Easy, Simple, Less is More Homeschool - and I Mean It

Recently I made two purchases for myself for this upcoming homeschool year that have made a huge impact on me. I bought Sherry Hayes book  Homeschool Sanity and I purchased the Easy Homeschooling Library by Lorraine Curry. Spending money on homeschool material is rare for me. I spend a lot of time finding free advice online. But this time I felt that these resources would be helpful and were worth paying for. And I am glad to say that I was not disappointed.

Last year I made a lot of changes in our school more than once during the school year. We changed curriculum and methods midstream on several occasions. We were all over the place with worksheets, notebooking, Charlotte Mason techniques, Ambleside Online, and only God remembers what else. Did I mention that I changed things up several times? 

I really was aiming for a smooth homeschool year but obviously that didn't happen. Nothing seemed to be working  quite right. I am thankful that I found Sherry Hayes' blog a few weeks ago. She is a huge advocate of using oldie but goodie PD books. And she has figured out how to homeschool 15 children in a simple, yet effective way. That is quite a feat. So, I decided to glean all I could from her, and from Lorraine Curry - another homeschool veteran.

And I just kept being brought back to the same principles.

- Keep God foremost in our homeschool.

- Keep it simple.

- Use classic literature.

- Do nature studies.

- Do a lot of reading (out loud and independently).

I have wrestled with all of these concepts before (not with putting God first but with all the others). I have even given Charlotte Mason a try. Her philosophies line up very closely with these principles. But my public school institutionalized self kept fighting against me. I just couldn't shake the feeling that simple equated to "not enough". But the other part of me really believed that keeping school simple is the right way to go with our family. I believed God didn't intend for school to be so hard. 

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30 

Another huge problem that I was having was that I just couldn't figure out how to use public domain texts in our modern day homeschool. I had a very inconsistent approach. But between the two resources I listed above, that is no longer an issue. I feel like I have a good, simple, and viable plan for homeschool for the first time ever. Praise God!

The Plan

So this is what we will using for homeschool next year. 

• English - McGuffey's Eclectic Readers 
• Math - Ray's Arithmetic and math manipulatives
• Drawing - Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes and Willie's First Drawing Lessons
• Science - public domain (PD) children's books about nature and nature studies using Handbook of Nature Study
• Penmanship - copywork from the Bible
• Social Studies - PD books
• Bible Study - reading from the KJV, scripture memorization

On paper that may seem like a lot. But I assure you that I will make sure it's not. I know that Charlotte Mason was right on point when she said that lessons should be kept short. "Less is More" is my new homeschool philosophy.

Changing Education Paradigms

Here is some thought provoking ideas about how our educational system needs to change. Check out this cool animation that demonstrates Ken Robinson's ideas on changing education paradigms.

4 reasons to keep your home schooled children away from the T.V.

Here is a guest post by Faige Kobre.

Many parents, I have learned, have a problem limiting the television consumption of their children. It would therefor, seem to be reasonable to believe that parents that home school their children may have an even more difficult time doing so , since the television temptation is in front of their children's noses all day long. If however, you home school your children and you realize how detrimental most T.V. watching is then it will motivate you to keep your children as far away from the T.V. set as possible.

There have been many studies done that have documented the terrible effect television has had on society and children in particular.  One of the most shocking things to me was to learn that television programmers don't think of television as existing to inform, entertain  and to educate, but that it exists totally to sell and to advertise products. Its purpose is to gather an audience and to create a feeling of hunger and need in us. Is it no wonder then, that children of today are so bored and needy. As a result commercialism  is the end result of too much television watching. The more kids watch the more they want to buy.

The second glaring study about too much T.V. watching is how it impairs cognitive development. Kids stay up too late watching shows, don't get enough sleep and cannot concentrate ins school. The TV shows are very quick moving and have overstimulating images and fast paced action. It is very difficult to keep children attention after being subjected to so much of this. Not getting enough sleep and being overstimulated just kills the children's attention levels.

Television also impedes imagination. Kids who watch a lot of television have less imagination as it has been proven to depress creativity and decrease imaginative play. Parents that want to encourage their children's creativity would be best off giving them all kinds of creative crafts that will stimulate their creativity and not suppress it. Even if you don't have a specific educational philosophy like  the Reggio Emilia philosophy,  nobody wants their children's cognitive levels to be impaired. This probably applies more to parents that home school, than parents of children in public and private schools as they are being home schooled to get the many benefits it brings. Don't ruin the benefits of the home schooling you are giving your children by allowing them to spend too much time in front of the TV.

