Random Update - "This is just our life"

So I know that things have been more than a bit quiet around here when it comes to me actually ranting or raving about what is going on and although I could say this is simply because things have been very busy lately, I don't know how true that is. I have been able to keep up with posting neat things I find and have done a few reviews here and there, but I also feel like I have begun to get to this place where things are feeling really comfortable. Don't get me wrong, I have been thrown some real wing-dingers in the last few months, but as far as our home educating goes I think we have really gotten to this place of "this is just our life."

Maybe it is that KM is getting older and really taking responsibility for her education or the fact that I am working again or that we have found the perfect balance for our family or it could be something entirely unbeknownst to me. Whatever it is I really like this place! I like not having to nag and worry about lessons being completed. I like that I can run errands and know that when I return she will have her lessons done - and maybe even a few chores! I like that we can ditch the lessons and head to the movies because we will get to the lessons tonight or later in the week or on the weekend and that is perfectly fine - with both me and her!

Now don't get me wrong, not everything is sunshine and rainbows - or as KM would say "lollipops, candy canes, rainbows and Fluttershy"! There are days when things don't go right, personalities clash, or tragedy strikes, but these do not have anything to do with our educational choices, this is just our life!

Turn the clock back 5 years and you would see a completely different household. When things went wrong, they REALLY went wrong! We didn't know what mellow was because all we did was fight over homework or behavior or chores or school behavior or getting up in the morning or going to bed on time or you name it and we probably had one whopper of a battle over it. I thought for a long time that that was just our life. That was just the way it had to be. Luckily though I had an epiphany. I knew I had to change something so I made the decision that has altered our lives to what I feel it truly should have been from the beginning!

I do not regret having sent KM to school because I truly believe that there was a reason for it - if nothing else it has made us appreciate this path so much more! I am grateful that we have been able to find our life and we can enjoy living it to the fullest each and every day! 

More PROOF of just how messed up our schools are -----

This is a page from my 5 year old niece's "First Week of School" book ---

REALLY!!! How many errors can you find here? I won't even get into the fact that the teacher traced that hand, NOT my niece.....



Please excuse the poor quality of the photo! I only had my phone and COULDN'T pass this one up!!!

Don't Do Drugs Stay Out Of School - Book Review

Don’t Do Drugs Stay Out Of School challenges parents everywhere to rethink the necessity of conventional schooling. Probing questions explore the concepts of learning and childhood development and offer the suggestion that perhaps a life without school is healthier for children and thus for the world. Is learning the real purpose of school? Does school offer true educational value? Is there a better way? How can children learn and grow without school in their lives? How has the school culture affected society in the last hundred years? - description from UnpluggedMom.com

In Don't Do Drugs Stay Out of School the reader is taken on a journey through recent history as Laurette Lynn points out the undeniable correlation between our societal decline in educational acheivements, health, family connection and personal drive and the evolution of compulsory schooling. Laurette has taken some of the most common points, that are often presented in a disunited manner, and concisely connects the dots to allow the reader a chance to step back and see the real picture - SCHOOL IS NO PLACE FOR CHILDREN!!! 


Unlike others that have come before her, Laurette also gives a clear outline to the educational solution which emphasizes learning independently, as well as through cooperative community based learning programs and apprenticeships. These keys are currently working throughout the nation for freely educated children everywhere. 


As always Laurette does not tell you what to think, but presents you with a number of scenarios and facts, daring you to look deeper for yourself and your children! Anyone who reads this book and still thinks school is the "right place" for children should NOT have them! BRAVA Laurette!!! I can't imagine anyone laying things out any clearer! 

Summer Session - Another example of why we do lessons year round!

Monday was the perfect example of why we do lessons year round. KM's alarm went off at 9 and she came bouncing out of her room and was dancing through the kitchen. When I asked why she was so happy she said "I get to start my cosmetology book today!" Now we have had this book for months and she could have begun it at anytime, but today is the first day of our summer session which is when she decided to have the cosmetology added on to her schedule. She is really driven by her schedule, it keeps her motivated and focused. Without it she tends to just motor along with no real direction and SHE notices that she doesn't seem to be herself.

