Bona Vita

19 Lessons I'll Share With You After 19 Years of Homeschooling

Over the next few weeks I am going to share 19 Lessons that I have learned during the last 19 years of homeschooling our kids. They range from the practical to the ridiculous. My hope is to encourage, shore-up, admonish, and some how save you some of the growing pains that our family has felt as we engaged in the wonderful wild world of homeschooling.

Keep in mind these are my opinions. After all, as my dear friend Jeannie reminds me, I am only an expert in my own opinions.

#1     Do not insist your children wear matching outfits in public after the age of 8 (give or take a year).

Just because your kids can still fit into Gymboree, Hanna Andersson, Land's End, or similar matching age appropriate clothes does not mean you need to insist they wear such garb.

Our children are individuals with emerging styles and tastes. At some point they are going to be humiliated and embarrassed by dressing like the Von Trapp Family Singers.

I am well aware that it is much easier to tell everyone to just wear "the blue shirts" or the "red and white dresses". At some point it is not easier on them.

Listen to your kids. I'm not advocating extreme style changes or expensive accessorizing. I'm just suggesting that when your kids voice a desire to dress like an individual, be flexible. It will save you battles later.

My 24 year old son (who is now a successful medical student) insists he wore drab grey and black during his college years because he was so shell shocked from years of colorful matching Gymboree outfits. Sorry, Elliot, my bad.

Our ideas of cute and clever may simply be embarrassing moments for our kids. Homeschooling has wonderful points both academically and socially. That being said, it sets your children apart in a way that can sometimes be hard on them. Perhaps we shouldn't emphasize this by insisting they "dress the part".

Mentors And Multiplication Drills

It was a lonely existence when we decided to home school our kids eons ago. Our friends and extended family chose traditional private and public schools for their children.

I did attempt to join a small home school group. Frankly, it scared me to death. We had chosen to educate our kids for academic reasons. The group I happened upon consisted of  free thinking California "un-schooling"  parents. We had very little in common. They wore Birkenstocks and didn't believe in immunizations. I wore embellished sandals and believed in Western Medicine. I left the group bound and determined to put our daughter back in her nice private school. My husband suggested we march on with homeschooling and just not attend the hippie home school group affairs. So off we went. Alone.

Then I met Jeannie.  Our mutual piano teacher suggested I needed to meet this woman of many talents. She was a veteran homeschooling mother. She was energetic, passionate about homeschooling, wiser than her years, and she had navigated the world of homeschooling during its infancy. Besides, her kids were older and better pianists than mine.

Jeannie turned out to be everything perfect in a mentor. She was so smart, she was faithful, she knew about every curriculum choice available, she wanted to share her information, and she wanted me to be successful at homeschooling my children.

She became one of my dearest friends and remains so to this day. We now live half a continent apart. But, we talk regularly sharing every little thing about our lives. We still rejoice in our victories and share our struggles. She completed her homeschooling journey several years ago.  Yet, she continues to follow my homeschooling story.

So much of what Jeannie taught me about homeschooling is now ingrained in my everyday routine. My schedule, the manner in which I break down textbooks, the drills I use, the books I insist my kids read, the on-line classes in which they participate, and even my faith has Jeannie's imprint.

One of the nuggets Jeannie passed on to me allowed me to teach the multiplication facts in such an easy manner. She gave me a blank multiplication chart. I then put a poster size multiplication chart on our schoolroom wall. I gave copy of the blank multiplication chart to my younger children. Each morning they had to complete it correctly. They could look at the chart on the wall if they needed it. Within a very short time they had memorized the multiplication facts and no longer needed the chart on the wall. It was almost magical since it saved me mountains of work.

I can't share my dear friend Jeannie with you all. But I can share a blank multiplication chart.

 

 Blank Multiplication Chart

 

11th Grade High School Curriculum

As summer ends I have to keep thinking about school and reading lists and curriculum ideas...

The curriculum choices for homeschooling are wide and varied.  It is necessary to plan ahead in order to not become overwhelmed with your options. Plan your course of action and then choose your curriculum to match your needs.   Write down your educational plans and goals for your family. Then, choose your curriculum.

