Thursday, August 20, 2009

Fun at the Pool

My friend invited me and the children to the pool today. We were the only ones there so my friend and I visited while the children had great fun playing in the pool. We were all thankful for an opportunity to have some fun out of the house. : ) It seems like we've spent a lot of our time lately cleaning and hanging out at home. Hopefully now that we've passed the prime allergy season, we'll be able to go out more often and enjoy this beautiful Northeast Tennessee scenery. Sonya

Monday, August 10, 2009

A six-year-old's logic

Hannah came up to me yesterday and said, “If all you had left was a piece of pie and a book, which one would you choose?”

Being a passionate bibliophile, I said, “The book, of course.”

“Yes,” my six-year-old self-taught logic student stated with authority, “you could do that, but without the pie, you’d die and then you wouldn’t be able to read your book!”


Sonya
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com

Educational Games for Preschool / Kindergarten Age Children

Many parents figure out pretty quickly that their children don’t want to sit at a desk all day and do worksheets. Yet, how are you supposed to teach beginning counting and reading skills without using a worksheet or textbook? One of the best ways is to use educational toys and games.

In my last article, I talked about great toys that encourage imagination, learning, fine motor skills and fun. Today I wanted to mention some of the best educational games on the market. You can learn as much – sometimes MORE – from games as you can from any formal preschool or kindergarten curriculum.

Educational games encourage early reading skills, math skills (numbers, counting, skipping, etc.), and other skills. Children often learn or reinforce colors, shape and sequencing skills. They also encourage children to practice teamwork, taking turns, and learning to lose (and win) graciously.

Here are some great games for preschool / kindergarten age children:

- Hullabaloo (One neat thing about this game is that it can be played alone. This game makes a great gift and a wonderful game for ALL families.)
- Memory Match
- Candy Land
- Hungry Hungry Hippos
- Mr. Potato Head
- Hot Potato
- Cariboo
- Let's Go Fishing (I even like this one!)
- Sorry
- Checkers
- Chess
- Hi Ho Cherry-O
- Chutes and Ladders
- Two by Two Matching Game (Christian resource / game)
- In a Manger Matching Game (Christian resource / game)
- Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks
- Dominoes (You don’t have to play the game!! Just play with the Dominoes. J Children can learn to count the dots (math), match squares that are alike (math), make Domino trains (fine motor skills), etc.)
- Wooden Puzzles
- Puzzles in general
- Wooden maps of the United States and the World (My youngest son was always fascinated with the United States map and could completely put together a US wooden map in about three minutes when he was four years old.)
- Pattern blocks
- Bean Bag Toss

If your child likes to write, I would also encourage maze books. There are some really good ones from the following publishers:

- KUMON books (These are fabulous - our favorite by far! They have maze books on all sorts of topics.)
- Carson-Dellosa Publishing
- Dover Publications (They have little maze books that are VERY simple for even the youngest child.)

I’d also recommend the I Spy books to help young children develop visual acuity. These aren’t really games, but they’re kind of like game books.

Also, I don’t normally recommend electronic materials for young children, but if you really want to introduce electronic games to your preschool / kindergarten age child, you can’t go wrong with Leap Frog and Leap Pad products, including Leapsters. These are quite educational, but like with any electronic materials, it’s probably best to use them as rewards for good behavior.

Finally, remember that even if something is “educational,” it can be used as a reward for children. It’s all perspective. Young children in particular don’t need to know that most children are forced to do educational activities. If you train your child that games, books, and even electronic toys are rewards, then that’s what they will think. Soon, they’ll be asking to “play” math every day!

Sonya Haskins
http://www.thehomeschooladvocate.com/

Our History of Revolt

The American Revolution was not something that people just suddenly decided should happen. There were social, economic and political changes taking place in our country for decades that changed the relationship between the colonists and the King / the colonies and the country of England. Finally, the colonists decided that they would live under tyranny no longer and they began to revolt.

When a group of colonists were so frustrated by the Tea Act because it violated their right to taxation through elected representatives, they boarded ships and dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. Most of us understand their actions and no one dares to claim that this was “manufactured anger.”

Finally, war came in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. Colonists wanted freedom to choose their own representatives, create their own taxes, and reap the benefit of their hard labor and difficult lives in a new land. No one doubted their sincerity.
When a few women called a meeting in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, their Declaration of Sentiments began a struggle that argued equal treatment for women. This movement eventually led to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. This amendment provided the right to vote, regardless of one’s gender. No one would challenge that the women who held rallies, marches, and went to jail for this cause were dedicated to the cause.

