Part 4 Successful, Enjoyable, DOABLE Homeschooling

Adjusting to a New School Year....be Flexible!

We started school today. We always wait until our yearly beach trip is over. Yesterday I just showed all the kids their books for the year, even letting some of the kids choose between a couple different books in a couple of cases. I never expect much of the first day of school. Occasionally you have a new "student", a preschooler, or one who can't wait to do school, but the others, it's a bit of a transition to go from summer to school days again. I also found that a book I thought I would use for Kasey was just not going to be what she needed which led me write this short blog posting to hopefully encourage you if you find yourself a bit frustrated.

If you find you've chosen a book that just doesn't work, chuck it, sell it or give it to someone else, or even save it as it may be just what your next child will need! Every child is different. Expect that. Some things the oldest child learns right away, others may struggle with. You're not a failure. That is normal. Each child is uniquely made by God and will learn some things easily and others only with a struggle. I've found that a book that worked well for 11 of my children just didn't work for my 12th at ALL!!

Also, don't stress over grade levels. I let each child progress at THEIR own rate in EVERY subject. Don't worry about them getting behind. Don't tell them they're behind. If you work diligently, then they are just where God wants them to be. I've found, for instance, if they didn't get a handle on multiplication facts last year, don't proceed to division this year. Maybe another math text for 4th grade would say it in a different way so they will get it this year if you repeat the grade. Consider using book covers if you want to "repeat" a grade so the child doesn't know what grade it's supposed to be. It's better to see a child gain confidence than pressing them beyond measure and see them frustrated and feeling inadequate or stupid. This year, with one of my children, I am doing that very thing in math- repeating the second half of last year with another text and they are starting the year out feeling like ,"I can do this" instead of feeling totally discouraged, overwhelmed and "behind."

On the other hand, you may find a child is way beyond "where they are supposed to be". If that is the case, throw out concerns about grade levels, put them a grade or two beyond their age and encourage them to go for it. Don't worry that they are getting ahead of themselves. Children also go through learning stages. A subject that may have gone far ahead in, you may find them slowing down in later. That's okay. The general rule is to provide them with a challenge, but not to overwhelm them.

Remember too, that almost every curriculum provides way too many problems. Plan to cut back amounts without compromising any content. You will find that your child is encouraged to finish up when they can see an end to it instead of dragging their feet because they feel they'll never finish up. Eliminate busywork. As the year goes on, you will see more clearly what is just busy work and what is really profitable for each child.

Hope that helps you to get off to a better start. Have a great year!

~Marilyn

Part 3: Successful, Enjoyable, DOABLE Homeschooling: Part 1

Wise Use of Curriculum

Streamline your child’s curriculum, learning to master the books—not letting them master you. This may be news to you, but just because something is in the textbook does not mean your child has to do it—you should evaluate what is best for each of your children’s needs. I try not to require too much from my younger children, letting them answer a lot of questions orally. I do have them do a little bit of neat handwriting every day, but too much writing leads to sloppiness because they just want to get it over with, instead of striving for accuracy. Feel the freedom to pick and choose which things in the curriculum you are using are beneficial to your child and which are not. We generally spend about 2 1/2 to 3 hr. per day on academics.

Learn to develop the practice of enjoying learning. Begin to enrich your home with fun, captivating learning materials. A lot of learning just happens as a byproduct of life. One of the neatest things to me is to see an interest pop up in one of my kids and go to the library or gather materials to help them pursue that interest. The other kids in the family learn from that child’s interest—so much learning just happens if you build a home full of learning tools and books. For instance, Matt was really interested in geography as a young child. We got him a big floor puzzle of the United States, and he knew his states and capitals when he was about eight years old just from putting that puzzle together. He would have me time him, trying to do it faster each time. We also found bedsheets for him with all the continents on them which he then used to teach his sisters the countries! Before we went to bed at night he’d say, “Mom, quiz me!” So I would ask him to find countries on the map before I would tuck him in. He has retained much of his geography knowledge to this day! There are so many resources available—anatomy puzzles, maps, clocks, learning games—fill your home with them! That’s the fun stuff kids remember and creates good memories for you and your children and your adventure of home schooling.

Marilyn

Part 2 Successful, Enjoyable, DOABLE Homeschooling: Part 1

4 Motivational Types of Learners

Have you ever been frustrated with trying to teach one of your kids? That's normal. Every child is different and yet in the teaching of my 14, there are some things I noticed that might help you in your experience. I found apart from learning styles, such as visual, auditory, etc, there are also distinct motivational differences in kids. I boiled it down to basically four different motivational categories my kids seemed to fall into, although each brought their own distinctive traits into play as well.

# 1 The Self-Directed Learner

This child likes to set his own goals and thinks in terms of challenging himself. He loves to pick a target and shoot at it (often a first born). He is bored with too much guidance and needs to work at this own pace. He is not easily discouraged by setbacks, he seems to do his best when allowed as much freedom as possible to design his own plan, set his own pace, and set his own objectives on his way to his ultimate goal. Be careful not to discourage him by making him stick to the plan in the book. He may have thought of a better way to do it!

# 2 The Sensitive Learner

This child has a tender heart that won't take a lot of adversity before growing melancholy and discouraged. You need to stay close to him, supplying him with achievable goals and lots of verbal praise and encouragement to keep him from bogging down in the tough spots. Again, don't make him stick to the book's plan if it overwhelms him. The sensitive student usually does a good job in the end because he tends to think in terms of perfection, but it can also discourage him as he sometimes feels he just doesn't measure up to his own expectations. It also can cause him to work slowly and painstakingly. He should not be rushed unnecessarily, as he may tend to feel that he has been pushed into finisihing the work to meet a deadline at the expense of satisfying his heart that it was done right. Frequent hugs are good medicine.

