Homeschooling

Posted by Lisa Russell

My Homeschool planner usually consists of a few excel spreadsheets, a big wall calendar and a journal. This year, our oldest daughter will be in 9th grade and I'll be using a computer program to create homeschool high school transcripts.

Last year we started using a software program for record keeping. The instruction manual was over 80 pages long, so I was a little intimidated but it was really easy to use. It was set up so that we could record time spent on everything from homeschool worksheets to things learned at scout meetings.

Check out my latest article comparing different homeschool planning software products.

Do you use planning software? Shout out in the homeschool polls.

Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed for homeschooling articles at Suite101 so you don't miss a thing.

Posted by Christine Alcott

The new school year is creeping around the corner at our house. In just a few weeks, we plan to be back into the full swing of things. Scary and exciting. Scary, as I am still cleaning out and organizing the school room, and exciting to be again adventuring into the land of learning.

I made one mistake this weekend: I looked at some homeschooling moms' blog sites. Now, these are all very neat things, but the problem is, when I see how creative, inventive, organized, and smart these women are, I get intimidated out of my mind! My school room does not look that orderly. My lesson plans are not as fun and creative. I am not that smart or prepared.

This is a huge mistake. It is good to glean ideas from others. However, comparing ourselves to others is invariably a bad idea. It leads to doubt, confusion, and despair. The fact of the matter it, I will do the best job I can, with what I have, be that materials for learning or the personality I have cultivated all my life. I can always find others doing "better" than me. But at the same time, someone else is probably looking at me and thinking, "I wish I did things like that".

So, the best advice I can give you as we head towards September, is listen and learn, but do not doubt yourself or allow yourself to feel intimidated. Be confident, even if you don't feel it! We are our children's first and best teachers!

Have fun!

Posted by Christine Alcott

I am the first to admit that science is not my best subject. Chemistry, in particular, stumped me as a teenager. It took a lot of hoping, praying, and luck just to pass the class, in addition to a great deal of hard work. Since then, I have just assumed that chemistry, and science in general, is not for me.

Until, that is, I became a homeschooling mom. I knew then that I had to find a way to teach my children this crucial subject. Since the day I stumbled across the website, I have thanked my lucky stars for Teresa Bondora and her How to Teach Science site. Through a series of "workshops" done in free newsletter form, Teresa, a science-teacher-turned-homeschool-mom, helped me to understand science as I have never seen it before. If only I had been taught this way as a child, my whole experience of science would be a different story.

Teresa is now offering a new set of lessons on the elements of the periodic table. Please see her site for her passionate reasoning towards exposing our children to the periodic table from preschool on. (I now have a table of elements hanging in our schoolroom thanks to her!) These lessons are intended for all ages, and will arrive in a newsletter twice a month. Each lesson focuses on one element, including facts, history, jokes, links, info for parents, and information for advanced learners.

Best of all - these qulaity lessons from an excellent teacher are FREE!

Go to How to Teach Science to sign up!

Posted by Christine Alcott

The end of July means a new school year is not far away. Where I live, summer weather is just getting warmed up, and the hottest is yet to come. However, every store around us has replaced swimsuits and shorts with warm sweaters, backpacks, and jackets. It seems almost inconceivable to think of wearing the clothing they display at the moment. But no matter what store buying policy or regional weather dictates, school is coming.

In our house, new books are popping up. Workbooks ready to be used, new textbooks with untold information, and a fresh supply of pencils ready to be sharpened litter our school area.

One thing I want to do is clean the school room and organize for the new year. For the first time since our homeschooling career began, I will not have a preschooler to teach. My youngest is Kindergarten age, which is hard for me to believe. However, as he has always insisted on learning with his brothers, it really does not make much of a difference to our school routine - just his mother's heart!

A new year usually calls for new supplies. However, most homeschoolers are operating on a significantly smaller budget than their public school counterparts. Be sure to watch for the new article on good places to look for homeschooling supplies to help you get started.

Enjoy the summer!

Posted by Christine Alcott

Science was never my best subject. Let me just say a big thank you to Mrs. Alfiieri in 10th grade for allowing me to clean lab equipment for extra credit in chemistry so I could pass. I honestly tried; I studied very hard, but I just could not master the basics.

