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"But the little dear doesn’t want to homeschool"

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In our workshops we hear the statement often “but the little dear doesn’t want to homeschool”.  Okay, maybe not quite like that, but you get the idea.  And it’s not from just parents of preteens and teens, but from parents who have very young children, as young as 5 years old.

The Alarming Truth Behind Who Makes the Decision to Homeschool

I work very hard at not trying to change the expression on my face to total disbelief as I can’t possibly understand why a 5 year old is empowered with such authority to make a decision like that.

Soon afterwards what I find out is that usually the parent feels some kind of guilt and asks their young child if they feel they are missing out on something by not going to public school.

Most young kids I know that age enjoy buying a back pack and lunch boxes and that is their idea of fun and “school’.

If it’s not guilt, then discipline seems to be the issue and not a homeschooling issue.  Ouch. It’s not easy to talk about it because we all bring our own childhood experiences from our parent’s experience or lack of experience in parenting.

Maybe we as parents now feel we should empower a child of any age with the power of choice and perhaps it stems from the parent having a controlling parent and not being allowed to make any decisions when growing up.

What may seem like a brick wall in homeschooling with our child may actually be something we as the parent may be wresting with.  We may have set up our own obstacles to homeschooling.

It is not easy by any stretch of the imagination to be a parent, much less a homeschooling parent.

I am not saying to be a dictator in your home.  Quite the contrary because most of us are homeschooling because we want to raise independent, confident and well-rounded children who have the ability to make sound decisions.

But we need to allow children privileges to make decisions that are within their ability and to scope to make.

Allow them a bully-free environment to learn in, nurture them, provide them with love, and friends and plenty of time with you.  But give them clear cut boundaries as to what decisions they can make.

Knowing what is best for our children and deciding what is best for their future even during the teen years is our God given responsibility.

Even with good motives we may be unintentionally abdicating that precious privilege when we  empower our teen or 5 year old with the ability to make a decision like homeschooling.

If the heart of the matter is a discipline problem, then put your homeschool on “auto pilot” right now and deal with the discipline issue.

Behavior doesn’t get any better as the child grows older because a child may feel empowered or equal in decision making ability with you as the parent.

On the flip side, if we threaten our children by telling them we’ll send them back to public school, you can see where that would not endear a child to love this new way of learning.

If your 16 year old doesn’t want to homeschool tell him you value his input, BUT it will be so.   Again, though provide him plenty of opportunities to see the advantages of homeschooling.  Now that Mr. Senior 2013 has finished school and is making his own decisions, I look back and understand that I had to be his mom first then friend.

A few things that can kindle a teen’s love for homeschooling is being allowed to work part time, perhaps driving sooner, finishing school earlier, getting started on college earlier, taken more subjects like art, music study, feeling more rested, and less bullied.  Perhaps you may win over your best advocate for homeschooling.

Too, if your 5 year old thinks he is missing out because of not having a lunch box and back pack, buy him one.  But never barter about your precious privilege as parent and home educator.  It is a cherished privilege.

Hugs and love ya,

2012Tinasignature 3 Traps to Avoid When Home and School Come Together Mid Year

Grab some more to read!

When Homeschooling is a Mistake

Cultivating the Desire to Homeschool

Making Each Day Count When Homeschooling

How To Fake Homeschooling

"Homeschool with a preschooler and toddler?" I DARE you!

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The question when you start to homeschool is whether or not you accept you the challenge to homeschool while you have preschoolers and toddlers in the house.  Some days, I felt like I had accepted a dare like I would have done in my childhood.

Homeschool with a Preschooler and Toddler

There is no question about it. Homeschooling with toddlers and preschoolers is one of the toughest times in our homeschooling journey.  That is even an understatement.

All the planning and organization for the new year and conjuring up in our minds how our day will be so smooth goes wrong when the first toddler or preschooler wakes up.  Yep, that early in the day they wreak havoc.

There is no denying it.   A ten month old and a two year old can have you seriously doubt your ability to homeschool.  All I wanted to do was work with my 4 year old on three letter words.  I couldn’t get to the first subject without an interruption.   It was discouraging to say the least.

Take comfort, I am here to tell you it WILL get better.   However, it won’t happen without effort and persistence.

You see what I learned was that the way I spent my time with them counted. They were going to grow regardless of whether I made the time count or not.   I realized that we were ALL in training.

Developing the qualities that serve me now during our homeschooling day were learned THEN by my young children.

How can I do that when they are so young? First, teach to a “routine” and teach your oldest child life skills (did I mention they are the same for study skills in high school?) like patience while you tend to the needs of the youngest children.

