Finding The Right Home School Program

There's no turning back now! We joined the ranks of the home school movement! We actually left behind the traditional brick and mortar school system. We did? Yikes! How the heck did I do this alone AND find the right path or "home school program" that was perfect for our family?

The biggest question was can I do this? Eek! I realized I was about to embark on a colossal voyage; full-time employment, full-time teacher, full-time mom! I'm so glad I didn't think how massive this thing was at the time (risking I'd chicken out once I realized the scope of this task all by my lonesome). I just decided to move forward and wing it. I had a "Mom the Builder" attitude. Once I made my mind up, I declared "I CAN do this... yes I CAN!" I was determined to move forward full speed and damn the torpedoes! I was resolved to stick with this as long as we were achieving positive results. We'd give it a year and make an assessment after that as to whether to continue.

LOGISTICS AND RESEARCH

A big factor we didn't consider, were the people in our life and whether they would support or interfere with this decision. We had to keep those who were unsupportive at bay. I was wise enough to understand, if we failed, we would have learned a valuable lesson and would be stronger from the experience. If we succeeded... all the better!

The next thing I needed to address were the "physical logistics." Where to set up the "classroom" and a comfortable workspace, while keeping "distractions" to a minimum. We opted to convert the master bedroom into a home office/classroom. It was spacious enough for both our needs. I could set up daily lessons and continue on my own work. Plus, I would be right there to give guidance and aid when it was needed. A perfect fit!

With the initial concerns tackled, next was finding the right program. I conducted extensive research to see what was available. Wow! I had no idea there was so much information out there on home schooling and home school programs. So much so, that it was a bit overwhelming. I didn't know which direction to head! I didn't know anyone PERSONALLY that home schooled their children. In fact, many of my friends and family thought I was insane! Their valid concerns were about "socializing". But it didn't stop us, because it felt right and I was open to implementing extra curricular activities to cover the "social" aspect.

I also contacted other families who had home school experience to get the pros and cons from their own journey. My internet research yielded all sorts of home school programs, including free and tuition programs, as well as Christian based curriculum programs. I had no idea there would be so much to choose from. I certainly had my work cut out for me!

After I concluded my research, we decided to try out the K12 program to see if it was the right one for us. It is an "accredited" chartered public school that provides all the tools found in a traditional brick and mortar public school arena. Over the years, they provided us (since the first grade) with a computer, printer, textbooks and the tools for each subject (science, math, literature, spelling, history, art and yes even music!) When we received our first shipment, it was like Christmas! The support we continue to receive from the school is commendable AND because we had to relocate from Arizona to Nevada (for employment reasons) we did not have to change curriculum. K12 is available tuition free in both states! Needless to say... this was a great choice for us.. big time! My child excels in school, is a grade ahead of her peers and an honor roll student at the top of her class!

Which Homeschool Math Curriculum Is Best?

Many parents usually ask the question of which math homeschool curriculum would be best for their children. Which curriculum has the most resources? Which has the best textbooks? This one comes with a lot of math worksheets and quizzes, why don't the others? There are a lot of questions and a lot of great curricula to choose from, but it's often hardest to determine which would fit their child's specific needs the best. This is why it's important to establish a foundation to build on when it comes to picking the right math curriculum for your children.

There are a lot of popular curricula offered on the market today and they all target different learning styles. One of the most popular curricula out there for both classroom and homeschool teaching is Saxon. This type of curriculum provides an approach that is very similar to the approach of an ordinary Math textbook used in classrooms. Each new lesson typically contains exercises which would help the student understand a specific topic better. On the completely opposite end of the learning spectrum would be Math-U-See. This curriculum is heavily video oriented, and is targeted towards visual learners allowing the child to visualize the topics of the subject first. This is a much more creative way of helping a child who doesn't particularly like math learn Mathematics.

If you've done any research into math curriculum then you've come across Singapore Math, which is a mastery-based type of curriculum. The focus of this type of curriculum is the memorization of certain topics and methods which are important to mastering the subject. Of course, there are still other curricula that are also preferred by parents such as Abeka Math and Miquon Math. All of these are tried, true and proven effective, which still leaves the question which one is the best?

