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Gauge Homeschool Progress

How to Grade Hands-on Homeschool Activities and Projects (Free Rubric for Grading)

August 23, 2018 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Whether to grade papers or not for your kids can be quite easy to decide. If it causes unnecessary stress or increased motivation for your kids, you know. However, how to grade hands-on homeschool activities and projects fits into another category.

If you use unit studies which is mastery-based learning, do unschooling, or relaxed learning which all fit this same slant of mastery-based learning, you know it can be a conundrum on how to grade projects.

Looking back and analyzing what I did for each of my kids, I was able to come up with some guidelines I’ve used.

Hands-on Activities: Mundane or Monumental

Before I share these guidelines which will be of great help to you, let me remind you of two significant things of the superiority of hands-on projects over paperwork.

Don’t pass up valuable hands-on activities because you may not have a starting point for grades.

Grades really do matter when you live in a state that requires them or when you need to put something on a high school transcript like I’ve had to do three times.

It’s not as important to grade projects when kids are younger unless they need the motivation. However, to add them to a high school transcript becomes important so that you’re highlighting your child’s strengths and uniqueness.

Hands-on ideas and projects can be a superior way to grading because standards are self-imposed. This is opposite of how paperwork is graded.

Projects are not based on comparison to others like the present paperwork grading system. When a grade is given on paperwork it is in comparison to others the same age or the same grade.

We fight our whole homeschool journey avoiding comparison traps; implementing projects is an excellent way to challenge your kids and make them self-aware.

Basing grading on self-imposed standards creates critical thinkers who are testing and improving self and not in comparison to others.How to Grade Hands-on Homeschool Activities and Projects (Free Rubric for Grading). Don’t shy away from having fun in your homeschool or including needed hands-on activities because you’re afraid you won’t be able to grade them. Grab the tips here AND grab a free rubric for grading hands-on homeschool activities. CLICK HERE!

Grading Hands-on Activities or Projects: The 6 Cs

I remind myself that with hands-on projects kids can progress at their own pace meaning they are more engaged and challenged or they can slow down and relax when a subject is tough.

Next, I set up standards for grading because we did not give up hands-on projects in the middle or high school years. A grade is needed for a transcript.

When I grade hands-on activities for my older kids, they all seem to fall under these six concepts which I use as standards.

1. Content

Content is probably one of the areas I spend the longest time grading. I look specifically for topics that I laid out for my sons to cover.

Although hands-on projects are about free exploration, it’s not always if you have specific objectives that need to be met.

For example, when we did our Amazon Rain Forest unit study, my then high school teen had to focus on not only the science of the rain forest, but the devastating effects of stripping the earth of the trees. Deforestation and the rippling effects globally was something I wanted highlighted.

Looking over his completed project of lapbook, writing assignment, and hands-on activities I checked for my objectives too.From there, I moved to what other concepts he included in his content. How unique was it? How detailed did he get? Did he look at the global picture? Are his thoughts illustrated or written in a way that is appropriate for his level?

Again, I’m looking at ways he challenged himself. Not ways to compare him to others his age.

2. Creativity

I use to shriek at the word creativity because I thought it was kin to craft activities. My boys are not the crafty loving kind of kids. Hands-on yes, but coloring and glitter no.

However, like you and I know creativity goes far beyond artistry or crafts.

Creativity is being able to use the imagination to be original. Hey, that is why I’m homeschooling. I’m original, my kids are original although they may not feel like it.

So I look for ways my kids were original in their projects. Did they come up with their ideas and rabbit trails or did they just follow what I asked them to do? When kids are little, this is okay. You’re teaching them to stretch outside of their comfort zone.

However, as kids get older, they need to prove that they are being self-taught, not just taking the guided tour from you. Creativity and initiative go hand and hand for hands-on projects.

3. Completeness

Completeness is another area I grade.

This may seem subjective, but again each mastery-based assignment has a purpose for that student. By not comparing him to others I look for ways he put forth effort to make the project a whole learning experience and yet individualistic.

How vast is his knowledge of it depends on how deep or complete he decided to explore.

