The Homeschool Jungle

College Update

2012-02-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

When I decided to homeschool 10 years ago, one of the scary parts was wondering if my kids would be able to get into college.

Ten years ago homeschooling was not nearly as popular as it was now. There were several people I had heard about who's children did get into college.

But I was not sure this would be the case for my two sons.

Fast forward to today. My oldest is in his second year ar Wheaton College outside Chicago. It's a highly competitive school and he was accepted with good grades and a fairly strong SAT score along with pages of volunteer work.

My youngest will graduate from high school in June. He applied to 3 middle range Universities and one reach college. And he was accepted to every one! His grades are good but his ACT score was only average.

I think what set him apart was his focused resume that we put together after reading this book. He had plenty of time to follow his passions and pursue interests outside of his school work. And I'm learning that this is exactly what colleges are looking for.

10 Ways to Support Single Moms Who Homeschool

2012-02-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

There's a fantastic article over at The Common Room about supporting single moms who homeschool.

Don't miss it.

She shares plenty of practical advice. I love how giving the homeschooling community is. I've never encountered a sense of competition but rather a community ready to help each other!

Using Dixie Cups!

2012-02-14T15:33:00.000-08:00

"For the past week, my children have stacked Dixie cups up all over the house. They have built small cities, towering buildings, and forts. I never knew that Dixie cups could keep my children so entertained!

Not only are these cups fun but they can also be very educational within just a few minute." Read the rest here!

Article and photo by Melissa at The Homeschool Classroom

Finding Your Sweet Spot

2012-02-10T04:56:00.000-08:00

Choosing curriculum can be so rewarding at times

and yet

oh, so frustrating at other times.

What I have found to to be the most successful is to keep exploring. Eventually you will find a curriculu that fits you and your child's style.

1. Give it a chance. Don't try something for a week and the give up. You need at least 2 months to get used to something new. Don't mistake feeling uncomfortable with new curriculum with thinking that it just isn't working.

2. Talk to other homeschooling moms. Don't just ask about what they are using, ask what their children are like. How are their children responding to the curriculum? What are their children's favorite ways of learning? This will give you necessary information to help you decide if it will fit your child's personality and learning style.

3. Choose curriculum that as an excellent return policy. My favorites....which you all know if you have been reading "The Jungle" for awhile....Excellence In Writing and Sonlight. You may just need to return it and you don't want it to be a hassle.

4. Don't forget to check out office supply stores, Costco and Walmart. Just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean it's not any good. Price is not always an indication of a good quality program.

5. Look at each child individually. It may not always be convenient to use different programs but it may be the best. Carefully consider when to group children and when to provide separate programs.

I Used to Be Embarrassed

2012-01-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

Yup....I was.

I was embarrrased to tell people that I homeschooled.

And now it's embarrassing to tell this to you. I was always quick to clarify, .."but I don't bake my own bread".

As if that is some way kept me mainstream and not fanatical. "One of those homeschoolers." I'm happy to say, I've come along way since that first year of homeschooling.

It's not just your children who grow up, when you home school.

I chose to go against the conventional educational process and it took some time to feel comfortable in doing so. And now I'm very proud of myself for taking that risk.

I didn't let my fear of what other people might think,

keep me from doing what I thought was good for my family.

One of the greatest things about homeschooling has been meeting so many interesting and diverse homeschooling families.

I love,

love,

love....

talking to homeschooling moms and hearing about their journey to homeschooling. One common thread resonates. They are all enjoying the time with the kids.

Are there strange homeschoolers?

Well, sure, but I've learned to appreciate them all. Because the common thread we share is the fact that we homeschool because we love our children. Just like any other mom.

As my kids are getting older , I have more time to myself. Just the other day, I stumbled accross a recipe for artisan bread. And I made bread for my family.

I'm now officially a bread-baking homeschool mom, and proud of it.

Joann's Homeschool Discount

2012-01-02T07:05:00.000-08:00

Jo-Anns announced today January 2, 2012 that they are offering a two day special sale to honor hard working teachers and educators.

This includes teachers at public, private and charter schools as well as homeschooling moms, dads and other family members and licensed childcare providers.

For two days only, Saturday January 7, 2012 and Sunday January 8, 2012 you will receive 15% off every purchase you make, both in our stores and at Joann.com®.

