Everyone Homeschools Blog

"I Want to be Blind."

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 23:11:00 -0400

Imagine this scene. Your child is chatting away about different topics when they declare that they want to be blind. Now, as a parent you know that there are people who are blind that are very capable and successful. Think Stevie Wonder, for example. Yet, you know they had to overcome challenges and learn in different ways. So, do you try to impart your wisdom to your child verbally? Are you the type of person who will have a discussion and check out books about Braille or Helen Keller? Will you go to a presentation about seeing eye dogs? This exact situation happened one day. Our daughter declared that she wanted to be blind. One would have to wonder what would cause this declaration and once I figured out that she was simply curious, I decided to seize the opportunity. While the previous mentioned methods of teaching about blindness work fine, I figured we had a great learning opportunity. As I recalled my many fun sociology experiments in college and our flexible homeschool schedule, I quickly made an administrative decision and replied, "I can arrange for you to be blind for the day." After our daughter got over being stunned she got excited about the prospect of this experiment. I think she figured she would not have to do anything all day! But what type of parent would I be if I didn't give her a realistic taste of being blind especially since blind people function in society daily. So, I got two eye patches, from when I had corneal scratches, and a eye mask for sleeping and promptly arranged them over her eyes. Then I gave her a stick and let her go. She was very fascinated with this experiment as she banged around the house trying to orient herself as to where everything was situated. Of course, the dogs were running for their lives. We talked about how blind people use their other senses more to assist them. So, for example, their hearing is more attuned. They often will feel things around them. They will ask for help or use a tool such as a stick for guidance or a guide dog and so on. She continued this for about 2 hours and then lunch came. I fixed lunch, gave her a plate and let her go. When she realized I was going to watch a little television she decided to join me. As she arranged herself on the couch, she decided that she would only be partially blind and wanted to remove the coverings on one eye. When I pointed out that blind people don't have the luxury of deciding to all of a sudden see, I could tell she was starting to wonder what she had gotten herself into. I explained that being blind is not something someone can turn on and off. So, I told her she would need to use her imagination and hearing skills to "watch" this show. She was bothered at this prospect but I stuck to it. I told her that after watching the show while being blind then she could decide if she wanted to continue with this experiment but not until she had watched the whole show. So, she ate her food and listened. She shared how hard it was to listen to a show and how she felt like she was missing parts of the show. We talked about how blind people deal with these challenges and how they overcome them. Once the show was over she promptly removed her patches and coverings and declared that she did not want to be blind. The experiment had clearly been a success. She learned about a different group of people and the struggles they face. She learned about compassion and how little she uses her other four senses. The lessons will stay with her for life because she did not just read about them or listen to a lecture, she actually lived them.

Why Homeschool? Reason 2 - Safety

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:06:00 -0400

The recent tragic college killings of Monday, April 16, 2007 at Virginia Tech reminded me of another reason why some people homeschool. When our daughter was quite young the Columbine High School shootings happened. I remember watching in disbelief and wondering what our world was becoming. As details emerged I wondered how the parents of these shooters could not have known what their kids were preparing to do. Then I remember hearing of parents who where still waiting to learn whether their children were dead or alive many, many hours later. The agony those parents felt must have been unspeakable as they waited to hear from authorities. Over the years, I have heard some people argue that you can't just keep children at home because it "might" be unsafe at a school because that is not how the world works. While I understand their argument I don't necessarily agree. If a parent is homeschooling solely for this reason and constantly tells the child they are doing so because the world is unsafe, then it will become debilitating for the child and is unhealthy. But the reality is that schools are not safe. Remember Platte Canyon High last fall amongst others? Then there are other safety issues such as bullying, gangs and so on. Another factor often overlooked is that in a school setting, children are trained to be very submissive to authority figures, such as teachers. If a gunman came into a place of work, adults would take cover, run and do anything necessary to survive. They would not wait for their boss to tell them what to do. This was evidenced by the adults at Virginia Tech who started jumping out windows to escape. The truth is that there are no guarantees in life. But it is also true that that the likelihood of a random gunman walking into your home, while you're homeschooling, is very minimal. Another reality for us is that we have always taught our daughter, via TaeKwonDo and conversations, that you never look for trouble but if trouble comes looking for you then you do whatever is necessary to defend yourself and be safe. The reality is that schools are not safe and there are no guarantees in life, but by homeschooling we have a little more control over the safety of our home and family. And for that, I will give thanks and be sure to hug everyone in the family a little closer tonight as I remember the victims of school violence.

