***If you have a question you would like me to address in my homeschool tips, or if you have a comment you would like me to consider passing on to other moms, please click here to e-mail me.
~Jodi
Tip #24 Posted 11/17/09
How do we keep our children motivated in the area of school work? This is a question I ask myself almost every day. Each year as I receive our school books, there is always a picture on Abeka's homeschool catalog that just cracks me up. It is of a mom and her children schooling at the kitchen table with cookies on the table and smiles on everyone's faces. This image rarely portrays the actual school day. But, this year I wondered to myself, "Why not?" Why can't my day be this enjoyable? There is nothing wrong with using incentives to keep children motivated to do right. The Lord motivates us with crowns and blessings, does He not? An occasional day of chocolate chip cookies as a motivational tool for completing a workbook page is not going to corrupt anyone's work ethic. A half hour of computer games after completing a difficult test will not thwart learning (especially if it is an educational game). Motivation is a good tool that often we homeschoolers disregard. If the Lord motivates His children with rewards for good work, why shouldn't we do the same for our children? It can be used as a great opportunity to teach our children of the spiritual truths concerning the Lord as well.
Happy homeschooling, Jodi
Tip #23 Posted 11/10/09
Every school student has to do history reports at some point during their schooling, if not every year. May I suggest a few report topics? How about the influence of the Baptist preacher, John Leland, on the Bill of Rights? What about the state of Rhode Island and how the Baptist John Clarke obtained the colonial charter from the king of England, making it the most religiously free colony/state for many years? Maybe the "Bible belt" should be examined. One would clearly see that this was the result of Baptist church planting, started under Shubal Stearns. There are many Baptist historical figures that could be researched. Check out This Day in Baptist History by David Cummins for more ideas or my pastor's book, America in Crimson Red. It would benefit the whole family to look into our Baptist heritage instead of the world's history.
Happy homeschooling, Jodi
Tip #22 Posted 11/03/09
Sometimes it is discouraging to think about how many more years you will be a homeschool mom. I have heard countless moms say, "Only ___ more years and I will finally graduate from homeschooling, if I survive." Now, I am not being critical because I may have said something along the same lines in a joking manner. However, if your focus is constantly on how many more years you have to endure homeschooling, then you need to refocus. It is a privilege to homeschool. It is a blessing to homeschool. And, I believe that it is an example of obedience to God to homeschool. What we should be saying is, "I only have ___ many more years to influence my children for the Lord. How am I going to cram all I want them to learn into the little time I have left?" This refocusing will help you to stay encouraged in the work.
In addition, it is good to plan for the future, but God also tells us not to focus on the worries of tomorrow as read in Proverbs 27:1, "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." There are no guarantees that you will be homeschooling your children for x amount of years. The Lord may take them home early. The government may take them away from you and place them in government schooling. You may not live that long yourself! Take the opportuntity to enjoy your time schooling/influencing. It may be your last opportunity.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #21 Posted 10/24/09
Which curriculum to use? This is always a tough question. My friends use a diversity of types of curricula. Some of the most widely used are Abeka (which I personally use), ACE, Freedom Press, Christian Liberty, Rod and Staff, Bob Jones, and Switched on Schoolhouse. Each of these have their strengths and weaknesses. None of these are strong Baptist in theology or teaching of history (which is why my husband and my pastor are writing Baptist history curriculum). Each curriculum has a different emphasis (ex., Abeka emphasizes patriotism; whereas, Bob Jones emphasizes the fine arts). Each curriculum has a different weakness (should we be stressing patriotism when our country is going against the Word of God?) So, what is a homeschooler to do? Which curriculum should be used? Unfortunately, I cannot answer that question for you. You have to pray and ask God for the direction in which He wants you to go. For some, God may steer you toward an inexpensive curriculum because of your financial situation. For others, He may want you to use the highest academic curriculum despite the cost. It may be that the Lord wants you to use a sampling from each of the above curricula. You have to trust the Lord. I know that in our situation we use a curriculum that is handed down to us. It saves us money and is academically challenging for my girls. Yet, we struggle with the Protestant theology that permeates the entire curriculum. My girls have asked about the inappropriate dress in some of the pictures. They want to know why a "Christian" curriculum would venerate Baptist killers. These are great teachable moments!! Use the weaknesses in your curriculum to teach your children the right doctrine. Instead of pushing off the uncomfortable discussion, embrace it and use it as a time to delve into the Bible and what it has to say about the circumstance. Remember, every curricula is fallible. Ask God for direction as to which is best for your home and then let God use it to make you and your children doctrinally stronger in what you believe.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #20 Posted 10/14/09
