[{"categories":null,"content":" Did you know that Disney announced plans in 1993 to build an American-history themed park? Planned to open in 1998, the project was ultimately scrapped because of opposition to the planned portrayal of events. I decided to learn a little more about the change.\nThis news article gave some background: According to the original plans and brochures, Disney’s America would contain nine sections: a Colonial-era Presidents Square, an Indigenous village, Ellis Island, a factory town from the Industrial Revolution, a Civil War fort, a county fair, an early 19th-century port, a World War II-era battlefield and a Depression-era family farm.\nOn the surface, these themed areas seemed fitting. You could easily see them as exhibits at the Smithsonian. But issues emerged when people took into account that this was still a Disney theme park, with entertaining guests and making money likely taking precedence over historical accuracy and contemporary sensitivities and sensibilities.\nAs criticism mounted, Disney decided to shift its approach. In the summer of 1994, it renamed the project Disney’s American Celebration.\nRather than highlight periods or events in American history, the new concept would focus more on themes: Democracy, Work, Family, Generations, Streets of America and the Land.\nLinda Shopes wrote an impassioned plea She asked:\nHistorians operating in classrooms and in nonprofit public venues have a difficult enough time challenging such views. Can we really expect a for-profit enterprise to effectively address them? Shopes continued: I wonder if the much-vaunted Disney wizardry does as much harm as good: cannot simulations lead participants to a facile, if not arrogant, view that because they’ve experienced a recreated version of an event, they know it? Do they not create a false sense of intimacy with a past that can only be known approximately, and in ways deeply limited by the knower’s point of reference?\nShenandoah Studios is filming a documentary called “Almost Magic” that recounts events surrounding the park project, “Disney’s America.” It explores the conflict over breaking ground for the project in 1994. I\u0026rsquo;m interested in watching it!\nHaving spent 12 years in northern Virginia now, I am glad we don\u0026rsquo;t have a Disney themepark in our backyard. I prefer experiencing history at a battlefield without being entertained at the same time.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/abandoned_plans/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Abandoned Plans"},{"categories":null,"content":" At our local ice rink, admission is proved with a disposable bracelet that contains the printed version of \u0026ldquo;rights and responsibilities\u0026rdquo; at the ice rink. While fastening the bracelet on my daughter\u0026rsquo;s wrist, she begged me to pause and allow her to read it first.\n\u0026ldquo;I want to read it all!\u0026rdquo;\nI love her enthusiasm for learning, even if the print is small and the topic is contractual. I am glad that she is willing to look around and try to understand more.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/i-want-to-read-it-all/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"I Want to Read It All"},{"categories":null,"content":" Without planning ahead, we paid our entrance fee to Canyonlands and headed to the visitor\u0026rsquo;s center. The afternoon sun was sinking lower, and we knew we wouldn\u0026rsquo;t have much time. We\u0026rsquo;d had a full day already, visiting other nearby wilderness areas. The Park Ranger at the visitor\u0026rsquo;s center grabbed her highlighter and showed me the most effective route to see the most important sites before sunset. I liked how the park ranger used her expertise to teach me. \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t take the second mile of this hike; the first mile has the best views.\u0026rdquo; I thought, \u0026ldquo;This might be what people want when they ask about educational goals.\u0026rdquo; For example, parents will ask me, as we head into the summer, \u0026ldquo;How can I keep reviewing multiplication facts in a fun way while the kids are out of school?\u0026rdquo; They are hoping I will respond to them like the Ranger responded to me when I said, \u0026ldquo;I don\u0026rsquo;t want to walk very far\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;I want to see the most stunning vista.\u0026rdquo; But, instead, I usually respond with additional questions. \u0026ldquo;How proficient is your child?\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;How much time do you want to devote each day?\u0026rdquo; Understandably, we prefer experts to give us quick answers that will simplify our journeys. I love the example of the explorers of this area. They didn\u0026rsquo;t have the option to benefit from others who had gone before. Instead, John Wesley Powell asked, \u0026ldquo;What shall we find?\u0026rdquo; I loved the message of this park sign: \u0026ldquo;Storage secures the hope of return.\u0026rdquo; When we are willing to save a portion of what we have now, we give ourselves a more confident future. In many ways, this is the message of education. We store the knowledge and skills to benefit us at a coming day.\nthe Wilderness Act which legally defined wilderness as \u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.\u0026rdquo;\nEducation is much broader than a national park. The body of knowledge can become a wilderness. We learn a little and realize how much more there is to learn.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/canyonlands_itinerary/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Canyonlands Itinerary"},{"categories":null,"content":" At my recent trip to the Jelly Belly Factory, I was surprised to see all the focus on Ronald Reagan. He is featured in every part of the factory, it seems! They are so proud of how much he loved their candy. According to the official Ronald Reagan website When Ronald Reagan ran for Governor of California in 1966, he began eating \u0026ldquo;Goelitz Mini Jelly Beans\u0026rdquo; as part of his successful attempt to give up pipe smoking. Herman Goelitz Candy Company, the Oakland-based producer of the jelly beans, sent a monthly shipment to the Governor\u0026rsquo;s Office throughout Reagan\u0026rsquo;s two terms in Sacramento. The company also made a custom-designed jelly bean jar for Reagan. Three and a half tons of red, white, and blue Jelly Belly® jelly beans were shipped to Washington, DC for the 1981 Inaugural festivities. In February 1981 Herman G. Rowland, the president of Herman Goelitz and a fourth-generation descendant of the company\u0026rsquo;s founders, received official Government authorization to develop a Jelly Belly® jelly bean jar with the Presidential Seal on it. These Presidential jars of Jelly Belly® beans, each in its own blue gift box, were given by Reagan to heads of state, diplomats, and many other White House guests.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s my observation: of course he loved the candy! They gave it to him for free! No wonder he was so proud of it. Reminds me of the same problem we have today: influencers who don\u0026rsquo;t admit they wouldn\u0026rsquo;t use the product if they had to pay the bill.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/jelly-belly-influencer/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Jelly Belly Influencer"},{"categories":null,"content":" If your child is preparing to start high school, you may wonder what kind of AP Classes would help him the most. I have written extensively about AP Classes , the resources we use, and which ones we prefer. But, in this case, if you are in the Public School system, you are going to be restricted by what the school offers and also the school\u0026rsquo;s suggested timelines.\nTaking AP classes in high school can Cost One-Sixth of College Tuition If passed, AP tests provide at least 3 credit hours. (Some foreign language exams offer up to 12 credit hours at BYU.) So the per-credit hour cost of a $98 exam is at most $32/credit hour. Current tuition rates at BYU with a full class load are about $223 per credit hour. This means that tuition rates are 6.75 times more expensive per credit hour. Taking AP classes in high school is an excellent way to save money. They have the added benefit of speeding up the child\u0026rsquo;s college timeline, freeing them to either graduate early or take additional electives.\nFulfilling BYU\u0026rsquo;s General Education at a Public School in Utah Using the AP guide for Brigham Young University, you can see which classes directly fulfill a General Education (GE) Requirement.\nto fullfill Social Science AP US Government and Politics\nto fullfill Biological Science AP Environmental Science\nAP Biology\nto fullfill Global and Cultural Awareness AP Geography\nAP Environmental Science\nto fullfill Physical Science (requires two tests, at least one of them being Chemistry) AP Physics 1\nAP Physics C\nAP Chemistry\nto fullfill both Quantitative Reasoning and Languages of Learning AP BC Calculus\nAP AB Calculus\nAP Statistics\nto fullfill American Heritage (requires two tests) AP US History\nAP US Government and Politics\nto fullfill First-year writing AP English Language\nA Possible Schedule 9th Grade AP Geography\nAP Environmental Science\nSecondary Math 2\n10th Grade AP Art History\nAP Physics 1 (prerequisite for this school: completion of Secondary Math 2)\nSecondary Math 3\n11th Grade AP Biology\nAP US Gov/Politics (taught only every other year\u0026ndash;so might need to do it 12th grade)\nPre-Calculus\nAP Statistics\n12th Grade AP English Language\nAP Physics C: Mechanics\nAP US History\nAP BC Calculus\nAdditional Notes This particular public school restricts most AP classes that BYU accepts as GE credit to be taken by only 11th and 12th grade students. However, in my opinion, US Government and Politics can be taken by a 10th grader. Also, AP Statistics is possible to take as soon as the equivalent of Algebra 2 is done. Perhaps this school would be willing to allow an exception. In our experience, a course load of 4 AP classes is very heavy and hard to manage. Doing that many senior year can overwhelm the student. AP Chemistry isn\u0026rsquo;t offered at this school, but the student could possibly self-study for the exam over the summer between 9th and 10th grade. If the student only takes AP Physics, the student will not satisfy the Physical Science GE credit. Both Physics and Chemistry are required. If the 9th grade year feels too challenging with two AP exams, choose to keep AP Geography as the higher priority.\nFrequently Asked Questions Is taking AP Precalculus worth it? If you are planning to take Calculus in high school, don\u0026rsquo;t bother taking the AP test for Precalculus, in my opinion. Though it will fulfill the \u0026ldquo;Quantitative Reasoning\u0026rdquo; GE, that is a subset of what AP Calculus fulfills. It\u0026rsquo;s not worth your money.\nShould I take AB or BC Calculus? AB is a subset of BC Calculus. By taking the BC Calculus test, you can also pass of the AB material. Though BC is more challenging, it passes off both 1st and 2nd year of calculus in college. Summer self-study will be required to prepare. Most high schools struggle to fit in the additional material (expecially about Parametric Equations plus Sequences and Series) in the traditional 9-month school schedule.\nIs it worth it to take two classes that fulfill the same GE requirement? It might be worth it if two duplicate the same GE requirement if you are paired with other students that will make a good cohort.\nWhy take both AP Statistics and AP Calculus? BYU requires introductory statistics for most of their STEM majors. Even though AP Statistics and AP Calculus fulfill the same GE requirement, the way they advance you forward in a STEM major makes them both worth taking.\nWhat are other reasons to take AP classes that might not fulfill GE? Perhaps your child is interested in World History and wants to take that test. That could be fun! Your child might have other good friends in the class. This might be enough to meet your goals even though you know that your child can\u0026rsquo;t fulfill a GE with the test. But, frankly, I think it\u0026rsquo;s best to put your money and time into courses that will do double duty.\nHope This Helps If you have further AP questions, let me know!\nImage Credit Foto de Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu Unsplash\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/sample-ap-schedule/","tags":["AP"],"title":"Sample AP Schedule"},{"categories":null,"content":" As a group of homeschool families, we attend Kennedy Center shows as a \u0026ldquo;school group.\u0026rdquo; Normally, we are seated as a \u0026ldquo;school\u0026rdquo; and don\u0026rsquo;t receive printed tickets. This time, though, the show was very popular and sold out. Our tickets were in several groups, the education director explained. She was sorry we weren\u0026rsquo;t all able to sit together. I stared at the tickets with the other moms in our group, wondering how to place the children. We had D 137 as well as D 1, D 3, D 5, and D 7. Turns out, these seats are consecutive, with D 137 being across the aisle in the center section. This was a surprise to me.\nI did a little research.\n\u0026ldquo;Why do theaters group the seats by odd and even numbers?\u0026rdquo;\nTurns out I am not the only one with this question. All kinds of people had posted comments such as \u0026ldquo;I accidentally bought every other seat, but I wanted to be sitting next to my friends!\u0026rdquo; image credit So, here\u0026rsquo;s my great idea for bringing more math into the theater! Why not make the seat numbers into fractions? Imagine how much math people would need to learn if they had seat numbers: 8/13, 2/3 and 11/15. People would need to do the conversion of fractions to decimals in order to find their seats!\nThis is a way to bring more STEM into the theater! We could put prime numbers in the center and make sure that repeating decimals were the most desirable seats! Let\u0026rsquo;s work a little bit while we linger in the lobby to keep our mental math strong!!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/which-fraction-is-greater/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Which Fraction Is Greater"},{"categories":null,"content":"I love seeing something simple done well. Years ago, my friend Caroline had inspired me to try biscornu, small, stuffed octagonal pincushions. I love seeing her products. When I saw these biscornu recently, they reminded me of her. The unfussy design is inspiring and allows the good work to shine. It makes me want to be on team \u0026ldquo;Nellie Needlers!\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/nellie-needlers/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Nellie Needlers"},{"categories":null,"content":" Recently, my arhitecturally-focused child discovered these books by Lester Walker. Each step is outlined for how to design a house, including suggestions for using cardboard models. He now spends time each week building these models and considering how to create what he would like. I think that when families ask me how to homeschool, this is the kind of answer they are looking for. An overview of several methods, tips on what to focus on, and a plan for how to get it all done. My son felt empowered to learn the basics. Happily for us, Lester Walker has written other books, focused specifically on teaching children more. In this one, Housebuilding for Children, he guides construction of a tree house, a wood frame house, a junk-yard house, a post-and-beam house, a glass house, and a kit-of-parts house, all of which can be easily built by seven to twelve-year-olds. In reality, there are actually are books like this about homeschooling, but they don\u0026rsquo;t seem very helpful for homeschoolers because there are so many variables. The age of the children, the experience of the parent, and the educational goals can create widely different outputs.\nI love seeing such well done how-to books! Very inspiring.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/designing-a-houseschool/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Designing a House(school)"},{"categories":null,"content":"After touring Woodlawn, \u0026ldquo;Despite her privileged status and her power over enslaved domestic workers, she perceived her life as challenging.\u0026rdquo; In my opinion, rather than meeting someone\u0026rsquo;s perception of their personal challenges with judgment, we need to respond with empathy. It makes sense that she thought her life was challenging. It was challenging! She had seven children die young. She had many financial challenges. She faced heartache and loss. Were there other people around her who also had challenging lives? Yes! Was it difficult for the enslaved workers? Yes! Admitting that one person had a hard time does not negate that other people may have had a harder time.\nA judgment comparison of \u0026ldquo;your life is so much easier than mine\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;you don\u0026rsquo;t know how good you\u0026rsquo;ve got it\u0026rdquo; is never productive.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/she-perceived-her-life-as-challenging/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"She Perceived Her Life as Challenging"},{"categories":null,"content":"I love the title of this section of a breadmaking book, Flour Power: \u0026ldquo;Patience as an Ingredient\u0026rdquo; Certainly sourdough requires patience! I also found her honesty refreshing as she reflected on her breadmaking journey.\n\u0026ldquo;There is a real danger to tying your worth to how the bread comes out any given day and that it\u0026rsquo;s harsh to make fun of people who like sandwich bread. I learned that having extreme values can be lonely. I grew tired and isolated.\u0026rdquo;\nThis is how homeschooling can feel, too. There are days that are hard. Having different educational goals than the bulk of the people around you can feel very lonely. I appreciated the author, Tara Jensen, being willing to speak up. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/patience-as-an-ingredient/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Patience as an Ingredient"},{"categories":null,"content":"When I was in Junior High, my father helped write a Real Estate textbook. I was honored when he asked me if I would review the math problems and see if there were any errors. For me, it was the ultimate compliment: he thought I knew enough that I could be trusted to get the right solutions! Now, as a homeschooling parent, I pay special attention to textbooks. Many friends are surprised when I tell them I actually buy a standard textbook and use that to teach math. I don\u0026rsquo;t use homeschool-specific curriculum. Perhaps they are doubly surprised since our local public schools aren\u0026rsquo;t using textbooks any longer. To me, there is something timeless and delightful about the consistency of a textbook. When my youngest daughter recently started Algebra 1, she felt so grown up to use a textbook. She was thrilled to find answers in the back! When she found the answer to number 17 was 17, she felt she had struck gold.\nSimilarly, when my son found this page in his geometry book, it was a symbol of his growth. All his siblings have referenced this joke as they completed the course. It\u0026rsquo;s a family favorite.\nWhat did the acorn say when it grew up? Gee, I\u0026rsquo;m a tree! (Geometry)\nHaving grown up in Salt Lake City, I loved finding my city map featured in this algebraic discussion of the coordinate grid. Additionally, I loved this silly example in the statistics textbook we use. \u0026ldquo;The recipe calls for four fresh eggs for each quiche. A Salt Lake County Health Department Inspector paid a visit recently and pointed out that research by the Food and Drug Administration indicates that one in four eggs carries salmonella bacterium, so the restaurants should never use more than three eggs when preparing quiche. The manager on duty wondered aloud if simply throuwing out three eggs from each dozen and using the remaining nine in four-egg quiches would serve the same purpose.\u0026rdquo;\nDiscuss the folly of the statement!\nI\u0026rsquo;m glad to be an old-fashioned teacher using #2 pencils, lined notebooks and a hardcover textbook.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/enjoying-the-textbook/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Enjoying the Textbook"},{"categories":null,"content":"What are the most hazardous attitudes in homeschooling? Perhaps we can better understand those after considering what the Federal Aviation Administration has identified as hazardous attitudes for pilots. They explain:\n80% of all aviation accidents are related to human factors with the majority of accidents occur during landing and takeoff. The concept was introduced by the airline industry over 25 years ago to help decrease accidents caused by human factors\u0026hellip;.The results are clear: pilots who receive \u0026ldquo;[this]\u0026rdquo; training made 10-50% fewer judgment errors.\nThe FAA elaborates:\nHazardous attitudes are attitudes that negatively affect the quality of your decisions. Recognizing them is the first step in neutralizing them. There are 5 attitudes:\nAnti-authority: Those who do not like anyone telling them what to do. Impulsivity: Those who feel the need to do something, anything, immediately. Invulnerability: Those who believe that accidents happen to others. Macho: Those who are trying to prove that they are better than anyone else. “Watch this! Resignation: Those who do not see themselves making a difference. Here\u0026rsquo;s a list of antidotes to the 5 hazardous attitudes:\nAnti-authority: Follow the rules. They are usually right. Impulsivity: Not so fast. Think first. Invulnerability: It could happen to me. Macho: Taking chances is foolish. Resignation: \u0026ldquo;I’m not helpless.\u0026rdquo; I can make a difference. FAA Safety image credit: James H Herndon and Nicole Wolf.\nI loved the succinct matching of attitude and antidote by the FAA. Nevermind the fact that it would take tremendous effort to both identify and correct these kind of deep-seated attitude issues. I like that they are trying to put words to the problems.\nI couldn\u0026rsquo;t help but imagine, what would be the most hazardous attitudes of a homeschooler?\nAnother way of asking this question: what attitudes get in the way of succeeding with homeschooling? We can\u0026rsquo;t just copy the FAA list. For example, being \u0026ldquo;anti-authority\u0026rdquo; is actually an essential homeschooling attribute. Without this feeling, parents would choose educational status quo. After brainstorming, here\u0026rsquo;s what I came up with:\nHomeschool Hazardous Attitudes:\nFreeway Speeds: Unless we\u0026rsquo;re going 60 mph, we won\u0026rsquo;t get this all done Solitary Pillar: I\u0026rsquo;m all alone and all of this depends on me Not Measurable: There is no evidence of success. We don\u0026rsquo;t have a GPA or test score to guide us. Look at them: That child is accomplishing more than my child! Cram it in: Try to fill the day with every possible everything Homeschool Antidotes:\nSlow and Steady Wins the Race: Speed isn\u0026rsquo;t as important as direction and intention. Find a sustainable speed. Build Community: Even though you may feel lonely, you can create a team of like-minded families to rally and support you. Persistence: Recognize that homeschooling may not have immediate, visible results. Homeschoolers need to continue with their daily efforts. Swim in My Own Lane: Making a comparison isn\u0026rsquo;t helpful. Focus on what I can do to help my child learn effectively. Essentialism: Choose to do only what is most impactful. I\u0026rsquo;d love to hear from you about which attitudes have helped you continue in your homeschooling journey.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/faa-hazardous-attitudes/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"FAA Hazardous Attitudes"},{"categories":null,"content":"There are some tools that profess to be the ultimate tool\u0026ndash;the thing that could do everything. While reading this library book about kettlebell workouts, I laughed at all that sandpaper could do to fix the handle. \u0026ldquo;Sandpaper is used for finishing touches to make the handles exactly as you like them to feel. If they are too rough, you can smooth them. If they are too smooth, you can rought them up a bit so you can find a better grip.\u0026rdquo; Sandpaper is the ultimate tool here! It reminded me of a friend who marveled at the capacity of her high speed blender. \u0026ldquo;They told me it could make ice cream,\u0026rdquo; she explained, \u0026ldquo;but the very same machine can also make hot soup!\u0026rdquo; Or, as my husband says, \u0026ldquo;If you are cold, adjust the thermostat. If you are warm, adjust the thermostat.\u0026rdquo; Homeschooling is this kind of tool. Homeschooling is useful when your child is academically advanced and needs a challenge. Homeschooling is useful when your child is academically behind and needs remedial help. Homeschooling is the tool that can meet any need.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-ultimatetool/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"The Ultimate Tool"},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/field-trip/washington-monument/","tags":["Field Trips"],"title":"Washington Monument"},{"categories":null,"content":" While hiking in New River Gorge this summer, we saw this sign at the abandoned mine site of Kaymoor. A reminder to be safe. I found myself wondering, “Why do we need a reminder? Are we forgetting safety?”\nAccording to the National Park Service , which maintains the Kaymoor site,\nThe mine site of Kaymoor One was once one of the most successful and highest producing mines in New River Gorge. Over its history, Kaymoor mined millions of tons of coal and was home to hundreds of people. It is currently one of the most intact mine complexes remaining in the New River Gorge. .Kaymoor also had a reputation as one of the better mines to work at. … Kaymoor never had a mine explosion accident. Other towns in the gorge such as Red Ash suffered from explosions that caused disasters. Kaymoor\u0026rsquo;s main dangers were rock falls, fires, and electrocution. Kaymoor management set rules to prevent miners from excessively drinking. The rules went so far as to order superintendents to not establish any saloons on Kaymoor property!\nThe safety tally board reminded me of the machine shop where I worked. I don’t like the message, “accidents choose no man.” That makes it sound like it is random chance. Perhaps that’s how it felt to them. So, in essence, this sign is meant to say, “Your family loves you. They want to see you again tonight.” Perhaps it also means, “We want you to slow down. We want you to be careful. We know you face competing priorities. We want you to be a good and efficient worker, but we want you to follow the rules.” In a 2019 Forbes article by Henry DeVries, Be Safe , he reported interviewing Carl Potter, a safety advisor.\n“Leaders who understand how to persuade know that they must provide motivation,” says Potter. “The cheap way to motivate is through threats, but great leaders use inspiration and encouragement.” Potter’s experience as a safety professional has shown him that people are truly safe by first obtaining knowledge, then taught skills, guided through coaching, and then persuaded with motivation, inspiration, and encouragement. “Knowledge is a key factor to creating a foundation for understanding what it means to be safe,” says Potter. “Being safe means that we have taken steps to reduce the risk of an event taking place that can lead to injury.”\nThese comments remind me that we can’t just admonish someone to be safe, we need to take action to create safety.\nWhy do people take risks? They are tired. They are in a hurry. They don’t believe that the steps of the process make a difference.\nPerhaps the sign could also say, “We value you. You are not just a ‘cog’ to us. You are a human with a history and a context and a family. We want you to continue being our employee.”\nThis sign reminded me of how important my family is to me. I imagined, what would it be like if the sign read, “your family wants you to homeschool.” Would that be a way I could keep myself going even when I want to quit? Maybe that could be a good reminder for me! Essentially, this sign would mean, \u0026ldquo;You are making important sacrifices and they are worthwhile! Keep going!\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/your-family-wants-you/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Your Family Wants You To Work Safely"},{"categories":null,"content":"Do we actually have a problem?\nI have seen signs warning about the spotted lantern fly since 2019. This insect can be very damaging to agriculture.\nIt wasn’t until September when I first saw just how invasive the lantern fly can be.\nWhile in Antietam National Battlefield, we went up into an observation tower. The ceiling was covered with lantern flies and they landed all over us. Unlike a housefly or a mosquito, they seemed to land without any attention to detail. Their flight patterns were frighteningly random and erratic. We couldn’t stand to be up there with them, and lasted only a few moments in the tower. What does it take for us to believe that an invasion is coming? What does it take for us to take action to defend against it?\nAccording to the Virginia Cooperative Extension After several years of continuous spread in Pennsylvania, spotted lanternfly (SLF; Fig. 1) was first found in Winchester Virginia in January 2018. The initial infestation zone (Spring 2018) included about 1 square mile; by November 2018 SLF had expanded its range to about 18 square miles. It is highly invasive and spreads rapidly when introduced into new areas. This is attributed to its wide host range (more than 70 host plant species) and a lack of effective natural enemies. SLF is now established throughout the Shenandoah Valley are parts of the Piedmont. Natural spread is estimated to be about 10 miles per year; there is great risk of spread by hitchhiking on vehicles.\nThese helpful materials also describe the look-alike species This experience reminded me to be vigilant about following recommendations, even if we don’t believe there’s a real threat.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/invasive-problems/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Invasive Problems"},{"categories":null,"content":"key concepts and institutions of the political system and culture of the United States. You\u0026rsquo;ll read, analyze, and discuss the U.S. Constitution and other documents as well as complete a research or applied civics project.\nTextbooks The American Democracy by Thomas E. Patterson\nComparative Politics: Domestic Responses to Global Challenges by Charles Hauss\nBarron\u0026rsquo;s How to Prepare for the AP US Government and Politics Advanced Placement Examination by Curt Lader\nAmerican Government: Readings and Cases by Peter Woll\nThe AP Comparative Government and Politics Examination by Ken Wedding\nFoundational Documents The AP U.S. Government and Politics course features nine required foundational documents to help you understand the philosophies of the founders and their critics. You will use these documents to help you take your first test for the class- Summer Reading Test. These documents are… ● The Declaration of Independence http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.htm ● The Articles of Confederation http://www.ushistory.org/documents/confederation.htm ● Brutus No. 1 http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/brutus-i/ ● Federalist No. 10 http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/federalist-no-10/ ● Federalist No. 51 http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/federalist-no-51/ ● Federalist No. 70 http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/federalist-no-70/ ● Federalist No. 78 http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/federalist-no-78/ ● The Constitution of the United States https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution ● Letter from a Birmingham Jail http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Letter_Birmingham_Jail.pdf The 15 Landmark Supreme Court Cases- For each case listed below, you should be able to explain… 1. The major details of each case, 2. The holding in the majority opinion, 3. The constitutional principle used by the justices to support their finding, and 4. The overview of the argument(s) by dissenting justices (if applicable).\nYou need to read each case brief; learn the facts, question(s), and conclusion/decision for each of the fifteen landmark Supreme Court cases. You can find information for each case at: www.oyez.org . ● Marbury v. Madison (1803) ● McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) ● Schenck v. United States (1919) ● Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ● Baker v. Carr (1961) ● Engel v. Vitale (1962) ● Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) ● Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) ● New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) ● Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) ● Roe v. Wade (1973) ● Shaw v. Reno (1993) ● United States v. Lopez (1995) ● McDonald v. Chicago (2010) ● Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)\nAdditional Reading How to Read the Constitution\u0026ndash;and Why by Kim Wehle\nGlobalization: the irrational fear that someone in China will take your job by Bruce Greenwald, Judd Kahn\nHow Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer\nThe Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin\nWatchdogs of Democracy? The Waning Washington Press Corps and How it Failed the Public by Helen Thomas\nThe Broken Branch by Thomas Mann \u0026amp; Norman J. Ornstein\nRed State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State By Andrew Gelman\nOnline Resources\nAnnotations of the Constitution: ● https://www.congress.gov/constitution-annotated/ ● https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan ● https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/articles/article-i#section-1 ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-united-states-government/","tags":["AP"],"title":"AP United States Government"},{"categories":null,"content":"Textbook\nIntroduction to Statistics and Data Analysis by Roxy Peck, Chris Olsen and Jay Devore\nBarron\u0026rsquo;s AP Statistics\nOther Reading\n\u0026ldquo;A Lady Tasting Tea\u0026rdquo; by David Salsburg\n\u0026ldquo;Visual Display of Quantitative Information\u0026rdquo; by Edward Tufte\nHow to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff\nNaked Statistics by Charles Wheelan\nOnline Resources\nCoursera, edX, Stanford, Class Central and Udacity all have intro to Statistics courses.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-statistics/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Ap Statistics"},{"categories":null,"content":"The AP Spanish Language Exam is a 3-4 hour skill-based exam testing your abilities and proficiency in Spanish. It is not a knowledge-based exam like most other AP exams. You are “on-stage” in Spanish for over 3 hours, integrating all of your speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, as well as cultural information acquired during your Spanish studies over the years.\nThere are sections for multiple choice written, multiple choice audio, written free response and spoken free response.\nCollege Board Details\nGrammar Review\nListening Comprehension\nGrammar and Vocabulary Resources\nThese sites offer great support for writing in Spanish. Rules for punctuation, capitalization, etc. are included here along with helpful vocabulary lists. Check them out and use them for extra practice or explanation.\nhttp://www.hoy.com.ec http://www.lanacion.cl http://elpais.com http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/noticias.html http://www.prensalibre.com http://www.studyspanish.com/grammar http://spanish.about.com/od/writtenspanish/Write_in_Spanish.htm http://www.spanish.sbc.edu/writing_guide.html http://www.fsu.edu/~modlang/sp-cai/coursesite/LetterVocab.htm https://www.thoughtco.com/phrases-followed-by-subjunctive-mood-3079043 https://www.thoughtco.com/perfect-infinitives-spanish-3079923Possible Reading\n Vieja canción española: “Los maderos de San Juan”\n Un villancico tradicional: “Letanía para pedir posada”\n Nicolás Guillén: “Sensemaya”\n Horacio Quiroga: “A la deriva”\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-spanish/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Ap Spanish"},{"categories":null,"content":"Some homeschooling parents don\u0026rsquo;t feel qualified to teach AP classes to their students. What can be done by the student on their own?\nHere are some ideas to empower the student to own the AP experience.\nStart with an Overview Look at the main ideas of the course. What will be the primary topics? What is the structure of the test? What are the essays and multiple choice questions? You can find this information on College Board\u0026rsquo;s site. Also visit the Wikipedia page about the test and look at the score distribution. Some tests have much lower pass rates than others.\nBegin with a MOOC Try a free online course. You might consider taking it quickly. Watch all the videos, but don\u0026rsquo;t let yourself get bogged down. Let it be a \u0026ldquo;first pass\u0026rdquo; through the material.\nRead for Pleasure Instead of starting with a textbook, look for books on this topic that people read just for fun. Or, watch a movie about the topic.\nPersonalize the Timeline Learn at your own speed. Take two years to finish a course. Or, begin over the summer.\nFind Online Videos Many teachers post tutorials about the material. If you get stuck, you can find answers for specific topic courses on youtube.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-self-study/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"AP Self Study"},{"categories":null,"content":"This is a great course to explore ideas, theories, and methods of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.\nOnline Resources Crash Course: watched videos throughout the year but found that they were not very helpful for review. Textbook Meyer Felt too casual and not very professional. Wasn\u0026rsquo;t super concise but it did stick pretty closely to things covered on AP exam. Barron’s This was the only review book I used and it was super useful. I took very detailed notes and ended up returning it to the library before AP test. I also found the tips on essay writing and Multiple Choice strategies to be extremely valuable and applicable to all my other tests. Extra Reading Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis\nStudy Strategies and Extra Tips Make sure you take lots of Free Response tests and make sure you use Barron’s tips. In the last few weeks leading up to the exam review vocab and take Practice tests, the 1994 and 1999 exams are especially helpful.\nKeep up with your readings of the textbook. I would recommend at the start of the new year: go through the index and review the whole book.\nIn essays, do more than explain vocabulary, be sure you also apply it to the situation\nKnow all the different theories in Personality, Intelligence, Memory and Motivation. Know the parts of your brain.\nDO YOUR FLASHCARDS\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-psychology/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"AP Psychology"},{"categories":null,"content":"Prerequisites: algebra 1 and 2\nBasic Details\nAP Physics Reviewbook\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-physics-1/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"AP Physics 1"},{"categories":null,"content":"Behavior of Individuals within an economic system\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-microeconomics/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Ap Microeconomics"},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/chemistry/","tags":null,"title":"Chemistry"},{"categories":null,"content":"How to Teach AP Classes at Home (NCHE 2022) How to Have a Good Homeschool Day Tackling Intimidating Academics Deeper Focus Through Fewer Distractions (LDSHE 2018) The Essential Homeschooler How to Have a Miserable Homeschool Day (LDSHE 2022) ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/presentations/","tags":["Presentations"],"title":"Presentations"},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/byu/","tags":null,"title":"BYU"},{"categories":null,"content":"William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, is memorialized in a monument and museum in Canton, Ohio. Perhaps, like me, you struggle to remember any important facts about this president. Here are a few things I learned.\nMcKinley served from March 4, 1897, until his assassination on September 14, 1901. Under McKinley’s leadership, the United States became one of the world’s colonial powers. After the Paris Peace Treaty was signed in 1898, the United States obtained Puerto Rico, Guam, and—for $20 million—the Philippine Islands. He is remembered for his foreign policy decisions: the Boxer Rebellion in China and the “open door” policy there, raising protective tariffs to promote American industry, and leading the Spanish-American War.\nHis assassination prompted the creation of the Secret Service. He was shaking hands at an event in New York when he was approached by a young anarchist who shot him in the chest. Before collapsing, the President said “be careful how you tell my wife.” (Both of their daughters died before age 5 and she still mourned that loss.) After his death, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as president.\nThe assassin explained his motivations: “I killed the president because he was the enemy of the good people—the working people.”\nThe monument is majestic and towers above the treetops, placed on a hill with 108 steps leading up to it.\nI had hoped the presidential library would be filled with information about the president and his life. Only a small portion pertained to him. Instead, the large building is filled with unrelated exhibits. There is a planetarium, an Interactive Science Center with natural history objects and rescue animal friends at “Ecology Island”.\nOne section is devoted to the time period of the McKinley family and their lives in Canton, Ohio. But, the rotating exhibit that was there when we visited was unbelievably random. Titled, “A Constellation of Objects,” the artifacts were intended to represent a variety of cultures and time periods. Instead, it felt like a jarring junk drawer jumble. Unconnected to the president or to each other, there seemed to be no purpose.\nOne other Canton, Ohio claim to fame was well represented. The Hoover Vacuum was invented here in 1908. This is the only museum I have visited with a vacuum-cleaner-powered ride.\nThe area my children most enjoyed was Stark County Street of Shops. There was a general store, a dentist office, a tailor and a hat maker. They loved seeing the model trains, too! The exhibit was very engaging.\nI had hoped for more politics or history in the gift shop. Instead, like the rest of the museum, it was filled with interesting but unrelated items. Though it was a pleasant place to pass an afternoon, this wasn’t the presidential history visit I had hoped for. I came away disappointed. It feels as though Canton, Ohio, doesn’t think people will attend the museum just to learn about President McKinley and that they need to add more confetti to make it attractive.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/william-mckinley-presidential-library/","tags":null,"title":"William Mckinley Presidential Library"},{"categories":null,"content":"So, you’re interested in homeschooling your five-year-old? Here are a few ideas to consider.