First Year Away

My oldest son, Max, came back today after his first year at college. He's not a freshman, nor is he 18. This has been the hardest year of my life. He went away at the start of his sophomore year (having completed freshman credits at the local community college) at 16. He turned 17 without me. He turned into a man without me. He has excelled and disappointed himself without me there to help him. I don't know yet the full extent of the life lessons he's learned, but I feel fairly secure that I did a good job. I'm not sure at the moment that he's aced all his classes, but I think that he has learned a lot about the world and himself. Sure, there have been disappointments, but life is that way. As a homeschooling mom, I'm happy to have him home, whole and safe, with all the lessons learned - good or not.

I was young once and made mistakes. I'm pretty sure he's made less than me. I call that a victory.

Homeschooling Discounts and Free Resources

The Homeschool Buyer Co-op is a great organization that has helped me save a bundle on curriculum. Co-op discounts range from 20%-90%!

This month the Co-op is giving SmartPoints to members who help spread the word about these great deals. If you haven't joined yet, you'll get 100 SmartPoints just for joining! Once you have joined, you can spread the word too and start building your own SmartPoints balance. When you have enough SmartPoints, you can use them to purchase many of the products available through the Co-op.

Click my link or use the address below to get a complete list of all the available offers organized by subject area:

http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/curriculum/?source=6522

Here's a sampling of what's available:

ALL-IN-ONE:

Switched-On Schoolhouse - Save 12%, Free Shipping, AND Earn SmartPoints

PLATO Learning K-12 Curriculum - Save $50

eTAP K-12 Curriculum - Save 35%

ELECTIVES:

Meet The Masters Art Education - Save 50%

Type To Learn Typing Tutor Software - Save 56%

FOREIGN LANGUAGES:

Rosetta Stone Homeschool - Save up to $100, Free Shipping, and Earn SmartPoints

HISTORY:

Chester Comix - Save 57%

Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trips - Save up to 90%

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Explode The Code Online - Save 50%

My Access! Writing Curriculum - Save 50%

MATH:

Aha!Math for Grades 5-8 - Save up to 50%

Destination Math - Save up to 66% (the ultimate Saxon Math online companion)

Thinkwell Video Classroom - Save up to 48%

RESOURCES:

Discovery Education streaming Plus (educational videos!) - Save 45%

SmartDraw Homeschool Edition - Save 60%

SCIENCE:

Adaptive Curriculum - Only $49

Aha!Science for Grades 3-5 - Save up to 67%

PLATO Learning (formerly CyberEd) - Save 63%

TEST/ASSESSMENT:

Kaplan SAT Online Prep - Save 80%

Let's Go Learn - Save 25%

THINKING SKILLS:

BrainWare Safari - Save 68%

And the list goes on!

Have a fantastic school year!

For Homeschoolers in Richmond VA

Summer is almost half over and most of the curriculum sales are finished. As I am getting my lesson plans together for the Fall, I wanted to give RES and myself a little plug. If you haven't made all your plans for the upcoming school year, then check out Richmond Enrichment Studio. Going on it's 3rd year, there are lots of great classes coming up.

This year, the new High School Academic Core Track will be starting and I'm very excited about it. This is great if you feel deficient in one or more subjects and need someone else to handle the tough subjects for you. If you haven't homeschooled through high school before, this is a great option to ease into it without wrestling over the decision to keep them at home or send them to public school.

Since the program is new, you will find some Level 1 offerings of classes and may be hesitant to enroll your student. Be assured that Level 2 classes will be added in subsequent years as the program continues to grow.

The classes I'll be teaching:
English Grammar & Composition for 9th/10th graders (there is a companion Literature class being taught by Joyce Rodgers for a TOTAL Language Arts program)
Latin I - I'll teaching from an immersion style for translation and we will be learning what daily living consisted of in the Roman Empire
PreAlgebra I, Algebra I, and Geometry - All using Math U See
Family & Consumer Science - we'll be learning how to live - how to apply for a job, resumes, buying a car, rental agreements, cooking, sewing, decorating, caring for yourself and clothing, caring for young children

Beginning Latin - for Elementary students, a great way for your child to learn grammar and word roots through Latin vocabulary
Intermediate Math - fractions, division, decimals, getting ready for PreAlgebra I

Classes are small, so register now to save your child's spot. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about classes I'm teaching.

School starts up again

Really, I shouldn't have let them have that 3rd week off, when they were begging to start school work again. I'm amazed at what was lost in 3 weeks. I can't imagine the damage 12 weeks would do.

Break is almost over :(

Well, we took a 3 week break from school work from the middle of May until now. The kids were begging and whining about how school was dragging on. I was tired and frustrated, trying to get them to focus was impossible. That's the nice thing about homeschooling - you just take a break when you've all had enough! They kept telling me 3 weeks wasn't going to be long enough. I said, "oh no! You'll get bored, trust me." "No we won't! We're sick of studying. The weather's nice. We wanna play for 6 weeks."

