Learn to Write while Using Excellence in Literature

I enjoyed talking with homeschool moms at the recent conference in Memphis (one of the Great Homeschool Conventions– if there’s going to be one near you, don’t miss it!). Several questions cropped up more than once, and I’ll try to answer them here over the next few posts.

Can you use Excellence in Literature if your student hasn’t formally studied essay writing? Read more

Should You Teach Literature and History in Chronological Order?

With the focus outlined in the previous posts, “Homeschoolers: What’s the Least You Need to Teach?,” and ”What is Cultural Literacy and How Can it Help You Homeschool?,” most curriculum choices become simpler. Your students will practice the Four Foundational Skills* as you study classic literature, history, art and music, science, logic and mathematics, and rhetoric.

There’s not just one curriculum available, of course. There are many, with a wide variety of approaches. I suggest you review as many as possible and choose the one that suits your family. However, there’s one big question I hear when moms are trying to choose what to teach. Many wonder how important it is to study history and literature in chronological order? Expert opinions range from “absolutely necessary for best understanding” to “it doesn’t really matter.”
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What is Cultural Literacy? And How Can it Help You Homeschool?

Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull: The cultural literacy of the founding fathers made this scene possible.

Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull: The cultural literacy of the founding fathers made this scene possible.

In the last post, we talked about knowing the very least you need to teach. The basics of cultural literacy hold the key to laying a solid foundation. If you have no idea what “cultural literacy” means, you’re not alone. You can find many definitions, but here’s one to start with: To be culturally literate is to understand the history and concepts that underlie a culture, and to be able to converse fluently in the allusions and informal content of that culture. For purposes of this post, the culture I’m writing about is Western civilization.*

Much has been written on cultural literacy, and many people have attempted to define what it includes. E.D. Hirsch’s best-selling Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know is an excellent introduction to the importance of cultural literacy, and it includes a list of things that an educated person should be familiar with.

The key concept that makes cultural literacy an attainable goal is “familiarity.” In order to be culturally literate, you need to be familiar with all manner of things, from Waterloo, Hamlet and “Call me Ishmael,” to the Wife of Bath, the Magna Carta, Tutankhamen, the Pythagorean Theorem and 1066. To be familiar with something is far different from being an expert in it, and it’s entirely manageable.

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Homeschoolers: What’s the Least You Need to Teach?

The Music Lesson by Johannes (Jan) Vermeer c. 1662-65

The Music Lesson by Johannes (Jan) Vermeer c. 1662-65

Do you ever feel a bit overwhelmed at the thought of teaching your student everything he or she needs to know for life? I know it happens, because I often talk with parents who are feeling a bit desperate because their child is either not “getting it” or not interested in school. The parent usually worries that little Fred will be locked into a “Would you like fries with that?” lifestyle, and it will be all their fault for not sending him to a nice traditional school where he would have been fascinated by everything the brilliant teachers shared. Or not.

A serious reality check will probably help you recall your own fascination with the academic side of school, and your diligence at pursuing all the extra bits of information that your teachers seemed to find so important. A further dose of reality will probably remind you that your learning didn’t stop when you received your high school diploma. You probably went on to learn work/career skills, parenting, French, computer skills, and all sorts of things you didn’t imagine you’d ever need while you were in school. Read more

Set Priorities for the New Year

I love the beginning of a new year. I like it so much that I’ve even designated a secondary “new year” in June so that I can begin afresh at least twice a year! Here’s how you can make your personal New Year a time of renewal and refreshment.

Look Back, Look Forward

vermeer_-the_milkmaid-smAs you think through the following questions, you may want to journal your answers. If you’re a perfectionist, please don’t get stalled in finding the perfect journaling notebook and the right color pen before you can get started (and don’t ask how I know that this can be a hang-up!). You may even want to blog about some of the answers (if you do, please leave a comment and link in the comment section, so that other readers can find you). Don’t feel that you have to write a lot, but try to answer all the questions.

Three Priorities

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Carnival of Homeschooling: Making Time for Things That Matter- 2011 Planning

Are you ready for 2011? For the last Carnival of Homeschooling for 2010, we have a loose collection of posts under the general topic of Making Time for Things that Matter. I find that the beginning of a new year is a good time to reflect on the year just past and think ahead to what we’d like to see happen in the new year. At the very least, it’s a good time to count blessings!
Carnival of Homeschooling

The post I’d like to share from my Taking Time for Things that Matter blog is from earlier this month, and it’s called Plan to Live Life on Purpose. It followed an article on Impact: Making Time for Things that Matter, which you may also find helpful.

