Tag Archives: teaching

Aug27

Homeschooling Choices

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Homeschooling Choices

If you feel that homeschooling is the right choice for your family, where do you begin? This isn’t a post to convince you that a particular curriculum is right for you. I just wanted to lay out some options and without getting too specific, share with you what we do around here.

A plan for those who say, “Help! I want to homeschool, but I don’t feel comfortable teaching my kids academic subjects.”

There are so many advertisements on tv, in magazines, and even on the sidebar of internet sites I visit, for homeschooling options that do all the teaching FOR you! These are actually an extension of public schools, and everything you need is provided for you. Since you already pay for these options with your taxes, you can take advantage of these programs without paying tuition, book fees, etc. There are so many advantages with this type of schooling. Your child has a teacher assigned to him or her, just as they would in a brick and mortar school. The child’s hours and grades are recorded for you. Their standardized tests are included, and all you have to do is take them to the set location to be tested. It is basically like being enrolled in the public school system, but your child does all the work at home.

A plan for those who say, “Okay, I think I’m ready to teach my kids. Now how do I choose from the thousands of options out there?”

Pick a company that has been around for several years, and has a great track record. As you look through catalogs and curriculum samples, look for a publisher that offers all subjects you need to teach. Many companies will even give discounts when you purchase entire student or teacher kits for a particular grade level. You can see many examples of curriculum online, but there is nothing like flipping through the books in person. Try to find a convention, display meeting, or a bookstore that carries the products, so you can actually SEE what you are purchasing. You can ask lots of questions at these kinds of meetings as well. Of course the representatives will try to sell you on their product, but if you go armed with questions and lists of  must-haves, you should be able to make an informed decision.

A plan for those who say, “I’m pretty confident in my own ability to teach. I know what my kids need to learn and am ready to find the best products for them.”

Once you are at this stage, you have SO MANY options! Each curriculum provider is known for certain strengths and weaknesses. This is where you really need to find an exhibit hall at a convention somewhere and spend a few hours (or days) perusing all the materials. Listen to their sales pitch, flip through their materials, ask other homeschoolers, then it is up to you to make the decision. You may choose arithmetic from a particular publisher, but prefer to get your language arts from another. This does require a little extra time and effort on your part, both in the selection process AND in preparation for teaching, until you get used to each curriculum’s methods. This option may also be more expensive since you are picking and choosing only portions of a curriculum, without those kit discounts.

 

I fall somewhere in between plan 2 and 3. I was homeschooled for 7 years (grades 6-12) so I have some experience there. I went to a Christian college that is home to a major textbook publisher, and I did my student teaching in their academy with their materials, so I have some experience there. And I now have about 4 years of experience teaching my own kids at home. Still I get very overwhelmed by the many choices available to homeschoolers. I attended a major homeschool convention a couple of years ago and spent more than a few hours walking through aisles of booths and displays. I scoped it all out, paid careful attention to a few curriculum choices I wanted to consider, but went away determined to stick with plan #2. I still order an entire kit from one publisher. Now that my kids are 3rd and 4th graders, I am seriously considering trying out a couple of those other options next year, but the majority of my curriculum will probably still come from one place.

Remember these are just my opinions. I’d love to hear from you–tell me how you make your curriculum choice!

Mar7

In-House Training, Continued

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In-House Training, Continued

Yesterday, I began writing about what it means to “train” my children. Today, I want to finish up my thoughts based on the simple definition of the word.

TRAIN:

3)To teach so as to make fit, qualified, or proficient

What goal are we heading toward in training our children? They will not be OURS to train forever because some day, they will part ways with Mom and Dad. Whether it be for a job, college, or a spouse, they will be making their own decisions. We are teaching them now, so they can become “fit, qualified, and proficient” adults.

It helps me to remember the reason I am correcting them RIGHT NOW. I do not allow them to rebel against my authority, without consequence, right now, because I am training them to submit to the authority of a boss (or some other authority) in the future. The goal of our training? To prepare them for the rest of their life.

4)To make prepared (as by exercise) for a test of skill

What does an athlete do in preparation for competition? What does a musician do in preparation for a performance? Practice, practice, practice.

Now picture this. I walk by the shoe closet and find 2 pairs of socks lying on the floor. How many times have I asked the kids NOT to leave their socks by the front door? I have asked them multiple times to come back, pick up their socks, and put them in the dirty clothes basket. Yet once again, the socks are here in the floor. Now is when this definition makes the most sense to me. I am training them for the test of adulthood, and it will not happen overnight. Just as an athlete must do the same exercises over and over, so must I help my children practice the right behavior as many times as is necessary for them to master it.

Having a clear picture of what it means to train was the starting point for me. I know I am capable of the training because God gave my children to me. I also know that it will require work on my part. If that gardener decided to walk out of his garden after planting in the spring, and not come back until fall when it was time for harvest, he would be in for a rude awakening. Without his constant care, it would be overgrown with weeds and possibly disease. I want to give what it takes to help my children mature into adulthood with one focus, to glorify God in everything they do.

Mar6

In-House Training

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In-House Training

When we are blessed with children, we are also given a responsibility. You have probably heard the verse I am referring to many times: “Train up a child…” (Pr. 22:6) Each parent has to decide, “Will I train my kids or leave them to figure out life on their own?”

When we accept the responsibility of training our children, what exactly are we committing to? What does it mean to train? I wanted to study and apply this word in my own parenting, and here are some of my results.

First, I decided to get an actual definition for the word ‘train’ from Mirriam-Webster Dictionary. Each variance gave me new insight into what training actually means. So much is crammed into this little 5 letter word that if I stopped here, I would have my work cut out for me! Today, I will share the first 2 definitions and how they apply to raising kids, and tomorrow I’ll post the rest.

TRAIN:

1)To direct the growth of (a plant) usually by bending, pruning, and tying

Tomatoes, tied to stakes to keep them growing straight

Obviously, our children are not plants. However, it created a picture in my mind of a horticulturist tying plants to a stake to strengthen the plant. Or possibly clipping off a diseased stem to keep the rest of the plant healthy. The “bending, pruning, and tying” is not intended to be harmful for the plant—these purposeful cuts are for the good of the plant.

Children need this kind of attention from their parents. When I see something developing in my child that might cause harm (now or in the future), it is my responsibility to carefully and gently train them in right direction.

 

 

2)To form by instruction, discipline, or drill

This definition at first made me think of a drill sergeant. I can see him standing in front of a group of soldiers, directing their every move with his commands. But if you look at the WHOLE definition, there are three things that go hand in hand to complete this definition of ‘training’. What I find really interesting and amazing is that we have already been told what to use for this process—the Scriptures! (2 Tim. 3:16) The Scriptures are profitable to instruct us, to correct us, and to train us. So as a parent, we can be confident that teaching our children the Scriptures will be profitable to them. This is why I believe it is important to bring every thought and action back to the Bible when instructing them, correcting them, and ‘drilling’ them. This is a BIG ONE, so I’ll talk more about this later on in this series.

Tomorrow, I will list the last two definitions that not only talk about the action of training, but the goal. Click here to view the 2nd post.

 

Photo #1 Jason and Elsie, taken by A Lot Like Love Photography

Photo #2  Wikipedia