Public Speaking 101

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:02:00 -0400

Oh no, I can't speak in front of a group of people! What will they think of me? Will they laugh at me? Will they like what I say? What do you think of when you hear "public speaking"? Most people become nervous or frightened. In high school, I joined the Debate Team. It was an excellent opportunity for me to hone my debate skills, become comfortable in front of people, both unfriendly and friendly, and just in general learn that most folks don't bite. I have used my skills at various times in my life, everything from making announcements at a party to speaking before legislators at a public hearing and everything in between. As I mentioned in Don't You Want to be a HAM?, we are amateur radio operators. Our daughter is also a Brownie in the Girl Scouts. So, what would any self-respecting Mom do when she realized there was a HAM radio patch for Girl Scouts? You guessed it. I volunteered for US, yes that would be myself, my husband and our daughter, to teach the Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes and Seniors about Ham Radio so they could all earn this patch. Since our daughter got her HAM license she met all the requirements and had already received her patch. The requirements we were teaching are listed at Ham Radio Patch. We decided to divide up the requirements so that each of us would have an opportunity to present. Of course, half of a presentation is being prepared and the other half is staying calm. So, my husband and I helped our daughter prepare her presentation. Her speech was double spaced, listed what she would say, what was on the handout for the girls, and even included a quiz item. As the day approached, she practiced giving her presentation to each of us. Each time we would offer her compliments on things she did well and suggestions to make it even better. Since she was going to be teaching 25 girls, we had a discussion about how she needed to speak clearly, look up at the girls, pause when she asked a question, decide how many girls to call on for an answer and so on. Each time she practiced she improved. On the day of the presentation, we went to lunch and over lunch my husband and I each shared some final ideas. My husband pointed out that it was critical that she speak loudly otherwise the girls would not pay attention if they could not hear her. I encouraged her to smile and have fun. At age 9, our daughter did her first real public speaking gig. She did great! All the girls learned about ham radio, they earned their patch and our daughter got to experience not only teaching others and helping them learn but she experienced speaking in front of a group of people. Because there was no grade tied to the presentation she just focused on doing the best she could rather then worrying about a single person making an arbitrary grade. She read the audience appropriately, engaged them, encouraged them, and had fun. I'm looking forward to her giving more speeches in the future.

Why Homeschool? Reason 1-Portability

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 22:41:00 -0400

Most people think that homeschoolers homeschool only for religious reasons. What a misperception! My good friend has often explained to new homeschoolers that there are thousands of reasons, and she is not lying. So, in an effort to enlighten unofficial homeschoolers of the many reasons to homeschool, I decided to write a weekly on this topic. So, here we go. One reason to homeschool, and one of my favorites, is that homeschooling is portable! We do not have to stay in a classroom or at a desk all day. Some days my daughter does her reading assignment in her pajamas in her bedroom. Other days she does assignments at her desk or kitchen table. Still other days we get wild and crazy! You know what I mean. We do what professionals and college students do, we go to Barnes and Noble, get ourselves a treat, both a food item and drink, grab a table and get to work. Once she accomplishes her goals for her assignments then we find a magazine of interest and stay a little longer and just read. We have homeschooled in the car, see Prisoner Paddy Wagon Adventure, at a friends house, on vacation, at the library, at home, at a table, on a floor, on a bed, and in the backyard on a beautiful sunny spring day. We have homeschooled while visiting family, in a park, in a caf, at a museum and even on a plane going to visit family. We have even homeschooled at our office in a spare office. Because homeschooling is portable the possibilities are endless. Do you have a favorite spot in the world, your town or in your house? Maybe you have a favorite rock or bench in a park? Well, you can homeschool there! Try it!