# 3 The Slothful Learner

This student is easily distracted from a mundane task because because he's not overly excited about sustained effort to begin with. He doesn't like to push himself but can stand some pushing from without to go beyond doing the minimum required. He needs plenty of attention and some accountability (I don't test all my kids, but this type of learner I do) as he is more likely to skim through an assignment just to be able to report it done than to stop and think what the reason for the assignment might be. He needs to be shown the rewards of persistent effort because his automatic tendency is to reason that it is unwise to put off anything until tomorrow that can be put off until next year. Sticks and carrots are most useful with this child, but don't forget to love him even though he tweaks your patience at times.

#4 The Steady Learner

The steady learner is a consistent fellow who generally learns fairly easily in most subjects, although like anyone else, he finds some subjects more interesting than others. He tends to move through material steadily, without spurts or splutters of motivation. He tends to get a lot done because he is not easily distracted, discouraged, or defeated. He's an overall good student, and little trouble to teach.

You may find some of your kids are combinations of these, but hopefully that will give you some guidelines to help deal with your school day. Remember God has specially designed your child and made you to be exactly the right parent to deal with each of your unique kids. What is really fun is when they grow older and you begin to see, OH- that's why God him that way!"

~Marilyn

Successful, Enjoyable, DOABLE Homeschooling: Part 1

Our Typical School Day

People have often asked me just what "school" looks like in our house. Homeschooling is all about your relationship with your kids. Think about it as you prepare for next school year. Plan to be with your kids as they learn. I never tell my kids to go do their school. I try to get a load of laundry in while they are getting their chores done and then we do schoolwork together; BE IN THE CLASSROOM. One day I went into the living room because I was tired and one-by-one all the kids drifted in to join me—they are so much more motivated if mom is involved.

I assign their work every day and each child moves at his own pace in every subject. When people ask my kids what grade they’re in they will usually answer according to their age, but they’re really in different grades in different subjects. If they’re good in history and love it they might do two or three years’ worth of history in one year. If math is a struggle they might be a grade ”behind where they should be”, but it’s more important to give them confidence. Keep them at a level where they are challenged but not discouraged. When they learn a skill, move on. If they are a great speller there’s no need to give them a list of spelling words to work on all week-If they take the pretest on Monday and get all the words right they don’t need to work on those words all week long. Gear your children’s work to their own needs.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to know everything to teach your kids. It’s good for your kids to watch you learn and struggle, and see how you work it out. When I’m explaining a new concept in, say, math, I will work a problem first while they watch me. Then I’ll watch them do a problem, then send them off to do one by themselves. When they come back to show me the one problem I can see if they got it right. Think how you would feel if you went off and did 15 math problems and made the same mistake in every one—that would be quite discouraging. Most math curricula I’ve seen have far too many problems for a child to do in one day. The reason they do that is to provide busy work for teachers who have different levels of ability in one classroom. When I assign my children’s work I give them 10 or 15 problems a day, and if they get those right and understand them, great—we’ll move and do more the next day. Sometimes we do unit studies, sometimes we don’t. We have read science books on each child’s level on a topic like weather, and at the end of the time they’re studying about that we’ll go to the weather station at the airport. Sometimes it doesn’t work out to go somewhere and I just let them work at their own levels in their science books.

Make school a fun time for your younger children, too. One thing I’ve done that really works is to reserve special materials and projects just for them to do while the older kids do their schoolwork. Now, in the summer, while all the paper, crayons, markers, glue sticks, etc are on sale is the time to stock up. Watch for Staples/Walmart ads to catch the weekly specials from here till early September and stock up on special supplies to profitably occupy your preschooler. We put them away in a special place in the closet so they don’t get bored; they can’t just pull them out and do them all day long. Things like flannel graphs and puzzles, playdough, sorting pre-cut shapes, outlining, lace-and-trace activities—things that are teaching them something.(Here is our list of some suggested activities)

In our house, Dad doesn’t do any of the academic teaching; some dads might, but he just doesn’t have time. What he does do sometimes is to correct the schoolwork for the little ones and encourage them with his attention and a sticker on their papers. During the day they’ll say they want to do a paper just for dad!

I would first of all spend 10 minutes with the little ones while the bigger kids were picking up clutter/doing simple chores. Then, halfway through our morning, while the older kids were snacking, I would again spend approx. 10 minutes with the toddlers/preschoolers. When "school" was over, about noon, I would again spend time reading Bible stories/teaching Scripture verses/character to the little ones while the older ones made sandwiches for lunch. If they KNOW and can depend on time alone with Mom at those specific times, they usually won't be begging for attention all morning long.

People have asked if the Boyers have a quiet classroom. No! I try to squelch distracting talk, but because of the number of children we use three rooms. The kids who are reading will be on the couch in the living room unless it’s something they really need to concentrate on and then they can go to their room. The little kids are in the kitchen doing puzzles and learning activities. The kids who are writing are in the dining room with their workbooks and math, and I rotate from room to room. I find that it requires less time to teach the older kids than the younger ones.Preschoolers and the ones you’re teaching to read are the ones who need the majority of your time and attention. When the older kids get into high school they should be able to be self-motivated. You should be able to show them what you want to accomplish during the year and let them pace themselves, bearing more of the responsibility. The big kids get used to a certain amount of noise from the little ones, and the little ones have to learn to hold it down.

Remember to plan for some fun things- special trips to the orchard, museums, recipes to make fun seasonal foods, craft projects, etc. Kids have to learn to do some things they don't like to do, but remember a little fun makes everything more palatable and memorable.

~Marilyn