I wish this tip would have been told to me the first year of homeschooling! I liked to do kindergarten with my oldest when the other children were taking their afternoon nap. This sounded like a great idea. If fact, it is a good idea--except for one thing...the afternoon is not the highest mental output time. I know I already stated this in a previous posting, but the mornings are your best time for learning and exercising your mind. So, if you want to do your schooling in the afternoon, that is okay, just don't get frustrated when your child cries or is inattentive. I found this true for not only math (as mentioned in the earlier posting) but also reading. Especially when you are teaching a child to read, it is important to do the reading lessons in the morning. Afternoon reading should be used for re-reading since that activity does not require as much concentration. If you still feel like it is more profitable to do your schooling during your younger children's nap time, go ahead. I just recommend that you do the reading (for the beginner reader) in the morning and finish the rest of your schooling during the nap time.
Happy homeschooling, Jodi
Tip #19 Posted 10/07/09
A word of caution--- be careful of homeschool co-ops. If your homeschool co-op is strictly based out of your local church, you may stop reading now. If not, please consider this warning. Many of my homeschool counterparts have signed their children up for co-ops. "It seemed like a good idea at the time," they said. The problem with some co-ops? They tend to be ecumenical in philosophy. A diverse group of "religions" is not what you really want to expose your children to. It will cause problems with fighting over standards, over church attendance (some of the co-op students may try to persuade your children to attend their church), and over a host of other issues. Remember, part of the blessings of homeschooling is to keep your children from hindering influences. It is not to expose them to various religions and standards of living. Yes, it does sound enticing to place your children in a program that has a choir. But will your children be pressured to sing songs that normally they would not be allowed to sing? Yes, athletics can be helpful to the overall health of your children and will teach them to work together to obtain a goal. But, is it worth it if your child is hearing swear words when the outcome is less than desirable?
Please, listen again. I am not against all co-ops. If your co-op is run through your local church, where your children are only exposed to your local church family, I think it is a great opportunity. But, if you are looking outside the local church for homeschooling co-op groups, please consider the costs of the co-op before joining up with one. Not all co-ops have negative influences. Just put on your spiritual filters before your academic desires.
Happy homeschooling, Jodi
Tip #18 Posted 9/22/09
This week's tip may seem a bit unnecessary, but I assure you that someone needs it. When schooling younger aged children, make sure you focus on their reading skills. If your child is not reading at the proper level, that child will constantly struggle in school. Here is what I hear sometimes: "My child is behind in reading, so we just keep moving ahead in all the other subjects. We keep slowly doing the reading, but we don't focus on it because we don't want to discourage our young reader." Although this may sound like practical schooling, it is not. If your child is struggling with reading, stop all other subjects and focus only on reading.
Here is some of the logic behind my thinking. Young children can easily do simple math skills at an early age. My son Luke at age three can do a simple addition problem if worded correctly. I can continue to have him learn more math (which, in the early grades, is easy to catch up on if you fall behind), or I can stop the math and do the reading. Phonics is a must when teaching reading. If you are winging it in this course, please do your child a favor and purchase a phonics-based reading program. Constantly review the alphabet sounds and the special sounds until your child can do them in his sleep. This repetition in letter-sound recognition will make your child a good reader in the future. I did have one child that struggled with reading. We stopped all other schooling and majorly focused on the special sounds. It did not take long until she caught up on her reading skills and was able to move on in all of her subjects.
READING IS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL EDUCATION!!! Don't skip it or just pass it off as an optional subject. FOCUS on it! You'll be thankful in the end and so will your child.