Bargain Hunter

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:32:00 -0400

Over the Easter weekend, we decided to have calm family time and play some games. One of my old, old games is Bargain Hunter. The game came out in the 1980s just as credit cards were becoming increasingly popular. Does anyone remember the old bulky metal credit card imprint sliding machines? You know the ones where they would take your credit card place it in the machine put the carbon copy receipt on top and swish, swish and then the credit card number would be imprinted on the receipt for the charge. Well, this game has a plastic version of that machine. The idea with Bargain Hunter was the first person who bought all 17 or so items on a shopping list with no debt won. Of course there are typical expenses that sap your cash such as visits to the auto mechanic and doctor. As we played the game, our daughter was faced with a challenge of either waiting to buy an item or charging the item and paying 10% interest. Her immediate reaction was that she was going to charge the item but when we pointed out that for that $300 item she would have to pay $30 interest every time she passed payday, she reanalyzed her options. She said she thought interest could only be given for savings accounts. We had a homeschool teaching moment as we proceeded to explain how many people end up in serious debt because of the very high interest rates and that if you don't have the money to buy something then you probably shouldn't. My husband explained how there are only a couple times when borrowing money makes sense. One case when borrowing is justified is if you are buying a tangible appreciable asset such as a house or when you need cash flow to build a business. Of course, these examples also included lessons on borrowing only what you can afford and not just what someone says is ok for you to borrow. We talked about the folks who are in a bind now because they chose variable interest rate loans, what variable interest rates are and how to address this problem. Once she realized that interest could be charged for borrowed money and how it worked, a very bright bulb went off in (and over) her head. In the end, she won with all the items purchased, no debt and an economics lesson taught one-on-one.

Don't You Want to Be a HAM?

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:08:00 -0400

No, I'm not talking about dressing up like a cooked pig. And I'm not talking about being the life of a party, as in hamming it up. I'm talking about Amateur Radio, of course! HAM is another name for Amateur Radio operators and my husband has been a HAM since he was 11. Yup, you read that right. He has been encouraging me for years, even while we dated, to become a HAM too. Amateur Radio is a form of communication that has been around for over 100 years. In order to use the radio bands dedicated to Amateur Radio you must take a test, pass it, and get a license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Amateur Radio is a hobby that can be used to help people in times of crisis and emergency, such as Hurricane Katrina. In fact, a local HAM where we live helped save some stranded people from Hurricane Katrina. She did this while in her home in the north AND while being blind. During Sept. 11 when all the cellphones became inoperable, HAMS were able to provide communications. Amateur Radio can also be used to pass messages, teach about the science of electronics, help in the community, prepare for emergencies, and for plain old talking. Off and on for 10 years, I struggled with some of the aspects of electronics and, while I thought Amateur Radio was interesting, I figured in case of an emergency I had my husband to bail us out. BUTwhen my husband decided to teach a HAM radio class, I realized this whole HAM thing was going to come to a head! We decided that our daughter, at age 8, might be a little too young for his class and that he would teach her one-on-one. Soon, we heard of a fellow homeschooler in our group who got his Amateur Radio license when he was just 6! Yes, you read THAT correctly. I thought my husband was brilliant at age 11 but now I was staring at a 6 year-old each week that had his license. There is nothing like a 4' reality check to make you realize that if a 6 year-old could get his license then either this whole licensing by the FCC could not possibly be that hard or I really was seriously electronically challenged. And so my daughter and I became HAM radio students together. What an experience! My husband would teach something and I would harken back to my school days and insist that I needed to know and understand every single part of what he was explaining immediately, even if the explanation was in the coming paragraphs. Meanwhile, my daughter would patiently watch as I tried to get the concepts. After awhile my excessive questions become irritating to her because she wanted to move forward and not keep repeating the same things for my benefit. Our local HAM radio club teaches a Technician class (a type of FCC Amateur Radio license which was our goal) and we decided it might be best for us to take this three-week class. So, we went and in between classes we studied. We made flash cards and my daughter and I would quiz each other. For three weeks, I learned more about amps, ohms, currents, voltage, antennae, etc. than I ever cared to know in my life. I made my husband swear that if we got our license we would HAVE to use it and not just for emergencies. I figured if we used it for different HAM events, contests or public service activities then we wouldn't lose what we learned. Soon, the test day arrived. We came with our pencils and other required documents and took our test. Needless to say, we both passed our test and got our license. I'm KB1NQN and our daughter is KB1NQO, simply because of the order they graded our tests. Within a couple days of our daughter getting her license she marched in the Memorial Day Parade with her Brownie troop. She took her HAM radio and checked in with us several times along the parade route. She enjoyed her independence and I enjoyed being able to check in on her all while relaxing along the parade route. While this was a great opportunity to learn about electronics, it was a good learning experience for all of us. We worked together as a family to learn about a hobby that we could all participate in while becoming prepared should an emergency occur. Since we got our licenses we have participated in many different activities. I would encourage you to get your HAM license. To learn more about Amateur Radio and clubs near you visit the American Amateur Radio Relay League at http:www.arrl.org/. Who knows when you might be in the middle of an emergency and you could be the one that makes a lifesaving contact?

