I really do Homeschool All These Kids

Geography Program that I LOVE!!

2011-10-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

This falls into my best buy ever category.

Visualize World Geography

The Mental Mapping Curriculum

"Each continent is covered by the unique Visualize World Geography pictography. Disclaimer: Not only does the VWG method forever change the way you see a world map, but it definitely works only for people who do not take themselves too seriously! If you can appreciate the use of humorous puns and/or storylines as a way of associating the shape of a country with its name, then you can allow the VWG method to equip you with a mental map of the world to recall at will and draw from memory while giving you reason to smile! " as worded by the VWG people.

This was sold to me at the homeschool conference. I walked pass a huge banner that read something like, "Can you pick Italy out on the map? Learn how to spot all countries the same way." Two ladies were standing there watching me read the sign. They then challenged me. I walked over and they told me about a duck named Stan. I could then spot Afghanistan and Pakistan on any map. That was cool. I went home and told J about it. Geography is something that we always touch on but I never felt that I taught it very well. J said go ahead and I made a huge purchase. I got the full package. Kind of expensive but for me it was worth it. A program that I can use for 8 children means the cost per child isn't too bad.

My only issue with the program is that it isn't really written as a class but as a tool. That means you have to take the tool and figure out how to use it to teach. I would purchase the entire program again, I love it. I have learned so much. I have always thought it was cool when someone could spot any country out on the map without having to look for the labels. It just helps to have a general knowledge of where things are in the world.

We watch the videos together. We do just the mapping pictographies first and then later go back to the social studies part of the DVDs after we know most of the countries in the region. Those days we spend a few hours on it. On our days of just learning the pictographies we will watch the videos a few times and then drill each other.

I test ever so often with blank counties and colored pencils. I would give the instruction to color a certain country tropical blue and then wait and watch as everyone found that country. I must say that the pace I am going is too slow for the older kiddos but just right for the younger ones. Even Jumba knows his stuff. On the news the other day he heard the name of Chili mentioned. He got really excited and said, "Chili is part of the pepper!" I love it!

I included the pictures of the kiddos to show another trick for reinforcing the information. Notice that in both the dinning room and the breakfast room I have maps on the tables. They remain there all the time. The USA map is in the breakfast room and various world maps are in the dinning room, where we gather for our morning studies. I show the DVDs on my laptop.

Bundle-VWG Curriculum
DVD's, Textbook, Posters, Workbooks on CD-ROM, Flagbook

Can you find Italy on a world map... because it looks like a boot? Be able to find all countries as easily with the VWG method. This method replaces randomness (info your brain is not designed to process) and replaces it with meaningfulness which is easily processed by design! Once your brain is given a meaningful object in place of otherwise squiggly lines which define a country's borders, within nanoseconds, it automatically rewires itself so that now your visual system can ONLY process it as meaningful. Consequently, what your brain was unable to recognize before as being a specific country, it now can easily see, mentally manipulate, and automatically store within long-term memory. In fact, you will forever see it as that object. Try looking at Italy and NOT see it as a boot! VWG Curriculum Bundle contains entire product line in one package. Price: $215.00

This is direct from their website. Please make sure to get the one from Tender Heart Press and not what Amazon is selling, they are not the same thing. This is really that wonderful. I wish everything I taught could be learned this easy and with this much fun!

You are the mom!

2011-08-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes just reminding yourself that you are the mom, the one in charge, can bring you peace. I love my kiddos and I find them to be very insightful. They know what they like to study. They are also very aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. I pride myself in listening to them. Over the years I have tried to cater to their needs and desires more that that old preconceived notion of the school year that I created when I was in college learning how to teach. So to be fair my kids have actively shaped their education and at times it has been too much and at other times it has been lacking. I believe that in the end Pooker is doing well in college after finder her groove and I suspect the others will when their time comes. After years of worrying about getting it all in I have settled down to realize that I want to enjoy the process more and worry less.

This summer has been a little difficult. As my oldest establishes herself while growing into an independent woman there are some growing pains. One of those pains is her pointing out my faults. This is not deliberate or vindictive just part of it. I watch her grow closer to her boyfriend and his family and they will blend the best of both worlds to some day create their own, God willing. Seeing what she will throw out from her side and take from his can be hard to watch if you over analyze it. (OK I admit that I have wasted way too much time thinking about it all.)

Last night I sat with two girlfriends discussing our approach for the upcoming school year. They are both looking forward and I was expressing a little dread and doubt in what I wanted to do. Then I was so lovingly reminded by these ladies that I have great kids. Even if Pooker is seeing a gap that doesn't mean there is one. These children were given to me for a reason. They are my path to heaven and in that same respect I am part of their path as well. God linked us for the greater good. My choices are the right ones for these guys.

Many times over the years I have listened to others tell me their choices for their families. I have held my tongue while thinking, "That sounds horrible, how can they even think about doing that?" Only to observe the situation over time and see that it was in fact the right choice for that family. It would not have been right for my family but it was for them. I trust that in these situations and need to also trust that in my situation. Oh the PEACE that has again entered my heart and the JOY I am having as I prepare for this school year. I know that I am not perfect but what I am offering my students is prayed about and I need to trust that outcome, I need to trust my outcome, God does. I am the mom, I get to make the choices.

So to help you as you prepare to begin your school year. Trust yourself. Don't care too much about what your best friend is doing. Don't worry too much about what your mother-in-law says you are doing wrong. Don't worry about too much time on what your son wants to study. Don't questions yourself. Trust that God made you the mom for a reason, you got it under control. You are the mom!

Rejuvenate

2011-08-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Texas Home School Coalition Southwest Convention and Family Conference was held last weekend. I joined the group to help with any legal issues that might arise someday in regards to homeschooling and to support the political actions to keep and this option legal. THSC is a great organization.
This is so what I needed. I have only attended the Catholic Conferences in the past. This year it wasn't in the cards, Possible had surgery on her arm that weekend. I wanted to hear one of the speakers and look around the exhibit haul.
I am amazed at how many people attended. This group ran tracks for moms, dads, teens, little ones, and everyone else that might be involved in a home school family.
The exhibit haul was full of vendors. I was overwhelmed by all the material available. When I started 15 years ago it wasn't that easy to find exciting material to use. I love all of the choices and support that is out there now. I was not a pioneer but an early settler.
It is always rejuvenating to be surrounded by like minded people. I was soaking in the advice and prayers. Then, to my joy, I ran into friends. This is just what I needed for my home school year. I can be on the right track now. The most important advice we can give each other to remember to revisit your reasons each year to help you stay on track.