Happy homeschooling, Jodi
Tip #17 Posted 9/15/09
How many of you have ever been told that exercise would be a good habit to develop? When were you told it would be the best time to participate in exercise? Most doctors or physical trainers will tell you that exercising first thing in the morning is the best time. The same is the case mentally. It is best to do the most challenging schoolwork first thing in the morning. That is why I suggest that mathematics be done as your first subject. Math is a constant mental exercise that requires much focus. Try having math as your first activity and see if your students complete it faster than before. You will be surprised at the difference.
Happy homeschooling, Jodi
Tip #16 Posted 9/9/09
There are many philosophies out there about homeschooling. Some parents feel that education is of the utmost importance, so they spend all day educating their children
in the three Rs. Other homeschool parents feel the need to stress life skills and to only minor on education. These parents spend their days on training their children how to function in life as homemakers and skilled workers.
Both of these views have justified arguments. One does not want their children to be considered stupid and uneducated in the eyes of the world. These parents feel that education will make their children profitable in life. The other does not wish for their children to only have book knowledge with no life skills. They desire to raise godly children who serve the Lord in the capacity in which He chooses.
What is the solution to this dilemna? The answer is BALANCE!!! Since both of these homeschool views are important, there must be a balance settled on.
Personally, I feel that children should have book knowledge. I want my children to be excellent readers, good at math skills, and well-versed in science and history. Yet, I also want to train my girls to be godly "keepers at home" (Titus 2:5) and my son to be trained in "labour, working with his hands the thing which is good" (Eph. 4:28b). Therefore, I strive to spend time each week in both of these areas. One view is not necessarily more vital than the other. Both need to be equally instilled in my children for them to be pleasing to the Lord and useful in life.
As you start your school year with your bright children, keep balance in mind.
Happy homeschooling, Jodi
Tip #15 Posted 5/8/09
Many times I hear the question, "How do you school four children at once?!" This baffles even me!! Actually, it really is not difficult once you set a standard of schooling. The school day begins with Bible reading and prayer time. As each student finishes this assignment (yes, it is okay to call it this since I am instilling a discipline in them), they then bring their school books to me. I rip out the lessons for the day and instruct them on what to do in each course. If there is a new concept in math, I take a few minutes to teach this concept to them. If there are new concepts in multiple courses, they are to bring the lesson to me when they are ready to work on that lesson. With the older students, I have taught them how to read their lesson plans for the week. They then can examine the plans to see what needs to be accomplished in each subject. While the older children are quietly working on a subject, I have my reading lesson(s) with the younger student(s). It is good to do the reading lessons first thing in the morning as the students are more alert and accurate with their reading. During this reading time, no questions are to be asked by the other students. If they have a question, they must wait to be answered after the reading time is finished. The other students are encouraged to move onto another problem or course while they wait for their question to be answered. I have heard that some moms have their children raise a flag at their schooling locale if they have a question. They are then to wait patiently and quietly until mom gets there to answer their question. This system is used in many ACE schools and works well at home too. The most important key in schooling multiple children is to keep things orderly. If chaos breaks out, it is time to call for a "school assembly." Speak to the children about the disorder, reminding them that God wants all things to be done decently and in order. Call their attention back to the work at hand and move on for God.
Happy homeschooling, Jodi
Tip #14 Posted 3/24/09
If you homeschool in a state that requires an evaluation each year, you may be wondering what to expect. Let me start by saying that most evaluators are on the side of the homeschooler. They want you to pass the evaluation and to continue to give your child the proper education at home. Since each state varies in requirements, I will touch on the basics. A test may be administered by your evaluator. This test is similar to those done in every school. Many evaluators use the California achievement tests since these tests require little time to administer. The math component of the test may be 15 questions, same with reading, and so forth. The amount of time allotted for each section of the test is more than adequate. My daughters flew through each session without fear of time running out. I did sit in another room while the test was being administered, but the door was opened so I could keep on eye on things.
A portfolio is another basic requirement. A portfolio is simply a sampling of the work your child has done throughout the year. I, personally, keep all my tests and quizzes in the portfolio as well as about ten pages of material in each subject. I keep papers that are introducing a new concept, instead of review papers. Do keep a few art class projects in your portfolio. A painted T-shirt, a cross-stitch project, or a potholder is a good example for art class. This allows the evaluator to have a sampling of the concepts taught throughout the year.
