Here are some tips I have found are very helpful to running a smooth, happy homeschool. I'm not an expert at them, but when I do them, homeschool life is so much better.
Limit Distractions! Give your kids your full undivided attention. Set school time aside for this purpose. Silence your phone and put it in a different room. The second you get distracted, your kids will get distracted, wander off, and you'll have to fight them to come back (or give up altogether).
Don't Multi-Task! If you're trying to work on something else, you'll get angry and frustrated. Or maybe you just won't be as helpful as you should be. Or maybe you'll pawn them off to the tv. I've done all of these things. And the best way to stay away from this problem is by limiting the distractions in the first place.
Take Care of Yourself! Set time aside every day for yourself. Take a nap, workout, socialize... Do whatever it is that makes you happy and will help you keep your sanity. Maybe it's during nap time, or in the morning, or while your kids are watching tv. If mom isn't happy, no one is happy.
Connect! To others. You need to and your kids need to. Set up park days or beach days with other homeschool families so that you have people to swap ideas and commiserate with.
Let it Slide and Forgive Yourself! One bad day isn't gonna ruin everything. Sleep all day if you need to and let them watch tv. Then recommit to tomorrow.
Enjoy Them! They're only young and sweet and innocent for a short time. Right now they want to be right next to you constantly. Soon they won't want to be with you at all. Right now you are their hero. Soon they'll think you're their jailer.
Simplify! If school is taking too long, if your kids are fighting you over it, if it's ruining your relationship, if you're overwhelmed or losing your sanity... Cut out the stuff that doesn't really matter and focus on what really does! Reading, Writing, Math, and Religion. That's all that really matters. Once you regain your sanity and the health of your relationship, you can add the other things back in. Or they can learn them later.
Prioritize! Can you do it all? Really? Or can you hire a housecleaner, yard guy, or mother's helper? If you don't like to cook how about buying prepared frozen meals? Can your husband take on some of your previous responsibilities? Figure out what you want (and need) to spend your time on, and give up some of the other less-important duties. Don't be afraid to say No to people if you really can't fit that assignment into your life.
Seek Inspiration! Heavenly Father wants you to succeed and is waiting to help you figure out how. Raising, mothering, and schooling children is a holy calling. Have faith in yourself and in your ability to successfully educate the divine spirits that He has entrusted to your care.
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Teach Your Kids Piano
Do you play the piano? Then you can teach your kids how to play the piano. It's actually pretty simple. The trickiest part about it (and the part that makes the most difference) is getting them to practice every day. If they do that, they will progress.
My oldest child fought and fought me every day about piano. So I finally let him switch to guitar and got him a private teacher. He doesn't fight about practicing the guitar. My other three occasionally complain, but they don't fight me about it. One of them is also taking private guitar and voice lessons, so she practices all three things every day (but she's homeschooled, so she has the time to do so!).
So save your money, or use it elsewhere, because you can teach your kids the piano.
What I use:
Faber Piano Adventures Series - each child has a lesson, technique, performance, and popular book. We also use the scale books and my oldest does the theory book.
Religious Songs - One of the best ways to feel the spirit is through music. And the kids can do so on their own while they're learning a church song on the piano. They'll also be able to perform these songs during home-church or at real-church later on (after quarantine). Our Church Website has hymns, children's songs, simplified songs, and so much more.
Piano Chart - I made this chart and use it weekly during their lessons. Ideally they'd refer to it daily. I write the page number or song name in each box, and any additional instructions they need.
My oldest child fought and fought me every day about piano. So I finally let him switch to guitar and got him a private teacher. He doesn't fight about practicing the guitar. My other three occasionally complain, but they don't fight me about it. One of them is also taking private guitar and voice lessons, so she practices all three things every day (but she's homeschooled, so she has the time to do so!).
So save your money, or use it elsewhere, because you can teach your kids the piano.
What I use:
Faber Piano Adventures Series - each child has a lesson, technique, performance, and popular book. We also use the scale books and my oldest does the theory book.
Religious Songs - One of the best ways to feel the spirit is through music. And the kids can do so on their own while they're learning a church song on the piano. They'll also be able to perform these songs during home-church or at real-church later on (after quarantine). Our Church Website has hymns, children's songs, simplified songs, and so much more.
Piano Chart - I made this chart and use it weekly during their lessons. Ideally they'd refer to it daily. I write the page number or song name in each box, and any additional instructions they need.
Summer School
One summer, long ago, we took a regular summer break from school. The next fall, my kids had forgotten everything they had learned in May and June and we had to spend the next two months reviewing all of that information before moving on to new material. Since then, we have never taken a full summer break. Because of this, my kids are far ahead in math (and their brains don't completely turn to mush throughout the summer).
The beginning and end of every math book is review material. If you aren't taking a summer break, you can skip the entire first section of every math book. Get ahead, and skip away. And that is why my 4th grader is in Pre-Algebra (also thanks to his natural math brain).
