School this Fall

Well, the Summer is passing quickly, as it always does! I am trying not to stress over preparations for this coming school year. As many of you know, I was homeschooled myself from Kindergarten (back when it was practically illegal!) up through my highschool graduation. I have a great memory of my childhood and remember pretty clearly what curriculum worked well for my siblings and I, which books we loved and what books we despised. This knowledge has definitely given me a head start and extra confidence, but there are so many options out there and new publishers springing up all the time.



My oldest daughter is going to be 6 this Fall and will be working at the 1st grade level. I've pieced together a variety of books and activities for her over the past couple years to cover Preschool and Kindergarten level work. I've purchased a lot of stuff at Dollar Tree, library book sales, Costco and Amazon. Not to mention all the free stuff found on-line and in my mom's home library. She has tested at a 2nd grade reading level and 1st grade math level. Even though her birth date is on the line between placing her in Kindergarten or 1st grade, we'll proceed with first grade level curriculum. I feel that with her officially starting 1st grade, it is time to get serious!

I want to share my journey with you through the vast sea of curriculum choices. I haven't made any final decisions yet, but I wanted to share what I am currently looking into. Though I was homeschooled myself, this will be my first child starting out in homeschooling. I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old following behind her. I am also departing on this journey with a friend and her son who will be in 2nd grade. My hope is to find a curriculum that is all-encompassing, complete, with an easy to use teachers guide, lots of customization options and flexibility, i want it to follow the classical education and Charlotte Mason models, to be literature rich and use lots of stories that bring history to life, oh and I want it to be cheap! Am I asking too much? We shall see...

If money was no object, I would totally just purchase, without question, a complete package through Sonlight Curriculum. My family used this for years, and we loved it! But a complete package through them can cost $800+ dollars. You get A LOT of stuff for your money, but still, that's a lot of money. Their packages can also be used for multiple siblings at various grade levels, which helps cut the cost for families with multiple school age kids. Of course, the advantage I have that my parents did not, is the invention of ebay, craigslist and Amazon used books. No matter what curriculum path I choose to follow, I will always explore the option of piecing things together individually, be it used or discounted.

Follow my trail! Here is a list of the places I have stopped in at this week:

1. Cathy Duffy Reviews - Number one site for reviews! Buy her e-book for a complete list, some of her reviews are available free on this site
2. Sonlight Curriculum - Somewhat pricey, but a great curriculum that is super fun!
3. My Fathers World Curriculum - A top contender for this Fall
4. Heart of Dakota Publishing - An other top contender for this Fall
5. Calvert Homeschool - A serious education with live support and optional teacher involvement/assessment, but it will cost you over $1,000 a year. Not for me.
6. Christian Liberty Press - A basic package of everything you'd need, without a lot of extras. No reading books included. Uses basic text books, so it would be up to you to supplement with stories and activities to bring things to life. Not a bad price though; around $150 for younger grades, $200 for older students.
7. The Well Trained Mind
8. CBD: Homeschooling
9. 10 Tips

My main focuses is to find a good math and science curriculum that works well with my daughter's learning style, build a history program that is literature rich and works through time chronologically, then add in handwriting, spelling, Bible, etc. I want my friend and I, who has the son in 2nd grade, to be on the same page in history (literally!). To work through stories from history and read the same classic literature pieces, so that our kids have that continuity and we can team up for field trips and reports that support the period we are studying. I also want to lay the groundwork, so that when my two youngest children are school age, they can jump in on the same time period in history we are currently studying, only using their own age specific math, science, reading level books, etc.

 Has anyone out there used Heart of Dakota or My Fathers World curriculum? I am currently searching for reviews. Keep checking in and sharing insights from your own journey through curriculum choices!
~Sarah

FREE Dolley Madison Unit Study

We are excited to start offering Unit Studies to compliment your child's learning! We have begun work on a series covering America's First Ladies, intended for children in Kindergarten through Second Grade. Our first release is entitled: Dolley Madison: A First Lady with Style


Free Dolley Madison Unit Study 

Click on the link to be directed to our store where the PDF file can be downloaded free for a limited time. We hope you enjoy and welcome your feedback to help guide our efforts on the next installment to this series. Download yours today!!

We have so many ideas and projects in the works that we are excited to reveal! Our goal is to produce quality, affordable, materials to supplement your home educating experience. These resources may be used in addition to your primary curriculum, or as a way of supplementing at-home learning during the school year or while on Summer break. Keep checking back as we add these resources to our store.

Progress Reports (revisited)

Originally posted March 1, 2012 This deserves a repeat! 