\nHomeschooling is not about choosing a curriculum. Homeschooling is about paying attention to your individual child and noticing what they need now while also anticipating what they will need in the future. Listen to the questions your child asks and allow that to be your guide.\nConsider not signing up for too many things outside of the house. Keep your schedule simple. You might even benefit from one day fully at home with no deadlines and no outings.\nFind a friend or fellow homeschooler that can help you swap babysitting so you don’t have to take all your children to the store or doctor with you.\nPlan to do something creative for yourself every day during your children’s quiet time.\nHave reasonable expectations of yourself. Decide ahead of time what will help you consider your first year of homeschooling a success. How will you remind yourself of the good you are doing?\nNo need to spend money.\nNo need to spend more than an hour each day on “academics.”\nSpend time with other families that are educating at home so that you can receive regular doeses encouragement.\nReading–After using a General Reading Instruction Program, we would spend daily time reading aloud. The librarian can help you find books. Or, there are lots of ideas online under “early reading texts.” You can also browse the “Homeschool-in-a-box” curriculum packages for ideas of books to read. I don’t usually buy them, I just review what they offer and find it at the library.\nSpelling–Explode the Code is my favorite curriculum. But, I also like the simplicity of teaching word families–not using a program at all, just printing off a pdf of words like this one.\nhttps://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1658244984/isd47org/szigpzaumyz3rls8bb1p/WordFamilies.pdf I invite my children to illustrate little stories while using the words.\nI also like playing rhyming games. Here’s our favorite\nHandwriting Handwriting Without Tears–I loved these materials! We found so much success with their handwriting package. Everything I’ve bought from them has been worth it. https://www.lwtears.com/solutions/writing/handwriting-without-tears Math–Learning skip counting through songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c2q3g9gqj8\u0026list=PLTdqpG-LvsciI3gB9G53jil8I8wfHZnat We use Math Mammoth (pdf Download of all the elementary math years–goes on sale twice a year in August and January) but don’t start till 1st grade\nhttps://www.mathmammoth.com/complete-curriculum There are lots of good curriculum options, but I prefer to stay involved, keep it practical, and include my child in as much daily math as possible. One fun game that a kindergartner could enjoy is King Dominos.\nWriting–Many families like Julie Bogart’s Brave Writer program. You can use her ideas by reading her books, no need to buy into the monthly subscription. https://bravewriter.com/brave-learner-home She has ideas to make writing a natural part of daily life.\nAs I began homeschooling, the two educational methods that resonated the most with me were Montessori and Waldorf. Perhaps you will like their perspective, too. Overall, those methods have helped me become the homeschooler I am by valuing free play, prioritizing outside time, keeping the young years technology free, and reading lots of good books.\nThough not specifically about homeschooling, I think these are great books about parenting this age:\nIt’s OK Not to Share and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids by Heather Shumaker Why Is My Child in Charge? by Claire Lerner You can totally do this! I hope you will feel confident in your ability to teach based on your loyalty to your child and your willingness to customize the environment just for him.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/getting-started-with-kindergarten/","tags":null,"title":"Getting Started With Kindergarten"},{"categories":null,"content":" Here\u0026rsquo;s what is working for me right now: doing math in public places.\nHomeschoolers don\u0026rsquo;t need to do all the academics at home. One of my children has built up some fear and anxiety about math. Taking this child into a public place to do math is our key to success. Being away from home means the child is more committed to completing the one hour of study (since getting home is an \u0026ldquo;event\u0026rdquo; that involves a car ride.) We\u0026rsquo;ve been choosing locations that are sufficiently busy to keep behavior polite, but not so busy that they are distracting. I\u0026rsquo;m pleased with the variety we\u0026rsquo;ve found.\nI was willing to try this after reading Cal Newport\u0026rsquo;s latest book, \u0026ldquo;Slow Productivity\u0026rdquo; His podcast has a post about this same idea: Escape Your Desk As a homeschooler of multiple children, I have found success in being consistent. Consistent academic hours, consistent academic locations. The willingness to mix things up right now is helping me recognize a new way to build momentum. I\u0026rsquo;m so pleased with the way this is helping my child remove the mental blocks that say, \u0026ldquo;I hate doing math.\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/math-in-public-places/","tags":["STEM"],"title":"Math in Public Places"},{"categories":null,"content":"The First Ladies National Historic Site began in 1996 with a noble goal: increase awareness of the influence of the First Ladies. This site has two buildings that commemorate their contributions. We visited only the free visitor center and did not enter the Saxton House, which has an entrance fee.\nThe museum is engaging. Children can view important historic relics and easily identify the time periods represented. Even better, though, are the hands-on displays upstairs. We enjoyed the one-room school house with desks and photos about education. Additionally, a reading room focused on the literacy projects of many of the first ladies. Also, there was a delightful dress-up corner with building blocks. As ever, the Junior Ranger program kept my children engaged and interested in the details of the exhibit. Overall, the museum designers did really well.\nMuch of the exhibit focused on the women\u0026rsquo;s ability to campaign for their husbands. Consider the case of Florence Harding, wife of the 29th President, who was the first woman who would have had the opportunity to vote for her own husband.\nIn the basement, there was a movie featuring several of the First Ladies. Much of the movie featured Betty Ford\u0026rsquo;s addiction recovery, which honestly felt a little jarring. There was also the unmistakable message that these women are worth learning about because they are married to important men. These were unruly, megalomaniac men who wanted to have positions of power. What\u0026rsquo;s a girl to do?\nI snapped a photo during the movie about the first ladies\u0026ndash;I resented that they portrayed these women as needing to control and parent their volatile, hyperactive husbands.\nFull disclosure: I hold an unpopular opinion about the First Ladies exhibit in the American History Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. I do not like that a women\u0026rsquo;s existence is simplified to a dress and her choice in place setting. These are consumerist, superficial summaries at best, but also focus on the external assessments of women: their physical appearance and ability to host. Perhaps this is intended. Perhaps those are the qualities we value in wives of our leaders?\nHere\u0026rsquo;s what I wish this museum contained:\nFocus on the woman for their own virtues, not just in context of her husband and his accomplishments Over 50 women have held the role of First Lady. This museum should narrow the focus and provide more historical details about only a few through rotating exhibits. The sheer amount of information is overwhelming. Explore more about the political context of each woman. Many of the First Ladies were too private to want to share their thoughts and ideas. I don\u0026rsquo;t think it is appropriate for this museum to feature sensational gossipy details about the First Ladies. That is certainly not the history I want to hear about.\nI know I personally don\u0026rsquo;t want to be summarized by sassy one-liners, and I doubt whether these women would appreciate that, either.\nOver and over, this museum presented the contrasting roles of the women and men in the leadership of our country. Perhaps my experience was too heavily influenced by the book I had just read at the library illustrating these limitations. And, perhaps my criticisms are actually about the set-up of our government and our society overall, not the museum itself. Take it for what it\u0026rsquo;s worth!\nIf you wanted to learn more about First Ladies without visiting the museum, you could use the website information . I\u0026rsquo;d love to hear what you think!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/review-of-first-ladies-national-historic-site/","tags":null,"title":"Review of First Ladies National Historic Site"},{"categories":null,"content":" The Billy Goat Trail is a hike we love to do multiple times each year. The hike follows the Potomac River right along the Stateline. In fact, even though you are in Maryland, you can see the visitors to the Great Falls Park on the Virginia side directly across the river and they’re even close enough for a conversation! We love getting to say “hi, Virginia!” and hearing their responses.\nIf you have kids that enjoy rock climbing, have good stamina for hiking, and are older than about 8, this is a great hike for you! You will feel a great sense of accomplishment. We go for the rock scrambles and the views of the Potomac as it squeezes through Mather Gorge.\nThis is a trail that requires extra caution. You need sturdy hiking shoes and plenty of fluids. In the summer, you’ll want to start hiking before 8 am. The hike has little tree coverage and a lot of sunshine. The rocks can also be quite slippery after the rain. The crowds can be a turnoff, but because of the trail’s popularity, it is nearly impossible to get lost. Also, even though you’ll want to bring snacks, keep in mind that there are not many places to stop and rest on the trail. In addition, you’ll want to keep your hands free while you climb. (Don’t plan to carry a water bottle in your hand; use a bag.)\nThe 1.75-mile Section A of the Billy Goat Trail will seem a lot longer than that. Keep in mind you are hiking 1.75 miles out on the Billy Goat and then another 1.75 miles back on the C\u0026amp;O canal towpath, for a total of just under 4 miles. The entire hike out and back will take around three hours.\nThe Billy Goat trail is currently a one-way hike, so choosing where to park affects your experience.\nParking Near Old Anglers Inn This small lot is across the street from the Old Anglers Inn on Mac Arthur Blvd. There are two advantages to parking here: you can park for free, and you are parking close to the finish line. Since the lot is small, it fills up quickly, so plan to arrive early in the day. To access the trail, you walk down from the parking lot towards the C\u0026amp;O towpath and turn right, towards the visitors center. You’ll walk almost 45 minutes on the flat and pleasant path. You can’t miss the well-marked Billy Goat trail entrance on your left. Or, if it is your first time visiting, you can continue up to the Olmstead Island viewpoint before coming back to start the hike. Either way, once you are done with the approx 90 minutes on the Billy Goat trail itself, you only have to walk an additional 10 to 15 minutes on the towpath to return to your car. This feels more satisfying to my family.\nParking Near Main Entrance The main parking lot for the Billy Goat Trail is at the C\u0026amp;O Canal National Historical Park, Great Falls, Maryland, parking lot. There is a fee to enter the park, but it is FREE with any National Park pass or Every Kid Outdoors pass. The parking lot is about .7 miles from the trailhead. From here, you can easily access the Billy Goat Trail Section A and other park features, like the beautiful Olmstead Island trail to Great Falls on the Maryland side. Even though this parking lot is close to the beginning of the hike, it is about 45 minutes to walk back to your car after the hike is done.\nAdditional Caution Do not enter the Potomac River, even for wading. This article outlines many of the dangers. Be safe and enjoy the hike! ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/billy-goat-trail/","tags":["Field Trips"],"title":"Billy Goat Trail"},{"categories":null,"content":" While browsing a forgotten shelf of children\u0026rsquo;s books in a community college library, my child discovered this book about communities. Originally published in 1967, the book has a positive message overall, and my child enjoyed reading the way it summarized human\u0026rsquo;s transition to more permanent cities. There is a strong emphasis on teamwork and the importance of the contribution of each individual. The illustrations are engaging and have a fun pop of color. However, there is an unmistakable belief that women\u0026rsquo;s roles are narrowly defined. The women are portrayed as having very specific, limited roles in the community. Later, I learned that the same author, Ruth Shaw Radlauer, wrote a pair of books in the 1950s called \u0026ldquo;Women at Work\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;Fathers at Work.\u0026rdquo; Though I haven\u0026rsquo;t read those books, I understand the careers of the women portrayed in her book are: librarian, ballet dancer, airline stewardess, nurse, piano teacher and beautician. Seeing that list reminds me of how much I hate the reinforced gender stereotypes of the Lego Friends sets. Similarly, the careers they portray as possibilities for girls are hauntingly similar to Radlauer\u0026rsquo;s book but also include themes of agriculture, equestrianism, wildlife animal rescue, and pop stardom. Though I can appreciate the context of this book in the time period in which it was published, it still made me surprisingly angry. I am glad that we no longer talk about people in such narrowly defined possibilities. I am glad both my sons and daughters have many options for their futures. I hope the cities of tomorrow will lend even more flexibility in the way each person can contribute to the community.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/what-is-a-community/","tags":null,"title":"What Is a Community"},{"categories":null,"content":" The hungry baby birds are expecting their mother\u0026rsquo;s return. Did you know each bird needs at least 15 worms a day as they grow?\nOn Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day, my neighbor offered to let us join him on his rounds for monitoring bluebird nests. My children were fascinated. We followed him around on his 40-minute walk to check six nesting boxes. At each box, he would approach carefully, stand safely to the side, and unscrew the front. Then he could count the eggs and baby birds inside, monitoring their development. This is the kind of learning I want my children to enjoy: on-site and in-person guided by a mentor who loves the topic.\nMy children poured out the questions about bird development, preparing and cleaning the sites, travel times, predators, and preferred food sources. Tellingly, my youngest child asked, \u0026ldquo;does the mother bird make sure to be fair when she passes out the worms to her babies?\u0026rdquo; This nest was in one of the bluebird boxes, but is a tree sparrow nest. They line their nest with feathers.\n\u0026ldquo;How do they get the feathers ready for the nest? Is it like pulling out a hair off your head? Does it hurt? Do they have extra feathers?\u0026rdquo;\nOur evening walk helped re-energize my enthusiasm for learning, which is especially important right now, in the midst of AP test taking. There is so much to dislike about \u0026ldquo;teaching to the test,\u0026rdquo; even though it is valuable for college applications.\nI love being outside, making observations, and finding out more about the beauty that surrounds us.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/open---mouthed-learning/","tags":["Joy"],"title":"Open-Mouthed Learning"},{"categories":null,"content":" This important book was on display at my local library. I’m so glad I picked it up! I love the ideas. This book isn’t like other parenting books. This is a collection of essays by disabled parents that reveals they are masters at problem solving and have found creative ways to get around barriers. Their openness helped me realize how daunting it can be for some to choose to become parents. I appreciated the glimpse into the lives and hearts of other families. The parents featured in this book tackle complex topics:\n“Who should be permitted to have children?”—is it irresponsible to bring children into a home with a parent that already relies on others for extra care themselves?\n*Our society’s obsession with healthy bodies\n*Rigid template of “conventional” parenting\u0026ndash;What parenting can look like when we are not able to fill a traditional role.\n*People who are disabled do not want pity, nor do they want to be viewed as saintly and inspirational.\nThe stories represent all types of families with disabled parents. They “empower people with a disability to live life as they choose.” Suggesting that only some types of people are worthy of the role of parenting is “denying the beauty that diversity of experiences brings our society.”\nThe most impactful messages for me:\n“You cannot love others without loving yourself, too”\n“Disability weaves in and out of my parenting”—it is who I am\nEven though there is “Very little we can do to change the judgments people make…” THEY AFFECT US\n“My children were like ambassadors, signaling my normality”\nI’m grateful for Eliza Hull in putting the book together, and for each of these parents for making a submission to help us all understand a little bit more.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/weve-got-this/","tags":["Reading"],"title":"We've Got This"},{"categories":null,"content":" For me, forsythia and daffodils are friendly reminders of the abundance of springtime. Yellow feels so happy and cheerful. I love spring in general, but yellow specifically, as a herald of growth and vitality.\nImagine my disappointment when I learned last week that my child can’t see yellow. At all. Never in her life has she seen yellow. She is a teenager and we are only just now noticing this yellow deficiency! Now, the blooms remind me of her loss. They are symbols of a joy she will never experience.\nTritanopia (the official name for yellow-blue color deficiency) is not as common as the familiar red-green x-chromosome linked color deficiency. This type occurs equally between men and women, showing up in about 0.005% or 1 in 20,000 people. For my child, yellow and blue appear nearly identical. She can barely distinguish between orange, purple, pink and green as well. In fact, contrary to what the name implies, my child’s world is almost completely blue. Realizing she has this lack leaves me feeling sad for her.\nAlso, I wonder how she could be a teenager and we never discovered this. How could we have missed something so fundamental about her perspective? I think of the number of conversations in fabric stores, art museums, or grocery shopping. Color is woven into nearly every topic. How did we not notice that she couldn’t see what we were pointing out?\nWhat I’ve learned for sure is that I cannot expect others to understand my perspective. Even if it seems obvious to me, they might be having a different experience. And they might not even realize it! When her homeschooling friend shared with her what he had learned in biology about the structure of the eye, he casually showed her the classic pebbled numbers. At first, I thought she might be teasing us when she said she couldn’t see the numbers. Initially, we were worried this color vision deficiency had been a recent development, and peppered her with questions. “I think I might have seen yellow before…” she mused. “I know that bananas are the color yellow for you even if they don’t seem that way for me.”\nThough genetics can play a role with this type of color blindness, disease can, too. Thankfully, we were seen quickly by an ophthalmologist. I was enormously relieved to get the report of a healthy eye. Her vision is perfect, they said. Her eye is healthy. She merely can’t see some of the colors.\nHow did she ever color a picture? “Because I could read the names of the colors on the markers,” she explained. How did you ever match clothing? “Because I trained myself to recognize variations in the shades,” as if that’s how we all do it. Sheer memorization!?! Life could be so much easier! We asked her to sort these familiar game tokens by color. This was the best she could do. The image I see on the left, with a simulation of what my daughter sees on the right. Now that I know of her deficiency, I can respond with greater love and compassion. I can offer her additional information to support her decisions. I can be more patient. Yellow is now a reminder for me of how to be a better parent, teacher and friend. Image Source: https://midtownvision.com/blog-posts/types-color-blindness Image Source: https://midtownvision.com/blog-posts/types-color-blindness ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/blue-blind/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Blue Blind"},{"categories":null,"content":" For five years now, we\u0026rsquo;ve been reading daily as a family in the Spanish language. Reading in Spanish is predictable; there are few exceptions. Though our accents aren\u0026rsquo;t perfect, at this point, we are all able to sound out any Spanish word.\nLearning to read Spanish is a huge help to all of us, but especially to my children with dyslexia. They cannot guess at the Spanish word, instead, they need to slow down and read each syllable. Since many Spanish and English words have similar spellings, the pronunciation depends on the context.\nAs we\u0026rsquo;ve studied Spanish, we\u0026rsquo;ve increased the presence of Spanish in our home: with phone and computer accounts in Spanish, and Spanish phrases hung on the walls.\nRecently, my youngest child sat in the front seat of the car, a privilege usually reserved for older siblings. She looked at the stereo system and asked, \u0026ldquo;oh, when did you shift it into Spanish?\u0026rdquo; Confused, I explained the stereo was still in English. She read the message, using Spanish pronunciation, \u0026ldquo;No Audio De\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; In reality the message was in English about the bluetooth connectivity: \u0026ldquo;No Audio Device.\u0026rdquo; But the message was too long to fit onto one screen, so only the first portion was displayed. I loved that her first guess was, \u0026ldquo;this message must be in Spanish.\u0026rdquo;\nI really enjoy participating in all the parts of educating my children, but especially in language acquisition. I would never have guessed how much we would love learning a second language together.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/sounding-it-out/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Sounding It Out"},{"categories":null,"content":"While introducing Hyperbolic Sine to my son last week, he asked a question that surprised me. He wanted to know more of the proof, more of the details behind the process. Until his question, I hadn\u0026rsquo;t realized that the Hyperbolic Trigonometric Functions connect imaginary numbers with logarithms. Mind blown!\nPerhaps one of my math teachers already explained this to me. But, it didn\u0026rsquo;t really sink in until my son and I were investigating together. For me, this is one of the best perks of homeschooling. My children want to understand more than just the basics. They want the logic and details behind-the-scenes. They aren\u0026rsquo;t worried about a test score; they want thorough comprehension.\nOne video we came up with while looking for more information was this delightfully enthusiastic youtuber: We kept going with our theme and reviewed a few trig jokes My son even wrote some of his own: I love learning together!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/hyperbolic-sine/","tags":["Joy"],"title":"Hyperbolic Sine"},{"categories":null,"content":" Feeling wounded by her fourteen-year-olds Tyrannosaurus-like outburst, my friend slumped across the park bench. She looked defeated as she told me about her son’s disappointment with their recent family celebration which she had cut short in expectation of the demands of his 4:30 am workouts. “You never let me do anything fun!” he had yelled when she encouraged him to head to bed early, reminding him of the agreement they had previously made. “Why isn’t he grateful for my planning?” she asked mournfully. I could see reflected in her face the same fear and alarm I’ve felt many times before. Despite anticipating needs, despite showing love and logic, she was facing a teenager who was angry, defiant and disappointed. I could feel her pain.\nThen, in all sincerity, she turned toward me and said, “Do your children agree with everything you plan?” What a question! None of my children were in ear shot, so I gave this answer with a completely straight face. “My children agree with all of my plans. They eagerly obey and participate and never make a fuss.” This is not true, of course, but I said it to make my friend see how ridiculous that idea is.\nThis is not the first time this friend has expressed some version of, “do we face the same problems?”\nIf you have a challenge with your child, another parent has had the same child. The things you are experiencing are not unique to you. There are universal themes in all the difficulties every homeschooler faces.\nWe are common.\nWhen we start thinking, “I’m the only one with this problem,” we draw an imaginary line of separation between us and our community.\nWe have similar difficulties. We have similar goals. Stop imagining you are the only one.\nReach out, find support.\nOf course we want our children to be cooperative. Of course we want them to recognize the brilliance of our suggestions and our ideas. Of course we want them to obey. The developmental stages of teens involve disagreement. Teens learn to define themselves by finding the edges of acceptable behavior. Teens are managing unwieldy emotions.\nAll parents of teens feel unappreciated. All parents of teens worry about the trajectory of their child’s behaviors. All parents of teens are surprised at the inconsistent emotional and mental growth (at times astonishingly mature, and at times appallingly immature.)\nHomeschoolers aren’t homeschooling because they have obedient children. Homeschoolers aren’t from another planet. The challenges are the same for all of us.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/do-your-children-ever-disobey/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Do Your Children Ever Disobey?"},{"categories":null,"content":" Parenting coach and Washington Post columnist Meghan Leahy asked herself, \u0026ldquo;Could I write a book that provides some hope, while also challenging you to be more compassionate, more loving, and more open to your child and yourself?\u0026rdquo; This 2020 book is the result. She wants parents to trust their own gut. She explains, \u0026ldquo;I see my role as a parenting coach as culling the immense wisdom, experience, and knowledge of the previous generations of parents, combining it with today’s science and real-world parenting needs, and helping each and every parent find their intuitive voice.\u0026rdquo; Practical anecdotes and encouragement fill the pages.\nOne of her main messages is to decreases the stress and perfectionism of our overparenting culture. She suggests that we stop worrying about the elusive \u0026ldquo;perfect\u0026rdquo; home and set up a reasonable standard. Her description of that standard: \u0026ldquo;if you mostly awaken and smile at your child today, embrace them, hold them when they cry, celebrate them when they win, listen to their stories, eat with them, read to them, challenge them, hold the necessary boundaries, allow the anger and tears, then you are fully parenting. Even if you are doing this, like, 70 percent of the time? Winning! And if you hold your tongue at the eye roll, decide to not care what they wear to school, and allow them to fail without chronic hand-wringing? Well, that’s icing on the cake.\u0026rdquo; All of this is designed to remind you that if you even picked up a parenting book, that\u0026rsquo;s already progress.\nShe follows this up with what seems to be a strong summary of her parenting theory: \u0026ldquo;American parenting has become so intense, so theory-driven, so bullet-listed, neuroscience-y, data-driven, technique-heavy, and expert-laden that simply believing you are doing \u0026lsquo;good enough\u0026rsquo; by lovingly showing up is a rebellious act.\u0026rdquo; She wants parents to believe they are sufficient and to trust in the power of the connection they have with their children.\nShe concludes with the encouragement to press forward. \u0026ldquo;We don’t understand the power that we already have. The power to keep simply showing up. So, instead of going down the rabbit hole of \u0026rsquo;never enough,\u0026rsquo; why don’t we actively remember the simple parenting moments, the moments that we chose peace, bravery, and compassion over anger, fear, and hard-heartedness?\u0026rdquo; She wants parents to speak kindly to themselves and recognize what they are doing well as they strive to keep going with this invisible yet meaningful parenting work.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t recommend this parenting book. She retreads information from other sources without carefully prioritizing the info or making her own cohesive theory. She does ask some meaningful questions, but I don\u0026rsquo;t think that\u0026rsquo;s sufficient enough to justify reading yet another parenting book. This is the kind of parenting book that is aimed at helping people feel better about what they are already doing.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/parenting-columnist/","tags":["Reading"],"title":"Parenting Columnist: Outside the Lines"},{"categories":null,"content":" My child is learning to ice skate. I’m proud of her. No one else in our family is big into ice skating. So it is unfamiliar to me. Since she is high school age, she has paid for and attended her lessons alone. I haven’t heard the instructions from her teachers. I haven’t spent much time with her on the rink. But, when she gets back home, she consistently says, “That was so fun!” She really enjoys it.\nShe normally bikes herself to her lessons, packing the large hockey skates into waterproof bags on either side of her bike. One Thursday, we had lots of snow and the bike paths were unusable so I drove her to her lesson and came inside to take a few pictures. I enjoyed seeing her confidence on the ice and her happiness with her developing skills.\nAs I waited for her to unlace her skates (which is a task that is surprisingly time-intensive and not short-cutable) I began looking around the room. There was a bulletin board filled with photos and papers. In addition to photos of all the staff, there was a brochure about ice skating. The descriptions made me laugh. The moment your skate first touches the ice, you feel it. That rush of adrenaline. That surge of exhilaration. You cannot deny the energy of ice skating—the combination of imagination, positivity, and bravery. Oh, and it’s fun. So much fun. The more we skate, the more we realize we are learning something bigger. We learn the joy of getting better every time we try something new. We learn that every time we fall, we get right back up. We learn that great challenges can be overcome to achieve greatnesss. These are more than lessons in skating; they are lessons in life. Skate to your inner amazing. Skate to great. That is not at all how I personally feel about ice skating!\nI do not experience a \u0026ldquo;combination of imagination, positivity, and bravery.\u0026rdquo;\nTo me, it is a combination of uneasy balance, little momentum and blister-inducing discomfort. I’m not really interested in trying to learn more about ice skating. It’s not how I want to spend my time. Does reading a descriptions in this brochure help me want to ice skate? I am an example of what happens when an outsider evaluates the activity with disinterest. I don’t want to learn more about ice skating. I’ve already made decisions about whether or not I’d be good at it.\nHomeschooling is similarly an optional activity. Many people have already decided they wouldn’t be good at it. They don’t want to learn more about it and aren’t wanting to try it, no matter how glowingly it is described by someone who loves it!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-moment-your-skate/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"The Moment Your Skate First Touches the Ice, You Feel It"},{"categories":null,"content":" When parenting feels hard, parents can become desperate for a solution. The urgent need for improvement leads us to search for quick-fix solutions. That must’ve been what Dr. Kevin Leman had in mind when he wrote his 2015 book, “Have a Happy Family by Friday.”\nThe title implies that the changes will be quickly implemented with immediate results. But, of course we now that our families can’t be changed in just a few days. If he had titled it, “There are no Shortcuts. Parenting is a continuous effort.” We might not have bought it, even though that is his message. We can’t stop trying.\nThe first piece of advice he offers: “You can change your family simply by changing the words you choose to use with those you love.” I have found this to be true in my own life and appreciated the reminder. Here’s his full list: The Top 10 Countdown to Having a Happy Family by Friday\nSpend your time on what’s important. All else can wait. Put relationships before things. Focus on and encourage what your kids do right rather than eagle-eyeing what they do wrong. Choose your priorities wisely, with the long term in mind. Be the first to laugh at yourself and create fun. Expect the best and you’ll get the best. Don’t outsource your children. The best gift you can give—yourself—doesn’t cost a dime. Keep your calm even during a crisis. Don’t hold grudges. Wipe the slate clean at the end of each day. Remember that the words you choose to use with your loved ones will change their lives. Even though these items can’t be accomplished in just one day, they are worth considering over the long-term.\nKnowing that it is especially parents with teens that want immediate results, Dr. Leman emphasizes specific skills for adolescents. He quips, “remember that adolescence isn’t terminal.” His feedback for parents of teens:\nThe Top 8 Countdown to Keeping Your Teens Close\nTalk to your kids. Don’t talk at them. Eliminate the word why from your vocabulary. Use statements, comments, and observations instead. Show an interest in their activities. Listen to their music and find something good to say about it. Be available to them—don’t make them think they’re a bother. Seek out their opinions, thoughts, and advice. Be predictable and consistent. Expect the best of them. Have fun. Dr. Leman also continues to share similar information from his other books. His favorite theme is the way birth order impacts family dynamics.\nCommunication 101 with Firstborns What you can do to have a happier family by Friday: Give them specifics, details. Lighten up on their responsibilities; as achievers, they already feel the stress and pressure. Watch your own critical eye; don’t overcorrect them. Don’t micromanage them; they’re already doing that for themselves. Don’t “should” on them; instead, project in all you say and do, “I love you as you are.”\nCommunication 101 with Middleborns What you can do to have a happier family by Friday: Listen to them. Ask their opinion on anything (vacation, computer help, decor, purchases), and follow up by showing you value that opinion. Spend time with just them. Let them make choices (“I’d love it if you’d pick the restaurant for our family dinner”). Show your respect for them as individuals in order to even out the competitive spirit the middle child naturally feels with siblings.\nCommunication 101 with Lastborns What you can do to have a happier family by Friday: Give them the opportunity to lead (planning family outings and celebrations). Identify their unique strengths and encourage them; remember, they are continually comparing themselves to their siblings farther up the food chain. Affirm them for their unique role in the family and for their social skills. Grow their levels of responsibility and hold them accountable. Let them entertain you, and laugh with them often.\nThese comments helped me remember ways I can improve. Family work is never done. We struggle to see our impact while we are in the midst of the effort. Books like this can be an encouraging reminder to not give up.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/have-a-happy-family-by-friday/","tags":["Reading"],"title":"Have a Happy Family by Friday"},{"categories":null,"content":"Rules can be scary. Rule enforcers can be scary. Breaking rules can have big consequences.\nCompassion can motivate you to overcome obstacles.\nThese mindsets are eloquently described by Tracy Kidder in his book, “Among Schoolchildren.”\nMrs. Zajac seemed to have a frightening amount of energy. She strode across the room, her arms swinging high and her hands in small fists. Taking her stand in front of the green chalkboard, discussing the rules with her new class, she repeated sentences, and her lips held the shapes of certain words, such as “homework,” after she had said them. Her hands kept very busy. They sliced the air and made karate chops to mark off boundaries. They extended straight out like a traffic cop’s, halting illegal maneuvers yet to be perpetrated. When they rested momentarily on her hips, her hands looked as if they were in holsters. She told the children, “One thing Mrs. Zajac expects from each of you is that you do your best.”\nThe rigidity of the educational system described here reminds me, once again, of why I want to homeschool. Homeschoolers are often viewed as rule breakers since we go against societal norms and expectations. For me, homeschooling isn\u0026rsquo;t about breaking rules as much as it is about focusing on a different dimension. I like to have learning experiences that are less focused on managing the classroom and more focused on understanding deeply. I like to have relationships with my children as students that inspire them to offer their best rather than relying on punishment and enforcement. I don’t want to be a traffic cop, I want to be a learning companion. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/mrs-zajac/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Mrs Zajac"},{"categories":null,"content":"When I follow-up my learning with an application of the learning, I am more likely to remember what I learned. I\u0026rsquo;ve found this works well for my children, too.\nAfter field trips, I like to pause and reinforce the learning. I especially like to do it creatively. When I found this book at the library, my kids and I were excited to use it to reinforce some of what we’ve learned at National Parks.\nThe projects are approachable for our skill level, the instructions are clear and the photos are inspiring. Reading this book reminded me of Subpar Parks as well. Another fun connection!\nThe best book on the subject of incorporating more creativity into our learning is:\nProject-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners By Lori McWilliam Pickert I hope that you, too, find creative ways to reinforce your learning.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/first-learn-then-create/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"First Learn Then Create"},{"categories":null,"content":"When I began homeschooling, I thought I would only teach my oldest child at home for one year for kindergarten. I didn’t think homeschooling would be a good fit for us. But, after that first year, I found I loved homeschooling. So, we continued. The more we keep going, the better it gets!\nOne of the reasons I hear parents frequently say they don’t want to homeschool is, “I’m afraid I will mess my child up.” By this I think they mean:\n*I will have so much conflict with my child that they will be oppositional and angry about education.\n*I will forget to teach them something essential.\n*I will teach ineffectively and they will become permanently confused.\nI can understand these hesitations, because I felt them myself. Avoiding conflict is essential. Having strategies to eliminate power struggles is the only way to make progress. As far as “educational holes”: the more math, reading and writing a child does, the more it covers the material previously learned. In all of education, review is naturally part of the cycle. At five years old, children still have lots of development ahead. Children are resilient; give it a try!\nThe benefits of homeschool are enormous. Review my personal statement here I homeschool because I enjoy spending time with my children. When you homeschool, you are involved in an additional dimension of your child’s life. You will find new ways to connect with them. At the same time, your own learning will improve. Additionally, we have freedom from busy work and wasted time from the bureaucracy of the system.\n*Attention from the parent\n*customized learning speed\n*flexibility about when and where learning can occur.\nKindergarten Basic Skills Even if you don’t have training in education, you know enough to teach kindergarten.\nReading Ordinary Parent’s Guide Teach your Child to Read in 100 easy lessons Writing Handwriting without tears Establishing Predictability For me, sanity comes from a predictable routine. When my children were young, I set up our day so that we played outside in the morning and then did our learning inside while my younger children were napping. One of our best ideas is quiet time. Another thing parents say about homeschool is, “How would I ever have the time for that!?!”\n*Choosing to homeschool means children are doing the chores with you.\n*Choosing to homeschool means you carefully prioritize your responsibilities.\n*Choosing to homeschool means you have to be very intentional about your self-care.\nBuilding a Community The best thing to keep my momentum is having friends with common goals. Search out and find other homeschoolers! If you can meet even one local homeschooler, they will have connections to other homeschoolers in the area.\nHere’s what I’ve noticed: just being a homeschooler and having kids the same ages won’t always be enough to build a friendship. Don’t give up after the first few attempts! Go for the law of large numbers: the more homeschoolers you meet the more likely you are to find ones you like.\nYou Can Do It! If you look at your child and think, “Kindergarten may not be the best fit.” Here’s what I would say: try! You are not committing to homeschooling for the next 12 years even if you try kindergarten. After just one year, you will learn so much more about your child!\nRead: Develop your Parenting Skills Between Parent and Child by Haim Ginott\nWhy is My Child in Charge by Claire Lerner Learn more about teaching math: I was influenced by Constance Kamii\nThere are many people that write about teaching math with hands-on experiences Motivation to Homeschool Dumbing us Down by John Taylor Gotto\nBetter late than early by Dr. Raymond Moore\nHomeschooling for Excellence by the Colfax family\nPreventing Homeschool Burnout Homeschooling From a Place of Rest by Sarah Mackenzie\nOther People who have done it or are doing it REAL-LIFE HOMESCHOOL By Rhonda Barfield\u0026ndash;a story of 21 different families homeschooling and how they make it work.