In the late 1850s and early 1860s, slave-owning settlers became nervous about a centralized government with too much power – so much power that they could declare what the states could and could not do. A huge issue was slavery and while I am adamantly against slavery in any form, I can understand the desire for states to make choices without interference from a federal government. Today, we can see how the Southern states were certainly correct about the growth of the Federal government. Once it starts, it becomes a huge monster.

Before, during and after the Civil War, however, regardless of where you live or which side you would have fought for, no one would say that the deadliest war in American history was caused by “manufactured anger.” Nope. People on both sides were doggone mad and ready to fight for what they believed to be their undeniable rights.

When Malcolm X advocated “black power” in the early 1960s, he captured the attention of the media and the government – and both declared that this amazing man was exercising his right to freedom of speech.

He called white people “devils” and said:

“The day that the black man takes an uncompromising step and realizes that he's within his rights, when his own freedom is being jeopardized, to use any means necessary to bring about his freedom or put a halt to that injustice, I don't think he'll be by himself.”

No one said his anger was just “part of the Civil Rights Movement” and we should ignore him or report him to the White House terrorism office because he was advising the use of “any means necessary” to bring about reform.

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger, no one said she was just doing what she was told as a leading member of the local NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons). While I admire Ms. Parks for her refusal to give up the seat, do we not think for a minute that this was a “planned” and “organized” protest against segregation?

While Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated non-violent protest, he nonetheless stirred up some of the African American population to riots and revolts. No one claimed that this was “manufactured anger.”

When protestors took to the streets and called for abortion rights, eyebrows were raised, but no one claimed that those people weren’t sincere about what they believed.

When people protested the Vietnam War, Korean War or the Gulf War, no one accused protestors of faking their anger. And the protests received more coverage than the rallies supporting our troops or the funerals of our American soldiers who came home in coffins.
When gays and lesbians take to the streets and demand equal rights – including gay marriage, which would give equal treatment under the law (i.e. – YOUR tax dollars would go to support the gay partner under insurance plans, etc.) – NO ONE has said, “Gee, they’re just doing what they’re told as part of that left-wing liberal agenda.”

When you see photos of the riots, rallies, and marches or when you consider the fact that the LGBT community has DEMANDED a repeal of Proposition 8 – something that was voted on legally according to our Constitution and passed to deny homosexual marriage in California – NO ONE says, “Boy, they sure are SORE LOSERS!” Nope. They don’t say that. They say, “The vote was unduly influenced by a high turnout of a population of voters who normally don’t vote so that’s really not fair to them….”

Yet, the media has suddenly decided that the millions of people protesting the suggested reforms to health care are exhibiting “manufactured anger.” Not only is this insulting, but I can assure you – all of you liberal media, reporters, bloggers, lobbyists, congressmen, and you, Mr. President – that the anger we are experiencing is a lot of things, but it is not fake.

Our disgust with the health care package and the other things we see going on in Washington is quite sincere. The problem is not that the “right” is promoting anger amongst the people.
The problem is that you are in trouble because citizens have started to wake up and smell the stench coming out of Washington – the reek of wasteful spending, spoiled congressmen, laws stained with the blood of unborn children, and odors of something worse around the corner.

Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Forest Owlet

If your family enjoys bird watching or if your child is particularly interested in animals, you might enjoy this article from Cornell University. It's an older article, but it's about the Forest Owlet that was thought to be extinct and then was rediscovered in 1997. There was theft, fraud, and international espionage involved. It's a pretty cool story - for adults or children. It would make a great addition to any textbook or unit study of birds.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/LivingBird/spring98/OwletSp98.htm

Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com

Resourceful Homeschoolers

When I was teaching Spanish at a local co-op, it seemed that I was always forgetting something - pens, dry erase markers, paper, etc. There was one young man in the class who always came prepared. No matter what I needed, he always had it, whether it was a pencil or a Kleenex. One day I said, "You always have everything I need. That's just amazing!" He replied, "I'm an Eagle Scout, ma'am. That's our motto - be prepared."

This week we have been trying to shrink the size of our flock of roosters. It's like we have our own little "hood" of roosters here! The only problem is that we're having a TERRIBLE time rounding up these little free range creatures.

