Being that I’ve been feeling under the weather the past few days, I thought I’d broach the topic of being ill when you’re homeschooling your kids. What do you do when you have your students waiting for you and you can barely drag yourself out of bed?
You really have three options here. One, you can turn the kids loose and let them wreak havoc all day, which isn’t really recommended for the obvious reason that it won’t help your recovery much. Two, you can let them off schoolwork for the day, but instruct them on running the household while you are out of commission and three, you can have them settle in and work on their own.
Now, it really is in your best interest if you can get your children to the point of being able to teach themselves, at least for one day. While many curriculums require teaching every step of the way, with others you can set up the workbooks so that the kids can do their work with minimal input from you. This is actually very beneficial even if you aren’t sick, since it lets you look after the baby, make lunch or deal with any myriad of issues that pop up on a daily basis without interrupting school.
There’s nothing wrong with taking this opportunity to make your kids a bit more self sufficient, either. Instead of schoolwork, have them do the daily chores, make their own meals and deal with other household issues throughout the day. They’ll feel they’re getting the day off and you’ll know they’re picking up valuable skills for the future.
What do you do on sick days?
Tags: homeschool, homeschooling, schoolwork, sick day
This study was done about 10 years ago, but I guess it takes some time to compile almost 12,000 results. There are lots of charts and graphs.
One of the biggest findings was that there was not difference in results if the homeschooler was taught be a certified teaching parent, or a parent without certification. They made sure to emphasize that this does NOT mean that public school teachers should not be certified. But it DID mean that there would be no benefit to requiring that homeschooling parent become certified to teach. The reasoning for this is that homeschool teachers are self selected – these people already WANT to teach their kids. There are many links in the “Table of Contents” just to the left of the article – don’t miss them.http://www.hslda.org/docs/study/rudner1999/Rudner1.asp
This blog post reminded me of a great time my 4th grade pal, Jeff Causey, and I had setting up a scavenger hunt in our 4th grade classroom. Mr. Burgess had no idea what we were doing. Our arch enemies Jamie & Mary (a.k.a. “the girls”) were to be the targets of our hunt. We finished placing all the clues and gave them the first one to start.
They went all around the classroom picking up clues. Other students noticed their behavior and started swarming around them to find out what was going on. The disturbance got out of control and Mr. Burgess demanded to know what was going on. There were recriminations and denials and counter denials. In the end we were all to return to our seats and continue with our institutionalized instruction. But the fun had been had. Is it possible to get some educational value out of something so fun as a scavenger hunt? Check out these ideas:http://www.homeschoolbytes.com/homeschool-activities/scavenger-hunt-ideas-for-homeschool-fun/
My oldest, my daughter – wow, they grow fast. This year she’s focusing in on U.S. History. School just started, but you can’t control the calendar. September 17th was Constitution Day. Why didn’t I warn you? Well most people let the day go by without even noticing. But I found this post with some really cool assignments for your homeschool community. They have little graphics and links to try to encourage sharing. Even encouraging your kids to put them on their blogs. Kids with blogs? Now there’s an idea!
http://statexploration.com/?p=5 Check out what they put together – especially if you are doing something with U.S. History with your students this year. - – MichaelI ran across an interesting article the other day referencing a 2003 study of homeschoolers who are now adults. If you’re homeschooling your child, chances are you feel that this is the best way to go, but where is the proof? The study done by the Home School Legal Defense Association has some fascinating results.
Higher Education
More than 74% of homeschoolers have gone on to take at least some college courses, while only 46% of the general population has done so. When the survey was done, over 49% of the respondents were still full time students.
Moral Fiber
71% of homeschooled adults are active in community service activities like working with a church, volunteering to coach sports, etc. This is compared to just 37% of other adults of the same age. So much for the whole socialization business!
Civic Duty
In general, 29% of the relevant population in the US participate in votes, whereas 76% of homeschoolers of the right age vote.