There are moms that constantly brag about their kid's accomplishments, to the point of annoyance. Then, there are moms that are so focused on what their kids are NOT accomplishing that it's disturbing. Secretly, many of the moms that are bragging about accomplishments are still inwardly comparing their kids to everyone else, hoping to stay ahead of the game. Many mom's suffer anxiety over what their kids aren't doing, what milestones they have not reached and if anyone else has noticed. We live in a society where the comparison game will drive you insane! We're given check lists of what our kids should be doing and when. The problem is, no kid is the same. God has created us all uniquely and individually. Your kid may not fit the mold or even come close to resembling the mold! Click the link to continue:

Early intervention is extremely helpful for some children, yes. But the system is flawed, because it assumes that all children develop at the same pace. Use milestone check lists as a very loose guideline, but don't get too freaked out if your child falls behind in any one area. My girls were slower verbal developers, but they were both running and jumping by 10 months. My 5 year old LOVES art, crafts, activity, reading, words, phonics, etc. (right brained, ya think?) but is struggling with "getting" anything numbers and math oriented. I am the same way! One of the best parts about homeschooling is that I can keep her moving ahead in the areas she is excelling, while taking extra time to focus on the things she is not grasping yet. We work at her pace, not a nation-wide, general pace set by the average student.     

I am one of those moms that got freaked out early-on, when I saw other kids progressing faster than my daughter. Isn't it just crazy that at 6 months, we're already comparing our kids and taking note of the things that they're doing in comparison with everyone else? Wait a second, it starts earlier than that! How about within the first week of life? We've been programed to search for something that will give us bragging rights, something that will immediately label our child as "above average." Whether it be, how early they sit up, how early they say their first word, how early they start reading, at what age they master algebra or graduate high school. It's a never-ending comparison game! Have you lost your mind yet? 

Today, I sat down to write up a progress report for my 5 year old. Initially, I was just curious to compile a list of the academic milestones she has reached and see how it measures up with the national average. I was again reminded of how far she has come. I am so quick to get down about the areas she is struggling in, but God really reminded me how blessed I am by all the things she CAN do! I ended up making lists for all 3 kids, writing down as many positive things that I could think of. I would recommend for anyone that is getting freaked out over what their kids AREN'T doing, to make a list of all the things they CAN do! Pray for your child and thank God for blessing you with their life. Your child may have been diagnosed with a learning disability or have mental and physical limitations - thank God for their accomplishments and talents! These may include things like: being kind, sensitive, having a joyful personality, affectionate, etc. Assessment has it's place, but remember that each child is unique, "fearfully and wonderfully made!" 

~Sarah

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.-Psalm 139:13-16

Getting Started Homeschooling

I wanted to pass this on because it is so good for anyone setting off on the road to homeschooling. It is the perfect time to start planing if you hope to begin homeschooling for the first time this coming Fall. You have plenty of time! I've referenced this site before, but go ahead, start here at confessionsofahomeschooler.com I am loving her stuff more and more. It is all so well organized and inspirational. I am still in the process of working through all this info myself, but I love, love, love her opening line in the post entitled 10 Days of Homeschool Enrichment:

"Homeschooling is a ministry"

Take time to read through this info, and break it up into the 10 day plan that she has outlined.

10 Days of Homeschool Enrichment

Happy reading! ~Sarah

Progress Reports

There are moms that constantly brag about their kid's accomplishments, to the point of annoyance. Then, there are moms that are so focused on what their kids are NOT accomplishing that it's disturbing. Secretly, many of the moms that are bragging about accomplishments are still inwardly comparing their kids to everyone else, hoping to stay ahead of the game. Many mom's suffer anxiety over what their kids aren't doing, what milestones they have not reached and if anyone else has noticed. We live in a society where the comparison game will drive you insane! We're given check lists of what our kids should be doing and when. The problem is, no kid is the same. God has created us all uniquely and individually. Your kid may not fit the mold or even come close to resembling the mold!

Early intervention is extremely helpful for some children, yes. But the system is flawed, because it assumes that all children develop at the same pace. Use milestone check lists as a very loose guideline, but don't get too freaked out if your child falls behind in any one area. My girls were slower verbal developers, but they were both running and jumping by 10 months. My 5 year old LOVES art, crafts, activity, reading, words, phonics, etc. (right brained, ya think?) but is struggling with "getting" anything numbers and math oriented. I am the same way! One of the best parts about homeschooling is that I can keep her moving ahead in the areas she is excelling, while taking extra time to focus on the things she is not grasping yet. We work at her pace, not a nation-wide, general pace set by the average student. 

I am one of those moms that got freaked out early-on, when I saw other kids progressing faster than my daughter. Isn't it just crazy that at 6 months, we're already comparing our kids and taking note of the things that they're doing in comparison with everyone else? Wait a second, it starts earlier than that! How about within the first week of life? We've been programed to search for something that will give us bragging rights, something that will immediately label our child as "above average." Whether it be, how early they sit up, how early they say their first word, how early they start reading, at what age they master algebra or graduate high school. It's a never-ending comparison game! Have you lost your mind yet? 