At the beginning of every summer, I have high expectations and tell my kids that they'll be doing 50-75% of their normal school work. However, that never lasts more than a couple days, because summer is the time for me to get projects done, and to play (thus ignoring my kids and not doing school with them). So here are the minimal requirements for my kids' summer school:
- Math
- Literature (read 1 chapter/day)
- Instruments
- Scriptures/Prayer
- Journal (sometimes)
- Hug Mom (everyone laughs about this, but how often do your teenagers hug you?!)
- Kitchen Job
- Room/Messes
- Spelling (only 1 child needs this)
- Times Tables (only 1 child needs this)
For younger kids, here is a four week summer unit I compiled. I've never done unit studies as my base curriculum, but it's fun to do when there is a certain topic you'd like to explore together. And summer is the perfect time to do so.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DTtcavR3tlJS9HoXcvSjcpp472V1PX7s5ndVe94JLuo/edit?usp=sharing
The beginning and end of every math book is review material. If you aren't taking a summer break, you can skip the entire first section of every math book. Get ahead, and skip away. And that is why my 4th grader is in Pre-Algebra (also thanks to his natural math brain).
At the beginning of every summer, I have high expectations and tell my kids that they'll be doing 50-75% of their normal school work. However, that never lasts more than a couple days, because summer is the time for me to get projects done, and to play (thus ignoring my kids and not doing school with them). So here are the minimal requirements for my kids' summer school:
- Math
- Literature (read 1 chapter/day)
- Instruments
- Scriptures/Prayer
- Journal (sometimes)
- Hug Mom (everyone laughs about this, but how often do your teenagers hug you?!)
- Kitchen Job
- Room/Messes
- Spelling (only 1 child needs this)
- Times Tables (only 1 child needs this)
For younger kids, here is a four week summer unit I compiled. I've never done unit studies as my base curriculum, but it's fun to do when there is a certain topic you'd like to explore together. And summer is the perfect time to do so.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DTtcavR3tlJS9HoXcvSjcpp472V1PX7s5ndVe94JLuo/edit?usp=sharing
Friday, May 22, 2020
Quick Overview for Quarantine Homeschoolers
Hello fellow quarantine homeschoolers,
You can read through the entire blog and find a lot of info about how/what I do. The information overload may overwhelm you. So here's a condensed view of what our homeschool currently looks like (as of May 2020).
Two Middle Schoolers:
They take one class at Palomar College each semester. With lots of help from me.
They independently do all their other work. My biggest difficulty with them is making sure they're doing a quality job on their work, because they'll hide away in their rooms doing school and if I don't check it religiously, they'll do a shortened, poor version of it. Will they be ready for high school? We will soon see. But the college classes have taught them many things about school that I never could - deadlines, tests, following other people's instructions, etc.
Two Elementary Schoolers:
I tend to focus my attention on them and school goes well and is high quality. I would rather teach elementary school kids - I love their wonder and enthusiasm and the fun activities we can do together. It's hard to balance my focus and attention between the two age groups. I need to focus on the older ones because they're going to high school soon, but at the same time, the younger ones will lose their innocence and love of learning and I want to take advantage of that while it lasts.
School Week:
M - school
T - math tutor, piano lessons, guitar lessons, art class
W - school
Th - school
F - school or field trip
School Day:
Timing is flexible. I workout and cook in the morning. When I'm ready, I start school with the littles and get done in a couple hours. Usually from 9-12ish. After that, we all have free time. Once quaratine ends we will have sports every day starting at 4ish.
School Chart:
I use the same one I've used for years. I print a new one off each week. Every kids' is a little different. And I tweak it all the time. Here's one of them:
Curriculum:
Refer to this post which has been recently updated: https://oldfashionedschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2019/07/curriculum-in-nutshell.html
Organization:
Instead of bins and closets, every person now keeps their books and notebooks in a backpack. That way we can do school in other places. My kids focus better and go faster when we are doing school elsewhere (library, institute building, back yard).
Charter School:
We use Inspire Charter School. They give me a lot of flexibility (which I have to have), plus $3000 per child per year. I use the money on things like curriculum and music teachers. I only have to turn in one sample per month per kid (plus other easy stuff like attendance). My kids take 1 or 2 tests through them each year, which is a small price to pay to help keep charter schools open.
College Goal:
I wanted my kids to do college during high school, and count it for both. That way when they graduate from high school they'd have their Associates and would be Transfer Students instead of New Students. However, as of right now, my kids want to go to public high school (to see what they're missing out on), so my college plans may not work. But if you're interested in doing it this way, I know a lot of teenagers who have done so. It works!
You can read through the entire blog and find a lot of info about how/what I do. The information overload may overwhelm you. So here's a condensed view of what our homeschool currently looks like (as of May 2020).
Two Middle Schoolers:
They take one class at Palomar College each semester. With lots of help from me.