Sonlight Curriculum-Pros and Cons

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Sonlight Pros

Sonlight is a complete program that uses real books instead of textbooks. Everything is scheduled out for you on a daily basis so you can enjoy the fun part of homeschooling...intereacting with your kids instead of spending lots of time pre-reading and prepping. You have a choice between a 4 or 5 day program too.

The History books they choose are read in a chronological order along with a nonfiction book that chronicles the history. So you read about the American Revolution in addition to reading a historical fiction book with a great story that helps you remember the history.

Then you can mark things on a map to learn geography from the books that you are reading. For the American Revolution, you would be marking all the historical cities and towns on the East coast.

The writing assignments/dictation are pulled from the time period that you are studying and the books you are reading. You are given a summary of each chapter, questions, vocabulary, geography, cultural relevance issues etc-all the in the instructors notes.

Lastly, you can choose a science that relates to the same time period so history and science overlap too.

Sonlight Cons-

It's a little costly but here's how I look at it.

1. They offer a payment plan to spread out the cost.

2. I use the cores for teaching two kids in one school year.

3. I re-sell the core on Ebay when I am done for 70-80% of my purchase price-net cost around $100 ($50 per kid, per school year-not bad!)

4. If it's really a strain, consider just purchasing the instructor's guide and getting the books at the library. This would be a lot of work but worth it.

5. They have an incredible money-back guarantee so if it's not a good fit-return it even after using it for 1/2 a school year. They really believe in their products and want you to be successful.

We have used Sonlight for 8+ years and I'm so thankful a friend recommended Sonlight in our early years of homeschooling.

My sons love to read and have so many great memories of reading together as a family. And they test well on standardized tests for those of you who are just a little curious.

Let's Talk About Homeschool Burnout

2011-12-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

Homeschool mom burnout will happen to most of us.

I think it's good to be prepared in the hopes of avoiding some of the stress that is associated with homeschooling.

So just bookmark this page so that when you need it, you will know where to find it...if not for yourself than for a friend.

1. Don't expect yourself to pick the perfect curriculum the first time around...or even the second time around. Switch programs if you need to. Keep researching until you find a good fit for your child.

2. Get involved in a "real life" community of homeschool moms. Even if you never attend anything for your children, you will need to have a group of women that know the stress of homeschooling first hand.

3. Get involved in an online community. there are often some issues that your are not going to feel comfortable talking to someone about in person. Online homeschool forums are a great place to bounce ideas off of other homeschool moms.

4.Make sure everyone in your household sticks to a 1-2 hour alone/down time. Toddlers need naps, as do teens. And those in between need quiet time in their room to chill out and unplug. Mom's need time to take a quick nap, read a book or call a friend.

5. Pick one subject to focus on each year. I love this one! Don't try and do every subject over-the-top. This allows you to feel successful and after several years, you will have hit all the core subjects.

6. Realize that there will be gaps. Gaps are okay. No student graduates from high school knowing and remembering everything they have been taught. If you have taught them how to teach themselves. That is the key!

7. Don't compare yourself to the public school curriculum and don't compare yourself to what other homeschool families are doing. You will end up feeling depressed or puffed up. Go with your gut and do what you think is best for your children. You know them best.

8.Stay connected to your spouse. Go on dates. Talk about something besides homeschooling.

Be That

2011-12-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

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The Write Start

2011-12-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

I'm always searching out books about teaching children writing skills. I used Excellence in Writing and it's a strong program. You can read my story about my writing phobias here.

This week I picked up The Write Start: A Guide to Nurturing Writing at Every Stage, from Scribbling to Forming Letters and Writing Stories by Jennifer Hallissy at the library.

This book is up to date, relevant and it gives many unique ideas to foster writing in children. The chapters are short and easy to read. You'll want to add this book to your homeschool library.

Practical steps to help you preserve your identity (and sanity) as you grow with your kids

2011-12-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

What are some practical ways you can continue to celebrate your unique identity and avoid the "Hello, my name is Mom (or Dad)" syndrome?

Here are a few tips to help you enjoy the journey even more:

Keep in mind that this is a season. Your children will grow up faster than you know. Treasure the fact that they are a huge focus of your life during this time. As you pour into your children now, God may be using your very circumstances and experiences to prepare you for future ministry and opportunities.