What a great book!

2011-02-22T22:30:00.000-08:00

Tom Playfair is a book that at first I never thought I would get through. It was very hard to "get into" Fr. Finn's style of writing but it worth every effort.

Father wrote this book in 1890 for the young boys of his boarding school.

"One of the greatest things in the world is to get the right book into the hands of the right boy or girl. No one can indulge in reading to any extent without being largely influenced for better or worse."

Fr. Francis J. Finn, S.J.

It took me and my younger kiddos several months to get into this book. The style of writing is very difficult. The language of the time is different and hard to read, I often had to break and explain. I wondered if it was worth it and thought about putting the book up. I spoke with a few other moms that I suspected had purchased the books for their own sons. Everyone said that their kids liked the story. Non of the adults that I spoke with had read the book. Others loved the book so we kept going reading only a little at a time. Then we hit the middle of the book. I was struggling to keep the attention of the kiddos. Then the story took off.

I think this is a great book for anyone especially those about to receive their first Holy Communion. I recommend reading it aloud to a child younger than 12. The old wording can be tricky. Wow . . . we laughed, we cried and surprisingly we grew strong in our faith. Father Finn wrote with a black and white love of the soul. Wrong is wrong, right is right, heaven is heaven but hell is hell. We finished this book wanting heaven and loving God. I can't wait to start the next book. I hope it is just as good.

Quality TV Shows

2011-02-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

So many times we as parents think that we are better parents when we avoid mass media. We get a local news story stuck in our heads about the amount of television the average young child watches and we twinge with guilt. We feel like bad parents because we are very close to that number. We all know that one "great" family that never uses the "boob tube" and their children are soo smart. We sometimes forget that our children do not enjoy time with that family because those children have no social skills. We just feel like awful parents because the news just pointed out how much we are like everyone else. STOP IT.

I am here to remind you to trust your judgement. If you feel that a show might actually be beneficial to your family then enjoy the show. It is true that young moms often pressure themselves to avoid all the "bad things". This same mom doesn't shower until 3 in the afternoon when the three little ones are napping and by then she feels dirty and lazy and behind the ball. This can do more damage to the peace in the home than any TV show. I suggest that even a short filler show that will entertain the toddlers while the baby naps would allow mom to shower and feel refreshed early in the day. This might lead to a more productive morning and happy day for all.

On a recent visit to the local zoo my kids started quoting facts that I never even knew they knew. "Where in the world did you learn that?" I inquired. I was shocked when they responded that the source of their fountain of knowledge was a show that they watched 10 years previously. It was always on in the afternoons and it gave me a chance to do some laundry and figure out what was on the menu for dinner. It wasn't just what was on, I did try to make sure that a part of their TV time included some educational time.

I have three favorites from the past several years. I like Zoboomafoo (the Kratt brothers had Kratt's Creatures before this present show. To be honest I liked Kratt's Creatures better.) Another one that we all enjoyed was The Magic School Bus. I wish there were more of a show called Wishbone. It has been out of production since 2001. I don't claim that these are the only ones but these are ones I trust.

Some are still available on TV and some are only available if you purchase them. We have our DVR set up to record Magic School Bus and I am still amazed at how this crazy older show can intrigue the little ones. They do have books and project to go with the videos. All very good. My oldest and I waited in line for hours years ago to meet the Kratt's. It was so cool. Wishbone was a great way to introduce kids to classic literature, especially ones that struggle with reading. The show introduced the stories in a fun way that allowed my kids to begin to understand.

Leave a comment and let me know what shows you like. I will try to add more later.

A fad to inspire a reader

2010-10-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I heard about a set of books, ordered the entire set and then enjoyed them as much as I did. This was all on faith. At a party Sugar, who has never enjoyed reading, watched her friends talk non stop about a series of books. I could not believe all the talk about these books so I asked the mom. After our conversation I came home and ordered all the books. At the time only 9 were out with one more prepaid for.

When I went back to pick up Sugar the next morning I didn't tell her about the books. I was hoping she was interested, but I really wanted them to be her thing. My hope was that she would be more interested if it was something she shared with her friends and not something that I pushed. Half way home she looked at me and said, "Hey mom, is there any way you might consider getting me a few of those books that they were talking about? They sound fun!" When the set showed up a week later we were both wanted to read them.

I let her go first. Well as long as I could hold out. I was so pleasantly surprised at the stories. They twist mystery, family intrigue, fortune hunting, in with a little science, history and geography. The excitement doesn't stop with the books. The stories spill over into the 39 Clues Website . This doesn't even begin to describe the fun in collected the cards. These cards tie the story, the books and the website together. The thrill in collecting all the clues is just an added bonus to the stories.

I have recently learned that the success of these books was better than originally planned. They have plotted more books. A slight change at the end of the series allows for a new plot line in the books. I just recently got The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets. It was kind of a recap of all the secrets that you learned in the first 10 books. It wasn't really a story but it did an entertaining job of taking the story to the next level. I can't wait to get book 11 now and see where the story goes.

I write about these to offer a recommendation. If you know a young one between 9 and 12 try giving these books as a present. Try starting a love of reading. This series does a wonderful job of combining mediums to draw in all kids of readers. I also recommend you reading them to. That way you will have an idea of what your child is so excited about and you will not mind as much going to the movie when it hits the big screen. (That is still a way off so you have plenty of time to catch up and read all the books, collect all the clues and master all the games on the web.)
Happy ready and clue hunting!

