History is one of those subjects like math that intimidate moms. Some moms spend countless hours scouring the homeschool reviews looking for that one history program that is not going to be dry, boring, too easy, intense and loaded with workbooks and what not.

You can stop the insanity! Stop frustrating yourself. The first thing is to realize that you homeschool and you have the advantage, and the opportunity to teach not only what will be needed, but you get to choose what, when. You see, being home schooled means we get to be independent learners. We are privileged to choose what curriculum our children use, even if it has no workbooks at all.

You see, curriculum does not always have to be limited to what’s in a box. Curriculum can be inventive, fun, hands on and is in-depth as your children will go. The fun part of homeschooling is you get to choose how much or how little to teach, depending on how well your child is learning, interacting and enjoying history.

Make sure that history is fun and exciting and you will find a kid who has a thirst for more. Here are a few tips to help make history fun and interactive, even if you are working from a boxed curriculum.

If you are using a boxed curriculum, go over the different things the program will be teaching. Let the child choose what they want to study first out of the choices. That is right, you do not have to start in chronological order or in the order of the pages. Learn history and you hit the mark, plain and simple.

If you plan to use the free style approach, then you will want to
start the process by getting your child involved. Have a bit of a discussion about history and ask your child what kind of history they would like to study.

Music
War
Art
Cowboys
Knights
Queens
What sparks their interest?

After you decide what you are going to study, you decide if you need to break things down a bit. Say your child chose war. Now together, you get to decide what war. Revolution, Civil War, WWI what ever.

Now comes the fun part.
Start Googling things. Google stuff that you would like to learn about within your subject and you will be amazed at what you will find. Many moms, like myself, have been there before and we have oodles of information to share. Many moms, like myself, have links to their favorite resources on their websites just waiting to share.

Some sites are easily overlooked by the new homeschool family. The history channel always has something of interest for your wee ones. I enjoy the PBS for documentary and what not. The point is, if you are struggling to find a curriculum, stop the struggle. The fact that you do homeschool allows you to do things a little differently and not as rigid as institutionalized formats of learning.

Nothing teaches a hands on learner better than hands on. Museums and cultural centers offer an awesome way to learn history. Join a reenactment group and you will really be teaching your children something. Look for events like reenactments in your local area. Many State Parks or museums offer living history classes or special events. Those are great ways for a child to learn hands on.

Don’t be mislead by the whole you need a work book lie. Yep, that is a lie. Here is how you can reinforce what your child has learned. For younger children, it is easy for them to draw a picture of what they have learned. Tell them to think of the favorite part of the lesson and draw that. Not only are you covering history, but now you just did some art. Again, there are many resources that have activity pages you can download and print for free.

Depending on the Childs grade and skill level, you can implement the following: write a sentence, write a short summary or write a research paper of what they learned. For some of your older students you could have them make up test questions and then have them answer. That is a fun exercise for them to really use their reasoning skills. Let them know that they need to think of good and challenging questions as part of the assignment. And have them write sentence answers. Challenge them to see if they can stump you with a question. That will get them digging deep into what they have learned. Have them make up flash cards with key points or make a bulletin board showing what they have learned in art and labeling with key points. There are all sorts of great memory exercise you can do besides paperwork and tests.

If you really feel like you need a curriculum to teach that is fine too. Take the best choice of the bunch and add to it. If the curriculum is studying the civil war, you could supplement it with some of the suggestions I just offered. Then, they are getting textbook familiarity along with the hands on fun.

To sum things up. Whether you like curriculum or free style learning, there are options. Don’t feel like you need to fit into a box. If you are uncomfortable and don’t like it yourself, chances are your children will not like it either or they will play off or your frustrations.

Tags: encouragement, family fun, home school, homeschool, homeshcool, kids, parents looking for help, school help, school tips, teaching, teaching methods, training

“The Homeschool Coffee Club”
Feeling frustrated and overwhelmed? Is this your first year and your not sure what to do? Perhaps your child is entering high school and your not sure how to go about that? Are you looking for real advice from real moms who have really been there but you don’t have the time for Chat Rooms, Forums or Moms Nights? Look no further.