Deeds, Documents and Town Hall

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 23:35:00 -0400

Part of the requirements to adopt from Ukraine is the judge wants to see proof that you have a residency. So, if you rent you need to show proof of a lease and if you own your home they want to see a notarized copy of the deed to your home. Enter another homeschool lesson. My daughter and I set out to our town clerk to obtain several copies of the deed to our home because we are hoping to adopt a sibling pair and need the copies for the dossiers. (And an extra copy should anyone lose a copy of the deed.) I expected that we would walk in to the town clerk's office, request the information, they would pull the book, copy it, notarize it and then we would pay and be done. What a surprise when the clerk told us to go to the vault and look it up ourselves. Huh? The look of dumbfoundedness on my face must have been pretty clear because the clerk then proceeded to explain the steps. I took a deep breath and realized I was going to experience this homeschool lesson first hand, side-by-side with my daughter. So, walked into the vault and found a locked area that contained all of our town's vital statistics, such as the births, deaths and marriages. As we looked in awe at books dated back to the 1800s, I could tell this was going to turn out to be a pretty cool experience. As most parents know, I could have completed the task in a record 10 minutes but realized that this would be a great hands-on learning opportunity for our daughter and quickly determined she needed to perform the task. (Did I mention I had no clue how to do this search?) We located a large book that listed all the home owners in town. Our daughter looked up our last name, first name and street and identified the book that our deed was located in. We then walked around the vault a couple times as we tried to orient ourselves with how the books were arranged. Once we figured out the order, our daughter quickly located the book volume that contained our deed and then found the pages of our deed. Wow! In a short period of time she had found the deed to our home and a new interest was seriously sparked. We proceeded to copy the deed, have it notarized and pay for the copies. Throughout this part of the process, she kept asking if we could go back in the vault. Through several questions she realized that we could go back and search our home's previous owners, see how much they had paid for it and so on. As our daughter asked questions, the clerks could overhear our conversation. Soon one of them offered some information on how to do title searches in the vault and I realized there was a serious field trip opportunity here. I learned that Town Clerk does field trips for the local kids to the vault and explains the clerk's job, the records and other interesting facts. So, what would any self-respecting mom, specifically a homeschool mom, do but realize that we need another field trip to the town clerk's office with some friends. Don't underestimate your local town resources. Children can learn about the history of their town and home. They can learn about economics and inflation as they identify home prices over the years, legal documents as they see how deeds are written and notarized, how to do research and of course, communication by asking for help from the clerks. This unplanned errand turned into a great educational experience.

