Simple Homeschool

Getting comfortable with high school freedom

Cheryl Pitt — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:30:48 +0000

Written by contributor Cheryl of the 2:1 conference and CherylPitt.com.

“Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.” Moshe Dayan

What happened to our love of learning? Where did the fun go? Why am I always frustrated? Worse, why are the boys always frustrated? This can’t be all there is.

These are questions I asked myself in January. I was stretched to my limit; some might say I was burnt out. You see, I homeschool high schoolers, three high schoolers. Mine are all boys – boys about to be men.

I’ve found teens to be fun but curious creatures. When they’re young, mom is their hero. When they’re older, she’s an impediment to adulthood. Even in the most respectful of teens, a natural separation – a gap between dependence and independence – begins to take place and that can be a difficult river to navigate.

It was for me.

The Root of the Problem

I had high school tunnel vision. I was so focused on the fact that my teens would soon be leaving, I didn’t leave room for living.

Days were filled with an effort to cram, stuff and force as much information as possible into their heads. It was fear based schooling. I was allowing the quickening of the clock to skew the heart of our homeschool. My good intentions were perceived as micromanaging and stifling.

The result? Boredom. Predictability. Frustration. Resentment. On all sides.

Does it sound familiar? Are you burning out? Are you dealing with angry or resentful teens? It could be they’re not actually angry or resentful. They could simply be frustrated and unable to articulate their feelings.

The root of the “problem” is that teens are pre-wired to start making the transition to independent adulthood, but don’t always have a clear path to get there. As parents, it’s our job to make a path. High school is the perfect time, the designated time, to usher our children into a secure independence.

Letting them do school work on their own schedule isn’t enough. We need to allow our children room to flex muscles they haven’t fully used, muscles of independence and leadership. As parents, we need to let them lift the load.

“Education does not mean teaching people what they do not know. It means teaching them to behave as they do not behave.” John Ruskin

Ideas For Building Independence

Photo by Jace Turner

Working

I believe, when they’ve reached a certain level of maturity, teens need to work outside the home. Having a set schedule to follow, new work to accomplish, answering to additional authority and earning their own income helps instill a sense of independence.

If your teen can’t find an official job, set up a “worker exchange program” within your homeschool community. Teens can also volunteer or intern!

Driving

Even if you’re not comfortable with your teen driving regularly, or long distances, it could be a good idea for them to have their license or learner’s permit. I witnessed a boost in my son’s attitude when he received his license.

Even though he wasn’t able to drive often at first, this new perception of freedom was exciting for him. The fact that he studied hard for something he wanted (rather than for a test mom said he had to take) bolstered his confidence as well.

Errands

Sending your teen on an errand is a two fold blessing. It saves time for you and, and effectively tells your teen you trust them enough to give them this responsibility.

It doesn’t have to be a big, multi-step production. Start small. Can they drop something off at the post office for you, deliver a meal to a neighbor or fill the car with gas?

A checkbook or debit card

Society says teens are narcissistic. I say they just haven’t had enough life experience. Teaching them to handle money responsibly is important. Giving them the opportunity to practice what they’ve learned (before they leave home) solidifies the lessons.

This is a grace period, if you will, to guide them through areas of concern or confusion.

Community College

Two of my teens will be seniors next year. The plan is for them to attend several classes at our community college.

In addition to earning credit for both high school graduation and college, this experience will let them spread their wings while still having the “safety net” of home.

The Other Side

I’m happy to report, as my teens have been given room to safely flex their independence muscles, I haven’t been disappointed. I’m seeing improved attitudes and better communication. They feel they’re being heard, and understood.

They feel more useful. More valued. That they have something worthy to contribute. Don’t get me wrong; my kids already knew they’re valued and worthy, but there is something deeply gratifying about accomplishing what you’re made to do.

My Point – U Turns Are Allowed

My point is that it’s not too late. U turns are allowed. If what you’ve been doing isn’t working – reevaluate and change it! The old saying is true “the only thing that stays the same is that everything changes”.

We grow, we age, we change. What worked last year or last week may not work today. The beauty of homeschool is that we can change with it. We’re not chained to a specific schedule or curriculum.