Make a crystal radio out of an oatmeal box to go along with a FBI Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

For example, we did a FBI unit study for my teens. Using a large oatmeal box, my sons under the direction of the Mr. made crystal radios which is a homemade radio for picking up am stations.I thought that was it for the depth of understanding it. However, one of my teens pursued the subject of how sound is made without power and understanding the basics of reading a schematic.

In addition, the use of the radio and other ways of espionage led to an investigation of communism and Russia.

My objective or standard for this unit study was to focus on how the government interacts with other investigative branches. Clearly, my high school teen went beyond the objectives to get a more complete view of how the American government interacts with other agencies.

He was given a grade for his level of completeness based on his abilities.

4. Collaboration

Collaboration is an essential skill in both a career or college track. Real world learning is at its best with hands-on activities in a group setting.

How best to teach it? At home with siblings of different ages or at a co-op with others who have different abilities.

For example, I graded my teen on collaboration when he did a unit study on the country of Turkey. He chose the topic for our geography co-op class where a presentation was required by our kids.

My then high school teen was the one in charge of the project, assigning the parts of the unit study to investigate, presentation of the visual poster board, completing it, and guiding his siblings to finishing their parts.

It’s one thing to have an idea and quite another to get a group who do not share your same experience to work together for a harmonious theme.

It was challenging to say the least as he had to answer his siblings’ questions, entertain their different ideas, and agree on another way to work out the assignment.

There is no way such a vital skill can be show on a paper. It has to be experienced. Then, there has to be a way to give that skill a grade.

5. Challenging

Another facet I look at when looking over a project or hands-on activity is to see if my kids challenged themselves. You and I know that nobody else knows our kids as well as we do. You know when they’re motivated and when they’re not.

I can use art as an example. How can a student challenge himself?

Depending on his skill level, just deciding that he would take on the project can be challenging for an art phobic student. I have a couple of kids that don’t feel they’re good artists. On the other hand for my son who has more natural ability I would expect him to go above it to challenge himself for a higher grade.

How to Grade Hands-on Homeschool Activities and Projects (Free Rubric for Grading)

Did either student challenge himself with his presentation or did he stay at a comfortable zone with his skill level? Again, not in comparison to others his age or grade.Is the process sophisticated or complex as a whole? How much time my kids spend on a project can be a good gauge. Was the project a one day project or did it take weeks to complete?

If it took weeks, did he dawdle or was he engrossed in a way to figure out a different way to approach the task? Those are questions I ask myself when I look over their projects.

6. Critical Thinking Skills

Depending on the project, another area I look at is the level of critical thinking skills. Choosing unit studies as our preferred way of teaching was my choice because of how my children learned. They’re ready to pursue each topic in-depth instead of piece meal.

They want unbridled learning and I have fed that through the years. However, a higher level of learning requires that my kids know how to process and sort through information. Otherwise all of that information can be a runny mess.

Things just as poor reasoning, logic, quantified statements, brainstorming, analyzing sources are all part of critical thinking skills.

Depending on your child’s age, you can target the skills your child displays in his hands-on activity.

Hands-on Activity Rubric

How to Grade Hands-on Homeschool Activities and Projects (Free Rubric for Grading). Don’t shy away from having fun in your homeschool or including needed hands-on activities because you’re afraid you won’t be able to grade them. Grab the tips here AND grab a free rubric for grading hands-on homeschool activities. CLICK HERE!

Grading hands-on projects doesn’t have to be stressful. Don’t give up hands-on activity because you think they’re too hard to grade.

I’m so excited because today I’ve created a new form which will help you to grade hands-on projects.

As I explained above, I analyzed how I’ve created our numerous hands-on projects we’ve done through the years and I’ve reduced the standards to a printable form.

How to Grade Hands-on Homeschool Activities and Projects (Free Rubric for Grading)

Not only did I create this newest form, but here I explain how to use it.

The top part of the form gives you place to jot down the activity, date you planned it for, and a box I like to use to match it to a unit study theme.

How to Grade Hands-on Homeschool Activities and Projects (Free Rubric for Grading)

If you don’t do unit studies, then use the box to jot down your lesson plan number to pair it with the hands-on activity idea.

