Kinder-garden

Another Year, More progress

2012-01-13T11:14:00.000-06:00

We're at the brink of promotion for each of my students again. Some curricula have grown with us, others we are trading in for new. I've simplified things this year by replacing our History curriculum with something more manageable for me. Here's where we've landed so far.

Robert:
Math on the Level
Alphabet Island Phonics Level 2A
Science - Dad in the Lab
A Reason for Handwriting A
Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind Level 1
Story of the World Year 2 and Materials
Rosetta Stone Italian

Mary and William:
Math on the Level
Eagles' Wings Phonics Handbook
Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind Level 3
Reading for the Gifted Student Grade 3
Story of the World Year 2 and Materials
Science - Dad in the Lab
Lifepac Bible Level 3
A Reason for Handwriting B
Mavis Beacon Typing
Rosetta Stone Italian

Monday with a Mad Genius

2011-09-23T01:49:00.000-05:00

We listened to the audiobook in the car.

The Magic Treehouse: Monday with a Mad Genius #38 by Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie ventured into Renaissance Florence and spent the day with Leonardo da Vinci. They watched him try to fly, scoured his notebooks for good ideas and helped him capture Mona Lisa's smile.

Is Cursive Passé?

2011-09-23T01:25:00.001-05:00

I was asked recently if I will be teaching my children cursive, after all, public schools consider giving it the boot.

Hmmm...I'm thinking back to the torture of teaching my students manuscript. The long tear-filled hours of practice over what should have been a 10 minute drill, despite the name of the program "Handwriting Without Tears." Handwriting became such a dull and painful assignment that we nearly "lost" one of our students to self-deprication that reached into all subjects.

One of my students just decided to have beautiful manuscript writing one day. From that moment on, writing was an exercise of pride, though slow and painful for mom, even to this day. The other student truly hasn't progressed in handwriting in the last year and much of the work is near illegible. Past torture has tainted the attitude toward writing in general. I'm worn out teaching handwriting and I haven't even gotten to cursive yet!!

I remember being a third grader, learning the difficult slant and slope, loops and curves of cursive writing. And after I'd finally gotten manuscript down, suddenly all of my teachers demanded that I write in only cursive. AND then, they piled on long division! Third grade was hard! I wondered why on earth I'd worked so hard on manuscript, when it was being stripped from me. By sixth grade, the teachers just asked for legible work. I went straight back to manuscript and perfected a stylized, though minute version of the balls and sticks I'd learned in Kindergarten. They never said it had to be legible without a magnifying glass. Today my writing is some cross of the two, lazily dragging my pencil between some letters, but not others.

Some homeschool families skip manuscript all together, citing reasons like a young child's motor ability being more attuned to loopty loops. Cursive also helps students with dyslexic tendencies to succeed in spelling and writing, as cursive letters can not be written backward and the constant flow of cursive, without lifting the pencil seems to guide their brain into the next letter without struggling to identify it. We did not opt to begin this way, as I have a special place in my heart for ball-and-stick manuscript. And I don't even want to discuss D'Nealian.

One of my students, the one with the sloppy manuscript, has asked when I will teach the curvy letters. I thought perhaps they would be easier to form than manuscript and thus make the handwriting neater, so I offered a few short lessons hoping to gauge whether script suited the one student better. Most definitely not, it only gave permission for one sloppy letter to blend into and crowd another.

I usually advocate for tradition. I like real books, with real paper and real glue and dust smells, but I see the convenience and have benefited from ebooks on numerous occasions. Multiplication speed drills. A little competition against the clock is good practice, even if it does "stifle individuality."

The truth is, I don't want to teach cursive. I don't like it and believe the need for it is fading. I see the need for this generation to learn to read cursive, and of course they must learn to sign their names. But, I feel our time may be better suited taking a proper typing course.

Some argue that without cursive, how will those poor deprived students label geometric figures? They'll pick up what is necessary, just like characters such as ∞ and π are learned as the situation warrants. What about taking notes in meetings and brainstorming on the whiteboard? Please! Neither of those were ever done in proper cursive anyway. Note taking dove into the digital gadget a few years ago and grocery lists and brainstorms (though I keep mine digitally, as well) will still be made of whatever slopified writing the author creates for himself (which I imagine will look very much like D'Nealian and is why I despise it). Won't it be sad when our newest generation visits the National Archives and can't read the Declaration of Independence? I hate to say it, but it's already illegible, from fading as well as an old style script. I suppose this won't be much different than looking at any old document. Scripts and styles change. Old English script is almost entirely illegible now, as is old German. And thank goodness, some good typist has transliterated the Declaration and its content is available all over the web.