Get Tips, encouragement and resources right from your phone. Join A.V Homeschoolers for “The Homeschool Coffee Club” On the first Thursday of every month beginning in June at 9:00 am to 10:00 am.

Listen to real moms handle real issues and give you new ideas and advice to make your home school a success. Get the support and encouragement you need to help make your home school year a breeze.

Are you needing personal attention? An open Q and A session will be handled at the end of every teleconference. Cant make it to the phone? All calls will be recorded for you so you can listen at any time. {The call is free but, check your phone company for long distance rates} This is an hour call.

Here is Conference Dial-in Number: (641) 715-3300

This month:
June
Homeschool, is it for me? Charter schools, filing an affidavit, PSP! What should you choose and what’s the difference? This month we will speak to a couple of different moms and their experience with ISP, PSP, Charter schools and filing your affidavit. We will also find out what they like best about homeschooling and why they chose to do it. Through this call we hope to help you choose what will work best for you and your situation. Remember there is a Q and A at the end of each recorded call!

Check out The Coffee Club Schedule to get all the latest recordings and to find out what is coming up next!

Please feel free to forward this to any homeschooler you know!

Tags: coffee, coffee club, coffee club call, encouragement, first day of school, home school, homeschool, parents looking for help, resources, school help, school tips, starting school, teaching, teaching methods, training

A friend of mine wrote to me because she was concerned about a homeschooled family and their children. She was concerned because this family had a 9 year old who did not read very well. She thought the child could read small words, those of a 4or 5 year old. She wondered if she should say anything to the family or perhaps she should call someone about this. As a homeschooling mom, she did not want to start trouble but she felt as if this child really needs help. Should she call or not? That is a concern that some homeschooled moms face when meeting other homeschooled families who seem as if they are not teaching their children at the level they should be.

Where should the children be is the question one needs to ask themselves when it comes to homeschooling. I know it is hard to sit and watch others parent their children differently than we would. However, as we get older and wiser, we realize that we do not know everything either and we are not always “right”. Sometimes there is just no “right” way to school our children, just different.

Many homeschooled parents have received grief from family members because their children did not start reading or read at their peers’ levels. It can take a along time as a homeschool mom to realize that not all children learn at the same level. Many parents find out that when their children are behind in reading it is because they had dyslexia. Many children do not start reading well until 5th grade. Some families have children that could read at 5 with no help from parents because they are listening to Mom teach their older siblings. On the other hand, the family can have two other siblings that are much slower and are not reading fluently. Some children struggled with reading and are not fluent until about age 7-8 and become voracious readers after that. Studies have shown that children that learn to read later, age 8 or 9, actually do better than children that learn at age 5 or 6. Better Late Than Never by Raymond Moore is an excellent book on this subject. Not all children are at the same level in any subject which is one reason why we all homeschool.

You do not know the struggles this family has had financially, emotionally or physically to make a decision that they are just being neglectful. What if the parents lost their jobs and schoolbooks were hard to come by that year. What if the homeschool parent became ill that year and teaching was difficult. I know of a mother who came down with a heart condition and taught minimal school for an entire year. Should she have put her kids in school for that year? It is not for you or me to say. I do know this, the kids caught up the next year. What if the family in question had a death in the family? That could set someone back for a long time especially if the loss was a child. The whole family would need time to heal. I know my kids have been behind in the past and it has taken time to catch up to where we should be. If anyone had called the authorities, it would have been devastating to us as a family. I was not neglectful I was a bit behind.

Keep in mind; there are different learning and teaching styles that home school families use. Who are we to say what works for someone else? Some children are auditory learners and if parents do not pick that up right away, the children could easily get behind. Likewise, if a child is a visual leaner curriculum needs to be adjusted to fit their needs or they too will struggle and possibly get behind. My eldest son had a very difficult time with spelling and to ease the frustration we just stopped. In fact, we did no spelling for two years. When we picked it back up, it was easier for him. He was no longer frustrated by it. If you do not spend 24 hours a day with a family, you have no idea what goes on in their home.