They independently do all their other work. My biggest difficulty with them is making sure they're doing a quality job on their work, because they'll hide away in their rooms doing school and if I don't check it religiously, they'll do a shortened, poor version of it. Will they be ready for high school? We will soon see. But the college classes have taught them many things about school that I never could - deadlines, tests, following other people's instructions, etc.
Two Elementary Schoolers:
I tend to focus my attention on them and school goes well and is high quality. I would rather teach elementary school kids - I love their wonder and enthusiasm and the fun activities we can do together. It's hard to balance my focus and attention between the two age groups. I need to focus on the older ones because they're going to high school soon, but at the same time, the younger ones will lose their innocence and love of learning and I want to take advantage of that while it lasts.
School Week:
M - school
T - math tutor, piano lessons, guitar lessons, art class
W - school
Th - school
F - school or field trip
School Day:
Timing is flexible. I workout and cook in the morning. When I'm ready, I start school with the littles and get done in a couple hours. Usually from 9-12ish. After that, we all have free time. Once quaratine ends we will have sports every day starting at 4ish.
School Chart:
I use the same one I've used for years. I print a new one off each week. Every kids' is a little different. And I tweak it all the time. Here's one of them:
Curriculum:
Refer to this post which has been recently updated: https://oldfashionedschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2019/07/curriculum-in-nutshell.html
Organization:
Instead of bins and closets, every person now keeps their books and notebooks in a backpack. That way we can do school in other places. My kids focus better and go faster when we are doing school elsewhere (library, institute building, back yard).
Charter School:
We use Inspire Charter School. They give me a lot of flexibility (which I have to have), plus $3000 per child per year. I use the money on things like curriculum and music teachers. I only have to turn in one sample per month per kid (plus other easy stuff like attendance). My kids take 1 or 2 tests through them each year, which is a small price to pay to help keep charter schools open.
College Goal:
I wanted my kids to do college during high school, and count it for both. That way when they graduate from high school they'd have their Associates and would be Transfer Students instead of New Students. However, as of right now, my kids want to go to public high school (to see what they're missing out on), so my college plans may not work. But if you're interested in doing it this way, I know a lot of teenagers who have done so. It works!
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Curriculum in a Nutshell
My other curriculum post is long and detailed. Here is a condensed version of it. I've been using some of this curriculum for one year, and the rest of it for 3+ years. I really like everything I'm using and am not planning on changing any of it any time soon. If you are looking for an all-inclusive curriculum, this is not the one for you. Check out OakMeadow.com for the Waldorf all-inclusive curriculum I used while my kids were young. I LOVED it. I still use their math, and still use it for my youngest. But over the years I have tweaked and changed and it has brought me to what I currently use. (You can read about why I changed my curriculum in my other posts).
Religion: Come Follow Me (ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
Music: private instrument/voice lessons + listening to classical composers
Math: Oak Meadow, Pattern Press, Larson + the greatest math tutor ever
History: Story of the World, A History of US, YouTube, current events
Literature: Center for Lit, Timeline of Classics, Well Trained Mind
Writing: Institute for Excellence in Writing
Spelling: All About Spelling
Science: Berean Builders
Spanish: Rosetta Stone
Art: private class
Sports: so many
Field trips: Beach, Museums, Hikes, Ski Trips...
There are four things I love the most about the curriculum I've chosen:
Religion: Come Follow Me (ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
Music: private instrument/voice lessons + listening to classical composers
Math: Oak Meadow, Pattern Press, Larson + the greatest math tutor ever
History: Story of the World, A History of US, YouTube, current events
Literature: Center for Lit, Timeline of Classics, Well Trained Mind
Writing: Institute for Excellence in Writing
Spelling: All About Spelling
Science: Berean Builders
Spanish: Rosetta Stone
Art: private class
Sports: so many
Field trips: Beach, Museums, Hikes, Ski Trips...
There are four things I love the most about the curriculum I've chosen:
- First, the use of great, classic literature. Learning from and about great people.
- Second, how the different subjects tie together so well. History is the backbone, and everything else ties into it (literature books are chosen from the time period we're studying, writing is history-based assignments, science is historically organized and presented, and music, art, and field trips could be too if I chose).
- Third, the religion behind it all. Our "religion" lesson used to be separate from the other subjects. We'd talk about it then, but no more throughout school. Now, because I've switched to Christian curriculums, they'll either have more lessons with God directly mentioned or the lesson will have a Christian view point or moral behind it. In this day and age, with all the evils of the world at their fingertips (cell phones/internet), my kids need as much religion in their lives as I can put there.
- Fourth, the minimal planning required on my part. We just have to follow along in the books. I have to grab or print a few things here or there, but for the most part, I really don't have a lot of weekly prep work to do.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Why Do I Homeschool?
People are constantly asking me why I homeschool. There are so many reasons that I never know which one to give. So here is a list of the reasons why I homeschool, or the benefits I've seen that come from homeschooling....