Yes, traditions change and some of us long for the old days for old days' sake. If having amazon.com ship to my door, air conditioning, instant world-wide communication, online bill pay, and direct deposit mean that our children must give up the precious cursive in lieu of typing 90 wpm, fingerprint scans, e-signatures and debit cards, I'll (not too sadly) bid cursive instruction and the hours of tears adieu.

On which side do you fall?

What do we do all day?

2011-07-29T18:31:00.001-05:00

I have all 3 students in school now, so we are swimming in curriculum. Here's what we currently use:

Robert:
Math on the Level
Alphabet Island Phonics Level 1
Explode the Code 1 1/2
Science - Dad in the Lab
A Reason for Handwriting A

Mary and William:
Math on the Level
Alphabet Island Phonics Level 2B
Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind Level 3
Writing with Ease - The Complete Writer Level 2
Reading for the Gifted Student Grade 3
Tapestry of Grace - history, Bible, geography, literature, art
Science - Dad in the Lab
Lifepac Science Level 3
Lifepac Bible Level 3

A Reason for Handwriting B

It's that time again!

2011-07-29T18:13:00.000-05:00

Even though we've continued to school through a good portion of the summer, the back-to-school feeling in the air makes me want to reorganize and begin fresh.

I'm stocking up on $0.25 boxes of crayons now because I know in March they will be $2.50. It's time to organize the school room again and take an inventory of what is working and what isn't. I've made several adjustments through the year and I feel like we are on the right track. Now that regular schools are returning, it's time to step our game up and really get hard at work too.

Just a little humor

2011-01-26T15:09:00.002-06:00

By the Letter

2010-08-12T22:52:00.000-05:00

A New Endeavor

2010-04-15T23:54:00.000-05:00

We began a new subject of study today. I've long felt it important to instill musical knowledge and appreciation in our students, but as I was not taught well in my youth, I did not know how to incorporate this in our home studies. On the recommendation of the My Father's World curriculum, I purchased the $3 CD "The Story of Tchaikovsky in Words and Music." I can say without a doubt that it was $3 well spent. I immediately enjoyed listening to the selected music while a narrator discussed the composer's life. I learned so much!

Until this afternoon, I didn't know if the children would enjoy or listen to the music and story, but they seemed enthralled and made observations about the music and the story. We will continue to study the great composers in this way as well as learning about the orchestra and its instruments with a book and CD combination called "Those Amazing Musical Instruments."

I'm so excited to share this learning with my students. I'm learning so much with them!

Quills and Ink

2010-04-09T16:03:00.000-05:00

What better way to celebrate the writing of the Declaration of Independence than to make our own quills and ink.

To make the quills, we used large craft feathers and trimmed the ends to a slanted point, cleaned out the middle of the shaft and cut a small slice in the tip to allow for ink flow.

The ink was the messy and entertaining part. I smashed black berries in a strainer, allowing the juice to drip down into a bowl below. It yielded a surprising amount of juice. We stirred in salt and vinegar to stabilize the berries and then dipped our quills in to give it a go.

Each child dipped their quill and wrote their name on paper to be included in their portfolio with a photograph of them using the quill.

Writing with a quill was no easy task, but somehow our forefathers got the job done.

After the kids were finished, I took a shot at writing out the first few lines of the Declaration. Good Grief!! Dipping your pen every few letters and that scratchy sound on the paper is a sure-fire way to cut off my communication with the rest of the world. Thank goodness for email and spell check.

The Courage of Sarah Noble

2010-04-06T23:58:00.000-05:00

We recently finished reading The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh.

What a lovely little story, based on real events, that tells of a girl traveling with her father to build a new home in the wilderness, having left her mother and siblings at home. Though the dangers of a settlers life threaten her, she keeps up her courage in the face of it all until her family is reunited.

This information isn't so much for you, my readers, as it is a good way for me to recall the literature we've shared.

To sum up the struggle with William.

2010-03-24T10:21:00.002-05:00

I marked on William's sloppy math workbook, "This is not your best work."

He took a look at it and said, "I can live with that."

What day is it?