The unpleasant alternative to this is perusing and purchasing wild amounts of curriculum and subject matter, much of which you will never actually utilize.  I have experienced this first-hand on a small scale and I have witnessed it countless times.  The available curriculum choices can actually paralyze your ability to home school.  Be wise, be thoughtful, be careful, be selective.

I customize my curriculum every year to  match my child's academic, social and emotional needs. I also take into account our family's general schedule and needs for the upcoming year. 

If I find myself looking forward to a stressful year full of time constraints  I will streamline my curriculum accordingly.  I have even  taken this step mid-year. For instance, skiing takes up a good part of our winter days. I have to make sure we continue to progress in our classes. This means my kids can be found finishing their work in the evenings and on weekends. But it also means I have to adjust my expectations and requirements during ski season so we get the academic work accomplished, yet enjoy skiing without stress.

 

My daughter is in 11th grade this year and I have listed her classes below. It is not quite in concrete. Her passion is drawing and I am trying to work her schedule so that she has time to draw every day. Historically, her siblings have taken Latin throughout high school. She has had 5 years of Latin previously. So, I'm considering dropping Latin from her schedule in order to give her time to draw.

I am including American Government and Economics in her schedule this year. I feel it's a better fit with the Western Literature class. She will complete United States History along with American Literature during her senior year.

Here is her tentative schedule:

 

 11^th Grade

Literature – Western Literature – Scholar’s Online Academy

Writing – The WriteLab

Algebra II – Teaching Textbooks

United States Government/Economics –  Ray Notgrass

Piano – Private Instruction

Latin - Scholar's Online Academy

Language –  Applications of Grammar Book 5

Chemistry – Apologia

Drawing

P.E. – Running, Elliptical, Skiing

Goodbye, summer. See you next year.

 

 

6th Grade Homeschool Curriculum and Reading List

Here is the list of subjects my 6th grader will work with this school year. Sixth and seventh grade have become interchangeable over the years for me. Therefore, this list includes textbooks from both grades.

• Bible Study - Studying God's Word  - Christian Liberty Press
• Math - Saxon 7/6
  
• Language - Basics For Communicating Effectively - Christian Liberty Press
• Spelling - Building Spelling Skills Book 7 - Christian Liberty Press
• Science  Observing God's World - A Beka
• History  - History Of The World - A beka
  
• Writing - The Write Lab
• Piano - Private instructor
• Physical education
• Drills - Typing: Mavis Beacon; Math: Quarter Mile Math; Reading Comprehension: A Beka's Read and Think Skills, Latin From The Roots Up
  

I have included the reading list that she will be using this year, as well. My student is an avid and enthusiastic reader. Customize your reading list to fit you and your child's needs. This is a good general middle school list. It is by no means exhaustive. It leans towards World History rather than United States History.

Reading List

• Augustus Caesar's World - Genevieve Foster
  
• The World of Columbus and Sons - Genevieve Foster
  
• Golden Goblet - Eloise Jarvis McGraw
  
• I, Juan de Pareja - Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
  
• The Second Mrs. Giaconda - E.L Konigsburg
  
• Shadow of the Bull - Maia Wojciechowska
• Hittite the Warrior - Joann S. Williamson
  
• Swiss Family Robinson - Johann David Wyss
  
• Susan Creek - Douglas Wilson
  
• Black Thorn Winter - Douglas Wilson
  
• Squalls Before War: His Majesty's Schooner Sultana - Ned Bustard
  
• The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow - Allen French
  
• The Red Keep - Allen French
  
• The Lost Baron - Allen French
  
• The Ides of April - Lindsey Davis
  
• Catherine - Called Birdy - Karen Cushman
  
• Around the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne
  
• Yearling - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
  
• Cricket in Times Square - George Seiden
  
• Old Yeller - Fred Gipson
  
• Freckles - Gene Stratton-Porter
  
• Girl of the Limberlost - Gene Stratton Porter
  
• Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers - Douglas Bond
  
• Mr. Pipes Comes to America - Douglas Bond
  
• Mr. Pipes and Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation - Douglas Bond
  