You, homeschool mom, have your own independence muscles. Don’t be afraid to flex them!

How have you given your high schoolers more freedom at home?

Click here to download Jamie's free e-book: Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom. Thanks for reading Simple Homeschool!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Outstanding and affordable homeschool events.
K12 Online School - Schooling at home, but not alone.
Sparkle Stories - Original audio stories for children all year long.
Imagine Childhood - Toys, tools, and activities for growing minds.

Getting comfortable with high school freedom

Simple Homeschool

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Summer learning links and ideas

Jamie Martin — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:55:32 +0000

Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool, also blogs about motherhood at Steady Mom

Summer will officially knock on our doors later this week, and everything outdoors is bursting with life. Indoors we are bursting too–to get out and enjoy different activities–biking, swimming at the beach, eating ice cream, basking in the sun.

But we sometimes forget about the other side of summer. It varies depending on where you live, but may include: hot, sticky afternoons when you run for shade and a/c, bugs and mosquitoes, afternoon thunderstorms, and a lack of structure that sends many kids (and their parents) over the edge.

I wrote this post to help prevent the latter from happening. Whether you school year-round or not, you may find yourself in need of summer learning ideas to keep everyone happy at home.

Hopefully these links will help!

Reading

* A lighthearted summer reading list for kids (& moms, too!) @ Simple Homeschool

* Free summer bookmarks & reading charts @ Wise Owl Factory

* Summer library programs – Years ago I wrote about why I would not sign my children up for the library’s summer reading program. When I wrote that post I wanted my young kids to fall in love with reading–as opposed to falling in love with bribes and rewards from their reading.

Now that my kids’ love of reading is firmly established, I would sign them up if they were interested. Just goes to show how our seasons as mamas and families change and what we need changes as well.

Writing

* Cursive Writing Practice: Jokes & Riddles by Violet Findley – Tsh @ Simple Mom mentioned this in her summer post the other day, and it looks so fun! (There’s also a version in print instead of cursive.)

* Kids’ Travel Journal – I love this journal, which my kids took on our trip to England last year. It encouraged writing and created an incredible keepsake.

* Free Printables to go alongside the series Draw, Write, Now @ 1+1+1=1

Math

* Math Game Time - This site has a ton of free online math games and videos–perfect for fun and refreshing those math skills all at the same time.

* Math Arcade @ Fun Brain

History/Geography

* Around the world – one picture book at a time @ Simple Homeschool

* Summer history project @ Celebrating Family

Science/Nature

* A beach blanket education @ Simple Homeschool

* 50 summer science ideas @ Science Sparks

* Lessons learned while camping @ Simple Homeschool

And more…

* Summer Bridge Activities – These colorful workbooks come highly recommended. For those concerned about summer learning loss, and particularly if you have a child who enjoys workbooks, these contain 15 minute reviews for each weekday of the summer.

* Create a summer points chart @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kids earn points for tackling various challenges over the summer and cash in their points for prizes set by the family.

* Pool school @ Teaching Stars

Ways to use the water for learning as well as fun!

* Inspiration for the mama – Summer often gives a little extra breathing room for mamas to reevaluate our roles and any changes we hope to make within our family life in the future.

In seven days I’m releasing a summer read that I hope will help you in that process. My new ebook, The Steady Mom’s Freedom Guide: Joyful Motherhood on Your Own Terms, will be available next Monday, and I hope it’s an encouragement to you!

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
~ John Lubbock

Have any links to add? What resources do you plan to use as your family learns this summer?

Click here to download Jamie's free e-book: Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom. Thanks for reading Simple Homeschool!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Outstanding and affordable homeschool events.
K12 Online School - Schooling at home, but not alone.
Sparkle Stories - Original audio stories for children all year long.
Imagine Childhood - Toys, tools, and activities for growing minds.

