At their own pace

Do you ever have moments when you wonder if you should be homeschooling? My oldest child has always been behind in everything, but sometimes, I get it in my head that it is my fault- that I'm not capable of teaching her. At times, I have wondered if I should enroll her in a tutoring program for reading. She just wasn't getting it. Grant it, she's only six, and when I was six I wasn't reading either, but public school children are reading by kindergarten. And, while I hate to compare our progress to that of institutional schools, it's often hard to avoid- especially when many of her little friends and church peers are public schooled or involved in Mother's Day Out preschool programs at churches which use Abeka curriculum (which is quite advanced, in my opinion).

I worry that my darling little girl will feel silly or dumb because others her age (and younger) are reading and writing. Lately, I've noticed that she's started worrying about what others think of her. I don't know where this came from, but she has always been a sensitive little girl.

After purchasing a couple different programs (including Hooked on Phonics, which I think is a ridiculous program, but at least it comes with plenty of books, which made it worth the money), I finally listened to good advice and bought the book Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons (Siegfried Engelmann, Phyllis Haddox, Elaine Bruner).

This book is all you need, and it's fantastic. It's reading curriculum for beginners in one inexpensive book. I wish I would have bought it a couple years ago!

My daughter is doing so much better, now. Mainly, she struggles with blending sounds to make words, and this book as really helped her understand blending. The book has a script which tells you what to say and how to correct mistakes to keep kids on focused and on track- which is very helpful.

I think it also helps that she's a little older. She may not have grasped this last year or the year before- even with this amazing book (although I think she probably would have, but who knows!), but she is doing well now.

There will always be something she struggles with, but, as I have mentioned before, there are other things she does incredibly well- above those her age, so it evens out in the end.

My oldest boy, who is four, has had the benefit of listening in on the lessons and such over the years, and is not far behind his sister (even though they are 21 months apart), with the exception of writing. Merikalyn's letters are well formed, while Nolyn's are still hard to recognize. Still, at four years old, he is already doing simple math (addition and subtraction), and has already caught on to some of the aspects of reading- such as blending sounds- even though I have not sat down to teach him these things. I think overhearing our lessons while he plays has probably taught him much more than if I would have sat down and tried to cram it in his head. He's just that type of child.

Each child is going to be different, even within a family- and my children are definitely proof of that. While one child may need extra attention and guidance in one subject, another child may catch on quickly. I didn't even realize Nolyn understood all that he did, until I heard him hollering out answers in the background while I walked Merika through a lesson!

Potty training was very similar to our reading issue. Merikalyn struggled with it. As her fourth birthday neared, I vowed to have her potty trained before the party. Well, her birthday came and went, and she was still in pull-ups. I was mortified! So many of my friends had potty-trained two-year-olds, and here I was with a four year old who refused to use the toilet! I wish I could say it happened that year (to her credit, she came a long way with making friends with the porcelain throne that year), but she was FIVE when she finally got it down. Nolyn, on the other hand, was potty trained when he was three... and not by me. My mother-in-law worked with both of the kids when they were at her house, but he as just generally interested in the toilet. One day, I was in the kitchen and saw him run into the bathroom, strip off his diaper and plop his heiny on the toilet! Then, I saw him get off and put back on his diaper! Ha! He had been doing this for a couple weeks, and I was clueless! (He was only wetting his diaper during naps and night time.) A month later, he was in underwear all the time.

My point here is, some kids just take longer to learn things. We may be embarrassed because it's not on the schedule most other children are on, or because it makes us feel like a failure, but eventually, it'll happen. We just have to be patient and loving. We may need to seek a different method of teaching, or we may just need to be more consistent.

We'll see many of these moments as our children grow, I'm sure. What makes it worth it is... once they get it, they really GET it.

Free Homeschooling Resources for all grades and ages.

I know many people cannot afford to purchase curriculum. We have been so fortunate to have funds and curriculum donated to us by family and friends, but we've also added to that by other methods.