Update: Summer Reading - think outside the box

2010-07-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

What a wierd school year we had last year. My Sugar is quick to point out that as odd as it was for us loosing so many friends in a few weeks of each other, just imagine how "weird" it would be to be one of those families! She is watching her best friend Kat become a perfect daughter in her mother's memory without her guidence but still confidant of her love. We planned to take a break this summer. We plan to get back to book work soon. I was going for July 1st but decided to push most of it off until August. The month of July is not going unmarritted though. I wanted to push independant reading from the high school crowd. Those three all struggle with verying degrees of reading issues. After all the work we accomplished this spring I knew that they were all reading. The only way to work on getting them to grade level is practice, practice, practice.

I wanted to push them but not school them. My goal was for them to realize that reading can be fun and take you places. I don't love reading but I love learning. I read a lot in that endeavor. How can I encourage that in my children?

Goobers is an almost 16 year old girl that enjoys her time with her family. She is now life guarding and spending time Pooker, Bear and Sugar. They play so much together. She was the one I was most worried about because she is out of the house so much for work. How can I push her over the summer? Well apparently I don't have to. Pooker has a stack of books that she is pushing on her. I drove by the pool a few days back when it was raining and found that she had one of those books and was reading away. She also was able to download audio versions of a few of the books and put them on her ipod. This giver her the ability to read and yet not get stumped by words that she is unfamiliar with.

Bear is 14 (soon to be 15) year old high school sophomore. He is very close to his sisters. He loves to be the clown and get the laughs. He also likes to fiddle with picture taking and electronic film editing. So this young man that appears to struggle with reading a simple book can spend hours pouring over "how to" manuals to figure things out. I know he is reading but he needs to practice to get to age level. I keep buying all kinds of stories that I think might intrigue him. Often I would stick with a more simple reading level because I just thought that he needed that. This was embarrassing him, because he knew he needed to be reading better.

We finally broke down and got dad his Kindle for his birthday. This was something that surprised Jason and I. Bear picked up his Kindle and continued to play with it. New technology has always been fun for Bear so he was enjoying playing with this new gadget. Then Bear asked his dad if there might be any books out there for him available on the Kindle. Bear and his dad spent a few hours looking. They agreed on one and dad downloaded his book, then dad made an offer. "If you finish this book within a week, I will consider getting you your own Kindle." Talk about motivation.

This is what is working for Bear.
#1 No one can tell what age lever he is reading. He feels cool because he is using a knew device which takes away that barrier he was creating in himself.
#2   The version we have includes an audio chip. If you are struggling with a work it will read it too you. (I don't mind this because it is still very computer sounding so it isn't like you want it to read the entire story for you.)
#3 Bear is one that loved holding things over his sisters. I guess he is a typical boy in that respect. He is so motivated because he has permission to use dad's cool new toy and no one else does.
Goobers pointed out that she was able to use a Kindle Ap for her ipod touch.

Sugar. She is my precious 13 year old. She will be starting high school this year. She is smart but sometimes slow or lazy in doing her work. Other times she is s speed demon and doesn't spend time getting the details. Her reading issues were solved by a friend's birthday party. Two of the girls at this party were talking about a set of books. The mom spend some of the party time talking with me about how cool this serious of books are for her daughter. This friend of Sugars is a great reader so I was worried that she would not be able to read them no matter how great they appeared to be. She got one of the books and showed me. It didn't look too hard plus it has other aspects that draw the child in. Sugar loves on line games and this serious of books were connected to an online game. Perfect.

I went straight home, signed into our Amazon account and ordered all of the 39 Clues books. This needs its own post. Here I can say that I am very happy at how Sugar is reading. This series is doing the trick at inspiring interest. Yeah! 3 highschool aged kiddos struggling with reading now showing signs of success. I pray that each of you with learning issue children find what works. No matter what it is do what works. Don't beat yourself up over the latest "program" no working.

I got these three started in reading by giving them phones for texting. I know it sounds silly and we set many rules. (No texting at the table and complete words must be used.) It got them started and now we are moving forward. It might seem like small steps to those with children without reading issues but to those with children with reading issues you will share in my joy of this post and hopefully you will be inspired to not lose hope.   Keep the strength and encouragement to try anything that you child is interested in to inspire a reader. Don't be afraid to resort to the latest technology to inspire your little ones to succeed. I don't encourage using everything out there just what works. Always keep them safe by using rules and constant supervision.

Science Text for Elementary/Middle School

2010-03-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Great choices for Elementary Science Books. I have mentioned the Highschool books before. I consider these for middle school as well. These are authored by someone else, Jeannie Fulbright. Here is a quote from the apologia website: "Well, it has finally happened! After years of searching for an elementary science curriculum that is truly God honoring, user friendly, and scientifically sound, we were introduced to two books by Jeannie Fulbright. It’s no wonder that we want to publish her books. As one of the parents who has already used Mrs. Fulbright’s astronomy book says, "It reminds me of Dr. Jay Wile's Apologia Science, only yours is on an elementary level while his is written for high school age." We couldn’t have said it better ourselves."

I really do love the way in which these books are set up in a Charlotte Mason fashion. They are organized in a way that I can use them. I don't have the kids do them on their own, there is just too much work in them. I think they might be overwhelming to a young child to be handed the text and told to complete. Depending on your family situation and your child you can be very specific as to what needs to be accomplished and give in small doses.

That isn't how I use the books. I love them because I can use them to lecture from. I have the younger kiddos right now working on the Flying Creatures. I read it out loud, we discuss the pictures and notes in the book, they copy notes into their notebooks. Then they are given assignments based on their ages. Each one completing a notebook in the end. We are not on a set school year with this. We will just continue until we finish.

My family loved the astronomy. Botany was a tad to much for my little one and my older ones at the time found it boring. The older ones were probably ready for General Science but I hadn't moved them on yet.

Some love that these are one topic books that last the entire school year others do not like it. I find that children learn more when they can dive into one topic and cover it fully as opposed to touching on a million different topics each year. I love these books and was so happy to have found them.

Have you thought of taking a school trip into Narnia?