Here are the two main determining factors in choosing; first is the teacher and the second is the student. The teacher should be an important factor in choosing the best math homeschool curriculum for the child. Yes, the teacher. Curriculum is a tool and an effective teacher is the key to learning. A teacher does more than provide a book, a teacher must be able to relay the information from the book in such a way that the child will understand it.

Great! More work to do, right? Math doesn't teach itself, teaching is always part of the equation for homeschooling, that part is no different than in a classroom. The trick is being enthusiastic about teaching the subject matter. If you hate the curriculum how is your child going to enjoy it? If you can't make a more rigid curriculum fun then choose a curricula that is designed to be more interactive and engaging to benefit the both of you.

In choosing which curriculum would be best for your child, identify your child's learning method. Does your child tend to me more visual, auditory or a memory based learner? For instance, many parents end up buying Saxon, Horizons and Singapore Math programs because their children are so different in how they learn. They all work well, but typically, children who are more language oriented and don't really care much for math tend to prefer Horizons. Children who are typically stronger in math prefer Singapore. Saxon and Horizons are fairly similar in approach, so many parents end up combining Singapore with either of those programs as Singapore is more of a critical thinking method.

Weaving Spring Ideas Into Homeschooling

The Turning of the Clocks has become a celebration of its own in my household. I love having longer nights of light and being able to take a walk after dinner or sit on the porch and watch the twilight birds. Living in a warm climate, spring bulbs and early flowers bloom in February and by the actual Spring Equinox life is up and around. Spring is my favorite time of year as all things are reborn. In ancient cultures and in the astrological calendar, Spring was the New Year, or the Vernal Equinox. (Being an Aries myself, I may be partial Bringing this feeling of newness and rebirth is easy to weave into your homeschooling lessons. Waldorf homeschooling is very steeped in nature and observation and festivals.

Yesterday, we took a walk where we observed the signs of spring. You can have your child draw and/or write in a Nature Notebook. Recording what they see each week or comparing flowers or buds as they emerge. Also, squirrels and birds are making nests and this is a real treat to seek and watch. Changing out the nature of seasonal table is a great way to display small flowers or items you find to designate spring. On Spring Equinox, we always plant our wheat grass seeds.(though I try to time this so that the grass is ready for Easter) This year should be great timing, as the grass takes about 10 days to grow full. Trim as need with sharp scissors. We also plant our spring garden at this time. You will need to adjust depending on your region. But many early spring seeds can be started indoors until after threat of last frost. (check with local garden center on last frost date where you are)Sweet peas, snow peas, lettuce, spinach, chard, broccoli and tender greens can be sown for tasty picking mid-spring.

Wet felting Easter Eggs is another wonderful project and easy for younger hands. (remember to tape your eggs shut before you start felting, learned that the hard way) Wrap thin layers of felt around the eggs and opposite directions and rub gently under soapy warm water. Keep rubbing. Keep rubbing. Let eggs dry on a towel for 24 hrs. There are so many crafts for this time of year. A great resource is the book "All Year Round" by Hawthorn Press. We bake Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick's Day and Hot Cross Buns for Easter. There are so many options! Easy and fun!

The Secrets to a Successful Homeschool Day

Sometimes it seems like the day is over before it gets started. It can be difficult to get the morning started and stay on track. If you have these issues, you may be searching for the way to keep your homeschool day under control. Here are some secrets to keeping our homeschool day successful and productive.

Plan ahead - One of the biggest things that works for us is to plan ahead. Knowing what I expect to accomplish each day helps me. I like to know what I need to get done and what I want to get done. As long as the need list is complete, I am happy; and if the want list is completed, I am ecstatic! When the kids know what they need to get done each day, they feel better and like the sense of accomplishment of making progress through their lists.

Be flexible - Being flexible is also important. If the day does not start the way it should, we just adjust the schedule back. If we find that we have afternoon activities, we get started earlier to ensure we are wrapping up by the time we need to leave. When unscheduled interruptions happen, we just adapt and move on. I keep the kids informed on what we are doing and why we are trying to get things done early. This makes them feel a part of the daily decisions and keeps them understanding our daily goals.

Plan activities for the Little Ones - If you have little ones at home, planning activities for them is important to keep the disruptions to a minimum. Obviously, when you have infants and toddlers about, interruptions will happen (see be flexible) but having some planned activities is a good way to keep them involved. We scheduled time for reading, working on toddler activities, and playing quietly with special toys. Having a time to play with Play-do, a special toy, blocks, or flashcards is important and makes them feel a part of the school day as well. You may also want to consider some time for "school" where your older children "teach" the little ones. My daughter LOVES teaching our 2 year old. She is learning and so is he and they both enjoy the time.