\nBest advice: buy nothing! It can feel so tempting to purchase books and curriculum, but a kindergartner doesn’t need a lot in order to learn. Keep things simple. But, if you do decide to browse the best places to find curriculum with information would be:\nRainbow resource Sonlight Curriculum Cathy Duffy Homeschool Reviews ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/can-i-teach-my-5-year-old-child-at-home/","tags":["Beginning"],"title":"Can I Teach My 5-Year-Old Child at Home?"},{"categories":null,"content":" While browsing the “New Releases” shelf at my library, I came across a parenting book that was published just six months ago. The title caught my eye since I am in the midst of parenting teens and young adults.\nThe School of Hard Talks: How to Have Real Conversations with Your (Almost Grown) Kids by Emily Kline\nThe book promises to improve our relationships with our children by helping us connect and communicate better. Kline delivers on this promise. Though the language is somewhat scholarly, it is a quick read filled with relatable examples. She empowers parents by helping them develop motivational interviewing techniques.\nHere’s what I liked about this book.\n#Emphasis on Partnership\nThe most important thing a parent can do is to develop a sense of partnership, teaches Kline. This comes from mutual respect and understanding. She argues that our influence comes from the strength of our relationships. This resonates with me. I appreciate the feelings of teamwork that come after collaborating with my child in the kitchen or in the yard. I like having time to work with them shoulder-to-shoulder as a partner.\nKline asks parents, “Are you happy with your typical approach?” Clearly, anyone picking up this book is going to answer, “no.”\nOne tendency I’ve noticed as I parent older children is that I want to require obedience. This isn’t possible of course, and I often reach for threats as a lever. This never helps. The problem with threats is two-fold, Kline explains: they escalate conflict and inhibit communication. Overall, she reminds us, power struggles undermine partnership. I know this in my mind, but still I find I have times when the daily problems gravitate towards power struggles. It can be hard to prevent. #Emphasis on Curiosity about our Teens\nIn order to increase partnership, Kline offers the balm of curiosity. You might think you know your child well, she says, “but, try to have a conversation about their opinions in a nonjudgmental way and be surprised about how they are changing and growing.” I have found this to be true with my children. Their viewpoints are fresh and newly formed. Learning more about what your child actually thinks and feels will help you interact with them as an individual, Kline urges. This means that we as parents need to shift from a focus on compliance to a willingness to respect the child’s thoughts and ideas. I liked this suggestion especially because curiosity decreases my impulse to battle. I am a better version of myself when I am curious.\n#Emphasis on Improving Listening Skills\nYou might not actually know how to listen well, Kline counsels. There are two things to do when listening to your child:\nPause\nValidate\nYou can do this by asking nonjudgmental questions such as:\n“What’s going on?”and “Tell me more.”\nKline advocates that even praise isn’t helpful when we are listening. She explains, “Praise says, ‘good job! I approve.’”\nOur goal is reflection which says only, “I hear you, I understand.”\nWhen we listen, we need to put aside any agenda and simply show understanding while we offer attention.\n#Emphasis on Why Your Child Dismisses your Input\nParents wonder why their older teens and young adult children don’t hear them. There are three things we all tend to do and these make our children ignore us:\nTrying to fix it\nGiving advice\nMinimizing the issue\nIt’s almost automatic to respond to a child this way. To help parents manage conversations without falling back on their old habits, Kline provides “Sample Scripts” that parents can follow. The goal, Kline emphasizes, is to help your child solve problems competently on their own.\nI especially liked Kline’s recommendations to ask questions that nurture the relationship. Some possibilities:\nWhat’s getting in the way of following the rules?\nIf you had a magic wand, what would you change about this situation?\nHelp me understand why this means so much to you\n#What I didn’t like about this book\nThroughout the book, Kline emphasizes that as a child grows, their parent’s role is shifting. Her big idea: “Parenting is not controlling your child’s path but rather creating a relationship of trust and mutual respect.”\nI absolutely agree with this. We cannot make choices for our children. We cannot force them to behave a certain way.\nThere were two sentences in the introduction that almost made me put down the book:\n“Parents cannot control how their kids turn out.”\nThis was followed by:\n“Parents have far less influence than they may imagine.”\nWhile I can agree that children will make their own choices and parents cannot always prevent problems and disagreements, I do not agree with parents having very little influence. There are many things parents can do to increase their influence. In my opinion, one of them is the quantity and quality of time with their children. For me, choosing to homeschool is a choice about building relationships as much as offering an education. I want to know my children well and I want them to know and understand me. Believing that we don’t have much chance at influencing makes me feel like giving up. Rather, believing that my love and enthusiasm can make a difference allows me to want to continue.\n#Who might benefit from this book\nParents who find themselves battling with teens (which is basically every parent)\nThose who are focused on helping their children transition into adulthood\nThose who are struggling with accepting their children’s choices\n#Other books that are similar\nMore on connection with your child: “Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers” by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté\nMore on sample scripts and speaking without judgment: “Between Parent and Child” by Haim Ginott\nMore on listening deeply: “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss\n#Favorite Quotes\nAnxiety is what happens when something important is out of our control\nInstead of thinking “emergency” we can think, “this is what it feels like to be alive in an uncontrollable world”\n“When you listen, they listen.”\n“Trust builds when teens feel understood, confident and in control.”\n#Kline’s Best Tips for having a hard conversation\nSet the stage\nSufficient time\nFeeling relaxed\nNo audience\nConsider walking or driving\nBe direct, brief and concrete\nVoice an observation (not an opinion!)\n“I’ve noticed you haven’t showered lately”\nAsk questions\nWhat’s behind that change?\nWhat’s getting in the way\nReflect words and feelings\nCalm and neutral voice\nAffirm values and motivation\nContinue listening and reflecting\nAsk questions longer than you feel is necessary\nLook for solutions: What do you think would help\nThe solution does not need to come from you\nAsk permission before giving advice: Can I make a suggestion?\nStop discussing\nDo not belabor the issue\nCheck back in after a few days—start 5 steps again\nTake a break when you feel like you are upset\nWatch your ratio of positive to negative comments\nHand over control\nApologize\nBe vulnerable\nHer material is available for free ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-school-of-hard-talks/","tags":["Reading"],"title":"The School of Hard Talks"},{"categories":null,"content":" \u0026ldquo;Torrid and frigid are antonyms,\u0026rdquo; I repeat for the third time to my 10-year-old daughter as she takes her vocabulary quiz. \u0026ldquo;Why can\u0026rsquo;t she remember their definitions?\u0026rdquo; I pause in frustration.\nWhen we visited Planet Word Museum in Washington, DC, we encountered an exhibit that engaged my daughter in learning all kinds of synonyms and antonyms. This time, she remembered the words: because she used them as paint.\nInnocuous though it appeared, this little three-sided room was full of learning. Full-color interactive scenes on the wall were altered when my children dipped their paintbrushes into the meanings of the words next to the paint pots. As my children gestured across the wall, their scenes became either more verdant, surreal, or luminous. They made it into a competition to change each other\u0026rsquo;s scenes. The visual context allowed better understanding of each descriptor. This is exactly what makes Planet Word so different from any other DC museum: active participation. From the first moment in the museum, visitors get to shout out answers, alter the story and control their learning. They make it the experience they want to have. All aspects of language are considered from etymology to linguistic theory to advertising slogans. For youth raised on electronics, this museum keeps pace with their short attention spans. I personally would have preferred more written plaques and fewer screens, but I am probably not their target audience. My father loves to share jokes with my children and we all lingered together in the joke room, enjoying the wordplay.\nHoused in the 1869 Franklin school, the space itself is instructive. Thankfully, parking nearby is feasible, too. This is always one of my considerations when taking my children downtown. The cherry on top was the gift store. Such creative options for word lovers! We were delighted with the word-themed games, jewelry and decorations.\nThough it\u0026rsquo;s hard for a admission-charging museum to thrive in a city of free Smithsonians, this one is going to last. It\u0026rsquo;s been open now for almost 3 years and will certainly continue to attract visitors. We spent almost two hours enjoying the exhibits and my children asked to return soon. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/a-stroll-down-lexicon-lane/","tags":["Field Trips"],"title":"A Stroll Down Lexicon Lane"},{"categories":null,"content":"I have been homeschooling for a long time. I know what to expect from my children and from myself. I know how to set up our schedule to succeed.\nNew homeschoolers, especially those who are beginning to homeschool after public schooling for some time, often say, \u0026ldquo;What if I mess everything up?\u0026rdquo;\nTruthfully, I haven\u0026rsquo;t had much sympathy for this fear. This is probably because I eased myself into homeschooling, starting with one child and adding the others as they aged in. I didn\u0026rsquo;t immediately jump to homeschooling six children at once. This fall, I unexpectedly gained sympathy for new homeschoolers when I began pressure canning. Having only done water bath canning before, I was hesitant to try this new device. The pressure has to be carefully monitored for a precise period of time. Bacteria growth has to be prevented. All ingredients need to be temperature sensitive: jars and food must be hot and must be placed in almost boiling water. The pressure gauge has to be tested annually to keep it accurate.\nThinking about the risks and realizing all that could possibly go wrong was daunting. The dial literally has \u0026ldquo;caution\u0026rdquo; written on the face!! I read and reread the instruction manual. I read articles online from people who had done it. I took the risk and got started. In my first few batches, I made some mistakes. But, I quickly started to master it.\nThis is how homeschooling is. You can hear about the experience of other families. You may pause in anxiety, wondering if you can actually manage it. But, here\u0026rsquo;s the secret: homeschooling is a lot less dangerous than pressure canning.\nYour child will benefit from additional time with you as you homeschool. Your child will benefit from your willingness to prioritize their needs. Your child will recognize your love in your attempt to homeschool.\nEverything might not go well at first. Actually, everything won\u0026rsquo;t go well at first. But, homeschooling is a set of skills that can be mastered. As scary as it seems, it\u0026rsquo;s worth a try.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-pressure-of-a-new-skill/","tags":["Beginning"],"title":"The Pressure of a New Skill"},{"categories":null,"content":"In my college technical writing class, we were given the challenge to succinctly explain complex tasks without any images. That forever changed my experience reading instructions. I know it is important to keep things short, but it is equally important to be clear. We got this \u0026ldquo;how-to\u0026rdquo; book from the library and it made us laugh! Such a collection of skills\u0026ndash;from \u0026ldquo;how to carry a bunny\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;restore a forgotten fruit tree.\u0026rdquo; The book promises, \u0026ldquo;214 things you can actually learn to do.\u0026rdquo;\nNearly every topic is just one or two pages long. I recognize that in a book this size, the purpose is to increase your curiosity and get you wanting to learn more. Even still, I laughed that \u0026ldquo;how to homestead\u0026rdquo; was given only one page. One page! The topic, of course, is worthy of many books on its own. Reviewing this book reminds me how we often like to imagine tasks can be simplified into a short, succinct explanation. We want the task to appear simple and doable. I know I have fallen into this trap!\nPeople often imagine homeschool as either impossibly hard or completely underachieving. They don\u0026rsquo;t understand the nuance that goes into each step of homeschooling.\nChoose textbooks and supporting curriculum\nTeach curriculum with enthusiasm\nEnjoy your child\nI think a one-page summary is a disservice to the topic it describes.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/a-one-page-explanation/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"A One-Page Explanation"},{"categories":null,"content":" \u0026ldquo;Use the sleeves from this pattern, the bodice from this pattern and the skirt from another.\u0026rdquo; Recently, while sewing, I was reminded of how much I love to customize. I like mixing and matching, combining and configuring. I like having a product unique to me.\nThis is how I feel about homeschooling, too! I love to homeschool because I can create an education tailored for each child. We go the speed they need, focusing on the topics they are ready for and spend the time to understand to great depth. I have now officially started my 17th year of homeschooling. I celebrated like I often do: a campout, time in the park, and a hike with my children. I am glad to make their education exactly what they need.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/lengthen-or-shorten-here/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Lengthen or Shorten Here"},{"categories":null,"content":"Read this with your kids: The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton Porter I have been in charge of many homeschool book clubs. Finding a book for a homeschool book group can be challenging for at least three reasons:\nMost homeschool book clubs have a wide range of ages. Many homeschoolers believe their 12-year-old children are old enough to handle “high school level” material.\nMany homeschoolers are protective of their children and don’t want them reading smutty stuff. The definition of smutty can be quite strict in some cases.\nMost homeschoolers struggle to keep up with reading all that their children are reading. It can be hard for parents to find time to “pre-read” a variety of books for their own children.\nWithout pre-reading this book, I took the risk to simply put it on the list, hoping that it would be a good choice. What a gift this book is! I loved it! My sixteen-year-old loved it, too. Highly recommend! This book is by Gene Stratton Porter, the same author who wrote \u0026ldquo;Girl of the Limberlost.\u0026rdquo; It was her second-to-last book and published posthumously in 1925.\nThe Keeper of the Bees is a story about a World War I veteran named Jamie who regains his heath through the restorative \u0026ldquo;power and beauty of nature.\u0026rdquo;\nI began reading having no idea what would happen. I found it delightful. Jamie has a great adventure. “The reason a great adventure is an adventure is because the things that happen are so very simple and so very natural.”\nFavorite Descriptions from the book: *”One glance at the legs of the trousers he was wearing made him feel like the original factory in which germs had been invented.”\n*”He was hearing singing water. He was hearing water that was rushing and falling and spilling and laughing and doing all the heartening things that water knows how to do when it is left to follow a rocky bed down a canyon…water that ran so impetuously that never before had he seen water travel in such haste.”\n*“He had not reached the place where he could think progressively, consecutively, conjecturally. He was simply putting distance between himself and a girl who had lied to him, lied outrageously.”\n*Being a tall woman myself, I liked these two descriptions of tall women (with big feet):\n“Margaret Cameron did not in the least resemble Jamie’s mother, but she resembled a woman who might well have been typical of a universal mother, and exactly the right kind of a mother at that. Her face was beautiful with a severely cut beauty that always indicates an indomitable spirit. With one glance at Margaret Cameron one would have been safe in arriving at the conclusion that she would be drawn and quartered before she would renounce her religion, her country, her political opinions, or her family. She was tall; she carried no ounce of superfluous flesh. Her hair was white and her eyes were blue. There was color in her lips and cheeks. She looked wonderful to Jamie when she smiled at him.”\n“There it was. The footprint of a woman—not the peaked toed, pointed heel that he sometimes saw tilting over the sand. The imprint of a foot intended for business, shod in a shoe reasonable in width, unusual in length, with decidedly a common-sense heel.” I learned some new words, including: pusillanimous. As in: \u0026ldquo;He was no longer a pusillanimous creature creeping around wondering about how long he could live.\u0026rdquo;\nI also enjoyed the out-of-date but delightful phrases: “ain’t she the Lallapasooza!”\n*Cleverly, Gene Stratton-Porter has a young child explain the complexities of keeping bees, so the information is approachable and understandable for anyone.\n*“First question I ever asked was, ‘Why is the bee garden blue?’ And I’ll have to tell you the answer because you would never guess it in a thousand years. The answer is, ‘Because of God.’”\n*“She lays eggs all the time. You couldn’t believe how many eggs—maybe as many as two million. She has only got seven or eight thousand eyes, ’cause she’s a stay-at-home-lady. Right-on-the-Job is her first and last name, both all two of them.”\n*“Then there are the books like Fabre and Maeterlinck that the Bee Master says are three things at one time. First they are the truth, and next they are poetry, and third they are the evidence of a Master Mind that plans every least little tiny thing.” I loved the book because of the main characters and their healthy friendships, the exquisite descriptions of nature, and the glimpse into America just after World War I. If you wish you could spend your summer next to the Pacific Ocean, this is the book for you to read! You will feel as if you spent time in idyllic California.\nNote: The book touches on gender dysphoria in the sense that the main ten-year-old character is not identified as either female or male until much later in the book. The discussion about gender identification in 1925 was very different from how we talk about it now.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/keeper-of-the-bees/","tags":["Reading"],"title":"Keeper of the Bees"},{"categories":null,"content":" This is my eleventh summer in Virginia, but I’m still surprised at how things grow in abundance. Today I noticed a sprout in the door frame. The door frame! As I studied it, I noticed another one nearby in the crack of the deck floor. Ah! “Anything will grow well in this Virginia humidity,” I thought. After all, the conditions for growth are all here: abundant seeds, moisture, and heat. As parents and as educators, we hope the things we are teaching our children will sprout and grow. These sprouts of learning often surprise me. One happened this week when my 10-year-old spontaneously recognized the pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo in a piece of Spanish writing. Away from the verb book we’d been using to study, I was astonished that she could identify the conjugation. I wasn’t sure she had understood what we had been studying. Yet there it was, a sprout of learning.\nAt my son’s request, we’ve been growing more indoor plants. As I look at the ones in the windowsill, I can see some fuzzy mold (from overwatering.) In another plant I see some leaves with curled, dry edges (a drought response.) I can start to feel despair about the conditions not being exactly right—too much water or too little water? Do we need fertilizer? Has the plant outgrown the pot?\nIn order to learn more, we got all the books we could from the library about house plants. They promised to solve our every problem. They identified possible causes and solutions.\nThe questions about the plants are like my questions about my children. I think we’d all like a manual that says, “Here’s the way to get your child to learn.” And, specific rules about helping children get unstuck from bad ruts. Here are some things I’ve learned so far.\nAbundant Seeds The most basic seed of learning is in the form of a question. What questions are your children already asking? When I pause to notice their current questions, I can see possible sprouts of learning. One of the best ways I’ve found to introduce my child to new material is through questions. “How can we measure how quickly things change over time?” leads to a discussion about calculus. “How can this store make money?” leads to a discussion about economics. Presenting not just the facts but the questions behind them means my child will be engaged with learning in a more proactive way.\nMoisture Moisture is the cue that begins germination of seeds. One possible metaphor here is that adding moisture to our homeschool means giving our time. Learning alongside our child is much more effective than having a child learning in a silo.\nHeat Adding heat could look like a structured time to accomplish the task. Heat could come in the form of daily appointed time or even deadlines. Conditions for learning are not be the same as conditions for comfort or entertainment. Sometimes a little bit of pressure can give the necessary push to begin growth.\nI hope that your summer learning has unexpected sprouts. And, that you feel capable of improving the conditions that lead to deeper learning!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/surprising-sprouts/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Surprising Sprouts"},{"categories":null,"content":"My summer is spent poolside, participating in our neighborhood swim team. Our team is developmental, which means even children who don’t know how to swim strokes are allowed to join. Over the season, their strokes refine and improve. To me, breaststroke is especially descriptive of the changes. Once the arm pull and frog kick movements are mastered, some children repeat this sequence rapidly. They move their arms and legs as quickly as they can while following proper form. But, the swimmers with the best times actually remember that the stroke instructions are kick-glide-pull. The glide is essential. Without the glide, the swimmer is frantically moving on the surface of the water.\nAs homeschoolers, we can also incorporate a glide into our homes. Here are three ways that work for me: daily pause, frequent reviews, and making tasks automatic.\nFirst, find a time of day to pause. Learning in a small group setting like homeschooling is naturally more effective. The learning time can be dense and efficient. Rather than packing the day full of structured learning, I find we are actually more efficient when we pause our formal learning during the day. One thing that works for us is 90 minutes of alone time immediately following lunch. Each child has the freedom to use their time in anyway they’d like, with the only rule being it is quiet enough to not disturb others and it is non-electronic. This pause gives us time to reset.\nSecond, find a way to review material. When teaching one-on-one, I have noticed my tendency to quickly move to the next topic without spending much time for review. “I can tell this child understands the material,” I reason to myself, “let’s keep going.” But, the opportunity to review is actually beneficial in learning because it helps the child develop self-confidence in their own comprehension.\nAt times, I move us forward too quickly. We’ve accomplished all the problems in the textbook on that topic and then I want us to move on. But, when I pause and allow for greater repetition, we often make better headway. This is especially true with more complicated material. The child feels more mastery when given the chance to review. The child feels encouraged about the work. Third, find a way to make more things automatic. Homeschooling has so many options and so much flexibility, we can drown in decision making. I find success by setting a dependable structure where my children know what to expect. This allows us to move through our routine without hesitation. I make sure to protect the time for learning by not allowing other things to fill our schedule.\nBy pausing, reviewing and finding a routine, we can create the feeling of being smoothly propelled forward. We will benefit from gliding in our homeschool experiences.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/gliding-an-essential-homeschool-skill/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Gliding: an Essential Homeschool Skill"},{"categories":null,"content":"“While we’re out of town,” my neighbor kindly asked, “will you please come empty our dehumidifier?” During the hot and humid Virginia summer, their basement becomes moldy. The dehumidifier decreases the moisture. Their front door is only steps away from mine, so it wasn’t a big ask. She warned, “you might need to go over more frequently if it is rainy.” As it turns out, during their two week vacation, we had daily summer rainstorms. I went each day, as requested. Though, I started to feel like a failure when I saw the machine was already full and had automatically shut-off, unable to collect more water. “I should be coming more frequently,” I thought guiltily. Somehow, though, it was too tricky to fit that into my schedule. This was a reminder for me that starting a new habit can feel hard.\nThrough my years of homeschooling, there have been times when I’ve tried to begin a new subject (such as geography lessons) or a new topic (such as poetry memorization) and felt like I just couldn’t get it going. I’ve started to learn about what I personally need in order to successfully incorporate something extra into my schedule.\nFirst, habit stack. Attach the new habit to an existing habit. What are you already doing that is going well? If you already have a read-aloud time, doing poetry recital immediately after that will help you remember to do it. In our family, we’ve tied habits to meals, teeth brushing and first-thing-in-the-morning. Creating a chain of successful habits builds momentum and confidence.\nSecond, remove any obstacles. One of the tricky things about the dehumidifier habit was the door lock on their front door. My younger children couldn’t quite manage to twist the key with the necessary force, so they needed me involved each time. When I am thinking of a new homeschool habit, it helps when I step back and ask, “What are the obstacles for making this desired habit a reality?”\nSometimes the obstacle is in the mechanics of the activity. One of my children only liked a very particular type of pen, and when we didn’t have that available, his school time was impossibly frustrating for him. Another child felt that carrying all her books from her shelf to the learning space was too heavy. She would leave the large grammar book on the shelf, and we began to fall out of a routine, forgetting to do it when it wasn’t there. Making sure the supplies are organized in a supportive way helps us create a solid routine.\nThird, create cushion time. In order to study math for 15 minutes, I need to reserve a 30 minute increment of time. This includes time to get settled and get started. This also allows for small, natural interruptions while working. Scheduling buffer time makes the commitment easier to keep.\nFourth, have compassion on yourself. Sometimes we just can’t accomplish all we’d like to do. Rather than viewing the auto shut-off feature as a sign of failure, we can see it as a different cue. We’re being aware. We’re getting going. We would like to be learning more often, but, what we are doing is the first step. I find I can build better momentum when I am forgiving of mistakes.\nAs you evaluate your priorities for your homeschool day and begin to incorporate new habits, I hope these principles will help you: stack your habits, remove obstacles, cushion your time, and have compassion.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/dehumidifier-habit/","tags":["Accountability"],"title":"Dehumidifier Habit"},{"categories":null,"content":" “How can I get my child to become a better writer?” is a question I’ve heard repeatedly. One thing that works for me is finding my own pleasure in writing. Reading “First you Write a Sentence” by Joe Moran has increased my enthusiasm and motivation to write well. While on an afternoon walk with a friend, the rain unexpectedly started in on us. I thought of Moran’s descriptions of the onomatopoeia of the rain vocabulary, encouraging his readers to be more precise with their words. Rather than just using the plain word, “rain,” Moran suggests we can be more specific. “Rain is a wet certainty and a vague possibility. It feels more real than precipitation, but less so than drizzle or downpour, which carry the very droplets in their sounds.” This meticulousness is Moran’s strength.\nThe basic unit of writing is the sentence, Moran contends. He quotes Lewis Carroll:\n“For first you write a sentence, And then you chop it small; Then mix the bits, and sort them out Just as they chance to fall: The order of the phrases makes No difference at all.” This is exactly the kind of playful attitude that Moran encourages throughout his book. Yet he follows this quote with:\n“Lytton Strachey said to me: first I write one sentence: then I write another. That’s how I write. And so I go on. But I have a feeling writing ought to be like running through a field.” (Max Beerbohm, quoted in Virginia Woolf’s diary, 1 November 1938.) This resonated with me because I often do go about my writing like a bricklayer, one methodical piece at a time. I love the possibility of writing with energy and momentum, in the same way I would speed along on my bike.\nRather than a stale, strict boundary between the parts of speech, Moran makes unexpected comparisons. “Nouns and verbs are the two poles of the sentence. Nouns keep it still; verbs make it move.” I had never considered the balance between the two.\nMoran decries using too many nouns. “When nouns rule over sentences, all the air has been punched out of them. Emptied of life and humanity, they have been refilled with inertia and nothingness. All the imaginative promise of words has been pulped into a lumpy noun gravy, neither liquid enough to flow nor solid enough to be forked.” A lumpy noun gravy! Now that\u0026rsquo;s a memorable image.\nMy children have experienced a yard with weeds that keep coming back. So when Moran uses that as an analogy, we get it.\n“Adjectives, like weeds cannot be eradicated, only tamed.” Linking the overuse of adjectives with something we want to get rid of is instructive.\nFor all the years I’ve been teaching writing, I now realize that I could’ve been more playful in my descriptions and definitions of nouns, verbs and adjectives. If you have a child unwilling to edit, perhaps these comments from Moran will help:\n“A sentence is meant to give off sound.” He goes on, “Reading the words aloud obliges you to renotice what you have said. Having to share those words, even if you are alone and it is just with the surrounding air, makes you more fastidious about owning and standing by them.” I actually found myself wanting to read his sentences aloud, just for the pleasure of it, since they were so pleasantly constructed.\nMoran excels at metaphors. One of his instructions for building a coherent paragraph describes it in a way children can understand:\n“The sentences should feel springy and yet snap together like Legos.” When it comes to linking the ideas, Moran reminds: “writing’s firmest cement comes not from gluey adverbs but from the rhythm and music of how the sentences are arranged.” Another reason to read our writing aloud!\nMoran’s long sentences about long sentences are the perfect illustration of his instructions.\n“A long sentence should feel like it is pushing at its edges while still keeping its shape. All along its length it will feel ever so slightly chaotic but still composed, never losing its underlying order. It helps if it does not seem too eager to resolve itself, and yet manages to inspire confidence that, eventually, whatever its wild detours and exotic interludes, it will.”\nMoran’s instructions for alternating between long and short sentences are succinct and memorable.\n“Short sentences give your brain a rest; long ones give it an aerobic workout. Short sentences imply that the world is cut and dried; long ones restore its ragged edges. Short sentences are declarative and sure; long ones are conditional and conjectural. Vary your sentence length and you mirror the way the mind works, veering between seductive certainty and hard-won nuance.”\nMoran consistently references other successful writers. For example, he described:\n“When David Abbott died, his fellow ad writer Robin Wight wrote that ‘his copy was easier to read than to ignore, so enticing was every next sentence.’ Isn’t that what all writers should want: to make it easier to carry on reading than to stop?”\nWhat a description. “Easier to carry on reading than to stop.” I love having that as a goal!\nOne current debate is whether children still need to do the work of writing. Moran’s book was published in 2018, before the launch of chatgpt. As some educators worry that chatGPT can reduce the originality of work, I find encouragement in Moran’s comments about the importance of a human brain’s participation, especially in the editing process. “Much of writing is scut work, and much of rewriting is making our pat phrases and lazy repetitions visible. Algorithms help. By routinizing the mundane tasks, they free the mind to focus on those elusive parts of writing that cannot be done algorithmically.” This could be an excellent argument about which part of the writing needs a human. Moran also declares, “A sentence needs a glint of human intelligence behind it to give it the elusive thing, sentience, that makes it a sentence.” As humans, we are uniquely capable of writing engagingly.\nThe oft-repeated advice is to “find your voice.” Children and adults alike can be puzzled by what this means. I liked how Moran defined it:\n“A written voice is a composite of your skill at selecting and arranging words and your genuine care for and commitment to what they are saying. That voice is not you, but it may be a buried, better-said version of you. It was lost amid your disheveled thoughts and wordless anxieties, until you pulled it out of yourself, as a flowing line of sentences.” Another way of saying this is, “keep trying, keep writing.” You need the quantity of effort in order to make the quality improve.\nThe action I want to take as a result of reading this book: write more sentences. He gives us all good sentences to imitate.\nInspired by Shurley English exercises, we frequently analyze a sentence and find the way it can be changed. We’ll shift a phrase, or a word, but keep the overall structure. Moran calls a sentence an “ecosystem.” He emphasizes:\n“A sentence is a company of words, not a series of slots to be filled by stand-ins. Alter one word and you alter it all.” I agree, and yet have found it helpful to play with the sentences. We gain more information about what works in a sentence when we shift it around. Ultimately, writing is an act of love. “Writing a sentence well involves caring. Taking up too much of your reader’s life, by having him read sentences barnacled with needless words, is an ungenerous act.” Moran’s generosity is clear.\nI found his book to be motivational and educational. I wouldn’t hand this book to anyone younger than high school age, since they may not be ready to read an entire book about the theories of writing, but sharing sections of his work has been meaningful for my kids.\nIf you are looking to encourage your child to become a better writer, pick up a copy of Joe Moran’s book and be inspired to become a better writer yourself. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/first-you-write-a-sentence/","tags":["Reading","How-to"],"title":"First You Write a Sentence"},{"categories":null,"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s that time of year\u0026ndash;cramming, scrambling, weeping and wailing\u0026ndash;we are preparing for AP tests. Among the stress and frustration, my son made me laugh when he shared this innocent observation: \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;ve always imagined the bubble sheet to be a river.\u0026rdquo; He continued explaining, \u0026ldquo;I want to try to block the river with the bubble choices and create a wall to stop the water.\u0026rdquo; He rejoiced in finally meeting his goal with this bubble sheet!\nThough we hate this necessary step of \u0026ldquo;exam to demonstrate mastery,\u0026rdquo; we continue to study, teaching only to the test. It\u0026rsquo;s a dissatisfying way to learn. It is defeating, at times. But, the rewards outweigh the costs! I like the benefit of college credit.\nI\u0026rsquo;m glad my son can still find ways to engage his creativity.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/teaching-to-the-test/","tags":["Testing"],"title":"Teaching to the Test"},{"categories":null,"content":"Here are a few books we\u0026rsquo;ve been enjoying from our local library.\nWhen Stars Are Scattered In addition to having a paper copy, we listened to the award-winning audio for this moving graphic novel. What a fantastic collaboration by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed! Highly Recommend. Milloo\u0026rsquo;s Mind This is a delightful story about the opportunity to attend school. The illustrations were fantastic and the true story very inspiring. Tricking the Tallyman As we\u0026rsquo;ve been using the Census for our family history studies, my son has been more interested in details about the census. This was the only children\u0026rsquo;s book our library has on the census. It was cute, but I\u0026rsquo;d love to see more on the topic. John Audubon We live near a major landmark named after Audubon. Recently, they have been talking about renaming the landmark, to avoid the scandal associated with his name. This book gave a very fair treatment of Audubon as a three-dimensional person. Historical Atlas of World War II This book of maps is excellent for visual learners! Every Sewer\u0026rsquo;s Guide to the Perfect Fit This 1999 publication had an introductory statement that made me laugh. \u0026ldquo;Why another fitting book?\u0026rdquo; As if the shelves are bursting with them!! I like to sew and I like to modify patterns, but didn\u0026rsquo;t find this book very helpful. What have you been reading that you enjoy?\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/recent-reads-from-the-library/","tags":["Reading"],"title":"Recent Reads From the Library"},{"categories":null,"content":" Witty and clever, I love this book about being a mother within the Jewish faith. Her main theme is that anyone can “adapt Jewish tricks for raising flexible, quick-thinking, literate, open-minded kids.” I love her confidence! Her writing is sprinkled with Yiddish vocabulary, such as vontz: “the kid may become an egocentric little vontz (Yiddish for bedbug, an excellent term for an annoying person).”\n“Mothers have power.\u0026quot;\nIngall emphasizes the value of the role, “Women tend to be more religious than men (which is why Judaism, a largely home-based faith, has been not only practiced but also transmitted by women). Women are much more likely to go to religious services than men. And because mothers tend to be in charge of kids’ schedules, women are the ones who ensure that religious education takes place.”\nI love that Ingall emphasizes the feeling of community in the Jewish Faith: “our prayers are written overwhelmingly in the first person plural, not the first person singular.” Ah, yes!\nI appreciated her reminders to nurture curiosity in my children: “Judaism teaches us to stress the importance of asking questions rather than giving answers.” This is an essential skill in parenting, for sure. Ingall is delightfully vulnerable about her life experiences:\n“I did not know, as a small child, that bad things happened to people who weren’t Jewish.”\nI love the honesty!\nIngall’s perspective was refreshing:\n“As I’ve said before, we’re entirely too worried about having our kids be happy. Stop saying and even thinking ‘the most important thing is that they’re happy right now.’ (We’re Jews. Happy is not our default state.) Too much worry about making your kid happy each moment leads to too little work on helping your kid develop the skills to be fulfilled for the rest of their life.” Happiness is not an isolated event that happens one day; happiness happens because our character is strong enough to support the experience.\nDiscipline One of the themes I most enjoyed was Ingall’s comments on discipline. “Discipline is about teaching a kid to avoid temptation and wait and work toward better rewards.”\nHer definitions are succinct and clear. “’Discipline’ means both correcting misbehavior and conveying expectations for good behavior. … But discipline has a third meaning, too: It means self-regulation, self-discipline, self-government. It isn’t something impressed upon you by an authority figure; it’s something that comes from within, something you tap into when you’re trying to achieve a goal.” I wouldn’t have thought of this combination of definitions, so I really liked this.\n“Keep telling yourself that to teach a kid discipline, you need discipline yourself.”\nShe widens the discussion with Hebrew words:\n“The Hebrew word for sin is chet, which is literally an archery term for ‘missing the mark.’ Discipline is a learned skill—like archery—in which practice helps us get closer and closer to the bull’s-eye. There’s a story about the German Jewish theologian Franz Rosenzweig: When he was asked if he did certain mitzvot (commandments, the plural of “mitzvah”), he never answered no. He always said, “Not yet.” And he was a theologian!”\nJewish Jokes Her sense of humor kept me laughing: “Incidentally, it is possible to simultaneously be annoyed by a device and to appreciate that it has made life better. If you are annoyed by your child’s use of a device during family time, divest your child of the phone during family time. This is not rocket science. Incidentally, Jews have received fifty Nobel Prizes in physics, which is practically a Nobel in rocket science since there is no actual Nobel in rocket science.”