2010-02-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

I hope that you will consider a family trip to Narnia. It is so worth the investment. The power that you leave with knowing that once a king or queen in Narnia, always a king or queen in Narnia. (That picture is taken from a great website with all kids of interesting ideas. Visit them at The LionsCall.com)

I want to share with you how wonderful a family read aloud can be and how we have turned some simple books into a rich experience for all members of the family. Some books are just too great to hand to your child and say read this we will talk about it later. Unfortunately that is how I handled most of the great works of literature that I required our oldest child to read. Looking back I am sad that I let those moments that we could have shared slip away. Pooker now sees how excited we are getting into our daily adventures in the Chronicles of Narnia and feels a little left out. Sorry Pooker.

Our adventures in these books started with our last minute choice for a New Years Eve movie. As a family we always watch a series of movies together. This year it happened to be The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe with Prince Caspian to follow. I refer to how great that has been for the family here in a post from our family blog. That all being said we dove into this series and have loved every day. On the weekend the little ones ask why I am not reading. That is a true sign that they are enjoying the books. Not many of us want to do school work on the weekends.

A few ideas on how we have added to our read alouds. It is hard to entertain the mind of the older children and those of the younger children at the same time. I decided to notebook our adventures, having each child create a "notebook" about this time we are spending on this book. We are including all kinds of wonderful tidbits. Copy work, coloring pages, word games, narrations in pictures or words depending on age, and then a completed book report at the end.

Each book of the Narnia series is separated by a page that we create. After a Google search of the book title I then save the pictures of the various covers that have been used over the years in the different publications of the books. You might be surprised how many different cover pages will apply to just one book. After printing several small copies of each cover and cutting them out evenly I pass them out. I give each child their choice of the cover copies and a piece of card stock paper. They create a college of the various covers. That is placed in a protective sheet. This makes a perfect divider in the notebooks. We have been using the cheap paper 3 ring folders for now but will move those into a more permanent plastic folder as soon as we are finished. We plan to make elaborate covers for our notebooks soon as well.

Coloring Sheet links:
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (there are more sites but they all seam to offer the same pictures.)

Prince Caspian (This is a french site, the pictures are great. Click on "fermer" to close.)

Unfortunately these are not easy always to find. For the other books I google anything that I have taken from the books to create coloring sheets. The mythical character of a faun will produce many possible coloring sheets. Often this means that I need to do some reading ahead to find something for them to work on. When nothing is found a blank piece of paper with a handful of coloring pencils give an opportunity for a simple narration of what is being read.

Word searches for each book.

Activities for all the books are linked here.

This is such a wonderful set of books in so many ways. The literature is so good. I love to hear the children quoting the books. I have found inspiration and growth in our faith in these delightful tails. I did break down and purchase a book to help with all those connections. This was a book that I stumbled upon but often the references are easily found in general searches of the title on the Internet. We are using the book "Believing in Narnia, A kid's guide to Unlocking Secret Symbols of Faith in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia" by Natalie Gillespie. This is a simple little book that lays out the symbolism. It is a reference to me and to the children guiding some of our discussions. I have found that once one child makes one little connection on their own it takes off from there. We don't really need this book but I like referring to it when the conversation is dying.

I am not a good cook so this did not appeal to us, but if you like to dive into a book through cooking you will enjoy this link. We don't try to cook we shop instead. I did buy some Turkish Delight Candy while reading the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It was OK.

Another thing to remember is that these books bring alive the imagination. They are great books for boys and for girls. Everyone has a beautiful place in Narnia. Each child will pick out their own favorite character. They will all want to dress in nice flowing clothes, borrow a sword and defend their great kingdom. They will love Aslan, and hopefully make the connection to Christ, so much that they will do their other homeschool work "For Aslan". If you let yourself go along for the ride you will begin to see some wonderful things as well. Another family post describing just that.

So if you are looking at March, April and May at the end of your school year and wanting something different, something fun , something that might just reunite and excite the mind; then allow me to suggest planning a family trip to Narnia. For your family it might be a second or third visit but it doesn't matter. Let the imagination run with this. Let your children enjoy this read aloud. Let yourself cry every time to meet Aslan in the book. Let the family laugh together when Edmund leaves his new torch in Narnia. Let your children believe that they themselves are called to greatness. Let your children remember that they are to someday share in His Kingdom, making them true Kings and Queens in the eyes of their creator.

Accountablity

2010-02-20T20:42:00.001-08:00

The new anti-homeschooling buzz word! The old one was socialization. Home schoolers around the world have proven that our children are better socialized than those in school. Now the "fear" that outsiders have to homeschool is the accountability of the parents. That "fear" seams to mirror the latest arguments from the teachers unions, which I am not a fan of either.

As this argument was being presented to me the other day I couldn't help but wonder about society as a whole. We are so motivated by what others think, say, and how they judge us. What methods are used for judging. We might be judged by appearance of weight, clothes choice, hair color, hair cut, and now piercings and tattoos. The next level of judgment goes to income, how much do you make. Another level is your education level, and while in school your grade point average. I have spent years trying to avoid that sort of training for my children.

The states have very different rules and regulations on homeschooling all across our country. The entire world is so divided over parents rights vs. the governments involvement. It is a scary line in some cases. Yes there are parents out there that do a bad job of parenting. Yes there are parents our there that abuse their children. I must tell you though that I am fed up with being compared to that type of parent. The numbers are so small in comparison to the number of wonderful, engaging parents and yet we are now given all kinds of laws because of the few bad parents.

To the point that homeschool parents are not being held accountable I must respond.
To whom should homeschooling parents be held accountable to?

"You should have to answer at least to the school district." I was told. I have to laugh. We, most homeschoolers, find that the local school is inadequate for the education of our child. It isn't a matter of money but motivation. No problem goes away with more money. In the world of learning issues it takes very hard work and motivation from the student. This is best inspired by the family. The family, the mom and dad, have the most at stake here, not a paid employee of the school. I am not saying the the resource teachers do not care. They must to do the work that they do. BUT the parent cares much more about the outcome than that teacher. I know that my child will need to succeed in life. I can't just pass them off to another teacher or another program, I must get the child to succeed.

