Curriculum and grade level books.

When home schooling your child it is important to know that companies that produce your curriculum have attempted to align the grade levels with the public school level grades.  This is helpful to many that are new to home schooling, as they can grab curriculum straight off the shelf, without much thought.

This isn’t always the best way for your child though.  And, thankfully, many good publishers have devised exams that help determine where your child should begin.  Hurray for them!

It’s much more beneficial to the child and us if we teach them based on their ability rather than either boring them with something that is not challenging, or frustrating them because something is too hard. 

If your child is farther along than others, then keep him challenged and he will most likely stay ahead.  If your child is behind in some ways, it’s OK.  Don’t freak out.  It is better to allow them the time they need to perfect their skills before moving on to more challenging tasks.  If they consistently work on things they may be behind in,  it will most likely all even out in the grand scheme of things.

I currently have my 8 year old in 5th grade math, 2nd grade handwriting, and his reading level is in  5th -6th grade level books for science.  On the other hand, I have home schooled kids which were in lower levels compared to their grade level too.

Recently, I was schooling a child that was 15 and was working on 5th grade level math.
The child had transferred out of a public school where he was having difficulty with his 7th grade subjects.  When we tested him to see where to start him in math, we had to go back a good ways to where his level of proficiency was.  While this may be disturbing to some, the important thing is that the child continue to master things at his own pace, not to force things on him that he couldn’t possibly understand, let alone master.

It is important to realize that a child's math ability is directly linked to his reading level.  That 15 year old's reading level was on a 5th grade level as well.  We can’t expect a child who isn’t a strong reader, to be strong in anything scholastically. 

If a child isn’t reading at a progressive rate each year, his math will probably not be moving along either.

I always stress the basics, regardless of age or grade level.  If you do this, and allow a child to focus on learning to read well, everything else can fall into place much easier for him and he can learn much faster and more efficiently. 

Happy Home Schooling!

www.freedomchurchschool.com 

Cursive, Printing, and history.

There are many views on teaching writing basics to children.  Some parents like to teach cursive writing and skip printing altogether.  Others like to start with printing and graduate to cursive.   And, still more, want to only teach printing and not cursive.
After considering all the options and arguments for each, I will explain why it is important to teach both.

Teaching  both cursive and printing is our responsibility.  It is our responsibility as  citizens of America and the world.  We should teach both to give our children every tool they could possibly need to have, as the rulers of tomorrow.  Every citizen  should be able to read the newspaper and the Constitution.

Do you remember back in time when the Barbarians invaded the Roman Empire?
The Barbarians destroyed all the books in the libraries.  Not only that, but they had no interest in reading or writing because they were barbarians!

The barbarians did not know how to write, and the Roman citizens that were conquered soon  forgot that they had ever known, for they no longer had educated Greek slaves to teach the art to them.    Except in a few places where the Church remained at work, writing became a lost art.  (The Old-World Beginnings of America By Mary G. Kelty)

History has already proven that writing can become lost art.

It is our absolute duty to teach the basics to our most beloved children, our leaders and thinkers of tomorrow.

Happy Home Schooling!

www.freedomchurchschool.com

Truant Officers, a common sense approach.

Truant Officers are police officers that try to find children who are supposed to be in school between normal public school hours.

The most obvious delinquent child (to a Truant Officer) is the one who can be seen walking around the neighborhood or in their yard during those hours.

As a young child, I was reported by one of my neighbors as being “truant” when I had snuck away from the school building just before school started.  I was too young to realize that my bright red umbrella, that I was merrily twirling around, was a dead give away!  My parents were of course contacted and I was sent right back to school.

So thank goodness for that neighbor, and the Truant officer, because God knows what might have happened to me if they hadn’t reported me and contacted my parents.

While we are not bound in my state by hours that a home schooled child must be in school during the day, we still have to consider what these trained police are looking for and in my opinion, try to use common sense and not complicate things for them or ourselves.

I know in my state, home schooled kids are completely within their legal rights to be outside during the day, but as a good rule of thumb, I have always kept my kids inside until at least 1 or 2pm to err on the side of caution.

You of course, do as you like, but please keep in mind that (most) Truant Officers are trying to do their jobs too.

Happy Homeschooling!

If you are in Alabama, check us out online www.freedomchurchschool.com

Do I have to buy curriculum?

You can certainly tailor your child’s education any way you see fit, as long as you are within your local laws and your home school coverings rules.

Make sure that you are comfortable with your home school covering’s rules.  If you aren’t, find a new one that is better suited to your needs.  I always advise people to opt for a covering that allows you the most freedom.

Freedom is important.

It’s important to be able to choose your own curriculum.  Curriculum is like a pair of shoes.  Not everyone will fit into the same kind and, not all curriculum is equal.