The bottom part of the form you’ll love because it gives you a place to check subjects which the hands-on project meets.

Yes, hands-on crafts may take more time to do, but you’ll notice how they also span way more subjects.

Then of course, there is a place to mark for the grade. I don’t believe in Fs.

If your child refused to do it, you know that before you start. This form is to help you and your kids both to make hands-on activities more engaging.

I know you’ll love this newest form to add to the growing list of forms for my 7 Step Homeschool Planner.

How to Grade Hands-on Homeschool Activities and Projects (Free Rubric for Grading). Don’t shy away from having fun in your homeschool or including needed hands-on activities because you’re afraid you won’t be able to grade them. Grab the tips here AND grab a free rubric for grading hands-on homeschool activities. CLICK HERE!

What do you think? Will this make it easier for you to grade hands-on activities or better yet include more of them in your homeschool?

How to Get the Free Homeschool Forms

Now, how to grab this and 10 other free homeschool planner forms. This is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

And it’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you. If you’re already a confirmed subscriber, you will not have to do this. You’ll receive the freebie instantly.
 ►3) Last step. look for my reply AFTER you’ve confirmed your email.

You’ll love these other tips:

  • 3 Risks of Not Tracking Your Homeschool Lessons (Even If They’re Laid-Out) 
  • Wipe Out Self-Doubt: 13 Ways to Show Homeschool Progress (And How I Know My Sons Got It)
  • How to Grade a Homeschool Unit Study for an Older Child (& high school assessment)

2 CommentsFiled Under: Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Curriculum Planner, Gauge Homeschool Progress, Homeschool Multiple Ages of Children, Homeschool Planner Tagged With: freeprintables, hands-on, handsonhomeschooling, high school, homeschool grades, homeschoolgrades, homeschoolprogress, middleschool, projects, teens

19 Delight Directed Interest-Led Homeschool Blogs To Follow

January 14, 2018 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

While pregnant with my first child, Mr. Senior 2013, I was inspired by an article that encouraged homeschoolers to avoid a bookish routine in favor of real-life learning. However, out of fear, public popularity, and because I thought delight directed interest-led homeschooling meant wild abandon of any worthwhile learning, I followed with strict allegiance a bookish routine.

Then, as my sons grew and our lack of real-life learning lagged, I made a scary leap to interest-led learning.

It was scary because I was comfortable in my Nazi teacher approach.

19 Delight Directed Interest-Led Homeschool Blogs To Follow. Interest-led learning is the fuel the sparks lifelong learning. Getting started can be intimidating.Understanding delight directed is imperative. Click here to follow these 19 delight directed interest-led homeschool blogs!

I never felt like a nature loving or craft loving mother which was my impression of interest-led homeschooling. Lame, I know.As my love for teaching grew and realizing that my sons were in an apprenticeship for life, my day to day teaching lacked real-life application.

Soon after, I switched to a unit study approach which is based on mastery of interest-led topics.

Interest-led learning is the fuel that sparks lifelong learning.

Let me back up first and try to capture a simple meaning of interest-led and delight directed learning.

Interest-led and delight directed for our family means using a child’s natural love of learning to pursue subjects that spark his love of learning. Not the other way around. Academic subjects are centered around a child’s passion and then they take on life.

Although public school touts mastery, the truth of it is just the opposite.

A child never explores any passion in depth but is expected to be a jack of all trades or skills. He ends up master of none.

My switch to an interest-led unit study approach reminds me of the quote from Greg Harris which is indelibly imprinted in my memory.

A delight directed study is like a wonderful fire in the mind of a student. It starts small, but as it grows, it begins to consume vast amounts of information until it bursts into a roaring blaze of insight, understanding and creativity. It takes on a life of its own.

It doesn’t mean that there is no discipline or schedule which I thrive in, but it means guidance by the parent. It’s not indulgent, but reactive.

After I switched to interest-led homeschooling using lapbooks as our projects, it has been one choice I’ve never regretted for a moment.

I do regret lingering around the bookish approach for the first 5 years of my journey. Hopefully, you won’t make my same mistake.