The other day we were trying to catch some and Sarah went to get one of the hens. I said, "Sarah, we don't need the hens. We're trying to catch roosters." She said, "I know. Just watch."

She sat the little hen down on the ground and suddenly all the roosters came running over.
Sarah said, "She's their favorite hen and they jump on her all the time so I figured we'd catch them that way."

I told her that was kind of cruel to use the little hen as bait and wait in ambush for the roosters, but it sure worked! And to be truthful about it, I was quietly impressed with her resourcefulness. :)

Whether it's my child doing it or someone else's, I love hearing these sorts of things. It helps remind me of the rewards of homeschooling on those days when I need to open my "happy folder" and go to my "happy place." :)

Sonya

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Dryer Warning

Sarah said our dryer smelled funny tonight so I opened the door to see if there was a problem. I didn't see anything or really smell anything, but the back of the dryer has an area with little holes all in it and I thought, "Hmmm, that's neat. I wonder what that is." I didn't even THINK about the fact that the dryer had been running so I reached in and touched the holes and burned the dickens out of four fingers on my right hand (not my thumb). Boy does it hurt!

Homeschool kids are so curious and many of them do chores - including laundry. I thought some of you might want to show your children the area and warn them that the back of the inside of the dryer is hot, hot, hot! I'd hate for them to learn the lesson the way I did - with blistered fingertips.

I guess tomorrow our lesson will be about how dryers work and first aid for burns. :)

Sonya

child-friendly websites

I know a lot of parents worry about the places their children visit online. Many parents don't have time to search the Internet for appropriate, child-friendly websites so the kids and I have listed their favorites below. They are allowed to go to these websites ONLY. I recommend having the parent type in the address one time and save it in your favorites, then teach the children how to pull up the site they want from there. That way you avoid them typing in the wrong address, which might pull up a site completely different than you intended...

Enjoy!
Sonya Haskins (and children)

www.whitsend.org - listen to episodes online

www.poptropica.com - lots of online games for children

www.jonathanpark.com - really cool website! You can listen to the latest episode of Jonathan Park (creation science adventures), find lessons that relate episodes to history and other subjects, read behind the scenes info, etc.

www.playmobil.com - has online games with little Playmobil people

www.pbskids.com - even young children can play the games and enjoy activities here

www.pbskids.com/go - games, etc., more for older kids

www.lego.com - has online games with little Lego people (I've never seen anything bad on here and I do let the children go on alone, BUT they are NOT allowed to go into any of the discussion groups or chat. These are well-monitored, but still a chance of something bad coming through so I wouldn't chance it. Stick with the Lego game area.)

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Homeschooling with Index Cards

Uses for Index Cards

Index cards are on sale at Walgreens this week for 39 cents / 100 cards. I’m not sure if this is the same everywhere, but with all the back-to-school sales, I’m sure you can find some index cards on sale somewhere even if not at Walgreens! Here are some creative ideas about how you can use index cards in your homeschool.

- Chore Cards: OK, I had to put this one first. It’s one of my favorite uses! Write the chore (dishes, dusting, laundry, etc.) on one side and then on the back, you might choose to write detailed instructions for that particular chore. If you click here, you’ll find detailed instructions on how to make your own chore organizer. There are also recommendations for other chore organization systems.

- Foreign Language Flash Cards: This is my other favorite use. Instead of buying expensive foreign language flash cards, make your own! Put the English word on one side and the foreign language word on the other side. You can also do this for conjugations and declensions.

- Punishment / Reward Cards: I love using index cards for this. It’s worth the expense, I think. We give one card to each child. Write the date on a line, then go across and say + (points) or – (points) based on behavior, completion of schoolwork and chores, etc. You get to decide how you want to give points in your own home – rewards for good behavior, being nice to a sibling, completing chores or schoolwork on time or doing a good job, etc. And you get to decide when to take away points and how many – disobedience, not doing work, complaining, etc.

- TV / Computer Time Cards: Write minutes on each card (5 minutes, 20 min., 30 min., whatever) and give these out to your child as desired. When they want to play computer or watch t.v., they just turn over a card (or several saved up cards).

- Plagues of Egypt: Use the cards to memorize plagues of Egypt.

- 10 Commandments: Use cards to memorize 10 Commandments.

- Organization: Use index cards to organize your lesson plans, keep field trip ideas, keep a record of children’s accomplishments, etc.

These are just a few of the ideas of things you can do with index cards. There is a good website about homeschooling with index cards that you might want to check out, too. It’s http://homeschoolwithindexcards.com .