My friend Jodi Lynn asked me if the rumors were true. Is homeschooling more expensive than government schools? The truth is, it can be but it doesn't have to be! There is a lot of free homeschooling material available online. Stores like Half-Priced Books, Dollar Tree, and Goodwill hold so much for homeschoolers as well. (Read my post on MandyMom.com titled "A Fruitful Dollar Tree")

Some curriculum tools, like math manipulatives, are expensive. If you're doing the Montessori method, those items can add up quickly. However, if you approach it with a creative eye, you'll find you can easily substitute other items or make them yourself for much less.

Workbooks can be expensive as well, but Dollar Tree has workbooks up to 1st or 2nd grade for only a buck. We have a few pricey workbooks that need to last us through every child. We either copy the pages, slip them in protective sheets (which you can then write on with wipe off markers), or use another paper to write the answer. In my Dollar Tree post on MandyMom.com, you'll see that we don't write in our Math workbooks. The kids use their math manipulatives (squares, bears, beans, or macaroni) to work out the problems, then write down the answer on another paper.

When you purchase curriculum, you're really investing in something, and you want it to last. You can find creative ways to stretch it out for all of your children.

Here are a few sites I've really enjoyed checking out over the last few weeks.

Free World U is free curriculum site. The only catch is that you need to register (but that's free, of course). They offer digital flash cards on a variety of subjects. Subjects are divided out by school and grade (all the way up to highschool).

For example, Preschool subjects not only include the regulars of Colors, Shapes, Letters, and Numbers, but also Social Issues, Environment, and Weather.

Twelfth grade includes Principles of American Democracy, Principles of Economics, Physics, Probability and Statistics, and Calculus!

This site will make a wonderful addition to your homeschool. Check it out!


1+1+1=1 has a theme on her site called Tot School. You can draw a lot of inspiration from these posts, and even join in.

One of my buddies was telling me about Hippo Campus. Here's an excerpt from the site information page: "HippoCampus is a project of the Monterey Institute for Technology and Education (MITE). The goal of HippoCampus is to provide high-quality, multimedia content on general education subjects to high school and college students free of charge."

Did you know the government has a free resource page? Check it out here: http://free.ed.gov/

I think I've mentioned this site before, and if so, here it is again. The Discovery Channel is very informative, but did you know you can also gather much from their website? They also have a resource page to help teachers enhance the curriculum.

While Teach-nology isn't totally free, they do have a lot of freebies to offer. Check out these free worksheets and free lesson plans (many of these link to other sites).

The Teacher's Cafe has loads of free resources too.

Those links should keep you busy for a while!

Conjunction junction, what's your function?

Hearing that summons up memories of "back in the day" - when the main opportunity to see cartoons was on Saturday morning.. not 24 hours a day like it is now..that was the ONLY time you found us inside when we didn't have to be.. You might watch the Smurfs.. or late morning might have Johnny Quest... but occassionally a "video" from "School House Rock" would be thrown in. They were cute cartoons with a song, a toe tapping tune, and, unbeknownst to me, a lot of good educational tidbits..

Well it seems "School House Rock" is making a comeback. I had been hearing about them putting out a DVD.. and vaguely remember liking them.. so I thought it might be worth getting for the kids. I like them to see you can have fun with education. So I was lucky enough to find it at my local library (a gold mine of resources for us homeschoolers on a budget)...Which by the way - I totally recommend you go make friends with your local librarian - they can get you all sorts of books thru interlibrary loans and save you lots of money..

So anyway, we checked it out and started watching it... I couldn't believe how jam packed it was with info.. things about history, multiplication tables, parts of speech, biology.. etc.. and my kids LOVED it..my 8 yr old dd that is learning her multiplication tables right now kept turning around and smiling at me when the math "videos" would come on.. and my twin boys (nearly 3) were even singing the songs.. they may not understand what they are singing right now, but it will make sense later, and they will have a learning aid to help them - the songs.. I think it would be the perfect DVD to keep in the van, rather than a just a bunch of cartoons (althought we do have those too).. or to pull out when you are studing history, or multiplication tables, etc.. I must admit though - we will probably be purchasing a copy. I highly recommend it to add to your homeschool library.