To help you make the leap to interest-led and delight directed homeschooling, I’ve rounded up 19 blogs that I follow and you should too which emphasize this approach.

I’ll let each one introduce herself and tell you a bit about her blog.

Delight Directed Homeschooling

►I’m Rachel, and I blog at You’ve Got This Math.

I believe that math should be fun and hands -on. You’ve Got This Math focuses on ways to build number and fraction sense with free printables.

►I’m Susan Evans, and I blog at Susan Evans I love unit studies, themed cakes and parties, skits, re-enactments, and anything hands-on!

►I celebrate the homeschool lifestyle and frequently talk about learning through travel and adventures at This Crazy Homeschool Life.

►Hello! Hola! 你好!My name is Eva. My blog, Eva Varga focus centers around middle school science, specifically hands-on activities, service learning experiences, and project based learning – Minecraft and philatelic exhibits.

Additionally, we strive to expand our understanding of the world through our own cultural heritage and the exploration of diverse cultures (language studies and global travel).

►Hey hey! My name is Amy & I blog at Rock Your Homeschool.

My unique slant is to use Dr. Seuss to teach a love of reading. Also, I use Life of Fred for math learning fun. My five boys & I use brain breaks to keep our homeschool moving.

►Hi! My name is Joan and I write at Unschool Rules.

My unique slant it that we have used movies, video games and life learning as the basis for our entire high-school curriculum for my now 17-year-old daughter, and have a college-accepted transcript to show for it!

►Hey, hey! I’m Tiffany and I blog at Homeschool Hideout.

We are lazy homeschoolers so we like to binge-watch educational shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu. We can cover everything from science and history to problem solving, without ever leaving the couch!

►Hi! My name is Colleen. I write all about raising kids to be lifelong learners through interest-led, hands-on homeschooling and parenting with a heavy focus on science, the needs of gifted and twice-exceptional kiddos, and cultivating creativity in all kids.

You’ll find monthly themed book and game lists, Minecraft challenge calendars, and loads of hands-on experiments on Raising Lifelong Learners and conversations with parents on our podcast — launching January 15th.

►Hello! My name is Jenny and I blog at Faith and Good Works. Our homeschool uses free internet resources for unit studies.

►Hi, I’m Ginny, and I offer authentic, hands-on writing experiences to help parents create a culture of writers (and thinkers) at home.
I blog at Not So Formulaic.

►Hello, my name is Sheila, publisher of Brain Power Boys. 

My unique slant is that our site has a lot of hands-on learning projects geared specifically toward boys. We focus on things they like, such as LEGO, Minecraft, Star Wars and topics which include pirates, robots, dinosaurs, knights and more to help them learn reading, science, history, math and other subjects a fun and natural way.

►I’m Ashley, and I love creating thematic unit studies.

We use a variety of resources from fun hands-on activities and great literature to movies and media. My goal is to inspire a love of learning and enrich our studies in every subject from math and science to history and grammar! Please join me in The Homeschool Resource Room! 

►Hi, I’m Erin and I blog over at The Usual Mayhem.

We focus on learning using nature on our cornerstone but occasionally head off into rabbit trails for months at a time (like my son’s year long obsession with King Arthur).

You can find all sort of nature themed posts and other fun on my blog.

►Hi, I’m Sara and I blog at Embracing Destiny. We focus on delight directed, literature-rich (living books) studies in our homeschool.

I’ve created some free Interest Inventory printables to encourage others to follow their child’s interests to foster a lifelong love of learning. We enjoy hands-on creative projects like lapbooking, notebooking, and unit studies. You can find my Ultimate Guide to Delight Directed Homeschooling cornerstone post here.

How to Make Your Homeschool Specialized

►Hi I’m Tricia Hodges at Chalk Pastel. We are a multi-generational homeschooling family.

My mother, Nana, my children and I are passionate about helping all ages lose insecurities and realize that yes, indeed, you ARE an artist. We JUST use chalk pastels and paper. No long, intimidating art supply list. Build confidence, choose favorite subjects and have FUN. We show you how with video art lessons, Facebook Live lessons and so much more to choose from. It’s not just one more thing to do, it’s a great way to make what you are already doing MORE fun while growing a LOVE of art! Art really does complement and help all other subjects.