2010-03-23T11:17:00.000-05:00

I explored the number 2 with Robert this morning.

He said, "We're doing 2! Because it's TWOSDAY!!"

A spelling test

2010-03-11T11:58:00.000-06:00

I almost forgot that during our last spelling test, Eleanor said the cutest thing. It's very much like her to say adorable things, but this one was especially adorable because of the juxtaposition.

The spelling word was "to".

"The next word is 'to', 'to', 'I will go to the park.'"

Eleanor adds her own example: "Let's go to the entomologist."

WilliamWise

2010-03-11T11:41:00.002-06:00

Here's a little peek into the wisdom of a 5 year old thinker.

"Mom, donut makers are like indians."

"Oh?"

"If donuts were animals, they'd use all the parts because they use the little holes out of the middles."

Monday, Monday, can't trust that day.

2010-03-08T12:19:00.000-06:00

Monday, Monday sometimes it just turns out that way.

Thursday is the new Friday

2010-03-04T16:58:00.000-06:00

Today is Thursday. In the Pond View School, that means it's the weekend!

We school 4 days per week, Monday through Thursday.

How sweet it is.

Home Schooling FAQ

2010-03-04T12:47:00.001-06:00

You can visit the FAQ page any time, but I wanted to post it here as well so you can comment and ask more questions as necessary.

1. Why do you homeschool?

The nutshell: My responsibility is to provide the best available education for my children. I am able to do that at home at this time. For a broader and more detailed response, see Why, oh why.

2. How do you do it?

Our situation is somewhat unique in that we participate in what was once called a "cottage school." A cottage school is a group of families coming together in one home to educate their children. It is different than a co-op, in which one parent will teach a class of students in their field of expertise in exchange for another parent teaching a different field. Parents teach together in a cottage school. In our case, our next-door friends (I like that...I used to call them our "friends and neighbors", but I like NDFs better.) join us and we teach and learn our lessons together. Logistically, I have dedicated an entire room in my house to homeschooling. It's not necessary, but it certainly is nice now that we have that opportunity. We have a large table that we gather around four days per week. We follow a daily schedule including a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a hymn or patriotic song, math, phonics/reading/spelling, grammar, bible, social studies/history, science, art and any holiday or theme appropriate at the time. We spend our time instructing, reading aloud and practicing what we've learned. Independent work is begun under teacher observation and completed after "school." Additional independent work to be completed outside of class time is assigned to reinforce important concepts in math, handwriting, and other subjects in which memory work and repetition are influential.

3. Are you a teacher?

I have been blessed with the ability to teach. It is my spiritual gift. I love to teach. I love to find new ways to look at old ideas. I love to challenge others to learn new things and to think critically. I have a passion for exploring history and science. I LOVE math and am pretty good at it. Could there be a better combination of passions than my love of learning and teaching and my very own children? But, what I suspect is behind this question is, "what are your qualifications for teaching your children?" I respectfully remind you that an effective teacher knows where her students' strengths and weakness lie, their interests, their capabilities at a given time, and their willingness to receive a lesson. Without that knowledge, she would be ineffectual. So, I answer your question with another question: Who knows my children better than me? I argue that I am qualified by those standards alone. It is for that reason that I regret that I must also say that I am trained and certified to teach grades 1-8 in the Texas Public Schools.

4. How do you know they are learning what they are supposed to?

I will only briefly step on to my soap box to address the idea that traditional schools know what children are "supposed to" learn. Remember that government-run schools have always been run, in part, to suit social engineering. That is, to meet the needs of the state. The Space Race comes to mind. Further, the troubled system requires that compromises be made in setting the minimum standards by which schools will be judged. So, using legislated education standards as the basis for our goals could deprive our students of potential knowledge. [stepping of soap box] Instead, I prefer to set my goals a little higher. I aim to use their experience of learning the "basics" to foster their true education, which is the art of learning itself. If I can instill in them a love of learning and the tools with which to do it, they will never find themselves lacking. Whatever new subject matter they encounter will just be that which they have not yet learned, rather than something they weren't taught. As we explore these "basics" together, we will focus on the critical skills necessary to use them. I have no fear that I will miss any essential concept. How could we go through life together for 18 or more years and never encounter a circumstance to add, subtract, measure distance, read, write, discuss our past and present, observe the life cycle of a plant or animal? These subjects are the basis we use to practice our skills of acquiring, processing, and applying knowledge.