Happy Homeschooling!
Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com

Terribly alarming request from White House

I've been watching the government website very closely for changes in regards to any issues that relate to homeschooling (parental rights, education, etc.). Today, I saw a post on whitehouse.gov that is actually related to healthcare (which I've tried to stay out of here), but it is incredibly scary!!

Honestly, the following is THE single most scary thing I've seen come out of the White House thus far.

Here is the comment:"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."

I cannot believe how much this sounds like the same sort of propaganda that Hitler spread in Germany in the 1930s! I cannot believe this is on our official GOVERNMENT website!! Chris read the comments and said they remind him of Soviet rules to "report your neighbor for suspicious anti-government activities," etc.

What is going to happen to the people who are "reported"? If nothing, what's the point in reporting them?

And - I realize there are people who support all sides on the digest. I respect that, but regardless of who you voted for, can any of us really be comfortable with an administration that chases RUMORS and wants to squash people's RIGHT to free speech - EVEN if it is false and even if it's in disagreement with the current president who wants health care that millions of people don't agree with? Can we really be comfortable with an administration that wants us to report what happens in our CASUAL CONVERSATIONS?!?!?

Will they close down the digest? Other e-mail groups protesting the health care plan? Citizens against corrupt government groups? What happens when this healthcare bill passes (as it most likely will) and we don't want to participate? Where does it stop?Seriously, this is frightening.

I've read a lot of propaganda from World War II and this is eerily similar.Can anyone not be alarmed by this? There has been massive desensitization in our country for years - against conservatives, against Christians, against religion, against those who disagree with the authority (even though that's how our country was founded!). That happened in Germany. Then there was an appeal to the general citizen to help find those who would dare to speak against the fuehrer... we now see this appeal to those who would dare to speak against the president's health insurance reform. If this doesn't convince people that we've thrown open the doors for socialism, I'm not sure what would.

This is incredibly scary. If you want to read the page for yourself, you can find it here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/ We can discuss it on OT, but everyone should know about this. Please continue to pray and to help me make others aware!

Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com

Sunday, August 2, 2009

The "How" of Relaxed Homeschooling

Several people have asked what it means to be a “relaxed homeschooler.” Here are some (hopefully) helpful things for you to think about…

First off, let me just say that “eclectic homeschooling” is basically using a mixture of curriculum, books, and methods. You might pick A Beka reading, Bob Jones math, IEW writing, Apologia science, etc. You might follow a schedule or not. You might be a relaxed homeschooler or follow a traditional school model, be registered with your local education agency (LEA) or a church related school, participate in co-ops or not, but all of these are choices any homeschooler might make. “Eclectic homeschooling” is in reference to the items you use to teach your child. If you use a variety of curriculum or books, then you’re an eclectic homeschooler.

Relaxed homeschooling is in reference to your teaching style. You might sometimes follow a schedule and sometimes not. You might use a structured curriculum or perhaps not. You might attend co-op or not. You get the idea! : )

So if that’s the case, exactly how do you homeschool if you want to be a “relaxed homeschooler”?

For many relaxed homeschoolers, there is a desire NOT to be associated with the “unschool” movement promoted by John Holt. There are some terrific ideas related to unschooling (like students are encouraged to pursue individual interests), but there is also an underlying theme that children can figure things out without adult guidance.

The Bible tells us that we should “train a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6), “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him (Proverbs 22:15), and “The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother” (Proverbs 29:15). For Christians, it is clear that caring parents with more wisdom must guide the child until he begins to show wisdom as he matures. For this reason, a strictly unschooling approach as advocated by John Holt isn’t really acceptable.

Now that you know what a relaxed homeschooler is not, here are some ideas on what a relaxed homeschooler is.

- The relaxed homeschooler appreciates the fact that you don’t have to get up at 6:00 a.m. each day to get ready for school. Some days you get up early. Other days you sleep in late because you stayed up late the night before looking at constellations.

- The relaxed homeschooler loves books, but they don’t pick all the books their child uses. They make sure the child has access to great books on a regular basis (through a decent home library or visits to the public library) and they occasionally buy workbooks or worksheets for things like math or foreign languages.

- The relaxed homeschoolers knows that you can learn a lot more when you use more senses. In other words, hands on activities, field trips, active participation in experiments are all things the relaxed homeschooler enjoys!

