Halloween Biology

This Halloween you can opt out of the ghosts and goblins, but still use the gory spirit of the season to your advantage in your home school. You can learn about the human body. Create a lapbook or a small book reporting on the different systems or just on a particular system.

• Study the skeletal system. Construct your own skeletons and name the major bones in the body. Dissect a whole fish from the grocery story and investigate its skeleton. Learn about x-rays. Research calcium and how it is absorbed.
• Study the heart. In your book you can name the parts of the heart, include a mini report on Dr. Daniel Hale Williams (the first heart surgeon), include data from heart rate experiments, etc.
• Study hematology. Blood is quite gory! Learn about red and white blood cells and about how blood coagulates. Investigate blood typing. Contact the Red Cross to find out more about blood donation.

The ideas are endless, but hopefully this will get you thinking outside of the box. Have fun!

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Encouraging Our Friends Considering Homeschooling

I have been talking with a good friend of mine about homeschooling. She and her husband both feel that God is calling them to home educate their children. He is completely on board with the idea. She is not so sure. She has been dabbling in it for the last few months and has had quite a bit of success. She has a couple of concerns about it, though. I wonder if you have had these same concerns at one time or another. Perhaps you can provide some encouragement.

“I don’t want the kids to be weird.” I think that many people feel that homeschooled children are a little different from children who are educated in private or public schools, and people do not view these differences very positively. Lots of people view homeschooled kids as lacking social skills. They think that these children dress out of the ordinary and are awkward. My take on this concern is that we as parents need to equip our children to live in this world, but to not be of this world (1 John 2:15-17) because we are strangers in a strange land. We need to give our children the tools to navigate our culture, but also instill in them our values. That may mean that in your family it is acceptable for your children to wear fashionable clothing that falls under certain parameters. It may mean that your children are allowed to watch particular popular television shows and read certain books that their friends read. However, that may also mean that your children miss out on events or other opportunities that their peers who attend public or private school are allowed to participate in. That could happen if your children were not homeschooled, though. Your rules may be different than other parents’ rules, but it may have nothing to do with where your children are educated. Honestly, I think home educated children have better social skills from the kinds of experiences they have in the world and by how they are coached by their parents since their parents spend that much more time with them.

“I don’t want to be judged by people who disagree with home education.” This is a difficult one, especially if you feel like you are being judged by other Christians. There are plenty of people who have misconceptions about why families choose to homeschool their children. No matter what you do, people will judge you, though. People have opinions, and they feel very strongly about those opinions. However, for most people, those opinions are based on very limited experiences. It is difficult to judge whether one family’s choice is better than another’s based on your own family’s needs. How could you do that? All children are unique and created by God to be that way. The fact is that we are all sinners, and many of us fall prey to the sin of judging others. If you have prayed about what God wants you to educate your children and you feel called to homeschooling them, then you need to be confident in that choice. All we can do is pray for those who are judging us. A sense of humor helps, too, along with a witty come back.

Are you considering home education? What are your concerns? What have people said to you about homeschooling?

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Are Home Educated Children at a Disadvantage?

Are homeschooled kids at a disadvantage? That is an interesting question that I have been pondering a reasonably good answer to for a while, and the idea just resurfaced when I received an e-mail from the editor from Opposing Views. It has forced me to think about that idea again. This post does not cover all of the reasons that I believe that home educated children are not disadvantaged but actually at an advantage; this post is just the tip of the iceberg.

Families choose to homeschool their children for many reasons. Some want to provide a safe learning environment, or parents homeschool because they feel they can meet their children’s needs better than a public or even a private school. There are families who suppliment home education with services from public school. Other families choose to homeschool for religious reasons. Whatever the reason is, families are equipping their children for the real world through home education. They are doing it successfully, too, and there is research to back that statement.

The data cannot unequivocally prove that the positive results seen in home educated children are directly caused by their experiences in their home schools. I have to wonder, though, what else could be the cause of such positive results? Home education happens in the context of real life with people who are committed to their children. Who knows your children better than you do? The curriculum is tailored to meet a particular child’s needs. Children are offered learning opportunities that are delivered in ways that address their individual learning styles. Homeschools offer a tutoring situation. Imagine if you had a personal tutor all throughout your schooling!