5. Do they have to take tests?

Perhaps it is the former public school teacher in me or perhaps I have fond memories of a good challenge in school, but I love tests. I love to write tests that really assess a student's ownership of the studies we have completed. I suspect that my children will take many of my tests throughout their schooling. That said, homeschool students in the state of Texas are not required to take any standardized tests. Some parents like to use them for practice. Some use them to assess progress. I find most standardized testing a waste of time. Comparing my students to others is of little use to me and testing against a list of minimum standards can not help me assess whether my students are fulfilling their potential. The exception is the SAT/ACT. These college entry exams are still important for the enrollment process for upper education, so it is important that homeschool students participate. Statistically, students schooled at home perform very well on these tests.

6. What about college?

We will encourage our children to attend a college or university appropriate to their field of interest. Many homeschool students attend community college classes during their high school years, receiving dual credit for those courses. Homeschool students, as a whole, perform well on college entry exams and are well-received by admission boards.

7. What about socialization?

There it is. The bombshell question. This is the question everyone wants to ask, though some are afraid.

Rumor has it that kids who are homeschooled aren't socialized. I'd like to deal with this question directly and in three parts. There are three definitions for the word "socialization."

1. To organize according to the principles of socialism. They certainly would experience this in a school run by a bankrupt and broken government system or I could keep them home and teach them the definition of irony (and the truth about the freedoms we strive to maintain in our country).

2. To mix socially with others. Many have mistaken this definition with learning to work with and get along well with others, but I would argue that those skills fall into the category of the 3rd definition below. By very nature, the place of learning academics is not a social setting, just as an adult's office is not a social setting. There is a purpose to school and work beyond meeting each other for pleasure. Our children will, like every other child, socialize in this way at birthday parties, on the sidewalk wearing skates, church fellowship activities, at the playground, with brothers and sisters, before and after sporting events (and during as spectators), in girl and boy scouts, play dates, neighborhood gatherings, and as many other opportunities arise. The myth of the socially isolated home school student falls short when you compare the percentage of time spent on school work for the traditional student compared to that of the home schooled student. Home schooled kids simply have more time for pleasurable activities and they have the friends with which to enjoy that time.

3. To make someone behave in a way that is acceptable to their society. There can be no doubt that our American school system performs this task very well, teaching students to conform to the standards set out by those around them. Many a tale has been told of a Kindergartner giving up that beloved blankie or a thumb-sucking habit under pressure of peers. Middle and high school students quickly learn to blend in. Any behavior, dress or achievement that makes you stand out will not be tolerated. Be smart, but not too smart, dress cool, and remain indifferent to the teachers and your studies. This is effective socialization for the culture of schools. The problem with socializing our students among their peers is that in no other time of their life will their peer group consist of such a homogenous group by age, experience, status and maturity. Adults interact with ill-matched individuals in the neighborhood and church, at work and in the marketplace. When I socialize my children, I want them not only to behave in a way acceptable among other children, but also among adults, persons of authority, the less fortunate, the elderly and youth alike. By immersing our students in seas of others just like them, we deprive them of the experience of being productive along side those who are not their equal. Learning among older and younger siblings provides a unique perspective, not to mention the opportunities home schooled students are afforded in the areas of apprenticeship and training that prepare them for a lifetime of interactions with non-peers. Additionally, it is my firm belief that parents are surrendering the responsibility of forming future citizens to the schools. The efforts of a few dedicated teachers cannot compete with the pressures of fitting in. When we allow the masses of students to decide what kind of adult our children become, we perpetuate the ever-declining sense of respect and responsibility toward our country and fellow Americans. Homeschooling allows me the best chance of producing children comfortable in all social situations and ready to be productive citizens.

8. Is it because you don't want your kids around non-Christians? Don't you want your kids exposed to all walks of life?

I pray that my children will be effective witnesses for the cause of Christ to Christians and non-Christians alike. During these formative years, I want to take advantage of all the time I have available to plant the seeds of our faith and protect them from destructive forces. In that, I hope to strengthen their effectiveness for what God has planned for them in the future. Though we will guard ourselves from forming close bonds with those who might lead us astray, we are called by God to reach all people.

9. Will you school through high school?

I have committed to educate my children at home as long as I am able to provide them with the best available education. That may mean that each of my children ends up in a different program at different ages. It also may mean that we will grow together as teacher and students through all 13 years of "school." I prepare now as though we will continue through graduation.