Passing on the Torch
Out of all the adults surveyed for the homeschool study, 95% said they enjoyed being homeschooled. I’m sure many of them wouldn’t have said that during their teen years, but as adults, we can look back and see how things were really for our good. In addition to this, out of the homeschoolers who had children of their own, a whopping 74% were already doing second generation homeschooling, though 82% said they would, which really speaks for itself.
The results are impressive and it confirms what those of us who have chosen to teach our kids at home are doing the right thing. Homeschooling really is good for your kids and leads to happy, productive adults.
Tags: homeschool, homeschooled adults, homeschooling results, second generation homeschoolers
Homeschoolers have the ability to enforce the lessons learned in school all day long and what could be better than teaching your kids to be responsible? There are a number of ways to do this, of course, but to get you started, here are three ideas.
- Give kids control over their lessons. Not all students will be able to do this, you’ll be the best judge as to how ready they are. Let them help you do some of the lesson planning. This could include figuring out how many pages to work on per day or which courses to take. They’ll have to live with the results and that teaches them to be more responsible.
- Let them handle their own money. While this isn’t necessarily a part of homeschooling, you can use it as a valuable life lesson. Giving kids an allowance is optional . . . you could also have them do chores for payment, but the concept is the same. If they blow the money on something that breaks in ten minutes, you can bet they will think twice about spending next time!
- Acknowledge their abilities. Make sure you give your kids tasks that match their responsibility level. Kids thrive on being given responsibility adn they willl be thrilled that you are noticing their efforts to grow up and behave more maturely.
Teaching kids to be responsible is part of what we need to do as parents and as teachers. Look for ways to do this in your every day life and you will be giving your children a leg up on moving out into the world.
While not everyone uses curriculum in homeschooling, nearly everyone can use texts of some sort. After all, readers are a great way to let kids practice their reading comprehension and textbooks on science and history can really help you with teaching. The only problem is that texts can be quite pricey, particularly once you get up into the higher grades. If you’re like most homeschooling families, you are probably looking to get those books just a little cheaper and here’s how:
1. Borrow them. If you know other homeschool families with kids of similar ages, you might be able to work out a trade. For example, your 9th grader might use their science book for a year, while their 8th grader uses some of your older history texts.
2. Hit school sales. Schools unload their old texts every few years and tend to sell them off to raise funds. You can pick up these books, often en masse, for a song. Not only can you use them yourself, but perhaps sell some extras and earn some cash to pay for other school supplies.
3. Find used books online. You might be surprised at how much is available online. Ebay is a great place to start looking for used texts, but you can also find them on homeschool forums and membership sites.
4. Make your own. There’s really no reason you can’t create and print your own homeschool texts using information found online. If you are into DIY homeschooling, then this could be the way to go. It will take some time, but you will have everything you want your children to learn laid out in one book.
While textbooks should certainly not be the only way we teach our children, they are definitely useful. Finding ways to get them cheaper is always welcome for homeschool families that are struggling to stick to a budget.
Tags: cheap texts, homeschool, study, textbook
Recently my 3 year old has been begging to get on the computer. While we have Reader Rabbit Toddler for him, one of his absolute favorite things to do is play on Starfall.com. This site is really quite impressive. We’ve only delved into the ABC section, but I think it is worth a mention as a learning resource for homeschoolers.
There are several levels that go from learning letters and vocabulary right up to actual reading. The alphabet section is what I’m most familiar with and I have to say, the layout is quite impressive!
There is a block for each letter, as well as a section for learning sign language and alphabet songs, as well as the vowels, which offer extra learning.
When you click on a letter, it appears on the screen in a creative manner . . . for example, the letter T is dropped off by a train. You can then click on the letter to hear the sound and move to the next screen. Each letter has four or five screens, each with something fun. The child has to click on the letter on each screen to start the music, animations or game that is featured. It is very well thought out.
My son has been learning all sorts of things, reinforcing letters he was iffy on and learning songs to remember the letter sounds.