In Weed It And Reap, Nancy offers encouragement for homeschool moms who are just beginning or are feeling overwhelmed at Sage Parnassus, a blog with a focus on books, education, and encouragement in the Charlotte Mason tradition.

Jill has shared Binding Books Beautifully ~ Motivating Reluctant Writers at Sweet Diva. Learn how to motivate reluctant writers (and encourage eager writers) with a hands-on book making project!

In My Arms Were Too Short to Box with God, Letty Brown offers a very personal look at her journey into homeschooling at The Bold and the Fabulous. Read more

How Do You Socialize a Homeschooled Child?

It’s amazing that this question still comes up, but I guess it does. I hope you enjoy this brief, funny video! (Scroll down a bit.)

Plan to Live Life on Purpose


Warm and at peace...

Warm and at peace...

As we approach the end of 2010, my thoughts turn toward the coming year. I like to spend some quiet time looking back at the year we’ve just lived– its joys and sorrows, its milestones and hurdles– and meditate on what I’ve learned, and where I need to go. As I think through these things, I begin planning for next year. Planning and setting goals helps me live life on purpose, making time for things that matter, rather than letting life just happen.

Wikipedia defines a goal as “a projected state of affairs that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.” Goals are not a to-do list, but rather a snapshot of your vision for a desired outcome. Therefore, it’s important to have a very clear picture of what you want to achieve before you set any goals. For many years I have used mission statements to guide my yearly goal-setting, and those statements provide a vision of what I want individual goals to accomplish.

Mission Statements

Mission statements can be long or short, but I’ve found that for most people a short, memorable mission statement works best. I prefer to have short, separate mission statements for each of my life roles– mother, wife, daughter, writer, teacher, friend. Here’s my “Mom Mission” statement: “I will create a loving, serene, creative environment that encourages personal and spiritual growth in a warm, nurturing family.” Notice that the mission addresses the “being” part of our family. Goals will address the “doing” end of things.

Goals

Once you have a mission statement that captures your vision for a particular area of life, outline up to three goals in that area. It’s important to create just a few realistic goals or you’ll feel overwhelmed and never get started. For instance, goals for my Mom Mission have varied over the years, but usually included daily quiet time, nurturing dinner table conversations, and a focus on home-centered activities. Goals are not tasks– those come next!

The Plan

In order to meet goals, you’ll need to create a plan for making it happen. Ask yourself what needs to happen in order to meet your goals. Is there something you need to make, buy, move, repurpose, or change? Do you need to revise your daily schedule (or create one) in order to make time for something new? What do you need to communicate to your children, and how will you do so? List what you need to do in order to achieve the goal, and estimate how long it might take to accomplish it.

For example, if you want to begin having a daily quiet time for each person in the family, decide where each person’s quiet time spot will be (everyone needs to have a separate space, even if it’s just tucked behind a sofa or under the dining room table). Make a list of the kinds of activities that are permitted during quiet time– I always allowed naps, reading, writing, drawing, clay, or quiet building blocks, and share the list with everyone.

If you’ve never done quiet time with your family, briefly explain what you’re doing and why. Share the idea with joy and enthusiasm so they’ll understand that it’s something wonderful for everyone. If you meet with resistance, simply move forward, being pleasant but firm. Remember, you’re the mom!

Living life on purpose takes planning, but making time for things that matter means being flexible. Once you’ve established your vision and goals, remember that the long-term mission is more important than the stort-term task list. If you take your eyes off the goal of a loving, serene, creative environment, you might find yourself snapping at children who interrupt while you’re virtuously rearranging the house to accomodate quiet time. It’s often harder to live the fruit of the spirit than it is to complete a to-do list, but your mission statement can keep you focused.

Review: The Struggling Reader Assessments and Teaching Materials

The Struggling Reader Phonics Assessment and Teaching Materials

The Struggling Reader Phonics Assessment and Teaching Materials

Reading is not only the foundation for academic success, it can also be a source of joy and delight. If you’re teaching a student who struggles with reading, reading may even become a source of stress for the whole family. Whatever it is for your family, it’s something that can’t be ignored. I know that reading well can transform a student’s life, so I’ve spend the last couple of months reviewing William and Kristen Eckenwiler’s The Struggling Reader system.

There are five key elements that must be present in reading instruction in order for a student to read well. These are phonemic awareness (the ability to distinguish between sounds), phonics, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. Many programs focus on one or another of these areas, but The Struggling Reader system takes a structured approach to assessing strengths and weaknesses, then addressing them through targeted learning activities.