Yeah, right. I stopped arguing. Last Friday, the end of the 2nd week, Ronan pulls out his math book and says, "Can we do Math now?" I said NO and told him to put the book back. I reminded him that we still had a week of break left. He whined. Yes, he did. We argued about him not getting to do his math. Hahaha, can you believe it?! This past Monday, I had the exact same argument/conversation with Miranda. SHE wanted to do math and was complaining of boredom! I reminded her about wanting 6 weeks off - she groaned. I said, "it's okay honey, only one more week of break. Aren't you glad it was only 3 weeks?" She actually said yes.

Blaise turned 12 on the 29th. He WOULD be happy with a 6 week break, but his laziness is driving me crazy. Max, of course, only had 2 weeks because he's taking an 8 week PreCalc class this summer.

So Monday, we start again. But I'm excited! New subjects, eager children, fresh workbooks. I love homeschooling :)

I'm back!

Okay, I know I've been slackin' big time in the Blog Department, but seriously I'm a one-woman show. For the past month, I have been getting my Spring Handbag Collection ready, and working on dresses that soon need to be completed. I've also been putting together lesson plans for several high school level classes I'll be teaching in the Fall at the homeschool center. I know you think that I have plenty of time, but no - I didn't. Registration began in March and if you were being asked to pay for a year long class, I know you'd want to see the whole thing planned out in advance. So had to do that, times 5 - while sewing, teaching my current classes, teaching my own kids, and daycaring 2 days a week. Exhausted!

But, get your browser on over to Callidora's and see some of my efforts. If you do, then come back here and tell me in a comment to this post:

1. Which product you like best
2. What changes you like or dislike about my new website design
3. A way to contact you

and you will be eligible for a giveaway on April 15!

Richmond Homeschooling

If you happen to live in the Richmond, VA area and are homeschooling or just thinking about it, I wanted to plug next week's Open House at Richmond Enrichment Studio (RES). Teachers, including myself, will be on hand to showcase our students work and talk with parents about what's available for the Spring Session. Also, there will be a preview of the new High School Core Track that is starting in Fall 2009.

So, be there if you can, Friday, Feb 27 5:30-8:00pm, 11000 Trade Rd. Richmond VA

Teaching begins again

I'm really fortunate to have a great homeschooling community. I am part of a homeschool center that provides classes taught by homeschooling moms and some enrichment professionals. Richmond Enrichment Studio is in its 2nd year and is a great model for other homeschooling communities.

Sessions run for 8 weeks and the school year is from September to May. It's sort of like a co-op and is a great way to supplement the at-home program. This session I'm teaching on Thursdays: Intermediate Math, Pre-Algebra, Mythological Creatures, Latin, and Human Body Systems. It's a packed day, but we do get a lot done!

Socialization for Homeschoolers

My dear friend Jenny sent this to me in an email. I positively love it!

Apparently, the problem with homeschooling is the socialization of
children. In the Kolbe Little Home Journal (Fall 2005), there is a
brief item called "Homeschooling Family Finds Ways to Adapt to a
Public School 'Socialization' Program." Here it is:

"When my wife and I mention we are strongly considering homeschooling our children, we are without fail asked, 'But what about socialization? ' Fortunately, we found a way our kids can receive the same socialization that government schools provide. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I will personally corner my son in the bathroom, give him a wedgie and take his lunch money. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my wife will make sure to tease our children for not being in the 'in' crowd,taking special care to poke fun at any physical abnormalities. Fridays will be 'Fad and Peer Pressure Day.' We will all compete to see who has the coolest toys, the most expensive clothes, and the loudest,fastest, and most dangerous car. Every day, my wife and I will adhere to a routine of cursing and swearing in the hall and mentioning our weekend exploits with alcohol and immorality.. .. And we have asked them to report us to the authorities in the event we mention faith, religion, or try to bring up morals and values."

served by picapp.com

served by picapp.com

So, for ye of little faith in homeschooling - stuff it!

Ronan Moves Up!

My happy little 5 year old son, Ronan, was pleased as punch to learn this week that he has moved up to 1st grade! Now, of course, we don't really use grades in our homeschool, but the neighborhood kids are always asking what grade everybody is in. So I kiind of make a guesstimate based on their reading and math skills and call it a grade.

So Ronan is reading and doing basic math. He works very hard every day (for about 40 minutes) and was shocked that now we will be adding Religion as a subject to his repertoire. His first comment was groaning about more work, but once I reminded him that the big kids do it - he puffed quite a bit!

My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

Well, I finished the book last week. I've been so busy, this is the first chance I've had to sit down and write about it. I definitely think that was this was the best book from the fictional story perspective. It was very engaging and difficult to put down. The knowledge imparted however, was just as important as the other two. As a matter of fact, I would suggest that it is important to read them in the order they were written. It doesn't say that anywhere, that you should, but I think there is a natural progression of thoughts.