More family time. Hopefully with more time together we will have better relationships with our kids and they will have better relationships with their siblings. Sure there is plenty of fighting going on, but they have to work through it and in the long run I'm sure they'll be better for it.
I want to raise my kids, I don't want their peers raising them. By 3rd grade, kids get 80% of their influence from their peers and 20% from their parents (this came from a 3rd grade public school teacher manual in SD County). I don't like that statistic and I'd rather be the one influencing my children, not their peer group or even their teachers. Because they're surrounded by their peers less, I feel like their personalities stay sweet and innocent longer- they don't come home from school with a bad attitude or new swear words in their vocabulary. They also have less chances of being exposed to drugs, pornography, etc.
Government controlled education. I have my children's future in mind more than the government does. I don't want my children's education chosen and directed by the government. They don't know my children individually, they aren't trying to be guided by God, and perhaps they are trying to advance some agenda that I don't agree with. There are certain subjects that I would rather educate my children on and leave the government out of. Some of the most recent political issues hitting the schools as early as 2nd grade are: same-sex marriage, sex ed, transgender bathroom laws, and the mandatory vaccine law. Not to mention the many changes that happen in the public school curriculum (Common Core is the most recent). Having a free public education available to all is absolutely wonderful. But having an education directed by parents and God is even better.
Religion in the school. Our founding fathers were religious. I believe God had a hand in the founding of this country. Religion used to be a part of public schools. And the opposite is now true. My children's spiritual education is the most important part of our school day and I am not willing to give that up. The short life we live here isn't the end of our existence, and the education we receive should reflect that knowledge by being not just temporal, but spiritual also.
Teachers. Sometimes you have a fabulous teacher, other times you don't. I'm not saying I'm a fabulous teacher, but I have the desire and the flexibility to change how I teach and what we're studying if it's not working for my kids. Plus hopefully by the end of our homeschooling years my relationship with each child will be stronger because I was the one spending time with them and helping them progress.
Student:Teacher ratio. 4:1 is a little bit better than 30:1. I know from my own experience in public schools. When I was in third grade I was overlooked and never memorized my math facts. My fourth grade teacher figured it out and what did it take for me to learn them? My dad, not the teacher, spending one on one time with me in the evenings until I learned them.
No middle man between the kids and the parents. I know if my kids understand what they're learning. I know if they know their times tables. I know if we need to slow down or speed up the curriculum. I don't have to meet with their teacher to find this out.
Ability to tailor the curriculum and teaching methods to each child. My seven year old son loves math. He's catching up to my nine year old daughter. My nine year old daughter loves art and music. In piano she's catching up to my eleven year old son. And my eleven year old son loves literature, so he gets plenty of time to spend on that. I don't have to wait for the entire class to progress in order for my children to. We go at their speed. If they don't understand a topic, we spend the extra time on it until they do. And if they need an entirely different approach, I find one. (Art in math? Yes, that's happening here).
"Sports" every day. If I didn't see my kids all day, I wouldn't want them to do extra curricular activities every day- maybe one per kid per season. But we are together all day and so I make sure each kid has an activity every day. They get their energy out, they get to be with friends, I get time to work out.
No homework!! I think fitting homework into the evening would be the worst thing ever. By that time none of us want to be productive. We want to play and relax. And so we do.
Meal time together. Not just dinner time (which doesn't always happen because of sports), but breakfast and lunch too. We love it. Especially because the kids are usually the ones making breakfast and lunch.
Kids learning what it takes to run a household. My brother (jokingly) used to ask my mom what she did all day while we were in school. My kids see what I do. And if I'm busy and stressed out trying to make a meal for someone plus do the laundry plus school, they know how to help. They know how to cook, do laundry, clean, take care of the pets, garden, etc. I love how helpful they are when they need to be. I love that they already know how to do these household chores. And I love how independent they are becoming because of it.
Not having to follow someone else's schedule. I can take my kids to Disneyland during the middle of the week and not get in trouble from our school. I can start school at 8am or at 10am or at 1pm if I feel like it. We don't have to wait for school holidays or the summer to go on trips. If there's an event happening on a Tuesday, we can make Tuesday our field trip day and do school the other days instead.
7/2019 Update: This past winter was the first time we fully took advantage of vacationing during the school year. We've done trips here and there. But this time we took six mid-week ski trips to Big Bear. Each time from a Wednesday to a Friday. These trips have been one of the best things we've done for our family. So much family time together. So much fun on the slopes learning how to ski together. Board games, hot tubbing. School if we need to. We will be doing this again next year. This perk has always been one of our favorites, but now even more so.