- The relaxed homeschooler encourages and supports the child in pursuit of individual interests, hobbies, gifts / talents.

- The relaxed homeschooler participates in outside activities, but not always the same as other relaxed homeschoolers. Some might do co-op. Others participate in a support group with play dates. Others volunteer at the food pantry, play sports, or allow their child to do an internship or have a home business. Many homeschoolers do these things, but the relaxed homeschooler typically counts these things toward the “required instructional hours.”

- The relaxed homeschooler is frequently of a “better late than early” mindset when it comes to what children should accomplish at what age. It’s ok if the child learns to read at age seven, learn multiplication tables at age 12 and writes his/her first essay in tenth grade rather than sixth.

You get the idea. These are things that describe relaxed homeschoolers. A relaxed homeschool family’s schedule might look something like this:

9:30 everyone gets up and finds their own breakfast (part of life skills)
10:00 family might do chores or other children play while Mom practices phonics with child who is learning to read or family might do read alouds and some group school time (usually history, science experiments, and Bible are group activities)
12:00 family breaks for lunch which children help prepare and then clean up
1:00 free time while mom rests, does bills, or whatever
2:00 Mom has rested and spends time with children – working on a project, playing a game, doing a math worksheet, doing geography, etc. (Older students might work independently during morning and/or afternoon on more structured schoolwork.)
4:00 Mom prepares dinner and children are excused to go play
5:30 family eats dinner together
6:00 in nice weather, children might go outside to play, sometimes with Dad; some days children might come in and play computer games (educational, not violent) for a while
7:30 family watches a show together (again, something educational, like Mythbusters, History Channel, Answers in Genesis lectures, etc. or something family oriented like Little House on the Prairie)
8:30 Dad / Mom prepare children for bed and read bedtime stories
10:00 Everyone in bed where they can read, play crossword puzzles or other word type games or go to sleep

Now remember that this is an approximate schedule and is certainly not meant to be strict since the whole point is to be relaxed so that people can do what works for their family. It’s going to be different for everyone. This just gives you an idea of what some families do. (This is a pretty close approximation of my family’s schedule, actually!)

So now you know what a relaxed homeschooler is and what a relaxed homeschooler’s schedule might look like. I thought it might also be helpful to know some useful products for the relaxed homeschooler. That’s a big part of the question of “HOW” do I become a relaxed homeschooler. After all, you’re going to need things around your home so that your child can have fun learning all the time without even realizing that you’ve carefully prepared the environment in advance for them. : )

Here are some ideas:

- Adventures in Odyssey CDs (life skills, discernment, decision making, some history, some Bible, entertainment)
- Your Story Hour CDs (terrific audio history, biographies, Bible, quality fiction stories as well)
- Wrap Ups (make math FUN)
- Mad Libs (make grammar FUN)
- Brain Quest (every subject, review, fun to see what they know)
- practice standardized tests (yes, some kids like these; available in any subject; easy to do on their own with multiple choice answers, for readers only)
- NEST educational videos (Bible, history, biography – BEST children’s animated educational DVDs on the market)
- Answers in Genesis DVDs (science, history, Bible, biography, lecture format, great for older students, younger kids might like them as well if they’re interested in topic)
- Legos (thinking skills, building skills, fine motor skills, great for students of all ages since their building skills will progress with age, math – colors, sorting, sizes, matching, etc.)
- Lincoln Logs (history, thinking skills, building skills, fine motor skills, cooperation if they have to share)
- Playmobil (same as Legos and Lincoln Logs, but also a LOT of pretend play, which is great for child’s brain growth as they determine how to interpret world around them and how they fit into that world.)
- Tinker Toys (building, fine motor skills, cooperation, imagination, etc.)
- pets (animals, science, responsibility, accountability)
- board games (teamwork, cooperation, learning to lose, learning to win politely, fine motor skills, math, science, etc. – There is an endless number of benefits to board games, depending on the one you’re playing since many incorporate math, history, etc.)
- puzzles (fine motor skills, cooperation, visual aptitude, etc.)
- math manipulatives (math, fine motor skills – Remember that you don’t have to use these with a curriculum for them to be beneficial.)
- flash cards (math, science, history, foreign language, whatever – Again, remember that you don’t have to do these formally for a child to pick them up and have fun with them and LEARN.)
- maps and globes (geography, math, measurements)
- rulers, calculators, clocks (analog and digital), abacuses (math, measurements, time, etc.)