Many people are concerned about the quality of the education provided in home schools. Unlike public and private schools, home schools offer flexibility so families can take advantage of learning opportunities that the children might otherwise miss out on. A family can go on field trips that offer real experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom. Parents can also decide what their children learn, how long to study something, and what time of day works best for the children to complete assignments. If a child gets engrossed in a lesson, s/he can continue that work for as long as is necessary since there aren’t the same time constraints in the home school as in the classroom. Lesson plans can also be abandoned more easily if a child has already mastered a particular skill, if s/he is not ready for that work, or even if the lesson just is not working.

Socialization is one other thing that people bring up when I talk about home education, which I find interesting. Today many of our children spend the majority of their time with child care workers, teachers, coaches, and their peers instead of time with their families. Bullying, violence, and teen pregnancy are just a few of the issues that are causing problems for our children in public and private schools. Children’s interactions with each other are being shaped by their peers or other adults who do not necessarily share the family’s morals and values. However, the center of a home school is the family with siblings learning together and families spending exponentially more time together than children who are educated outside the home. Parents have more time to shape their children’s social experiences and have more opportunities to impart their values on their children. Homeschoolers provide all kinds of social situations for their children just not exactly the same ones that public and private school children have. Home educated children have time outside of the family while they participate in church activities, service opportunities, and co-ops.

I ask you, what are the disadvantages?

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Why Homeschool?

My hubby and I were watching the season finale of “So You Think You Can Dance”. (I am so incredibly behind on my tv shows these days, and thanks to Tivo I am catching up). Nigel Lithgoe was dancing with a group of children, and there was some genuine camaraderie between him and the children. I began reminiscing about my days as a classroom teacher. That particular moment reminded me of what I had always wanted as a teacher - to have a group of kids that I truly felt a special bond with. I wanted to be one of those teachers who changed the world one group of kids at a time like the teacher in the movie Stand and Deliver. Nigel’s moment with those kids stirred that memory for me for some reason. Why did I let that go?

In the middle of my dreamy state I realized that I have something better than that kind of experience now. Instead of bonding with someone else’s children for just one school year, I have my own children to bond with for a lifetime. Instead of being limited to a certain curriculum and schedule, I can decide with my children what we will learn about. (Yes, I do mean “we”. I learn along side of my children.) We can take our time to learn. I can take my kids on field trips to any place that I feel is educationally worthy. And in the middle of it all, I am able to spend time with my children. I am making memories with them, and I am enjoying them while they are young. I am influencing my children. I am giving them the greatest gift I can think of - the love of Jesus. Why wouldn’t I homeschool them?!

My struggle with the idea of home education is that sometimes it feels like a burden to me. Being the parent and being the teacher is a lot of responsibility. Deciding on our curriculum is a big responsibility. Staying organized and committed to doing work every day is difficult. The burden of explaining why I am homeschooling and how my children benefit from home education makes me uneasy. Then I read about everything happening in California with homeschooling and read up on the presidential candidates’ opinions of home education, and I get overwhelmed. Why would I homeschool my children?!

When I see myself doubting, I have to remember what I want for my family. I want my children to love God and to feel loved. I want my children to have great memories from their growing up years. I want my children to grow closer to each other. I want my children to have positive role models and to be safe at school. I want my children to know their parents and see how we navigate life in this fallen world yet still love Jesus. Who else can give them that? Why wouldn’t I homeschool?

My little pep talks usually get me back on track.

I think again about my goals for my children. I remember how I know that my children imitate me - whether the behavior is good or bad - and they imitate people they look up to. I want to be the model that they follow, not someone else who does not have a lifetime invested in them. I want to be the person they ask about the big questions in life, not someone else who doesn’t understand our values. I know that teachers have the best intentions and do wnat what they think is the best for their students. However, they are employees of the school system they work in. They have to comply with the school’s goals. They want the best for my children, but they are not my children’s parents. They will not care nearly as much about my children’s well-being as I do despite their best intentions. Why wouldn’t I homeschool?

My head spins when I think again about the responsibility. It would be easier for me to allow the schools to educate my children, and if we need something, then I would be able to say that the school has to help us. As a homeschooler, I have to be more vigilant about my children’s needs and take a different role than a typical mother. Talk about intimidating! Then I remember that I do not have to go it alone. God is ultimately in charge, and if I believe, I will see Him do the impossible. (Jeremiah 32:27) I do not have to educate my children on my own. God is right here. Nothing is impossible for God! I can offer my life as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and watch Him do the rest! Why wouldn’t I homeschool?

