Make Books, Books, Books

Children of all ages love to "publish" their own books. Books create a permanent record of his or her progress. Creating one's own book requires a variety of skills including organizing one's thoughts, drafting, writing, drawing (or painting, etc.), designing, layout, and bookbinding. Best of all, a self-published book instills a sense of pride each time it is brought out and shared. Create a library of home-published books.

Unschooling: Reading - All Day?

Most in-school reading is controlled by teachers who assign chapter-by-chapter segments of fiction or textbooks. When children are free to read, they become excited about a book and often want to read it straight through. Let them!

Rather than interrupt your child´s reading to practice multiplication tables, for instance, wait until he or she is tired of reading or finishes the book. And, make sure that you have plenty of high-quality reading material available at home.

Eclectic Sample Schedule

Monday
FMath: Make a trip to the grocery store, with child totaling the bill and budgeting with the calculator.
FPenmanship: Copy poems from a favorite book.
FGeography: Plan a trip to Washington, DC, using travel brochures and maps.
FSpelling: Play Scrabble.
FOutside Class: Child might have a series of classes away from home such as dance, music or art.

Tuesday
FMath: Spend 20 minutes or so calculating how far it is to Alpha Centauri.
FAmerican History: Read "The Men Who Built the Railroad Across America" from American Adventures, Pt.1 by Morrie Greenberg, and then watch the Kaw Valley video about the same topic and discuss it.
FReading: Student reads aloud 20 minutes to mom from "With Lee in Virginia" by G.A. Henty.
FGrammar: Mom and student spend 20 minuets working from grammar workbook Explore the Code.
FPoetry and Literature: Mom reads Uncle Tom´s Cabin aloud for 20 or 30 minutes. Or the child vould begin memorizing a favorite poem, possible the same one copied for penmanship on Monday.

Wednesday
FMath: Mom writes out and explains the times tables from 1 to 5.
FPenmanship: Child writes a letter to Grandma.
FGeography: The family plays Take Off.
FSpelling: Mom and student spend 20 minutes looking at the book English from the Roots Up about words with Lain and Greek roots.
FOutside Class: Dance.

Thursday
FMath: Student skipped math to watch calf being born. Later helped Mom balance the checkbook.
FAmerican History: Began reading a novel by Oliver Optic (Lost Classics Books).
FReading: This is covered by History assignment.
FGrammar: The student could work in the grammar workbook for 20 minutes, or mom and student could discuss how language is different in the Oliver Optic book from language today.
FSpanish: If the student is studying the language at home, one of the slf-teaching methods can be used; otherwise, an outside teacher can do the instructing.

Friday
FThis could be a day off or a free day when the student chooses what s/he wants to do.

The Parental Method

The Parental Approach to homeschooling is essentially just teaching your kids what you think they ought to know in the manner you deem acceptable. It is not rigidly structured.

The Parental Method takes the pre-compulsory attendance approach where children are taught things in order to be successful in many areas in life, usually only focusing on the three R´s and on the student´s strengths.

What Are Learning Styles?

Teaching your kids doesn't become easy but it can get easier once you finally figure out what type of learner your student is. Most schools are just now starting to decipher "learning styles" and using the information to teach effectively. Read about the different "styles" here, decide which one your student is, and develop a plan that will be beneficial for your children. For all children, there is at least one "right" way (the most productive one) and several "wrong" ways to teach. Here are the seven learning styles. Please look for tips explaining them and how to engage children that have them!

• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intellligence
• Interpersonal Intelligence
• Intrapersonal Intelligence
• Linguistic Intelligence
• Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
• Musical Intelligence
• Spatial Intelligence

Every child is strong in at least one of these but has some of each. Analyzing learning styles and personalities really entails no more than carefully examining the dynamics and fibers of every individual. If you find that one particular method that you are using is not working, try looking at your child's learning styles again to see what would appeal more to his needs.

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

People with this form of intelligence just can't sit still. They wiggle constantly, make noises—they can't wait to be outside playing, running, climbing trees, etc. This type of person has intuitive feelings about academic material. They may know the answer to a problem, but not know how to get the answer on paper. They just "feel" it. They learn through their bodies, so to speak, doing action things (touching, physical contact, working with their hands). A great example is a young boy who memorized the capitals of 50 states over a period of five days while rollerblading on the family's patio and repeating them after his dad. To do the same work sitting down would have required ten days of struggle rather than 5 of fun.