"Your kids need a report card to prove that they are learning." I can make a report card if you really want one. We have made several. In fact most homeschoolers do. We keep records of what we have done for the year and how each child has progressed. Now many of these records are the bare minimum to full fill the legal requirements of the state. Some require so many hours per subject, some require so many days in the classroom, and some states ask for the results of yearly testing. sometimes the children like to see their own progression, which is the biggest motivator to many parents. If your child wants to see a record then you as the parent provide it.

"I have not seen any testing done on your children." Yeah, so. Even when I was in school those tests and their results were a private matter between the child and the parent. I love using those test when the time has come to see where we are. I have used the California Aptitude tests in the pasts. I have purchased them from Seton Home Study. I like using them because they are a little cheaper and I can administer them myself. As the children get older I have uses the SAT tests when administered to the local homeschool group. These results have always been for my benefit. They tell me where my child's strengths are and where their weaknesses are. This is not a something that is used by my husband to "fire" me as the child's teacher. The benefit is that I don't teach the test.

If given the time and an open mind listening I would have taken the time to explain. I am very accountable. I answer to the highest of authorities and through that to my own children. When my children were baptised I promised God that I would all that I could to teach my children about Him and lead them on the path to heaven. I can't force my children to behave but I can teach them the consequences if they do not. I must show them right from wrong and in that provide for their development and education. I vowed to GOD here people. I don't take that lightly. During my confessions I reveal how accountable I am to my Lord.

Let me point out how important I take my children's education. They must succeed in life. If they do not then I am stuck with them into adulthood. I love my children but I do not want to keep them around in a perpetual immature state. Why would I ever want that. I need them to mature and grow up. Now if an accident or event were to alter that and they were incapable of independence then I would deal with that but I assure you that is not our goal.

I owe it to the 9 beautiful faces that look to me for guidance to teach them their boundaries so that they can leave the home and become productive members of society. When I have a bad day or fail to do some parenting I let them down. I love them too much to continue to let them down and not expect the best from them. I push them harder than any teacher and with more vested in the outcome than anyone else.

I buckle my children in the car when we drive around town. There are laws that state when I should buckle them in, how I should buckle them, and in some cases at what ages. I know the laws exist but that isn't why I buckle. If we were to be in an accident it isn't a ticket I fear. I am accountable to my children. I owe it to them to use every means necessary to keep them safe while on the road. I know that their are some individuals that see no purpose in seat belts and probably strap in just because they are accountable to the law. NOT US. We really feel that we are accountable to the children.

When you are asked about accountablity just smile and remember that you answer to God and to your children. Here in the United States we are not forced into false accountabilty to the government or a state run organization. Thank God!

Now I really must get back to work so I don't let Him down, or my children.

Phonics Practice

2010-02-17T21:27:00.000-08:00

I got something the other day that was cheap but very helpful. I purchased some inexpensive write on/wipe off boards. Individual boards for each child. New concept for us but very old school when you think about it. Schools of early America had personal slates for the students to write on. I can't believe that this old idea added our "classroom" so much. I write this post to encourage you to find the cheap, simple solutions to every day problems. With our big family it is hard to allow every body board time yet practicing writing on a board can be very helpful. It is also a fast way to test phonic comprehension, site word study, and spelling words. We even played hangman tonight. Pickle tried to stump me with his site words. He is really learning here with such a simple cheap tool. When your kiddos need something more or you need to change the school room, don't panic. Take your time to evaluate what you really need. It might be a much cheaper and more simple answer than you might think. I spent $4 per board with the knowledge that we will need more pens soon. The expense was minimal compared to the exciting results.

High School Science

2010-02-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

Often I am asked how I handle it when the topics get difficult. Often I have found that it depends on the resources you pick. I am not gifted with an understanding of science (or math). Science needs to be taught and taught well for the high schooler for them to succeed in college. This was the field that often caused me the most concern. That was until I ran into Apologia Science. The science resources I found from this group were wonderful. I have yet to be disappointed.

I found a group of text books produced by Apologia written by Dr. Jay Wile. Each are titled with Exploring Creation through . . . Dr. Wile is a Nuclear Physicist and author of 10 text books. He is a creationist and advocate for homeschooling. Visit the Homeschool Speaker and Vendors Association page on Dr. Wile to learn more about him and about his various thoughts on homeschooling, and even creation. All of his papers are very interesting.

As Catholics we are not exclusively creationist and these books are written from a Protestant slant but they are the best books I have found. I have looked for years. The Catholic books are either too light in science or too light in faith. These books are heavy in faith and very challenging in Science. What I like most is that they are taught (worded) in a way that is designed for the homeschooler. They are challenging for the young scientist and heavy in the scientific method and yet worded to be understood by the student. I have made sure that my 1000 Years of Catholic Scientists resource is close at hand. If something is mentioned I try to back it up with this resource giving a full Catholic understanding to this Christian presentation.

We do not use the schedule that Dr. Wile proposes for these books. My children are not gifted in science. We wait to use the Dr. Wile books until the highschool years. But we do follow his recommended progression through the books.

1) Exploring Creation with General Science is recommend as the resource for 7th graders. We use it for the first semester of Freshman year. I was also able to locate an audio recording of the books that have helped me with my dyslexic children. They can listen and read along. So this keeps them on track when I am not able to read out loud with them.

2) Then his 8th grade book that we use for second half of Freshman year is Exploring Creation with Physical Science.

3) They then move onto Biology as a Freshman and we use it for Sophomore year. It is more challenging than the first two but still worded in a way that takes this difficult teaching topics and presents them in an easy to understand manner. Exploring Creation with Biology.

4) Then we try to get through Chemistry for our Junior year. Exploring Creation with Chemistry.

5) Then the company offers Physics, Advanced Biology, Marine Biology, Advanced Chemistry, and Advanced Physics. All great selections . We didn't use them except for the Advanced Biology. You see we also ordered the disection kit. Pooker fell in love with this and wanted to pursue biology. We got her the Advanced Biology which is called The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. This led Pooker to an interest in nursing. She is curently pursuing this possible career in her college courses. This is something that I owe to these specific sets of books. I could have never presented this material in such a loving and respectful manner. These books give the glory to our creator while challenging the student to learn.