Think about your children, family, and what you would do if someone called the authorities on you. Even though we may have good intent, it is not our place to say how others school their children. Instead, there are a few ways that you could be a help.
If the child is not reading because the parent is not taking the time to encourage them, maybe you could just sit down with the child, and read a fun book to them at their reading level. Sometimes it takes an outside person to spark their interest. My sons hated to read until the first Harry Potter book came out. Now, they read everything and anything. In fact, they rather read than watch T.V

One grandparent I know sat down with their 4-year-old grandson and just played alphabet games with him. Grandma showed him how to blend letters together with lots of giggles and the next day we got out the beginner books. Now, he is off and reading. His Mom had not thought he was ready… It took a grandma!

Perhaps, you could start home schooling together. Team-teach! Perhaps they do not know how to effectively teach certain subjects like reading. The best thing you can do, IMO, is invite them for tea and discuss home schooling. Find out where they are and if they need help and then help them where you can. If it will work out for team teaching then schedule it for twice a week or so.

If you call the authorities on another family, you very well may put your family at risk of being looked at. You must ask yourself; what if it were you? What if someone thought you were being neglectful? What ramifications would it have on your family and children? Think about what it would do to you and imagine it happening to them. If you are in a position to influence another family, I think encouraging them would be the most beneficial. Ultimately, the children are their responsibility.

Tags: Child failing in school, early education, early learners, education, encouragement, family life, getting started, home education, home school, homeschool, homeshcool, kids, learn how to read, learn to read, looking for advice, love of reading, parenting, parents looking for help, pre-reading, reading comprehension, reading readiness, resources, school tips, special needs, successful homeschooling, teaching, teaching methods, teaching tips, training, unschooling

I cannot believe it is nearly October. With so many things going on during that month I thought I would get a few things on the web for your enjoyment.

Beth will be celebrating her 7th birthday at the Beginning of October. We plan on taking her to the fair on Wednesday, a visit at Grandmas on Thursday and then Disneyland for Friday and Saturday. Busy, Busy..

We have set up for Halloween early this year. Everything is up except the spiderwebs. I think I was due to the fact that we were spending time making scarecrows for the Lombardi farms scarecrow contest. Nick and Beth worked tirelessly on their scarecrows and they did a great job. So good that they and their classmates won second place yielding them a 250 dollar prize. I think we are going to have a party with the money earned to celebrate their hard work. While at the Lombardi farms for the winners announcement and fun filled farm day, we carved pumpkins to take home. We decided light our new Jack o Lanterns and sip on Pumpkin milkshakes while watching a scary movie to bring in this silly holiday.

There were many beautiful entries for the scarecrow contest yet one thing I noticed is some people really have no idea how to make a really good scarecrow. I am not talking an elaborate one, just simple and basic. I thought I would post a video on how to do that as well. We will work on that in the next week or so and get that out to you just in time to make your own scarecrow for the fall.

School has been going terrifically! The kids are motivated and doing well. We have made a great big tree in the classroom and have been studying entomology. This week we will finish up with that and move on to something else, biology. I thought since we have a tree up we would study trees. We will be studying all about the life cycle, types regions, you name it! We will keep you posted.

The tree in the classroom came out amazing. I looked on line to see how to make one and found nothing. Well, that is not entirely true…. The one tree I did find seemed like way too much work for me. So, I was left to my own resources. I will be posting a video in the near future to show you how to make one. Very easy!

That is the Fun on the Farm update………………..Come back soon as we will be adding more of what we are doing for our school year and showing you some neat stuff to add to your curriculum.

Tags: encouragement, family, family fun, homeschool, kids, parents looking for help, resources, school help, starting school, teaching, things to do in summer

One thing for sure is; when it comes to schooling we get creative.

I am not one to sit and push paper after paper at my kids. I never knew a kid that enjoyed learning that way. Kids like things that are visual. They learn and retain the information better. That is why I believe every homeschool classroom needs to have some sort of visual element to it.

Have you decided to homeschool your kids and not provide them with some sort of regular learning environment? If you have not put aside someplace for your kids to learn you are going to make your school year challenging for not only you but your children. This is especially true if you have grade school children. Visualization helps to reinforce what it is that you are teaching and what they are learning.