So that's my input for this week.. by the way - Mandy has so graciously allowed me to come and write on her new blog, and I am so blessed to be able to do so.. we are a new homeschooling family (started as of May this year when I withdrew my dd out of Elementary school), and are those homeschoolers on a budget, so you will find in my entries a lot of inexpensive or free ideas.. you can see more about us (and mostly my artwork) on my blog http://mommasgoodies.blogspot.com/ , and here at The Precious Mind on Wednesdays.



Until next time - much love and God bless!

The Intentional Teacher: babies on up

I'm often asked, "When did you officially start homeschooling?" The truth is, we've been intentionally homeschooling from the beginning. Everyone homeschools in some manner, whether they know it or not. You are always teaching your children something- why not be an intentional teacher?

How can you be an intentional teacher? I've listed six ways to start teaching your preschoolers and beginners..... without plopping them behind a desk!

1. Read to them... a lot. Read rhymes, read novels, read the bible, read stories loaded with pictures.

2. Tell them stories. Make up stories. Go through a photo album- pointing out pictures and explaining what is happening in the photos.

3. Allow them to explore. Let them bang on things, cut paper, doodle, finger paint, dig in the dirt, take things apart...... all under your supervision for safety, but with minimal direction.

4. Ask them questions. Children are great at asking questions. They want to learn about everything. Try turning the tables and asking them questions. Ask them how they feel about certain things, what they think you should do next, how they think something should be done, how they think someone else feels, etc. Their answers may not make much sense to you. They may not even be on topic, but listen and continue to ask questions.

5. Yes, listen. LISTEN to what your children are saying. Pay attention to what they are doing. You'll find out what they are interested in, and you can help them explore those things (by printing out information on the internet, going to the library, visiting a museum, etc). It helps to keep a record of what they're talking about, what they're doing, and what they're interested in.

6. Allow them to help. Sometimes our need for prim and proper perfection keeps us from allowing our children to help out with things. Yes, it might mean more mess. It might take more time, but your children will benefit (and so will you). They can help you cook, clean, pick up sticks, take out the trash, rearrange furniture, decorate the Christmas tree, feed the dog... etc. Teaching them how to help around the house is more than a course in home ec.

I know listening is one of the hardest things for me to do because my children, especially my second child, are very talkative. Nolyn talks all the time, except when he is sleeping. He never really had a babbling stage. He began talking in full sentences very early and hasn't stopped sense. I tend to tune him out much of the time because he repeats things over and over (whether he's talking to me or not, and whether I've answered him or not). That's something that I'm working on- really tuning in and not tuning out.

Remember, it's never too early to start reading. Read to your newborn. Read to your toddler. Don't expect your children to sit still and peer at every page. Just because they don't seem to be paying attention, doesn't mean they aren't.

For example, my daughter, Merikalyn, likes to sit right next to me when I'm reading. Nolyn, on the other hand, will usually play and mumble to himself several feet away, but when I ask the two of them questions about the book, he usually answers correctly. He may not look like he's listening, but he is.

I see many parents who think their children need to read and write by the age of four or five. Studies have shown that children who go through heavy early education and those who don't end up on the same level by fifth grade. We need to go at our children's pace. Let's not set them up for frustration and burn out.

It's important to look at your intentions. Are you trying to produce a child that you can brag about or is your desire to nurture that love of learning within your child, encouraging her to research, explore, and try things out. Be honest with yourself.

Mandy is a homeschooling graduate who spent the majority of her schooling years in public schools before deciding to switch to homeschool halfway through highschool. You can read more about her and her family at MandyMom.com

Poster can be ordered from Art.com

Links to Great Homeschooling Resources

If you have a homeschooling site or blog and would like to trade links, please grab my icon (left side), post it on your site with a link to me, and then leave me a comment. You will then be added!

This page will be updated weekly.


