my old favorites were there along with some that I am sure will become new favorites. My son and daughter were so excited for the science kits. My son wanted to start "science school" the next day.

But as we unpacked the boxes it seemed like something was missing. I realized that the Instructor's Guide was not in the boxes. The next day I called and the matter was sorted out. I was told that I would receive it in a few days. Looking back this was such a blessing. I was drawn to the Sonlight curriculum for its wonderful schedules and guides to help the parents. If I had gotten my Instructor's Guide the first night I would have sat up looking over the weeks and months to come trying to figure out our schedule. But as it was, all I had in the beginning were the books. I was able to really look at the books as books, not as how they fit into the schedule. I could see the course of our year and all the places we would go together.

Now our box day is done, but with the books on the shelf we will have "shelf day" every morning. I feel so blessed to have found this wonderful program. It has given me confidence that I will be able to teach my children. But more importantly, it has shown me that the education I will give them will be enriching to them as people.

Thank you
Elizabeth W.
mom to Autumn (6) and Dash (4)

Lesson #3 from the Farm: Avoiding Discouragement

2011-05-12T17:51:00.000-06:00

Sarita's Word

In the last Beam, I talked about how John had just returned, tired but excited, from Virginia. Soon after he got home, it was my turn! My daughter Jonelle, her little girl and I traveled to visit Amy and her family on the farm two weeks ago. We all had a great time, got our hands dirty, put a lot of plants in the ground, and laughed a lot. It was good to spend the week with children and grandchildren.

As promised in the last Beam, I'd like to share lesson #3 of what I've learned from Amy and Phil's adventure in farming. (If you missed them last time, read lessons #1 and #2 here.)

Lesson #3: Resist a discouraging lie

Over the past few years, I've seen how easy it would be for Amy and Phil to succumb to the thought that their lives will always be as they are now. That they will always live in a tiny construction trailer. That they will always be novices at farming. That they will always feel on the verge of being overwhelmed.

And don't we all face a similar temptation? How many times have you thought my house will NEVER be clean; my children will never mature; my son will never learn to read (or multiply two-digit numbers, or ...); I will never feel like I'm doing enough in homeschooling; I will always feel overwhelmed by laundry. And on and on.

I do NOT believe such thoughts come from the Lord. I think they are lies that Satan wants us to believe. The Enemy loves to discourage us, and the lie that "life will always be like this" (especially when we're already frustrated with something) is often a pretty effective way to get us down. But remember‐the Enemy is a deceiver. He does NOT know the future! Yet he so often manipulates our weaknesses and tempts us to lose hope.

Only God knows what our lives hold for us. And our God is a God of hope. He doesn't promise that our lives will get easier, but he does promise never to abandon or forsake us. And that is cause for celebration.

I believe knowledge is power here. As we identify Satan's lies in our lives, we are better equipped to resist them. So please: hope in God and resist lies! Amy has learned to remind herself that she will not always live in a trailer. After they get the land in working order, they will (God willing) have a larger, nicer dwelling. But for now, they choose to live in the trailer because of their longer-term goals for the farm and their family.

We too can choose to look at the long-view. Sure, your house may not be as clean as you want it to be now, but maybe that's a trade-off you're willing to make while the kids are young. Someday, when your house isn't full of little people, you can have it as clean as you want!

And chances are pretty good that your children will mature with age, your son will learn to read (or conquer his current academic struggle) ... and your laundry will actually slow down one day.

For now, you choose to keep your children home because of the larger picture of what you want your family to be. As homeschoolers, let us take the long view and keep pressing on.

God bless you in that worthy endeavor.
Sarita