\nShe analyzed the sterotypes of the Jewish Mother, and talked about the hidden truths. As she did, she shared a few Jewish Mother jokes:\nQ. What did the waiter ask the table of Jewish mothers? A. Is ANYTHING all right?\nA Jewish mother is walking down the street with her two little sons. A passerby says, “Oh, they’re so cute! How old are they?” The Jewish mother responds, “The doctor is three and the lawyer is two.”\nQ. Why do Jewish mothers make great parole officers? A. They never let anyone finish a sentence.\nRead it! Like the books of Chaim Potok, her writing made me feel even greater respect for the Jewish faith. I appreciate the way she described her culture and her faith and how she reconciles the challenges of the secular world. Mostly, her book felt like a conversation with a friend, a friend who understands exactly what you are dealing with. I highly recommend Marjorie Ingall’s book, “Mamaleh Knows Best.”\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/mamaleh-knows-best/","tags":["Reading","Parenting Books"],"title":"Mamaleh Knows Best"},{"categories":null,"content":" While at the orthodontist with my son, I was browsing the December 2022 Northern Virginia Magazine. An article about college admissions caught my eye. I appreciated the theme of the article: consider many options for college and don\u0026rsquo;t be discouraged if you get rejected. This quote was one I really agreed with:\nThe pressure-packed college admissions process can take away from the joys of high school if students and their parents or guardians get wrapped up in being accepted at a handful of extremely selective schools. Across the board, counselors remind their students, “You are not your test scores.” \u0026ndash;Barbara Bean-Mellinger, December 2022 Northern Virginia Magazine\nThis is a sentiment I absolutely agree with: scores do not define you. There is no way a score can summarize all that is good and wonderful about you as an individual.\nThe next paragraph, though, undid all that good work by focusing on the importance of GPA.\nTests may come in and out of favor, but a student’s grades in high school courses — and the strength of the courses taken — will always matter. While tests measure a student’s ability on one Saturday morning, high school transcripts reveal how well they applied themselves every day for four years. \u0026ndash;Barbara Bean-Mellinger, December 2022 Northern Virginia Magazine\nNo! No! No! A transcript is not the ultimate trophy. That is not what a student should focus on. I wish instead the article had ended by saying, \u0026ldquo;A student should focus on achieving mastery in a topic they love.\u0026rdquo; Or, \u0026ldquo;Parents and teens should focus on developing skills that can be enjoyed regardless of college admission.\u0026rdquo;\nI know that for me personally, my GPA wasn\u0026rsquo;t perfect because of my freshman year. There\u0026rsquo;s no way to overcome that! Telling an 18-year-old that they can or cannot get admitted because of what their 14-year-old self did or didn\u0026rsquo;t do can feel very defeating.\nGPA can be just as arbitrary as test scores. GPA can also measure luck and timing more than actual effort. Which teacher is a lenient grader? Which material is already familiar and easy to sail through? A transcript is not the ultimate summary.\nWe should, as a society, encourage teens to build a project-based portfolio that includes evidence of inter-disciplinary learning. We need to stop relying on test scores and GPA. These measuring sticks serve only to shortcut the learning process.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-problem-with-testing/","tags":["Testing"],"title":"You Are Not Your Test Scores"},{"categories":null,"content":" While reviewing a list of Spanish reflexive verbs this morning, my teenage son was curious to learn more about one verb: deshacerse. This verb means \u0026ldquo;undo\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;get rid of.\u0026rdquo;\nWe flipped open the \u0026ldquo;501 Spanish Verbs\u0026rdquo; to review the conjugation and look at some examples. We were both surprised by the final example:\nel deshechizo: breaking off a magic spell \u0026ldquo;Why would they have a word for something that doesn\u0026rsquo;t even exist?\u0026rdquo; moaned my son. \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t they know that magic isn\u0026rsquo;t real!?!\u0026rdquo;\nHe continued complaining, \u0026ldquo;When am I ever going to use this word?\u0026rdquo; As we looked for examples, we realized a better English translation is \u0026ldquo;disenchant.\u0026rdquo; Ah, now that is a word we can easily use!\nBut, I like the idea of \u0026ldquo;breaking off a magic spell.\u0026rdquo;\nWhat are the things that leave me feeling disenchanted? That list is rather long. But, what makes me enchanted is moments like this where I get to partner in the learning with my child and laugh while we figure it out together.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/breaking-off-a-magic-spell/","tags":["Spanish Language Learning"],"title":"Breaking Off a Magic Spell"},{"categories":null,"content":"We recently took an extended trip to México\u0026rsquo;s Yucatán Peninsula. Here are some of the things that surprised and delighted us.\n1. Abundance of Churches The cities we visited were vestiges of Spanish colonization. Each had a main cathedral with a plaza. But there were lots of Catholic churches in each city. We had an Airbnb directly across from the San Roman Cathedral in Campeche. With their doors open during the worship services, we could easily hear the prayers and singing. They have a black ebony statue of Christ that is 457 years old. Another church in Campeche boasts hosting the first Mass in mainland México in 1517.\n2. Abundance of Hammocks Everyone enjoys a hammock! Many of our apartments had hammocks as part of the furniture. This area of the Yucatán is where hammocks are handmade. They are stunning works of art! We laughed at this hammock strung between two bays of the auto repair shop.\n3. Abundance of Piñatas They really know how to celebrate! We loved the colorful handmade piñatas for sale.\n4. Abundance of Tajin We already loved tajin before our trip, so we were especially glad to see it often at stores. And, of course, it was always served with mango.\n5. Gate at the Sidewalk The front yard fence is flush with the edge of the sidewalk. Much of the time, this fence was a moveable metal gate that allowed for parking in the front yard. Some were very creative, such as this one, that allowed a few extra inches so that a small sedan could fit. Not exactly a garage, but close enough.\n6. Barbed Wires and Broken Glass Along with the gates were the protections along the gate edge. Sometimes broken glass, sometimes barbed wire, sometimes more decorative. 7. [Lack of] Safety Regulations There seem to be few rules and supervision about building homes. Many homes had unfinished second stories. One of our apartments had a bedroom door opening directly into the staircase. 8. Pet Store With Birds on the Outside Such clever advertising! Attach the cage to the wall on the porch so everyone can enjoy the pet birds.\n9. Police and Military Presence We saw more policemen and military vehicles than I had expected. The automatic weapons they carried were intimidating. 10. Unexpected Road Changes One of our apartments was on a road that was unexpectedly excavated the day we arrived. If not for the pile of gravel at the end of the road, many motorcyclists would have ended up inside the ditch, since there was no signage indicating the change. 11. Honk as you Enter the Intersection Rather than stopping as you enter a neighborhood intersection, drivers would give a few taps of the horn and continue at full speed. 12. Cinder Block Construction Most buildings, even those several stories high, are cinder block construction. This method allows for quick and inexpensive construction while also reducing moisture problems. In the areas where we traveled, most homes were only one story. When we saw construction in other cities, they were using manpower to pass supplies rather than cranes. 13. Warnings from the “Secretaria de Salud” We were surprised at the front-of-pack warning labels on food and beverage products deemed high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium, and those containing non-caloric sweeteners. These warning labels allow quick identification of healthy and unhealthy products and are designed to help people make healthier decisions and combat growing rates of obesity and diet-related diseases.\n14. Stray Dogs The dogs were stressful. Not only would they bark at you in the street, they would bark at you from the rooftops. In some locations, there were large groups of dogs, roaming free without leash and collar. They were intimidating. In addition to the dogs, I was surprised when a stray cat entered a public bathroom and walked under all the stall doors! 15. Lavanderia Only one of our apartments had a washing machine. Rather than using a laundromat (there aren’t any) we would take our laundry to a person in the neighborhood who owned a washing machine. They would charge us by kilogram of laundry, and typically had it ready within 24 hours. They could not seem to understand or spell my name \u0026ldquo;Rachel.\u0026rdquo; Some of the lavanderias had crazy chaos in managing their orders.\n16. Sidewalk Disrepair The sidewalks were frequently damaged. There were gaping holes, crumbling corners and uneven drops. Additionally, they were often crowded with vendors or uprooted by trees. 17. Use of Coolers Never have I seen so many coolers in clever use! Most stores kept a cooler for fresh corn tortillas to keep them warm. 18. Motorcycle Safety Most motorcylcists we saw wore helmets, even if they weren’t always buckled. I was astonished to see young children on motorcycles, sandwiched between their parents. One mother was even nursing while riding! We also saw passengers carrying piñatas, with their colorful streamers flowing behind them. One even carried a tall holiday cake one-handed while she gripped the driver with her other hand.\n19. Neighborhood Ads Drivers attached megaphones to the top of their car and drove through neighborhoods, blasting the political campaign or memorable jingle. Also, one wall of the property of a home we rented was covered with ads. Additionally, motorcyclists would canvas the neighborhood beginning at 4 pm with coolers strapped on the back and a continuous but friendly honk to announce they had arrived and food was available to purchase. 20. Graffiti Like many modern neighborhoods, graffiti is common. Though it was heartbreaking to see it destroy historic statues, much was astonishingly creative.\n21. Receipt on Carbon Copy Paper You may wonder if your children will ever understand the “cc” abbreviation of an email, because they’ve never seen actual carbon paper. Now my children have! We went to a Mexican Fabric store and all prices were written and summed by hand. Many businesses have not needed to upgrade to computerized systems.\n22. Disrepair of Playgrounds The general disrepair was discouraging, but it was especially evident at the playgrounds with broken swings and busted equipment. 23. Bus Tardiness Though catching the bus is theoretically possible, if it only comes to the stop twice an hour, you might end up waiting more than an hour. Public transport in México is not run directly by the state; instead the government grants concessions to private companies that provide buses and drivers.\n24. Close at 5 pm Surprisingly, in the non-touristy areas, the restaurants would close at 5 pm. We had to plan ahead to make sure we could get our food!\n25. Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way On this street, there were signs reminding cars to yield to pedestrians. My husband teased me about my “Crossing Guard” behavior, but it was really stressful to get cars to slow down and notice us! Even though we were a noticeably large group, cars would still whiz past.\n26. Named Street Corners Mérida’s downtown streets create a perfect square grid with a very logical naming system: no name, just numbers. From North to South, the streets have even numbers. (Going North the number decreases, going South the number increases.) From East to West, streets have odd numbers (decreasing going East.) To simplify things, almost every corner in the historic center of Mérida was given its own unique name, which was usually also depicted by a drawing on a sign. Iconic red and white plaques show the creative names and images.\n27. Naturaleza The protected mangrove forest in Celestún was one of our favorite stops. Thousands of flamingos migrate to this area each year. Seeing flamingos fly in person was breath-taking.\n28. Handicrafts I love their willingness to sew and create. I was inspired to do more embroidery after seeing all their beautiful products.\n29. Chocolate The mayan chocolate was delicious. The texture was more grainy as they incorporate ground pieces of caco nibs. 30. Traditional Dancing I loved the simplicity and energy of these dances. I especially valued that the dancers were older people who were still agile and fit.\n31. Bus Drivers Counting Change While driving stick shift, navigating heavy traffic and honking his horn, the bus driver could also count and distribute change. Remarkable!\n32. Unsafe Vehicles If it can roll, it can go on the road! With few regulations, many zany contraptions carry passengers.\n33. Surprising Flavors Of course we ate dozens of tacos, but none of them with cheese as a topping! It was also unusual to find cheese in the store. but we also enjoyed some surprising flavors. Nutella and parmesan, served warm! This was a common treat in Campeche. Hard boiled eggs in tacos and tamales are also common. Sandwichón is a savory cake prepared with a long loaf of crustless bread.\n34. Brief and Intense Rainstorms The heat of the afternoon would often climax with a rainstorm. We were only caught unawares a few times!\n35. Dipping Pool Many properties boasted a small pool in the backyard, but they were not for swimming. With room enough for only a few people to enjoy at a time, they are a pleasant way to cool off. 37. Cenote With very porous soil, this part of México has many Cenotes. Rather than making rivers, the rain seeps into the subsoil. Limestone caves gradually collapse and collect the rain, forming a well. Some have deep sides and circular shapes and are still at least partially enclosed. There are more than 10,000 cenotes in the peninsula, and we were able to visit just a few.\n38. Tortilleria The machinery for making fresh tortillas was a combination of conveyor belts and griddles and worked effectively! I stared, open-mouthed the first time we saw it in use.\nThese are just some of the fun surprises we found on our trip! We loved being there. Thanks for reading.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/38-surprises-about-mexico/","tags":["Spanish Language Learning"],"title":"38 Surprises About Mexico"},{"categories":null,"content":" One contribution my husband makes to our homeschool is a “personal finance” book group. We read a book individually and discuss it as a group. I appreciate his efforts to instill financial literacy in our children. One of his selections I recently enjoyed was “The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel.\nNot only are Morgan Housel’s ideas good for financial concepts, they also really apply to homeschooling as well!\n“The hardest financial skill is getting the goalpost to stop moving.” Not only is this true of finances, but it\u0026rsquo;s true with homeschooling as well. At what point can we be satisfied with what we\u0026rsquo;ve done and what we\u0026rsquo;ve accomplished?\n“Life isn’t any fun without a sense of enough. Happiness, as it’s said, is just results minus expectations.”\u0026ndash;Morgan Housel\n“His skill is investing, but his secret is time.”\nWith homeschooling, as with early investing, time is on our side. We can work at small incremental rates, but when we\u0026rsquo;ve given ourselves a lot of time, the results will be striking. Morgan Housel explained further:\n“I have heard many people say the first time they saw a compound interest table—or one of those stories about how much more you’d have for retirement if you began saving in your 20s \u0026gt;versus your 30s—changed their life. But it probably didn’t. What it likely did was surprise them, because the results intuitively didn’t seem right. Linear thinking is so much more \u0026gt;intuitive than exponential thinking.”\n“Having more control over your time and options is becoming one of the most valuable currencies in the world.”\nThis is one of my main motivations to homeschool: the chance to have flexibility in how we use our time. We can study early in the morning or late in the evening. We can study in the summer and over the holiday break. We can go as fast as we want through a textbook. This is extremely valuable to me.\nAim for Moderation Morgan Housel cautions all of us to be cautious in our planning. We may not want to live at the extremes.\n“Aiming, at every point in your working life, to have moderate annual savings, moderate free time, no more than a moderate commute, and at least moderate time with your family, \u0026gt; increases the odds of being able to stick with a plan and avoid regret than if any one of those things fall to the extreme sides of the spectrum.”\n\u0026ldquo;I can\u0026rsquo;t tell you!\u0026rdquo; The quote that most reminded me of my perspective on homeschooling is this one:\n“I can’t tell you what to do with your money, because I don’t know you. I don’t know what you want. I don’t know when you want it. I don’t know why you want it. So I’m not going to tell you what to do with your money.” Morgan Housel\nI love this because it emphasizes the individuality that is inherent in our financial patterns. My observations about my own experiences homeschooling teach me that what I do may not be good for other people to do because they may not have the same goals and desires that I have. They might not be happy prepping for AP tests. They might prefer to spend more time on history. I constantly remind myself as a homeschooler to avoid comparison.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-psychology-of-money/","tags":["Reading"],"title":"The Psychology of Money"},{"categories":null,"content":" I\u0026rsquo;ve met a wide variety of homeschoolers from really relaxed to super structured. Though I definitely fall on the \u0026ldquo;structured\u0026rdquo; side of the spectrum, I am not nearly as structured as some. One friend told me she fills up her car every Thursday. \u0026ldquo;Why would I wait until the car is nearly empty of gas?\u0026rdquo; She anticipated the need and planned ahead each week.\nI was astonished. I realized I could do the same. Not just with fuel for my car, but fuel for my soul. I know exactly what fatigues me. I can plan ahead and cushion my time with extra margin. Homeschooling is more pleasant when I am taking good care of myself.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/fuel-up/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Fuel Up"},{"categories":null,"content":" We have a recipe we enjoy for a dessert that uses Mascarpone. Originally, the recipe was for Tiramisu, but I made some modifications. First of all, we don\u0026rsquo;t drink coffee, so I eliminated that. We added some orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice instead. We also don\u0026rsquo;t use sugar, so we had a substitute. Nor do we eat white flour, so in place of the lady fingers we made a light almond flour cake. By the time we are done, this recipe can hardly be called Tiramisu. In fact, my son, looking at the recipe said, \u0026ldquo;Mom, you are only using two of the seven ingredients called for in the original recipe.\u0026rdquo; We decided to call it \u0026ldquo;Two-sevenths Tiramisu.\u0026rdquo;\nSometimes the education I am providing my children feels like this recipe. What we do at home is actually very modified and not always comparable to what goes on in more mainstream educational institutions. At what point does the education need to be renamed?\nThere are homeschoolers who are critical of those that \u0026ldquo;school-at-home\u0026rdquo; and homeschoolers who are skeptical of \u0026ldquo;unschoolers.\u0026rdquo; As a group, homeschoolers are rather divided. It can feel hard to be confident in our personal modifications when those around us are doing very different things.\nDuring the holidays, it is more common for people to try variations on classic recipes. I hope that pattern can extend to education. This project I\u0026rsquo;m doing with my child is \u0026ldquo;inspired by\u0026rdquo; a map of the United States. This essay my child is writing is \u0026ldquo;inspired by\u0026rdquo; a book he is reading. The course of study is \u0026ldquo;inspired by\u0026rdquo; AP Microeconomics.\nHomeschooling needn\u0026rsquo;t look like, feel like or sound like the original recipe. Two-sevenths is still very delicious. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/two-sevenths/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Two Sevenths"},{"categories":null,"content":"During the holiday season, gift-giving is a big focus for parents. Like you, I search for gifts that communicate my love. Ultimately, one of the gifts I am most proud to have given my children is actually a consistent experience: ninety minutes of daily free time. Without exception, whether weekday, weekend or holiday, this is part of our family routine. Each child has ninety minutes to themselves, in a room alone, completely free of my expectations. The only restrictions are that the activity is quiet enough so as not to disturb others, and that the activity is analog, not digital. We call it quiet time.\nThis is one of the most defining parts of our family lifestyle, and one I wholeheartedly recommend. Quiet time offers refreshment. Quiet time offers ownership. Quiet time is the chance to reset.\nA Gift of Ownership I do not keep track of what my children accomplish during quiet time. There is no measurement or evaluation. They get the chance to plan and execute their experience, exactly as they would like it to be. By giving my children the chance to be a steward, they are receiving the best gift I can give them. They have a chance to develop responsibility. No one makes choices for them. No one forces them. They are the creator. The time is personally their own. Through this, my children see how much I trust them.\nA Gift of Refreshment Our quiet time is a calming, deep breath during the day. The time reminds us that there is abundant opportunity to comfort, strengthen, and restore. Being offline and doing something tangible gives us a chance to reconnect the physical body and the mind.\nWhat do we do during this time? Frequently, we spend the time reading. Or, it might involve independent imaginative play. At times, my children enjoy a one-player board game or a creative project that doesn\u0026rsquo;t need adult supervision.\nA Chance to Start Again I homeschool my six children, which means we spend a lot of time together. Quiet time is a chance for us to step away from each other and have our own space. Both parents and children are happier afterwards. We can self-regulate and take a break after any arguments or challenges in the morning.\nAt times, this time is the gift of boredom. There are challenges to implementing quiet time, especially early on. Depending on their level of maturity, or their level of preparation, boredom is sometimes the result. “I had nothing to do!” the children might moan, lamenting the loss. This is not something I try to fix. Next time they will have more ideas. Or, they won’t, and they will have another boring experience. That’s ok. Not every moment needs to be exciting and dynamic. If the child wants to sit and think and stare out the window, they are welcome to do so. The child owns the experience.\nAs my children come to know themselves, they plan ahead, reserving their preferred activities for quiet time. They cheerfully anticipate this time. Quiet Time is Found Time Not Lost Time The benefits of this time are enormous. In addition to settling our mental state, the quiet time gives a predictability to the rhythm of our day. It’s not always at the exact same clock time each day, but we aim for mid-afternoon.\nAs with any routine activity, the question is, what am I trading in for prioritizing this activity? What other things could we be doing, and would they have greater benefit? I am confident that quiet time offers what we need. I don’t need to be more efficient; I don’t need to be more structured; I don’t need to demand more from the day. I need the time to rest.\nNot only a Gift for My Children What would you do with 90 minutes to yourself? How would you spend your time? For me, I don’t use that time to wash dishes or complete household tasks. I intentionally choose activities that uplift me, something that gives me good energy. It could be sewing, or writing, or reading. Sometimes I choose to take a walk or call a friend.\nQuiet time makes our entire daily routine more sustainable. Even when we have visitors, they appreciate the down time. We all need to unplug and pause. If you try it, I think you will also find this habit of quiet time will be a stabilizing force in your family.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-ninety-minute-gift/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"The Ninety Minute Gift"},{"categories":null,"content":"I love live concerts. I love beautiful designs. For these two reasons, I love our holiday tradition of going to the United States Air Force Christmas Concert and then heading over to the Botanic Gardens. The Air Force concert is full of school children and also many homeschooling families. I appreciate the chance to enjoy laughing and singing along with a large group of happy people. I love seeing our homeschooling friends. I appreciate the respect they show us at this event. The Botanic Gardens has a display of the National Mall made from plant material. It\u0026rsquo;s like gingerbread houses, but sugar free! No matter how many times we\u0026rsquo;ve seen them, we love to see them again. The details are so intricate. Plus, it\u0026rsquo;s always a comfortable temperature inside the garden! This year\u0026rsquo;s Botanic Garden Holiday train display was a great learning opportunity. The trains circled models of farms from around the world. There were lentil terraces from Nepal, Floating Onion fields from Mexico, Orange fields from California and vineyards from Europe. Such an engaging presentation. It brought up lots of new ideas and questions. Hooray for field trips that inspire further learning! ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/learning-with-holiday-traditions/","tags":["Field Trips"],"title":"Learning With Holiday Traditions"},{"categories":null,"content":"If you are considering pulling your child out from Public School and plan to begin homeschooling your 7th grader for the first time this January, here is my advice to you! Expect Challenges No matter how excited you are today, there will come a day when you want to quit. Homeschooling is optional, after all. Decide before you start which day you will reevaluate your commitment. Maybe you will wait until Saturday, or perhaps you can wait six weeks. But don\u0026rsquo;t just wait till you have a hard day, because then you will be reactionary and threaten to re-enroll your child in public school. Though it may be appropriate to enroll again in public school, you don\u0026rsquo;t want to do it out of fatigue or frustration.\nTeach Until Noon Yes, the school day in mainstream education is much longer, but you do NOT need to teach all the subjects at the beginning. If you are new to this, ease into it. Try only four subjects at first, and make them your favorite four subjects. The more feasible your new schedule, the less likely you will be to give up.\nOffer Autonomy Give your child time each day where they dictate the agenda. Let them be lead by their own interests. They will love having the chance to choose.\nBuild Community Begin to find friends through daytime classes Does your community center offer homeschool PE? Are there homeschool skate times at the ice skating rink? Ask around at church or in your community.\nConsider attending a homeschool conference. The biggest one is Great Homeschool Conventions. Thrive is a convention in Winston-Salem. LDSHE has classes for youth ages 12 and up in its family-style symposium. The Homeschool Mom posts many links to local co-ops and support groups nationwide. Here are some North Carolina specific ones.\nPlan Ahead Will you be planning on re-enrolling your child into the public school? You might want to ask the school counselor what will need to be done to demonstrate your work. Will you need to use certain textbooks approved by the school district? Will you need to prepare your child for a test? These requirements vary widely by county.\nBe Gentle With Yourself Beginning to Homeschool can feel really scary! Surround yourself with positive messages. You might like reading \u0026ldquo;Brave Learner\u0026rdquo; by Julie Bogart and \u0026ldquo;Teaching from Rest\u0026rdquo; by Sarah Mackenzie. There are many instagrammers, but beware\u0026ndash;the trap of \u0026ldquo;my homeschool doesn\u0026rsquo;t look like that\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; can be very easy to fall into!\nChoose Favorites There are many websites that review curriculum. You will find your favorites. I personally aim for low-tech, long-lasting and inexpensive. Here are some of the things I love for 7th Grade: (no affiliate links, just my unbiased opinion!)\nShurley English 7 : I love this grammar program! I love the songs, I love the approach. It\u0026rsquo;s better if you buy both the Teacher and the Student books .\nFoerster\u0026rsquo;s Algebra 1 : Buy a \u0026ldquo;Used, Like New\u0026rdquo; older edition and save yourself some money. There are other, equivalent curriculum as well, such as Prentice Hall The Story of Science by Joy Hakim The personalities behind the science principles written in accessible language. Great illustrations. Very engaging.\nMadrigal\u0026rsquo;s Magic Key to Spanish : A very approachable way to learn Spanish, even if you don\u0026rsquo;t speak it yet as the parent.\n\u0026ldquo;Everything You Need to Know\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; : These Middle School Guides from Workman Publishing are engaging. They aren\u0026rsquo;t super in-depth, but provide broad overviews that become a good base for further learning.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/letter-to-the-new-homeschooler/","tags":["Beginning"],"title":"Letter to the New Homeschooler"},{"categories":null,"content":"Perhaps the biggest difference between homeschooling and more mainstream forms of education is the quantity of time as a resource. I recently came across this quote and it resonated with me, especially in the context of homeschooling:\nSomeone who experiences time as a scarce commodity…is creating a completely different personal reality from someone who perceives that he has all the time in the world. —Deepak Chopra\nThe opportunity to choose my speed (plus the opportunity to choose my focus) is what keeps me homeschooling. I appreciate feeling that I have abundant time. I don\u0026rsquo;t have to be ruled by the clock. I can work until the task is complete, enjoying the process. Learning doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to be tied to \u0026ldquo;school hours\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;school year.\u0026rdquo; Learning can happen early or late. Learning can last throughout our life.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/abundance-of-time/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Abundance of Time"},{"categories":null,"content":" Attending an in-person Homeschool Conference is always a great way to boost my mood and encourage me in my homeschooling. I love meeting other like-minded families and hearing about techniques that are working for them in their home.\nHere are some conferences I’ve consistently attended and enjoyed:\nLDSHE VaHomeschoolers Here’s a list of all available Homeschool Conferences, listed by state Many conferences are run by an umbrella group, and, in my experience, they are mostly Christian groups. (The secular conference and the unschooling conference are noteworthy exceptions.)\nThe largest nationwide conference is the Great Homeschool Conventions . Their speakers are on a circuit and often present at multiple locations in the same conference season.\nTypically, homeschool conventions are done in the Spring. What do you do if you need some homeschool encouragement today?\nSometimes looking at the list of speakers that have spoken for past conferences and choosing one of those speakers.\nHere are some encouraging homeschool videos you might enjoy:\nAndrew Pudewa: his presentations give me good energy and help me feel more aware of how creative and loving I can be while teaching writing\nLessons Learned from 30+years of teaching Spelling and the Brain Julie Bogart: Critical Thinking Julie Bogart: Top Ten High School Seven Sisters Sarah Mackenzie ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/homeschool-conference-on-demand/","tags":["Community"],"title":"Homeschool Conference on Demand"},{"categories":null,"content":"My family loves playing the game Wingspan. The premise of the game is engaging–”buy” bird cards by “feeding” them the food they need from the birdfeeder. Put them in their preferred habitat (woodland, grassland or water) and give them time to lay eggs. Each bird in the deck is unique. The illustrations are exquisite. We learn about the birds as we play, but recently we found a way to extend the learning.\nThese two books from the library are helping us learn more about the birds. DK Birds of North America: each bird has facts about habitat, wing flight pattern, and physical details.\nThe Book of Eggs by Mark Hauber is fun for the connection with eggs\u0026ndash;just how big are they in actual size? I love the natural comparisons.\nIn my opinion, playful learning is more intrinsically motivated and longer lasting. I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for these chances to study while having fun! ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/wingspan-extending-the-learning/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Wingspan Extending the Learning"},{"categories":null,"content":" What are the best ways to spend time with your 7th and 8th grade children as you homeschool them?\nHow can you decide what curriculum to use? How do you choose what to focus on?\nThere are no “government regulations” on the topics that need to be taught. As a homeschooler, you have flexibility to do what you think is best. It’s most important that you and your child find a way of focusing on what she most needs. Here are some things you might consider:\nConsider What’s Next May be easiest to choose what to do in middle school based on the things you want to accomplish in high school. Will your child be taking an AP class? Will your child be taking Calculus by their Senior Year? Will your child be taking a year each of Chemistry, Biology and Physics? By looking ahead to the subjects in high school, you can choose what to do at this time.\nConsider What’s Strong What does your child most enjoy doing? Do more of that! As a 13 or 14 year old, your child already has interests and hobbies that are budding. This is a great time to do project-based and child-led learning. Allow your child to develop their skills as they dig into birds, or dinosaurs, or writing historical fiction.\nConsider What’s Lacking What does your child need more of? Have they been weak in math? Do they need more support in Science? Are they ready for more of a challenge in their writing? Middle school is a great time to gently encourage these areas to develop.\nConsider What’s Fun What makes your child feel time passes quickly? Allow them to dictate portions of the day that are exclusively for their happiness. This will give them a strong sense of control and direction. We also keep a lot of playtime and field trips going. We also value learning through board games. I offer my children freedom in choosing the books they want to read.\nHere are some of my favorite homeschool material for middle school NOT SPONSORED CONTENT\nShurley English level 7 Algebra 1 and Algebra 11 by Paul A. Foerster Geometry by Harold R. Jacobs Everything you need to know about… Big Fat Notebook series Story of Science by Joy Hakim ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/how-to-homeschool-middle-school/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"How to Homeschool Middle School"},{"categories":null,"content":"“One star reviews don’t tell the whole story,” is the reminder I get when I read Amber Share’s delightfully clever book, “Subpar Parks.” The project started as a joke about the negative reviews people put online about National Parks. Amber took her graphic design skills and created artful hand-lettered travel-poster style images, poetically enshrining the disparaging remarks.\nGlacier National Park: too cold for me\nArches National Park: looks nothing like the license plate\nGateway Arch: What’s the point\nThis book is a humor ambulance. If you are drowning in criticism, you will certainly smile as you read the ridiculous complaints from visitors to National Parks. If people can criticize such a pristine natural environment, of course they can criticize anything.\nPeople like to blame the park when it rained on their vacation. Or, people were unprepared for the hiking, and were hungry, and gave the park a one-star review. Amber’s artwork is a reminder, “You’re not going to please everyone.”\nAs a homeschooler, I know I can feel extra sensitive to the feeling of criticism about my child’s education because I don’t have built-in reminders of their success (like gpa, class rank or test scores.) Sometimes I get comments of judgment from neighbors or friends. Sometimes my kids express frustration so loudly I can’t keep track of what is going well. And, at other times, I am my own worst critic.\nI acknowledge my personal tendency to let expressions of criticism become deafeningly loud. These artfully designed pages make me smile and help me recall, the criticism is more about the person offering the critique than it is about the thing they are evaluating. “America’s most extraordinary national parks and their least impressed visitors.”\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/subpar-parks/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Subpar Parks"},{"categories":null,"content":"Throwing down the pencil in disgust and tossing aside the papers in frustration, my child unleashes a stream of forbidden words: “I hate this; I can’t understand this; this is impossible; I’ll never understand.” Moaned in one continuous exhale, my child repeats what has become a familiar script. She’s only 13, yet she is convinced that some of the academics she studies are beyond her reach. When faced with new or challenging material, her default is to pour out this verbal protest, usually ending with “This is stupid!”\nI hope to break the cycle of verbal complaint with a mindset shift. Ultimately, I want to encourage her to speak more kindly to herself. I begin by pointing out how she might be more gentle and encouraging with what she says aloud. I am training my daughter to think of three items to tell herself in each of these categories:\n*Being overwhelmed is reasonable\n*Support is available\n*Reflect on past success\nNow, instead of labeling the task as too hard, we try these reminders of how reasonable it is to feel overwhelmed:\n“This is unfamiliar and may take me some time to understand.”\n“I need to synthesize many aspects of what I’ve learned in order to solve these problems, and that takes a lot of effort.”\n“There are many steps to this problem and that makes it more complicated.”\nMaking sure my daughter doesn’t feel alone, we talk through reminders of available support:\n“My parent is here to help me.”\n“We have the solutions manual for the Physics book.”\n“There are many online resources available. I can hear this topic explained differently by many other teachers.”\nUltimately, I want her to remember that what she’s done this far has laid a foundation for future success. We talk through reminders of what else has gone well.\n“I’ve done other hard things and succeeded.”\n“I’ve already learned material related to this section, and even though it took some time, after a few weeks I was ready.”\n“I have skills that can help me learn this effectively.”\nBy reminding my daughter to avoid the forbidden words of “hate,” “can’t” and “impossible,” I hope I am changing her ability to bounce back and be resilient.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/forbidden-words/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Forbidden Words"},{"categories":null,"content":"Every homeschooler (and any parent!) should read this excellent book from Claire Lerner: \u0026ldquo;Why is my Child in Charge?\u0026rdquo; Claire Lerner is the insightful friend who can help you get to the root of your parenting problem. She helps you realize what you can actually control and change. Her anecdotes especially focused on children ages 2-7, but are easily applicable to older kids. Reading the book makes you feel excited to tackle the next problem because you feel equipped to keep yourself in control. The theme is hopeful: you are the parent, and you have the ability to be a strong and loving leader. Parents who follow the advice of Lerner no longer live in fear of the protest or tantrum. They can parent confidently without worrying about any defiance from their child. The techniques are a framework for parents to decrease reactivity and increase loving responsiveness. How do you know if the parenting book is worth the read? What convinces you to pick it up? Part of my sniff test is when it lines up with other authors I trust. Claire Lerner’s teachings resonate with those of Haim Ginott, Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté. I liked this book because it reminds me of the options I have as a parent. I am powerful. I have the chance to influence my child. The messages ring true. The insights are direct and easily actionable.\nThe foundation of the book is learning to correct the faulty mindsets of parenting. Lerner lists the mindsets that are commonly (but wrongfully) believed:\n1.My child is misbehaving on purpose. He should be able to accept limits and exhibit greater self-control.\n2.When my child tries to get her way, she is being manipulative.\n3.I can control and change my child’s feelings and behavior.\n4.Experiencing difficult emotions, such as sadness, fear, and anger, is harmful to my child.\n5.It is mean and rejecting not to always give my child what he says he wants and needs. The tantrums that ensue when he doesn’t get what he wants are detrimental to him.\n6.Experiencing failure is harmful for my child.\n7.Providing children clear directions and expectations is being harsh and dictatorial.\n8.My child harbors malicious intent when she is aggressive with her words and actions.\nThroughout the book, Lerner reminds parents to adjust their mindsets. Lerner suggests these mindsets are more correct:\n\u0026ldquo;You need to see that your children aren’t acting out (misbehaving) on purpose; that they don’t have the ability to control their impulses or manage life’s stressors effectively or efficiently yet; that they are driven to go for what they want and aren’t being manipulative but strategic; that feelings are not right or wrong, good or bad—that a full range of emotions is part of being human; that tantrums aren’t inherently harmful to children; and that your child is way more competent than you may think he is. He can learn to cope with not being with you every waking (or sleeping!) second and not getting everything he wants, when he wants it. He can learn to muscle through a challenging task and adapt to changes in his world.