The system includes focused assessments for each of the five reading essentials, plus a wide array of engaging instructional activities, many with a kinesthetic (hands-on) component. Activities are generally short and simple and most can be done with one or more students at a time. For each assessment, there are instructions for how to administer the test, including where to begin and where to stop, based on the child’s responses. Each of the components is accompanied by a brief (10-15 minute) audio introduction of the material to help you understand what it is and how to use it.

The importance of these assessments cannot be understated. Instead of piling on extra workbooks, more drills, or switching curriculums when a student struggles, a parent is able to pinpoint exactly what areas are causing difficulty, then turn directly to the specific brief, enjoyable learning activities that will help the child progress. It’s possible to hire a reading specialist to administer these type of assessments and create a program tailored for the child, but it’s extremely expensive. The Struggling Reader places the tools for diagnosis and learning directly in the parent’s hands, making it possible for homeschool families to work more effectively with children who struggle with reading.

I corresponded with one parent who used the system, and asked her for feedback on how she had used The Struggling Reader with her daughter. She wrote, ”It was helpful to discover just where Amy had holes. And we did spend more time concentrating on those areas. I began to realize that a lot of Amy’s issues were because she wasn’t consistently focusing as we worked through regular materials. When I pointed out an area as one we had to work on and get creative with (keys to keeping her focused) she improved. At the end of the school year I tested her through the same Struggling Reader materials and the size of the pack of words she had trouble with was reduced by at least 3/4 of the deck.”

The Eckenwilers, both credentialed reading specialists with advanced degrees, homeschool their own sons. They understand that parents don’t necessarily have all day to focus on one child, nor are they likely to have the specialized vocabulary needed to understand the terms that reading specialists use. Each book provides definitions of uncommon terms, detailed instructions for administering assessments (including suggestions designed to put the child at ease), and plain English explanations for instructional activities. The Struggling Reader offers no busy-work; just targeted, focused activities that directly address the child’s specific needs.

I believe that reading is the most important academic skill we teach our students. Students must learn to read well before they can read to learn, so it’s important to create a nourishing home environment where books are read and enjoyed, ideas are discussed, and written and spoken communication is a natural part of everyday life. If you’ve created that strong foundation and your child still struggles with learning to read, there’s usually a discoverable cause. In The Struggling Reader system, the Eckenwilers have provided the tools for diagnosis, and the means for teaching what is needed. I recommend it.

You can learn more about The Struggling Reader at the Eckenwiler’s website: www.TheStrugglingReader.com

*Note: Review materials provided by the publisher.

Making Time for Things that Matter: Where’s the Impact?

I had the opportunity to speak on Making Time for Things that Matter at the Ultimate Homeschool Expo last week, and I’ve also been reading a book called Eternal Impact: Investing in the Lives of Others by Phil Downer. Although Eternal Impact isn’t focused on family relationships, one of the key ideas–significance–in it applies beautifully to the idea of making time for things that matter.

Because “school” is such a big part of homeschooling, it’s easy to get bogged down in details– what curriculum to use, how many math problems to do each day, how to motivate little Ebenezer to prefer phonics to Legos. The big picture, the key to lasting significance, sometimes slips into the background.

Phil Downer defines significance as “making a difference in the lives of people over time.” The biggest idea I try to convey when I talk to homeschooling moms is that children remember atmosphere more than activities. It’s more important to create a home in which there is love, respect, and a united purpose to build strong relationships, than it is to be super-busy, part of every co-op, sports, or ministry opportunity, or to keep house to Ritz-Carlton standards.

There are many good things you can do, but what are the best things? What will have a lasting impact on your family? In the definition of “significance,” note the phrase “over time.” As your family grows together, your home will take on its own individual atmosphere.

You’ll understand what I mean about atmosphere when you think back to your own childhood, and visiting your friends’ homes. When you walked in the door, what did you notice? Did the house seem welcoming and warm? Was your friend’s mom easy-going and kind, or did she bark at her children (and maybe even you)? Was the home extreme in some way– cold and sterile or packed to the ceiling with clutter? Which homes did you most enjoy visiting?

I believe that home atmosphere is one of the key ways that homeschooling moms can create significance in the lives of their children. The atmosphere I’m talking about isn’t related to the size or cost of your home, nor is it affected by the curriculum you choose, or the church you attend.

It’s an atmosphere that you purpose to create that allows your children to walk in the door and relax, knowing that they’re unconditionally loved and accepted, and they’re in a place where they can freely ask questions, share joys and griefs, and learn to be the individuals they were created to be. As Charlotte Mason said, “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.” Homeschool moms have a unique opportunity to impact their children’s lives for both time and eternity. With the big picture in mind, it becomes possible.

I’ll be sharing more on this idea soon.

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