The one con that I've been dealing with the entire time I've been homeschooling is having enough time to get my stuff done. Sometimes I get stressed out by my to-do list. My husband reminds me that I don't have any deadlines. This year I've started waking up early to try to get stuff done before school, and it's been helping quite a bit. I also had to realize that some things just won't get done until my kids are out of the house, and I have to be ok with that. I took projects off my to-do list that aren't absolutely necessary and put them in a separate to-do list called "things to do if I ever have extra time". This helped me a lot because it made my real to-do list shorter and manageable. And if I ever do get done with my real to-do list (which actually does happen now), I'm quite giddy to either relax, spend time on myself, or get around to one of those other projects.
More family time. Hopefully with more time together we will have better relationships with our kids and they will have better relationships with their siblings. Sure there is plenty of fighting going on, but they have to work through it and in the long run I'm sure they'll be better for it.
I want to raise my kids, I don't want their peers raising them. By 3rd grade, kids get 80% of their influence from their peers and 20% from their parents (this came from a 3rd grade public school teacher manual in SD County). I don't like that statistic and I'd rather be the one influencing my children, not their peer group or even their teachers. Because they're surrounded by their peers less, I feel like their personalities stay sweet and innocent longer- they don't come home from school with a bad attitude or new swear words in their vocabulary. They also have less chances of being exposed to drugs, pornography, etc.
Government controlled education. I have my children's future in mind more than the government does. I don't want my children's education chosen and directed by the government. They don't know my children individually, they aren't trying to be guided by God, and perhaps they are trying to advance some agenda that I don't agree with. There are certain subjects that I would rather educate my children on and leave the government out of. Some of the most recent political issues hitting the schools as early as 2nd grade are: same-sex marriage, sex ed, transgender bathroom laws, and the mandatory vaccine law. Not to mention the many changes that happen in the public school curriculum (Common Core is the most recent). Having a free public education available to all is absolutely wonderful. But having an education directed by parents and God is even better.
Religion in the school. Our founding fathers were religious. I believe God had a hand in the founding of this country. Religion used to be a part of public schools. And the opposite is now true. My children's spiritual education is the most important part of our school day and I am not willing to give that up. The short life we live here isn't the end of our existence, and the education we receive should reflect that knowledge by being not just temporal, but spiritual also.
Teachers. Sometimes you have a fabulous teacher, other times you don't. I'm not saying I'm a fabulous teacher, but I have the desire and the flexibility to change how I teach and what we're studying if it's not working for my kids. Plus hopefully by the end of our homeschooling years my relationship with each child will be stronger because I was the one spending time with them and helping them progress.
Student:Teacher ratio. 4:1 is a little bit better than 30:1. I know from my own experience in public schools. When I was in third grade I was overlooked and never memorized my math facts. My fourth grade teacher figured it out and what did it take for me to learn them? My dad, not the teacher, spending one on one time with me in the evenings until I learned them.
No middle man between the kids and the parents. I know if my kids understand what they're learning. I know if they know their times tables. I know if we need to slow down or speed up the curriculum. I don't have to meet with their teacher to find this out.
Ability to tailor the curriculum and teaching methods to each child. My seven year old son loves math. He's catching up to my nine year old daughter. My nine year old daughter loves art and music. In piano she's catching up to my eleven year old son. And my eleven year old son loves literature, so he gets plenty of time to spend on that. I don't have to wait for the entire class to progress in order for my children to. We go at their speed. If they don't understand a topic, we spend the extra time on it until they do. And if they need an entirely different approach, I find one. (Art in math? Yes, that's happening here).
"Sports" every day. If I didn't see my kids all day, I wouldn't want them to do extra curricular activities every day- maybe one per kid per season. But we are together all day and so I make sure each kid has an activity every day. They get their energy out, they get to be with friends, I get time to work out.
No homework!! I think fitting homework into the evening would be the worst thing ever. By that time none of us want to be productive. We want to play and relax. And so we do.
Not driving around in school traffic. I had to do this once when I was babysitting and I hated it. I love not rushing around in the morning getting ready for school. I also love not having to be at two or three different schools at the same time to drop off and pick up kids. I'm sure carpooling helps, but staying home helps too.
Meal time together. Not just dinner time (which doesn't always happen because of sports), but breakfast and lunch too. We love it. Especially because the kids are usually the ones making breakfast and lunch.
Kids learning what it takes to run a household. My brother (jokingly) used to ask my mom what she did all day while we were in school. My kids see what I do. And if I'm busy and stressed out trying to make a meal for someone plus do the laundry plus school, they know how to help. They know how to cook, do laundry, clean, take care of the pets, garden, etc. I love how helpful they are when they need to be. I love that they already know how to do these household chores. And I love how independent they are becoming because of it.
Not having to follow someone else's schedule. I can take my kids to Disneyland during the middle of the week and not get in trouble from our school. I can start school at 8am or at 10am or at 1pm if I feel like it. We don't have to wait for school holidays or the summer to go on trips. If there's an event happening on a Tuesday, we can make Tuesday our field trip day and do school the other days instead.