Today, I sat down to write up a progress report for my 5 year old. Initially, I was just curious to compile a list of the academic milestones she has reached and see how it measures up with the national average. I was again reminded of how far she has come. I am so quick to get down about the areas she is struggling in, but God really reminded me how blessed I am by all the things she CAN do! I ended up making lists for all 3 kids, writing down as many positive things that I could think of. I would recommend for anyone that is getting freaked out over what their kids AREN'T doing, to make a list of all the things they CAN do! Pray for your child and thank God for blessing you with their life. Your child may have been diagnosed with a learning disability or have mental and physical limitations - thank God for their accomplishments and talents! These may include things like: being kind, sensitive, having a joyful personality, affectionate, etc. Assessment has it's place, but remember that each child is unique, "fearfully and wonderfully made!"

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. -Psalm 139:13-16

Is Homeschooling Becoming Trendy?

Just came across an interesting article reporting on the rise of homeschooling in America - on Etsy? Seemed kind of random at first, but many of the people commenting noted that in a community of crafters, original thinkers, artists, and those choosing to "go against the crowd" homeschooling seems like a pretty logical and common choice. In a sense, this article appealed to me because it almost makes it sound like homeschooling is becoming the trendy thing to do! Check it out: Etsy Blog: The Rise of Homeschooling

My Top Picks

I was in the process of compiling a list of homeschooling resources for a friend, when I thought, why not utilize this for a blog entry? So here ya go, a collection of some of my favorites (just off the top of my head)!
 General Information:
Information Network for Christian Homes
Home School Legal Defense 
The Well Trained Mind

Curriculum:
Sonlight Curriculum
CBD Homeschool Store
Calvert School

Conventions:
INCH Convention - MI

Blogs:
Confessions of a Homeschooler
Living Life Intentionally

Educational Games:
Starfall
PBS Kids

Specifics:
Power Glide: French
Power Glide: Spanish
Key Curriculum Math
Apologia Science
Explode the Code: Phonics and Reading
Italic Handwriting
Saxon Math
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons


Must Reads:

Why Homeschool? (Part 2)

I've come to grips with the fact that homeschooling will never be the popular option. I find myself quite often, on guard with family members, friends, and perfect strangers that find the need to express their opinions, preconceived ideas or worst case scenarios of homeschooling. This has forced me to be very prepared and ready with answers. 

Before I continue, since I am often inclined to start with a disclaimer, I would like to state that I mean no disrespect to teachers. My grandmother was a teacher, I have two sister-in-laws that are teachers, aunts and several close friends that are teachers. When I talk about confidently teaching my own kids and providing them with a good education, I am talking about something very different than overseeing a classroom of 30 students. Teachers go through extensive training and accreditation to skillfully manage a classroom and oversee the education of many students at varying skill levels and learning styles. I am talking about working one-on-one, through a structured curriculum, with my own children, who I know better than anyone. So, without further ado, here is my list of top 10 reasons we have chosen to homeschool: 

1. Because I love my children and want to cherish the time I have with them while they are young! 
2. Because I'm somewhat of a control freak and don't trust anyone else raising my kids! 
3. Because I want control over what topics are introduced and taught to my kids and at what age they will learn about them. 
4. I want control over what my kids are learning instead of having theories and views imposed upon them that are contrary to our beliefs (side note: quality private schooling may be a valid option for this reason, but is currently out of the question, simply because of our financial situation). 
5. I can individualize our curriculum to meet each of my kid's specific learning styles and follow along at their pace, rather than holding them back or pushing them too fast for the sake of keeping up with the average student. 
6. I don't have to worry about school shootings, kids bringing knives into the classroom, bullying or negative peer pressure. Anyone that thinks I am sheltering my elementary age kids and depriving them of those important life experiences is a nut job! 
7. We can set our own pace and organize our time around the things we find most important to us as a family. 
8. My kids wont have to waste hours of their day riding a bus, nor would I be tied down, driving to and from school to pick them up at a specific time. 
9. Hey, I'm not an idiot, I don't want to shelter my kids for the rest of their lives and acknowledge that no matter what we do, the world is messed up and they're going to be exposed to junk. However, I DO believe it is healthy to protect their innocence while they are young and to help them build a firm foundation of beliefs to stand on when they are challenged. 
10. Because it is my right as a parent, and I believe I can give my kids a good education and thoroughly prepare them for successful lives in the real world, socially and academically, but most importantly, spiritually. 

When my husband and I first began the discussion of schooling for our children, we were newly married, with no children in the perceivable future. We would quickly shoot down the topic by saying "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it!" Now, 8 years later, I cannot believe we have finally reached an agreement that we are both 100% on board with. 