Adoption Education 101

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 23:28:00 -0400

My husband and I have discussed adoption for over five years. Unfortunately due to a variety of factors we were not ready to pursue adoption. This year the time was right and our family was ready. And so we have set out on this amazing journey to grow our family through adoption. What began as a way of growing our family has presented educational opportunities in some of the most unique places. Periodically, I will discuss some of those opportunities that can, of course, be adapted for all types of families. Because of our eastern European family ancestry, we decided to adopt from Ukraine. And so began our first educational lesson. Where is Ukraine? Ukraine was a former Soviet Republic. It was considered the bread basket of the USSR and it is bordered by Poland, Belorus, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldavia and the Black Sea. The capital is Kyiv and Ukraine has been a country that has experienced occupation by many different countries over the years. In learning more about Ukraine, our daughter has learned about her heritage. What was it like in a communist country? They were not allowed to display religious symbols, food was in short supply and everyone was "equal" as determined by the communist government. Ukrainians are a group that has persevered in very difficult circumstances. Most underreported is what is known as the Ukrainian Holocaust. During 1932-1933, seven million Ukrainians were killed by starvation when Joseph Stalin decided to create a man-made famine by not allowing grain or ovens in the area. One can easily learn about the country they live in but what about one of the countries of your family's ancestry? Have you considered visiting the country? Could your child identify where your family came from on a world map? Do you know one major event that took place in that country? Learning about your ancestry is fascinating. Connecting the dots to today is amazing. Ever wonder why you like a certain type of food? Do you have certain likes or dislikes but can't figure out why? Never miss an opportunity to teach your child about their ancestry. By learning about their ancestry it gives children a better understanding of who they are and what their family went through to give them the opportunities they have today. Those lessons should never be lost to history.

Dictionary Game

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 22:49:00 -0400

Recently, our daughter was struggling with looking up words in the dictionary. After discussing the challenge with her, it became apparent to me that she was not connecting with the concept of alphabetical hierarchy. Therefore, I decided to give her a game to play while empowering her to discover/create her own alphabetical hierarchy. I started by asking her to pick out a bunch of words based on things she was thinking of or things she saw in the room. Here is her list: Car
Molly
Multiplication
Kit
Clue
Flecity
Pen
Math
Happy
Latin
Man
Staples
Monkey
One
French
Pencil
Sleep
Map
Blue
Won
There were more words than this, but I only wrote down those so we had a list which (a) had enough words to be challenging but not too many to be discouraging, (b) had at least a few words with the first letter(s) identical, (c) had at least one word with a subset of another word. After writing the words on a blank piece of paper, she cut out the words and began the Dictionary Game! I asked her to put all the words in an order that would make them easy to use. There were no other rules to the game. Of course, I planned to help her along with assessing each decision and arriving at logical conclusions. After a brief discussion, she suggested and agreed that ordering them alphabetically made the most sense because nearly everyone has learned the alphabet in an order that they can easily recall. Had I been doing this game, I would have started with ordering two words and then inserted the other words in the correct location, one at a time, based on my computer programming background. I was pleasantly surprised to see her start in a different way. She immediately started by grouping the words, some by their first letter and others by their position in the alphabet. I found this so refreshing to see a new way of looking at things, especially one which appeared to be more global and holistic, rather than strictly logical! Soon, however, she realized that there were too many to manage this way and decided to begin with the 4 or 5 she had and move to inserting the other words. It was interesting to see her deal with the words "pen" and "pencil" because she had to decide which should come first. After measuring the merit of both choices, she decided "pen" should be first, because it was shorter. She struggled well with the 6 words beginning with "m" as she tried to remember which letter of each word she was comparing. It helped her when I said the letters of each word, starting at the beginning, stopping and emphasizing the one she was comparing. When she finished, she asked if this was the way real dictionaries sort their words. When I told she had figured out exactly the same way, she was elated! Then we looked up a handful of words in the dictionary and we both were very proud of her accomplishment. Afterwards, she was so enthusiastic about the activity that she put all the words into a baggie and labeled it "Dictionary Game by {her initials} and Dad" so she could play it again. I suggested that each time she play, she add one new word to the mix. What a privilege it was for me to spend this time helping my daughter think of her own way to do something, realize that others had already done it that way (confirmation of her thinking), then use this knowledge in a practical way!!

"Will that be Smoking or Non-Smoking?"