She had a little over 4 weeks off from book work, but by the beginning of the third week she was really getting bored, losing focus and started asking about doing different sports - volleyball at the high school, taking gymnastics, maybe trying a dance class, but when I said most of those things start in the fall she said well I won't have TIME for that then! Each and every time we take a break longer than a week or two she gets like this EVEN when we have things planned most days. I see a very REAL difference in her personality, demeanor, and attitude. Don't get me wrong she has days where she enjoys doing nothing - like when we spent Sunday watching almost the entire first season of Gossip Girl on Netflix -, but if it goes on for more than a day or two she is just off.

Today was a great start she went and completed her volunteer hours in the morning, we had lunch after I picked her up and she was off and running with the Hands-On Banking for Teens, her cosmetology program and she began her history assignment for the week. Summer lessons are much more laid back, but she knows that it allows us to have greater flexibility in our schedule throughout the rest of the year. I am think of switching it up a bit more and cutting back the two lengthier breaks - Sept and June - and adding those extra weeks throughout the year so that we don't get this funk again. 

Recognizing What is Really Important - Thinking about your child's future

Should have known then
 she would want to go
into cosmetology!

There is no time like the present to think about what your child wants in the future. If you have been a reader of my blog for more than a week I am sure that you have seen more than one post about changes that we have made - in curricula, scheduling, hair colors you name it! We are all about changes, going with the flow, following interests and dropping things that just don't work, but I also really REALLY like a plan so that I have a constant direction.

When a parent is looking ahead at their child's home education path they need to have an end goal in mind in order to help their child achieve their goals - be it college, trade school, internships, job skills, entrepreneurship or whatever else they can think of. In order to focus on what is important to the child you need to be aware of their likes and dislikes and allow them to have some say in what they are doing. You also need to be observant of your child and by recognizing their strengths and weaknesses you can often discover at a young age which path might be a good fit for them and help to lead them in the right direction. I am not saying that you can determine at the age of 5 whether a child will be a doctor or a runway model or a gas attendant, but if you pay attention you will be able to acknowledge that your math hating 14 year old will probably never be an engineer.



I hear so many parents complaining about fighting with a child to get work completed, especially when the kids enter the teenage years. The cries of "when am I ever going to use this?" bring frustration and resistance into a relationship at such a critical stage which requires nurturing and continuity. Listen to your child and really think about whether they are likely to "use this" or are you just following someone else's pre-designed plan. More than 90% of people never use the advanced high school math that they were forced to learn in the "real world". That is JUST math. How many adults know how to diagram a sentence, know all of the functions of the organs, can recite the periodic table of elements, can name all 50 states - you homeschool mom's don't count, since you probably learned it while TEACHING it to your kids!!!


I am not discounting any of these as important or not, just using it to point out that different people have different skill sets and different kids have different interests. Families have things that are important to them and parents have some things that they are not willing to bend on for various reasons. You should expose your kids to EVERYTHING, introduce and encourage exploration, but if no spark is lit then what is the point in forcing drudgery and disdain for the topic. This "one path fits all" approach that many homeschoolers start out with really is not much better than school. Not all children are going to head off to college and they shouldn't! We need people who work at the grocery store, at the gas station,on the theater stage,and  to invent the next must have gadget, just as much as we need doctors and engineers. There is no less value in any particular path and all are necessary for our society to function.


So when planning ahead really take into consideration your families fundamental requirements and your child's interests and goals. Don't just follow the status quo, but challenge it and challenge yourself to truly meet the needs of your child!

Living Their Lives - Home Educating Teens

There are very few home educating parents who do not cringe when they think about the “high school” years. Many become so intimidated that they spend tons of money on accredited programs, pay “homeschool gurus” to tell them they are doing the right thing and very often still end up enrolling their children in school so that they can get a “diploma.” It can be a very daunting and intimidating situation when you think about the fact that these four years can make or break your child’s ENTIRE FUTURE!!! So why do we think that way? Why do we allow the tape to continue it’s repeated taunt – “THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY”!!??!!??