10. How are you going to teach them the hard subjects?

There are several options for parents teaching upper-level courses. I do not presume that I am incapable of teaching some of the more challenging courses. In most cases, I did study them in high school and college myself and I would love a refresher course as we go through the subjects together. But, I know there are a few classes that I'm not interested in delving any deeper than the cursory knowledge I retained after my own graduation. For those, our options include: the school of D-A-D, participating in the public school class, attending community college courses, and joining a co-op, in which another parent would teach the subject in question.

11. What about prom, graduation and other rights of passage?

Local homeschool cooperatives, coalitions and area support groups often put together programs for these special times.

12. What will happen if they have to go to traditional school later?

If it is determined that the best course of action is to enroll one or more of my students in school, it is very likely that they will experience a brief period of difficulty as they adjust to the new culture, though I have no doubt they will be able to complete the academic requirements easily. We would have to carefully consider grade-level placement based on maturity and abilities, as we are not following the traditional age-based guidelines of the public schools.

13. How does your family feel about what you do?

Most of the extended family is very supportive. I answer many of the questions here for them. They politely keep their reservations to themselves, but mostly they enjoy hearing about the progress we make in our little schoolhouse. Homeschooling is not a decision I made to please anyone else.

14. How much time do you spend on school?

We have school 4 days per week for 2 1/2 - 3 hours each day. The kids spend an additional 30 minutes on independent work each day and I spend 2-3 hours every few weeks planning ahead, reserving books at the library, picking up books and gathering necessary supplies.

15. What curricula do you use?

Currently, we use:

Adventures in My Father's World

Alphabet Island Phonics Level 2

First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind

Rod and Staff Level 1 Math

Considering God's Creation

My Father's World First Grade Bible Reader

The ABC's of Handling Money God's Way

NIrV Bible

I Can Do All Things

Plus, a collection of our own creations as well as internet resources.

16. Where do you find the stuff you need?

Melanie and I attend the Home School Book Fair each May to peruse curricula and guide our decisions. Sometimes a good deal presents itself at the fair. Usually, we take our new knowledge home and shop online for the items we need after comparison shopping. We check out books from the library system regularly and purchase some supplies from teaching supply stores locally.

17. How do you know what grade they are in?

We know our dogs. We judge curriculum levels based on our knowledge of where our students' strengths and weakness lie, their interests, their capabilities at a given time, and their willingness to receive a lesson. We set goals for our students' progress and promote them based on their achievement of those goals.

18. What do you do with the younger kids?

We try to schedule school when the younger kids are napping. As they begin to drop their naps, we are experimenting with small activities to keep them constructively occupied. At this time, we are fortunate enough to have a student-volunteer to guide their activities before their nap. Eventually, we know that Melanie and I will have to divide our time between age groups to remain productive in school. Flexibility is key.

19. Where do you find the patience?

The same professor who taught me to know my dogs, also taught me that being an effective teacher is sometimes about not being patient. Some caregivers have the luxury of displaying patience hour after hour as their charges learn expected behaviors. The complicated relationship of mother and teacher requires that we make our expectations clear and stick by them. Maintaining order and balance in our school room means having a zero-tolerance policy for some behaviors. The baby I kiss and cuddle when he scrapes his knee can not expect the same compassion when he turns in sloppy work. Still, we have plenty of opportunities to love our children through patience; some days we are really good at it. Other days we make it through our lessons with gritted teeth and breathe a sigh of relief when the kids run to the back yard. Each day is a new challenge, but by the grace of God we make it through.

20. Do they have friends?

Of course. We meet friends in the usual places: extra-curricular activities, clubs, church, the neighborhood and even at the library.

21. Is homeschooling right for me?

Only you can answer that question. I know that homeschooling is right for me, but I also know that homeschooling is not for everyone. There are definitely some families who should not school their children at home. For many children, their best available education lies in a public or private school. My best opportunity for a clean house lies with a house keeper. I don't mind outsourcing that. :-) I think knowing if it's right for you and your child begins is in your mental state.

Here are some questions to discuss. Consider them carefully and be honest. Most importantly, pray about this decision.

Am I, as the parent, willing to do everything I can to help my child succeed?

Am I willing to make a commitment?
Am I willing to sacrifice of myself to educate my child?