When we decided to study entomology we started off with a small bulletin board. But then, as we began making our projects we found that we were going to quickly run out of room. I had always liked when we made a tree for our wall and added our fall leaves for decoration but this year I thought I would go a little further and make it 3D. This began as a great idea but quickly turned into a challenge when I decided to look on line for others who had built trees. I had figured that I could find lots of ideas on line but I was totally wrong. The web had very few ideas and the ones they had were very elaborate and expensive to build. So, I got my creative juices flowing and Tada, a free standing tree in the middle of my classroom.



Now that it is there we can continue our study of entomology and we now have the freedom to study biology, learn about birds, discover the differences of regions and so much more.  Really, the sky is the limit.



Another great thing about having the tree is we can incorporate our art projects and add them to the tree to watch it grow. When we study birds we can make birds for art and attach it to the tree. Same goes for monkeys or snakes, anything that lives in a tree we can study and add to it.



We can study the seasons too and as they change we can change the leaves that are on the tree. With this project, we can leave it up all year and change with it. Then, periodically we can refer to it asking the kids questions about the things on the tree which will help them to remember what they have learned.

Now, I am not saying that you need to make a great big tree in the middle of your living room but I am pointing out that with homeschooling you can be as creative as you would like. I am saying get visual in your learn space. Don’t forget that school needs to be fun and educational for the children to have maximum growth.

Keep watching for more post about how you can make your school year not only victorious, but rewarding too.

L

Tags: bugs, bulliten boards, encouragement, entomology, family fun, homeschool, homeschool deals, homeschool science projects, insects, kids, resources, school help, school projects, school tips, Science, things to do with your kids, training, trees

Not Back to School Days Rally and Conference at Disneyland Resort ® 2009
HURRY! The deadline to order conference passes is June 30, 2009 – a 50% savings off the door price.

Perhaps the most exciting conference west of the Rockies in 2009! We’re hosting our 3rd Annual Not Back to School Days Rally at Disneyland Resort ® and (new for 2009) Home Educators Conference, September 14-17, 2009.

Download a Conference Informational Packet

Register for the Conference NOW!

Disneyland Resort ® is a great place to enjoy a family vacation, meet new homeschoolers, and get recharged. You will have many unique opportunities to share your experiences with those who are seeking information about home education, as our theme is Be an Example.

The highlights for this year’s Rally and Conference are:

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Hotel Discounts

Have you ever wanted to stay at one of the Disneyland Resort ® hotels, but didn’t think you could afford it?

Our group rates are unbeatable! Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel®, which normally starts at $400 a night and goes up, can be your destination dream for just $195 per night, that’s more than half off! This price is per room, based on 4 nights stay, checking in on 9/13/09 and out on 9/17/09, and excludes tax and resort fee. Your standard room comes with one queen bed, one bunk bed, and one trundle under the bunk – giving 5 people plenty of room to spread out and more family members lots of room for snuggling. Each room includes a refrigerator, and a porta-crib as well. Read More

ORDER TICKETS NOW

Park Hopper Discounts

SHEA negotiated more Park Hopper® days!! You can choose a 2, 3, 4, or 5 day Park Hopper® – with or without a Y.E.S.® class!!! Plus, your Park Hopper® days do not need to be consecutive. You can take up to 13 days to use them from the first date of use, so you can go to the theme parks one day, the conference the next day, and then return to the theme parks to use up the rest of your days. The rates are significantly less than you will pay anywhere else.
2-Day Park Hopper®
with or without Y.E.S.® classes $93
3-Day Park Hopper®
with or without Y.E.S.® classes $113
4-Day Park Hopper®
with or without Y.E.S.® classes $126
5-Day Park Hopper®s
with or without Y.E.S.® classes $137

ORDER TICKETS NOW

Workshops and Speakers

Speaker Bio’s and Workshop Descriptions are still coming in – please check back often to see what has been added.

SHEA is proud to announce speakers and workshop leaders for the 2009 Conference. Our selection is diverse, so there is something for everyone! View an updated list of workshops and speakers.