Share your hobbies, gifts and talents with your children. Do you love to paint? Pull out the brushes and share this love of art with your kids. Visit the art museum, enjoy the colors and textures of the botanical gardens, point out the unique lines of great artists in history.

Whether they latch onto the hobby or not, your children will benefit from the variety of skills and interests you introduce into their lives. To this day, my daughters have an eye for art and a knack for finding bargains, and all my children love good books--a hobby we shared as a family from the beginning.

Engage in learning activities that also appeal to your interests and learning style. When you love a subject, you'll be even more passionate in sharing that interest with your kids to help them learn.

Nourish your relationship with your spouse. Remember that your marriage comes before your kids and serves as the heart of your home. Intentionally spend time together and laugh often. (More on this in a future BEAM).

Invest in mutually-encouraging friendships. Find friends who not only share the difficult parts of life, but also share a contagious spirit of thankfulness and a sense of humor. Homeschool co-ops are a great source for support, and you'll find a host of great kindred spirits on Sonlight's online forums. (Sonlight forum access is a gift for those who order a Core curriculum package. If you've not purchased a Core, you can get a free 30-day forum trial at the bottom of this linked page.)

Schedule in some alone time. Whether your alone time is a mom's [or dad's] night out, or perhaps you just set a timer for 30 minutes in the afternoon where you instruct everyone to play quietly, take a nap, or read, you need to have a plan in place or the extra time will not likely appear. A schedule makes a big difference, even if you don’t always follow it to the letter.

Delight in your identity as mom or dad, but also as a child of God. As you encourage your kids to spend time with God, set that example by making it a priority. They will believe that relationship is important when they see you modeling it.

"Shake up" the normal routine from time to time and explore new things with your children. Jump on your bikes and visit a local historical site. Watch someone make candy in a factory. Volunteer to help someone pick their summer produce. See how many ways you can propel something across the yard. Engage in some kind of volunteer service project at a local nursing home, homeless shelter, rescue mission, or the like. Take your children to a variety of arts and sporting events so you all experience something new.

Keep abreast of current events. Who really has time to read the paper, right? Be creative. Have your children help you conduct "treasure hunts" for key world headlines. Older kids could give you daily reports on international events. One mom has her husband sit on the edge of the tub and read news headlines to her while she puts on her makeup and brushes her teeth in the morning. She said that those four minutes of news updates help her feel like she can keep up with what's going on in the world.

Be creative in using your unique gifts and talents to make homeschool your own and the journey a bit more "your style."

By Sarita Holzmann From The Beam Newsletter, Reprinted by permission of Sonlight LTD
Subscribe Here to the Beam Newsletter From Sonlight

A Short Explanation of Homeschooling Methods

2011-12-20T09:02:00.000-08:00

There are many different ways to home school. I refer to these as methods. Below is a very brief description of several popular methods....

1. Classical. Classical Homeschooling follows the model of The Well Trained Mind. Classical Home schoolers usually study history chronologically, along with Latin and the classics. The trivium of classical education is logic, grammar and rhetoric.

2. Unit Study. Unit study involves taking a period in history and studying all aspects of that time period. A student would read historical fiction about the middle ages, learn science discoveries form the middle ages, learn about mathematicians and their accomplishments from the middle ages and read literature from the middle ages. The learning would all be enmeshed and tied together.

3. Mastery homeschooling. mastery homeschooling is simply a way to home school where the child does not move on until a subject or objective is mastered. If a child is to learn about clouds, a parent would continue to instruct the child until he understand the concept of clouds. To read more about Mastery homeschooling click here.

4.Unschooling. Unschooling can take on many forms. One definition of unschooling is called child directed learning. The parent provides good learning materials and a child is encouraged to learn and read about what is interesting to them with the parent acting in a support role. Math is taught when the child asks to be taught math. Click Here for a neat blog about unschooling

5. Charlotte Mason Methods. Charlotte Mason (1842-1923)taught that the parent is to inspire a child with quality literature-not junk books. She believed that schools become too mechanical and leave out the child. The child is highly valuable to Charlotte Mason. Her methods include dictation, narration and science note-booking. Ms. Mason believed education is a discipline and a life. For more information about Charlotte Mason read For the Children's Sake

6. Note-booking. Note-booking is a method where the child reads a nonfiction book and attempts to summarize and/or outline the information. They create notebooks of different time periods in history. Notebooking is discussed in The Well Trained Mind

7. School-at-home. This methods uses textbooks and workbooks and attempts to model a public school format. Usually a parent will purchase a complete set of grade level books and work through them. Internet homeschooling is often conducted in this manner.