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 16:00:00 -0400

While on vacation we decided to use our certificate for dinner at Foxwoods Casino that we had purchased after having the winning bid at a silent auction. Although I am not a gambler my husband and I do enjoy visiting the casinos once in a while for entertainment. So, we decided to enjoy this dinner as a family even though it was a casino. As we entered the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation, http://www.pequotmuseum.org/ we discussed the Indians. I pointed out to our daughter that while on the reservation which is where Foxwoods is located, that some of the rules that we have grown accustomed to may not apply. This did not make total sense to her. So, we explained how a reservation is almost like another country within our country. Granted they are not sovereign but they can do things differently. Upon entering Foxwoods, it became apparent very quickly. When we arrived at the restaurant we were asked whether we wanted a "smoking or non-smoking" table. Huh? Where we live smoking in restaurants has been banned for awhile. So, we asked for non-smoking and proceeded on. A couple days later we decided to visit Mohegan Sun located at the Mohegan Reservation http://www.mohegan.nsn.us/. Again, we went for food. This time it was a buffet certificate purchased in the same way as the Foxwoods one. After our lunch, we noticed they had a kids section of arcade games. We decided to visit the area to play some games. Unlike all other arcades I have ever seen, this one was very different. See you could not just put in a token and play a game. The way to play was to get a free card an put money on it. While this bugged me, we decided to go along with it and put a couple bucks on the card. Shortly thereafter I figured out why they use the card. The money disappeared very quickly. It turns out that each game is not 25 or 50 cents. Nooooo, one was 28 cents another was $1.03 and others were 73 cents. Huh? When I went back because I could not figure out why with an even amount on the card we had 23 cents left I learned that Mohegan Sun sets up their arcade VERY differently. We decided to add a couple bucks more. This time we ended up with .20 cents on the card and I took it to the cashier and asked for the money back. I was informed they don't refund the money. How incredibly convenient. So, I was suppose to carry a plastic card, that never expires, for 20 cents? Needless to say, I gave it to another kid there and left. As we walked, we talked about how off a reservation the business would have been forced to refund the money. In addition, the business would never have survived with such weird priced games. The only thing we could conclude was that it was a way for them to make more money. While we had discussed Indian Reservations and how they came to be, the reality of how they operate differently than the rest of the state and country became very evident in these real life situations. In the end, our daughter learned about why there were reservations, why these tribes decided to pursue their income from gambling, how tribe members get paid on the profits and how a group of people and their culture can survive. As we walked through the casino we saw different artifacts, sculptures, statues, and symbols from each tribe. We located the Tribal Commission and discussed what their role was in the casino. All-in-all I am pretty confident that I doubt our daughter would have experienced a social studies lesson like this in private or public school and we even got to eat while doing it!

"And the Winner Is...."

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 21:24:00 -0400

He's the winner, no she did better. The day after a political debate you will always hear the political pundits debating about who the winner of the debate is, but what does your kid think? We recently watched part of a congressional political debate. I explained the format for this formal way of arguing. As with any communication, there is much more than just the words involved. Appearance and body language, particularly in debates, are very important aspects. As we watched the debate I asked who was making a better impression. Why? Was it because of their clothes? Their tan? The way they held their hands? What made her feel more confident in that person? Then we talked about the questions. The debate we happened to watch was sponsored by a medical association. As a result all the questions involved medicine, malpractice insurance and doctors. As we watched we discussed why those were issues for that segment of the population. I asked why everything involved medical questions? What was a sponsor? As the candidates answered the questions we discussed their answers. One candidate kept talking about how wonderful the state legislature was while the other talked about congress. So, I posed the following questions. Why would someone vote for the candidate that keeps saying how great the legislature is doing when this is a congressional position? Would you vote for someone that did not understand the difference between congress and the state legislature? Would you vote for someone that kept praising another political area instead of talking about what they would do if elected? My goal through it all was for our daughter to analyze the debate, critically think about the answers, see how they looked at the future, how these candidates solved problems, the different aspects of communication and why it all matters. If more people did this you would not hear Monday morning quarterbacks three months later complaining about their newly elected representatives. As one of the greatest countries we have serious responsibilities to not just vote but to vote intelligently and teach our children to do the same.