7/2019 Update: This past winter was the first time we fully took advantage of vacationing during the school year. We've done trips here and there. But this time we took six mid-week ski trips to Big Bear. Each time from a Wednesday to a Friday. These trips have been one of the best things we've done for our family. So much family time together. So much fun on the slopes learning how to ski together. Board games, hot tubbing. School if we need to. We will be doing this again next year. This perk has always been one of our favorites, but now even more so.
Field trip day. Going on field trips and doing hands-on learning has always been a goal for our homeschool. I love that our field trips count as a school day and we don't have to cram other schoolwork into that busy day. I also love that we don't have to fit field trips into our Saturdays, because our Saturdays are often filled up with sports, house projects, or relaxing.
Better use of time. Public school is seven hours. How much of that time is spent disciplining, lining up, and sitting around bored? Our school time takes three hours. They have extra time to pursue their own interests, play with their siblings, learn relevant household duties, etc.
Kids keep their individuality. Homeschool kids are not afraid to be different, dress differently, or break the mold. Many public school kids worry about fitting in, wearing the right clothes, not standing out. Although free public education is a blessing, some schools seem to be focused on a conformist, conveyor belt type of education that prepares kids for a certain type of career. We will hopefully be searching for our vocations (what God would have us do) instead.
We don't have to! Public schools didn't always exist. They started as a social experiment during the industrial revolution so there was a place for kids to go while both parents went to work. I didn't know this until I was an adult, and knowing it helped me realize that we have freedom in choosing our children's education.
Kids get to learn what I'm passionate about. One of my passions is classic literature. In our seven years of homeschooling we've always been learning and reading from classics. But I recently gave ourselves more literature time than we've had in the past, and I got rid of stuff I don't love. Now I love our homeschool day so much more, and if mom is happy, everyone is happy.
I enjoy homeschooling and feel it is a purposeful, rewarding use of my time. I get to continue learning. Some of the things I'm teaching my kids I never learned in my public school education. I also continue to learn about teaching, parenting, and about different subjects by going to homeschool conferences or taking online courses. Plus, I enjoy spending time with my kids and I admire the people they're turning into and the relationships we're building. I never want to regret not having spent enough time or attention on them while they were "at home", and homeschooling will take care of that.
The one con that I've been dealing with the entire time I've been homeschooling is having enough time to get my stuff done. Sometimes I get stressed out by my to-do list. My husband reminds me that I don't have any deadlines. This year I've started waking up early to try to get stuff done before school, and it's been helping quite a bit. I also had to realize that some things just won't get done until my kids are out of the house, and I have to be ok with that. I took projects off my to-do list that aren't absolutely necessary and put them in a separate to-do list called "things to do if I ever have extra time". This helped me a lot because it made my real to-do list shorter and manageable. And if I ever do get done with my real to-do list (which actually does happen now), I'm quite giddy to either relax, spend time on myself, or get around to one of those other projects.
How to Begin Homeschooling
This post is for my fellow North San Diegan friends who are thinking about homeschooling and don't know where to start. Some of it is applicable only to our area. Most of it is applicable to everyone.
FIRST: pick a charter school (or decide to do it privately). We have used:
Coastal Academy - six years and had a great experience with them. They have a campus in Oceanside, Vista, and Escondido (it's called Classical Academy in Vista and Escondido). Many of the people who work there homeschooled their own kids. They have so many different enrollment options: you can send your kids to school twice a week, once a week, or zero times a week The twice a week option "requires" you to use the school's curriculum, so I don't recommend that option because using your own curriculum and schedule is one of the best parts about homeschooling. If you use your own curriculum the school provides you with $500 per child for non-religious curriculum. If you don't send your kids to school at all, they provide you with money for extra-curricular activities. You have access to all their clubs, tutors, online resources, etc.
However, one draw back about Coastal Academy is- if your kids aren't fully vaccinated, they can not participate in the classes. You could still enroll them and homeschool them all five days and you'll get that money for curriculum and extra curricular activities, but there are so many other charter schools that offer the same thing that it might be better to find a different one to use that is closer to you or gives you more money.
San Diego Neighborhood Homeschools - two years and loved it. Thought about using Inspire Charter because they give more money, but SDNH offers two things that I feel are more important than the money: help navigating community college for high school, and a network of families doing the same thing as us that live near us.
Inspire Charter School - one year and loved it. We switched from SDNH because our education specialist did. They provide a lot more money and the same flexibility and freedom.
Homeschooling Privately - Because of the order the California Governor just signed, this year Charter Schools will only receive the amount of money that they were receiving as of February 2019 (and actually less than that because of the budget cuts). That means that in order to take in any new students for the 2020 school year, charter schools must give less money to all their previous students. Some of them might do this, others might not. Either way, all the charters I know of have a very long waitlist and it's not looking good for new families to become enrolled at them. So, homeschooling privately might be the only option available to you at this time. I have never homeschooled privately, but I know many people that have. You have to submit a private school affidavit through the state. You don't get any government funding. You have to keep meticulous records of attendance and reading/pe logs and have samples on hand in case you get audited, but you also have all the freedom in the world as far as schedules and curriculum. Becoming a private homeschool appeals to me because I love the idea of not answering to anyone, not having to meet with teachers, not turning in samples... But for now, I'm satisfied with Inspire Charter and won't be pursuing this option. However, if the government takes any more control of charter schools, I would definitely consider the private route.