This book completes the equation of what has gone wrong with our society. Even as I type that, I know it conveys the wrong idea. It's difficult to say what the flavor of these books are because they really are so different from anything else. These were written to open your mind and help you see what our culture really looks like objectively. There are no answers here on how to fix it, just a history of how it got this way and where it's going if it doesn't change. And I think we all know that it's going to H-E-double hockey sticks in a handbasket.

My Ishmael focuses on the areas of business/capitalism and education of our young. Once the simple fact is laid out before you that if food weren't locked up, the world would be an entirely different place; you sort of shudder and say "Why didn't I realize that before?" Really, you must think about that - if food weren't locked up, would you work in a job you hate? would you be trudging through each day of your life? wouldn't your "hobby" actually become your life's work? Why is the food locked up? To benefit a few elite by getting what they want in exchange for the food so desperately needed by all. Sure, it started off small and has escalated into what it is today - 95% of the world's population dependent on commerce in order to live. I think this why Star Trek appeals to me so much. I watch every episode repeatedly, because I love to revel in the fantasy that human beings actually can elevate themselves to the point of eliminating money from the equation. There it is - a technologically advanced (warp drive capable) civilization that runs smoothly without currency. People excel in jobs they love because they are fulfilling their true calling in life and there is no stigma about some jobs being better than others - they are necessary and keep the wheels turning. And their food is given to them as they need it - no hoarding and no cost, freeing the mind to pursue its dreams instead of its survival.

The other topic is the education of our young. Everyone says that school systems need to be overhauled, no matter what country they're in - but the US in particular, definitely. As homeschoolers, we have already figured out that isn't the way to help children thrive. And private school is no better than public, simply more expensive. But here, in this book, homeschooling is also seen as an extension of a structured educational system if it is not unschooling. Four years ago, I would not have seen that as a true statement. These past few years of learning from my children about how they learn best, I have begun to see that unschooling really is the only way for children to learn well and permanently. And to let them learn what they are interested in - forcing boring subjects does not increase learning or make a person well-rounded. And really, why is "well-rounded" absolutely necessary? Look at the picture as a whole, every part of our knowledge will be passed down through generations by people who know it best to the people who want to know about it. Children only retain what's interesting to them, so why waste years trying to cram things in there that won't stick anyway.

The most important lessons learned from these books collectively is that there is no ONE right way to live for all people. This of course is completely contrary to central beliefs of technologically advanced, world power civilizations. I don't want to elaborate more here because I am trying to get you to read these books. You will learn so much more from them than from a summary by me. This shift in thinking can't come about by reading a summary - you have to have all the details, chew on it, swallow it, digest it - then you really know it and understand.

I really believe that if you have strong desire to change the world, you have to start here.

Chronological Schooling

Okay, this idea is from a while ago, but Kevin thought it was soo good that I should get it down. Originally this idea was kind of in the homeschooling context, but I now realize that it would work well in any educational setting. As a homeschooler, just know that I am anti-establishment for very many reasons which I'm sure we will get to eventually. Anyway....

Chronological education:

Wouldn't it make more sense to teach children chronologically. I mean take your 12 years of education, break them up into 4 year segments; then look at a time line of the history of the world and go! Each 4 years the same chronology is repeated but with more detail. Let's face it - a 1st grader can't study Ancient Greece the way a 5th or 9th grader can, so information needs to be revisited. The entire historical time line can be segmented into 4 parts - one to be covered each year. Through the study of that particular time segment, literature, art, science, vocabulary, and spelling can all be learned. Sort of a large ongoing unit study. Math skills would be taught separate from the unit study, but could be enhanced by historical math games to reinforce those new skills. So basically, the first time a child learns about Ancient Greece, s/he will learn about the time frame, contributions, geography, games, foods, recreation and stuff like that. When it is revisited 4 years later, mythology and folklore will be introduced, governmental structure, religious practices, cultural traditions, art, etc. and the 3rd and final time it is revisited, study the era through literature, art, science, government, wars, monarchies, moral and ethical dilemmas and so on.

It makes more sense to teach children all subjects at once through time. Currently a 5th grader might be learning about physical science, but reading "Goosebumps" and studying state history, doing fractions and percents, and probably isn't taking much in the way of art. So many different eras are represented at one time and for a child it makes more sense if it all fits into place and weaves in and on itself.

A logical approach if you think about it. I mean it's hard enough to keep a child engaged in an institutional setting- might as well make it relevant and meaningful. And for you homeschoolers, if you like the idea, you don't even have to spend tons of money on a program like KONOS if you don't have the resources. Use your public library! Get yourself a good history of the world, tape it to the wall, break it up onto four segments and spend a year teaching the first segment. The nice thing for multi-kid families is that you can all study the same era over the course of the year and just add more detail and self-study for the older ones. Less work for you my dear homeschooling parent! And with using the library, every thing is free, as long as it makes it back on time, and new resources, videos, etc. are coming out each year to further enhance your more detailed studies.

Just a thought :)