Today's guest blogger feels strongly that television has very little place in homeschool. In our homeschool the television is off most days of the week. If it pertains to our lessons then we will watch an educational program on Netflix, such as Sid the Science Kid. This past year our entire elementary science curriculum was based around Beakman's World.

So, I am not at all opposed to using the television in a limited way for educational purposes. But I do agree wholeheartedly that constantly plopping the children down in front of the television for hours on end is not beneficial.

Homeschool management tips for new homeschoolers

Today we have a guest post.

Homeschooling families make their home the center of their life — their base, from which everything is planned, and where they often spend a large part of the day. Educating kids at home changes more than the way we run our households. It affects every area of our lives. In my family, homeschooling goes hand in hand with working from home, for instance. Simply said, that means that we create a terrible mess every day, and that we have a lot of different things to plan to keep everything running smoothly. How?

Time management

Everyone notes that small children thrive on routines, but that doesn't sound very spontaneous, does it? I thought random adventures, starting school after enjoying a lazy breakfast together, and fitting my work-at-home job in there somewhere sounded much nicer. My children did great with a learning-centered but largely unscheduled home, but my work suffered and the house was in a terrible state. After a few months, I rediscovered the wheel and accepted that time management helps immensely.

Try scheduling school for all children and working hours for the parents, as well as shopping, outings, and household duties in advance. Write them all in a diary together (either on the computer or on "old-fashioned" paper), and also give each family member their own planner. Get your kids involved in managing the home as much as possible if you want to free up time. Yes, this is possible! Admittedly, I feel guilty for making my kids clean up after themselves, but I do feel a little better when I think they won't be slobs like me when they grow up :). I find that tidying up after each and every school subject or other project saves time.

Accept you are not superwoman

If you decided to homeschool, you obviously placed your children's education at the top of your priority list. It's fine to move doing laundry and keeping the house immaculately clean to the lower half of that list. One person' can't do everything, and trying to be perfect will just burn you out. Accept that you are doing the best you can, and get a cleaning professional to help with the house if you can afford it. Are you pregnant or homeschooling with a newborn? In that case, cut yourself some additional slack in the household department, and be very content that you can accomplish homeschooling. During pregnancy, you may want to look into some less teacher-intensive curricula (to pull out at least on those days that you feel extremely tired).

Where do you school?

Experiment with doing school in different places in and out of the house for a while. Homeschooling at the kitchen table fits in with the cliche, but does it work best for you? IS it possible to have a dedicated school room, fitted out just the way you need it? Ours has a table where both kids and a parent can sit, a computer desk, and lots of storage space. The biggest advantage of having a school room is that you can limit the school-related mess to one room. In the summer, you may also like to school outdoors. In the winter, try taking one child to a cafe for a hot coco and some math!

Look after yourself, too

Children learn much better with a motivated, energetic teacher. Make sure to claim some time for yourself, to relax and unwind. Whether it's reading a book by yourself, jogging in the park and working on weight loss after pregnancy, or grabbing lunch with a friend and no kids, you definitely deserve to make space for your own needs. In fact, your household probably floats your your sanity, so it is well worth investing in that!

Olivia is a homeschooling mom of two. She blogs about fertility, pregnancy, and beyond at Trying To Conceive.

Fun Ways to Help Your Community

Today's guest blogger shares some ideas on how to be beneficial in your community. Many of these ideas can be used to teach homeschoolers how to become more involved in the world around them.

If you're looking to make a contribution to your community in a more substantial way there are many avenues you can explore. What makes a community is the people working together to help make your block, neighborhood, city or town worth living in.

Volunteer
If you're new to volunteering you may maintain the antiquated notion that giving back has to be boring. Not true. Depending on your interests you can help your community in ways that also give you joy.

• Love animals? Why not help out at a local shelter or walk dogs for senior citizens who are no longer as mobil as they once were?
  
• If you love children you could assist at your local hospital to make sure babies in incubation get human interaction.
  
• Or maybe you have carpentry skills you'd like to put to use – there are many non-profits out there helping families in need by building or repairing their homes at low or no cost.
  