They are so well written that they are very easily self taught. A student can be given the task of pursuing a chapter/module on their own. I require that my students keep a list of all bold face words and write out their definition, and answer all questions in a notebook. I let the test be open book as long as they can do it in a short amount of time and get it correct. We talk about the chapters at great length to make sure they understand what they are learning. My goal is to inspire the mind more than tax it with tests. That being said this series of books can not be beat for that purpose.

New School Motto

2010-01-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

It is so important to plant an idea in your head of what your goals for your children will be. Years ago we decided that the family motto was: "Heaven is our goal, everything else is just gravy!" Having those words in the back of our minds has helped us through many difficult situations. When a decision needs to be made we resort back to the family motto. I know it isn't pretty and we always planned to reword it but for now it is what it is. The kids all know that Heaven is the goal!

One Sunday during Mass sometime in December of 2008 I was inspired to write something down. I don't know where it came from but the words formed in my mind as I grabbed a pen and scripted it onto some scrap paper in the pew. I don't recall why I wrote it or even doing it. So flash forward an entire year and a month and as I was cleaning off my desk tonight I ran into that little piece of paper. I recognized my handwriting and vaguely remembering writing it down. (So glad I did.) I now know what it is and I like it. Our school motto is a little more formal now. I can’t wait to add it onto Diplomas and transcripts. I love it, it fits us. I think it was a gift from Heaven itself.

Pray about this and pick one for your family and a different one for your home school. It is very good to have a motto or slogan that can rally the troops. So what do you think? I love this one, it really does fit our home school.

Our Home School Motto

T-Academy:

Where the path to Heaven

meets Scholastic Excellence,

all mixed together with Love of Family.

Getting Started Again

2010-01-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

It can be very hard to get back on track when life takes you away from the books. If you read my family blog you know that we had several people were close to pass away in October last year. These were close friends of me and then one of my teenagers. Sometimes God sends us lessons that are harder than we could come up with on our own. There were days that I just didn’t pull out books because we wanted to visit with one of these people or because we were pouring our hearts into a project for one of these people. Some days we were just heart broken and other days we spend comforting someone else that was heart broken.

The experience was wonderful. I could never have taught my children those lessons of caring for your neighbor, the value of suffering, or the joy of heaven without the examples of these dear individuals. We learned how quickly life can change, how short life can be, how age and illness shouldn’t effect how kind a gracious one is. We learned that being Christ-like is often harder that we might think but require nothing more than an ear to listen and a heart to love.

Where to begin after all that I recommend a good read aloud for the family. Wait a little while. Do some school work through out but unite the group with a good story. I allow coloring of related sheets that I would have already printed to help ease the body and soul back into the work. We have been reading the Chronicles of Narnia and I must admit that it was chosen by someone other than me but it is the perfect choice. The series of books were at hand when the idea of a read a loud hit. For other reasons it was the perfect choice, I will post more on those in particular later.

We have used this method before and it always seams to work. It inspired more learning because stories always do. It helps us to turn the TV and computers off to refocus on school. It gives the little ones something to be a part of making them less distracting when the highschoolers sit to do the tougher subject. There is a huge benefit to a family read a loud. Often it unites the family as they journey through the book together. It gives everyone a theme to interact with. Often the stories inspire other stories and other questions. To follow those Rabbit Trails will lead to the child’s true interest.

If you have had tragedy or even the joy of the birth of a child that has cause you get off track. If you yourself need to be re-inspired to get tough again but don’t want to the very first day try this plan. Start with a week of guided read a loud. I find that I need to read the stories to offer the correct inflections. You must look ahead in the book and find characters or images that you can find coloring sheets for. The older ones need the peaceful action of coloring sometimes to calm their minds from all the craziness that happens in the teen years, especially if you have also recently had a major change in life.

Good luck getting back on track. Don’t be grudge what took you off, God sent them for your growth. Now pick up a good book, cuddle with your kiddos and find your new beginning.

Sex Education Resource

2009-10-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

So many times we fight letting our children hear how the public school children learn about the birds and the bees. I don't disagree. I want my children to understand their bodies and their ability to reproduce through God's eyes. There are good resources out there for the physical aspect only that are used in the public school settings. I wanted more than that but what to use? I also found some good Christian based material, but again not perfect in my opinion.

I want my child to learn from the very beginning that the love of husband and wife is representative of the love of the Father and the Holy Spirit creating the Son. I desire to understand the Theology of the Body as explained by The Great Pope John Paul II. But how in the world do you teach your child these deep theological concepts while they are still very very young?

Unfortunately not teaching them is a bad option. Our children see and know much from TV, Internet, ads, and radio. Your first child will know much less than the younger ones but ones. So I recommend the official teaching to change based on the development of each child and their placement in the family, or maybe when they ask.

We found that with our big family my older children had many questions that we glossed over until they were around 10 to 12 years of age. Then we tried to continue to dialogue, taking it deeper. We found one book that really helped with that The Joyful Mysteries of Life by Catherine and Bernard Scherrer published by Ignatius Press. I recommend reading this with your child. Mom to daughters and dad to sons, if possible. I made the mistake of letting our oldest just read the book on her own, and I was pregnant at the time. The book did a good job of telling her how it happened and that it was a beautiful part of God's plan. She did confront me at one point with, "I know how that happened, I read the book!"

Now this is just a starting point. I would not end with this at all. I am loving the newer resources that are coming out on the Theology of the Body studies for high school and college age.

What I don't love about this book is that is presents the "perfect" side of things. It is almost too sticky sweet. I have never seen life that way and the world has twisted the role of sex in our lives so much. This book is almost too idealistic to be at all helpful to our real world children.

What I love about this book is that it creates the words for us to start with. It gives the mechanics of sexual intercourse in a non threatening manner. I love that the language is soft and loving. I love that the reality is so pleasant that if presented the right way your children can see the truth behind the lies that society tells. I love that our beautiful faith is the basis for the facts of life.

Use this book to start your conversation with your child. Do not think you are finished when this book is over. Point out in a movie or show how the characters get it or don't get it according to our faith. Stay involved and as they hit the high school years start looking for a Theology of the body resource.