Youth Education Series®

Just as in previous years, the group rate is the same whether you take a Y.E.S.® class or not because the majority of our group will be taking classes and consists of children. However, we are organizing the Y.E.S.® classes a bit differently this year to more efficiently serve you. When you visit the registration page, you will see the 4 different Park Hopper® ticket options. Choose how many of each you want, and then on the second page of the registration, you will select no Y.E.S.® class or select the class(es) you want. Read More
ORDER TICKETS NOW

Vendors

When attending the conference, parents will be able to visit various vendor booths to preview curriculum and tools. New vendors are signing up all of the time! Visit our VENDOR LIST for a complete list of confirmed companies.

If you are a vendor, and want to present at the conference, please go to our VENDOR REGISTRATION PAGE.

Space is limited, so sign up today!

Gifts and Talent Fair

Homeschoolers will perform at our private-party show – come and support them!

If you have ever wanted to show skeptical inlaws, neighbors, and inquiring minds the real fruits of homeschooling – this talent show is going to be a great time to bask in the opportunity! Twenty kids will perform on stage, and it will be fabulous. Everyone is needed to come out and show support for their hard work and accomplishments – plus, all ticket holders and performers will receive a scrumptious dessert prepared by Disney’s catering staff, and beverages. This show is for the entire family! Read More
ORDER TICKETS NOW

Homecoming

The Homecoming Dance and Social will be held at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® in the Trillium Ballroom, on September 14, 2009.

Dress is modest semi-formal (Click here for Homecoming rules), and is for teens ages 14-17 who are home educated in any capacity. Come and meet new friends, hang out with old ones, and dance the night away – in Disney style! Read More

ORDER TICKETS NOW

Conference Information Sessions

If you have questions about the conference, or would like to discuss what SHEA has to offer, please register for one of our online web conferences. All participants will be entered into a drawing for a FREE YEAR OF SHEA MEMBERSHIP!

April 2nd at 7pm (Mountain Standard Time)

April 9th at 7pm (Mountain Standard Time)

More activities are being planned each week as we get closer – register now to attend the most family friendly conference, and the first-ever home education conference at Disneyland Resort®!

At this conference, we hope to bring the best of the best speakers, vendors, and activities. If you would like to volunteer to help make the magic happen for homeschoolers and be an example, we certainly appreciate the help! Contact our field trips office for more information on volunteering at: fieldtrips@sw-home-edu.com

For more information about the conference, please visit our FAQ page.

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What’s New in 2009
o Not Back to School Days Rally and Conference at Disneyland Resort ®!
o Talent Show
o Homecoming

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Tags: encouragement, finances, homeschool deals, parents looking for help, resources

Stop Squashing Your Sprouts!

Not only am I a home school mom of four, but I am also an avid gardener. Every year during the springtime, I put on my work clothes, grab my gloves and rake and I begin to prepare the soil for that year’s garden. I start by weeding anything from last year or anything that grew during the warmer days of winter. I add the amendments to the soil and till it all in carefully. I make the rows for the tender seeds and carefully plant the seeds for the new growth of that year. I water and watch as my tiny sprouts come up. I make sure to pull the weeds and care for my little sprouts because I know that they will grow to be good healthy plants if I take care of them. I guard my sprouts making sure no one or nothing comes along and squashes them. I put a fence around them to ensure they will not be eaten by the critters. I care for my sprouts because I know one day they will one day grow to their full potential and that will provide me with the new seeds for the next year’s growth.

So, what does all of this have to do with your home school adventure? Everything! I have been home schooling a long time and one thing I see repeatedly is parents stepping on their sprouts. Home schooling is an adventure and each new day begins with a new awakening. Schooling your children is not a sprint it is a marathon. Parents cannot just wake up one morning and think oh I am going to home school my kids and think it will all be peachy. Then, a few months into the year these same parents are worried and wondering, if they have made a mistake. They are terrified that they have ruined their children’s education. What’s worse, they are considering quitting and sending their children back to school. Like all things, you are going to have good days and bad days. The thing to remember is to not step on your sprouts as they grow. Did you get up that morning and do school? That is a sprout. Did your kid finally get that math fact? That is a sprout. Did you play a game with your children? That is a sprout. Anything you did to educate your children that day is a sprout.