Let it suffice to say that the prospect of teaching my own children science is something I have tried hard to ignore. However, the subject must be covered at some point. I made the brave leap into science. Deciding to teach a homeschool coop class for elementary children on physics has made me look at the subject matter in a new and different light.

Science surrounds us every day. Physics,being basically the science of how things move, literally effects most of what we do every single day. For example, my boys were at a workshop where they built simple wooden trucks. I noticed their attempts to hammer the small nails into the wooden pieces were not suceeding for one reason - they were holding the pieces in their hands away from the table. In other words, every time the hammer hit the nail and the wooden piece, it caused each boy's arm to rock up and down. The energy from the hammer blow was being absoerbed and transfered to their arms, taking away from the energy distributed to the nail. I explained this simply, and we tried holding the pieces against the table. Now their arms did not rock and the nails went right in!

Even if science was never "your thing", you can still teach your child this subject. After all, science is all around us! Try Homeschooling for the Younger Years for some ideas. Or visit retired-science-teacher-turned-homeschool-mom Teresa Bondora's site - How to Teach Science. This site, and Teresa's philosophy, is the reason I am braving the world of science with 12 elementary school kids this fall. And what is more, I can't wait!

Posted by Christine Alcott

Summer is almost half-way over, and it seems it has barely begun. We usually start our homeschool year about the same time as the public schools around us. This year they are being forced to start later (Aug 27 vs around Aug 6), so we have more time off to enjoy than normal.

However, while my kids can sit around and play all day, I am planning for our next year. What books will we need? What curriculums am I using? What extra activities will we enroll in? How much is that going to cost?!

For homeschooling parents, summer is often the time to research new curriculums, scope out who has the best prices, and decide who is learning what. My home is littered with pieces of paper bearing sample schedules for each one of the kids. I love planning - the new year seems full of endless possibilities! How exciting!

I hope you are enjoying your summer. Look for an article this week on how to start homeschooling, for all the first-timers out there.

Enjoy the summer!

Posted by Christine Alcott

Games of all kinds are great for every family, whether they homeschool or not. Games help children develop so many skills, from reading and math to teamwork and sportsmanship.

Kids tend to love to play the same games over and over. Repetition is good for children. At our house right now, card games rule. There are several that are in constant play. However, there is a big difference in the way a five year old plays and the way his nine year old big brother plays. Sometimes Mom does more refereeing that playing along!

Here are some simple rules for game time:

• Make sure there are age-appropriate games for each one of your children
• Make sure they clearly understand the rules of the game they choose to play
• Emphasize graciousness in winning and in losing. All parties must say "good job" at the end of the game
• The game will be put away when finished

Although games are good for children to play amongst themselves, parents should join in when they can, too. Spend some time playing a game with your child.

Summer is a great time to add a new game or two to your game library. I try to budget a little money for games a couple of times a year, or buy a really neat game for a child's birthday. The interest in a new game usually far outlives the interest in the newest plastic toy!

One of my newest favorite websites to find games to buy is Bright Pennies. This web store is aimed at gifted children and their families, but don't be scared away by that. I find many homeschooled children, whether gifted or not, share characteristics with gifted learners. For example, homeschooled children are often able to "think outside the box" like gifted learners. Bright Pennies offers many games, puzzles, and books for all kind of learners. One of the best things - you can shop according to the Theory of Multiple Intelligences! I love this feature, as I always find things for my kids I never would have thought of before! Bright Pennies also offers a neat way to fundraise for groups, like homeschool coops. Simply register as a group, get a group code, then whenever anyone in your group buys there using the code, you earn a little money. Be sure to check this site out!

So play lots, learn lots, and most of all, have fun!

Posted by Christine Alcott

This week has been a corker - illness, absent husband, and a flood!

My oldest son has caught some kind of cold virus, that has kept him down all week. A fever and cough has left him so tired that my normally energetic 9-year-old has been making a dent on the couch. Trying to help him occupy himself during this time has been a challenge made easier by one beautiful thing - audiobooks! An avid reader, he has been enjoying listening to "Charlie Bones" and "Artemis Fowl" while working a puzzle book.