Amazing Race Contestant Homeschool Graduate

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 23:20:00 -0400

Amazing Race Contestant Homeschool Graduate Have you been following the Amazing Race? Do you know which one of the 7 remaining teams has a member that is a former homeschool graduate? Well, watch closely because the next time you see the "Beauty Queens" or the "Barbies" as some of their fellow contestants call them, you are watching a former homeschooler! Dustin Leigh-Konzelman is the current Miss California 2005 and a former homeschooler. Practical Homeschooling magazine, http://www.practicalhomeschooling.com/, featured her in their Winter 2005 issue. If you would like to learn more about Dustin visit http://www.misscalifornia.org/misscalifornia2005.htm/ Being part of a homeschool family, Dustin Leigh, had some unique opportunities. Check out the Konzelman band at http://www.konzelmans.com/ So, now you can add an Amazing Race Contestant and Miss California to the list of well-known homeschoolers.

Pencils, Pens, Markers, Crayons, Paper and Notebooks... Oh, My!

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 13:59:00 -0400

Alright, I have to make another admission. When I was in school I enjoyed checking out all the gadgets and cool notebooks, pens, and other school supplies for back-to-school season. Actually, when I was in college I left my husband-to-be dumbfounded because I would take notes on blue, yellow, pale green, pink and purple legal pads. Cool supplies kept things interesting for me. Even now, I always have plenty of pens on hand. In fact, I just cleaned out my purse from vacation and I found 15 pens, pencils and highlighters. You'd think I strapped one to every finger. When it comes to pens, I might be considered a pen connoisseur. I enjoy writing with the furry pens, the ones that light up, and the ones that write in gel. Our daughter has also begun training to be a pen connoisseur. She has received very unique pens, including one that was anti-gravity and one that could record messages. This summer when we cleaned out our homeschool room/library I found so many markers, crayons, pens, pencils, notebooks, rulers, and so on I now know that if our school district ever runs low we might be able to help them out. Just kidding! Anyway, what is my point? Homeschooled kids enjoy these types of supplies too! Granted they may not use them nearly as fast as is the case with our daughter's backpack which will probably last five years. Nonetheless, a backpack can be useful when traveling, visiting with friends or bringing something to do, as with our daughter, when she visits her Dad at work. They can be used for field trips or visits to the library. Our daughter always has a journal or notebook in hand. Either she is composing poetry, writing a story, or taking notes. For a period of time she counted cars while at another time license plates intrigued her. She liked writing license plate numbers down. Sometimes, when she is in spy mode, she will take notes of people she is watching. There are many, many uses for notebooks besides just taking notes. It is amazing what a child can come up with when given blank paper and a pen. Since most homeschoolers often fall into the eclectic style, which incorporates different educational styles, office supplies can be very useful. And office supply stores recognize homeschool parents as teachers. So, if you go to Staples, Office Depot, Office Max or any other office supply store be sure to ask about their teacher discount cards. We regularly use Staples which pays a teacher reward in the form of cash back, which we promptly spend at Staples on, surprise, office supplies. Depending on where you live and what your homeschool laws are for your state you may be asked to provide a certificate or simply a support group card as proof that you homeschool. Often during back-to-school shopping they may also have special teacher shopping days with gift bags. And let's face it, discounts are great but free is even better! So, the next time you see a neat notebook, colored gel pens or some cool paper check them out. See if your child might find them helpful and then consider making a purchase. After all, you are the teacher and you get to make your own supply list! Office Depot Star Teacher: http://www.odstarteacher.com/ Staples Teacher Rewards Program: https://www.staplesrewardcenter.com/SORC/UserManagment/Login/Login.asp/