As always there are many options available from traditional college prep to trade studies to GED prep and no matter which path your child has decided to turn down, school does not have to be one of them. So many young adults get to college or “out into the real world” and suddenly realize that they have no idea what they want to do, how they want to spend their lives and often even what they like. After being intellectually spoon-fed for 12-15 years should anyone really be surprised that they don’t know how to make a decision?

The teen years don’t have to be riddled with academics, extra-curricular activities, and SAT prep. It is the absolute perfect time to allow the child to decide on what path they want to take and how they want to get there. Teens should be permitted and encouraged to try new things, volunteer at places they find interesting, get a part-time job and start living their life. It is ideal timing because they can do so without fear of failure as they are still living at home and don’t have to be 100% responsible.

When planning ahead it is best to leave as many options open for your child, so I am in no way advocating a completely hands-off approach, but rather the same sort of eclectic, child-led learning that I always advocate for. Allow the child to have as much input as possible and be willing to discard things that don’t work – even if that means giving up an instrument, quitting a job, or dropping a class. The best strategy is to continue with a well-rounded education, utilizing real-life opportunities just as much as curriculum and courses. It can be just as easy, often easier even, to translate teen activities into educationese as it is for your children and not only an you create a transcript if necessary, but your child will be building their resume. 

Here are some books that you and your teens may find helpful while navigating this new and sometimes petrifying terrain - 

• The Teenagers Guide to Opting Out (Not Dropping Out) of School
• The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education
• Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens (The Leadership Education Library)
• Homeschooling: The Teen Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 13- to 18- Year-Old 
• Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School
• Kaplan GED: Complete Self-Study Guide for the GED Tests
• Homeschoolers’ College Admissions Handbook: Preparing Your 12- to 18-Year-Old for a Smooth Transition
• College Without High School: A Teenager’s Guide to Skipping High School and Going to College
• Setting the Records Straight: How to Craft Homeschool Transcripts and Course Descriptions for College Admission and Scholarships