A child with this type of intelligence will not get along in a "regular" school setting. Most schools teach in a way that is more conducive to the logical-mathematical intelligence. In "regular" school, this child would frequently be labeled as "ADD" or "ADHD" and Ritalin or some other controlling drug would be strongly suggested.

The Eclectic Method

The eclectic method is not so much a method in itself, as it is a way of doing other methods.

Eclectic homeschoolers take their educational information from a variety of sources and often follow a patchwork curriculum.

Eclectic homeschoolers are much more aggressive and inquisitive about materials, programs, books and even theories of teaching than non-eclectics.

Eclectic - Nuts-n-Bolts

The eclectic is more a way of doing the other methods than a strict method in itself. If you are a person who requires an externally imposed structure or authority (like someone else's curriculum choices and lesson plans), then the eclectic approach is not for you.

FIf your child has been in school, I recommend taking a week or two off just to be together and to spend time getting to know each other. Near the end of the week off, make a list of your child's academic strengths and weaknesses and in-betweens. Being very honest and very careful, categorize each subject by these headings—make sure to ask your child's opinion. Once you have categorized them, talk about "electives" (subjects that aren't taught in school but which your child is interested in). Looking at your list, you have your curriculum.

FIn order of importance: Give priority to the weaknesses, then to the in-betweens, and, lastly, to the strengths (I recommend the weak subjects be taught every day for a period of weeks or months). Weak subjects should have top priority on the daily time schedule to bring them to at least the "in-between" level. If math is weak, teach it early in the day. The strengths simply have to be maintained and can be further developed at a slower pace.

FHopefully, you have been stockpiling books and materials that you want to use in your home school. Now, remembering your list, sort them and compile a daily schedule. Each day of the first week can be a "dry run" that will give you opportunity to test your book choices and your schedule for bugs. Once you have completed the first week, take a second look at your plans and your materials. Make adjustments.

FDon't be afraid of reworking everything if needed. Make a new schedule based on your first week's experience and your list of strengths, weaknesses and in-betweens. During the second week, teach your child with the specialized plan you developed for improving strengths and weaknesses and maintaining strengths, using the curriculum and materials that you have chosen.

FLook for the tips "Sample Eclectic Schedule" to see how you might accomplish your objectives.

What is a Unit Study?

A unit study takes a theme or topic (a unit of study) and delves into it deeply over a period of time, integrating language arts, science, social science, math, and fine arts as they apply. Instead of studying eight or ten separate, unrelated subjects, all subjects are blended together and studied around a common theme or project.

A unit study on birds could include reading and writing about birds and about famous ornithologists (language arts), studying the parts, functions, and life cycles of birds and perhaps the aerodynamics of flight (science and math), determining the migration paths, habitats, and ecological/sociological impact of birds (social studies), sketching familiar birds (art), building bird houses or feeders ("hands on" activities) and so forth.

Reprinted from the 2000 Elijah Company catalog.
For a free copy of this catalog, contact:
The Elijah Company
1053 Eldridge Loop
Crossville, TN 38558
1-888-235-4524

The Trivium Approach

The trivium method focuses on a three-subject curriculum of grammar, logic and rhetoric. This method defines grammar, logic and rhetoric differently than do our modern definitions:

•Grammar: This means the fundamental rules of any science, art, or subject of study. In the trivium, it means obtaining basic information, facts, and knowledge (mechanics) when the student is in his or her elementary stage, up to approximately 12 years old.

•Logic: The literal meaning is the study of reasoning and reliable inferences. In modern English, we call this critical thinking, in which the student learns to look for truth in information, for instance, to discern untruth or manipulated fact, and to recognize how these manipulations take place.

•Rhetoric: One definition of the term is the study of the effective use of language. In the trivium context, this is the act of combining and integrating the mechanics and the thinking skills into one's self, and then being able to communicate the synthesized fact to others. Presumably, once the student has mastered this process, she or he may be able to extend the knowledge base of a topic beyond synthesis.

The trivium approach has had resurgence in the US in private schools. The Bluedorn family of Moline, IL is one of the only connections today for homeschoolers wanting to use the trivium method.