Catholic Coffee Club

2009-10-06T21:42:00.001-07:00

The Catholic Coffee Club is a group of home-school high-school students that join together to discover and discuss the Catholic faith. We are in the area around Spring, TX. We gather once a week during the school year to discuss what we learned while reading that week’s chapter. We base our discussions on the books printed by the Midwest Theological Forum in the Didache Series. We are a group of teens that gather together to explore the faith and become friends in Christ. The teens are guided in these discussions by a few adults that also love the faith in the fullness and beauty, love the teens for who they are, and own the answer books.

Years ago I decided that I wanted my daughter to have one class that was with her peers. I believe that once a child is in high school that social time together is very important. I didn't want the study of our Faith to be reduced to just another "class" with a "grade" given. The solution was to join with some others to study religion while also accomplishing the goal of sharing my love of my faith with my high school daughter and her peers. I worked up the idea that has grown into the Catholic Coffee Club.

The group has always met at a Coffee House or somewhere that sells a good cup of Joe. As moms we both loved our daily cup and wanted our daughters to learn to let the study of their faith be a part of every aspect of their lives, even the social aspect. At first it was two young ladies and one friend from traditional school that would meet once a week and dive into a wonderful set of books teaching the faith. My goal is that these teens will learn that their faith doesn't stop when they leave school. It is up to them to continue their learning. It is a great idea to start a catholic book club. I hope and pray that as they mature into adults they will encourage their peers by inviting them to have a cup of coffee with them and discuss an great teaching of the church.

The moms purchased the answer book and we went from there. Those three girls graduated last year. We now have about 17 teens that join us. The older one stick around and do a Bible study on their own. We have grown and I have learned so much. I just hope that the teens have also. The really exciting news is that a few cyber friends from around the country have copied this idea. We also have a second group in our own area filled with another group of teens. Across town two other groups formed and pretty much follow our format. I try to keep my group organized by using a free yahoo group. This allows us to send reminders and share information very easily.

We all come prepared having read the latest chapter. We pray and invite the Holy Spirit to guide our discussion. We share any surprises that we learn from the chapter. I am amazed that I still have those "no way, I didn't know that" moments. (Pretty sad considering this is my second time through this year.) We then turn to the back of the book and spend an hour discussing the questions that are listed. This isn't so bad considering the adults have the answer books/teacher additions. We then wrap up our discussion with everyone listing their prayer request. I love hearing what is on the mind of the teens.

It is a simple and wonderful way to share your faith with your highschool kiddos. I recommend this approach to my friends with kiddos in traditional highschool as well. Meet with your son or daughter once a week in a warm setting where you can discuss the faith. Encourage them to learn and to fall in love with the study of our Catholic heritage.

Phonogram Cards

2009-10-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

I have used almost every reading tool, game, and book out there with my wonderful children. The kids are dyslexic and I have kept searching for the perfect solution. Hours and hours we have spent trying the best new program out there.

The Riggs Institute offered me one of those programs. Their stuff is a tad expensive but I believe their program is solid. I agree with their approach. I think that the research is solid.

What I didn't love was that it is another phonogram set. It is hard for some young ones to have the skills to write the letter the way the program requires. It is another intense program. It isn't a quick fix, by any stretch of the means. I used the cards in a very simple manner, and they worked for us.

What I love about these cards is that they teach handwriting while they teach the sounds. I think this is so important. It really does help the dyslexic learning. It is a great way to help the child "touch" the letters. It is so important for some of these kiddos to connect the physical action with the sounds. Children leave these cards with beautiful handwriting.

Hich School Books for Catholic Faith Study

2009-07-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

In our home we really believe that the study of the faith is not a subject. It is more of a way of life. That being said it is very important to understand that faith and to push your faith to grow. For the high school years it is very appropriate to take courses to study the faith in an in depth manner. I believe that the high school years is the perfect four years to offer a deep study of the faith.

Finding the right text is very difficult with this one. I felt so blessed when my friend found this serious of books from the Midwest Theological Forum. This is from their website:

"More about The Didache [DID-uh-kay] Series:
The Didache Series presents the life and doctrine of the Catholic Church in the context of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the teachings of Vatican II as witnessed by the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. The Didache Series also draws from Sacred Scripture, the lives of the Saints, and the Doctors and Fathers of the Church. It is ideal for high school and adult education, seminaries and colleges, RCIA, catechism classes, and home schooling."

My children and I have found that the books are very well written. They are not dry. They bring the faith to life. It is exciting and yet readable. They are engaging and yet very much in line with Rome. I just love these books. I would encourage any individual that is wanting to study their faith more to pick them up. Start a group and study them with friends. You might not know as much as you think you do about your faith.

What I don't love about the books is that they are long. The one on Scripture and the one on the Church are not broken down very well to use to in a homeschool setting. I would love them more if they could have broken the chapters that were 50 pages long into more digestible bites and give us around 25 chapters.
What I love about the books is that they are easy to teach with. They give so much information and the answer/teacher books really help in leading a discussion on the books. We have developed our own club based on these very texts and I will discuss those in another post.

Real Learning

2009-04-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful book. I had been homeschooling for years before I saw this book. We had moved to Houston and I began to have real issues with some of the children with learning issues. As I grew more and more discouraged at their lack of correct output I began to loose focus on my true purpose of homeschooling. A friend began to tell me about this book, she knew the author and was so excited that it was in publication. I love it and I really believe that it can help anyone learn how to focus on the true meaning of education of their child.

An Important Science Resource

2009-04-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

Every Catholic homeschool must have a book entitled 1000 Years of Catholic Scientists. It is to be used as a resource for all science classes. Our classroom is better off having this book. I have found that for the study of science we have had a hard time finding a text that is challenging enough, while still being interesting. If it meets both of those standards it is often written in a secular manner or sometimes if it is written by certain Christian groups it might even be anti-Catholic.

I want my children, my students to grow to appreciate their faith and the world that our Creator has given them. Our wonderful Roman Catholic Church has too often been given a bad name in regards to science. When one looks closely the truth can be seen. Often the Catholic church has worked to pursue the study of all sciences. Understanding God's creation is understanding Him.