►This is Ticia here, and over at Adventures in Mommydom I have three unique learners that keep me on my toes.

To stay ahead we cook our way around the world (with mixed results), read book and see how horribly the movie messed up the book, and use LEGOs to recreate history lessons (as well as a few other things). It’s learning adventures at the speed of fun.

►Hi, I’m Cindy West from Our Journey Westward. Teaching creatively is a top priority to meet the needs of my unique children and that’s exactly what I write about on the blog.

Active children excel through nature-based science activities . Reluctant writers blossom with picture book lessons. Struggling learners and those with attention issues make giant leaps through brain training games. And those are just a few examples of the creative learning ideas you’ll find at Our Journey Westward!

►Hi! My name is Pat Fenner and I blog at Breakthrough Homeschooling where I encourage and equip homeschooling parents of teens to homeschool through high school.

I believe in using life-learning and interest-led studies as a basis for a high school curriculum, and am convinced that college isn’t the only path to a successful future!

Then of course, I would love for you to follow my blog! Click below!

Take your homeschool from mediocre to true mastery by following an interest-led approach.

19 Delight Directed Interest-Led Homeschool Blogs To Follow. Interest-led learning is the fuel the sparks lifelong learning. Getting started can be intimidating.Understanding delight directed is imperative. Click here to follow these 19 delight directed interest-led homeschool blogs!

You’ll never teach your child everything he needs to know before he graduates, but you’ll teach him how to find out anything he wants to.

I know you’ll love these other super helpful tips!

  • Homeschooling STARTS When You STOP Caring What Others Think
  • 4 Undeniable Reasons People Hate Homeschooling (Keep It Real) 
  • The Big List of Unit Study Hands-on (and Hands-off) Curriculum

Hugs and love ya,

1 CommentFiled Under: Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Do Unit Studies, Gauge Homeschool Progress, Homeschool Multiple Ages of Children, Homeschooling, Overcome Learning Plateaus, Teach the Rebel Homeschooler Tagged With: delight direected, interest-led, unit studies

3 Risks of Not Tracking Your Homeschool Lessons (Even If They’re Laid-Out)

October 8, 2017 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I’m sharing 3 risks of not tracking homeschool lessons.Too, I have hundreds more free homeschool planner forms on my page Homeschool Planner.

I get asked all the time that if you’re using laid-out lesson plans is it necessary to lesson track.

My answer is always the same — YES. 

Tracking homeschool lessons is different than lesson planning although they are linked.

3 Risks of Not Tracking Homeschool Lessons {Even Using Laid-Out Lesson Plans}. Having tracked lesson plans from the beginning prepared me for record keeping in the higher grades, but there are other reasons. Check out these SUPER helpful lesson tracking tips! #homeschooling

DON’T CONFUSE LESSON TRACKING WITH LESSON PLANNING

Look at these 3 risks of not tracking your homeschool lessons even if you’re using laid-out lesson plans.

One/ Kids can advance to a higher level mid-year. You want to be ready.

I had one son who struggled with spelling consistently each year until middle school.

He jumped a whole year in our spelling curriculum and I was ready to pull the trigger because I was tracking his progress.

I was writing down the words he was struggling with, writing down the errors he was making in his usage, and having him review his errors.

Checking off boxes is not tracking progress, it just shows completion.

3 Risks of Not Tracking Homeschool Lessons Even if You Use Laid Out Lesson Plans. Scoot by and check out the AWESOME tips!

If you don’t track progress, it’s easy to fall in a public school mindset.

For example, instead of homeschooling for mastery or being ready to move to another level in a subject, you may think that completing a laid-out curriculum is key to mastery.

Don’t fall for the mindset that completing a laid-out curriculum equates with your child mastering concepts. It does not.

Tracking and writing out progress lets you see a true picture of what is going on each day. Completing laid-out lesson plans means just that. It doesn’t always mean success.

I’ve always referred to my well-written notes although I didn’t start off that way.