OK, so I think you get the idea. That’s just a general list. I could seriously go on all day with the kinds of things you could just have sitting around your house that could encourage your child to learn.

Some of you who are just now planning to become more relaxed in your homeschooling may wonder about two main questions.

1. Will my child ever really learn anything?!?

I guarantee you that if you create an educational environment – largely by having many of the resources mentioned above available and NOT providing “trash” for your child, then he/she will become accustomed to playing with what’s available. If you’re starting this after your child already has developed bad habits, then you’ll need to remove the source of the “bad habit,” whether that’s a Nintendo that the child plays every time you turn around or a negative comic book with lots of violence. You are the PARENT. This is why relaxed homeschooling differs from unschooling. It is your responsibility to remove things that are harmful to your child – whether in a physical sense, academic sense or spiritual sense. We (and our children) already have enough temptation in this world without providing things that aren’t wholesome. Provide wholesome things for your child and you’ll be training your child about what’s acceptable in a subtle, non-preachy manner.

2. I’m required to do four hours of school per day. How does this fit in?

If you are homeschooling and you’re actually home with your child, you will do four hours of training in a day. It might not be the typical instruction that someone with a master’s degree at the superintendent office agrees with, but on the other hand, their style isn’t really working all that well… You’ll be training your child in life skills (helping you cook, clean, learn obedience, public service, communication skills, etc.). You’ll read aloud good books, which means you’re introducing literature, history, biographies, fiction, etc. Through that, you’re also showing child good grammar, sentence structure, etc. The resources I’ve mentioned will help with sciences, math, history, Bible, etc. You’ll also take your child to church and participate in outside activities sometimes. All of these things will mold your child into the well-rounded child you want him/her to become and therefore you are in fact instructing him/her for four hours per day. If someone is unsure about this, e-mail me or call and tell me what your day was like. I’d be happy to tell you what was “educational.” : )

That’s about it. There’s actually so much more I could write, but that’s all for now. Hopefully this will help some of you who didn’t want to follow the rigid traditional school-type schedule, but didn’t really know how to do it. Now you have some ideas. I’ll post some more later.

Sonya Haskins
http://www.thehomeschooladvocate.com/

How are you going to homeschool? - an introduction to relaxed homeschooling

Here is something I wrote a while back for the moms in my area in regards to casual or relaxed homeschooling schooling. I thought some of you might enjoy it as well, especially if your child is just now approaching school age and you don't have any older children or if you need a gentle reminder about what it means to "teach" your child. Sonya : )

There once was a little house where Mom and Dad lived with their two precious children – Joey and Susan. For several years, Dad went to work and Mom spent the day at home with the children.

“It’s time to get up, my dears,” Mom said each morning with a smile.

The children got out of bed and then their daily routine usually consisted of Mom reading some picture books to the children, taking a walk down the road or visiting the local park together, having fun together and just “living life.”

Joey loved his little sister and spent a lot of time showing off his Lego creations or teaching her how to build block towers. He would sometimes even try to “read” books to her that he actually had just memorized. There were also days when guests would come over or the family would go somewhere else to play. Sometimes they went on field trips, visited the local children’s museum or spent a whole day playing fort in the living room. Life was good and everyone was happy.

Amazingly, during the first five years of his life, Joey had learned to walk, talk, tie his shoes, say “please” and “thank you,” set the table, feed the pets, make his bed, put away the laundry Mom washed, and many other things. He could even recognize a few letters and he was beginning to recognize their sounds. He knew several Bible verses and enjoyed reciting those when anyone would listen. Even three-year-old Susie could say a few Bible verses. Both children sat still while Mom read books and they enjoyed helping clean the kitchen and switch laundry. Joey also ran the vacuum cleaner (although it was practically too big for him!), took out the trash and answered the phone. He was even teaching Susan some of the things he knew. Mom taught Joey and Susan as a natural part of life and they learned more during those first few years than they ever would at any point in their lives. And life was good and everyone was happy.

Then, the time came to enroll Joey in school. Mom and Dad really didn’t want to send him to school. They had heard about homeschooling and since the children seemed to be doing so well at home, they thought they might like to continue teaching him. They would also be able to instill their values in the process. They discussed the issue and decided that not only would they teach Joey at home, but if all went well, they’d teach little Susie at home when the time came.
So the next week, Mom bought some schoolbooks, paper, pencils, and a little school desk. She even bought a bulletin board, some pretty ABC border for the wall, and some other educational supplies. Since Mom had spent so much time getting ready for this new “school” thing, they knew that it must be something really special, but they had really missed their walks through the woods that week. They also missed their weekly art project and their Wednesday “family cook-day.” Mom also hadn’t had time to read books to them or tell them stories while they cleaned house together. She was tired. Life was good and everyone was happy, but mom was very tired and the children were a little cranky since they didn’t have the privilege of Mom’s guiding hand that week.