8. Eclectic Homeschooling. Eclectic Homeschooling is simply combining many different curriculum's and methods.

9. Research Driven. Research Driven Homeschooling involves high levels of thinking. High School Students are well suited for this kind A student is given a problem or topic and they must research and provide arguments without the use of textbooks and lectures. Students use the Internet and learn how to sift through information and make logical conclusions.

10. Hybrid. Hybrid Homeschooling includes students taking classes that are offered through charter schools. They involve doing some work at home individually and then attending some classes. Many home school programs are popping up that offer 2 days a week of instruction and 3 days of homeschooling. these schools are both privately run and publicly funded

.....and the list goes on.

Accelerated Distance Education

2011-12-15T09:03:00.000-08:00

Accelerated Distance Education is a book that explains how to earn college credits through distance learning programs, credit by examination and portfolio evaluation. Get this...In as little as 6 months for under $5000. Wow!

Mr Voeller was a homeschooled high school student

who set out to earn his college degree

in a less than conventional way.

He knew that he already had the knowledge to pass some of the college courses

and he knew that he could teach himself the course material,

much faster than sitting in a lecture hall for a full semester,

for some of the other courses.

He found several colleges

that would accept many of the CLEP

(College Level Examination Program)

tests offered by the College Board.

The College Board is the same company that gives AP tests and the SAT. In his book, he describes how to get your degree legitimately, inexpensively and quickly using the system to your advantage.

His company, Global Learning Strategies, mentors you through the degree seeking process.

Brad is a sharp young man

who has found a way to

get a degree without debt.

He deserves all the attention that he has been receiving in the media.

Get College Funding

2011-12-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

Get College Funding is a non profit organization that counsels families on the best way to get governement funding for college. They have a ton of free resources on their website including a webseminar to teach you the basics.

They will meet with you in person (Dana Point, CA) or over the phone to give you suggestions on how to maximize your college funding. They also offer some fee services.

There are so many for-profit companies out there-it's great to know that you are dealing with a non-profit organization. And according to their website and seminars, parents should start planning the sophomore year of high school.

Interesting facts I learned from the seminar:

1. Don't put asset (college savings) in a child's name-They will be required to contribute 20% of these funds vs. around 5% if it's in the parent's name.

2. If you don't qualify for funds with one child in college-you will be much more likely to qualify once the second child goes to college.

3. Most schools don't factor in home equity as an asset.

4. Private colleges often times provide more funding than public universities so private colleges can actually end up being less expensive in the long run.

We met with Tom last year to get his advice. It was very helpful for college planning for our son.

Winter Matching Games

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Busy Bee Printables is a helpful resource for free homeschool curriculum. I always enjoy playing matching games with my kids and right now you can print out winter matching games for free.

More free winter homeschool activities here.
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Free Winter Worksheets: Melting Snowman

2011-12-08T09:05:00.001-08:00

Here's a free winter activity for your preschool aged children. Head over to Making Learning Fun and print out the cards. Then have your kids put them in the right order for how a snowman melts.

More Free Homeschooling Ideas:
Free Online Foregin Language Classes
Yet Another Way to Homeschool For Free
Free Literature Guides

Sonlight Curriculum-History through Literature

2011-12-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

Sonlight's History and Literature Curriculum has been our favorite resource throughout our eight years of home schooling. I credit this program with my oldest son's vast knowledge of history and love for reading. He's planning on majoring in International Relations/History. My first son was born a reader and excelled with this program.

My second son was a late bloomer when it came to reading. He enjoys reading now and loves his Sonlight books. And I must confess...I enjoy the Sonlight books too. I read many of the books that my kids read each year.

Sonlight provides me with so many quality tools to integrate geography, history, literature, world view, cultures and so much more. The whole school year is laid out day-by-day with the books overlapping , covering the same time period.

I love that!

And I don't have to spend a bunch of time pre-reading or preparing.

I get to enjoy my kids.
What could be better?!