I can be like the teacher in “Stand and Deliver”. I can have that special bond with my own children and change the world one group of kids at a time. Why wouldn’t I homeschool?

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Home School Handwriting without Worksheets

The beauty of home education is flexibility. You are free to try different teaching strategies to meet your children’s particular learning needs. I prefer to limit worksheets. They do have a place, and we do use them, but I want to engage my children in more active learning that is fun. It is also hard to motivate me and the kids to do repetitive practice that can be very boring. If you have an unmotivated, kinesthetic, or tactile learner, it can be particularly difficult to get him/her to do all of the practice that will help achieve mastery of skills.

This summer we have been practicing  handwriting and have tried to practice without using worksheets. These strategies are quite useful and fun. Most of these ideas are great for unmotivated, kinesthetic, and tactile learners.

• Use several pieces of string to form a letter. Trace over the string as you say the name of the letter. Sometimes I talk about the direction that your finger goes as we are moving along the letter. You could do the same thing with spelling.
• We use tub crayons to write all of the letters that we know. We write both capital and lower case letters. We try writing the letters in different colors and sizes.
• We form letters with play dough. All of the rolling, smoothing, a movement helps my kinesthetic and tacticle kids stay engaged in the work. (Try making numbers, too.)
• Write letters in the sandbox using your finger or a stick. It is less intimidating because you can easily smooth the sand if you make a mistake. This is a great strategy for kids who are perfectionists.
• We have a “magic wand” to write letters in the sky. Ours is filled with colorful sand and sparkly stars that float in some liquid. I think that watching the floating things is good for developing eye tracking skills and adds visual interest. Any kind of pointer that looks magical and fancy will do, though. Girls in particular like the magic wand.
• Finger paint is another way of getting tactile learners involved in handwriting. You can mix colors and make the letters any size you like. It also works for the artist in your family.
• We use sidewalk chalk for handwriting practice. If you are like me and can’t find a place for all of the practice the kids do, the rain washes away the work. I think that the resistance also helps build certain muscles.
• Make the shape of a letter with your body. It highlights all of the parts of the letter so on paper the kids include all of the parts. This is particularly good for kinesthetic learners.
• We have a foam alphabet floor puzzle that has different textures on it. We trace those letters while laying on the puzzle. This position also helps build arm muscles and helps with motor control. The colors and the textures add interest and helps the kids remember the work.

Have fun with handwriting!

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God is Pleased and Home Educates Us

Home schooling means that you are intimately involved in every part of your child’s education. You see your child’s failures, missteps, and victories while you homeschool. All parents are proud of their children when they learn a new skill or solve a problem, but parents who home educate cannot help but feel an enormous sense of pride in their children’s accomplishments. It’s as if you the parent accomplished something when really it is the child who has. However, in a home school the parent has a lot to be proud of because you have also done a lot of work. You have invested much of your time, energy, and love into your child’s education. Your home school is an investment. Your child is your treasure. You invest in your treasure. Watching the fruit of your labor fills you with joy.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17

God was pleased with His son, Jesus, because he submitted to His authority. Jesus followed God’s plan for him. If you as a mere human can feel so overwhelmingly proud of your child’s accomplishments, can you imagine how God felt about His son, His good and perfect son, Jesus? He had to tell the whole world that He was pleased with His son. That just reminds me of how important it is to see that Jesus is my example to follow. God is well pleased with His son; I should emulate Jesus’ life and be more Christ-like by submitting to God’s authority. I want to please God in a way that will make Him want to announce it to the whole world!

Here God’s teaching style applies to the home school. In this passage, God spoke to the people, which happens so rarely in the Bible, so we know that He has something important to say. God also gained everyone’s attention for His announcement. Here He used two means of getting people’s attention: His voice and visuals (the image of a dove and lighting). God’s example shows me how to do the same in my home school. First, visuals are key, so meaningful images that highlight important concepts make an impact . Also using your voice in unexpected ways calls attention.

God is pleased with His son and announces that to the world, but gets everyone’s attention when He makes His point. I am certainly pleased with my children, but God is well pleased with His son. I want Him to be well pleased with me. Like my God I will make sure I have everyone’s attention when I make an important point.

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