\u0026rdquo;\nLerner explains that changing the parental mindset will decrease our reactivity as a parent. “Having appropriate expectations is critical because the meaning you assign to your child’s behavior influences how you react.”\nLerner empowers parents to assert authority appropriately. “Kids have parents for a reason; they need you to be in charge. Don’t fear your power. It is possible to be a strong, trusted authority figure while maintaining a loving connection with your child.” Children rely on parents to be the loving leader they need.\nOne of the important jobs of a parent is to set the limits that keep the child safe. A key take away from this book is identifying the difference between a direction and a choice. A choice is something the child can pick (yogurt or apples for a snack). A direction is something that has to be done (buckling the seatbelt in the car). Lerner cautions parents to stop communicating directions as questions. This makes them seem optional.\nLerner addresses techniques to avoid any power struggle. She reminds us, “when you focus your efforts on trying to make your child change his behavior, you actually put him in the driver’s seat. When you are in the position of trying to convince your child to cooperate with a direction or agree to a limit, you are actually ceding control of the situation to him.”\nWe can’t directly control the child. “the more you make it your goal to control your child—to get her to do something—the more she is in charge. Her behavior determines the outcome of the situation.”\nLerner teaches parents to create a plan that enables the goal to be met without depending on the child’s compliance. “One habit that can be helpful to get into is to always start by asking yourself what you do and don’t control in the situation at hand. This can prevent you from falling into the abyss of focusing on trying to change your child, and instead focus on changing your approach.”\n“Focusing on the fact that your child is the decider and you are just implementing the consequences of his choices also makes children feel more in control and less defiant.”\nWhy every homeschooler should read this book: so they can begin to decrease the power struggles in their home. “My child won’t listen to me!” is one of the most common arguments I have heard about why people give up (or won’t even try) homeschooling. This book can help parents realize what they can do differently.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/why-is-my-child-in-charge/","tags":["Reading"],"title":"Why Is My Child in Charge"},{"categories":null,"content":"We have been laughing hard at our house this week, thanks to the newest book from Randall Munroe, \u0026ldquo;What if? 2\u0026rdquo; Munroe combines clever illustrations with witty (yet scientific) explanations as he answers the unexpected questions posed on his website .\nI have loved having my family members read the book aloud. We guffaw together. The questions are so unexpected, and the answers so serious. The juxtaposition is perfect.\nOne of the things I\u0026rsquo;ve found about homeschooling is that I need to value and honor my children\u0026rsquo;s questions. I appreciate Randall Munroe\u0026rsquo;s example in this respect. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-bad-question/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"There Is No Such Thing as a Bad Question"},{"categories":null,"content":" \u0026ldquo;This has to be done now!\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;This is late!\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;Hurry!!\u0026rdquo;\nI don\u0026rsquo;t like living in a state of urgency. I like to know well in advance what\u0026rsquo;s coming. I like to plan and prepare. Yet, we all know how it feels to find ourselves overwhelmed with tasks and short on time. Sometimes, once I start living in the state of emergency, I feel like I will be stuck in emergencies for ever.\nThis is why I want to homeschool. So I can choose to vary my speed. I can choose my priorities.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/exiting_the_emergency_mindset/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Exiting_the_emergency_Mindset"},{"categories":null,"content":"I hope that my article in the Fall 2022 edition of \u0026ldquo;This Old Schoolhouse Magazine\u0026rdquo; inspires many readers to try teaching an AP class at home this year. I feel like our at-home AP instruction has been the best preparation for college and the best way to focus our high school studies. Though it may seem intimidating, I want other families to know they can do it! ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/teaching-ap-this-fall/","tags":["Published"],"title":"Teaching AP This Fall"},{"categories":null,"content":" This summer, my fourth child is now my size, even though she is only 12. Many children outgrow their mothers. The unusual thing here is that I am 6’0” and three of these four older children are daughters. We have a remarkably tall family. Now that two-thirds of my children are nearly fully grown, we felt we could justify the expense of two adult XL mountain bikes. Our home has easy access to trails, so, without pausing to read an instruction manual or get feedback from experienced bikers, we began biking.\nTurns out the trails in closest proximity aren’t for beginners. As I struggled on those initial rides, the first thing I noticed was how similar mountain biking is to homeschooling. Perhaps you don’t think of homeschooling as having anything in common with this thrill-seeking log-jumping activity on two wheels. But, I’m writing to change your opinion. Here’s what may surprise you about homeschoolers: one of our key attributes is that we are risk takers. Choosing homeschool means we have stepped off the paved path of standardized education.\nHere are five things mountain biking and homeschooling have in common: the semantics of participation and deciding who is in the “club”; the response to fear and the challenge with aim; the reality of ruts in the road; the necessity of community.\nDefinition of a Mountain Biker Right away, I realized I couldn’t safely bike up or down all the narrow hills I encountered. I also wasn’t comfortable riding through the stream crossings. As a beginner, I dismount my bike during those tricky spots. Just because I walk my bike some of the time doesn’t mean I’m not a mountain biker. What really makes someone a mountain biker? Owning a bike isn’t sufficient. A mountain biker is a person making an attempt to ride a trail.\nThe definition of homeschooling can be fuzzy. Recently, due to the school closures related to the pandemic, many parents have said, “I tried homeschooling.” Sometimes they were implementing the school district’s lesson plans in their own home; sometimes they were doing their own thing. To me, homeschooling is best described by three key actions: participating in your child’s education by collecting appropriate resources and supplies, making decisions about the education of your child independent of a supervisor, and centering your attention on the individual learning pace of your child. Regardless of your speed (whether you are walking or riding), you are a homeschooler if you are making these efforts.\nFear I got on my mountain bike and expected it to be similar to road biking. It wasn’t! First off, there’s the adrenaline rush of doing something dangerous. Generally, I am a rather timid, cautious person. On my first downhill, I was unprepared for the slope, the speed, and the feeling of imminent injury. I didn’t have a sense of control. The response of the bike on the rocks and ruts was unfamiliar and thus unpredictable. I did not know exactly how to tackle the challenges of the path. Fear took over all conscious thought. Biking can be a mental mountain.\nWhen I first began homeschooling, I also felt fearful. I don’t have a degree in education. I taught reading unconventionally, unaware of some of the standard strategies. Though I have homeschooled my six children continuously and my oldest is now 20, I still feel some fear about homeschooling. I don’t choose to homeschool because I am fearless. I homeschool because I am willing. Willing to customize, to try again, to be engaged in the learning process, to own the responsibility. My belief is that all homeschoolers, no matter how confident, will feel some fear. There are no guarantees. We don’t know how things will turn out. Fear, for both mountain bikers and homeschoolers, gets in the way. Recklessness isn’t the antidote; audacity is. With audacity in hand, we can prove our fears wrong. Audacity clears our head, enables decision making, and propels us to action. Remaining mobilized is a key in mountain biking. Looking past the obstacle allows our vision to carry us successfully forward. Homeschooling similarly relies on this forward motion. The more successful days of learning we experience, the more we want to continue.\nAim Dodging overhanging branches and tendrils of thorny vines while scanning the trail ahead for the next obstacle means I don’t have much time to calculate my aim while I’m on my bike. At one point, my path dipped to the rim of the river. I hesitated, trying to estimate the width of the path. The handlebars on my mountain bike are much wider than my road bike. As a result, I overcorrected. My aim initially took me towards the slope of the path furthest away from the river, but there wasn’t room for my bike there. I slipped. I narrowly missed ending up in the murky oozy water. Wanting to avoid obstacles is not the same as proactively choosing the path.\nSome families begin homeschooling in order to avoid a bad situation at school. The families that homeschool in the long term aren’t just dodging what they don’t like, they are moving towards what they do want. For me, I remind myself to aim for customizability by noticing my children’s unique needs. “Look where you want to go” is an essential rule both for mountain biking and homeschooling.\nRuts Before I began mountain biking, I spoke casually about being in a rut. “Things feel monotonous and unpleasantly dull,” was what I used this phrase to mean. The first time I was actually in a physical rut on my bike, I discovered how gripping they are. There was no exit strategy. I had to “ride the rut.” This meant I had to keep my momentum going until I was all the way through.\nWith homeschooling, there have been times when I felt I wasn’t being creative enough. Applying what I learned on my bike, though, there are times when I need to just continue forward with the routine. Even a tedious review of multiplication facts has a function and will bear fruit in the long term. I don’t have to beat myself up about the unglamorous aspects of home education.\nBike with a Buddy After my first few stressful rides, I began to research more information about how to mountain bike. One piece of advice that came up over and over was to find a biking buddy. “Go riding with someone who is more skilled than you, someone that can push you and encourage you,” was the maxim.\nThis is true of homeschooling as well. Homeschoolers need homeschool buddies. In popular culture, homeschooling is virtually synonymous with “problems with socialization.” Homeschoolers are expected to be awkward. Yet, homeschooling isn’t forced isolation or obligatory oafishness. In reality, homeschoolers network and combine, collaborating beyond neighborhoods, religions, and grade levels. Tension exists, though, since one of the defining characteristics of a homeschooler is that we are independent. Literally, the way you become a homeschooler is to defy the status quo and strike out on your own. Nonetheless, even the most resilient homeschoolers benefit from emotional support and camaraderie. I’ve personally benefited from that real-time peer support of shared experiences. I have been rallied and cheered on. My friendships with other homeschoolers have improved me.\nKeep Riding Like mountain biking, homeschooling is potentially perilous. We homeschoolers feel the fear of the uncertainty, and yet we continue. We need to improve our aim, keeping in mind what we most want to cultivate. Creating a community around the endeavor (mountain biking or homeschooling) is essential. No matter how fast or how slow you bike, or your pace of your homeschooling, just keep riding.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/how-beginning-mountain-biking-improved-my-homeschooling/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"How Beginning Mountain Biking Improved My Homeschooling"},{"categories":null,"content":" I’m a homeschooling parent. Here are four ways my summer is likely different from yours.\nDoing Algebra Poolside For my family, school continues year-round. We don’t have an official “last day” in June, nor do we have an official “first day” in September. We keep going. This horrifies many people. “Your children NEED a vacation,” decry some skeptics. “That is not a humane way to live,” is the accusation. By continuing academics throughout the summer, I send two important messages to my children. The first is that learning is an important daily task, and not limited to a classroom. The second is that small actions, consistently done, yield progress. We don’t spend eight hours a day sitting at a desk. But, I do pack the algebra textbook when I take my younger children to their swim team practice. That way, while my older child waits for her turn to swim, she has an impactful nugget of review of conjugate radical expressions. Not Traveling Rather than spending the summer on the road, we spend it at home. When we have the rest of the year to travel, why go to tourist spots when they are crowded? The beauty of homeschooling is getting to choose vacation times based on good weather and convenience, not the school schedule. By being at home in the summer, my children can find meaningful work opportunities in our community and build friendships.\nNo TV and No Video Games Playtime is intentionally low-tech at my house. Not all homeschoolers agree on this, but for me, homeschooling means pausing to unplug and be offline. My children play with their siblings and their imagination. We invite buddies. We take adventures outside. One of the primary reasons we homeschool is to give my children downtime and the luxury of old-fashioned play.\nTime for Introspection Homeschoolers have the privilege and responsibility of setting their own goals. There is no oversight committee, no supervisor, no principal. We choose the subjects and their time frame. In order to keep ourselves in line with my objectives, we have a habit of daily record keeping. We track the use of our time and think through our priorities. We recalibrate as needed. This keeps us from feeling like the summer whizzes by. Consider Parenting Like a Homeschooler Even if you aren’t a homeschooler, try adopting one of these strategies and see how it changes up your summer. Review the times tables over breakfast. Play a game that involves mental math. Practice spelling while you wash up the dishes. Linger at home. Structure your time so that imagination is encouraged. Go outside and watch the fireflies. Avoid turning to digital devices. Above all, pause at the end of the day and reflect. You can make your summer exactly what you’d like it to be.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/how-my-summer-is-different/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"How My Summer Is Different"},{"categories":null,"content":"Uncrowded, empty stretches of beach. Single family homes lined up behind the dunes. No lifeguard on duty. This is our experience each time we visit the Barrier Islands near Wilmington, North Carolina. What does it mean if there is no lifeguard on duty? No supervision. No additional help. No one else to blame. Sounds like homeschooling.\nBenefits of a Lifeguard Since we have a neighborhood pool in walking distance to our home, my teens have chosen lifeguarding as their summer job. They’ve felt the magnitude of the responsibility as they complete the necessary Red Cross training and life saving skills. Lifeguarding isn’t for the faint of heart. It requires hours of work in the heat, watching for potential signs of trouble. Lifeguards can certainly increase the safety of the swimming experience. Their work allows parents to lounge and take it easy on the side while they watch the children. But, lifeguards can get distracted and overwhelmed. The most ideal solution for a child’s safety in the water is a vigilant adult close by, tending to their individual needs. Think of homeschoolers as that kind of parent–the one who is providing appropriate levels of freedom. Homeschoolers can’t afford to check out. No Supervision When you homeschool, you are on your own. You don’t have a mentor; you don’t have a boss; you don’t have anyone telling you what to do. Some states mandate the specific material to be taught, the specific benchmarks to be met or the number of instruction hours a child should receive. But, other than that, it’s quite flexible. There is no one making you start at 8:20 am, and no one that rings the bell to end the school day at 3:50 pm. Though homeschool families may check in with the local school district, they don’t have hourly or even daily requirements. Like a swimmer wanting to avoid the heat of the day, we chose to do our work early in the morning. We don’t have to wait for the beach to be “opened” by the lifeguard. I like our independent educational opportunities. No One Else to Blame Some parents expect the lifeguard to be a substitute parent, watching over their children. “You better stop doing that,” one parent may threaten, “or else the lifeguard…” (here the parent casts a meaningful look at the stand) “\u0026hellip;will get you in trouble.” The parent wants the lifeguard to back them up.\nLifeguards have a whistle. Lifeguards have authority. Some parents prefer to have their children “listen to the lifeguard” because then they aren’t the one upsetting their child with the rules. These parents don’t want to have to be the bad guy.\nAs a homeschooler, if things fail, it’s on you. If the kid doesn’t like the rule, it’s on you. This is both the burden and the delight of homeschooling. I love having the flexibility to change what isn’t working. I love having the freedom to set our own rules. But, I remind myself to not get overwhelmed with doing too much at once.\nNo Additional Help The lifeguard is another set of eyes, another person scanning the water to make sure everything is OK. As a homeschooler, it’s up to you to build up your community. You are out there swimming at the beach and you need to assemble your team to help you out. You create the situation you want. You invite other families and trusted adults to participate in the involvement of education with your child. Why Swim Here? Families choose to swim at beaches without lifeguards even though this means shouldering extra commitments. The beach may be isolated or not popular enough to afford paying a lifeguard. Similarly, families choose to homeschool because the child may want to learn something that isn’t commonly taught at school, and the family wants to customize. Even though beaches without a lifeguard can be more dangerous, parents taking their child to swim there can be assured of the safety of the child through their own vigilance, their ability to teach and encourage their child, and the team they choose to assemble. Homeschoolers succeed for these same reasons: by treating their children as individuals, staying close enough to understand their challenges, accepting responsibility and building community.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/no-lifeguard-on-duty/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"No Lifeguard on Duty"},{"categories":null,"content":"In our family, summer continues throughout the summer. Here are some of the books we\u0026rsquo;ve enjoyed reading and some of the MOOCs we use to learn. No affiliate links here; just my personal recommendations.\nBooks The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean\nHow to Read the Constitution\u0026ndash;and Why by Kim Wehle\nMath with Bad Drawings: Illuminating the Ideas That Shape Our Reality by Ben Orlin\nThe Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics by Tim Harford\nFactfulness: Ten Reasons We\u0026rsquo;re Wrong About the World\u0026ndash;and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling , Anna Rosling Rönnlund\nThinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman\nMOOCs When it comes to MOOCs, there are plenty about specific subjects: bitcoin, graphic design and data science. There are popular courses in learning a language and beginning computer programming. Here are a few my children have taken and enjoyed:\nMiracles of Human Language Microeconomics Roman Architecture We also use our summer time to prepare for the next year\u0026rsquo;s AP classes.\nHow about you? What are the books you are reading to keep your learning strong?\nHow do you structure your daily efforts to devote time to learning?\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/summer-learning/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Summer Learning"},{"categories":null,"content":"There are many things I love about homeschooling conferences: meeting new people, the energy of a live audience, and the feeling of belonging. Being together as a large group of homeschoolers is balm for the loneliness we sometimes feel in this solitary endeavor. I enjoy hearing passionate speakers introduce new topics. Despite these perks, though, there are some disadvantages to these conferences. Only a few people are heard. (We don\u0026rsquo;t often hear from those that are just beginning their homeschool, or those that lack confidence and are teetering on the edge of their commitment.) The topics of the conference are largely determined by the Board of Directors and volunteers. There isn\u0026rsquo;t the ability to fluidly change the topics in response to the audience\u0026rsquo;s changing interests.\nPerhaps the biggest disadvantage to the homeschooling conference is the vendor hall. \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t ever take money to the conference!\u0026rdquo; was the sage advice given me by an experienced homeschooler. I reflect on her wisdom each time I see the booths of supplies. Our weaknesses and fears are revealed by our purchases. \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m not doing enough\u0026hellip;therefore I will spend money on buying this solution\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; We aren\u0026rsquo;t taught to rely on our own ingenuity, or encouraged to be creative and DIY our own solution. We accept the spoon-feeding, the scaffolding, the crutch.\nRather than a big discount on a prepackaged collection, I prefer to walk away from the homeschooling conference with a boat load of ideas specific to my children and my situation.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/perks-and-drawbacks-of-a-homeschooling-conference/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Perks and Drawbacks of a Homeschooling Conference"},{"categories":null,"content":"Baselang is an outstanding way to learn Spanish from live language tutors. I highly recommend their program. The program is unlike any other. For one flat monthly rate ($150 at the time of this writing) you receive one month of unlimited Spanish lessons. Actually, they give you the first week for only $1 so you actually get five weeks of lessons for only $151.\nPrevious to using Baselang, I had used italki, another language tutor program. I was paying $15 per lesson. I figured if I could make time for 10 lessons in one month, I would match the cost of italki and trying Baselang would be worth it.\nRemarkably, in the first five weeks of using Baselang, I took 131 lessons. I tried to do at least two to three hours of lessons each day. The price per lesson works out to be a mere $1.15\u0026ndash;what a bargain!\nWhy Baselang is Different If you are looking for a live language tutor, Baselang\u0026rsquo;s program is far superior.\nSimpler mechanics Signing up for a lesson is easy\u0026ndash;sort by time or teacher. Point, click, confirm, done. Only one language is taught on the site, so it\u0026rsquo;s much easier to do what you need to do.\nNo cancellation fees The teachers are paid a salary, regardless of how many lessons they teach. Teachers were available from 5 am - 12 midnight. I could schedule 1 minute before the lesson or cancel 1 minute before, if I needed to. I could plan several days ahead, or I could wait and see how my day would be.\nAbility to choose many teachers More than 500 teachers worked for Baselang while I studied with them. Even if I was scheduling at the last minute, there were many to choose from. The teachers have a wide variety of backgrounds and experience levels. I liked the ability to mark my favorites and create private ratings.\nAt first, I worried that it would be too hard to get to know so many teachers. But, in the end, I loved it! The teachers have such good energy. They were each interested in my life as a person and my motivation for learning Spanish. I appreciated getting to know so many people. I found that hearing an explanation a second time from a different teacher would really help cement my learning.\nCoordination through Baselang\u0026rsquo;s Own Curriculum In order to keep track of each student\u0026rsquo;s progress, Baselang has designed their own curriculum. That way, each tutor can point to specific lessons and offer follow up. This curriculum is optional but provides a solid base for learning the details. Also, as a student, it allowed me to go back and review.\nAdvantages to Using Live Language Tutors After almost 18 months of studying independently, I began using virtual meetings with native Spanish speakers. I found my learning really improved. I had the chance to speak rapidly and receive feedback. I could also ask all my questions. I like using a language tutor since they provide accountability and support.\nItalki Pros and Cons The first language tutor I tried was through italki. With italki, you begin with an inexpensive introductory lesson. Then, once you\u0026rsquo;ve selected your teacher, you purchase a \u0026ldquo;packet\u0026rdquo; of lessons for that specific teacher. You can schedule a month in advance, and book the same teacher at the same time. I liked their program, but sometimes the teachers would be busy and not have times that I could easily attend. Also, moving from one teacher to another was difficult. But, the pricing is reasonable. There are so many options on italki, it\u0026rsquo;s a little time consuming to sort through and find a good fit for you.\nMy Recommendation Overall, I recommend using a language tutor in your language learning process. And, if you\u0026rsquo;re studying spanish, give Baselang a try!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/baselang/","tags":["Spanish Language Learning"],"title":"Baselang"},{"categories":null,"content":" There are many dimensions to success, but these ideas are the ones I often consider.\nIn my experience, success is a brief moment; there is no fermata.\nSuccess is a glimpse.\nHomeschooling in the present tense gives me consistent glimpses of success, fleeting though they are.\nSuccess is easily identifiable progress.\nSuccess is the ability to concentrate on a single task.\nSuccess is completion of difficult academic coursework.\nSuccess is a broad education including many areas of study.\nSuccess is cooperation and collaboration.\nSuccess is laughing together.\nSuccess is being bolstered by friendship.\nSuccess is remembering and applying learning.\nSuccess is having the organization to find what we need when we need it.\nSuccess is the schedule feeling just right.\nSuccess is meeting priorities and having enough time to tend to each responsibility.\nSuccess is taking time to care for ourselves.\nSuccess is emotional resilience and self-regulation.\nSuccess is keeping records that increase our gratitude and satisfaction.\nSuccess is independent learning.\nSuccess is having a clear view of the future with many options.\nSuccess is tapping into the resources that simplify your life.\nSuccess is the child’s ability surpassing the adult’s ability.\nSuccess is pressing forward and continuing to homeschool.\nMay you glimpse these and other successes in your own homeschool efforts!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/defining-success/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Defining Success"},{"categories":null,"content":"As we\u0026rsquo;ve continued learning Spanish, we are finding more resources that support our learning. Here are a few of our favorites.\nIf you are a beginner, start here .\nIf you\u0026rsquo;d like information about language tutor programs, start here .\nExample Sentences One important activity for intermediate learners is understanding how to write well. This site has great examples of how to use the words.\nReading As we become more proficient in Spanish, we are ready for books. I love this child\u0026rsquo;s Reader from Venezuela, introduced to me by one of my tutors.\nVerb Conjugation Practice Ella verbs is a highly efficient program, giving both lessons and drill. Highly recommend.\nWorkbook Style Exercises Do you wonder if you are doing it right? Quiz yourself with these activities.\nThe Definitive Dictionary If you really want to understand the \u0026ldquo;true\u0026rdquo; way to say it, this is your resource.\nAcademic Lessons Many websites offer classroom-style lessons about specific language topics. One I like is Spanish Learning Lab.\nHope these help as you continue to study Spanish!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/intermediate-spanish-language-learning/","tags":["Spanish Language Learning"],"title":"Intermediate Spanish Language Learning"},{"categories":null,"content":"“I know zero Spanish.” Where can I begin?\nThis was me just a few years ago. I had no skills, no familiarity, no ability.\nI\u0026rsquo;d like to share these resources with you, since some of what worked for me might also work for you!\nPimsleur These language lessons are the perfect place to start as a beginner. From the first day, you begin speaking the new language. The activities are highly interactive and use spaced memorization to help review the concepts.\nPros: Daily lessons lasting exactly 30 minutes. You can hand these to a child as young as 6 years old (in my experience) and have them succeed. The parent doesn\u0026rsquo;t need to be involved in structuring or planning the lesson. The lessons give exposure to the rhythm and sounds of the language.\nCons: Cost can be an issue. The monthly subscription is $15, and it will take several months to complete the lessons. We chose to get the CDs from the library, download them to our computer and then put them on listening devices for our children. Those extra steps are tedious, but a good way to save money.\nAnother con is that these lessons rely on auditory memory. If you need to see things written down, it might still be hard for you to remember. It\u0026rsquo;s nice to combine these lessons with other resources.\nTestimonial: When my family visited Spain, I used a sentence straight from a Pimsleur lesson: \u0026ldquo;esta es la cola?\u0026rdquo; We were standing outside a museum and I couldn\u0026rsquo;t tell if this man was in line or not. He gruffly replied in English, \u0026ldquo;I speak no spanish.\u0026rdquo; I felt so proud of myself for getting to use the lesson material. My six-year-old daughter was proud of me, too. She said, \u0026ldquo;He only speaks one language, but we speak two!\u0026rdquo;\nYoutube There are hundreds of thousands of free videos for learning Spanish. I think the best ones are the ones that use music and songs to help familiarize concepts. A few of our favorites:\nRonda De Las Vocales Rockalingua: Colores y números Learn Spanish Through Music: The ESTAR song Learn Spanish Through Music:Los Días de la Semana Mindy Marissa: Meses del Año You\u0026rsquo;ll find other songs and videos that you enjoy, I\u0026rsquo;m sure.\nOne special shout out for instructions in Spanish:\nDreaming Spanish : videos with zero English, but lots of images and actions that help you understand and build vocabulary.\nPros: Many people have created amazing videos that are engaging and fun.\nCons: Heavy parental involvement. The videos are short, and after the video you need to make decisions\u0026ndash;do we listen again, do we try something new, do we shift gears altogether.\nTestimonial: If you could hear our house, you\u0026rsquo;d know these songs get stuck in our heads! We love to sing and sing and sing on repeat.\nStart with these two resources and let me know how it goes! When you are ready, hop over to my Intermediate Spanish resource list .\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/absolute-beginner-spanish/","tags":["Spanish Language Learning"],"title":"Absolute Beginner Spanish"},{"categories":null,"content":" Are My Kids on Track? The 12 Emotional, Social, and Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach by Sissy Goff, Melissa Trevathan, and David Thomas Here are my thoughts about this parenting book.\nStrong Emotional Vocabulary In the book, the authors recommend, “people of all ages develop an emotional vocabulary and learn to navigate emotions.” Being able to talk about what we are feeling with precision makes a big difference for me. The authors describe the pattern they’ve observed through their many hours of therapy:\n“It’s much easier to be angry than it is to be hurt. Or disappointed. Or even fearful. What girls have said to me over and over throughout the years is that anger feels more like they’re in control, while all of those other emotions just feel vulnerable and open-ended.”\nI appreciate this wording here. There is a lot of complexity in emotions, and it can be hard to know how to respond to something other than anger. My take away: Encourage my children to name the feelings that are underneath their anger.\nMaking Apologies One of the phrases for apologizing to our children jumped out at me.\n“Will you forgive me for asking more of you than you are capable of right now? What would it look like for me to slow things down and better respect where you are?”\nJust hearing this question reminded me of my lack of respect for one of my children that hates to be hurried. I like the way this question helps me see how I can turn to the child to receive their suggestions about how I can change.\nMy take away: ask for my child’s feedback.\nCareful Consequences This was, to me, the most valuable part of the book. There were three concepts that helped me:\nDon’t offer correction when the child is caught up in an intense feeling. “It makes no sense to engage kids with discipline or correction when they are experiencing elevated emotions. The brain is flooded. No person (child or adult) is capable of having perspective in those moments. We can’t think rationally. We’re incapable of being our best self.”\nThis is one of the reasons why I like to offer a break before finalizing the discussion.\nThe consequence needs to be paired appropriately to the action. When we yell or give identical consequences for every offense (big and small), it becomes even more difficult for kids to develop perspective.\nI admit I have reacted poorly many times, and in my anger, I’ve threatened kids with big punishments. This comment by the authors helped me see I need to keep things in perspective.\nSelf-regulation needs to be the natural result of our teaching. \u0026ldquo;Children cannot learn to self-regulate if they never have time to do so. \u0026hellip;A consequence means that you have regulated your child’s behavior. But the goal is self-regulation.\u0026rdquo;\nI like the idea of giving children many low-risk chances to develop their ability to calm themselves. My hope is that my example of self-regulation is valuable for my children. It is a skill that takes a lot of time.\nMy take away: take a break before offering consequences.\nThere were other beautiful nuggets in the book, too.\n“Value your child’s character over her happiness.”\n“Awareness is where empathy starts and humility is where it swells into fruition.”\nBut, overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book. The tone of the book is rather judgmental. The authors are coming at the topic from their work as counselors, not as parents. Perhaps the most telling comment was this:\n“Maybe you could go to Relationship Violation School, like traffic school, when you commit an offense like the dad I just mentioned.”\nOk, whoa. I’ve made lots of mistakes, for sure. I certainly have earned my pass to Relationship Violation School, but I can’t imagine any parent will respond well to that kind of feedback. That doesn’t feel like a good way of encouraging change.\nSelf-assessment is vital for parents. We all need to evaluate ourselves and determine if our actions are in-line with our priorities. We have a lot of freedom in how we manage our families. Based on the title, I hoped this parenting book would be about appropriate ways to self-assess.\nI was disappointed, though. The book is not about self-assessment. The author has already decided on the frame of reference. The book is actually simply advice about how parents can improve. The authors are counselors together at Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee. I think this book might leave parents feeling discouraged because of its tone.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/are-my-kids-on-track/","tags":["Parenting Books"],"title":"Are My Kids on Track"},{"categories":null,"content":"Learning to write well formed letters is one of my homeschool priorities.\nThere are four techniques that make a difference in encouraging my children to feel greater intrinsic motivation to write carefully.\nGive Ample Time to Practice Writing Don\u0026rsquo;t rush it. Allow more than enough time to practice writing. Decrease the distractions in the room. Simplify the words to be written. We find that it works best to copy type written material rather than producing new sentences, because then there isn\u0026rsquo;t any worry about spelling or word order.\nWrite With A Beautiful Tool The actual writing implement will have a big impact on how the child feels about their writing. Invite your child to sample from many pens, perhaps even writing the same sentence three or four times each with a different tool. Personally, I love the way it feels to write with markers. We\u0026rsquo;ve even done our writing with glow-in-the-dark pens!\nVary the Type of Writing Write with one word on each line. Write diagonal on the page. Write with overlapping lines in multiple colors. Write very big and then write very small. Write on different types of papers. The variety will lend interest to the results.\nPublish the Writing Find a way to celebrate your child\u0026rsquo;s writing. Publishing doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to be fancy. You can simply hang it on the fridge, or put it in a frame. You can send it to a penpal. Demonstrate you value the writing your child produces by treating it as a treasured item. By following these four tips, I hope you also find success in encouraging your children to write well!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/how-to-encourage-careful-handwriting/","tags":["Nuts and Bolts"],"title":"How to Encourage Careful Handwriting"},{"categories":null,"content":"I know nothing about de-worming, but I sure like this image. I clipped it from a magazine years ago, and it makes me laugh every time I look at it. Perhaps those who aren\u0026rsquo;t currently homeschooling, but are considering homeschooling feel confused about the complexity of the task. De-worming doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem any simpler when I see a horse without legs. But, let\u0026rsquo;s have a closer look at the text below and see if we can apply it to homeschooling:\nStrategic de-worming[education] means using the right de-wormer[attitude] at the right time. The most important time to de-worm[teach] is when pastures are green and horses are picking up parasite infections.[children have questions and interest in learning] Rotating de-wormers [learning] from different chemical groups [subject material] minimizes their weaknesses while building on the strengths of each product. The only time to de-bot [over-haul your system] is in mid-summer and after the first killing frost, rather than year round. Now you have the whole picture.\nFlavored for horse appeal. [homeschooling.]\nThe text and image are copyright 1993 HRAVC ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/if-you-think-homeschooling-has-to-be-confusing/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"If You Think Homeschooling Has to Be Confusing"},{"categories":null,"content":"Is this how the professionals do it?\nWhile stumbling through a complex Calculus concept involving parametric equations, I wondered if there was a better way to help my student understand. What tips and tricks do Calculus teachers know that might help me here? Fortunately, searching for something this specific is feasible, and I can quickly learn what to do.\nBut, there are other areas of homeschooling, as in any new endeavor, where we may wonder if we’re doing it the way the experts do it. We may not always be able to search directly for the tips we need to improve. We may wonder how to be more efficient, or more loving, or more inviting. Marking our ability against the polished pillar of expertise is apt to leave us discouraged. “I don’t measure up,” will be the inevitable conclusion. We can look up and see how much more knowledge is available, how inadequate our skills are, and how far we still need to go. I’ve come to realize that this isn’t helpful for my homeschooling.\nOne thing I try to do is remind myself of the benefits of being an amateur. Where the expert relies on experience, the amateur relies on enthusiasm. Motivated by a keen interest, an amateur wants to learn more. Amateurs are outside of the typical situation and have a unique perspective. An amateur acknowledges how much they have to learn. Similarly, being called an amateur wasn’t originally intended to be an insult. Wanting to remind us of this paradox, Sarah Lewis in her book “the Rise” coined the phrase “deliberate amateur” to describe the willingness to innovate even within the mastery you possess. A deliberate amateur has a mindset that is fresh. There are no barnacles on the hull, no residue of formalities and red tape. Being an amateur has benefits. The newness creates wonder. Because they have little to lose, amateurs are willing to try and also willing to share. They take chances, experiment, and follow their whims. Sometimes, in the process of doing things in an unprofessional way, they make new discoveries.\nOur homeschooling expertise comes from our knowledge of our own child and our personal commitment to see them succeed. Our expertise can increase when we are willing to admit what we don’t know and we work to gain the knowledge. Our expertise comes from being willing to try again and again. We may not do it the way a professional does, but, as a home educator, we develop our own kind of expertise.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/polished-pillar-of-expertise/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Polished Pillar of Expertise"},{"categories":null,"content":"\u0026ldquo;You don\u0026rsquo;t own a laminator?!?