Our households should beat to the rhythm of the youngest NOT the oldest.   That is right.   Do NOT have the oldest child think they are superior in the sense their learning will take place at “all costs”.

See what I am getting at?   When we teach that education is at ALL costs, we have all ready set our family down a path that we don’t want to take.   As parents, do we want to adopt the competitive spirit of this world when it comes to education?   More and more hype is placed on parents on what a 3 year old is suppose to know academic wise and not building skills that effectively will equip them as adults.

Weigh seriously what we “model” for our children by how we care for “interruptions”.   Do we show them that we compassionately give to care for the other family members?

After I re-evaluated how I would deal with interruptions, then I was in need of some practical pointers in running my day.   Here are some that helped me.

  • 1. Realize that what you are doing NOW IS homeschooling.   It is a “different part” of your journey and so important. What I was teaching was patience, being punctual, having respect toward another sibling’s need to learn, need to nap, have a snack or need for love.   Do you have that on your lesson plans for the day  ? Are you teaching them to not live in an “all about me” world?
  • 2. Understand that this take “mental” and “physical” strength, so pacing is required.   Realistic goals for the day are more like covering one subject, simply reading out loud for the day or covering information in 10 or 15 minutes segments according to attention span.   This promotes family togetherness and a “routine” that I have kept until now and the start of our high school years.   My sons are  much more closer to me nows AND to each other.   We TRULY did not leave ANY child behind. :o)
  • 3. Do not shoo the young kids away now, ONLY to wish they would sit down with you later.   They just want to be included.   Hold them, comfort them, love them, stop and care for them and pray with them.
  • 4. Take the dare.   Set your house up and day by thinking ahead as to what can help you to “minimize” interruptions, messes or work.   Some mess is necessary, but why give a young child a glass glass instead of a plastic glass?

I know some moms that do.   Are you just looking for work if he drops it and it splatters into a million small pieces?   Can you prepare a simple breakfast like bagel and peanut butter and cover it on the kitchen cabinet until they are hungry?   I never knew when my younger two would get up in the morning because it always varied.   If I was right in the middle of a reading lesson, I bought myself some more time with my oldest because breakfast was all ready prepared when *I* had the time.

In the end result, you will have produced children that are a true blessing.   Children that are patient and see the need to stop what they are doing to care for another family member’s need.   Children that are punctual to sit down, ready to school, respectful of your authority and secure knowing mommy or daddy will dutifully care for their needs.   All the “book learning time” WILL come.   As hard it may be now, this time is such a precious time, enjoy every minute of it.

©Tina Robertson

A Reader Asked Is there a Spiral or Mastery Approach for English

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A reader asked is there a spiral or mastery approach to English. Look at her question below.

Jennifer writes “I know that you wrote about Spiral VS Mastery programs for Math, but is there a such thing for English. My daughter has used 1st language lessons (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and then Rod and Staff for (4th-7th). We are pulling our hair out! Writing and English is not my thing, I would take math any day. I need help knowing what kind of learning those two Englishes are so that I can doing something different. I was thinking about Alpha Omega Life Pacs but would love some insight. Thank you for your time. I appreciate your thoughts and your response.”

The answer to your question directly is YES. There can be several approaches to how we teach grammar and writing.

{But indirectly, it matters more how we use it than the approach we choose.}

Demystifying the language arts process too by understanding that grammar and writing are two very different skill sets will help you to weigh curriculum differently.

A Reader Asked Is there a Spiral or Mastery Approach for English

Grammar a Tool or Ruler

At times it seems that grammar can be complicated to understand.

However, just like math, grammar is about learning and understanding rules. Some rules in math are simple to understand some not so simple. Does everybody master these rules? I don’t. I need constant reminders. Do these rules ever go away? No, they build on each other.

Spiral Approach

There are also exceptions to the rules in math and we make allowances for them. Learning the English language is similar.

So texts tend to be “graded” in grammar meaning they go from very simple to complex rules. Most texts, whether spiral or mastery, add some type of review.

The best way I found to use a text for grammar should be like we use a ruler to measure. Do we have the need to measure on a daily basis if we have basic skills in grammar? Absolutely not.

Grammar should be studied in use with writing to show the importance of it in the writing process. If we study grammar separately it may not hold any meaning to a child or to us.

Writing a Process

Writing on the other hand is a process. More important than memorizing a set of rules in grammar is that our children develop a strong writing foundation and equate writing with pleasure.