Recycle

How to pass on the importance of recycling to students?
* Take them on a field trip to the local landfill.
* Put different cans in the class for different types of refuse.
* Ask them to offer imaginative ways to deal with garbage and refuse.

School Time

Whether or not you follow a regular school year depends first on your state laws and second on your lifestyle. Following the public school year is a necessity when the state requires parents to keep and submit a very accurate attendance record. A more flexible schedule is realistic in states that do not require this.

Children whose parents are engaged in seasonal occupations may follow an academic calendar that follows the parents work schedule. Many parents use a boxed curriculum because of the simplicity of the school year (you teach 180 days per school year and that's that). Since homeschooling is much more academically active than regular schooling, your child will cover more than one grade in 180 days, which is fine.

The Principle Method

The principle approach is based on the following seven Biblical principles:

VGod-given individuality
VChristian self-government
VCharacter (Biblical New Testament)
VConscience
VA Christian form of government
VLocal self-government
VA restoration of unity in government (Christian unity)

Proponents of this method believe that Christian leadership must be restored to the US and the world. The academics are taught from a biblical POV with the quality of a classical education. Those outside Christianity could not follow this method.

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence

People who possess logical-mathematical intelligence think logically and easily see patterns. Logical-math people are very good at transferring abstract concepts to reality and are often able to communicate these concepts to others. They may also enjoy solving life's puzzles through sciences and can be very good inventors, having the skill to visualize (conceptually alter) an invention before they even make a prototype.

A person such of this type may enjoy Mensa puzzles and games or a card game such as Set, in which players must compare against each other to find the most combinations of similarities or differences in designs and shapes drawn on a deck of special cards. This requires lightening-fast visual analysis and the ability to process information in a certain way. These people normally do well in "regular" school, which was designed for their type of intelligence. The old-fashioned IQ test measures this type of intelligence more than any other.

For children with this intelligence, you can easily get them involved in learning less "mathematical" or "logical" subjects simply by working from the direction of "how-to" rather than relying on teaching facts and figures and hoping for those to somehow "mystically" connect.

The Parental Method

The Parental Approach is simply the school day following the parent's lead. What you think needs to be taught, when and how you want to teach it is really all it involves.

In order to follow the parental approach, you must first know yourself. You have to have a firm conviction that your values are right for your family and appropriate to form the cornerstone on which all else is built. You have to believe that even your "tastes" are valid.

• You must know your religious beliefs if you are going to incorporate them into teaching. If you are a believer (whatever your religion- God-based or otherwise) know your beliefs. If you are not a believer in a religion, know that, too. If going to a worship service is not important to you, then starting merely because you are homeschooling makes it a chore, not something that you enjoy—think about that.

• You must know your cultural heritage. You are the only preserver of your unique family culture. Your spouse's is totally different—even if you grew up next door to each other. Your job is to know your personal culture and to teach those ways to your children, both by telling them about it and living it.

• You must believe that you are the right person to be your child's guide, mentor, and authority figure. If you are uncomfortable with these, or if you're waffling back and forth over nearly every issue, I recommend that you stick with a boxed curriculum.

• Determine your schedule. I advise beginning homeschoolers to spend four hours per day (mornings are really good).

Strengths/Weaknesses of the Unit Study Approach

Strengths of the Unit Study Approach:

• All ages can learn together
• Children can delve as deeply into a subject as they like
• The family's interest can be pursued
• Students get the whole picture
• Curiosity and independent thinking are generated
• Intense study of one topic is the more natural way to learn
• Knowledge in interrelated so is learned easily and remembered longer
• Unit studies are fairly easy to create

Weaknesses of the Unit Study Approach::

• It is easy to leave educational "gaps"
• Hard to assess the level of learning occurring
• Record keeping may be difficult
• Prepared unit study curricula are expensive
• Do-it-yourself unit studies require planning
• Too-many activity-oriented unit studies may cause burnout of teacher and student
• Subjects that are hard to integrate into the unit may be neglected


Reprinted from the 2000 Elijah Company Catalog.
For a free copy of this catalog, contact:
The Elijah Company
1053 Eldridge Loop
Crossville, TN 38558
1-888-235-4524