Homeschool Laws

Homeschooling Support and Forums

The Homeschool Lounge

Homeschooling 'Zines, Articles, and Awards:

Heart of the Matter
Homeschooling Today
Homeschool Blog Awards
The Six-Lesson School Teacher (article about school system)
No thanks. We don't believe in socialization (article)

Free Resources:

TEACH-nology (lots of free curriculum/lesson plans)
Teach a Child to Read
The Garden of Praise
ABCteach
Smithsonian American Art Museum

I Know That (interactive/games)

Christian Preschool Printables

Kidspace at the Internet Public Library

Geography4Kids

Enchanted Learning (some things require paid memberships)
National Geographic for Kids

PBS Teachers' Learning Plans

Scholastic Inc

Interesting & Useful

StateMaster (State statistics and more, useful for comparisons)

Blogs

Home Educate in the Sunshine State
Luke's Sonlight Blog
An Untraditional Home
Christian Unschooling
Freely Educate


Homeschool ID Cards:

Some places offer discounts to teachers, but you'll need a teacher ID. You can make your own, or use these links to create one for you. I make IDs for friends, so.. if you're my friend, ask me! Remember, when making a ID, you'll need a decent photograph, just you, alone, with a solid background. Buy laminating sheets to protect your card.

Homeschool Buyers Co-op (looks like the card below)



Curriculum:

I use Sonlight for several reasons. First of all, we're not super structured, and I have no desire to be structured. I don't want to bring a strict school environment into my home. I want learning to be fun. Sonlight helps me teach my children the things they need to know, even providing me with a lesson plan, while being flexible and fun.

Secondly, I love to read. My children love to be read to. My daughter can't wait to read on her own. Sonlight is full of great books which teach children all sorts of things, without them even realizing them. I'm not talking about textbooks, I'm talking about real books, like The Boxcar Children. Some are old classics, and some are sure to be new favorites. There's a great variety.

If you are unschooling, but feel you want a bit of structure, or you are deschooling (coming out of a schooling environment), Sonlight would be a great assistance to you! Go to their website and get a free catalog delivered to your home!

It may seem pricy, but it's worth it, even if you can only buy a little bit of a time, or choose to purchase only one subject. (And, if you are going to be selective in your subjects, I recommend that you purchase the Core for the grade level you desire, which includes Readers, Read-Alouds, History.. and more! (The History part includes some really cool books!)

The best thing about Sonlight is it's reusable. Every year, I purchase the curriculum for my oldest child (daughter). My other children use it when they are ready! (For example, my son will use her Kindergarden curriculum next school year.) Plus, because Sonlight includes books to read-aloud, the whole family can listen in and participate- even Dad.

You can choose a four day plan or a five day plan. We have chosen to do the four day plan, which allows for even more flexiblity.

Inexpensive Resource: Beads

Beads: Small but Mighty!

Curriculum can get expensive, and some people cannot afford to buy fancy lessons with fancy pieces, but here's a simple item that can teach many things! Beads!

Of course, children who still have a tendency to put things in their mouths should not play with beads, but you know when your child is ready. (And, word to the wise, you might want to make sure your three-year-old doesn't shove them up his nose... not that we had that happen.... or, um.. anything.)

A bag of beads is pretty cheap, but have so many uses. First of all, the obvious. Beads are great for sorting colors. Give your child a handful of beads and ask him to sort it out. Don't tell him how to sort him out, though. See what creative way he comes up with.

Don't be too much of an adult that you don't take the time to join in the fun. I usually participate in most of my children's activities as well. While he's sorting his beads, you can be sorting a pile of your own. Maybe he'll pay attention and copy you, maybe not. After a while, ask him how he's sorting his beads, and then explain how you are sorting yours (by color). Ask him, "What is your favorite color bead?"

Beads can also be used to make letters and shapes. Take a piece of paper and draw the letter your child is learning on it (big enough, but not too big that you won't have enough beads to "trace it" with). Have your child trace her finger over the letter, and then place the beads along the lines of the letter.

Use the beads to form pictures, maybe yellow beads to shape a sun, blue beads to shape clouds, green beads for grass and so on. If you just let your child use her imagination (no directing and correcting every little thing) as she plays with the beads, she'll probably come up with some cool ideas.

Give your child a string (a shoelace or piece of yarn works) to thread the beads on. This takes quite a big of coordination! Some children will naturally make a pattern, some will not.

Beads are great to use for math as well. This gives them a visual as you add and subtract beads. There are so many different ways to use beads. The possibilities are endless! Try coming up with your own ideas (maybe even a game) using beads.... and let me know what they are!