The price for all this learning fun? Completely free! So there’s no reason not to check it out. I suspect the other levels are just as well done, though we haven’t checked them out yet.
Tags: home school, homeschool, learning resources for kids, review, Starfall.com, toddler
It used to be that adults were the only ones affected by stress. Kids lived in their own world for the most part, uninhibited by the anxieties that come with age and responsibilities. These days, everything has changed. Sadly, stress is becoming a major factor in children’s lives and it just shouldn’t be that way!
Where Does Childhood Stress Come From?
Kids nowadays are exposed to a lot more at a much younger age than ever before. While homeschooling can help limit some of the things they are exposed to, chances are you won’t be able to block it all. Absorbing information before they are ready for it can be very distressing.
Sometimes, the source of stress is the parents themselves. I know a woman who feels her son just isn’t stimulated enough at home, so she fills every minute of every day with activities and lessons for him to go to. Her son is five and he is exhausted at the end of each day from going to school, then gymnastics or art lessons, then to swim lessons and the like.
In other cases, the stressor may be something far more serious, such as bullying at soccer, marital issues between parents, or sickness in the family.
Signs Your Child May Be Stressed Out
How do you know if your kids are feeling the pressure? They might not tell you, but here are a few signs that they need to relax.
- Nightmares
- Frequent stomachaches or headaches, especially when they have to do something.
- Overreactions to little things
- Trouble sleeping
- New habits such as chewing on hair, nailbiting, etc. which may be methods of coping with stress.
- Extreme anxiety or dislike of activities they used to enjoy.
You know your child best and you will notice if something is off. Could it be stress? You are the best judge of this.
Reducing Stress
When a child is running on too little too long, they are going to have difficulties. You can do quite a bit to reduce the anxiety a child has and remove some of the pressures.
1. Quit some extracurricular activities. While lessons and activities are great for social interaction and learning, sometimes kids need time to just be themselves and just hang out at home. They don’t need to be occupied every minute of the day, so let them just relax sometimes.
2. Talk to them. In some cases, your child may be stressed by things they are keeping bottled up and talking about them can help. If they are worried about their parents not getting along, it can be useful to reassure them that you still love each other, for example and that you love them.
3. Hang out together. Kids need parental interaction and not just the kind that comes from explaining math problems. Spend fun time with your kids, too. Go for a bike ride, have a picnic or take them fishing. Teach them how to relax by doing it with them.
How do you deal with childhood stress in your family?
Tags: anxiety, childhood stress, homeschool, kids, signs and symptoms of stress in children, stress
Recently, I had the opportunity to review an interesting book that could be invaluable to homeschoolers who are interested in using technology to create their courses. The book, Moodle 1.9 for Teaching 7-14 Year Olds, is a guide that takes you through Moodle a useful course planning software that is available for free.
Truthfully, this book has so much information packed into its pages that I can’t give a complete review of all the contents . . . it would be a very long blog post indeed!
Moodle 1.9 is not just a technical book on how to set up a course, though it does take you step by step through the basics. What homeschool parents will find very useful are the tips throughout the book relating to how you can make your material and coursework more friendly for the 7-14 age group. Bright colors and eye catching graphics are just a few of the suggestions.The step by step section shows you how to add colors and images to liven up the course and make it more appealing to this age group.
The first few chapters of the book look at how to set your course up. This section includes screen shots and you are best off working through it with Moodle already set up, so you can see exactly what the author is talking about.
Once you have the basics of creating a lesson plan in Moodle, it’s time to add specific modules that kids can work their way through. This is where it gets fun. The book takes you through adding worksheets and self-assessing exams, among other things, making this a very powerful teaching tool.
If you are interested in a more structured lesson plan, working with various people online and making your lessons available to other students, then Moodle is a great way to go. This book takes you step by step through what you need to know to create useful lesson plans for your students.
We will be making use of what we’ve learned from this book soon, providing some lesson plans for members of Barnabas Way, so stay tuned for updates.
Tags: lesson plans, Moodle, online teaching