Am I willing to be my child's advocate?

Do I have confidence in my ability to instruct them (remember, that you can learn most of the material along with them)?

Can I effectively teach what they need to know?

Are they receptive to me? If not, is it something we can work on?

Will they have better opportunities somewhere else?

Am I willing to fail in a few methods and have to find new ways of doing things?

Am I confident that even if we don't succeed immediately, that we can continue to work toward our goal, making changes as necessary?

Besides these philosophical questions, there are the practical questions like:

Do we have the financial resources for one parent to dedicate the time necessary?

Do we have the financial resources for the materials needed?

Do we have a place in our home to gather for school and store materials?

Are there any physical, mental or emotional obstacles that might interfere with teaching or learning?

22. Will you school my kids?

No.

In Fourteen Hundred Ninety Two...

2010-03-03T00:17:00.000-06:00

...Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

We made boats out of walnut shells, as I used to do as a kid.

We added sails, positioned our "ocean"so that the ships could launch from Spain and head west to the Americas.

Then, the wind blew and Columbus discovered a new land!

Know Your Dogs

2010-03-01T22:29:00.000-06:00

One of my education professors in college told us a parable that led to her motto for teaching.

The story is about a boy. The boy had a scruffy, little dog and the dog performed many tricks. People who saw them were always amazed at this young boy and his amazing, trick-performing dog. It happened frequently, but one man in particular asked about this dog and his tricks, "Little boy, how did you manage to teach this dog all of those tricks?" The little boy replied, "Oh, it wasn't so hard. I knew what I wanted him to do and I know my dog, so I just taught him."

And so it is, a teacher who knows her dogs can teach them anything.

Why, oh why.

2010-03-01T22:15:00.000-06:00

I'm often asked how I came to the decision to school my children at home. Truth be told, there isn't a simple answer to that question. I try to sum it up in as few words as possible, but somehow the reasons just can't be contained in a simple paragraph. So, as I begin to recount the journey that led me to this decision, please understand that it won't be a short one.

I was educated in public schools...good ones. I was a bright child that succeeded easily, sometimes too easily in school. I participated in programs designed for accelerated learning and to challenge students who might otherwise be bored. I performed well and headed to a liberal arts university for an expensive education, touted to instruct beyond mere career training. I suppose that was true in many ways. Though I loved my college years and value the breadth of education I received, I question the wisdom of borrowing gobs of money only to pursue a short-term career in a profession reputed as the lowest paid.

Somehow, during this education, after an equal number of positive and negative experiences with students educated at home, I took a stance against home schooling. I had only a cursory understanding of some of the reasons behind alternative education: 1. Religious convictions that lead parents to protect their children from the influences of other students. 2. Avoiding the pitfalls of a school system run by politicians rather than educators. 3. A dearth of resources, engaged parents, qualified administration and/or teachers. These seemed to be the main "excuses" I heard for avoiding traditional school.

While I earned my degree in "Interdisciplinary Studies" (Education) and a Texas Teaching Certificate, I realized how important it was that parents be involved in their child's education. I saw how influential the parents' priorities can be in motivating a student to strive for excellence, especially in school. I witnessed the consequences of "curbside"parenting opposite the benefits of involved parenting. I watched as the parent volunteers continually lifted up the students whose own parents' involvement at the school consisted of waiting in the line of cars to drop off and pick up.

It drove me to the conclusion that parents who remove their children from the community schools, rob the system of any hope of improving. After all, if every parent who truly cares about their child's education decided to school them at home, who would be left at the school fighting for necessary change? Who would keep the focus of legislation to the good of the students? Who would be there to remind the teachers at the end of a hard day that what they do matters? And further, who will be a positive witness to the students if all of their Christian peers are at home?

In this fantasy of extremes, imagine a desolate wasteland of hooligans and burned-out teachers, with nary an honest administrator to be found. The giant void of responsibility only makes it easier for the remaining parents to fling open the door of their moving car as their child runs along side to jump in. What a sad world these homeschoolers have created. ;-) As a public school teacher, I could only do so much. I needed those committed parents helping in my classroom, for their own children's sakes and for others' as well.

As all things did when my first child arrived, everything I thought I knew changed. I became keenly aware of my responsibility to my child. By the time my second came along, I'd changed my tune altogether. The conclusion I finally reached was that as parents, it is Doug's and my responsibility to ensure that our children receive the best education available to them. Public and private schools in our area would very likely provide a good education. It's simply a matter of choosing the best among the options available. I'm capable of providing better, so why wouldn't I? I choose to make myself available to the end of offering my children an education tailor-fit for them.