Two/ NOTHING can replace your well-guided tweaks to a lesson plan.

The second thing I’ve learned is to not forget one of the most fundamental reasons that brought me to homeschooling which is to adjust the curriculum to meet each of my kids’ needs.

When I track lesson plans, I can adjust them immediately to fit my sons’ needs for the current moment.

For example, early on I could tell that one of my sons was advancing quite rapidly in math. Instead of having him do all the math lessons, I would pick and choose the problems.

Other days I had him do only the odds or evens.

Tweaking lessons plans and tracking his progress while using a laid-out math curriculum, I knew he could maintain practice in whatever skill he was learning. But he could also move ahead.

If I hadn’t tracked his work in a lesson planner, it would’ve been very frustrating for him.

Early homeschool planners while I've been lesson planning and tracking for years.

Doing work that has been previously mastered is a turn off for kids who are advanced or gifted and can cause them burn out.

Then, as homeschool parents we wonder why our kids hate a subject that was previously loved.

Tracking progress on a lesson planning page you’re tweaking is key to looking back and planning forward.

Also, having a place to track your tweaks made to laid-out lesson plans reminds you of the progress your child is making or problems he is having.

Three/ Lesson planning and lesson tracking are inextricably linked when you need to view progress and when preparing for older grades.

Another reason lesson tracking is critical is because it prepares you for teaching the older grades.

It’s the difference between sailing effortlessly into teaching high school and drowning in feelings of being overwhelmed.

Lesson planning early on equals awesome record keeping in the older grades. See how over at seasoned veteran Tina Robertson's blog.

Doing both lesson planning and lesson tracking, the high school years were a cinch from a record keeping standpoint.

More important to me was that I had a good pulse on the skill level of my rising high school teen because I had journaled and tracked his progress along the way even while using boxed curriculum.

A teacher’s manual is a guide. Your lesson tracking is your child’s unique visual map of his strengths and weaknesses.

Through the years, it’s been easy to look back and read my notes on each child’s progress. Immediately I could adjust either my lesson plans I created or tweaked laid-out lesson plans.

PURPOSEFUL HOMESCHOOL LESSON TRACKING

I’ve come a long way since creating my own planners way back and I know you’ll really love my detailed and beautiful pages to use for either tracking or lesson planning.

Beautiful, colorful and detailed Glam It Up Homeschool Planner over at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

(This is the Glammed Up Option – don’t you love it?)

You’ll gain some other valuable seasoned tips from these posts:

  • How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Lesson Planning Pages THIS Year
  •  Lesson Planning Backwards! Part 1 of 2. 
  • Homeschool Lesson Planning Backwards Part 2 of 2. 
  • How to Write a Simple But Effective Homeschool Lesson Plan

Hugs and love ya,

1 CommentFiled Under: Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Gauge Homeschool Progress, Homeschool Planner, Homeschool Simply, How To - - -, Teach/Which Subjects to Teach/Cover EVERYTHING Tagged With: curriculum planner, homeschool planner, homeschoolplanner, homeschoolplanning, lesson planner, lessonplanning

Wipe Out Self-Doubt: 13 Ways to Show Homeschool Progress (And How I Know My Sons Got It)

September 25, 2017 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Working in the sun 7 days a week and 12 hour days as insurance auto adjusters, my sons have been walking down rows and rows of thousands of cars as they’ve been processing insurance claims at their job.

The vehicles are owned by persons affected by Hurricane Harvey. Recently, the insurance company considerably reduced the amount of staff needed to work the claims; they kept only 5 people to finish up.

My two sons were part of the 5 kept. By the way, although they have worked doing various things, this has been their first real life (don’t you just hate when people use that word with us) job.

THIS is How I Know My Homeschooled Sons Got It

How do they measure up in their first real life job? One of their bosses told the team, “It’s hard to find kids in this generation with a work ethic like these two boys. They are prompt, do what they’re told, work well with the team, and work without complaining.”

Just prior to the boss speaking, the other employees had called attention to the fact that my boys have been homeschooled.

Homeschool progress, achievement, and success is measured differently by everybody.