Writing is about communicating ideas that are important to us. Ideas can be serious, heartbreaking or even hysterical . Communicating ideas effortlessly builds meaning on the definition of the terms subject and verb.

In the writing process there is room for creativity.

Grammar rules are just explanations not creations or a creative like a composition.

Both texts you are using are very good resources but they don’t always work well with every learner or teacher.

Rod and Staff takes a more mastery approach while First Language Lessons seems to be down the middle because it uses a more incremental approach or step by step. Most grammar texts serve well as reference tools only.

Solution

Teaching writing by using something laid out like Institute for Excellence in Writing or WriteShop can bring relief when we are struggling. Rod and Staff is also a writing program with grammar but at times it can be hard to measure progress.

Approach for Homeschool English

Because good speech and writing well don’t just happen, we all need practice daily and models to follow. I don’t think you need any more grammar books but need help to apply the grammar she has learned to a writing program that will give you ways to chart her progress.

A writing program that gives you more direct instruction will put the emphasis back on why we learn the grammar rules and breathe life into language arts.

A Reader Asked Is there a Spiral or Mastery Approach for English

Your turn. Do you have any other insight or tips to share with Jennifer?

Look at these other tips:

Hugs to ya’ll..

Tina

Dynamic Reader Question Is there a Spiral Or Mastery Approach For English

Unfolding of a Unit Study + Meso-America {printable}

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I think the longer you homeschool the more you rebel start making your own pathways. It’s no secret we absolutely love unit studies. I am not an “all or nothing” girl when I homeschool and I try to encourage ones I lead to not be either. Taking an all or nothing approach like only using textbooks, or only lapbooks or only unit studies, I feel, can burn you out or not make you spread out and enjoy the flexibility of other approaches. I enjoy my unit studies because I do use workbooks and lapbooks and some laid out lesson plans. I don’t have all of my children use only one math program or one language arts program no more than we choose only one approach. I do think most of us tend to favor one approach over the other one.

After I homeschooled for a while and moved away from comfort zones, I find a delightful zone. Are you there yet?

I think some shy away from unit studies because they may feel it is so time consuming. True, at times there may not be “day to day” lesson plans but that is the very thing that makes me breathe and be able to wiggle. It’s really weird I know, because my personality by nature is structured, routine and I have to be organized. But there is a wild side about unit studies that draws not just me, but my boys back each year. I believe what some may feel is mayhem or chaos in subjects is actually unchartered territory and I am so up for a challenge every day.

I want to give you a glimpse into the way our unit studies develop so that you can see the freedom and flexibility of them. Maybe it will help you take a plunge on the wild side.

What comes to my mind in how the information and approach is processed. The way we learn a unit study is like a funnel. There tends to be a lot to start off with and I strive to funnel it to bring it down to my family.  I divided the process of a unit study into just 4 steps to make it easy for you to see the progression.

unfolding of a unit study

Immersion. This really is the step that takes the longest. So take long. Do not set up strict requirements like “only x number of days or weeks to cover this”.

I journal or write lesson plans sometimes AFTER we finish or as we go along.  Immersion means to jump in wholly into this topic. It also means that you investigate the interest of subtopics that would fall under this very broad and general topic. I had use the Rain forest as an example in explaining about my unit study printable {by the way I have fallen in love with that printable.} But let me share our newest unit , Mesoamerica, that we just started so you can see how this develops. We may want to cover the Aztecs and Mayans in the Mesoamerica unit and we may or may not want to cover the Incas. We have not studied any of these cultures in depth so it’s all up for grabs so to speak. Too, we may decide to just focus on one culture like the Aztecs.

At this step, look at your reference books you have on the subject. Investigate with your children websites, library book and hands on activity to immerse you and your kids in this subject. As mentioned in a previous post about unit studies, I do tend to investigate on my own before introducing the topic. I think teachers should teach, even teens. I believe in independent learning but I still believe that even in highschool they need direction and supervision. I tend to be a hands-on parent and teacher.

This is the step we are on right now with Mesoamerica. I don’t have to rush my boys because this is the step where they can learn about any topic they choose. It may also be the only time they cover some topics they may be less interested in but may want to be familiar with to some extent.

My sons gathered up these books in the picture above without any preparation on my part. This is all we have in our home, besides of course our wonderful reference history books. It really is enough to build a very in-depth unit study.

I don’t feel compelled to go the library every time.