\u0026rdquo; my friend responded with shock and surprise. \u0026ldquo;You\u0026rsquo;re a homeschooler, and I thought all homeschoolers would own one!\u0026rdquo; Nope. Not this homeschooler, and that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean I\u0026rsquo;m not a \u0026ldquo;real\u0026rdquo; homeschooler.\nAt what point can you decide you are authentically available for the label of \u0026ldquo;homeschooler\u0026rdquo;? Do you wait until you\u0026rsquo;ve officially offered notice to your local school board? Do you wait until you\u0026rsquo;ve taught your first lesson? Can you be a homeschooler simply through your attitude toward learning in the summer?\nEspecially with the rise of hybrid learning, the definition of homeschooler is variable. For me, I define homeschooling as education without oversight, and as having the freedom to choose what to learn and when to do it.\nYou can still be a \u0026ldquo;real\u0026rdquo; homeschooler even if you don\u0026rsquo;t know a second language or advanced math.\nYou can still be a \u0026ldquo;real\u0026rdquo; homeschooler even if you can\u0026rsquo;t name the capitals of all 50 states.\nAnd, by the way, even though it doesn\u0026rsquo;t change my status, I did buy myself a laminator. One of my first pages to laminate was a blank unit circle to allow my high school students to practice. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/you-arent-a-real-homeschooler/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"You Aren't a Real Homeschooler"},{"categories":null,"content":"Here\u0026rsquo;s a game we\u0026rsquo;ve been enjoying lately: Century: Spice Road\nThe game is easy to teach. The mechanics are simple: each turn there are only four possible actions.\nThis is a family-friendly game. No reading is required, the skill level is appropriate for children as young as eight. The game is different every time. There is enough randomness to the cards that the same person doesn’t win each round. The game is only 30 minutes, so it doesn’t require a long attention span.\nThis game is similar to Splendor in some of its mechanics, and Jaipur in terms of its theme. We like it! ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/century-spice-road/","tags":["Game Schooling"],"title":"Century Spice Road"},{"categories":null,"content":"We may think our envy is innocent, but it has enormous impact.\nWe begin by thinking, \u0026ldquo;I don\u0026rsquo;t have what I want.\u0026rdquo; We look around and notice someone who does have the thing we are lacking. Perhaps the thing we want is obedient children, or academic success, or financial security. We start to think about why they don\u0026rsquo;t deserve what they have. We pass judgment on them and their worthiness. If we can\u0026rsquo;t have it, we don\u0026rsquo;t want them to have it either.\nFor example: My child doesn\u0026rsquo;t understand Algebra. Their child is a whiz at Algebra. They didn\u0026rsquo;t even help their child study, and yet she understands. With how hard I\u0026rsquo;ve worked, I really deserve more. I wish I had an easier child like they have. This is undeservedly difficult.\nChanging our thinking patterns will require a fresh start. Here\u0026rsquo;s one thing I\u0026rsquo;ve been trying lately, as suggested by Fred Luskin in his book Forgive for Good.\nH: Hoped-for outcome\nE: Educate ourselves on the situation\nA: Affirm our core beliefs\nL: Long-term goal reminder\nIn practice, this might look like:\nH: I hoped my child would learn to read quickly.\nE: Many children struggle with learning to read.\nA: Teaching my child to read is important to me.\nL: I will keep working with her until she can read fluently.\nOr:\nH: I hoped my child would want to do this handwriting activity.\nE: Many children don\u0026rsquo;t like to be told exactly what to do and how to do it.\nA: I want my child to enjoy learning.\nL: I will look for ways to give my child freedom in our handwriting activities.\nWhen I notice my grudges developing and my grumpiness increasing, I try to pause and help myself remember how to HEAL. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/jealousy-perniciously-punishes/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Jealousy Perniciously Punishes"},{"categories":null,"content":"Developing mastery in math may feel like the wobbly balance of standing on one leg. Frequently, while approaching more advanced math, the student may tip and topple, but this teetering is actually necessary. It allows the shortcomings to be reveled and so they may become strengthened.\nThe most beautiful thing (and the most challenging thing!) about learning math is that all previous math that has been learned is reviewed.\nAs your student advances to more challenging topics, they may think, “oh, no! I am not ready for this! I don’t know this material well enough! I’ve forgotten everything!!” (I just heard these comments from my Algebra student this morning.)\nMany intelligent people struggle to keep all the details in mind of trigonometric functions, polynomial exponents and absolute values. One Calculus student I tutored sheepishly admitted she didn’t know how to divide a fraction by a fraction. When I personally was in a college math class, I realized that I didn’t have “5+8” correctly memorized. No shame in not remembering these kind of details! Math simply doesn’t permit gaps in the learning. All the learning of the early years is integrated into one, making review nearly automatic.\nRather than giving up when they find themselves shaky about a particular math topic, teach your student to say something like this:\nIdentifying my errors is a gift that helps me learn.\nFeeling unsteady isn’t the same as being weak. Feeling unsteady demonstrates I am challenging myself on my way to greater proficiency.\nDon’t hide the deficiencies. The more I admit them, the more I am able to improve them.\nMath can be paced at my own speed. I have enough time to learn deeply and carefully. There is no time limit to learning math.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-weebles-and-wobbles-of-learning-math/","tags":["STEM"],"title":"The Weebles and Wobbles of Learning Math"},{"categories":null,"content":"Homeschooling allows us to honor choice rather than pressuring a child to conform.\nThese thoughtful questions from Marshall Rosenberg cause us to step back and consider motivation:\nWhat would we like the child to do? What would we like the child’s reasons to be for doing it?\nThe older our child becomes, the longer the list of “things we would like the child to do.” We want our child to study, to clean, to participate willingly in family time, to have initiative about helping around the house, to demonstrate love.\nWe don’t want the child to do these things because we are requesting it, or because the child feels forced, or because they are afraid of being punished. We want the child to do these things because they see the good results of these actions. We want them to feel joy in what they are doing. We want the child to be able to see beyond the current moment and imagine how these actions will help them in their future.\nWhen we keep these ideas in mind, we remember that obedience isn’t our ultimate destination. We know that coercion won’t build character. Ultimately, as homeschoolers, we can remember, we aren\u0026rsquo;t only going for cooperation, we are wanting to build collaboration into our learning.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/recognizing-motivation-and-honoring-choice/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Recognizing Motivation and Honoring Choice"},{"categories":null,"content":" I recently finished reading Adventuring Together by fellow homeschooler Greta Eskridge. I felt so encouraged by her writing. Since I am focusing on being mindful in the present tense, I especially appreciated Greta’s comment:\n“One of my favorite things about going on an adventure with my kids is that we’re not walking through the day on autopilot.” I agree with her; being on an adventure helps me step out of the mundane and improves my awareness of myself and my children.\nAdventure Nurtures Relationships “Experiencing new things together creates an instant bond. There is no denying the power of shared experiences to build community and connection,” Greta reminds her readers. When we are together, trying something out of the ordinary, we can feel closer to our children. We are witnesses to each other’s experiences. What about when we hit a particularly troublesome time in a relationship with a child, can adventure overcome that kind of problem? Greta warns, don’t freak out. “Don’t backpedal and implement mandatory time together,” she advises. Instead, keep at it, but remember it takes time to build relationships. She encourages us all to persist in lovingly inviting our children to adventures.\nAdventures Overcome Monotony Adventures are gifts, Greta teaches. “Adventures change us. They take us out of our routines, our homes, our neighborhoods, our people—and make us grow.” The change that comes from adventures is far-reaching. “Change engages all of our senses: we see new things, smell new aromas, taste new foods, hear new sounds, and feel new things physically and emotionally,” encourages Greta.\nKeep Adventure Attainable No one benefits from the adventure being too grand to be feasible. We don’t need adventure to wear us out. Greta counsels us,\n“make it manageable, make it meaningful, and make it fun.”\nOverall, I felt the best thing about reading this book was that it reminded me of the tremendous benefit to homeschooling\u0026ndash;the chance I have to incorporate adventure on a daily basis. I appreciated the anecdotes of Greta’s adventures, and think you’ll enjoy the book, too! ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/adventuring-together/","tags":["Reading"],"title":"Adventuring Together"},{"categories":null,"content":"The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century by David Salsburg While Algebra and Calculus can leave students frustrated, Statistics is a different type of mathematics, and can be a refreshing change, especially when it is presented in a creative and compelling format.\nThis book by medical statistician David Salsburg, does just that. The book takes its title from the story of a summer tea party in Cambridge, England, where a woman stated she could tell the difference between tea poured into milk and milk poured into tea. Ronald Fisher, in attendance, proposes to scientifically test her claim.\nThis is a history book more than a math book. There isn’t a single formula, and the concepts are accessible to the nonmathematician. The statistical discussions are couched in biographies that describe the beginnings of the statistical revolution. Salsburg describes the personalities behind the numbers. He portrays the thrill of discovery as the questions in the field of statistics have been solved. He demonstrates the delight of collaboration across countries and continents through the interactions between the men and women and their original research as well as their ability to synthesize information.\nAbove all, Salsburg provides context for the discoveries. One mathematician, working in Communist Russia, found he couldn’t make progress with incorporating random variables into the experiments. “The Russian word for random variable translates as ‘accidental magnitude.’ To the central planners and theoreticians, this was an insult. All industrial and social activity in the Soviet Union was planned according to the theories of Marx and Lenin. Nothing could occur by accident. Accidental magnitudes might describe things observed in capitalist economies—not in Russia.”\nOne quote is particularly comforting:\n“The most important theorems are often rediscovered, again and again.” This reminds me to keep trying, and to press forward through all the necessary repetition to understand a concept. Reading this book kindles in me a greater desire to understand math and statistics. It makes me want to contribute to and understand more. After reading this book, I had a thirst for more information on the people and topics. For example:\nFlorence Nightingale wasn’t just a self-sacrificing nurse. She was also a self-educated statistician who invented the pie chart. Read more about her here Salsburg quotes John Tukey,\n“It is better to have an approximate answer to the right question than an exact answer to the wrong one.”\nIt was Tukey who coined the words bit (for “binary digit”) and software (computer programs, as opposed to “hardware”—the computer).\nYou might feel inspired to change the way you keep your tally marks . Tukey proposed a ten-mark tally. You first mark four dots to make the corners of a box. You then connect the dots with four lines, completing the box. Finally, you make two diagonal marks forming a cross within the box.\n“Mathematical Recreations” column by Martin Gardner in Scientific American H. E. Dudeney, whose mathematical puzzles entertained Victorian England We read this book as part of our supplement to AP Statistics this year. You can find my tutorial for teaching AP Statistics here This book is best for high school age and is a great introduction to the possibilities of the field of Statistics.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/lady-tasting-tea/","tags":["STEM"],"title":"Lady Tasting Tea"},{"categories":null,"content":"After she successfully intercepted a pass, my daughter’s opponent moaned, “It’s only because you’re so tall!” Certainly, there are times when height is a great advantage. My children and I are all remarkably tall. We can reach high shelves; we have long strides when we walk and run; we buy pants with 34” inseams.\nBut, there are times when height matters not at all. When a peer jealousy whined, “you can only juggle that well because you’re tall!” my daughter was understandably frustrated. She had worked long hours to learn to juggle, and it has nothing to do with her height. She felt her effort was diminished when this peer dismissed her skill and explained it as an innate connection to her stature instead.\nIn her book, Swim Speed Secrets, Olympian Sheila Taormina emphasizes why her shorter stature didn’t prevent her success in swimming. “I am a fraction of an inch over 5 foot 2 inches in height, so my wingspan was not what put me on the Olympic team—it was the understanding of how to take information and make it work.” There are some things that aren’t really about height at all.\nHeight can be an excuse. We might tell ourselves we are “too short” or “too tall” to participate in certain types of activities. Really what we are saying is, “I would achieve what you manage to do if only some fundamental part of me was different.”\nI have found people make these excuses about homeschooling. They imagine they lack the necessary characteristics to succeed.\n“I would homeschool if…I had a background in mathematics.”\n“I would homeschool if…I had been trained in education.”\n“I would homeschool if…I had a spouse that was supportive.”\n“I would homeschool if…I had children that would cooperate.”\nThe truth is, homeschooling isn’t just for certain people. These excuses aren’t valid. You can homeschool regardless of your background, training or previous life experiences. Homeschooling isn’t just for tall people! ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/its-only-because-you-are-so-tall/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"It's Only Because You Are So Tall"},{"categories":null,"content":" Curation is the process of synthesizing content, and often includes displaying it in an appealing way.\nA curator mixes by making unexpected connections.\nA curator leads by predicting curiosity.\nA curator filters by honing down the quantity, finding the signal within the noise Curators are creators.\nHomeschoolers are creators.\nWe can nurture environments that allow our children to meaningfully link related information.\nWe can make space for ideas and thoughts that synthesize learning.\n“It has always seemed strange to me that in our endless discussions about education,” mused Edith Hamilton, “so little stress is laid on the pleasure of becoming an educated person, the enormous interest it adds to life. To be able to be caught up into the world of thought-that is to be educated.” We have access to bigger ideas and new conversations when we are educated. This is because the more educated we become, the more learning we are able to support. These intertwined vines remind me of the strength that comes from learning in many areas.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/a-homeschooler-is-a-curator/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"A Homeschooler Is a Curator"},{"categories":null,"content":" The bonsai tree collection at the National Arboretum is one of our favorite places to visit. I love the peaceful simplicity of these trees.\nBonsai trees aren’t ostentatious. They demonstrate the effect of intentional care and attention rather than frills and excess. Seeing them reminds me to slow down and cultivate my most important priorities.\nGrowing bonsai trees takes patience. Homeschooling takes patience. Results are often slow in coming. Time has a dominant role in both. We are providing loving care today for growth tomorrow. Ancient things humble me. The label reads “In training since 1625” and I realize this tree is nearly 400 years old. In addition to being old, this tree survived Hiroshima, even though the bombing occurred less than two miles from its location. A Japanese family cared for this tree through five generations before giving it as a gift to our country in 1976. This tree symbolizes triumph and survival. This tree is a tribute to the tireless caregivers that have nurtured it. This tree inspires me to keep going in my homeschooling.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/bonsai-schooling/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Bonsai Schooling"},{"categories":null,"content":" Testing is a type of lens, and may be useful in some contexts. Consider, as an analogy, this description of the attributes of one type of lens: binoculars. “Binocular vision is a peculiarly exclusive form of looking,” explains Robert Macfarlane.\n“It draws a circle around the focused-on object and shuts out the world’s generous remainder. What binoculars grant you in focus and reach, they deny you in periphery. To view an object through them is to see it in crisp isolation, encircled by blackness – as though at the end of a tunnel. They permit a lucidity of view but enforce a denial of context.” All lenses have a type of distortion. The lens we are using will alter and shape the resulting image. Any measurement depends on the tool’s accuracy and the tool’s fitness for the job. Testing denies context to the whole picture of the child and the timeline of their learning.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/binocular-vision/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Binocular Vision"},{"categories":null,"content":" After a challenging afternoon, I was worried our dinnertime would continue the same arguments and frustrations. Unexpectedly, we began reminiscing about our trip to the City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri four years ago. We talked and laughed, recalling all the unexpected aspects of that wonky building! (Like the school bus hanging off the edge of the top floor!) I was grateful for the way reminiscing turned round our mood.\nReminiscing keeps me anchored in the present tense.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-importance-of-reminiscing/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"The Importance of Reminiscing"},{"categories":null,"content":" This sign is on the busy bike path near my home, and the cat is literally sitting right underneath it. Though I have mixed feelings about animals wandering the neighborhood, I do think the message \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m not lost\u0026rdquo; can apply to our homeschooling. We might as well wear t-shirts that say, \u0026ldquo;I promise I\u0026rsquo;m happy, healthy and very loved with a safe and warm home!\u0026rdquo; Maybe another line, \u0026ldquo;And even though I\u0026rsquo;m homeschooled, you don\u0026rsquo;t need to quiz me on my spelling or state capitals!\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/im-not-lost/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"I'm Not Lost"},{"categories":null,"content":" \u0026ldquo;Never sleep in your contacts!\u0026rdquo; was the wise advice I received from my eye doctor. \u0026ldquo;But, WHEN you do, make sure you wait to take them out until you\u0026rsquo;ve been awake for about 30 minutes.\u0026rdquo; I loved that he gave me the information about what I should do in response to the mistake.\nMy son just began wearing contacts, and I taught him this principle.\nIn homeschooling, as in contact wearing, we need to know how to respond to our mistakes so that they are not defeating.\nA homeschooling parent can respond uniquely to failure.\n“Homeschool parents have much more freedom and control,” explains Lori Pickert in her book Project-based Homeschooling.\n“They can maintain the same goals and focus on the same values year after year. They can learn from their mistakes and try again right away. They can capitalize on their successes immediately. They can discard what doesn’t work and try something else, without needing permission from a committee or a boss, without waiting until next semester or next year. They can accumulate their wisdom—and use it without delay.”\nThis is what I love about homeschooling, the ability to use the information right away!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/never-sleep-in-your-contacts/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Never Sleep in Your Contacts"},{"categories":null,"content":" Applesauce making is a favorite family tradition. Using a Victorio food strainer makes the job simpler. Instead of having to peel and core each apple, we simply quarter the apples and boil them with a small amount of water until they are soft. We scoop the mushy mixture into the hopper. Applesauce comes out one way and the peels, pulp and seeds come out the other way.\nThis machine reminds me of the set of questions asked by Greg McKeown in his book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. He suggests we ask\n“what do I want to go big on?” instead of “what do I have to give up?” Looking at it from the perspective of longing rather than loss is impactful.\nFor my family right now, one of the things we are \u0026ldquo;going big on\u0026rdquo; is our Saturday morning computer programming. We are reserving that time to make sure the older children get unhurried time to learn coding skills with Dad. There are many good things we turn down each Saturday to keep this time free, but it\u0026rsquo;s exciting to see the momentum that comes from working consistently.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/applesauce/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Applesauce"},{"categories":null,"content":" Pumpkin ice cream! My younger kids helped me prepare the custard, and we ran the machine then dished it out and enjoyed it together. In my mind, I thought I had repeated over and over, \u0026ldquo;PUMPKIN ice cream!\u0026rdquo; Plus, I thought the orange color and fragrant spices made it rather evident. But, multiple family members took their first spoonful and uttered a surprised, \u0026ldquo;pumpkin!?!\u0026rdquo;\nThis reminds me of my homeschooling, because I find I am often repeating things. I\u0026rsquo;ve spoken, and I think I\u0026rsquo;ve been heard, but they actually need to hear the information one more time.\nMy homeschool is math-heavy, and I see this especially in math. I try to remind myself, and my child, \u0026ldquo;it\u0026rsquo;s ok to need repetition. Repetition builds learning.\u0026rdquo;\nPerhaps all parents feel like they repeat a lot, but I think homeschoolers might feel this way especially, because we are the ones doing the teaching and the repeating all day long.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/repetition-pumpkin-ice-cream-style/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Repetition Pumpkin Ice Cream Style"},{"categories":null,"content":" My older children frequently work on their own to complete their math assignments. Recently, I began asking them to write two or three sentences at the end of their independent study session to describe what they accomplished today and what they need to do next. This helps me identify their challenges, but, more importantly, it helps them to visualize their own progress. This helps them hold themselves accountable for their own study time. By being accountable, they are prepared to be more autonomous.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/accountability-builds-autonomy/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Accountability Builds Autonomy"},{"categories":null,"content":"Remarking on the “pressure to deliver exceptional days,” Kim John Payne laments the loss of ordinary days. Why does it have to be a great day? “If we hold on to the exceptional—if our children adopt that as their measure of success—most will fail, and almost all of them will feel like failures,” he explains. We can’t have “uncommonly good” be our daily ideal.\n“There’s freedom,” Payne continues, “in embracing the ordinary: freedom, and possibilities.”\nChildren will benefit from stockpiling a whole slew of mundane, uninteresting, routine days. Most of all, though, we will all feel relief when we don’t hold ourselves to the expectation of exceptional days. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/an-ordinary-fall-day/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"An Ordinary Fall Day"},{"categories":null,"content":"Colleges vary widely in credit offered, so consider your specific college choice as you choose the exams you’ll take.\nThis article addresses credit offered at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo. Each year BYU publishes a chart indicating the current credit they will offer for each score of each AP test. Their chart sorts the information by test name, listing all 39 possible AP tests. When examining their chart, I find it challenging to extract the information and choose tests that will be most meaningful.\nMy modified chart, below, lists the same information but in a different way. Here, the tests are sorted by the BYU Core (also called General Education or GE) requirement they fulfill.\nBYU accepts all credit earned through any passing score on any AP exam. The credit will either count towards GE requirements, specific classes, or simply elective credit. Elective credit does not count toward major or GE requirements but does count toward the 120 hour graduation requirement.\nThe most advantageous situation is to have AP tests fulfill the BYU Core. Nine of the BYU Core Requirements can be fulfilled by taking AP tests. Each exam requires a passing score in order to receive credit, but frequently, a higher score will receive greater credit. For example, at BYU, a score of 3 on the Chemistry exam qualifies for 3 credit hours, a score of 4 on the same exam qualifies for 4 credit hours, while a score of 5 on the same exam qualifies for 7 credit hours.\nSome of the language exams satisfy up to four classes, and can earn as many as 12 elective credits with the highest score.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-byu/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Ap Byu"},{"categories":null,"content":"Study the relationships of the natural world, identify and analyze environmental problems, assess risk, understand potential solutions and prevent similar problems.\nPairs well with AP Statistics\nTextbook Wright, Richard and Dorothy Boorse. Environmental Science. Boston, MA: Benjamin Cummings.\nTextbook Possibilities Summarized Silent spring by Rachel Carson The sixth extinction : An unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert Elements of Ecology by Robert Leo Smith The world without us by Alan Weisman Bryson, Bill. A Walk in the Woods. Fisher, Ron. The Earth Pack. The National Geographic Society, 1995 Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2005\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-environmental-science/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"AP Environmental Science"},{"categories":null,"content":"Students study six countries in AP Comparative Government and Politics: China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom.\nTextbooks Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction McCormick, John, Hague, Rod, Harrop, Martin, Red Globe Press\nComparative Government and Politics: An Essential CoursebookEthel Wood\nAP Comparative Government and Politics: With 3 Practice Tests (Barron\u0026rsquo;s Test Prep) With 3 Practice Tests Barron\u0026rsquo;s Test PrepDavis M.Ed., Jeff, Barrons Educational Series\nThe Future of Freedom: Fareed Zakaria Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad\nAdditional Reading A Fine Mess by T. R. Reid\nThe Narrow Corridor by Daron Acemoglu\nThe Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate\nThe Road to Unfreedom by Timothy Snyder\nThe Myth of Chinese Capitalism by Dexter Roberts\nWebsites http://gapminder.org https://www.economist.com/ https://freedomhouse.org/ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ https://www.loc.gov/collections/country-studies/about-this-collection/ https://www.state.gov/ https://www.un.org/ Miss DeLong https://www.youtube.com/user/cgdelong/videos Choices program https://www.choices.edu/video-playlist/?unit=7778 https://www.youtube.com/c/GlobalChatwithMrTesch/videos https://school.fultonschools.org/hs/riverwood/Documents/Social%20Studies/AP%20COMPARATIVE%20GOVERNMENT%20SYLLABUS%20Semester.pdfhttp://www.mrtredinnick.com/ap-comparative-government.html https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/94279 Animated government\nMichael Brogley https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgOaEhy-m-VPljHHoZmk0kg/videos http://caroddoapclasses.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/iranbriefingpaper.pdf ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-comparative-government/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"AP Comparative Government"},{"categories":null,"content":"Allows students to test out of first-year calculus at the university level. Prerequisite: Pre-calculus.\nThe point of calculus is not about numbers, it’s about insight!\nTextbook Calculus: Early Transcendentals, 7th Edition Stewart, James (and solutions manual!)\nTwenty Key Ideas in Beginning Calculus (B \u0026amp; W)Umbarger, Dan, Morris, John, Diaz, Al, Brand: Math Logarithms Websites Humanity of Calculus Midnight Tutor Class Notes Collection of Videos and Notes Worksheets and Chapter Reviews MOOCs abound, here’s one from MIT ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-calculus/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Ap Calculus"},{"categories":null,"content":" \u0026ldquo;Please don\u0026rsquo;t make it into schoolwork!\u0026rdquo; is the plea from my child. She wrote a delightful essay for a contest. I was so happy she did it of her own initiative. I appreciated her reminder to \u0026ldquo;tread lightly.\u0026rdquo;\nShe is right. I am too often guilty of \u0026ldquo;making it into schoolwork\u0026rdquo; which too often means \u0026ldquo;making it drudgery.\u0026rdquo;\nI am glad I have this reminder! I want our learning to be enjoyable.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/not-schoolwork/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Not Schoolwork"},{"categories":null,"content":"Expecting only excellence denies the scope of authentic situations.\n“To demand perfection is to turn our backs on real life, the full range of human experience,” explains Kristin Neff.\nWe benefit from being conscious of the reality of our blemishes.\nI’ve noticed that I tend to use either/or language about my own attempts to homeschool. Either I am succeeding or I am failing in teaching my children. When I make a mistake (by being impatient, or distracted, or neglectful) I struggle to keep my flaws in context; I find myself overemphasizing them. I start to skew my beliefs about myself. I’ve come to believe that my first step towards change is my attitude about mistakes. Attempting a handstand builds strength, even if we can\u0026rsquo;t hold the pose for long.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/keep-flaws-in-context/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Keep Flaws in Context"},{"categories":null,"content":"Study the core scientific principles, theories, and processes that govern living organisms and biological systems.\nScore2013[4]2014[5]2015[6]2016[7]2017[8]2018[9]2019[10]2020[11]2021[12]55.5%6.6%6.4%6.6%6.4%7.1%7.2%9.5%7%421.6%22.4%22.1%21%21%21.5%22.2%22.7%20%336.2%35.2%35.9%33.6%36.7%32.9%35.3%36.9%34%229.3%27.1%27.5%28.8%27.5%28.5%26.6%24.1%30%17.4%8.7%8.2%10.1%8.4%10%8.8%6.9%10%% of scores 3 or higher63.3%64.2%64.4%61.3%64.1%61.5%64.7%69.1%61%Mean2.882.912.912.852.902.872.933.042.87Standard deviation1.011.051.041.071.031.081.061.061.07Number of students203,189213,294223,479238,080254,270259,663260,816233,444212,198https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AP_Biology\nTextbook\nCampbell Biology (we bought an older edition)\nAdditional Reading\nI am so grateful to the booklist created by a teacher on Amazon . We found many great reads from her suggestions. Some of our favorites:\nHeart: a History by Sandeep Jauhar\nNine Pints by Rose George\nDemon in the Freezer by Richard Preston\nComplications: A Surgeon’s Notes On An Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande\nDouble Helix by James Watson\nThe Secret Life of Germs by Philip M. Tierno\nMicrobe Hunters by Paul De Kruif\nRosalind Franklin and DNA by Anne Sayre\nAh-Choo by Jeniffer Ackerman\nStiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach\nGuns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond\nSpying on Whales by Nick Pyenson\nFavorite Websites\nhttps://docs.google.com/file/d/0BziVV71JxezUQVRQNzFZVkIwNEU/editpractice examhttps://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0508/5878/6976/files/AP_Bio_Cram_Chart_2021.pdf?v=1614033729cram charthttps://apbiopenguins.weebly.com/2020-2021-exam-review.htmlreview sitehttps://apbiopenguins.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/8/2/26820373/ap_biology_review_guide_2020-2021__apbiopenguins.pdfHUGE comprehensive reviewhttps://fiveable.me/ap-bioReviewhttps://openstax.org/books/biology-ap-courses/pages/23-2-stemsReview\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-biology/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Ap Biology"},{"categories":null,"content":"AP is an official, trademarked title and in order to advertise a class as \u0026ldquo;AP\u0026rdquo; you need to go through a course audit . However, anyone can prep for an AP test and taking an AP class is NOT required. The College Board wants as many students to take the AP tests as possible, and they make it easy to prep. This is something a homeschooler can do!\nAdvantages of AP Tests Demonstrates mastery\nBuild academic portfolio\nOffers a clear goal\nUniversally recognized accomplishment\nCost to credit ratio\nDisadvantages of AP Tests No flexibility on timing or material\nColleges vary widely in credit offered (rejected by some)\nGraded on a curve\nRequires coordination to schedule the test\nHow old does my child need to be to take AP tests? Any high school age student can take an AP test. In some cases, 8th grade students can also qualify to take a test. AP doesn\u0026rsquo;t set out formal requirements for the exam. However, test scores are only valid for four years . If the student is applying to a university and needs scores more than 4 years old, there is a fee of $25 per test score\nWhat can be done without spending any money? There are things you can learn immediately, without buying an expensive textbook or review book. Many AP teachers generously post materials for free. Libraries carry many review materials. There are many MOOCs available. There is no need for AP classes to be expensive.\nWhat are some of the common textbooks for this course? The College Board provides lists many examples of different possible textbooks and pacing for each exam. Just search \u0026ldquo;AP example syllabus\u0026rdquo; for your particular exam. Or, you can begin looking at what other high schools use by reviewing their online syllabus.\nHow do I know if my child is ready for AP tests? Some AP tests require prerequisites, but if you aren\u0026rsquo;t sure if your child is ready, try doing a MOOC first and see how that feels. We\u0026rsquo;ve chosen to do AP Chemistry and AP Biology as the first year study. We didn\u0026rsquo;t do any other \u0026ldquo;Chemistry 1\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;Biology 1.\u0026rdquo; We may have had to work a little harder, but it was OK.\nWhat do professionals in this field consider “pleasure reading” on the subject? Try searching for \u0026ldquo;summer reading\u0026rdquo; or look on Good Reads or Amazon for \u0026ldquo;fun reading on [subject.]\u0026rdquo;\nWho else do we know learning this material? You can find online communities through forums or instagram. Look for teachers posting videos. Ask in email groups for homeschoolers doing high school.\nHow do I register for the exam? In order to take an AP test, you need to sign up through your public school system. In our area, we are required to reach out to the high school we would be attending if we were in the public school system and then we are directed to the high school that will be hosting each exam. We have to pay the $95 exam fee directly to the host school. The deadline is usually mid-October.\nWhat if I don\u0026rsquo;t personally know the material for the course? Learn along with (or one step ahead of) the student\nHave the student learn independently\nArrange a professional to be a mentor\nEncourage them to self-study How can we begin? Start by outlining the course.\nMake sure to think about these questions:\nHow will you celebrate your success? What books will you read? What pace seems appropriate for your time frame? How will you provide accountability? ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/faq/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching AP At Home"},{"categories":null,"content":" Homeschooling cannot be shown step-by-step. There is no way to give precise instructions. To rephrase a message from Seth Godin in his book Linchpin about other creative endeavors, “The reason that [homeschooling] is valuable is precisely why I can’t tell you how to do it. If there were a map, there’d be no need to wrestle with the task of [homeschooling]. If we were following prescribed steps, we wouldn’t be navigating; we wouldn’t be finding our own way.” Homeschooling is creative and flexible and unscripted.\n“Showing them step by step precisely how to be a [homeschooler] is impossible,” again, rephrasing Seth Godin.\nThere is no map, Godin teaches.\n“I love that there’s no map,” he says delightedly.\nLike Godin, I also have great pleasure in my own unscripted methods. Imitation is an unpleasant way to live. We don’t need a carbon copy of any particular family’s homeschool.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/there-is-no-map/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"There Is No Map"},{"categories":null,"content":"Tips on Teaching AP At Home You can provide advanced academic courses while homeschooling your high school student. AP Chemistry Learn about the fundamental concepts of chemistry. Study states of matter, intermolecular forces, and reactions. Teach using hands-on labs. AP Art History This is a great first test for a freshman in high school since it doesn\u0026rsquo;t have any prerequisites and it gives good practice for writing essays. AP Biology Living organisms and the core scientific principles, theories, and processes that govern them. AP Psychology This is a great course to explore ideas, theories, and methods of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. AP Environmental Science Course provides scientific principles, concepts and methodologies necessary to comprehend the relationships abundant within the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems. AP Statistics Imitates a one-semester, non-calculus based college Statistics course. AP Calculus Differential and Integral Calculus AP Comparative Government Consider the politics of six different countries—China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Analyze data to learn more about the ways they address problems. AP Frequently Asked Questions Wondering if you can really do this? Need more details? Read up the nitty gritty here! AP Credit at BYU Details for selecting AP tests to complete the BYU Core classes. AP US Government Read, analyze, and discuss the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and landmark Supreme Course cases. Learn about key concepts and institutions of the political system and culture of the United States. AP Self-Study Tips You may not have the time to teach your child all the information for an AP class. How can you increase their ability to study on their own? AP Physics 1 Master the concepts in algebra-based physics AP Spanish Build fluency in language, literature in culture while preparing for these Spanish exams. AP Microeconomics Behavior of Individuals within an economic system\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/overview/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Overview"},{"categories":null,"content":"Are our fears about homeschooling possibly misplaced? The stories we hear about homeschooling have been handpicked—largely because they are unusual. What do you fear about your homeschooling? I noticed this unusual sign inside the Aquarium du Québec. I was captivated by their clever presentation of unjustified fears. While I stroked the stingray in the child-friendly tank nearby, I read the list and considered how many of my own fears are unfounded.\nAs one who specializes in accurate predictions, Hans Rosling explained that our fear, like a flashlight, needs to be targeted in order to be a useful tool.\n“Fear can be useful, but only if it is directed at the right things. The fear instinct is a terrible guide for understanding the world.” Without careful direction, we end up giving weighted attention to things that are actually rather unlikely.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/unfounded-fears/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Unfounded Fears"},{"categories":null,"content":"In my local Asian market, I saw this sign hanging above the freezer section. It reads “Frozen foods can prevent the decay and deterioration in the oven.” The concept is mostly there, but the key details were lost in translation.\nWe preserve the things we want to keep. Preservation makes the transient last a little longer. Preservation is the fleeting interval between freshness and storage. Preservation allows it to be enjoyed again in the future.\nThere are many things we want to preserve as homeschoolers. We want to preserve our enthusiasm, our happiness, our satisfaction, our delight. We want to preserve the benefits of our learning. We want to preserve our friendships. We want to preserve our energy and resources. We want to preserve our memories. For all of these, we want to “prevent the decay and deterioration in the oven.”\nWe can preserve it with voice. We can preserve it with writing. We can preserve it with documentation. Cradled by the record we make ourselves, our memories will be buffered, becoming impervious to fluctuating moods or motivation.\nIf a forgetful homeschooler is like a sieve, then one who remembers is like a thermoflask: insulated and able to retain. Retention of memory is what will shape our identity and our homeschool. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/prevent-decay/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Prevent Decay"},{"categories":null,"content":"As a homeschooler, time can feel unwieldy. Our freedom can almost be debilitating.\n“If you have struggled with a sense of inadequacy—wondering if you are good enough because you cannot seem to do it all, or do it well—maybe your only shortcoming is how you schedule your time,” teaches minimalist homeschooler Zara Fagen in her book, Minimalist Homeschooling.\nI believe our discouragement in our homeschooling can often be overcome by structuring our time differently. In order to homeschool effectively, relentless prioritization is necessary. There are things we must give up. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/unwieldy-time/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Unwieldy Time"},{"categories":null,"content":"The creativity of homeschooling can’t support comparison; there are too many differences. Comparison shatters the lens that makes gratitude possible. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/shattered-lens/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Shattered Lens"},{"categories":null,"content":" Feeling like no one understands my life experience leaves me weary. If I consistently feel, “I am different” and “my experiences aren’t like yours,” I am disheartened.\nNone of us want to have to explain “why we’re doing this” or “what we do all day long.” We want empathy. We want camaraderie.\nWe want to have friends that understand why we choose to homeschool.\nWe all have stories to tell, feelings to confess and ideas to express to an audience uniquely situated to resonate with us. We hope we can find validation, encouragement, support and a community of people ready to listen.\nWe need to create a bridge to overcome the separation that surrounds us. This can come through shared meaning, inclusion and agreement. This kind of belonging will make us our best selves and allow us to persist in our homeschooling.\nBelonging isn’t just about joining a co-op. Belonging comes from having similar experiences and from being included.\nBelonging is a choice.\nBelonging is an effort to find similarity, to join forces, to build community and to collaborate.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/belonging-is-a-choice/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Belonging Is a Choice"},{"categories":null,"content":"EdChoice, in partnership with Hanover Research, conducted a survey of homeschooling families in 2021. Their results are summarized in the Homeschooling Captsone Report. The most salient obstacles to homeschooling cited by current homeschoolers in the survey include concerns about instructional quality and children\u0026rsquo;s future prospects, the time and financial burden of homeschooling, and difficulty accessing resources and support\nOne of their questions was, \u0026ldquo;how problematic have the following obstacles to homeschooling your child been?\u0026rdquo; There are fourteen items listed as responses. Here\u0026rsquo;s what I noticed.\nMost Homeschoolers Aren\u0026rsquo;t Worried About What Other People Think According to their report, 71% of homeschooling families consider “concerns about what people will think” as “not problematic or only slightly problematic.”\nMost Homeschoolers Don\u0026rsquo;t Have Resistance From Their Spouse Though some families may have only one parent that feels comfortable with homeschooling, 50% of survey respondents said they have no resistance from their spouse. Both parents want to homeschool.\nMost Homeschoolers are Confident in Their Abilities 41% not problematic or only slightly problematic lack of knowledge about homeschooling\n47% not problematic or only slightly problematic concerns about my ability to provide instruction\n65% not problematic or only slightly problematic related to child\u0026rsquo;s disability-related needs\nFinding curricula 31% not a problem\n21% slightly problematic\nlack of time 35% very problematic or extremely problematic\nElsewhere in the report, \u0026ldquo;The homeschooling market survey finds that 26 percent of homeschooling parents report difficulty managing homeschooling and other responsibilities a moderate amount or a great deal.\u0026rdquo; ![Example image](./Homeschooling-Capstone-Report-EdChoice-002.pdf - Google Chrome 1282021 21528 PM.bmp.jpg)\nMost Homeschoolers Find Homeschooling Affordable 51% not problematic or only slightly problematic financial burden\n59% not problematic or only slightly problematic lack of resources\nMany Homeschoolers Easily Find Groups to Connect With 47% not problematic or only slightly problematic trouble connecting to others who homeschool 28% very problematic or extremely problematic\n52% not problematic or only slightly problematic trouble finding curricula 27% very problematic or extremely problematic\nMost Homeschoolers Have Cooperation from Their Child 56% not problematic or only slightly problematic resistance from child\nMany Homeschoolers Feel Good About Future Prospects 42% not problematic or only slightly problematic Concerns about my child\u0026rsquo;s future prospects ![Example image](./Homeschooling-Capstone-Report-EdChoice-002.pdf - Google Chrome 1282021 24225 PM.bmp.jpg)\nhttps://www.edchoice.org/engage/new-large-survey-of-homeschooling-families-lifts-hood-on-homeschooling-during-covid-19/ Does this Match Your Experience? When I review this list from the survey results, I don\u0026rsquo;t think it is similar to what I am experiencing. Do you also find that your \u0026ldquo;obstacles\u0026rdquo; are different than those on this list? Do you find yourself unconcerned about what other people think? Are you feeling supported by your spouse? Are you confident in your abilities to homeschool? Has homeschooling been affordable? Do you find groups you enjoy connecting with? Do you have cooperation from your child? Do you feel good about the way your homeschooling will affect your child\u0026rsquo;s future? Please share with me!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/obstacles-to-homeschooling/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Obstacles to Homeschooling"},{"categories":null,"content":" Recording from LDSHE 2018 \u0026ldquo;Deeper Focus Through Fewer Distractions\u0026rdquo;\nWe Need to be Less Distracted “The ability to pay attention, to control the content of your consciousness, is critical to a good life. When you’re constantly interrupted by external things…by self-generated interruptions, or by your own efforts to multitask and juggle several tasks at once, the chronic distractions erode your sense of having control of your life. They don’t just derail your train of thought. They make you lose yourself.” Alex Soojung-Kim Pang The Distraction Addiction\n\u0026ldquo;To learn requires intense concentration.”Antonin-Dalmace Sertillanges\nSingle-tasking “Trying to do more than one thing at once not only slows us down, but causes us to make more mistakes—with the resulting rework slowing us down even more. We feel busier, but we’re doing less, and doing it less well.” Caroline Webb\n“Genuine insight isn’t helped by piecemeal attention.” Caroline Webb\n“People who multitask all the time can’t filter out irrelevancy. They can’t manage a working memory. They’re chronically distracted. They initiate much larger parts of their brain that are irrelevant to the task at hand… they’re pretty much mental wrecks.” Clifford Nass\nBatch Your Tasks “Scattering your attention only increases the load on your brain, making it harder to think creatively.” Caroline Webb “Less mental clutter means more mental resources available for deep thinking.” Cal Newport “Busyness as Proxy for Productivity: …doing lots of stuff in a visible manner.” Cal Newport\nOvercoming Overload “There’s always something tiny you can do to feel you’ve made progress. It’s an infallible way of keeping things moving forward when things feel unmanageable.” Caroline Webb\nDelegate “We so often get pulled into tasks that we should, by rights be asking others to help with…By being unwilling to delegate tasks that others could reasonably help with, we fail to make progress on the important or tricky things that only we can do.” Caroline Webb\nLower the Number of Decisions “The more decisions we’re asked to make, the less cognitive capacity we have available to assess alternatives and make good, nuanced choices.” Caroline Webb\nDeliberate Downtime “Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as disfiguring as rickets… it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done” Tim Kreider\n“Our attitude to addictive experiences is largely cultural, and if our culture makes space for work-free, game-free, screen-free downtime, we and our children will find it easier to resist the lure of behavioral addiction” Adam Alter\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/deeper-focus-through-fewer-distractions/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Deeper Focus Through Fewer Distractions"},{"categories":null,"content":" What does a good homeschool day look like? What does a bad homeschool day look like? What would it take to have more good days? This class discusses how to bring out the best in ourselves and others. The conversation will begin with our use of time, setting intentional direction for our day with clear priorities. We’ll focus on structuring routines for our families and ourselves, considering personal productivity that has deliberate downtime and clear boundaries. We’ll discuss how to generate energy while overcoming overload. Finally, we’ll emphasize strengthening relationships with our children while also improving our resilience to respond to setbacks and annoyances. This practical class will help you become more streamlined, efficient and ultimately, triumphant in all your homeschooling efforts. Based primarily on the publications of influential author Caroline Webb, the class will also draw on the works and research of many efficiency experts.\nRecording of 2018 LDSHE Presentation \u0026ldquo;How to Have a Good Homeschool Day\u0026rdquo;\nWhat does a good homeschool day look like? getting a buzz from feeling productive, from knowing that their efforts counted towards something worthwhile\nfeeling confident that they were doing a fine job, and that they had the support they needed from others\nfeeling more energized than depleted, overall\nless of the day seems driven by chance once we understand forces that shape our choices and our emotions, recognize how our thought patterns can affect everything from our perception of reality to the moods of those around us.\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/how-to-have-a-good-homeschool-day/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"How to Have a Good Homeschool Day"},{"categories":null,"content":" The French term mise en place (pronounced meez-ahn-plahs) encompasses the idea of having all of your ingredients, tools and supplies ready to go before you start cooking. Chefs employ this method to streamline their workstations. The organizational system of mise en place is so rigorous that chefs should be able to find the ingredients they need even while blindfolded.\nJournalist and chef Dan Charnas explains that mise en place is more than just a system for getting things done well in the kitchen. In a 2016 interview, he explained,\n“Mise en place is a personal code of ethics… It is a system of personal improvement, not about efficiency, but about excellence.”\nIn his book, Work Clean, written to apply the concept of mise en place to the larger world, Charnas emphasizes the superior results of the mindset. “So many of us have convinced ourselves that because we are busy, we are working to the fullest extent of our abilities. But chefs know that there is a big difference between working hard and working clean.” Charnas identifies working clean as the central tenet of mise en place. In his 2014 NPR story, Chanrnas quotes a sous-chef’s quintessential expression of this idea,\n\u0026ldquo;All my knives are clean. Clean cutting board. Clear space to work. Clear mind.\u0026rdquo; This aspect of clean work means that you are ready to offer your full, undistracted attention to the task. Mise en place allows you to invest your time wisely. Chef-inspired Homeschooling Tips What would it look like to have bowls of premeasured toppings for your homeschool? Planning ahead and calendaring the year, certainly. But, that can feel overwhelming. Here are small steps you can take now to create more efficient pockets of learning for your students.\nKeep it clean. While teaching, it’s not just what you have, but what you don’t want have with you that makes the difference. Eliminate distractions before you begin. Just as you would plan your meals, you can make and “freeze” key ingredients. Then you can provide lessons on even the busiest of days. Look for simple print-outs on topics you plan to study, or create a folder of crossword puzzles and logic games that are ready to go. Create stations, fully prepped with all the elements necessary for a particular subject. The math corner has all the counting bears, graph paper, and calculators your students need. The scripture corner has the Friend magazine, the illustrated readers, and the storyboard figures. You plant yourself in one spot and rotate your students in for brief, individualized tutoring. Make time for daily planning Charnas encourages his readers, to develop “ a regular practice of planning, a 30-minute Daily Meeze.” Give thought to the plan and rhythm of your day. Before you are with your child, flip through upcoming pages to be more prepared for the discussions that will come up. Condense your lessons. Try a daily ten minute burst for each of your three most important subjects. This won’t allow you to dive deep into topics, but it will allow you to make small bits of progress in learning grammar rules, memorizing spelling lists, or ticking through the pages of a challenging textbook. Fill a small basket with the school supplies you usually need. To make sure your lesson won’t be derailed by a broken pencil, place extras inside. (Bring the pencil sharpener, too.) Once you sit down to do the work with that child, you shouldn’t have to get up for any additional supplies. Find a “sous-chef.” One teen’s senior project was curriculum preparation for the youngest people in the co-op. She planned out all the textbook choices and lesson plans for the year. She felt satisfied with the work and the other families felt grateful for the gift.\nMake it easy to put away the homeschool ingredients. Create a pattern of record keeping as part of clean up. Immediately evaluate whether anything completed today needs to be included in the year-end portfolio. If the work is particularly descriptive of their progress, snap a picture of it, and save it to a child-specific google drive folder. Time is Precious Mise en place philosophy declares that time and resources are precious. Charnas is unequivocating, as he quantifies the sacrifice. “Cooks can easily do six hours of prep for a three-hour dinner shift. Mise en place forces cooks to account for every minute of their time.” By becoming a little bit more organized, you will have enough time to sit at the table with your child and fully engage in the learning process. Sources Shawn Setaro,Shawn. “Using Lessons From Great Chefs To Help Us \u0026lsquo;Work Clean\u0026rsquo;” Forbes.com https://www.forbes.com/sites/shawnsetaro/2016/04/27/work-clean/#639c5767fb20 (accessed July 24, 2017).Charnas, Dan “For A More Ordered Life, Organize Like A Chef.” Npr.com http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/08/11/338850091/for-a-more-ordered-life-organize-like-a-chef (accessed July 24, 2017). Work Clean: The life -changing power of mise en place to organize your life, work, and mind by Dan Charnas originally published in LDSHE August 2017 Newsletter\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/homeschool-mise-en-place/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Homeschool Mise en Place"},{"categories":null,"content":" You already know it’s important to exercise. You’re familiar with the list of benefits to your strength, metabolism, and sleep. Here’s one advantage you may not be as familiar with: exercise makes a big difference for learning.\nAs one of the world\u0026rsquo;s foremost authorities on the brain-fitness connection, Harvard neuropsychiatrist John Ratey wrote Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain to convince the world of the importance of exercise, and not for the cardiovascular benefits; he believes it makes a vital difference in our brains. “We all know that exercise makes us feel better, but most of us have no idea why. We assume it’s because we’re burning off stress or reducing muscle tension or boosting endorphins, and we leave it at that,”Ratey begins.\nThe true benefit of physical activity, he argues, is that it results in improved brain functioning. For Ratey, this benefit of physical activity “is far more important—and fascinating—than what it does for the body.” He argues that stronger muscles, hearts and lungs might truly be secondary benefits to exercise\u0026rsquo;s primary effect on our brain functions. Though the richly detailed neuroscience explanations in the book may be too technical for many readers, the main message is clear. Fundamentally, Ratey attests,\n“the point of exercise is to build and condition the brain.”\nMiracle-Gro for the Brain To better understand Ratey’s enthusiasm for exercise, you first need to understand BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor. “BDNF is a crucial biological link between thought, emotions and movement,” Ratey explains. Many growth factors and body chemicals are upregulated by exercise, but BDNF stands out as a star performer. BDNF nourishes neurons, encourages their growth, and protects them from stress and cell death. In the brain, it is active in the hippocampus, cortex, and basal forebrain—areas vital to learning, memory, and higher thinking. BDNF protein is active at the connections between nerve cells, helping to regulate synaptic strength of neurotransmitters like Serotonin, Dopamine and Norepinephrine. Unlike the endorphin boost that occurs immediately after exercise, BDNF builds the frame which allows enhanced signaling so these endorphins can consistently function more optimally. During early brain studies, “researchers found that if they sprinkled BDNF onto neurons in a petri dish, the cells automatically sprouted new branches, producing the same structural growth required for learning.” This accentuated growth made Ratey think of the fertilizer Miracle-Gro, and became an analogy he consistently uses to describe the exponential benefits received from exercise.\nBenefits for Learning Within the long list of psychological benefits of exercise, Ratey especially emphasizes the impact on learning. “Exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function,” he teaches. Basing his comments on recent neurological research, he states, \u0026ldquo;the more neuroscientists discover about this process [of brain cell connection], the clearer it becomes that exercise provides an unparalleled stimulus, creating an environment in which the brain is ready, willing, and able to learn.” Specifically, Ratey motivates his readers by stating, “one of the prominent features of exercise is an improvement in the rate of learning.” He goes on to describe more specifics. Exercise improves your learning in three important ways. “First it optimizes your mind-set to improve alertness, attention, and motivation.” Blood gets pumping, oxygen levels peak, neurons begin firing, and your brain is awake and ready to go. Secondly, “it prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to one another.” This binding is the way the brain logs new information. Lastly, exercise encourages BDNF to develop new nerve cells. More nerve cells means more binding, and thus the process is quintessentially synergistic.\nStart: Improve the Daily Routine Instead of advocating a particular program of exercise, Ratey suggests that the decision about how to exercise is very individual. The program should be personally tailored to your interests, talents and living situation. It should not feel like punishment when you exercise. You are aiming for aerobically demanding activity on a daily basis, with an eye to lifelong fitness. You want strenuous play that is engaging, challenging, and enjoyable. Don’t be held back by guilt or frustration about what you haven’t done. Get started by doing something. “I think it’s important for people to recognize that exercise isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition,” Ratey encourages. “If you miss a few days, or even a week or two, picture your hippocampus cranking out high levels of BDNF after just your second day back at it.” Be patient with yourself as you start building your routine. “My hope,” Ratey emphasizes, “is that if you understand how physical activity improves brain function, you’ll be motivated to include it in your life in a positive way, rather than think of it as something you should do.” Make it a point to discuss as a family what you might do to improve your physical activity during your study time. You could begin by incorporating a brisk walk into your afternoon routine. Or, after the next grammar lesson, try sitting up tall, clasping your hands, pushing them to the ceiling, and twisting, breathing slowly. Try checking the math problems after marching in place. Impishly do stair races, toe touches, then jumping jacks. Ratey believes, “your life changes when you have a working knowledge of your brain.” As you begin to add more movement, remember that doing this will fertilize the brain. Feed the spark to incorporate exercise into your day, and you will find you are providing the key to maintaining memory, improving skilled task performance, and boosting the rate of learning.\noriginally published in June 2017 VOICE ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/putting-the-physical-into-education/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Putting the Physical Into Education"},{"categories":null,"content":" A child throws down his pencil in exasperation, and shoves the book away, shouting, “I hate this math, I can never learn to do it! The problems are always too hard! My schoolwork is impossible!” As homeschooling parents, we have all seen frustration like this begin to cloud the learning process. What can you say to help your child shift his attitude? In the book, The Optimistic Child, positive psychologist Martin Seligman has applicable tips to help change the tone of these kind of moments. Unlike other parenting or self-improvement books based on opinions and anecdotes, The Optimistic Child presents ideas based on three decades of exhaustive research. Seligman offers parents a structured approach to correct negative patterns of thinking. The ultimate message of the book is that pessimism can be prevented and that optimism is an attainable skill. Defining Optimism You might (rightly) fear that a book on optimism would encourage you to put on rose-colored glasses, look cheerfully around you and count your blessings. Seligman actually has a very specific definition of optimism. His one sentence summary is that “the basis of optimism does not lie in positive phrases or images of victory, but in the way you think about causes.” Pessimism, then, is defined as a mindset that is perpetually powerless. In the author’s words, “The most pessimistic people believe that they suffer from a characterological flaw that will doom them to a life of missed opportunities, failed relationships, mediocrity, and loss. And even when they recognize that a problem is not their own fault, they still see the situation as unchangeable and so do not struggle to change it.”Embedded in this definition of pessimism are the three aspects of an explanatory style that help us account for the occurrence of good or bad events: permanence, pervasiveness, and personalization. When a cause is permanent, it will effect us for years and years, perhaps always. When a cause is pervasive, we will feel its effect in many different situations in our lives. Personalization is the explanation we offer about who is at fault: ourselves, or other people.\nPermanence: Sometimes versus Always Seligman encourages parents to listen carefully to the explanations offered by their children. “If your child thinks about her failures, rejections, and challenges in terms of ‘always’ and ‘never,’ she has a pessimistic style. If she qualifies and thinks about bad events in words such as ‘sometimes’ and ‘lately,’ she has an optimistic style.” Though it may sound very subtle, Seligman suggests there is a big difference here.\nPervasiveness: Specific versus Global How much of my life is effected by this problem? “Some children can put their troubles neatly into a box and go about their lives even when one important part crumbles,” Seligman observes. “Others catastrophize. When one thread of their life snaps, the whole fabric unravels.” Children who have a global explanation for their failures feel like giving up on everything when they fail in just one aspect. In contrast, “children who believe specific [rather than global] explanations may become helpless in that one realm yet march stalwartly on in the rest,” Seligman explains. They are able to maintain the perspective that their failure is not universal, or widespread. Personal: Internal versus External The last aspect of explanatory style is more nuanced. At its core, this idea is about blame. “Exaggerated blame produces guilt and shame beyond what is necessary,” Seligman emphasizes, “But no blame at all erodes responsibility and nullifies the will to change.” There are two strategies to help your children use blame in a healthy way. “The first goal,” Seligman asserts, “is not to let the children off the hook for the things they do wrong.” He cautions, “Children must hold themselves accountable when they are to blame for their problems, and then go on to try to rectify the situation.” He reminds us that our ultimate goal is “to teach children how to see themselves accurately.” Then, when “problems are their fault, they take responsibility and try to correct their behavior, whereas when the problem is not their fault, they still feel worthwhile.”The second goal for using blame in a healthy way has to do with the type of blame your child uses: general blame or self-blame. General blame is viewed as an unchangeable flaw in one’s own character. “Self-blame,” Seligman teaches, “ is temporary and specific : The child blames a particular action… [or] points to a changeable cause.” This kind of blame has the benefit of highlighting the control a child has. This “motivates a child to try harder to change the behavior so that he can prevent the problem or overcome the setback,” Seligman teaches. When the child sees the opportunity, he can feel more encouraged. To do this, a parent must “focus on specific and temporary personal causes, if truth allows, and avoid blaming the child’s character or ability.” Applied Optimism Activities With each building block of information, Seligman pauses to equip parents to apply the basic skills of optimism. His examples are specific, real-world scenarios. In addition, he has skits and role plays for you to rehearse with your child, and even visual comic strips that you can fill in with personal examples. He believes that “one way to help your child is for you to acquire the skills that keep your own pessimism at bay.” Parents reading this book will learn to challenge their own pessimistic assumptions. The Goal of Optimism Seligman defines optimism as a lesson in self-awareness.\n“When you teach your child optimism, you are teaching him to know himself, to be curious about his theory of himself and of the world. You are teaching him to take an active stance in his world and to shape his own life, rather than be a passive recipient of what happens his way.”\nPreviously, your child may have thought his most extreme explanations were valid, but with this training he will be able to more carefully evaluate the interpretation of life events. The result is that your child will be, “equipped to persevere in the face of adversity and to struggle to overcome his problems.”Learning Seligman’s techniques has improved my homeschooling. As the primary educator, I am close enough to the learning process to hear the beginning of negative thought spirals. We keep the subject of optimism embedded in our class schedule by being alert to pessimistic statements and correcting promptly.\nFor Further Study Martin Seligman: The New Era of Positive Psychology TED Talk2004Authentic Happiness Website\nOriginally Published in VOICE Volume 23, Number 2: March-May 2017\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-optimistic-child/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"The Optimistic Child"},{"categories":null,"content":"Describing the contrasting responses to the same naturally occurring phenomena, volatility specialist Nassim Nicholas Taleb begins his book Antifragile (Random House 2014) with this analogy, “wind extinguishes a candle and energizes fire.” He argues that rather than suffering from the effects of unpredictable shocks, chaos, and disorder, we must use them. Taleb continues the analogy by describing what it would be like to fully embrace this adventure: “you want to be the fire and wish for the wind.” We need the unknown, the imperfect. We actually require entropy, error and turmoil. Using examples from political, financial, and medical sectors, Taleb teaches that\n“…complex systems are weakened, even killed, when deprived of stressors.”\nOur purpose, he advocates, is finding a way to “conquer the unseen, the opaque, and the inexplicable.” Imagine a shipment of delicate glass, packaged in materials designed to cradle and protect them from the stress of the mailing process. Stating what seems to be the obvious, Taleb says, “the fragile is the package that would be at best unharmed.” Labeling the reverse as antifragile, Taleb explains,\n“the opposite of fragile is therefore what is at worst unharmed.” Detractors have argued with him, suggesting that robust is actually the one on the other end of the spectrum. Taleb explains the difference: “the resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better.” Taleb considers Antifragile his “one master idea” and calls this book his “central work.” Though his manner can be quite abrasive, and his comments can be rather arrogant at times, his narrative creates a semi-autobiographical description of radical ideas that will completely shift your worldview.\nAn Antifragile Education Though this book is about the concept of antifragility in general, there are many education-specific comments. His passion on the topic is framed by his youth. Growing up during the Lebanese civil war, Taleb began to “disbelieve in structured learning.” Even though Taleb went on to acquire degrees, he describes himself as a pure autodidact, one who is a self-taught person. Becoming an intelligent antistudent was his focus, instead of becoming like “the students called ‘swallowers’ in Lebanese dialect, those who ‘swallow school material’ and whose knowledge is only derived from the curriculum.”Homeschoolers will resonate with Taleb’s emphasis that “scholarship and organized education are not the same,” and his argument for genuine learning. One of the reasons why he is skeptical is because of domain-specific skills. He illustrates, “seeing the nontransferability of skills from one domain to the other led me to skepticism in general about whatever skills are acquired in a classroom, anything in a non-ecological way, as compared to street fights and real-life situations.” Taleb believes unless learning occurs authentically, it won’t stick; “what is picked up in the classroom stays largely in the classroom.” His skepticism in the discussion of education\n“applies to the brand of commoditized, prepackaged, and pink-coated knowledge, stuff one can buy in the open market and use for self-promotion.”\nInstead, Taleb labels the original aim of education as “learning was for learning’s sake, to make someone a good person, [and] worth talking to.” Though Taleb argues against “lecture-driven knowledge,” he still believes that one can use this learning and still be a strong intellectual, “provided one has a private library instead of a classroom.” As a teenager, Taleb set a personal goal to read between 30-60 hours a week, and he has continued to meet the self-imposed requirement through the intervening decades, often hauling suitcases full of books in his travels. In addition to reading, Taleb advocates spending time as “an aimless (but rational) flâneur benefiting from what randomness can give us inside and outside the library.” This randomness is easily introduced through homeschooling efforts, when we are free to roam, collaborate, and observe real-life. As we continue to expect the learning in a steady way, we will reap anti-fragile results.\nTime is On Your Side Taleb is sure that time is one thing that will benefit any antifragile process, since, “the fragile breaks with time.” He explains, “time is functionally similar to volatility: the more time, the more events, the more disorder.” He continues, “if you can suffer limited harm and are antifragile to small errors, time brings the kind of errors or reverse errors that end up benefiting you. This is simply what your grandmother calls experience.” Time will show you kindness. When considered in the context of education, this concept should help us feel calm. We have time.\nThere is no conveyor belt forcing us forward in homeschooling; we can allow time enough.\nProvide Rigor and Randomness Rigor is synonymous with thorough, consistent, meticulous work. How can that possibly pair well with randomness? Taleb promises, “provided we have the right type of rigor, we need randomness, mess, adventures, uncertainty, self-discovery, near-traumatic episodes, all these things that make life worth living.” The combination of the rigor with the random will synergize to create the anti-fragility. What exactly is “the right type of rigor?” Taleb doesn’t specify or elaborate on this concept, but perhaps it can refer to our motivation and our momentum. These seem to boost antifragility, and exponentially increase our ability to thrive.\nBeware Iatrogenics While teaching, we will consistently notice opportunities to jump in and quickly offer help to our students, trying to expedite the process, alleviate the frustration, or hasten understanding. An antifragile system will improve when we refrain from intrusion, because the antifragile needs the dissonance. Taleb is careful to explain, he’s not against the notion of intervention, instead, the lack of awareness of potential harm done by intervention. “The name for such net loss, the (usually hidden or delayed) damage from treatment in excess of the benefits, is iatrogenics, literally, ‘caused by the healer,’ iatros being a healer in Greek.” We need to look for a break-even point between the benefits of intervention and the harm of intervention, the moment when the help we offer is better than having the problems continue. Finding that balance feels undoubtedly daunting, but simply by naming the problem, we improve in our awareness of it. So, next time you have a student struggling with pronunciation, or one who is floundering with exponential calculations, your first step will be to pause. Consider the importance of their struggle, and don’t intervene too early.Looking at the broad definition, Taleb suggests that education itself is a concept “grounded in interventionism.” We need to know when to interfere and when to let the process alone. Taleb encourages us to have confidence in “the natural antifragility of systems, their ability to take care of themselves.” We need to restrain ourselves he continues, “and fight our tendency to harm and fragilize them.”As homeschoolers, we already have begun to learn to process the naturally occurring volatility. We already thrive and grow when exposed to shocks and stressors. We know what it is to have obstacles, hurdles, and unexpected twists and turns as we take the education of our children out of the traditional environment. Apply the idea of antifragility, and become the proverbial fire wishing for the wind. ","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/anti-fragile-education/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Anti-Fragile Education"},{"categories":null,"content":"Influential Organizational Development leader Peter Block writes about the questions we ask as we begin a journey or pursue a dream. Forcefully, he teaches,\n“How is the wrong question.”\nHe continues, “The rush to a How [question and] answer runs the risk of skipping the profound question: Is this worth doing? And it skirts the equally tough corollary question: Is this something I want to do?” Block wants us to recognize that starting with the right question will yield the answers we seek. Especially if you are a beginning homeschooler, it is essential that you keep your focus on the questions that will help you most. Peter Block reminds us, “The right questions are about values, purpose, aesthetics, human connection, and deeper philosophical inquiry.” Alter your questions and find access to the answers you need plus, greater conviction to creatively do the things worth doing. How do you do it? Sometimes asked with honest curiosity, and sometimes with derisive skepticism, “How do you do it?” is typically the first question asked by non-homeschooling parents. They often either believe homeschooling is overwhelming and they themselves aren’t capable, or they offer you criticism on your efforts. When we find ourselves ready for the question, “How will I do it?” Block suggests the alternate question is,\n“What will I now need to give up?”\nThis question helps us recognize that our first step on the homeschooling journey is to make space in our lives. We don’t need to begin by learning more about how it can be done. We need to begin by acknowledging that this will be a trade-off. The issue with getting started isn’t about knowing how; we need only to be willing to make the sacrifice.\nHow long will it take? Asking “how long?” in any family endeavor yields an obvious answer: time isn’t what we are concerned with. The alternative question Block suggests is,\n“what commitment am I willing to make?”\nThis reminds us that we don’t need to worry about the long vision right now. Instead, we can decide to do what is required this week, this month, this year, to meet the goals we have about educating our children. Block identifies the hesitation present in this question, “How long? …makes its own statement: if it takes too long, the answer is probably no.” He goes on to predict, “every project of consequence or personal calling will require more of us than we originally imagined.” This isn’t meant to discourage us from getting started, only to remind us that we cannot allow a worry about length of time to prevent us from those most worthwhile endeavors.\nHow much does it cost? The worry of homeschool costs gives many families pause. They wonder, “How can I ever mimic the resources the school district has at their disposal? How can I provide all my children will need for learning within the constraints of my personal budget?” Ultimately, they are asking, “how much does it cost to homeschool?” When asked before the decision to homeschool is made, and used as part of the decision-making process, Block succinctly infers, “[this] question makes the statement that if the price is high, this will be a problem.” Considering the price we are willing to pay will focus us on the trade-offs and sacrifices again and root us towards our primary purpose. Block’s business counsel easily applies to homeschooling,\n“there is a cost to pursuing what matters, and money is the least of it. In acting on what matters, we are leaning against the culture.”\nThe decision to homeschool isn’t about money.\nHow do you get those people to change? Asking “How can I get my children to do their math?” or “How can I get my husband to support me?” or “How can I convince my in-laws that my choices are valid?” are frequently expressed apprehensions. Instead of keeping our focus on others, Block suggests we\nfocus on our own contribution to the problem or situation, and this will encourage us to act. We can ask about our educational environment, our attitude and our confidence: “Would my child benefit from a different approach to math at a different time of day?” or “Am I complaining too frequently about my insecurities?” or “Am I sharing the positive benefits of my choices frequently enough with my in-laws so they know how happy I am to be homeschooling?” Shifting our perspective to include the actions we have the power to control will free us from coercive behaviors and instead force us to consider our own courage and our own power to act.Block summarizes the distraction of this question, “[it keeps] us from choosing who we want to become and exercising accountability for creating our environment. We cannot change others, we can just learn about ourselves.”\nHow do you measure it? Homeschooling families are almost universally required to give evidence of their progress and success. There is pressure to provide a gpa, test score, or a set of memorized facts. Though measurement is sometimes essential, Block suggests we consider each moment of potential measurement as a crossroad. This attitude would lead us to ask such things as, “Are we needing to review? Are we ready to move on? Do we need a project to bring this concept to conclusion?” In Block’s words,\n“Our obsession with measurement is really an expression of our doubt. It is most urgent when we have lost faith in something. Doubt is fine, but no amount of measurement will assuage it.” How have other people done it successfully? Even within the safety of the homeschooling community, it’s hard to step away from the fears and insecurities of a counter-culture decision. No matter how confident we feel in our choices, we all have the tendency to glance at the green grass on the other side of the fence and wonder about the type of weed killer they employ. Block replaces this perpetual “how do they do it” question with,\n“what do we want to create together?” This question allows us to feel anchored and focused on the thrill of engagement and creativity that comes with the responsibility of an unconventional education.\nThere are times that it is acceptable to ask how. Block contends, “taken in isolation, and asked in the right context, all How Questions are valid. But when they become the primary questions, the controlling questions, or the defining questions, they create a world where operational attention drives out the human spirit.” Block encourages us to ask first about our core focus. To commit to the course of acting on what matters, we postpone the how questions and precede them with questions about our purpose.\nBlock lists the benefits that come from “not asking how”:\nforces us to engage in conversations about why we do what we do, as individuals and as institutions creates the space for longer discussions about purpose, about what is worth doing refocuses our attention on deciding what is the right question, rather than what is the right answer forces us to act as if we already knew how—we just have to figure out what is worth doing gives priority to aim over speed*encourages creativity and individual interpretation Ultimately, “how” is a symbol of our caution. As homeschooling parents, we need to postpone the “how” questions and precede them with alternative “yes” questions that keep us focused on our priorities and motivations. Doing this will allow us to proceed with energy and enthusiasm.