Is homeschooling better for my kids because the school system is so messed up? A little, but mainly, learning at home suits my children because they learn at their own pace, something near impossible in traditional school. It's not so much about avoiding traditional school as it is providing a fantastic environment for learning. As much as a Kindergarten teacher would adore my children, no one knows them as well as I do. There is no better teacher than one who knows her students. "Know your dogs," as my college professor used to say. I began kindergarten when their interest and abilities arose and we didn't have to wait for a birthday deadline or worry that they weren't ready to be gone all day. Nor did I have to rush through kindergarten in precisely 9 months to prepare for 1st grade. We progress quickly, but don't have to rush when my students aren't ready.

Am I afraid of what they'll learn in public school? Yeah, and any parent who isn't hasn't thought very seriously about what goes on in schools. Schooling at home does have the advantage of keeping students at a safe distance from peer pressure, negative attitudes, bullies, political agendas, and a whole host of pressures to which to conform. Still, I would not say that is the main reason I choose to homeschool.

The reasons I choose to homeschool amount to a long list of little things, but overall it boils down to this: I love my children and want the absolute best for them in every area of their lives. I have been blessed with the ability and willingness to teach. Why, oh why wouldn't I use that blessing to benefit my own children? I choose to homeschool now and will continue in the future as long as the education they receive from me is superior to that in any other form of schooling. When and if that is no longer the case, I will happily relinquish that role to the superior educator in order to fulfill my ultimate responsibility to my children.

In the mean time...

2010-01-05T00:25:00.000-06:00

So, I haven't gotten around to making the adorable, picture-filled blog I'd hoped would come out of our Kindergarten experience. I regret that.

However, I can give you a little tidbit to tide you over.

Visit our School gallery at our smugmug website and take a peek at all the projects we've recorded there.

Freedom from the Familiar

2010-01-05T00:15:00.000-06:00

When you are the teacher, principal and school board of your very own school, you get certain freedoms that other educators don't have.

I make the schedule. I pick when we have school and when we don't. I get to choose when our vacations will be. I can choose when our school year begins and when it ends. We started kindergarten in February of 2008. We took a break when we were selling our house, living in a cramped apartment and spending more days in the hospital than at home. Then, once we got ourselves settled again, we started up full-force, taking a vacation in the "slow season" to save money. And just as we approached the end of our curriculum, we found ourselves approaching the end of the calendar year too.

Our little Kindies, completed their Kindergarten goals this Decemeber. We presented each of them with a certificate to recognize the accomplishment of learning to read and another certificate to mark the end of their Kindergarten year.

This January, Melanie and I are busying ourselves making final decisions about which curriculum to use so we may begin again this month, this time with first graders!

Does it mean I have to change the name of our blog? Not just yet. These kiddos are young still. I bet they'll let me get away with Kinder-garden for a while longer.

Besides...the school board just took a vote and unanimously decided that "Kinder-garden" is just punny enough to stick around for a while. :-)

Time keeps on slipping!

2010-01-05T00:03:00.000-06:00

You've probably guessed by now that homeschooling doesn't leave you with much time on your hands for things such as blogging. I've neglected both blogs for a while now. Big things have happened and are happening in our little Red Brick school house. I hope I get a chance to tell you about them soon.

Such good intentions.

Why I do this.

2009-12-12T10:13:00.000-06:00

Here's a little anecdote that sums up why I choose to school my kids at home. These moments would be someone else's if I didn't have them here.

The handwriting assignment was to write a letter to God thanking Him and asking Him for help in being a good student, especially in handwriting. The three of them were doing so well and we discussed that no request is too small or too big for God, there is nothing He won't do for us if we are asking in His will.

Then, Mary, my sweet Mary, added, "I know a verse that says, 'Is there anything too difficult for me?' and that's God talking." I was just filled with joy at hearing my almost-6 year old quote scripture in an appropriate application. Melanie and I looked at each other with wide eyes. I asked Mary if that had been one of her Awana verses and she informed me that it was actually William's verse that she had helped him with and that she has that verse in her book, but she hasn't gotten to that part yet. Oh! Just melt a mother's heart!