Summer learning links and ideas

Simple Homeschool

Weekend links

Jamie Martin — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:17:11 +0000

Facing resistance from your kids :: Yarns of the Heart (Jena’s blog was so helpful to me as an early homeschooler; I have so many of her posts bookmarked to refer back to!)
Why are homeschooled kids so annoying? :: Catholic Exchange
DIY soap crayons – made by kids :: Childhood 101
It really is enough :: Brave Writer
Father’s Day by the numbers :: Forbes

The winner of yesterday’s Sparkle Stories giveaway is Krista C.–congratulations!

If you didn’t win, be sure to check out the special offers from Sparkle so you can try out these high-quality audio stories with your kids.

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” ~ Billy Graham

Click here to download Jamie's free e-book: Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom. Thanks for reading Simple Homeschool!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Outstanding and affordable homeschool events.
K12 Online School - Schooling at home, but not alone.
Sparkle Stories - Original audio stories for children all year long.
Imagine Childhood - Toys, tools, and activities for growing minds.

Weekend links

Simple Homeschool

Weekend giveaway: Sparkle Stories

Jamie Martin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:30:47 +0000

This giveaway has ended. Thanks for entering!

Welcome to another weekend giveaway–sponsored by Sparkle Stories!

It’s been a few years since our family first heard of Sparkle, and even though my kids are now 8, 9, and 10, these audio stories still feature prominently in our lives.

Car rides, calming down before bed, and even breakfasts when the mama is too tired to read-aloud–all times in our day when these stories keep us happy and sane at home.

Here’s an overview about this resource that has added so much to our family’s life:

“Sparkle Stories produces original audio stories for children. We’re a small company — we’ve been producing original stories for two years now, and have been growing at a steady pace since then.

We saw a need for children’s media that is simple, delightful and filled with a sense of wonder — stories that would inspire children to play, to marvel, to laugh, to be kind. So we created it.

Our stories are age-appropriate, they model healthy relationships and values, and they are really engaging and fun (and funny as can be).

We have eight original Story Series, and a ninth that features classic tales and verses–all of which follow the seasons of the year.

Families can subscribe and hear fresh stories each week, or they can try our single-purchase stories — with easy downloads right off the Sparkle site. We also have story packages for travel, story packages to give as gifts, and stories for all ages!”

Introducing a new storyline series: Sparkle Sleepytime

“Whether it is during the long, active days of summer or the shorter, busy days of winter, sometimes our little ones need some help to slow down. The stories in Sparkle Sleepytime are simple, soft and slow, all told with the aim of welcoming young and old into a time of rest or sleep.

Each features a delightful young animal on a gentle adventure, and each ends with the animals snuggling into their burrows, nests or downy beds, ready to close their eyes and fall asleep.

This series is perfect for nap-times, quiet times and bedtimes – or any time you want a particularly quiet and soothing story for your little ones!”

Giveaway: The Sweet Summer Package! ($137 value)

This package includes:

1 year of our Brand New Sparkle Sleepytime Subscription Series
all TWELVE of the Sparkle Car Series, for easy summer travels!

The family that wins the giveaway will enjoy stories to inspire quiet times, both at home and on family travels! Lots to listen to over the summer! (Or winter if it’s a southern hemisphere family.)

This includes one whole year of stories from the new Sparkle Sleepytime Subscription Series!

In addition, all TWELVE of the Sparkle Car Series — to entertain and inspire the family during travel times! These are hour-long collections of original stories mixed with traveling verses, songs and fun car games. We know excellent audio stories can make family travel times fun (and so much easier).

How to Win

To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post, answering this question: How old are your children, and when do you think they would enjoy listening to these stories over the summer? (If you’re reading this via email, you must click over to the main post to leave a comment!)

For an extra entry, “Like” Sparkle Stories and Simple Homeschool on Facebook. Then leave another comment here letting me know you’ve done so.

Special Summer Offers from Sparkle Stories

1. Sparkle Sleepytime Sample Pack for 1/2 price!

For the next week you can try the Sparkle Sleepytime Sample Pack for just $3 – that’s 1/2 price! The Sample Pack includes three stories, each featuring a delightful young animal on a gentle adventure, and ending with the animals settling down for sleep.

2. Try Sparkle for $1!

Sparkle has created an easy and inexpensive way for families to try a Sparkle subscription: It’s the $1-for-the-First-Month package.