You may be required to show a scope and sequence chart. This is usually provided on the first page of a new workbook/handbook. For math, it may say something like: Addition Families 1-3, Lessons 1-10; Addition Families 4-6, Lessons 11-20; etc. The evaluator is simply looking for a brief overview of what concepts were taught throughout the year and for how long. It is easy to rip the scope and sequence page out of each school subject workbook and put it at the beginning of your portfolio. (It is good to use a filebox with hanging files or a binder with various sections to keep things organized.)
Next, you may be required to show a calendar of your year. I keep things simple and to the point. I start the third week of August and finish the first full week of May. Whatever the dates are, I list my starting date and finish date (ex. Aug. 21 - May 8). My previous tips shows how to prove your hours, which may also be required (ex. math 45 min./day for 170 days; reading 60 min./day for 170 days).
Let me stress this point. I have never heard of a requirement for grades to be turned in!!! You do not need to keep a grade book. I do number grades on the tests and quizzes for my own benefit. The daily worksheets are graded, as far as, they are marked right or wrong and then corrected until all are correct. It is up to your discretion whether your student passes or fails.
Lesson plans are yet another help to the evaluator. A lesson plan can be short and sweet. For example, lesson #21 in math is pp. 47-48, concept of multiplying by 4's. That is enough information. List the page numbers covered and the major concept taught (usually listed at the top of the worksheet page). If it is a review day, state that. I do not put a date on the top of my lesson plans, just the lesson number. This allows me to reuse the lesson plans the following year. One can sit down and do the year's lesson plans within a few days, if needed. I like to do them early so it is out of the way for the year.
Overall, let me assure you again. It may seem like a lot is required, but it is not hard to fulfill the requirements. The evaluator is on your side and will give you suggestions as to how to make your portfolio better if needed. So, enjoy your first evaluation, knowing you have taught your child well and that he will do well on his evaluation.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #13 Posted 3/15/09
How do I get my school days / hours in for the school year? This was my first question as a homeschool mom. I was nervous about getting all the days and hours in that were required in my state. (Pennsylvania requires 180 days or 900 hours. Missouri requires 1000 hours.) Panic filled my mind as I realized that my girls usually get their school done quickly each day, making the hour requirement difficult to obtain. What I did to rectify the situation was to set a specific amount of time for each lesson to be accomplished. For example, I figured that math should take between 45 minutes to one hour per day. English should take about the same amount of time as math. Reading, I allowed one hour per day since my girls are avid readers anyway. After adding up all the time for each subject, my hours were close to being fulfilled. As for the rest of the required hours, we use them up on field trips. Remember that field trip hours begin when you start your trip and finish when you return. In the school district we were in while in PA, the school went to an amusement park as one of their "school field trips." I thought that was rather humorous as nothing educational can come from this type of field trip. Therefore, I felt that a trip to The Bass Pro Shop was more educational for my girls than an amusement park. So, when we are in the area of one such store, we stop and shop and call it a field trip. I personally like to use my field trip hours on the same day as I use my schooling hours. We may finish school for the day and then make a trip to the zoo for four hours. A trip to the store where my girls spend their own money can also count as an educational field trip since they are using math skills.
I realize that because we travel so often that it is easy for us to take a field trip each month. If you become creative in your terminology of a field trip or educational activity, you will find that getting the rest of your required hours is pretty easy. A few more examples of educational activities would be: housecleaning (home economics), congregational singing (music), Sunday school (BIble, yes, you can count Bible/religious instruction in your hours), kite flying (science, the effects of the wind on an object). Remember, life is full of lessons to be learned and almost every activity in life can be counted as a lesson learned for your homeschool hours.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #12 Posted 2/28/09
To school year round, or not--- that is the question. Which option should you choose? I, personally, like to school from August through the first week of May. I follow this schedule because I like my summers. However, many of my friends school year round. They enjoy a two-week vacation, two-week Christmas break, and then a few weeks off for revivals, camp meetings and the occassional "I don't feel like doing school today" day. At one time I was totally against this kind of school schedule. It was unorthodox, out of the norm. As I get older and have more students, I feel that this schedule may come in handy. Last summer, my children were often "bored" and asking to do school. They did not like the liberty of doing nothing for twelve weeks. Children do like a schedule. For my home, the school year is the most scheduled event of our lives. Each week we are in a different area. We have varying sleep schedules and meal schedules. Therefore, when the one scheduled event of their lives is taken away, they truly miss it. Will I change to year round school next year? I haven't totally decided as yet. But twelve weeks of non-schooling throughout a year is a lot of time. Think of the positives and negatives of your school schedule. Which will you choose?