You will need the freedom to choose the best curriculum for your child's learning style.  And, you need to be able to toss books in the trash that aren’t working!

Also, you need the choice to choose no curriculum.  For example, if you are a math whiz, you might not need or want a book telling you how to teach Roman Numerals, fractions, or percents.  Or, if you're handwriting is excellent and you want to teach your child from scratch, without a workbook, go for it!

I like to think of my home schooling books as not the holy grail but the suggested daily work.

Happy Home Schooling!

www.freedomchurchschool.com

Am I qualified to home school my kids?

I have had a bunch of people ask me this question. 

First, check your home school laws.  In my state and surrounding states the home school laws are pretty flexible with regards to parents education levels.

A great place to start for a legal analysis for your state is the Home school Legal Defense Association.

http://www.hslda.org/

Most of the time when people ask the question “Am I qualified?”   They just haven’t done their homework yet.  But, sometimes this question comes up when we are not feeling adequate enough to do the home schooling job. 

Now, I am not going to bash the public school system here, I am simply going to help illustrate my answer a bit with a story about one of my sons friends who recently graduated from our local state run high school. 

This young man is a very intelligent person who never learned how to read very well.  Instead of teaching this guy how to read well, so that he could learn things from books throughout his life, the public school system which consisted of at least 2 principals, and five teachers each year of high school (for a total of 20 teachers, 2 principals, at least 1 guidance counselor), pushed this kid along through subjects that (who really gives a crap if you can’t read) allowed him to graduate with a basic diploma. 

Maybe the question we should be asking ourselves is “Are the people that we trust with our kids Monday through Friday for 8 hours a day QUALIFIED? 

Now, I am not saying that every parent or grandparent is suitable for homeschooling, or that we should get rid of the whole state school system.

All I am asking parents to think about is this.  Would you allow your child to graduate from your home school, where you were responsible for the outcome of this child's education, without knowing how to read?  Of course you wouldn’t.

Go find out what your state laws are regarding home schooling.  If you don’t understand what it means, talk to other homeschooling parents in your neighborhood, or you can email me. 

Happy Homeschooling!

www.freedomchurchschool.com

Math Curriculum - Continued

The other most favorite math curriculum I recommend is
Teaching Textbooks.  Teaching Textbooks are a breath of fresh air to parents and children alike.
This curriculum is perfect for math lovers and parents with little or no math skills themselves.
I get excited about this math because on a “crazy” day, your kids can pop in their math CD and do their schoolwork without Mom!
This is the bombdiggittybomb of home school math J

Every grade level (starting with 3rd) has a workbook, answer book and a CD that is available.  The book and the CD contain the same information and the CD can be used as a stand alone math program if your child prefers. 

A new concept is taught daily, it is practiced and then they review and work on perfecting previous concepts.  This system is very helpful in math mastery.

The cd’s offer animated hints to the student if the child chooses to accept it and if a problem is incorrect they can re-do the problem with or without help from the program.
Not only that, but the parents have automatic grading and can re-assign problems or even lessons without hassling!

There is a test on their website to determine which level to start your child on.

If you have two children on the same level math ,the cd’s work for more than one user.  
The work book can be used by itself or in conjunction with the cd’s. 
The book alone teaches an individual lesson daily and explains things in an easy to understand way, that doesn’t bog down the child's mind and send them off frustrated.
It is definitely college prep, going through calculus.
It can get a bit pricey the farther up the grades are, but, you can sell it over again at the end of the year and re-coup your money, or purchase it second hand. 
If I had to go back to my childhood days-this is the curriculum I would beg my parents for.

Happy Homeschooling!

www.freedomchurchschool.com

Math Curriculum

Of the math programs I have used, I will say that I have narrowed it down to two which  are my favorites.  Saxon and Teaching Textbooks.

If your child is a math enthusiast.  Or, if your child finds traditional math too easy and/or not very challenging then I would probably encourage the use of Saxon.  It has wonderful daily math drills, and is extensive.  It covers everything from time and  measurements to geometry from an early age.

Saxon does offer an accompanying Dive CD starting with the 5th grade level math.  The CD’s are designed to help your child's understanding by viewing lectures and offering extra practice.

I highly recommend the D.I.V.E. Cd’s with Saxon Math.  They cost around $50, and they are very helpful.

Saxon has a convenient free placement test that you can administer to your children to place them in the appropriate level to start.   I would advise this for everyone considering this math program.

The Price for Saxon Math is reasonable.

Older children's books can be re-sold if they are in good condition.  
I have Algebra 1 for sale on my website....hint....hint.

Warning: For some students Saxon may seem a little too rigorous.

In this case, see my blog on Teaching Textbooks math....tomorrow!

Happy Homeschooling!