• Don't forget to consider giving the gift of literacy or a second language to those in need.

No matter what you interests there will most likely be numerous ways you can find to help give back.

Support Local Businesses
Yep, one of the best ways to make your town a great place to live is to support independent artists and businesses. Granted, the national chain stores often offer convenience and sometimes lower prices but what do they do to help contribute to the feel of a community? If you take pride in where you live give back by keeping your money circulating locally whenever possible.

Radio Rockstar
Volunteering as a DJ at your local college station is about as much fun you can have while giving back. Many local radio stations have been drastically affected by funding cutbacks and fewer donations from listeners – to help offset costs, many radio hosts work for free.

 Love music and want to share it with the community? Contact your local college stations to see if they have any openings. If the station doesn't initially have openings then ask to sign up as a substitute host, as needed. Once you're around long enough there's a better than average bet that you'll soon get your own time slot. Worried because you've never DJ'd before? Don't worry, the station will train you.

Join a Co-Op
If interested in exceptional health food or fitness gear you might want to look into the advantages of joining a co-op. The idea is that you pay a certain manageable amount every month or year, in exchange for deals on quality items. The theory is that you, in essence, own the store where you shop. In addition to feeling invested in the success of the business these types of establishments tend to make more of an effort to hear what their customers have to say.

And you thought making a difference would be painful or boring. The truth is you can often express yourself creatively, use skills that can make a difference and help make your community an even better place to live.

Written by Erin Nolan. Getting money back from a ppi insurance premium? Spend it locally!

5 Ways to Help Your Kids Connect to Their New Neighborhood

Today's guest post is very timely for our family. We are moving from Texas to California. So we will definitely put a couple of these tips into practice. I am especially looking forward to checking out the libraries in our (soon to be) new town.

Moving to a new neighborhood can be difficult, especially for young children. They are forced to leave their childhood home, their friends and the only neighborhood they have ever known. This transition can be even more difficult for a child that is homeschooled. While most children gain friendships through interactions at school, a homeschooled student has to work twice as hard to find friends in their new neighborhood. If you are the parent of a homeschooled child, here are 5 ways you can help her to connect to her new neighborhood after a move. 

Help Her Join a Team

While your son or daughter may not be able to join their school’s basketball or softball team, there are plenty of club teams and just-for-fun leagues that are always accepting new members. Being a part of a sports team is not only a great way to make friends; it will also help your child to stay in shape and learn to work as part of a unit with group of kids. If your child isn’t interested in sports, give the scouts a try. Your child can learn valuable life skills and make new friends at the same time. 

Take Walks around the Neighborhood

In some neighborhoods this is easier said than done, but if you are lucky enough to live in a place where you can go for a walk with you child take the opportunity to familiarize yourself with your new surroundings and introduce yourself to as many people as possible. You may find that there are other kids your child’s age living just around the corner. Set up a play date for them to get to know each other better.

Get a Library Card

We often think of the library as a quiet place to read and study. The library is also a great place for your kids to make new friends. Libraries often organize readings, movie nights and other types of get-togethers designed for kids of all-ages. Does your child love Choose Your Own Adventure or G.A. Henty books? The library is a great place for your child to meet kids that are into the same types of books that they are. A shared love of Harry Potter could blossom into a lifelong friendship. 

Sign Your Child up for a Class

Just because your child doesn’t attend a traditional school that doesn’t mean that they can’t attend afterschool classes offered in the community. Does your child like to dance, cook or paint? Afterschool classes are a great way for your child to improve a skill while meeting dozens of kids with the same interest. Having trouble picking out a class? Try signing your child up for Spanish, French or Chinese classes. Not only will they be introduced to an extremely helpful new skill, they will also be introduced to a new culture, new foods and new friends. 

Make Friends with Your Neighbors

There is no better resource in your new neighborhood than the people who live down the street. Take the time to invite your new neighbors over to a housewarming party or just knock on their doors and say hello. Even if they don’t have children that are your child’s age, they will be able to give you a better idea of where the neighborhood kids like to hang out, what activities they are into and where you can connect with other parents. By building your social network you will not only help your child to make friends, you will make a few new friends yourself. 

Author Bio: Kenny Soto is a blogger for MyMove.com. Visit MyMove.com for tips, customizable checklists and hand-picked deals to make moving more rewarding and less stressful.