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #11 Posted 2/16/09
Many of my homeschool tips have been just practical advice on organizing your school day. This week's homeschool tip is more along the lines of an educational tip. What happens if your child does not understand a concept in math or language? What do you as a teacher say to help your student? Let me say, first of all, that there is no set answer to this question. What I suggest for you to do is to try to make the concept more hands-on. For example, a student is struggling with the concepts of subjects and verbs. These concepts are not physical concepts, but they can be made into physical concepts. Here's a way. Write a sentence with an action verb (such as: The dog jumps the fence.) on a piece of construction paper or card stock. Cut out each word and mix the words up. Ask the student to find the word that shows an action that can be done. "The" is not an action. "Dog" is not an action. "Jumps" is an action; therefore, it is the action verb. This hands-on drill teaches the student to find the verb (action verb, in this case) first. Next, have the student find the cut-out word that the verb describes. Ask the question, "Who or what jumps?" Again as the student picks up a word, have them see if that word answers the question. Does "the" tell who or what jumps? Does "fence" tell who or what jumps? Does "dog" tell who or what jumps? Yes!!! Of course, this drill takes time and energy. Of course, this drill is not convenient for you as the teacher, but if your student gets this mental concept of subject and verb in a hands-on way, it will be worth every minute of time. You may have to do this drill several times with various sentences, but it will not have to be done forever. After doing the drill in a hands-on way, have the student try to find the verb and then the subject of a sentence as it is written out in his workbook. If the teacher keeps the lesson positive, the student will enjoy this activity and will learn the concept.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #10 Posted 2/2/09
Mornings are either crazy and busy or laid back and lazy. Why there is no happy medium, I may never know. Lately, my school students have wanted to play the part in the latter--laid back and lazy. So, another regulation was made in our home. When the girls are awaken in the morning, they now have one hour to do their morning activities. These activities include: breakfast, dressing, hairdos, teeth, beds, and Bible reading/prayer. All these things must be finished in the first hour of their day. It usually does not take them but 45 minutes or less to do these things. This time regulation ensures that school can be started within the first hour of our day. It also teaches the girls to be responsible for their own persons without my having to watch over them constantly. All I have to do now is tell the girls to get up from bed and announce, "One hour!" They know what that means and it gets them moving quickly to start their day. This rule has been a tremendous help to our schedule. It also keeps me busy making sure my activities are done in the same timeframe (or close to it since I have many more responsibilities). It also forces me to start the school day quickly. Maybe the "One Hour" rule can be a help to your home.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #9 Posted 1/15/09
Coming back to school after Christmas break is always a struggle. The children, though restless without the routine of school, are not wanting to sit still for a whole school day. Their little minds have not been mentally challenged during the break and are now lazy and easily distracted. Yes, this is common with all children. The school system struggles with these same "back to school" issues. What can be done to make the transition easier? I try to ease back into school the first week back. We do only every other math problem each day to lessen the math hour. We try not to push the school issues. If the children don't get everything done, "Oh well." I start my school year the third week of August. We take a few days off for Thanksgiving and two weeks for Christmas. With these few breaks, we finish school within the first two weeks of May. This schedule leaves plenty of room for making up a day or two at the end. Although I leave plenty of time for making up school days, I find that I can usually make up these days during regular school days. I may only do three science lessons the first few days back, but the next week we will catch up with the other two plus the normal week load for that week. This can be done easily if there is only one chapter covered during that two week period. Sometimes doing quizzes orally helps to lessen the work load as well. An open book test will bring smiles to your students as well as help them with the transition. These are all unusual avenues to pursue but they are effective for the morale of your students. All schools use these methods from time to time. Feel free to use these methods yourself to help lighten your load as you return to your "after the holidays" school work.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #8 Posted 12/14/08
As Christmas break comes close, there is usually a strong urge to skip a day or two of school here and there. The problem with skipping school here and there is that it can quickly become a habit. I struggle with this urge from time to time myself. It is tempting to "half do" school when a vacation time is nearing. This attitude toward school stunts the education of your children and also teaches them that doing a job halfway from time to time is acceptable. Jesus commands us in Romans 12:11 to be... "Not slothful in business; fervant in spirit; serving the Lord." I cannot stress enough that homeschooling is not just teaching children facts and information at age-appropriate times, but it is training your children about the proper actions and attitudes that are pleasing to the Lord. If we keep our children's character lessons first and foremost in our schooling, we will forego the selfish desire to alter our school calendar. Keep your nose to the grindstone---vacation is coming soon!!!