Also be sure to check out the Unplugged Mom’s Educational Resources Section for some great free learning initiatives.

~~~~This post can also be found on Unplugged Mom.

Family Math Nights

Math nights can be a great fun way to interactive and apply math concepts to help solidify usage. We have done them at home, done them at the library, had co-op nights around them and the families have always had a fantastic time! This site - Math Night - was featured in the Clickschooling Newsletter this week and reminded me that we haven't had one in a really long time!
Some of my favorite modules are -

   

and some of my favorite resources include - 

From a reader -  

Kate Nonesuch said...

You may be interested in my free family math resource, funded by the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, HRSDC.
Family Math Fun!
A manual for educators and parents who want to promote math thinking in kids of all ages.
• Things to do in the kitchen and on a walk, rhymes, games, and things to make, all to promote math thinking and learning.
• Math for the whole person: spirit, heart, body and mind are all connected in the activities in this book. When these are in balance, math becomes part of our whole lives, not a beast or a barrier.
• Patterns, recipes, and hand-outs all included (109 pages). •

Download it free at http://www.nald.ca/library/learning/familymath/cover.htm

Free Cultural Events! - Who can beat that!

This week we were oh so fortunate to be able to attend two fabulous cultural arts events for FREE!!! The first was a presentation of the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra's Symphony of Nature. KM attend a free presentation on the 9th at the Cape Cod Conservatory that highlighted many works that were inspired by nature and went into discussions on the pieces that were presented. We were so fortunate to have gotten to participate in that class, but then to be able to follow it with an incredible trip to see the CCSO performance just made it even better!

Then on Wednesday we attended the dress rehearsal of the BLO's upcoming premiere of The Inspector. They have a great program were they allow high schoolers the opportunity to attend the dress rehearsals for free! This was our second experience attending and we hope to be able to go to many more! I suspect that the run will be a GREAT success as the kids in our group all loved it! These are the types of things that we love to do and would never be able to afford without programs like this - I mean the opera would have cost us nearly $200 for the two of us to attend! 

Weekly Update - A HECTIC ONE!!!

I feel like we haven't been home much at all and since our internet is out and I am now at the library, I am going to keep this rather short so that I can go get some things done around the house!!!

DN was not with us this week, but reported having no issues with his lessons and that he likes this bi-weekly schedule. KM cruised through her work this week despite our busy in and out schedule. Highlight of the week had to be seeing the BLO final dress rehearsal of Barber of Seville! It was breathtaking and sidesplitting. KM always loves going into Boston for whatever reason, but this was an extra special occasion and we had a blast!

Here are some pics from the show -

Spring Session Plans ALL SET!

Got every little piece tidied up this afternoon and it is like a weight has lifted from my shoulders. As I have said a bazillion times before, although I am willing to switch things up it is SOOOOO nice to just have things set and ready to go.

After some discussion DN has decided to stay on an every other week schedule, which means he will be here for only two or three days every two weeks and will complete the majority of his work at home. I had to switch things up a bit so that this could work, but I think that it will go well as long as he stays on top of things. KM's schedule will basically remain the same as it has, but we are tweaking a few things here and there to hers as well.

Literature -
City of Embers - DN

Animal Farm - DN

Math - 

Manga Joku - Both

Science - 

Biology Coloring Workbook - KM

Janice VanCleave's Bio Labs - Both
Usborne Science Encyclopedia - DN

Health & Phys. Ed. - 
Bowling - KM

Tennis - Both

Ice Skating- KM
Basketball - DN

Heads Up: Real News About Drugs and Your Body - Both
Mind Over Matter - Both


Social Sciences – U.S. History & Geography - 
A History of US Books 1-2 - K

Liberty Kids - K

Story of the US DVD -  - K

U.S. History – Basic Not Boring - K

Hip Hop History - U.S. - D

Westward, Ha-Ha!, 1800-1850 (America's Funny But True History) - D

The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds: The Donner Party Expedition (My Name is America) - D

The Revolution - D
Journey North - Both
25 Map Crosswords - Both

Elective - Financial Literacy -
Building Your Future - Financial Literacy Curriculum - Both


Foreign Languages - 
Japanese from Zero!  - K

Spanish Grammar Study Cards- D

Spanish Conversation Demystified - D
Spanish (The 100+ Series) - D

Current Events - 
CNN Student News - Both

Changing things up ---

We are a few weeks into our fall session, so it is that time to change things up.

KM is having some issues with Biology Demystified - she likes the program but feels she doesn't have a strong enough base to follow the higher level text, so we are stepping back and regrouping. She really likes the Virtual Web Labs and The Biology Coloring Book so I think we will stick with just those for now and see what happens. The Life Science (100+ Series) was also a flop, she didn't like the lack of instruction and the repetitive nature of the diagrams.

We also decided to stop using English Grammar 101 online. She found that she was not retaining the information. When it came to each individual lesson she was doing really well - mostly 20/20 and at the least 16/20 - but when she got to the review she couldn't get better than 28/40. This was more than a bit concerning to me.

All of these issues are leading me to question my negative feelings toward rote memorization. I have always been so against it, but it seems her retention of the information in the manner we have been going is far from adequate - in the more complex areas. I am wondering if I have been expecting too little of her. I have also been reading The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education - and will be reviewing soon - which really focuses on rote memorization skills to give a base of knowledge to draw from. If this book continues to make as much sense throughout as it has in the first few chapters, I will be changing things up even more. Be sure to check back for that full review in a few weeks!

You Tube Monday - Apple Steve Jobs The Crazy Ones - NEVER BEFORE AIRED 1997

Cheers to all you home educators who dare to think differently and allow your children to do so as well!!!

Funny direction things can take

We started out with Biology and talking about fungus and KM mentioned how many different types of mushrooms she has seen out in the yard lately. I had an idea - we should gather some samples and examine the differences. Then how would each react to heat - oh hey what a great excuse to start a fire in the pit.....

Once we we had the fire going and mushrooms were "cooking" I suddenly remembered a post that I had stumbled upon last week at the hmmm...schooling mom's blog where they microwaved various types of soap...well I wondered what would happen if we put them over the fire....

I was shocked at the various reactions melting points! 

KM was inspired to carve some shapes out as she was prepping the samples.

So from biology to mycology to scenting the neighborhood to soap sculpting.....where will the rest of our day take us?