Separation. Aww, now sanity and my much need organization at this stage. There is where after immersion, your subtopics have emerged. After days or weeks, hopefully not months as I feel that is too long to spend on Step 1 because you lose your main topic or Unit Study, subtopics or themes have emerged. You separate what is most important to learn. Points of interest YOUR family or your child finds interesting want to now be investigated. Because we are just two days in the immersion process it is hard to say right now. I do know my youngest, of course, is interested in the games using the rubber made ball.  Leave it to teens to be interested in the gory details of human sacrifice. But I do see a teachable moment of comparing the valueless, vain and God dishonoring sacrifices of human blood made to pagan Aztec gods to the most valuable sacrifice of human blood ever made by Jesus Christ. I also see the topic of a floating garden for some science. Pretty creative if you ask me to have a floating garden. This time period would also be good for some art study. The physical geography of these countries influences the dress and the food. I see quite a few subtopics to pursue.

We can narrow down our choices after we tasted what we wanted to in the immersion step. The separation step can take just a few days to a week to narrow down your focus.

Investigation. Satisfaction here. Here is the delight of learning for intrinsic value. You are now investigating ONLY subtopics you have narrowed down. This is where you keep from getting overwhelmed and not discussing, investigating and writing about EVERY topic you discussed in immersion. This is also the step where each child can be on a different point. If you have older kids it is easier to have separate topics. If they are younger, stay on one subtopic at a time. This is where a child learns because of intrinsic value. It means something to them because THEY chose it.

This is the step where you use day to day lesson plans if you want to write them out.  You now have fine points you have narrowed down.

Not that learning has not taken place up to this point, but this is the step I make sure some learning does take place. Assign vocabulary words, recall back facts they have read about. Write reports and do our lapbooks or notebooking pages.

Hands on activities are here also.This is where you can “show the world” what you learned, i.e. lapbooks and notebooking pages.

Personalization. This is more of a step for me as the teacher. Up to this point I can see what each of my sons were interested in and tie it to something they have learned in the past. This is not really something I can “show the world” as far as what my sons took away from this unit because it may have been something personal my sons shared. It may be a point we learned that I can use to reach their heart. It may not be so private if it was just more information. Whatever it is, I want to be sure as the teacher they “own  it”. If they picked the subtopics they already WANTED to own it. So it comes easier to point out something to make it apply to my family or Christian values. In other words, make it matter by tying this unit study to something that is personal for my family.

That is it generally. It is not as daunting when you can put it into 4 basic steps.

Because we are just a few days into our unit, I created a printable for our Meso-America Unit. Not all printables will become part of a lapbook or notebooking, but they might. Since this unit is just starting we have the option of deciding. Another facet of unit studies I find attractive.

You know I have to share with you. This is a card game I created about the Aztecs. Part of the cards are true and false and the other part, your child supplies the word. The answer key is attached too.

Meso America Unit Game Cards

Download Aztec Printable Game Cards with Pocket here.

Unfolding of a unit study is a process that once understood moved me from comfort zone to delightful zone. I don’t give up the comforts of laid out lesson plans, I just take them with me. Abandon snoring boring curriculum in favor of an unchartered unit study, you might like it.

 

Our new bee homeschoolers need some love since August is around the corner. So I have an article in my how to series coming.

Also, some new Student Planner Covers for the girls are coming.

I was inspired by this today,

“When things just don’t work out as good as you really thought they would… It’s not rotten, it’s not over, it’s not finished, or the end. All it means is something better is waiting for you around the bend.”

~Doe Zantamata~

Hugs and you know I love ya,

Homeschool Organization + {Storage,Spaces and Learning Places Part 3}

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I got a little eye candy for you today. I have two other parts in this series that I started last month. I will link them for you at the bottom. I really like this series because there are so many different things and rooms we can look at to get ideas for our learning area. The ideas are endless once you step outside the box. You do have to take several ideas from many different types of area to make a unique learning place.

This is the time of the year most people get the itch to organize or set up a school area. I get it ALL year long but end up making little adjustments this time of the year. So I made a slight tweak to our school area and will share when I am finished with it.

This first picture I like because besides the colors being gender neutral, I have been swooning over that map on the wall.

Source – Censational Girl

This is the playroom of Kate at Censational Girl. Even though it is not a homeschool area, it is pretty close to being one with a few changes. For a younger household, I would make the couch a love seat or rocker recliner to free up some room. Then shelving would be sorted by boxes for each child. Also add a smaller desk for mom to keep her teacher goodies. Though I have sat on many a small kid’s chair while homeschooling, it is nice to have my own desk when the kids were young. The tushy will thank you later on that one the longer you school.

There is so much natural light you may need to worry about lighting which is another huge concern in a school area. This could be a WOW school room with not much effort. She shares her before and after picture and her budget of about 800.00. Still swooning over the map…on to the next one..