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #7 Posted 11/24/08
How much teaching should be done when homeschooling? As a teacher, one could spend all day reviewing and teaching school. One could read every history, science, etc. lesson to each student, spending a large amount of the day on these subjects. I, however, do not choose to do this with my students. History and science/health are used as reading comprehension subjects. My students read these subjects independently and review is done together. For math, language, and writing I hand my students their workbook pages and then spend a few minutes teaching anything that is a new concept. This instruction takes only a very few minutes. It is important for each student to take some responsibility for her learning. My girls are expected to read all directions themselves (after they are able, of course). I also expect them to read a new concept that is taught before I give independent teaching on it. In this schooling technique, I hope to train my students to learn how to learn for themselves and to be responsible to do the work assigned them without constant oversight. These techniques allow schooling to be done quickly and work well when teaching multiple grade levels.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #6 Posted 10/15/08
If you are like the average homeschooler, there are times when there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day for school. You may have had someone drop in on you for a few days, or someone (like yourself) gets sick and thus school does not get the proper attention. On occasions such as mentioned, it is hard to catch up on all the work that needs done. I have found that if I do every other problem in math (the most time-consuming subject), my girls catch up faster. If there is a new concept taught during the catch up pages, I require them to do all the new concept problems and then every other one for the review problems. The lessening of math time motivates the girls to work diligently and quickly to catch up on the other subjects as well. Since most of the math problems each day are review problems, the girls are not missing out on learning. Catching up does not have to be tough and discouraging! It can be done efficiently and effectively for all.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #5 Posted 10/09/08
If you have a kindergartener/first grader, one of your primary concerns may be that your child gets his ds, bs, ps, qs, and numbers confused. He will read numbers backwards (example, 24 will be read as 42) or be confused whether a letter is a b or a d. I remember my first child struggling with these problems and I began wondering if I had a dislexic child. After counselling with a few teachers, I was told that this was quite common for kindergarteners and first graders. Take heart, homeschooling mom, most children will grow out of this stage by the middle of first grade. Be patient and consistently stress the difference of which way the letter is facing. A good exercise for this differentiating of letters is to write the confusing letters at the top of a piece of paper. Repeat many of the letters several times (example, b p b b q d b). Instruct your child to circle all the bs. Make several rows of these letters, each time stressing a different letter to be circled. This will help the child's mind to differentiate between the letters and will improve their recognition skills.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #4 Posted 9/30/08
Recently I was asked what I do with my non-school age children while I am schooling the others. From the very beginning of my homeschooling, I established Quiet Time. Quiet Time was held at the beginning of each school day. During this time, my non-schooled children were to look at books and talking was not permitted. The idea behind this time each day was that I could start schooling in a quiet environment and get a good start with the learning for the day. It also has a second purpose. This time establishes a Quiet Time in the morning for all my children. The schooled children start their Quiet Time with Bible reading and prayer. Since they had Quiet Time as toddlers, they are used to setting this reading time aside each day. As your toddlers grow and they begin school, they will be used to sitting still and quiet for a short period each morning. Thus, the transition to kindergarten is not a difficult one. Then, once first grade is underway, I start having my children begin reading the Bible during Quiet Time. This has been quite effective for me. As far as a time limit on Quiet Time, I started with about a fifteen-minute period and worked up to a thirty-minute time period. If you have a basket of books (or a canvass bag full) that are easily accessible to the young ones, it helps for the time to remain quiet with no questions for mom (such as, "Can you get me this book, Mom?"). If a child has a specific chair designated for reading during this time, it helps to further develop the habit of Quiet Time. With Luke, my two-year old, I instruct him to sit in a specific chair with two different books. One is a lift-a-flap book and the other is a picture book of boy toys. He is not allowed down from that chair until I say. It is amazing to see how long he will sit there and amuse himself with just these two books! I do not recommend videos or even computer games (for the older toddler) during this time. It takes away from a child's imagination and programs him to be entertained during this time. When it is time for kindergarten, the child will then resist learning because he has been taught that entertainment is fun and easy.