This giveaway has ended. Thanks for entering!

Click here to download Jamie's free e-book: Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom. Thanks for reading Simple Homeschool!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Outstanding and affordable homeschool events.
K12 Online School - Schooling at home, but not alone.
Sparkle Stories - Original audio stories for children all year long.
Imagine Childhood - Toys, tools, and activities for growing minds.

Weekend giveaway: Sparkle Stories

Simple Homeschool

Plans for “summer school” at home

Jessica — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:36:38 +0000

Written by contributor Jessica Fisher of Life as Mom and Good Cheap Eats

This week our family completed our eleventh year of homeschooling. Really? How did that happen?! The time has passed so quickly. It seems like just yesterday my son was doing beginning reading and now this week he turns sixteen and reads his Latin book for fun!

Going into our twelfth year, I will have all six of my children in formal schooling as my baby enters kindergarten and her eldest brother eleventh grade. It’s pretty stunning to reflect over that time. Through the years I’ve encountered different learning styles, different temperaments, and different school schedules.

For many years we did school year-round because that worked best for us. My students were all young, and most of their friends did the same thing.

In this current season of life, it’s worked out that we prefer a true summer break. My kids love the more relaxed schedule and the opportunity to play with the neighbor kids. I love having fewer items on my to do list and the chance to focus on projects.

While we don’t have “formal school” during much of June, July, and August, we are still learning. In fact, we have what I would call, the homeschool equivalent to summer school.

When I was in junior high and high school, I took classes during the summer, classes that were interesting, that I would have to take eventually, and which were much more fun during summer vacation since the teachers were more relaxed. This summer, I’ve created a summer school line up for my kids.

I know my kids pretty well. I know that they could spend all summer playing video games — if I let them. But, I won’t. So, that means they’ll get uneasy. They have this innate sense that they could be learning or reading or doing something productive. That’s one thing that my older boys (ten and up) are very cognizant of. They might not admit it, but they love to learn.

So, here’s how we set up our “summer school”:

1. A round of math for everyone.

After much trial and error, I’ve settled on Teaching Textbooks as our math curriculum for third grade and above. This makes math doable all year round. This past year some kids finished early, some are still working on the last grade’s book. My solution is that everyone will do math every week day. I’ve talked about this for months; the kids know it’s coming.

I’ve also purchased some math games, so that there are different ways to think about mathematics and make it a little more relaxed. The computer math is an on-your-own kind of activity and doesn’t take up more than an hour of anyone’s day.

Doing math in the summer is a great way to keep skills sharp or work on some remedial topics.

2. Books, books, and books.

Part of our weekly schedule will include a trip to the library. Our local library offers a summer reading program. We’ve been hit and miss for the past few years, but no matter. My kids don’t need incentive to read. (If yours struggle a bit, try keeping a reading log and offering prizes for a certain number of minutes or books read.) Our problem is that we run out of books quickly. I have to keep them supplied in abundance.

Reading a book aloud together is a great way for us to spend time together each morning. Over breakfast lately, I’ve been reading The Railway Children. Before that we read all the Mysterious Benedict Society books. Next, we’ll probably tackle one of these series.

Whether they are reading on their own or with me, we’ll have our noses in books.

3. Catch-up.

Inevitably, each child has something that we could play catch-up with. One really needs to polish his math facts. Another could use a little more practice in grammar. A couple need to hone their writing skills.

We’re going to spend a few minutes each day working on that thing that was challenging this past summer, hopefully in a more relaxed way. One will do math drills on the ipad. Another will spend 15 minutes with me a few days a week to complete the grammar book. The others will write in journals.

4. Field trips.

San Diego offers residents free museum admission on Tuesdays. We’ve never taken advantage of this, nor have we explored the vast arrays of museums and gardens that are available to us.

I’ve cleared my calendar for Tuesdays so we can do just that, plotting with neighborhood friends to go also so that the kids don’t think they’re missing out on playing together.

5. Something new!

Each of my bigger boys has chosen something fun to learn this summer. My incoming 8th grader is going to study filmmaking through the Compass Classroom.