• The Gammage Cup - Carol Kendall
  
• Redwall Series - Jacques
• Eagle of the Ninth – Sutcliff
• The Hobbit – Tolkien
• The Secret Garden – Francis Hodgson-Burnett
• A Wrinkle In Time – Madeleine L’Engle
• The Wind InThe Willows – Kenneth Grahame
• Anne Of Green Gables – Lucy Maud Montgomery
• The Phoenix and the Carpet – E. Nesbit
• The Lantern Bearers – Rosemary Sutcliff
• The Chronicles of Narnia Series – C.S. Lewis
• Escape From Warsaw - Ian Serraillier
• The Children’s Homer
• The Black Stallion – Walter Farley
• Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe
• A Gathering of Days – Joan W. Blos
• Justin Morgan Had A Horse – Marguerite Henry
• The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt By Day – Scott O’Dell
• Early Thunder – Jean Fritz
• Justin Morgan Had A Horse – Marguerite Henry (any M. Henry selection)
• The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt By Day – Scott O’Dell
• Scottish Chiefs – Jane Porter
• Otto Of The Silver Hand – Howard Pyle
• Where The Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls
• The Bronze Bow – Elizabeth G. Speare
• Kidnapped – Robert Louis Stevenson
• Lad: A Dog – Albert Payson Terhune
• The Prince and the Pauper – Mark Twain
• Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm – Kate Douglas Wiggin
• Carry On, Mr. Bowditch – Jean Lee Latham
• Archimedes And The Door Of Science – Jeanne Bendick
• The Lost Princess – George MacDonald
• The Door In The Wall – Marguerite de Angeli
• The Witch Of Blackbird Pond

This reading list includes some titles that I will read aloud to my children. It also includes titles that my daughter has read this summer.

"A capacity and taste for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.” - Abraham Lincoln

 

The Land of Counterpane

We have been homeschooling for the better part of nineteen years.Yet, every August I become terrified as I think about the coming school year.

I'm not paralyzed by choosing curriculum or creating reading lists - well, maybe a little. The scariest part of homeschooling for me is the idea that I must become organized and disciplined. It makes my blood run cold.

I use fairly structured curriculum and our educational approach is traditional (workbooks and textbooks). So, I have to schedule our days in order to complete everything in a timely manner. The subjects, the lessons, the therapy, and the appointments all demand a designated amount of time. As much as I dislike this it does keep me on my toes.

As I was riffling through lists and ideas for school I came across a blog post I wrote in 2008. It encourages me. It reminds me the one aspect of my younger children's lives I don't have to plan or schedule is play time.

 

Here is the post:

Children have fabulous imaginations. Their minds are always working overtime with new and fantastic ideas as they enliven the world around them.

Kids can be left alone playing for only a few moments and they will create blanket hide-aways, intricate "school rooms", restaurants complete with lovely menus, and trains ready to roll across the prairie. Give them a pair of scissors, a ream of paper and a gross of tape and the possibilities become endless. Last week I walked in to a room with colorful 3-D barns, animals, cars and sunglasses. I am not sure any number of pamphlets, magazines or craft books could actually compete with a child's imagination.

So, if you are not the creative type, follow your child's lead. Don't be afraid to let your children make a few messes. Let them play utilizing a gift God has blessed them with - their imaginations. You can provide them with the basic tools and the safe environment for playtime. Then step back and just watch as their wonderful world comes alive.

The Land of Counterpane

When I was sick and lay a-bed, I had two pillows at my head, And all my toys beside me lay, To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so I watched my leaden soldiers go, With different uniforms and drills, Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets All up and down among the sheets; Or brought my trees and houses out, And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still That sits upon the pillow-hill, And sees before him, dale and plain, The pleasant land of counterpane.

- Robert Louis Stevenson

Writing Exercises

 

During these long summer days it's important children exercise their minds as well as their bodies. Math drills  and writing exercises are always helpful.  Your kids will stay sharp and ready for their next grade level. They will be able to dive right into school in the fall without the usual review, review, review. Have your children practice routinely in the summer for an easier transition when school starts.

The Write Lab has a terrific free writing printable available today! The Bubble Outline is a fun way to help your kids write this summer. The Write Lab has made it easy to get started.