I could send my "monsters" to school each day and get a much-needed break from 24-hour duty and most days I would probably enjoy that very much, but how would I ever know what treasures like this I have missed? Would these moments be some other teacher's? Or would God bless another child with these displays of the power of His Word?

I count it a privilege and a blessing (most days) to have my children here at home with me, studying and applying God's Word to their lives. And though I know I have the broadest impact on what my children learn and experience with God, I thank the Sunday School teachers and the Awana volunteers for their work, which has directly impacted my children in a very positive way, giving me this treasure to ponder.

The Way Things Used to Be

2009-09-08T00:18:00.000-05:00

When we first began schooling, we focused our time heavily on calendar basics like days of the week, read-alouds, Bible memory work, and phonics to prepare our pre-readers. We related our work to a letter of the week and/or the books we read aloud. Here are some of the fun things we studied:

Days of Creation
the Sun
the Moon
nests
turtles
water - sink or float experiment, sprinkler fun

Valentines Day
The Miracle of Easter - making resurrection buns.

Horton Hears A Who and Horton Hatches and Egg - compare and contrast, Whoville pencils, and seeing the movie at the $1 theatre.

Fourth of July - Mary directs the to discover the letter of the week - F.

[Remembering these lessons makes me realize that I want to take more pictures of our work and projects.]
This focus really helped our girls learn to read and both were strong enough readers in just a few months to take part in the public library program called Read to Rover. Each child can choose a book to read to a service animal.

Now things are different and the strides our students have made in the last year are incredible. I'll start posting our recent projects and lessons soon.

How it all began

2009-09-04T09:47:00.000-05:00

All of this homeschooling started way back in 2008. Melanie and I knew that our young girls were not ready for "real" school, but they still showed that desire to learn and they were definitely ready for what I considered my main goal for Kindergarten, which was to prepare them for and teach them to read. Mary Carol was just barely 4 years old, but she showed an eagerness to decode our confusing language, so after much consideration, we opened Kindergarten in the converted nursery in our house.

And, as little brother's often do, William refused to be left out of the fun. So he joined us as an honorary Pre-K student. What exactly that meant, we weren't sure, but we found out quickly that offering William different work than our Kindergartners only served to distress him more than being faced with a challenge. He kept up quite nicely, though distinctly at his own level for reading and writing.

Here are our little gems ready for their first day of school in January 2008:

With our friend, Eleanor right by our sides, we breezed through elementary phonics and Melanie and I found ourselves with 2 terrific readers in no time and 3 students ready and eager to learn the Bible verses, math basics, and themes we presented.

We've had our times of difficulty with the logistics of schooling while selling a house, while one child is in the hospital, and while living in an apartment that was too small for day-to-day life, let alone schooling, but once we started down the path of growing these blessings in our home, we've never looked back.

Where and how to start?

2009-09-04T09:17:00.000-05:00

Here we are at the beginning of a new blog about homeschooling and I don't know where to begin. Shall I just jump in and tell you all about the fun we had this week or should I start at the beginning with the philosophy behind it all?

Today I choose to start with introductions.

I'm Lisa, a mother of 3 children, age 5 1/2, 4 1/2 and 2 1/2. Together, with my husband Doug, we live in the suburbs of north Texas. I grew up (mostly) in Coppell, where I met Doug and where we still attend church with the extended family. After Coppell, I attended college at the University of Dallas where I earned my degree. I'm a certified educator, though I don't view that as my chief qualification for schooling my children.

We moved into our house 6 months ago after living in our first home for 7 years. During that time, we met our good friends, the Heberts. They lived across the street from us then and when it came time to move, we coordinated with them and found a neighborhood with adjacent lots that suited both of us. About a year later, our houses were finished, complete with a gate between our back yards. We have continued schooling our 3 oldest kids together in our new houses. Four days each week we convene upstairs in my house to hold Kindergarten.

And that, my friends, is why I've started this blog. There's so much to share about our Kindergarten (and beyond) adventures, that I shouldn't bog down our family blog with all the details.

Surely, Melanie will join us shortly with an introduction of her own.

It's a new blog!

2009-09-04T00:14:00.000-05:00

I couldn't decide where to gush about all of the fun things we're doing in homeschool, so I decided to create a super duper new blog to hold all the fun. Keep checking in for thoughts about homeschooling, pictures, stories and plans for what we are learning in our very own school at home!