My soon-to-be sixth grader has decided on an at-home cooking school. He really wants to make ravioli by hand and how to make a naturally-colored red velvet cake, so we’ll be exploring those recipes together, one per week. (He’s got a list of eight things!)

These are self-driven topics for them that we might not have time for during the regular school year. Instead these will be their summer projects that they really want to do.

This all sounds more intense than it will really be. Most of these things will be self-directed by the kids, with a little help from me. There will be plenty of days when we sit around and “do nothing”. But there will be lots of options for learning and exploring so that no one gets bored.

Do you do any summer learning activities planned?

PS. In light of the fact that I’ll have SIX students next year: in kindergarten, second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and eleventh grades, this will be my last post at Simple Homeschool. At least for awhile. You can keep up with our homeschooling antics over at Life as MOM. I hope to pop my head in over here from time to time, too!

Click here to download Jamie's free e-book: Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom. Thanks for reading Simple Homeschool!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Outstanding and affordable homeschool events.
K12 Online School - Schooling at home, but not alone.
Sparkle Stories - Original audio stories for children all year long.
Imagine Childhood - Toys, tools, and activities for growing minds.

Plans for “summer school” at home

Simple Homeschool

The fear and the funk of homeschooling

Jamie Martin — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:51:23 +0000

If there’s one thing I’ve realized about homeschooling over the past few years, it’s that fear rears its ugly head in starts and stops along the way.

Like when it hits you that you’ve taken on the full responsibility of your child’s education, in the midst of a culture that believes experts are required to teach little ones what they need to know in life.

Or when you’re exhausted and would give anything for a sick day–only to hear little footsteps, giggles, shouts and/or bickering coming down the hallway.

Like when a child finds a nickel on the floor, holds it up with excitement, and shouts proudly:

“Look, Mommy, a silver penny!”

And you wonder if they have, in fact, learned anything. (Yes, this happened last week.)

On top of the fear, there’s also the funk. The funk refers to a period of burnout–when you’d give anything for a change.

Funk might be caused by spring (or summer!) fever–the hot weather beckoning you outdoors while you still have work to do indoors.

Or it might be ushered in by a baby on the way, a life or job change, family stress or an illness.

In my own case the funk came to visit alongside an upcoming move and the housing search process, new writing projects, and unexpected travel opportunities coming our family’s way. These good and exciting things have disrupted our family’s routine–pushing us toward the edge of our margins and limits.

Humans cycle through seasons and phases. We cannot create a schedule to order our days for efficiency and uniformity without allowing for variety as well. And can you imagine how boring it would be if we could?

Instead we will have moments of confidence and moments of insecurity. Moments of brilliance and moments of doubt. Moments of clarity and moments of confusion. We must learn to deal successfully with the fear and the funk, so we won’t end up a homeschooling casualty and throw in the towel prematurely.

Dealing with the fear

Have a vision…

When it comes to combating fear and its lies, the vision you ultimately have for your family serves as the most powerful weapon in your arsenal. For many of us, homeschooling our children has become a God-sized dream–a task so out of our reach to control and complete that we rest solely in the arms of the Almighty Himself to guide us along the way.

I recently finished Holley Gerth’s excellent book You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream, which reminded me yet again that when we dare to step out of the ordinary we can expect fear as a part-time companion. It just goes with the territory.

In Holley’s words:

“Fear camps out right next to whatever it is you’re most called to do. That means the closer you get to your calling, the louder fear sounds.”
~ You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream, Chapter 5

The biggest successes I have in battling fear come when my vision remains right in front of me: Why are we doing this again? What results do we hope to see? What motivates us?

This helps tremendously when the mental comparisons come. After all, if we’re aiming for a different end goal entirely in our kids’ education, our steps along the way will look radically different as well.

When we remember the vision–and the One who gave it to us–the fears slink back, lifeless and exposed.

Dealing with the funk

Shake things up…

Funk is another word for burnout–it happens, people. It isn’t only traditional schooling moms who crawl to the finish line this time of year–homeschooling mamas feel it too. Even those of us who school year-round have seasons where we’re desperate for a change.