You may be pleasantly surprised by their guarantee and by what you find inside their pages........for a free catalog-head over to the Sonlight Website.

Comforting Our Children

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a mentor mom every Wednesday. I sit with a group of young moms and I listen to what is going on in their lives. I don't have all the answers but we are sure to have some good conversations. At the moment, we are talking a lot about comforting our children.

I don't know that I was especially good at this when my kids were little but I do know that every child wants to be heard and that 18 is not to old to do better. I believe in limits but I think most of the time our kids just want to know that we care.

Does comfort come easy for you or do you have to work at it?

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Free Issue of Practical Homeschooling

2011-12-01T17:03:00.001-08:00

Free magazine to the first 1000 people to request an issue.

Homeschool Laws

2011-12-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

Requirements Vary

The first thing that you should know about the requirements for homeschooling is that each state has different regulations. Don't let that keep you from homeschooling your kids. Find out what your state requires and move forward.

Parental Homeschool Notification and Standardized Testing

There are also regulations when it comes to the types of parental notification. There may also be the requirement for certain standardized testing. Trying to follow these requirements should not invoke fear in parents but rather are set in place in order to ensure that your child's education is not being neglected. And remember...it's just a test and it doesn't tell everything about your child.

No Parental Degrees Requirement

Parents are not required to have any type of teaching certification however, they will want to be competent enough to homeschool their children. All that this requires is that the parent who is teaching meets the standards or rules set in place by the state they reside in.

Attendance Records

They may also have to keep attendance records and their child’s grades in order to comply with state issued requirements in order to continue homeschooling their child. Some states may even call for assessment tests at the end of the year in order to make sure the student in question is at the appropriate grade level.

If you find your child is struggling with a particular subject, you may also want to consider finding an online tutor for additional help.

Making yourself aware of homeschooling requirements will ensure a stress free homeschooling environment for you and a wonderful education for your child.

What I Know About Homeschooling

2011-12-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

Do you need a good dose of, "Yes, that's exactly how I feel". Well I think you will enjoy Kris' list of 30 Truths about Homeschooling. Find the article over at The Homeschool Classroom. Here are a couple of my favorites...

8. There will be times when you cry, scream and feel like throwing in the towel-before lunch

9. Ticonderoga pencils really are the best pencils.

11. Homeschooling is about 30% academics, 70% relationship/character building.

Cackleberries

2011-12-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

Hi friends. I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving with your families. If you have a 3-7 year old at home, you may want to check out Cackleberries, a safe online world for kids. No ads and no cost make for a fun and educational site.

By clicking through the Cackleberries icon, children have no access to the outer internet and no one has access to the child user. Children can safely learn at Cackleberries. I love discovering new sites on the web to share with you. I'd love to hear what you think about this site.

New Jersey Homeschoolers May Be in for Some Changes

2011-11-30T16:17:00.001-08:00

If a certain New Jersey State Senator has her way, New Jersey will go at once from the easiest State for homeschooling to the hardest.

Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-37-Bergen) introduced S-3105, a bill to require annual medical examination of home-schooled pupils, on November 21. On the evening of November 28, Americans for Liberty, a Tea Party-affiliated group in northern Morris County, forwarded an alert to subscribers from the Home School Legal Defense Association.

Continue reading on Examiner.com NJ home schoolers under immediate threat - Newark Essex County Conservative | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/essex-county-conservative-in-newark/nj-home-schoolers-under-immediate-threat#ixzz1fEn1O7pq

MIT-Free Online Courses

2011-11-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Masachusettes Institute of Technology offers all kinds of online classes for free.
Visit their website at MIT-OPENCOURSEWARE.

And don't miss their High School Section.

Some of the courses include...

Architecture and Planning
Engineering
Health Sciences and Technology
Humanities
Arts
Social Sciences
Management
Science

There are 1800 courses available online!

Wow, what a great resource!!

Most Courses Include
-Video Lecture Clips
-Lecture Notes
-Practice Problems
-Exam Questions

This is a great way to educate a child

or teen who is interested in

pursing high levels of learning.

Calm Down Jar

2011-11-29T17:34:00.001-08:00

This is a fantastic idea for kids who get anxious or who need a time out. Just shake the jar and have them look at the jar. Your child can get up when all the glitter settles.

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