SECOND: pick your own curriculum. That means: don't use the school's curriculum! Once you use their curriculum you have someone to answer to, task requirements and deadlines. You can't tailor lessons to your kids and you might leave out the stuff you or your kids love in order to complete the schools' assignments. If you want to have a horrible time homeschooling, the way to do it is to use someone else's curriculum and schedule. However, this doesn't mean you have to make up your own stuff. For our first four years we bought an all-inclusive curriculum from Oak Meadow Waldorf School (which I loved and still highly recommend). Every lesson was written out for us and it was very easy to follow along. But because we weren't using Coastal Academy's curriculum, we had so much more flexibility with our pace, schedule, and lessons. So my advice is, no matter what charter school you may enroll in, find and use a curriculum that you love instead of your charter school's curriculum. Unfortunately the only all-inclusive curriculum I have experience with is Oak Meadow, so I can't give any other recommendations for an all-inclusive type. But do a little research, pick one, and then go from there. You'll be able to tweak and change all along the way. Ask around for other recommendations. Your contact at the charter school will have heard of different options from their other students (plus they are probably a seasoned homeschooler themselves). And if you're still overwhelmed, use your school's, but keep in mind you can change it at any time if you don't like it.
THIRD: decide what you want your homeschool experience to "look like". When I first began homeschooling I made a list of everything I wanted my kids to learn or experience and then I looked for a "school" experience that fit my idea. Later, I took Sarah Mackenzie's "Focus & Align" Master Class at http://amongstlovelythings.com/. She offers a worksheet that helps you visualize your ideal homeschool day, find out what your passions are, find out what your kids' passions are, and figure out what you want the kids to remember about their homeschool experience. You don't need the worksheet to do this, but you will need a bit of introspective questioning. So, what do you want your homeschool to look like? Decide, and then make it happen.
FOURTH: keep it simple. I have talked to many experienced homeschool moms of older kids and they all say: the most important things to teach your kids are reading and math. (And I would a religious aspect to this). So if you're lost, start with reading and math. If that's all you end up getting done, it's ok. If your kids turn out to be good readers, they will read about all the other subjects. And once you get the hang of it, you can add or change things as needed. If you're worried about gaps in their education, you can supplement with classes at a charter school, co-op, or when they're older the community college. But for the love of homeschooling, start simple.
FIFTH: do what YOU love. If you're not enjoying the homeschool experience, your kids won't either. If you are passionate about what you're teaching, you will be a better teacher and your kids will get more out of it. And if you've already focused on reading and math, you will have plenty of extra time and the flexibility to cover the topics you want. If you don't know what you're passionate about, fill out the "Focus & Align" worksheet and it will help you discover them. My passions are classic literature, history, music and field trips, so we spend a lot of our time on these and less on subjects like science and grammar. I've also set aside a day each week to go on field trips.
That's it! Enjoy your kids! Have faith in your ability to teach them and in the inspiration you will receive as you embark on this worthy goal. If you need ideas for curriculum or for getting organized or how to actually "run" the homeschool, check out my other blog posts.
...A note on "socialization". If you're worried about this, don't be. It's a fake worry. Especially with all the homeschooling resources and opportunities available nowadays. Your kids will have plenty of social opportunities: charter school, church groups, sports activities, neighborhood friends, the grocery store, your family...
FIRST: pick a charter school (or decide to do it privately). We have used:
Coastal Academy - six years and had a great experience with them. They have a campus in Oceanside, Vista, and Escondido (it's called Classical Academy in Vista and Escondido). Many of the people who work there homeschooled their own kids. They have so many different enrollment options: you can send your kids to school twice a week, once a week, or zero times a week The twice a week option "requires" you to use the school's curriculum, so I don't recommend that option because using your own curriculum and schedule is one of the best parts about homeschooling. If you use your own curriculum the school provides you with $500 per child for non-religious curriculum. If you don't send your kids to school at all, they provide you with money for extra-curricular activities. You have access to all their clubs, tutors, online resources, etc.
However, one draw back about Coastal Academy is- if your kids aren't fully vaccinated, they can not participate in the classes. You could still enroll them and homeschool them all five days and you'll get that money for curriculum and extra curricular activities, but there are so many other charter schools that offer the same thing that it might be better to find a different one to use that is closer to you or gives you more money.