The best way to deal with periods of burnout is to shake things up. But why do we hesitate to do so? I know I find that my default behavior leans more toward pushing through than taking a break.

And yet one of the most amazing aspects of the homeschooling lifestyle is that we get to set the schedule! We don’t have to plod through to some artificial, arbitrarily-set ending date. We need to take advantage of this flexibility.

Our family schools year-round, taking breaks when we need them, but keeping our routine more or less in place. In the summer we switch things around so that our play time begins in the morning, and we have our school time in the afternoon. I made that change last week, and it was an immediate relief to the funk I had been experiencing.

Sometimes we just need to shake things up.

We don’t get through the fear and the funk by avoiding them–or by quitting.

Anyone who has ever attempted (and accomplished) something great has gotten there by noticing their fears, then marching straight ahead anyway.

Let’s do the same–keeping the vision for our family front and center and moving forward one step at a time.

Weekend links

Jamie Martin — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:47:28 +0000

Top 5 ways to ensure that your homeschooled kid is weird and unsocialized :: Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
Get real–learning at home :: Shivaya Naturals
The homeschooler’s guide to college :: YouTube (Ha!!)
The best children’s books of the year 2013 :: Bankstreet College of Education
Dear Christian parent adopting an older child :: Death by Great Wall

Click here to download Jamie's free e-book: Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom. Thanks for reading Simple Homeschool!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Outstanding and affordable homeschool events.
K12 Online School - Schooling at home, but not alone.
Sparkle Stories - Original audio stories for children all year long.
Imagine Childhood - Toys, tools, and activities for growing minds.

Weekend links

Simple Homeschool

To test or not to test?

Lora — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:30:17 +0000

Written by contributor Lora Lynn Fanning of Vitafamiliae

When I was just starting out with homeschooling, I sneered at the idea of tests. “Why should I teach to a test?” I wondered. We were going to simply soak up information with good literature and activities and I would just KNOW that my kids knew everything they were supposed to.

But then my kids began reading independently. Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure what they knew any more. So I ate my helping of crow and added the evaluations (or tests) that can be purchased with my curriculum.

As I began to use tests, I discovered some of the holes in their information, mostly where their reading comprehension hadn’t completely caught up to their reading ability.

But I also saw that sometimes my teaching of a subject was lacking. I occasionally mistook what the actual focus of the material should be. We focused too much on specific battles of the Civil War when my kids really needed to grasp more of the overall causes for the war. That would be important for them in later years and I had gotten too bogged down in the fun details to see the forest for the trees.

(That isn’t to imply that the fun details aren’t worth learning. But I didn’t want them to miss the overall point of our studies.)

I also learned during several oral exams that one child has a particularly difficult time remembering names – new vocabulary terms, people, big words… he knew the basic sounds or syllables but had a hard time stringing them together to make a specific word. To that end, I made sure we added lots of vocabulary review toward the end of the week to help him roll those words off his tongue and say them correctly.

Most importantly, however, I discovered my kids had no idea how to take a test. True or False? Never heard of it. Matching? Nope, they were writing answers out to the side and drawing spider webs on their papers. And fill-in-the-blank? Please. Their little heads exploded and they turned the word bank into some sort of matching game.

And while there are all sorts of tricks to test taking and their test grades are by no means the GOAL of our learning, I realized that this test-taking business was important. At some point, some day, someone else who hasn’t taught them from birth might need to evaluate their knowledge. And I don’t want that to be the first time they’ve ever seen a multiple choice question.

So we kept at it. All through the year. It took at least four months for my boys to understand that the tests were even significant. It took another two months to hit upon the proper motivation to get the boys to take them seriously. (A combination of constructive bribery and threatening to make them repeat assignments was our solution.)

But over the last three months, we enjoyed using the tests as intended – to help us find the weak spots in our children’s learning.

The kids no longer mind taking them and they began to show general proficiency in taking the different forms of tests. Last week, they took their last test of the year and I prepped them for an oral “exam” on their entire year’s learning. We played lots of games to help them practice. By the time they took their last test and final exam, they were ready and scored nearly perfect scores.