The next week, Mom started homeschooling. She sat Joey down at the little school desk she had bought for him and said, “Now, I’ll let you have regular breaks, but the law says you have to do school for four hours per day so let’s get started.” And so Mom gave Joey first grade science books with pictures and math workbooks and phonics pages. The first day it was mostly fun, except for when Susan wanted to color on Joey’s phonics pages and Mom said she needed to wait until she had her own. Then little Susie had to go to time out because she wanted to “do school,” too. Joey missed time with his sister and by the end of the week, he figured he had done enough worksheets so when Mom wasn’t looking, he gave some to his sister and started showing her where to color them. By the time Mom came back in the room, they were both sitting at the dining room table with all the phonics pages colored and the counting teddy bears (for math) were stacked in battle formation with the “red team” against the “blue team.” Life was good, Mom was frustrated and the children were sent to bed early.

During the second and third weeks, the children became increasingly irritable. Mom was tired. Dad began to question whether the decision to homeschool was actually a good one. Mom questioned as well. Joey had decided that “school” was definitely no fun!

By the end of the first month of homeschooling, everyone wondered why people thought this “homeschooling thing” was such a good idea. Mom never had time to read any more because she was much busier now trying to figure out which work Joey should do the next day and then trying to get him to do it. During the day, since Joey didn’t have as much time to play with Susan, the little girl got into things more and Mom had to spend time cleaning up messes. Joey was frustrated. He used to think learning was fun and he couldn’t wait to learn how to read, but that’s when Mom was doing it with him. When Mom read aloud to him and Susie, Joey thought it was great fun to sound out words sometimes or to pick out letters, but now he spent a lot of time sitting at his desk. He didn’t think he’d ever learn to read on his own and he didn’t really care anymore. …

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While this isn’t a “real” family, the fact is that there are many families just like this one. Because most of us were raised in the government school system, we have been “trained” that education takes place in a school – under the tutelage of a trained teacher. In reality, this is just one way to learn and it’s not the most efficient. Look at all the things the PARENTS – mom and dad – teach a child before they ever enter a classroom. Moms and dads teach children to walk, talk, run, ride a bicycle, use polite language, use the potty, answer the phone, dispose of trash properly, eat with manners, and soooo many more things – all in five years, usually. J These are things that are essential LIFE SKILLS. In fact, children today who are being raised in daycare settings are lacking many essential “life skills,” including those ever-talked-about socialization skills that come up at the first mention of homeschooling. A child in a group setting without constant supervision from a loving adult who is has a vested interest in the outcome of that child may be subjected to bullying, loneliness, confusion, and anger. That’s not socialization, yet that’s what they’re being exposed to day after day.

In the homeschool environment, because many parents have forgotten what real “education” is, we are exposing our children to the same thing. Homeschool parents are enrolling children – at younger and younger ages – in co-op environments, outside classes, sports, activities, clubs and other programs. Some of these can be very helpful and of course most of us would never argue the benefit of these things for older children as they reach an age where they can actually express interests and desires, but when one-, two-, and three-year-olds are being enrolled in these activities, it seems to be a bit more for the parent than the child. I don’t want a bunch of angry hate mail accusing me of bashing co-ops and support groups. I’m certainly not bashing anyone and we’ve actively participated in outside activities for years, but we did decide a couple of years ago that these activities seem to have more benefit for children over the age of nine than younger children.