You see, I have learned from experience that many parents just do not recognize how much they do for their children in a day, especially those who are new to home schooling. They do not recognize that each little thing they do affects how well they are growing, or how well they are nurturing their children. The question you have to ask yourself is why you want to home school. What is your why? Do you want to spend more time with your kids? Are you sick of the over crowed class size? Are you tiered of the stuff they are trying to teach our kids? Do you want to private school your kid but you cannot afford to and public school is not an option? What is your why? When you decide the reason you want to home school write it down and when you are having a bad day refer to it remembering that in the end it will all be worth it.

Amending the soil is the most important thing you can do for your garden. It gives your soil rich nutrients so you plants can thrive. Curriculum is the soil for your children. Choose books that will be not only age appropriate but fun and interesting. The beautiful thing about home schooling is that you have the ability to provide for the individual needs of your children. You can cater to the way they express themselves and their learning style. Do not be caught up in the “should haves” of school, they no longer apply to you. Lap books, stories, songs even games all become the curriculum of choice when you home school

Setting a schedule is like putting a fence around your garden. A schedule ensures that you will get something done in your day. Schedules are important to keep you and your child on track. If you plan school from 10 am to 1 pm do that every day! If math is taught every day and science is only on Tuesday and Thursday, do that every time. If you do not keep to some sort of schedule its like having no fence around your garden, soon the rabbits will come in and take over eating up everything you planted, then before too long you will realize that half the season has gone by and all you have to your school year is bits and pieces of information. If your garden is not growing, it is dying and if your children are not learning, they are not growing.

You need to water your garden every day. Now I do not mean you need to give your children masses amounts of schoolwork or test, but you will need to give them something every day of the school week. Even if your sick or they are, you should be filling their little brains with something. When I am sick I like to have them read to me, or draw me a picture (reading and art) if they are sick a good movie with morals hit’s the spot. If you have teens, perhaps they can occasionally take over the cooking so when you are sick it is no problem, (life skills).

Please pull out the weeds now and again. Yes, we all have weeds. We are all faced with so many negatives in a day it is unbelievable. We need to have continual encouragement for our children. They need their minds to be in the right mind set to succeed. There are several ways to pull weeds in your children’s heads. My favorite way is through the Bible. The Bible has so many words of encouragement and mortality. The Bible teaches respect and honor, friendship and adversity. Schooling is more than math; it is life skills. There are all kinds of books that help our children spiritually and when we talk to our children and find out what their fears, frustrations and strengths are, we are in a sense pulling out the weeds that will hold back their full potential.

Let your garden grow.
You should take the time to prepare the soil, you should make sure that your garden has water and you should keep the weeds under control but you also need to let your garden grow. Your children need room for success and personal failure. They need to learn how to teach themselves and not rely solely on your teaching. They need to grow their minds and their independence. Show your children how to find and follow the directions and that has taught them independence. Now when facing a problem you can say to them follow the directions and are confident that they will
When your children fail, have them look for the answers and find why they failed. We don’t always learn when we win; sometimes the answers are in our failures.

Different gardens grow in different soils. Stop comparing your soil to that of others. Some people have been gardening for years while for some it is their first garden ever. So stop comparing yourself with your Childs former teacher. Stop comparing yourself with the mom who has home schooled for several years. Like all things, there is a learning curve and you should embrace yours. Remember we are not home schoolers to school our children but to unschooled them. We home school to educate not to teach. Stop worrying if you are doing it right and realize that you are doing it right because you are doing it. If it were not for failure, how would we know success? Grow your children in your special soil and remember you can amend your soil at any time you wish, it your garden go crazy.

Stop stepping on your sprouts. Start recognizing all of your efforts for what they are, little growths of information adding up to be a flourishing wealth of knowledge

Treat each day as a success, no matter how small or large because it is just another days growth of your home school adventure. If you start out the school year laying the groundwork, you will start to see your sprouts. Each day that you have a new sprout, it reinforces the growth of the previous day until the end of the school year finally arrives and you notice the full growth of your seed. Then, at the end of the year, you put your seed to rest and wait for the next planting season.

Tags: encouragement, homeschool, kids, parents looking for help, resources, teaching, training