For the busy mom, this can also be used for your own Quiet Time with the Lord. A mom's time spent with the Lord first thing in the morning will help the whole school setting to run much more smoothly. It will also be a visual teaching time for your children. They will see the importance of time spent with the Lord in the life of their mother-- one of their primary role models.
After the initial Quiet Time period, the toddler can then play with blocks, cars, doll-babies, etc. They must still play quietly, but quiet sounds are then permitted. Children should be allowed to vocalize their imaginations through noises and songs, just in a quiet manner. At times, I have used quiet music (orchestration) as a background "white noise." This helps to keep the quiet tone set throughout the school day. It also helps the toddler's quiet vocalizations not be so distracting.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #3 Posted 9/20/08
Often moms ask what I do to get my school day finished in a timely manner. First, I am a disciplinarian! I do not just let my students goof off or not be diligent during school time. I have explained to all my girls that they call it schoolwork because it is work. God expects us to work before we eat, and thus a good portion of our schoolwork must be done before we eat (lunch, that is). Second, I enforce this principle with discipline. I set a time for the work to be accomplished (one hour for math, 45 minutes for language, etc.). Set a timer!!! This helps me to stay accountable to my rules! If the task is not finished by the time set, I discipline. I try to set an appropriate discipline for the offense. If it is a youngster, I may take away computer privileges. If it is an older student who is pushing the limits, I am more severe in my discipline. If I am not consistent with the structure of the school day, neither will my girls be consistent with their work ethics. I am trying to teach my children this principle found in I Thessalonians 4:11, "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you." God will greatly use those who are diligent in their work/service to Him.
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi
Tip #2 Posted 9/15/08
One cricitism I hear about homeschoolers is that they do not actually school their children. I realize that in some cases this criticism is true. However, I also know that many homeschoolers are truly schooling their children. If you are having a problem keeping up with school, I suggest you start a schedule. A set time each day to begin the school day will be helpful to everyone involved. The children will develop character and a sense of responsibility. The children will also know when they are supposed to start schooling. You will have accountability as the teacher. Your friends will also get a clue as to when you are not available for phone calls or outings. For the average homeschoolers, it is not difficult to start a schedule and keep it. For those who are on the road in evangelism or in missions (on deputation or furlough), it is more difficult to hold to a schedule (seeing how you have to consider someone else's schedule also). I found that it helps to keep the same routine as much as possible, even though we live on the road. The girls get up at an appropriate time according to when they were allowed to go to bed, and then they are expected to have devotions and complete certain "chores" before school starts. When those items are completed, they are to begin their school day. Although the time schedule is not always consistent, the routine is. This plan helps us to keep focused as to what needs to be done daily in our lives and in our school. If your homeschool is to be a good testimony for Christ, and your children are going to learn all that they need to, please consider starting a schedule soon!
Happy homeschooling, Jodi
Tip #1 Posted 9/6/08
I found that I was falling behind in history and science constantly because of our ministry schedule. I realized that if I did those two subjects as "block courses" per week that it was much easier on everyone. We do one math page per day and then "block course" all other subjects. This means on Mondays we do math and all writing papers for the week. Tuesday, we do math and all language activities. Wednesday is math and science. Thursday, math and history is done. On Friday, we finish math and catch up on anything we did not finish throughout the rest of the week. Spelling/vocabulary can be done by "block course" or daily (as preferred).
Happy homeschooling,
Jodi