I’m not trying to brag. My goal for the year wasn’t perfect grades (I usually didn’t record them) or total retention. My goal for using tests was simply to teach them how to retain knowledge, how to take a test, and to grade myself on how well I taught them a subject.

And while we didn’t achieve perfection, we certainly achieved a good head start.

Do you use tests? Why or why not?

Click here to download Jamie's free e-book: Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom. Thanks for reading Simple Homeschool!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Outstanding and affordable homeschool events.
K12 Online School - Schooling at home, but not alone.
Sparkle Stories - Original audio stories for children all year long.
Imagine Childhood - Toys, tools, and activities for growing minds.

To test or not to test?

Simple Homeschool

The mindful parenting ebundle sale

Jamie Martin — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:30:02 +0000

This post includes affiliate links.

This sale has ended, but you can still purchase any of the books that interest you individually.

This week I’m pleased to let you know about a limited time offer: The Mindful Parenting eBundle sale.

If you’re like me, sometimes you come across a resource on the web that you pass right by–you know it’s just not for you. Maybe it isn’t the right material or maybe it isn’t the right timing.

Then there are other times when I find an ebook or course online and know right away: I need this!

Some of you will feel that way about this package today, and I love that in my role as a blogger I can bring resources across your path that serve as a win-win for you as a reader, myself as a writer, and the other authors involved. It’s the magic of the Internet at its best!

The majority of the resources (20 out of the 22) in this package I’ve never seen in any ebook bundle around the web–so this is fresh and unique material, worth taking a peek at if you’re trying to be a more mindful parent and could use a little help along the way.

This handpicked selection of e-books, workshops, e-magazines, and audio covers themes such as creativity and play, peaceful guidance, mindfulness for mothers, children and food, self-care and relaxation, and more.

Here’s the total list of the resources included:

Parenting for Social Change by Teresa Graham Brett
A Unique 7-Step Parenting Tool: Sleep talking by Marcy Axness
Relaxation Meditation, audio by Amy Phoenix of Presence Parenting
Newbie’s Guide to Positive Parenting by Rebecca Eanes of Positive Parents
Issue three of the Play Grow Learn magazine by Christie Burnett of Childhood 101
Getting Back on Track! Why We Explode and What We Can Do About it, audio by Genevieve Simperingham of Peaceful Parent Institute
Stress Relief for parents, audio by Genevieve Simperingham of Peaceful Parent Institute
Creative Play Workshop, email course by Gina Kimmel of Connecting Family and Seoul and Katherine Lockett of Creative Playhouse
Mindset for Moms by Jamie Martin
Moods of Motherhood by Lucy Pearce of Dreaming Aloud
42 Rules for Divorcing with Kids by Melinda Roberts
Mommy Overwhelm by Laura Schuerwegen of Authentic Parenting
Nurturing Creativity, Guide for Busy Parents by Renee Tougas of FIMBY
The Playful Family by Shawn Ledington Fink
Poetry of a Hobo Mama by Lauren Wayne of Hobo Mama
Encouraging Words for Kids by Kelly Bartlett of Parenting From Scratch
Raising a Creative Kid by Jillian Riley of A Mom With a Lesson Plan
Children and Food by Tara Wagner of The Organic Sister
Coming of Age, audio by DeAnna L’Am
The Parenting Primer, A Guide to Positive Parenting in the First Six Years by Michelle Carchrae of The Parent Vortex
API Live! Teleseminar Series: â€œ8 Principles of Attachment Parenting by Attachment Parenting International
The Mindful Mothering Challenge by Jennifer Saleem of Hybrid Rasta Mama.

This sale has ended, but you can still purchase any of the books that interest you individually.

Enjoy the reading and have a mindful week!

Click here to download Jamie's free e-book: Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom. Thanks for reading Simple Homeschool!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Outstanding and affordable homeschool events.
K12 Online School - Schooling at home, but not alone.
Sparkle Stories - Original audio stories for children all year long.
Imagine Childhood - Toys, tools, and activities for growing minds.