And you know it’s not been my style to talk a lot about my sons’ achievements. I want my son’s to explore their options during and after homeschool without feeling the need to perform for the public.

However, I do know, like me, you want to know that your day to day efforts of homeschooling are working.

And letting you know how I know that my homeschooled sons got it, I hope that if you’re having nagging feelings of self-doubt that you’ll put them to rest today.

When a student takes initiative in his school every day that practice spills over to real life. Rigorous academics builds character. Giving your kids freedom to demonstrate mastery equips them with a can do spirit that will stick into adulthood.

What I’m saying is that there is a connection between rigorous academics while homeschooling and success later.

I have rounded up 13 ways to show homeschool progress. And although I didn’t use all of them with my older boys, I used a lot of them. Too, not every idea will work with every topic, but they give you a starting point.

ONE/ Student made maps.

Mapmaking and geography for homeschool study. Check out the tips!

Whether you choose for a student to draw a map from memory or label one teaching concepts get mastered.

WonderMaps by Bright Ideas Press

Wondermaps have been our choice of maps. Whatever time period my boys are working on, we can use them as a blank outline or add as much information to them as we want to.

TWO/Field trip notes.

I’ve always insisted that my sons come back with at least three key things we learned on our field trips. Not only was it fun, but I was enforcing that learning takes place outside of a book.

THREE/ Student made powerpoints or webquests.

FOUR/ Create a timeline.

FIVE/ Engage in a mock discussion. If need be, create a limited time co-op.

SIX/ Write narratives.

Writing narrative is a great way for an older student to demonstrate that he understands a subject.

SEVEN/ Student made presentations.

Presentations have been a huge part of not only recognizing achievement but gave my sons impetus to create excellent work. You don’t have to have something as formal as a co-op, but even a small family audience will work.

EIGHT/ Teach the subject back to you or to one of his siblings.

NINE/Keeping a journal.

TEN/Create a song.

ELEVEN/Create a play.

TWELVE/Oral discussions.

Oral discussions with my sons is one way I was able to gauge their progress in literature.

If they couldn’t go beyond telling me the basics of a story using proper literary terms, I knew they really didn’t put forth effort to engage with the literature.

THIRTEEN/ Narration.

Narration is a Charlotte Mason technique that I incorporated into our unit studies. If a child can’t tell back what he read, he doesn’t really understand it. Look at my tips at my post Narration – Telling Back or Testing? Books that Make Teaching Narration Easy Peazy.

Although my sons job right now is tough, it works for them while they are still taking courses. And I’m just as proud of their work ethic as I am of any academic grade they make.

I’ve learned that my focus on cultivating their attitude was just as important as nurturing their aptitude. You can have both.

When a student takes initiative in his school every day that practice spills over to real life. Rigorous academics builds character. Giving your kids freedom to demonstrate mastery equips them with a can do spirit that will stick into adulthood. Grab these 13 creative ways for your child to show mastery! #homeschool

Tests are important, but they’ll never be able to prepare a homeschool child for facing real life. Try one or two of these ways above for your child to demonstrate progress.

Also, you’ll love these articles!

  • Gauging Homeschool Progress – Masters of their Material?
  • Teach Your Homeschooled Teen the Art of Studying (without nagging)
  • Editable Progress/Report Card for Teen

Hugs and love

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Gauge Homeschool Progress Tagged With: homeschool, homeschool joy, homeschool joys, homeschoolprogress, middleschool, tests

8 Colossal Pitfalls of Homeschooling in the WHAT IF World

September 19, 2017 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When I imagine how things are going to be, I tend to be dramatic. Is that a nice way of saying I can be delusional? The pitfalls of homeschooling are plenty if you let them sidetrack you from your vision. Instead of losing vision, hone your goals.

For example, when I started homeschooling, I had visions of children eager to learn each day around our little public school desk. My house would be kept tidy every day. And laundry would never get more than a load or two behind. Supper would be on the table at 5:00 p.m. on the dot. Delusional I am telling you.