\noriginally published in the October-November 2016 issue of VOICE\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/the-answer-to-how-is-yes/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"The Answer to How Is Yes"},{"categories":null,"content":" Managing a Homeschool experience requires many of the same skills as managing a business. In her book, Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, Business management guru Liz Wiseman coined a term to describe effective managers. She calls them “multipliers.” Simply put,\nmultipliers multiply the intelligence of others around them, enabling people to become smarter and more capable. The multiplier mindset can be a valuable addition to your homeschooling toolkit.\nMultipliers believe, “people are smart and will figure this out.” As leaders, they develop the talent around them. They follow-up on mistakes with exploration and compassion. When it comes to setting a new direction, they consult thoughtfully and support the task to completion. The opposite of a multiplier is a “diminisher”. Diminishers believe, “they will never figure this out without me.” They expend the talent around them without increasing it; they approach mistakes with blame; they dictate the direction, make all the decisions, and tightly control how things get done.\nPeople aren’t starkly one or the other. In fact, Wiseman generously creates another term: the “accidental diminisher”. This refers to those of us who realize with dismay we have become the wrong kind of manager (or homeschooling parent). Rather than synergistically increasing the education and enthusiasm, we may unintentionally begin to micro-manage and negatively control the learning experience. Reading this book will add a new level of self-awareness, helping you understand where you may have flaws in your leadership, but it won’t leave you discouraged, since there are tips and hints for small steps of improvement all along the way.\nWhy is it so important to become a multiplier? In Wiseman’s words, “Leading like a multiplier matters because people will give you more. They give all of their discretionary effort and mental energy. They dig deep and access reserves of brainpower that they alone know exist. They apply the full measure of their intelligence. They reason more clearly, comprehend more completely, and learn more quickly. In the process they get smarter and more capable.” Does this not describe all that we could hope for in the education of our children?\nThe core beliefs of a multiplier are, according to Wiseman:\nMost people in organizations are underutilized. All capability can be leveraged with the right kind of leadership. Therefore, intelligence and capability can be multiplied without requiring a bigger investment. She encourages business leaders to make do with their current head counts and not ask for more employees. Maximize what you already have, she suggests. Applying this to homeschooling, is there something you can do it increase your effectiveness in the education of your children without buying or adding any new curriculum or devices or classes? What can you do to improve the learning with what you already have?\nHere are three things you can do now to get started leading like a multiplier:\nAsk Questions: the Really Hard Questions The most important assumption of a multiplier is that “the job of the leader is to draw out the intelligence of others.” With this beginning, leaders begin to listen more carefully. Then they start asking more questions. They don’t ask questions to quiz, nor do they ask questions simply to verify other’s knowledge. They “ask questions so immense that people can’t answer them based on their current knowledge or where they currently stand.” They ask questions that create momentum.\nWhat would cause other people to become smarter and more capable around me? What could my child figure out on their own if I just gave them more space? How can I get the full brainpower of my child? Find the Native Genius Within Your Child Become a “genius watcher”. Step back and observe what your child does “not only exceptionally well, but absolutely naturally.” Then begin to connect your child with opportunities. Next step: get out of the way. When intrinsically motivated, you will be surprised at how quickly your child can take off. Tell your child, “ignore me as needed to get your job done.” A multiplier demands the individual’s best effort and keeps a high standard without fixating on outcomes, making it safe to make mistakes.\nWhat does my child do better than anything else they do? What does my child do better than the people around them? What does my child do without effort? What does my child do without being asked? Extend a Challenge Multipliers understand that people grow when challenged. Multipliers don’t just hand out answers. They provide just enough information to provoke thinking and to help people discover and see the opportunity for themselves. “As a manager you know when someone is below his or her usual performance.” Wiseman continues, “What is harder to know is whether people are giving everything they have to give. Asking whether people are giving their best gives them the opportunity to push themselves beyond their previous limits.”\nStart with reframing problems. Think about this quote: “the most powerful work is done in response to an opportunity not in response to a problem.” Make it concrete. When a challenge become tangible and measurable, you and your child will be better able to assess their performance. “Are you a genius or a genius maker?” The business examples Wiseman shares in this book will spark your interest in changing your methods at home in a way that is refreshingly different from parenting or education self-help books. Reading this book will help you better understand the impact of your leadership in your family’s education.\nFor more learning: http://multipliersbooks.com/ Quiz, assessment and an online community\noriginally published in the March-May 2016 issue of VOICE\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/multipliers/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Multipliers"},{"categories":null,"content":" Who doesn’t need a little magic in their homeschool? I love Marie Kondo’s ideas in her darling little bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It’s easy to see why this Tokyo-based organizer has gained a big following in America; her ideas are encouraging, liberating, and accessible. More than just keeping your house organized, her strategy, dubbed the KonMari method, is a lifestyle. She says, “Remember the KonMari Method…is not a mere set of rules on how to sort, organize, and put things away. It is a guide to acquiring the right mind-set for creating order and becoming a tidy person.” Marie believes that by becoming tidy in our homes, we prepare ourselves to meet our best potential. As I read, I considered how to apply her ideas to my situation. In this article, I describe Marie Kondo’s fundamental technique, then explore how it can be applied to a homeschooling family. Here are the basic principles of the KonMari Method:\nWe Have Too Much Stuff! Before she ever begins to tell you how to organize, Marie Kondo teaches you “the Art of Discarding.” “The real problem,” she explains, “is that we have far more than we need or want.” As I began to sort, I found she was right; I really was surrounded by unnecessary items. She encourages her readers “…[T]o truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. To get rid of what you no longer need is neither wasteful nor shameful.” It’s okay to let go! Keep your focus on the things that you know are worth keeping. “You’ll be surprised at how many of the things you possess have already fulfilled their role. By acknowledging their contribution and letting them go with gratitude, you will be able to truly put the things you own, and your life, in order.” Marie recommends thanking the objects for their role in your life and then moving forward.\nUse the “Joy” Test When deciding what to keep, Marie keeps it simple. Her test is just this: “Take each item in one’s hand and ask: ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it.” That’s it. She boldly spurs her readers to free themselves, saying, “Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest.” She believes it is very important to individually handle each item as you consider the joy it brings.\nSort by Category, Not Location, and Do it in the Right Order This ordering of the process is the most important aspect of the KonMari method. “Start with clothes, then move on to books, papers, komono (miscellany), and finally things with sentimental value. If you reduce what you own in this order, your work will proceed with surprising ease. By starting with the easy things first and leaving the hardest for last, you can gradually hone your decision-making skills so that, by the end, it seems simple.” I found great success following her suggested order, partially because it helps to know where to start.\nDo It All at Once Marie suggests that by making tidying a major event, you will have better success because the change will be enough to become a dramatic re-start. “If you tidy up in one shot, rather than little by little, you can dramatically change your mindset.” This means you don’t need to consider tidying a daily event; rather, it is a one-time major overhaul. “If you use the right method and concentrate your efforts on eliminating clutter thoroughly and completely within a short span of time, you’ll see instant results that will empower you to keep your space in order ever after.” This doesn’t mean that you should procrastinate tidying until you have a large period of time. I found that I was able to tackle major chunks of the process over a two-week period. Even with interruptions from daily responsibilities, I was able to keep chugging forward on the tidying project.\nPurging Builds Your Confidence “One of the magical effects of tidying is confidence in your decision-making capacity.”\nYou begin to see that you have control over your environment and that your choices are making you feel good. Even when you make mistakes, Marie says, this can still boost your confidence. Both successful sorting and mistakes in discarding can do so.\nHere are a few tips to apply the KonMarie method to homeschooling:\nYou “Work” at Home With the number of hours you spend in your home, both living and schooling, you are greatly affected by the weight of untidiness. Being surrounded by piles of items needing your attention can leave you feeling discouraged and overwhelmed. The clutter can crush your enthusiasm. Marie encourages us, “One theme underlying my method of tidying is transforming the home into a sacred space, a power spot filled with pure energy.”\nSimplify: Fewer Books Keep it really simple. Don’t lug around books. Don’t hang on to curriculum you don’t find helpful. Streamline your shelves by keeping what you and your student really enjoy. Marie teaches, “In the end, you are going to read very few of your books again.” Perhaps a special exception is when you have younger children coming up the ranks. Marie recommends, “[T]he moment you first encounter a particular book is the right time to read it. To avoid missing that moment, I recommend that you keep your collection small.” This means you purchase, collect, or check out books only when you have time to process them. Use the “novelty” factor to your advantage and read the books right when you get them.\nKeep Less Paper As homeschoolers, we keep track of legal documentation, lesson plans, and portfolio information. Ask yourself, if the paper must be kept, “Can I store it digitally?” Also, keep fewer items; make the portfolio a sampling, not a complete and perfect documentation. Marie is a minimalist with papers. “My filing method is extremely simple. I divide them into two categories: papers to be saved and papers that need to be dealt with.” When you have only these few papers, you can keep track of their contents more easily. “Refrain from subdividing them any further by content. Don’t forget that the ‘needs attention’ box ought to be empty.”\nTidying Is Contagious! Don’t worry about compelling anyone to throw things away; they will catch your enthusiasm and begin to want to discard their things, too! Marie advises, “[T]o quietly work away at disposing of your own excess is actually the best way of dealing with a family that doesn’t tidy.” If you have someone who isn’t interested indiscarding, try reading this book aloud together or talking about how refreshed you feel now that you’ve been getting rid of some of your own things.\nDon’t Get Too Caught Up With How to Discard You may find yourself thinking, “I spent good money on this! I don’t want to just throw it out!” Sometimes it is discouraging to realize you have bought so many unnecessary items. You may find you have some items that are worth reselling. Warning: Don’t try so hard to eke a penny out of every extra book that you lose your vision of discarding. Just trying to manage sales on eBay, Craigslist, and Amazon is emotionally expensive. Sometimes it is more refreshing to simply let go. The KonMarie method of tidying can help you improve your homeschooling by empowering you to focus on things that matter most. Think of what it would mean to you to create a refuge and sanctuary for your homeschooling. “Transform your [homeschooling place] into your own private space, one that gives you a thrill of pleasure.” Imagine the benefit of filling your school bookshelf with books that you love, reminders of the pleasure you have with learning. Would that change your daily experience of educating at home?\nFor more information on The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, visit tidyingup.com\noriginally published in the November-December 2015 VaHomeschoolers Voice\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/tidying-up/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Tidying Up"},{"categories":null,"content":" One of the reasons I love homeschooling my children is so that they can have the time and shared experiences that will allow them to develop good friendships with each other. But, since we are home together most days, I find that sometimes I feel like we are only a “group” and we are not focused on “individuals.” We came up with a solution for our family called “Playtime Permutation.”\nEssentially, this is a simple rotation of one-on-one playtime. Perhaps you could also call this “speed dating?” Each pair gets 15 minutes and chooses one thing to do together. We get everyone going in their locations, set the timer, enjoy each other, and then we rotate.\nIn order for this to work, your youngest children involved need to be able to be responsible enough to play on their own for 15 minutes. My four-year-old and six-year-old do well with this, but my two-year-old wouldn’t yet succeed, so she is not yet part of the rotation.\nI find that my children are able to develop relationships with each other as individuals, not just as a big family group. They anticipate and look forward to our Playtime Permutation day, making plans for what they want to do with each other. I enjoy participating, too, as a mother, because I don’t always have time to sit and play with my children individually. I appreciate the chance to focus on them one-on-one.\nWe enjoy doing this about once a month, and have decided to do it on or around any holidays. With all the transition times, it takes about 1.5 hours to complete. We find it is a very satisfying family tradition.\nI have five children participating, so our rotation looks like this:\nFirst Rotation:\nChild #5 with Child #2 Child #4 with Child #1 Child #3 with Mom Second Rotation:\nChild #5 with Child #1 Child #4 with Mom Child #3 with Child #2 Third Rotation:\nChild #1 with Mom Child #4 with Child #2 Child #3 with Child #5 Fourth Rotation:\nChild #2 with Child #1 Child #4 with Child #3 Child #5 with Mom Fifth Rotation:\nChild #2 with Mom Child #4 with Child #5 Child #3 with Child #1 If you have more or fewer children participating, you will need to alter the schedule, but you will find that the “permutation” is an excellent math exercise in understanding combinations!\nA few tips:\nHold to the time limit, even if one pair wishes to extend the time. They can get together and continue after the permutation time. Help each pair choose a location and toy or focus before getting started. This will prevent any frustration or wasted time. We find this is a contention-free experience, even for siblings that may have been fighting together frequently. It helps them focus on things they enjoy together, and the time-limit is just long enough to get going, but not too long so as to start bickering. Happy Playtime to all of you!\noriginally published in LDSHE newsletter December 2015\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/playtime-permutations/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Playtime Permutations"},{"categories":null,"content":" Self-proclaimed “wrongologist” Kathryn Schulz writes a witty and compelling book about her unusual perspective on being wrong. The idea of error as bad, Schulz argues, “is our metamistake: we are wrong about what it means to be wrong. Far from being a sign of intellectual inferiority, the capacity to err is crucial to human cognition. Far from being a moral flaw, it is inextricable from some of our most humane and honorable qualities: empathy, optimism, imagination, conviction, and courage.” Embrace your mistakes and rejoice in the way they shape you, she says, for, if there is one thing we cancount on, it is that mistakes will happen.\nWhat does it look like to prepare our homeschool for mistakes?\nBe Good at Listening Start by listening to your children in a more complete, whole way. “In love, as in medicine, as in life more generally, listening is an act of humility. It says that other people’s ideas are interesting and important; that our own could be in error; that there is still plenty left for us to learn.” When you listen with this kind of attitude, children pick up on your respect. Schulz references the thoughtful remark of author Harville Hendrix, “[L]istening is one of the best ways we can make room in our lives for our own fallibility.” We must “listen and listen and listen and listen” if we hope to change our relationships for the better.\nBeing Wrong is a Natural and Ongoing Process Show your children that you are often wrong. “Wrongness is a natural and ongoing process, and we are not deformed but transformed by it.” Show your children that you are optimistic about how these errors will improve you. “In the optimistic model of wrongness, error is not a sign that our past selves were failures and falsehoods. Instead, it is one of those forces, like sap and sunlight, that imperceptibly helps another organic entity—us human beings—to grow up.” Create a safe harbor for mistakes, where your identity and self-image isn’t brought into crisis because something goes wrong. Schulz cautions us, “[W]e should be able to be wrong from time to time, and be at peace with other people’s occasional wrongness, and still love and be loved.” Making mistakes and being wrong does not make us unlovable people.\nBeing Wrong Is Inextricable From Learning For children, learning is often blended with being wrong. Schulz is convinced that children naturally learn well from mistakes. “Forming theories about the world, testing them, and figuring out where they went wrong is the very stuff of childhood. In fact it is, literally, child’s play.” A child’s learning is motivated by their theories, even when they aren’t correct. “Moreover, recent work in developmental psychology suggests that error might play the same role in the lives of children as it does in the lives of scientists—inspiring them to sit up and take notice, generate new theories, and try to understand what is going on around them. Being wrong, in other words, appears to be a key means by which kids learn, and one associated as much as anything with absorption, excitement, novelty, and fun.” Schulz isn’t making the claim that learning is contingent on error. Rather, she is encouraging us to incorporate the experience of being wrong to improve our momentum in learning.\nAccommodate Doubt Giving room for questions can actually improve our core beliefs. “The more we can accommodate ambivalence, counter-evidence, and doubt, the more stable our beliefs and identities will be.” Use doubt as a teacher, Schulz insists. To make this point, Schulz reminds her readers of Socrates’ teaching methods. “When Socrates taught his students, he didn’t try to stuff them full of knowledge. Instead, he sought to fill them with aporia: a sense of doubt, perplexity, and awe in the face of the complexity and contradictions of the world.” Yet, Schulz cautions, there are different kind of doubts—those of indecision, insecurity, apprehension, or indifference. This doubt as a teacher isn’t that kind of doubt. “This is an active, investigative doubt: the kind that inspires us to wander onto shaky limbs or out into left field; the kind that doesn’t divide the mind so much as multiply… the doubt of curiosity, possibility, and wonder.” This doubt will foster new ideas. By being willing to allow for queries, suspicions, and uncertainties, we create a situation that is kept fresh and full of awe.\nAllow Being Wrong To Change Us For the Better Remembering we were wrong in the past, and knowing we could easily be wrong again, “reminds us to treat other people with compassion, to honor them in their possible rightness as well as their inevitable, occasional wrongness.” Through our own erring nature, we are able to show kindness toward the mistakes of another. Also, we don’t have to believe they are flawed because of their inaccuracies and miscalculations. Schulz inspires our compassion. “Instead of taking their errors as a sign that they are ignorant or idiotic or evil, we can look to our own lives and reach the opposite conclusion: that they are, like us, just human.” We want to forgive in others what we find in ourselves. “Our mistakes, when we face up to them, show us both the world and the self from previously unseen angles, and remind us to care about perspectives other than our own.” Being wrong isn’t something to stop our world; it widens the view and enhances our vision.\nThe Human Mind Is Unique in Being Wrong Schulz suggests that we are formed by our errors. “Being wrong doesn’t just make us human in general; it also helps make each of us the specific person we are. In our inability to get things exactly right, in the idiosyncrasies of our private visions of the world, the outline of selfhood appears.” Basing her observations on evolutionary theory, Schulz argues that errors in the replication of the genetic sequence create the variations that allow the species as a whole to adapt and survive. “Such errors literally keep their hosts alive.”\nUse Humor Throughout the book, Schulz uses examples of mistakes that make you laugh out loud. She points out that “wrongness and comedy are entwined at the roots.” Some of our funniest jokes begin as mistakes. Consider this quote from Moliere: “The duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them.” Perhaps you may realize that humor and amusement like this can boost recovery from a mistake.\nThe Journey of a Wrongologist Reading this book may shift your perspective on your errors and those of your homeschooling efforts. “Being right may be gratifying, but in the end it is static, a mere statement. Being wrong is hard and humbling, and sometimes even dangerous, but in the end it is a journey, and a story….” I personally found it very encouraging to consider Schulz’s thoughtful, detailed examples of companies, communities, and people that had journeyed through large mistakes. Neither allow yourself to think you are always right nor to fall into paralysis with the fear of being wrong.\nFor more information on Being Wrong, visit beingwrongbook.com , or see author Karen Schulz’s TED talk.\noriginally published in the November-December 2015 VaHomeschoolers Voice\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/on-being-wrong/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"On Being Wrong"},{"categories":null,"content":"Canadian psychologist Gordon Neufeld has this to say about the mindset of socialization : “The belief is that socializing—children spending time with one another—begets socialization: the capacity for skillful and mature relating to other human beings. There is no evidence to support such an assumption, despite its popularity.” That sounds like the beginning of a well-written answer to the perennial question every homeschooler hears, “what do you do about socialization?” Though the book he authored with physician Gabor Mate, Hold On To Your Kids, does not mention homeschooling, the ideas will feel incredibly validating to many homeschoolers. Their take on the question of how children interact with peers and the importance of a nurturing family situation is a wake-up call to all parents.\nBy definition, our children’s peers are immature. That fact alone should be enough to give us pause before we let peer relationships become a primary influence, Hold On suggests. Though Neufeld does not encourage parents to eliminate all peer interactions, he does recommend we assure peer relationships are of a certain type: “The friendships we can welcome for our children are the ones that don’t draw them away from us.” Peer attachments are not the problem per se; it is when they compete with adult attachments that the problems emerge. The authors suggest parents do three things for effective parenting :\nRestore the context in which children are meant to be raised. Collect your children in each interaction. Find meaningful activities to do together. Restore The Context: Our Relationship In an interview with Sil Reynolds, Gordon Neufeld expounds on the life blood of parenting, “Many people think that discipline is the essence of parenting. But that isn’t parenting. Parenting is not telling your child what to do when they misbehave. Parenting is providing the conditions in which a child can realize his or her full human potential.” What a surprising definition of parenting! What does it take to help a child realize their full potential? Attachment, Neufeld answers, emphasizing senses, feelings, sameness, identification, belonging, and our significance. Our connected relationship provides the context for effective parenting.\nCollect To “collect” your children means that you get in their space in a friendly way. “At the very top of our agenda we must place the task of collecting our children—of drawing them under our wing, making them want to belong to us and with us.” Collect your children after any time of separation. Take the time to smile, nod, and make eye contact. “If we have a twinkle in our eye and some warmth in our voice, we invite connection that most children will not turn down.” Children must know that they are wanted, special, significant, valued, appreciated, missed, and enjoyed. In our family, we use this greeting, “here she is…and aren’t we glad…and isn’t she beautiful.” Who doesn’t want to smile after a greeting like that?\nFind Meaningful Activities to Do Together Above all, the authors recommend building a connection with your child that supersedes the mundane, everyday chores and responsibilities. Have something to talk with them about, something that brings you both excitement. Provide something for the child to hold on to. “Our challenge as parents is to provide an invitation that is too desirable and too important for a child to turn down, a loving acceptance.” Work on a project, go for a walk, play a game, cook together, read. Employ bedtime rituals like stories and songs. Build structures to protect the things that are most important to you, and curb the things that would take your children away from you. Safeguard family outings and holidays from interruptions. Set aside time to be with your children as you develop rituals to celebrate, play, and enjoy each other. An easy time to engage your family is at meals. “Attachment and eating go together. One facilitates the other.” Plan to have meals together. When you are engaged in or anticipating pleasurable time with one another, it can carry you through the momentary challenges of the day.\nNeufeld and Mate maintain some cautions about peer-orientation:\nGetting along with others does not automatically arise from peer contact Childhood friendships can pose problems Peers are not the solution We need to re-create an Attachment Village Getting along with others does not automatically arise from peer contact If a child is having trouble socially, some expect the child to improve with more social contact. “The real challenge is helping children to grow up to the point where they can benefit from their socializing experiences,” Neufeld argues. Once they are ready, it won’t take much to help them be “socialized,” he advises. “Very little socializing is required to refine the raw material once it is at the state of readiness.” The best answer is to have children in a loving relationship with their parents, he maintains.\nChildhood Friendships can Pose Problems It’s not just that peers can be troublesome, they actually can hinder natural maturation. The book notes that too many “peer-oriented relationships, like too much TV watching, interfere with developing a relationship with oneself. Until the child manifests the existence of a relationship with himself, he is not ready to develop genuine relationships with other kids. Much better for him to spend time interacting with nurturing adults or in creative play, on his own.” Perhaps by freeing up the time that would’ve been spent with peers, we are able to allow more of our child to emerge. “In our urgency for our children to socialize, we leave little time for our kids to be with us or to engage in the solitary, creative play…. We fill up their free time with play dates—or with videos, television, electronic games. We need to leave much more room for the self to emerge.”\nPeers are not the solution Sometimes we begin to imagine that having a good group of peers will cure our child’s problems. This attitude is what we need to avoid. “In our peer-crazy world, peers have become almost a panacea for whatever ails the child.” Have confidence in the child’s ability to develop as they come to know and understand themselves. Remember that peer interactions are not the cure for boredom. Nor do peers cure eccentricity. Most importantly, parents should not rely on peers to sustain a child’s self-esteem.\nRe-create the Attachment Village As parents, we need a strong supporting cast, and this is especially true of homeschoolers. We need attachment relationships with our children, and an “attachment village” for them to live in, which includes good peers without displacing parents. “We need to value our adult friends who exhibit an interest in our children and to find ways of fostering their relationships with them.” This kind of community is essential to creating our success.\nConclusion Neufeld argues beautifully for a sustained, continued relationship with our children to continue well into the teenage years. “We need to hold on to our children until our work is done. We need to hold on not for selfish purposes but so they can venture forth, not to hold them back but so they can fulfill their developmental destinies. We need to hold on to them until they can hold on to themselves.” This is what homeschooling is, at its heart, isn’t it? Creating a safe place to allow our children to reach their full potential.\nFor more information about Gordon Neufeld and his ideas:\nhttp://neufeldinstitute.com/ http://drgabormate.com/book/hold-on-to-your-kids/ Neufeld’s interview with Sil Reynolds, Gordon Neufeld explains more of his ideas as quoted on the Omega Website originally published in 2016 May issue of VOICE\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/hold-on-to-your-kids/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Hold on to Your Kids"},{"categories":null,"content":" Love of Learning I want to raise children that say “I love reading” and “I am good at math.” I want my children to believe that learning happens all the time, not just in the hours at a school desk. I never want them to ask, “Will this be on the test?” or “Do we have to learn this?” I want them to experience the flow that comes from full engagement and intrinsic motivation. I want them to constantly have a list of things they can’t wait to learn more about. I want to be there with them when their eyes light up with delight as they learn to read, multiply double digits, or successfully identify the prepositional phrase.\nEffective Use of Time Even the strongest supporters of public school agree with the criticism that time is not effectively used in public school. Waiting in line, waiting for the group, waiting for materials, waiting your turn. All children, even kindergartners, have nearly the same length of school day, despite differences in emotional and physical needs. We can structure our day so that the schedule meets the needs we have. We can take a nap, take an outing, have a break for physical activity or keep on learning. Why cram all your living in the four hours after school and before bed? Why cram all the fun of summer into the short summer vacations? A more balanced lifestyle is possible by mindfully planning your owns time. Homeschooling means time for childhood play and childhood pleasure while achieving essential goals\nMeaningful Work Meaningless worksheets and check-the-box activities with jump-through-the-hoop milestones are not part of our life. We do things that matter. We follow our interests passionately. We demonstrate our thorough learning through a portfolio that describes us as humans, not just test scores. Imagine teen years with apprenticeships and specialization that involve her best talents. Imagine childhood building rockets and creating dollhouses. We have the chance to spend our time on things that matter.\nFreedom to Customize I want to teach my children subjects they are ready for when they are ready for them. I want to customize the learning to suit their aptitudes and abilities. If they are ready for multiplication at age 6, that’s when we’ll teach it. If they still need fraction review for three years, we can do that as well. This is focused on their individual needs. I can consider them without asking for a committee’s approval. No holding back. No pressure to stay up to the class.\nSelective Environment I can surround my family with people that are optimistic and cheerful and a joy to be with. We don’t have to endure bullies. We don’t have to endure medicore (or worse) teachers. I can choose where we learn and who we partner with in our learning. This is usually the reason most people raise against homeschooling. Many believe that we need to be forced into diverse groups as part of our learning. We need all kinds of people in this world, certainly. I am teaching my children that it is possible to regulate your growth through regulating your environment. An essential life skill is learning to find your tribe and learning to thrive in your situation. I am teaching them to tailor their situation to emphasize their strengths.\noriginally Published in VOICE September 2014\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/posts/why-we-homeschool/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"Why We Homeschool"},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/manifest.json","tags":null,"title":""},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/search/_index.de/","tags":null,"title":""},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/search/_index.es/","tags":null,"title":""},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/search/_index.fr/","tags":null,"title":""},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/search/_index.hi/","tags":null,"title":""},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/search/_index.jp/","tags":null,"title":""},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/search/_index.nl/","tags":null,"title":""},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/search/_index.pl/","tags":null,"title":""},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/search/_index.ru/","tags":null,"title":""},{"categories":null,"content":"","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/search/_index.zh-cn/","tags":null,"title":""},{"categories":null,"content":"In 2018 I taught AP Chemistry to 10 homeschool high school students in my home. None of them had previously taken a Chemistry course, and our pace was rigorous. Seven of the students ultimately chose to take the exam, and I was proud of all of them for their hard work. Though, many of the parents and students were very frustrated with the speed of our class.\nWe expected a minimum of six hours each week of homework. The students were asked to self-score their preparation. If their preparation was insufficient more than twice in eight weeks, they would not be allowed to continue in the class.\nWe met for two hours once a week for 30 weeks. We could\u0026rsquo;ve used three times as much time together. Most of our time together was spent on lab work. We needed more time for our homework and lecture. I used Canvas to coordinate our assignments, but had students turn in their homework on paper each week.\nTextbook Chemistry the Central Science by Brown, Lemay, Bursten, Murphy, and Woodward. 12th edition. I was so grateful for the solutions manual!\nMany teachers choose to start with the chapters on the Periodic table rather than starting at the beginning. We actually chose to start with chapter 1. Since my students had not previously taken a Chemistry course, they were drowning.\nReview Books Barron’s Get whatever edition is newest. I disliked their practice questions and the amount of subject matter that isn\u0026rsquo;t tested, yet I do like the cumulative review and their well done explanations with pictures. REA My daughter loved this review book! She read it through in March and made a whole bunch of things to hang up on my walls and mirror and door. This really helped her to have reminders of AP Chem stuff in places she usually looks. I recommend that you learn all the topics from somewhere else and then use this book only as review. The author doesn\u0026rsquo;t go into in-depth explanations, instead, he outlines all you need to know. Lab CK01A Home Scientist Kit This lab kit is meant for only one or two students. We supplemented the lab materials with extra test tubes, goggles, and materials from some of the families in our co-op. There were plenty of chemicals to do the experiments. We typically did the work in three teams of three or four students each.\nOnline Resources Bozeman Science I don\u0026rsquo;t think you should watch all of them, but do watch the videos for topics you are struggling on. I, for example, watched many of the kinetics and thermodynamics videos and found it really helped.\nCrash Course This is by far the best video set for AP Chem. Watch them! I watched the entropy and enthalpy videos quite a lot and it really helped me.\nAdrian Dingle Multiple Choice has good information, supported by topic.\nVarsity tutors I found I really struggled with online practice tests so I did not use very many of these\nQuestion of the day which I HIGHLY recommend doing throughout the year. (https://www.practicequiz.com/ap-chemistry-exam-prep/question-of-the-day or http://www.learnapchemistry.com/potd/problem.php )\nKhan Academy I didn\u0026rsquo;t find super helpful but sometimes I would use this.\nAlbert.io If I had unlimited budget I totally would have purchased an account, since I liked the free sample questions. Even without that unlimited budget still check them out. They cost $40 for access, which seems like a lot.\nPlainfield AP Chem Even though his videos don\u0026rsquo;t have lots of views, I felt they were very informative. Pleasure Reading Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean\nElements by Theodore Gray\nStudy Strategies and Extra Tips From My Child Keep up with your homework!\nDo stoichiometry in your sleep.\nNo need for flashcards, but do post notes of key concepts around the house: on your mirror, on your bed frame, in your closet.\nBe familiar with your Periodic table and the equation sheet you are given.\nKnow how to do your experiments; do your labs!\nKnow how to do quick mental math but don\u0026rsquo;t stress about it. Even though you can’t have a calculator on the multiple choice portion, it was OK.\nPractice multiple choice and a lot of Free Response. I did a Free Response section once a week for the two months preceding the test.\nKnow your fundamentals: Lewis Structures, Bonding Properties and Periodic Trends. Focus on a couple areas and become super confident in them( i.e. Rate laws, Thermodynamics, Bonding…)\nDo not underestimate the multiple choice, the have the same weight as your Free Response.\nMost of all: Start reviewing early!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/ap-chemistry/","tags":["Mindset"],"title":"AP Chemistry"},{"categories":null,"content":" This is our choice for first AP test, and we\u0026rsquo;ve done it Freshman year. This is a good class if you like art already, but it is actually more of a history course. My children really enjoyed the study.\nAs far as AP prep goes, there are fewer online resources and review books available. Part of this problem is that Art History just got revamped in 2016 and it\u0026rsquo;s not a very popular test: only 18,500 took it in 2021.\nOnline resources Khan Academy Favorite Online Resource*\nSmarthistory videos: LOVED them. Not good for review, but awesome for practicing analysis and memorizing. List of Required works Ahimay we watched all over her Art videos and loved how she analyzed.\nAlbert.io If we had unlimited budget we totally would have purchased an account. Even if you don\u0026rsquo;t purchase the account, their sample questions are very helpful.\nTextbooks and Review Books Story of Art by Gombrich Despite the 6 million copies sold, I would not recommend as your AP Art history book since it is so focused on European Art. Though, it did do a good job of analyzing art.\nExtra Reading Fun books that add an extra dimension of personalities to the history, but don\u0026rsquo;t actually help prep for the test. Forger\u0026rsquo;s Spell Agony and the Ecstasy\nBarron’s I really like how they included the images, though the practice questions were lower quality. I did end up creating all my flashcards from the book.\nREA Images not included; not very well written.I would recommend just getting the Barron\u0026rsquo;s book.\nLooking into other review books? Check out Alberto’s Article.\nStudy Strategies and Extra Tips Visit as many art pieces as you can. Because we live right next to DC we took many field trips to visit as many as we could. One of the coolest visits was going to the National Gallery West Building’s Engraving and Printing collection to see the Coiffure by Mary Cassatt . If you have the chance to visit your local art museum, do it! Even if they don\u0026rsquo;t have pieces on the AP test, you can practice with the tour guide analyzing art. Map of locations of AP Art History pieces.\nOver the summer we went through most of Khan Academy AP Art History list and learned most of the images. This was super helpful, because it made the rest of the year mostly review. Watch videos!\nPractice comparing art in writing and just talking it through.\nDo lots of practice tests and especially practice time management on the Free Response.\nPick one art piece in each section and really study and have an in-depth knowledge. Do these activities from Valerie Park: Research Papers, Greatest Artist, and Timeline. We didn’t end up using her other materials, as they were mostly applicable to her specific classroom environment.\nAnd most of all Flashcards! Do them, just by writing the information down you can remember so much. Do not underestimate them!\n","permalink":"https://3fa31825.homeschooling-blog.pages.dev/ap-at-home/art-history/","tags":null,"title":"Art History"}]