The mindful parenting ebundle sale

Simple Homeschool

The case for a seasonal education

Jamie Martin — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:30:48 +0000

Remember spring fever? I recall sitting in a desk looking longingly out the window, waiting for the bell to ring so I could answer the sun’s call.

We sense it in our homeschools as well, the shift in weather drawing us outdoors–away from worksheets and responsibilities.

What if it’s meant to be this way–this inner impulse and desire for nature this time of year? Maybe it doesn’t mean that we’re lazy or undisciplined after all.

One message most of us received from the traditional education we grew up with is that school days should follow the same pattern, no matter what is happening outdoors. It tells us to bring uniform productivity to our days–with math always followed by English followed by science followed by recess, and so on.

But I’d like to make a case for seasonal education–the idea that different lessons are best taught at certain times of year, and that we aid our efforts as homeschooling parents when we work with the seasons instead of against them.

Here is a list of the seasons and a few of the lessons they teach. (Apologies to those in the Southern Hemisphere–adjust these as needed to suit your situation!)

Spring

Photo by morning_rumtea

Science, including the following:
Gardening
Nature study
Experiments
Spring is also a good time for getting our environments/homes in order. (Think spring cleaning!)
The perfect season for a six month inventory, evaluating what each of our students need most

Summer

Family time
Travel learning (think vacations)
Building & nurturing bonds with extended family
Working together on projects
Summer doesn’t have to be completely without academics; hot afternoons are perfect for indoor study or reading times.
In our home we learn year-round, which gives us plenty of flexibility in all seasons. In summer I restructure our day so we have extra time outdoors in both mornings and afternoons. This still leaves us with a big portion of the day to devote to indoor learning pursuits.

Fall

Autumn is for beginnings; the perfect time for kicking off new starts and goals.
It represents a return to normal rhythm & routine after the expansiveness of the summer.
I like to do another six month inventory at this time of year.

Winter

Winter is the ideal time for stories and study.
Before indoor heating, the cold used to draw families together around a wood stove for warmth. After chores were done, time was used for the learning and studying that couldn’t happen in other seasons because of the farm work required.
It’s a time for drawing inward and passing on important life lessons.

Resources for a Seasonal Education

Many of the ideas included here originate from the book Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning by Oliver and Rachel DeMille. I highly recommended it–I find myself rereading and flipping through this book often.

The Waldorf tradition also emphasizes schooling through the seasons and celebrating seasonal festivals. Popular books include All Year Round, Festivals, Family and Food and The Children’s Year. Another helpful resource is The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons by Amanda Blake Soule.

It’s important to maintain basic rhythms to our days–after all, meals must be made and cleaned up no matter which season it is. But we can create our rhythms with an eye to maintain a seasonal education as well.

Let’s use these guideposts of nature to our advantage in our homeschool.

What impact have you found the seasons having in your homeschool?

This post originally published in April 2012.

Click here to download Jamie's free e-book: Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom. Thanks for reading Simple Homeschool!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Outstanding and affordable homeschool events.
K12 Online School - Schooling at home, but not alone.
Sparkle Stories - Original audio stories for children all year long.
Imagine Childhood - Toys, tools, and activities for growing minds.

The case for a seasonal education

Simple Homeschool

Simple Homeschool

Getting comfortable with high school freedom

The Root of the Problem

Ideas For Building Independence

Working

Driving

Errands

A checkbook or debit card

Community College

The Other Side

My Point – U Turns Are Allowed

Summer learning links and ideas

Reading

Writing

Math

History/Geography

Science/Nature

And more…

Weekend links

Weekend giveaway: Sparkle Stories

Introducing a new storyline series: Sparkle Sleepytime

Giveaway: The Sweet Summer Package! ($137 value)

How to Win

Special Summer Offers from Sparkle Stories

Plans for “summer school” at home

1. A round of math for everyone.

2. Books, books, and books.

3. Catch-up.

4. Field trips.

5. Something new!

The fear and the funk of homeschooling

Dealing with the fear

Dealing with the funk

Further reading:

Weekend links

To test or not to test?

The mindful parenting ebundle sale

The case for a seasonal education

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Resources for a Seasonal Education