Source – Joyfilled Family

Even though I love play areas, I like to keep it real and that means seeing other real homeschool rooms. I love this area because, like a lot of us, she turned a formal dining area into a school area. Another tip for hanging storage, like she uses in her school room, is fishing line and clothes pin to show off arts and crafts. A good example of mixing a learning area with furniture used for everyday living too. Above her storage units she has a week at a glance system for all the members of the family to see.

Source – Homeschool Creations.

Keeping it real in this next homeschool room I love Jolanthe’s new up do last year. She really changed the area into a beautiful learning space. Besides the beautiful color, I love the fact that each child has their own work space which gets to be important as they get older. You have some kids that need an organized desk before they can think clearly and others that can put up with a little more left out. This pleases all learners.

Source – Learning with Charlotte

This room takes a Charlotte Mason learning approach in her set up. I have to admit I heart dark wood. I love the look of bright white wood but something about popping color in dark wood gets me to pause. Too, I think heart things old fashion, timeless and precious. Incorporating her solid wood bookcases into her living area just looks cozy and warm.

Source – Satori Smiles

Also do not forget all the other myriad of ideas we need to use to create unique areas. This one I love the reading wall and area set up for an all day reading day. There are some benefits to homeschooling an only and you have so much room to create beautiful spaces.

Source

I love this arrangement, though not a homeschool room, it easily could be. Using the center of the room frees up wall space but too this is so creative grouping several work areas together. This would work well for older children or teens if you can keep them busy enough from fighting talking to each other.

Source

Built-ins are nice if you can have them too. Again, here is separated learning areas. If you can do it that way from the start, then it minimizes your budget. There are some subjects like math and some language arts that are better learned by having each child having their own table or desk. A lot of subjects can be taught together and when the children are real young, one table does the trick but you out grow that in a few short years. It is good to start with that when they are young just keep those purchases to a minimum because they will use individual spaces longer. Even if it’s a not a separate desk in your school room, it could be their bedroom with a desk or learning area.

Source – New Life on a Homestead

Though I love color and want a homeschool area to be beautiful, budget is a real factor these days for most folks. These pictures are timeless because they show what can be done a modest budget and how bright a homeschool area can still be.

I want to share one “set up” tip that I did notice about this room in this last picture above which is why I put it here. See how high those days of the weeks and numbers are? That is too high for a preschooler or elementary aged child to be engaged with them. Setting up a room should be not only age appropriate but HEIGHT appropriate. You want an engaging interactive place. A child wants to feel those numbers, see the days of weeks and interact with by either using a pointer

Source Source Source

or just being able to see them. We don’t have to abandon everything about the set up of a public school. Have you noticed how their rooms are set up for children and the adults desk is there incidentally? We do want to take that to our home school room. One chart is height appropriate but otherwise the child can’t see all the beautiful learning tools she has. It is not easy because, like me, you may have a monster sweet toddler who loves to tear and shred when you start schooling. After the “new” has passed on the school area, most of them won’t bother it anymore.

Source Gennine Art Blog

Don’t forget to make desks unique as well. Often times I have used flowerpots for pen,pencils and supplies. You can find them less expensive and sometimes more colorful than pencil holders. Here she used bright flower pots from Ikea and the desk from Ikea.

Source – A little Busy

Again, a very simple but cheery school area. The shelves are unique and reachable by the youngest learner.

Source – BHG                                                                      Source – BHG

Source – Something is HIding in Here

Do not forget nooks, crannies, moving storage and what you have just hanging out as trash around the house can be turned to treasure making your own organization bins unique. From top to bottom, left to right, Magazine Holder on the door, potato chip containers wrapped in pretty paper creates unique storage, a mobile desk on wheels if you don’t have room for a teacher desk, old paint cans turned fabulous storage and then making your own unique storage system by using peg board, hooks and is that plastic cheap inexpensive glasses? Swooning again….

I hope you were a little inspired for your school room. School areas do a lot to brighten and bring harmony to my day and are just as important to me as choosing the right curriculum. If you have not created a place yet, take time before you start school.  Remember, you have to look at it every day and it counts.

Small changes count too. I know I must have homeschool-itis {is that such a word?} when I go crazy over a small thing like file folder change. Do you have any changes you want to share?

As promised, here are the links if you need to continue your homeschoolitis. Click on the pics.

I was inspired by this today as I get ready for my school year and because I want real things around me that are beautiful too.

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

~William Morris~

Hugs and you know I love ya,

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