Considering Home Schooling? Consider These Legal Issues

It is important to know the laws regarding homeschooling in your state. This guest article gives an overview of some of the issues that may be relevant where you live. Also, one of the best sites to find out the legal ins and outs of educating your children at home is the HSLDA. That's the first place I looked when I found out we were moving to a different state.

An increasing number of parents are, for a wide variety of reasons, thinking about home-schooling their children. The reasons for this include concerns about the quality of education in public schools, inability to afford private school, a desire to teach a curriculum grounded in the family’s religious or philosophical beliefs, and many others.

In all 50 states in the U.S., home schooling is legal. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children. This decision gives the governments of individual states a good deal of authority to regulate the practice of home schooling, including the subjects that are taught in such schools, as they see fit.

And as you might imagine, the nature and scope of these regulations vary widely from state to state.

Wherever you live in the United States, it’s important that you do your research on the laws that apply to home schooling, since the intent of this article is not to provide a comprehensive survey of the laws related to home schooling in all 50 states. However, it will provide some information about the legal issues that come up most frequently when a parent decides to home school their child.

State Regulation of Home School Curriculums

Although all states in the U.S. allow parents to home school their children, they also have a strong interest in ensuring that all children receive a minimum standard of education, whether it’s in public school, a private school, or home school.

For that reason, most states require that certain subjects be taught in all schools, including home schools. They typically include mathematics, reading, writing, science, and history. The requirements differ somewhat from state to state, however. Many education companies, as well as non-profit organizations, produce curriculums in these subjects, designed for parents who are home schooling their children. This allows parents to teach these courses even if they are not experts in all of those subjects, especially when teaching them at lower levels.

Some states require parents who are home schooling their children above a certain class level to have a state teacher’s certificate, or to be licensed tutors.

However, many states do not have this requirement.

This means that either educational or social services authorities may have access to your home, in order to ensure that the home and educational environment are conducive to the child/student receiving a quality education.

Teaching Religious Subjects at Home Schools

One of the most often-cited reasons for choosing to home school is a desire of parents to teach students in accordance with their religious or philosophical views.

In general, the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion gives parents wide-ranging discretion to teach religious subjects in a home school environment. It would be very difficult for a state government to justify allowing home schooling while prohibiting religious instruction in home schools. Any attempt to do so would likely be held unconstitutional by either a state or federal court.

However, as mentioned earlier, state governments can, and do, mandate that certain subjects be taught in the home school setting. Setting up a home school for religious purposes does not create an exception to this rule. While parents may teach whatever religious subjects they like in addition to the required subjects, they cannot replace the required subjects with religious teachings.

Miscellaneous

There are many other rules that may apply to home schooling in your state. It’s important for you to research the relevant laws governing home schooling in your state.

However, there are a few more rules present in most states that can be discussed here. For example, in most states, all courses in home school must be taught in English – with the obvious exception of a foreign language class.

Also, most states require home schools to be in session more or less at the same time as other schools. So, classes have to be taught during the day, 5 days a week. Furthermore, classes must run for a standard school year – usually a minimum of 170-180 days. Again, the specifics vary from state to state.

Finally, it’s important to understand the need to cooperate with state and local authorities that are responsible for regulating home schooling in their jurisdictions. While some of the things home schooling parents may have to submit to, such as making regular reports to the school district, and teaching subjects required by the state, may seem intrusive, these rules exist for a reason.

Like it or not, we live in an interconnected society, where nothing occurs in a vacuum. So whether they’re educated at home or in public schools, your children will eventually grow up to be adults, and, by extension, members of society. The state therefore has an interest in ensuring that as many people as possible enter society (and, almost as importantly, the workforce) with a decent education.

Conclusion

As you can see, the rules affecting home schooling are numerous, and can sometimes get pretty complicated. This article is not a comprehensive guide to the legal issues that you can face as a result of home schooling your children, and if you require detailed information on the subject, you should contact your state’s education authorities, and/or an attorney, either of whom will be able to advise you further.

John Richards writes for the LegalMatch.com Law Blog and LegalMatch.com. This blog post is not intended to serve as legal advice. It is offered for informational purposes only. Only an attorney licensed to practice law in your state is qualified to give you legal advice.