Schedule one-on-one time - It is important that every child gets some undivided attention from mom. If you have several children, this can be more of a scheduling necessity but is very important. Quality time does not have to be a large block of time. Fifteen minutes of quality time snuggling with a book, playing cars with your son, or just talking can go a long way and can REALLY have an effect on the overall attitude of all the children. Plan to have one-on-one time with the toddlers and work your way up. Toddlers who get one-on-one time with mom are much more manageable throughout the day.

Keep it short - We keep the lessons short. This is the biggest key to our daily success. We have found this approach to be very effective and retention is much higher. We have the clock available and the children know how long to spend on the subject at hand. When the allotted time has passed, we move on. If you need more time on a subject, consider breaking it into two time slots to keep the lessons short. This is helpful, especially in subjects that are challenging or uninteresting to your child. They know they only have 15 minutes and usually can concentrate for that long. We keep everything between 10-20 minutes. Obviously, as children get older, you may need to increase time slots for certain subjects but, overall, this can be a successful schedule.

Keep your cool - Keeping your cool, regardless of what happens to your day, is vital. I have found that the less I let our interruptions and unscheduled issues upset me, the more smoothly our days seem to go and more we accomplish. Just go with the flow and adapt when necessary and you will find that your day is smoother and your stress level is much lower thus making everyone much happier.

Homeschooling can be challenging at time but the challenges are worth the rewards exponentially. Doing your best to keep your days smooth and productive is beneficial to everyone. Finding what works and being flexible can go a long way to making your homeschool days successful!

5 Advantages to Homeschooling

Homeschooling can sound like a wonderful adventure or it can sound like a mountain that seems impossible to climb. Whether you are excited to homeschool or thinking it is something that is not possible for your family, you may want to consider some of these popular advantages that homeschooling families find and maybe some will ring true for you.

#1 - Have Control Over What Your Children Learn - One of the main reasons that many people choose to homeschool is so they can decide what their children learn and how they learn it. Whether it is learning science from a creation perspective or making certain that engineering and math are heavily focused on, making the decision on what your children learn and when is a very popular reason why many people homeschool. Though this is not our principal reason for homeschooling in our household, we do like that we can put emphasis on the subject's that we feel require emphasis and include additional electives at an earlier age.

#2 - Have More Time for Your Family on Your Schedule - Maybe your family is a military family that moves around a lot or maybe your spouse travels a lot for work and you want the freedom to travel along with the family. These are commonly reasons that people choose homeschooling. One of the advantages of homeschooling for us is scheduling. My dear husband has a schedule that is rarely the same and that means working weekends and having days off during the week as well as

#3 - Set the Pace of Learning to Your Individual Child - This can be a great advantage of homeschooling. Children learn at their own pace and learn differently. Whether you have a child that is struggling with reading or one that is excelling and working above their typical grade level, allowing your child to work at his or her own pace in each subject can really be a blessing for you and your child.

#4 - Be Able to Expose Your Children to Subjects and Skills that You Feel is Valuable - Since all traditional schools have certain subjects that are required to be covered and only so much time to cover it in, there are sometimes subjects that are not introduced early in the educational journey. In addition, at the high school level, traditional schools are set to certain number of students in a class at certain times meaning your child may not get to take classes that interest them. Homeschooling allow your children to explore what interests them and allows you, as the parent, to help guide them toward subjects that you feel would be good for them and develop life long skills that you and your family find important.

#5 - Delight in Watching Your Children Learn - The biggest advantage to homeschooling, as I can see so far, is that I get to take an active role in watching my children learn. Being able to be so involved in their educational journey is such a delight. Being able to watch them figure out a problem or discover something in nature is amazing. Watching them complete tasks and accomplish goals for the first time is wonderful. I feel blessed to be able to learn and experience their education right along with them.

Homeschooling is not for everyone, and there are certainly traditional schools that have stellar educations programs; however, homeschooling has some wonderful advantages that can not be completed with. I feel blessed to have begun on this homeschooling journey with my family and cannot wait to see where our journey leads us.