I have already shared that I was homeschooled from Kindergarten through 12th grade. My husband on the other hand, attended New Jersey public schools up through middle school, then went on to attend a small Christian school during high school. He is very grateful for his life experiences, the education he received, and the people that influenced him (after all, God used those experiences to shape him into the person he is today!). He had a lot of positive experiences and treasures a lot of good memories. However, during the course of his time at school, he was also exposed to a lot of tragic situations, bullying and negativity that has stuck with him over the years. This was in a pre 9/11, pre Columbine era, before metal detectors and security guards were an everyday reality at most schools. Once we had kids of our own, he found it hard to look at them and easily dismiss the idea of home education.

I never wanted the decision of education for our children to be a battle between us. I knew that no matter what the outcome was, it had to be one we reached together and were both behind, 100 percent. I wont lie to you, it wasn't easy getting to the point we are now! We've talked about it a lot, prayed a lot, read a lot and sought a lot of advice from friends. We still take it one day at a time. I wont ever claim to know what the future holds for our kids during the whole course of their school years. If God called us to send them into the public school system for a specific reason, or if the opportunity to send them to a private school opened up, we would prayerfully follow God's lead. For now, we are both fully at peace with the decision to begin a journey in home education!

Why Homeschool? (Part 1)

Let me say this first: 

I find it impossible to explain why I am pro homeschooling without sounding anti public schooling. 

However, I am most definitely NOT anti public school and acknowledge the need for good teachers and schools in our country. The fact is, children need a thorough education and many parents are not able to (or should not) personally provide that for them based on various conflicts. Every good parent is ultimately interested in choosing what is best for their child, and many parents make the choice to send their children to public schools because they believe it to be the best option for their child. So, here is your out: if you have chosen to send your children to a public school, please don't feel the need to explain to me your reasoning as if I am going to look at you differently and pass swift judgment on your obvious lack of concern for your child's well-being (did you pick up on my sarcasm?). I face enough flack and criticism for my choice to homeschool, I am not out to criticize you for your choice in public schooling.

Though I would readily repeat this disclaimer to a friend who is advocating public schools, I would just as readily turn to a friend who is contemplating home education and tell them that 

I believe homeschooling is a completely valid option and that with a varying degree of sacrifice and hard work, ANY parent can successfully home educate their child. 

Not every parent SHOULD home educate, and not every parent feels called or compelled. However, if you are contemplating homeschooling, sense that your child is not responding and progressing well educationally, or feel increasingly disheartened by the negative messages and influence your child is receiving in their classroom, it may be time to seriously consider how homeschooling would work in the life of your family. Before I go on, I wont fail to mention that there ARE other valid alternatives to public schooling such as Christian schools and charter schools, but for the purpose of this discussion I will focus specifically on home educating.

I am the product of homeschooling from Kindergarten through 12th grade. 

I'm not the brightest, most intellectual example of a homeschooled student, but I did enroll in a community college my senior year of high school and completed 12 college credit hours with a 4.0 average by the time i graduated. I did go on to complete a college degree, and have lived a very happy and satisfying life. Never did I feel deprived of anything during my childhood and never did I feel that I've struggled socially due to my years of homeschooling. On the contrary, I have always been very secure in who I am, confident and goal driven. I am very grateful for my mother's sacrifice of her time to homeschool the three of us and to instill in us the things that are most important; faith and commitment to Christ. 

There are many examples of homeschooled students that have excelled, far beyond their years, academically. There is no question that if a student has the potential, the one-on-one attention they receive from a committed parent, along with a thorough curriculum, will produce an academically solid student who will excel in college and beyond. 

But, I'm not interested in that part as much as I am in raising spiritually sound, God fearing, polite, compassionate, confident leaders that will make a positive difference in the world. 

I don't doubt that they would get a decent education in the public school system, and I don't doubt my own ability to give them a good education. Most importantly, however, is that I can personally give them a much better moral and biblical foundation to build their lives on than anyone else. I feel called to give my children the best spiritual foundation I can give them, and I feel convicted that homeschooling is the best choice I can currently make. 

To be Continued... 

If you are contemplating homeschooling and want a very thorough teacher's perspective and step-by-step resource, I would highly recommend the book: The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home

Click on the above link to be directed to an Amazon page where it can be purchased! 

Natalie is Reading

So Proud of My Little Girl!

Natalie turned 5 in November and since then, her reading has just taken off! Having observed that Natalie's learning style and personality are a lot like mine, I was excited to use the exact same book that my mom used when teaching me how to read. I purchased a new copy of the book "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" off Amazon. The first reader book "Sun Up" was the very first book I remember reading as a child, and my mom had saved it all these years!

 

My name written inside - Natalie thinks this is so funny! 

This is the best early reader book EVER! 

Before I knew my mom still had this one, I had been searching high and low for an early reader that really was an EARLY READER! I wanted a book that truly was easy to read - predominately words that she could sound out - to build her confidence by being able to read a complete book on her own. She breezed through this and is eager to start the next one.