Many homeschool parents have also forgotten that home teaching used to be the “norm,” but of course it wasn’t called “homeschooling.” Before compulsory attendance laws of the mid-1850s, parents considered it their responsibility to prepare their children for life and children considered it their responsibility to learn. While the child was young – from birth until about age 11, the parent passed on all the skills and knowledge they had to their child. They taught their children to read; they taught them Bible verses; they taught them how to sew, cook, clean, ride a horse, plow a garden, build a house, etc. They also taught them how to love and respect others and they did all of this without the help of a trained teacher! Normally, the child needed little prodding. Education was dear. It was a privilege. Around the age of 11, children either prepared for marriage (girls) or they prepared for an internship or formal schooling of some sort (boys). Children before this age were treated as children. Once a “child” neared puberty, they were seen as “young adults.” They were not “teenagers,” as we hear so often today. They didn’t make bad decisions because there was something wrong with their brains or because they had hormones raging. They were expected to make good decisions – adult decisions – and they were held accountable for their decisions. If they didn’t study, they were kicked out of school. If they didn’t work, they were dismissed from internships (or worse, such as beaten). But the whole point is that THEY – what we would call “preteens and teens” – took responsibility for their education since it was part of life, whether that education was learning to care for a home and family, learning to care for the community’s sick, learning how to crunch numbers or whatever. If they wanted to achieve something, they needed to work hard to achieve their goals because there was no such thing as a free ride.

In the home setting, where much learning took place before we ever had standardized tests, compulsory attendance, or fancy schools hooked up to the Internet, parents did a wonderful job teaching their children. They taught them things they knew and when the child had questions about things mom and dad didn’t have an answer for, they asked someone else, had someone else teach them, or they borrowed books from friends or libraries (much later). Students learned about things that interested them and became experts in their fields of study. That’s how we ended up with people like Ferdinand Magellan, Davy Crockett, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin and so many others… Their parents taught them the basics and then they also branched out and learned as much as they could about the subject that interested them most.

Am I suggesting that you only teach your child about butterflies if that’s the only thing that interests her? Or allow your son to play Legos all day if that’s the only thing that interests him? Of course not. But what I am saying is that we all might learn something from the parents and students who lived long ago. Teach your child the basics: reading, writing (which largely comes from reading good quality books and then just practicing), and math – and instill the basic life skills: cooking, personal care, home care, etc. – and the basic personal skills: manners, love for others, devotion to God and family, etc. As your child gains a good grasp of the basics, allow your child to pursue the things that interest him/her most. You might have another Mozart or Monet, John Audubon or Elizabeth Blackwell. But it’s going to be difficult to know if you take the desire to learn away from them.

If we model our homeschool environments after the “sit down at a desk for hours each day” model as “Joey’s mom” did, it’s likely that your child will eventually get the work done, but you might take away their natural love of learning. Some children like the “desk method” and I think all children like it sometimes, but if you’re doing it every day and your child doesn’t like it, then try going back to doing what you did during those first five years of their lives. Read aloud to them, provide your child with excellent reading material that they can read on their own, spend lots of time outdoors, and take time to visit parks, aquariums, zoos, museums and anywhere else where your child will learn because it will actually mean something to him/her. That is education even if it is not “school.”

Under the Tennessee homeschool laws, we are required to have “four hours of instruction time” per day. I would be amazed if any parent told me that they spent less than four hours instructing their child each day – even if they didn’t open a single book. After all….. Have you reminded your child to brush his teeth today? Taught your daughter how to make a casserole? Helped your six-year-old catch a bird that the cats brought in and then discussed what type of bird it is? Allowed your son to play a flight simulator game with actual maps of World War II? Reprimanded your children for speaking harshly to one another? Caught your teenager reading Fox News? Watched your children set up Playmobil castles and decide how to divide out the people that they will use as prisoners? Read your child a bedtime story? Three or four bedtime stories?

All of those things can be counted toward “instructional hours.” After all, you are instructing your child, training your child, teaching your child almost all day long. I have shared this before, but I once heard that education is “learning something new or learning how to do something you already knew better than before.” I love that definition and it’s true! I speak Spanish, but I certainly have to review it from time to time to keep up my skills. In order to do this, I could take a class at the local college or I could get out my books and study them here at home. Either way, I’m learning. When I teach my child life skills, academic skills, homemaking skills, hunting skills, personal skills, etc., they are still learning. THAT is homeschooling.

So for all of you new homeschoolers that will begin teaching your little ones at home this year, enjoy life! Enjoy your child! Enjoy the time you will have with your child! Pick and choose your outside activities carefully. Don’t become so burdened with commitments that you don’t have time to do the things that made your child want to learn MORE MORE MORE, the time you spent just cuddling up on the couch with your child and taking those romps through the woods or in the creek. THOSE are the things that will make your child love learning and he/she will come back for more. If you can instill THAT in your child, then I believe you will have accomplished the best goal in regards to the educational aspect of homeschooling … You will have instilled in your child a desire to learn that will last a lifetime.

Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com