My husband had to go on a business trip just as my oldest son became ill. In addition, a great deal of rain has kept my younger two sons from much outside play. We have been using our "Boredom Box" this week. My 7-year-old was delighted when he drew a strip that read "Take a bath". So for 30 minutes in the middle of the morning, he splashed around in the tub!

All that rain led to some flooding. Our area was okay, but one hour north of our home, my aunt lost almost everything. Her apartment flooded so quickly that she had to call 911 and be rescued out the kitchen window. Now, mud and debris have to be cleared out, and what is salvagable is stored for at least a couple of months until residences are repaired. This event has, understandably, shaken the whole family.

One of the best things about it, for me, is to see the compassion and concern my own children have displayed for my aunt. We haven't seen her yet, but the children ask about her, pray for her, and talk about her. Compassion is such a good thing to grow in our children. When we see it, we should be thankful, indeed. Riches can be won and lost, but a compassionate heart is a treasure.

Have a great week!

Posted by Christine Alcott

Here we are, just a few weeks into our summer break, and my children have already worn out the phrase, "I'm bored"!

Summer is my time to catch up on all those things I cannot find time for during the homeschool year. You know, like cleaning the house, reading, or getting ready for the next school year? Bored kids are definitely an obstacle to my catch-up time! So, how to help the kids without driving myself crazy?

In my area of the world, summer is hot. So hot, that by July we are usually driven indoors by triple digit temperatures and high humidity. So simply throwing the kids out the door is not always an option. Here are two options to stop boredom in its tracks.

1)100 Things to Do When You Are Bored

Make a list for your kids of 100 things to do when they are bored. Be creative and include a wide range of activities. However, make sure you are okay with all you offer. For example, do not include "go swimming" if you do not own a pool and may not want to drive your child to the local pool. Keep the offerings as much in the realm of your child's abilities as possible. Examples might be "Draw a picture", "Phone a friend", "Do a chore for a neighbor or friend (with Mom's permission)", "Read a book", "Invent a game". Be creative!

2) The Boredom Box (Thanks, MaryB for this great suggestion)

Take those 100 bored suggestions, or make new ones, cut them up, fold them, and place them in a box, bucket, or jar. Anytime anyone says, "I'm bored", they have to pull a suggestion, and do it for 20-30 minutes, no mater what. So, even if your son pulls "Play with dolls", that is what he does! What a great way to exercise creativity!

Have fun!

Posted by Christine Alcott

My kids love video games and computers. I have to admit that I love them to. The fact that we have video games in the house is because I love to play them. I also love to play on the computer - researching, discovering, exploring.

Technology is a good thing. So much of our modern life relies on or is supported by technology. Including tech education in our homeschooling life is a wise plan. Particularly if you have a child that is already fascinated with keyboards and monitors and stuff like that!

The problem becomes how to bring technology education to our home classroom. What is the best way to teach our children something chaanges constantly, and may be something we never learned ourselves?

Two great sites bring fun options in bringing tech ed into the home.

Phyllis Wheeler, the Computer Lady from Motherboard Books , offers a computer course just for the homeschooling family. Computer Science Pure and Simple is recommended for grades 5 and up. Logo Adventures is for kids ages 8-12. Wheeler, a homeschooling veteran, knows just what to offer the homeschooling family to keep up and keep ahead. Basic programming, keyboarding, word processing and more, all at a level that kids can understand. You can purchase the curriculum as a package, or buy the pieces separately.

Another option is a program called Scratch. Developed by the MIT Media Lab, Scratch offers kids an easy way to understand and play with computer programming. Using programming that resembles building blocks that kids "snap" together, this program is fun and gives kids the satisfaction of creating cool games and programs. While recommended for ages 8 and up, our 7 and 5-year-olds have had no trouble creating several cool programs.

Sratch is easy enough that kids can see results right off, giving them an immediate reward that encourages further exploration. However, Scratch also has enough depth that our family has clearly only "scratched" the surface! Thewebsite offers a place for kids to showcase their creations, giving everyone who looks a good idea of what the program in capable of. And the truly best part - it is FREE!