DELUSIONAL HOMESCHOOLING OR DELIBERATE HOMESCHOOLING

High levels of confidence, conviction, and fortitude wane easily and can be completely sucked out of us if we enter the what if . . . world of homeschooling.

Look at these potential 8 colossal pitfalls, if you let them.

What if

. . . I start to homeschool and my children get behind?

Guess what? They will. That is what catching up is about. Look at my article, Am I Doing Enough When Homeschooling.

. . . I choose not to test my children. Will I be doing them a disservice?

Look here at my tips about how to measure progress at my article, Narration – Telling Back or Testing? Books that Make Teaching Narration Easy Peazy.

. . . I’m not a creative person? I might be the most boring teacher.

You may, but you can change and learn too.

Look at how I did it at my article, Easy Hands on Homeschooling Ideas When You’re Not the Bomb Mom and 7 Homeschool Lies I Want to Tell My Younger Self.

. . . I can’t find friends for my children?

Unless you plan to homeschool your kids under a rock, there will be so much interaction over the course of your journey.

Look how we did it at my article, Socialization – A Homeschool Hallucination and I Am Homeschooling Because I Want My Kids Socialized.

. . . I decide that I want to put my child back in public school?

Before you do that, look at my tips at It’s a New Homeschool Year and My Child Wants to Go Back to Public School and Why My Homeschooled Kids Are Not Given the Choice to Go to Public School.

. . . my health or my children’s health prevent me from homeschooling?

Yes, that may happen. Look at how I dealt with in my article, Taking a Hit Doesn’t Mean to Quit– Homeschooling Through Crisis.

. . . while I’m pregnant I may not do my kids justice because I am too sick to teach them?

Hopefully, you put your health first if that time comes and realize that you’re teaching your kids way more than academics.

. . . I am not prepared for the upper grades?

All the preparing in the world won’t matter if you don’t have you teen’s heart. You can learn academics right alongside your teen. Focus on the relationship too.

And look at my articles in my blog category How to Homeschool Teens to Graduation.

COMBATING HOMESCHOOL PARALYSIS

We resist the urge to homeschool in the what if . . . world by applying these C tips.

Commitment.

Having practical teaching tips is important, however, that can be gleaned over any period of time.

Commitment is attached to an obligation. In some ways, I view my commitment to homeschooling like the marriage vow I made to my husband 23 years ago.

It is a guarantee that I will do everything in my power to make it work. Is a long term commitment for “just a year”?

View your homeschooling journey as a long term commitment.

Instead of bringing stress by applying pressure on your child to perform, start thinking of milestone markers. We plant certain milestone markers we want to reach for the long term.

Camaraderie.

Even though we can be consumed with the “nuts and bolts” of how to lesson plan, or how to teach writing, how to teach reading, or how to prepare a top notch high school transcript, it is the companionship of other homeschoolers that is the true glue that makes us stick to homeschooling.

In the camaraderie of our local homeschool support groups, summer homeschooling conventions, blogs and on line support groups, there is always somebody who understands our similar circumstances.

Conscientious.

Though many of us may live in states or countries where we do not need to test or keep attendance, our being attentive to our duties as parent and teacher keep us principled.

We do not adopt laxed attitudes about our house, our school, our worship, or our families. Again, we let go of the what if . . . world because our heart and conscience are stronger forces than any test score and they can motivate us to keep going.

My dramatic idealist person has not completely left, but my sons have done their work on many types of desks.

We eat meals close enough to 5:00 and there is always a load or two of laundry I could do.

The homeschooling what if . . . world is full of worry and guilt. Resist the urge along the way to re-enter it.

What counts in a journey is the ending!

The pitfalls of homeschooling are plenty if you let them sidetrack you from your vision. Instead of losing vision, hone your goals. High levels of confidence, conviction, and fortitude wane easily and can be completely sucked out of us if we enter the "what if . . ." world of homeschooling. Look at these potential 8 colossal pitfalls, if you let them. Click here.

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Begin Homeschooling, Build Character in Homeschooled Kids, Gauge Homeschool Progress, Homeschool During Crisis Tagged With: homeschool, homeschool challenges, homeschool crisis, homeschool joy, homeschool joys, new homeschooler

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