San Diego Neighborhood Homeschools - two years and loved it. Thought about using Inspire Charter because they give more money, but SDNH offers two things that I feel are more important than the money: help navigating community college for high school, and a network of families doing the same thing as us that live near us.
Inspire Charter School - one year and loved it. We switched from SDNH because our education specialist did. They provide a lot more money and the same flexibility and freedom.
Homeschooling Privately - Because of the order the California Governor just signed, this year Charter Schools will only receive the amount of money that they were receiving as of February 2019 (and actually less than that because of the budget cuts). That means that in order to take in any new students for the 2020 school year, charter schools must give less money to all their previous students. Some of them might do this, others might not. Either way, all the charters I know of have a very long waitlist and it's not looking good for new families to become enrolled at them. So, homeschooling privately might be the only option available to you at this time. I have never homeschooled privately, but I know many people that have. You have to submit a private school affidavit through the state. You don't get any government funding. You have to keep meticulous records of attendance and reading/pe logs and have samples on hand in case you get audited, but you also have all the freedom in the world as far as schedules and curriculum. Becoming a private homeschool appeals to me because I love the idea of not answering to anyone, not having to meet with teachers, not turning in samples... But for now, I'm satisfied with Inspire Charter and won't be pursuing this option. However, if the government takes any more control of charter schools, I would definitely consider the private route.
SECOND: pick your own curriculum. That means: don't use the school's curriculum! Once you use their curriculum you have someone to answer to, task requirements and deadlines. You can't tailor lessons to your kids and you might leave out the stuff you or your kids love in order to complete the schools' assignments. If you want to have a horrible time homeschooling, the way to do it is to use someone else's curriculum and schedule. However, this doesn't mean you have to make up your own stuff. For our first four years we bought an all-inclusive curriculum from Oak Meadow Waldorf School (which I loved and still highly recommend). Every lesson was written out for us and it was very easy to follow along. But because we weren't using Coastal Academy's curriculum, we had so much more flexibility with our pace, schedule, and lessons. So my advice is, no matter what charter school you may enroll in, find and use a curriculum that you love instead of your charter school's curriculum. Unfortunately the only all-inclusive curriculum I have experience with is Oak Meadow, so I can't give any other recommendations for an all-inclusive type. But do a little research, pick one, and then go from there. You'll be able to tweak and change all along the way. Ask around for other recommendations. Your contact at the charter school will have heard of different options from their other students (plus they are probably a seasoned homeschooler themselves). And if you're still overwhelmed, use your school's, but keep in mind you can change it at any time if you don't like it.
THIRD: decide what you want your homeschool experience to "look like". When I first began homeschooling I made a list of everything I wanted my kids to learn or experience and then I looked for a "school" experience that fit my idea. Later, I took Sarah Mackenzie's "Focus & Align" Master Class at http://amongstlovelythings.com/. She offers a worksheet that helps you visualize your ideal homeschool day, find out what your passions are, find out what your kids' passions are, and figure out what you want the kids to remember about their homeschool experience. You don't need the worksheet to do this, but you will need a bit of introspective questioning. So, what do you want your homeschool to look like? Decide, and then make it happen.
FOURTH: keep it simple. I have talked to many experienced homeschool moms of older kids and they all say: the most important things to teach your kids are reading and math. (And I would a religious aspect to this). So if you're lost, start with reading and math. If that's all you end up getting done, it's ok. If your kids turn out to be good readers, they will read about all the other subjects. And once you get the hang of it, you can add or change things as needed. If you're worried about gaps in their education, you can supplement with classes at a charter school, co-op, or when they're older the community college. But for the love of homeschooling, start simple.
FIFTH: do what YOU love. If you're not enjoying the homeschool experience, your kids won't either. If you are passionate about what you're teaching, you will be a better teacher and your kids will get more out of it. And if you've already focused on reading and math, you will have plenty of extra time and the flexibility to cover the topics you want. If you don't know what you're passionate about, fill out the "Focus & Align" worksheet and it will help you discover them. My passions are classic literature, history, music and field trips, so we spend a lot of our time on these and less on subjects like science and grammar. I've also set aside a day each week to go on field trips.
SIXTH: do what your kids love. Or make sure they have enough free time to pursue their own interests. Again, the "Focus & Align" worksheet helped me discover this aspect of homeschooling. And once I realized what my kids loved, I added more of that into our daily assignments (my daughter now does art in her spelling and math assignments and my sons spend more time on math). If you and your kids are doing what you love, homeschooling will be a joy, not a chore.
That's it! Enjoy your kids! Have faith in your ability to teach them and in the inspiration you will receive as you embark on this worthy goal. If you need ideas for curriculum or for getting organized or how to actually "run" the homeschool, check out my other blog posts.
...A note on "socialization". If you're worried about this, don't be. It's a fake worry. Especially with all the homeschooling resources and opportunities available nowadays. Your kids will have plenty of social opportunities: charter school, church groups, sports activities, neighborhood friends, the grocery store, your family...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)