Political Campaign Ads

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 13:56:00 -0400

Alright, if you're like most folks, by now you are getting tired of the mudslinging that you are witnessing courtesy of every politician that wants your vote in November. The next couple weeks will only get worse with the upcoming elections. But every time you hear a radio political campaign ad, or see one on television or in print do you just gloss over it? Do your eyes glaze and you start daydreaming you are in Bermuda? Do you wish it would all end sooner than later? Or, do you see this an awesome opportunity for homeschooling? If you are like me, you seize the opportunity for some good old political analysis. I know it sounds weird, but as a Political Science major I always find this time period fascinating. So, besides enjoying food, geography, history and cultures I also happen to enjoy politics. For some this might seem like the height of absurdity but politics is as much about life as any other subject. In fact, politics determines in many ways how you live your life since politics affects the laws that govern you. In addition, politics at its core is about people, compromises and communication. If you understand the U.S. Constitution, then you can analyze the campaign promises and discuss whether what they are promising is even feasible. When an ad attacks the incumbents voting record you could check out the voting record of the candidate. Perhaps there was some pork in the bill and that is why they voted against it. Heck, you can have great discussions with a child of any age. What is pork when it comes to legislation? Is it really a pig? What is a candidate? How do they become one? What is a party primary? Why is there a convention? What is a third party candidate? How does one become an incumbent? For younger children you could just point out the yard signs and analyze the colors. Which ones grab your attention more? Why? Do they tell you anything about the person running for office? As they get older you could have a discussion about what it means to be a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, Socialist and Communist. Give examples of where each party stands on issues they understand and that are age appropriate. For example, they will grasp topics such as the environment, local issues such as libraries, and whether they support the family. For older kids, you can ask them to read an article or two about the campaigns each day. Perhaps assign or recommend that they follow a particular campaign for about 6 weeks. Ask questions and see if they can figure out the answers. Kids are very resourceful. There are many ways political campaign ads can be incorporated into learning about government, politics, communication, advertising, writing, reading, critical thinking, analysis, statistics, debate skills, campaigning strategies, and much more. So, next time you see a political campaign ad don't tune out. Engage your child. Don't underestimate your child. They get more than you can imagine. And you will get something too. The opportunity to become a better informed voter while teaching your child.

Map Skills Maven

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 10:50:00 -0400

Living in an age of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and the American Automobile Association (AAA) people rarely pull out maps, plan a route on their own and use a map to get to their destination. And now with unlimited calling for phones it is not uncommon to call your destination and get directions. Yet, knowing how to read a map and locate one's way in the world are not just skills that are useful but necessary. Let's face it, the last time I checked there was no GPS for the mall map. Just kidding! Our daughter enjoys learning about maps, geography and practicing her map skills. While she can always practice her skills with a workbook, what better way to utilize her map skills than to guide us to our vacation destination. Vacation, you say? Yes. Now, I do have to admit that allowing an eight year-old to map out a route, plan turn-by-turn directions and then navigate you will most likely take you longer. This requires patience on your part, guidance for your child and time. There is no doubt a GPS or AAA map could quickly guide you to a highway or at least the most direct route much more efficiently. Yet, how would this really help your child? So, it was with this attitude that my husband and I invited our daughter to determine what route we would use to get to our vacation destination. This homeschool lesson is definitely one that is wise to employ during vacation as it can take longer for both the planning and execution versus if you just drove to your destination. Our normal 1 hour trip took almost 2 hours and the route planning took an additional hour. After she highlighted which route we would take she wrote out turn-by-turn directions. She even estimated the number of miles it would take for us to arrive. As we jumped from one route to another we took in the colorful autumn scenery. She confidently directed my husband turn-by-turn, while she learned the difference between junction, highway, route and street signs. This real-world homeschool opportunity is not difficult but it is unique. Think about it. How many children do you know get to guide their parents anywhere? How many children get to use their map skills in real life? Not many. And yet, if they did, if children had a real reason to learn to read a map, wouldn't they? All-in-all our map skills maven did a great job. We arrived at our destination relaxed and ready for a vacation. She was able to modify her directions as needed and practiced her communication, math, writing and map reading skills. We discussed the importance of being able to read a map and stay focused when traveling so that you arrive where you want and not in Kalamazoo. And her reward, and ours, was not a check mark on her paper or a letter grade it was an actual vacation! Not bad, I have to say.