Unfortunately as those that had issues with the church for various reasons began to write the text books found much of the truth was distorted or lost. I found that as we studied science I was longing for a reference to help me balance the truth with what was reported in the text. I was so happy when I found this thin book. I am so thankful to have this. We pull it out as we use all other science text.

I have so enjoyed learning from this book. I am most thankful to the author. If you are a Catholic Homeschooling family and you want to be able to study science with a resource that will help you find the truth about many of the worlds most famous scientist then you must have this resource in your home library.

Here is the description of the book from the site that sells this valuable resource.

1000 Years of Catholic Scientists new edition
Did someone say that good Catholics can't be good scientists? Never have been, never will be? Have they heard of Pasteur? Of Lavoisier? Of the Ampere whose name is abbreviated on most of the electrical appliances in your house? Using the Catholic Encyclopedia, now on line, along with her personal background in science and a network of other resources, Jane Meyerhofer has composed this list of nearly 200 eminent Catholic scientists since the tenth century. Find them in every century, in every field of endeavor. In the new edition, scientists are listed chronologically, with an alphabetic index. This is much easier to use, and -- though it is intended as a reference book, the list actually makes a very interesting read, straight through. Mrs. Meyerhofer is a homeschooling Mother of four (so far) and did all this between the peanut butter and lullabies. It is a great work of intelligent love.

Student Planners

2009-04-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to discover that these student planners that I fell in love with years ago have gone down in cost. In fact I have avoided getting them for the past few years and then out of the blue the company sent me a sample of the 2009-2010 version. As soon as I saw it I fell in love with it all over again.

This is a beautiful student planner. It can be ordered in a Catholic version, Christian, or Lutheran. I absolutely love the Catholic version. The day's saints are listed. The next Sunday's gospel is printed at the top of the weeks page spread. The pages are outlines in the church's seasonal colors. A Christian word is highlighted and defined each week. The Homeschool teacher in me loves the selections for the subjects in the elementary edition: Religion, Science, Math, Social Studies, Reading/English/Language Arts, and a blank column. At the bottom of the page is a spot to list weekly prayer request and the side has room for a weekly spelling list. Then if that were not enough all of the extras are wonderful. The prayers inside the front and back covers are very nice. Tons of other extras also that include science, literature, grammar, math, writing, and so much more. The Catholic version also includes an imprimatur from the Most Reverend Robert Hermann from the St. Louis Archdiocese.

As you can see Creative Communications offers these helpful student planners for all ages. I found the planners to be so much better than the general ones that can be purchased with your other school supplies. This appears to be a young company that caters to Christian schools of all sorts. Their product works wonderfully with the homeschooler as well. I think I might give one of their teacher planners a try.

Give the planners a try, I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

http://www.goodnewsplanners.com/

All pictures came from the above listed website.

Timeline update

2009-02-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

I really had hoped to reach my goal of having it available by last weekend. I have run into a huge problem. The program I used to create the pages is not compatible with the program I plan to use to share these pages free of charge to you. I have the time line ready to go except that it is taking time to convert each page into the correct format so that I can then upload them. I am sorry that this is taking me more time that I planned. I will be out of town this weekend but by the end of the month I should have it finished. I am so sorry for the delay. My own children are now pushing as they want to restart, cleaner looking time lines.

What book have you found to be the most helpful during the course of homeschooling?

2009-02-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

There are so many Catholic home schooling books. They all help a little but the book that has given me the most help in these years while the kiddos are at home has nothing to do with home schooling. I Should Have Seen It Coming When The Rabbit Died by Teresa Blomingdale is a book that I go back to over and over again. It was first printed in 1979 and was one of my mom’s paperback books. I read it when the older ones were young because the title looked funny. The author had ten children in 12 years. She was a mom from the late 50s and the 60s. She loved her family and children. She was Catholic and the book is about her experience of having ten children as a Catholic woman. She writes with so much humor and love. Her children all went to Catholic School but her drive and passion for her children is like mine.

After the author tells many amusing and moving tales of her children the book ends with an Epilogue chapter. The title is “The best is yet to be” and this is my favorite part of the book. The author describes various conversations that she had with her father as she grew up. He would always tell her not to worry because the best was yet to be. She was very sad that he passed away before her oldest son got married. She describes how she couldn’t wait for college, then a job, then true love, then marriage, then children etc. etc. etc. She says that she thought watching her young children open gifts at Christmas was the best it could ever be, but her father tells her the “best is yet to be”. She understands that statement more fully later when she enjoys watching her older children helping their younger siblings on another Christmas morning.

The book ends as she looks over the ceremony of her son’s wedding. She ponders how it could ever be better than this moment. A beautiful Mass with her son so in love with his bride on the alter surrounded by all the siblings. Everyone is there dressed to the nines. They are all with God in church and together as a family, except for her deceased father. As she wonders how any moment could ever compare to the joy she feels right then she hears her father whisper to her. She knows he is whispering from heaven to tell her, “The BEST is yet to be.”

There have been many times when things are bad in our family life. Like when we had to decide what to do with the one that needed open heart surgery. There have been many joyous moments. At every one I hear those words and am reminded of heaven. This silly little paperback book written years ago has helped me to remain focused on Him and on heaven. For the my family, heaven is the reason we home school.

How have you taken advantage of having home schooled children?

2009-02-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

We take trips when we want. We do school when we want. We sleep in and stay of late talking. We help people when we see a need. We can always do school later if someone needs our help today. If we are sick we don’t school. We have been able to go on trips with Dad.

Years back I was hurt in a car accident. We ended the school year early but still learned so much about feet while we watched mine heal. The girls learned to cook, clean and run the house all while I was in a wheelchair and pregnant with number 7. The kids learned compassion and so much about pregnancy that summer.

I love the group learning. I think it has helped us all learn so much more. We can do that being homeschooled.

If your children were offered a Catholic School education for free would you send your children?

2009-02-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

We have had offers over the years and have always said no. The cost of a good Catholic school is not the reason we homeschool. As our oldest grew the schools wanted her on their teams and in their classrooms. She would have made them look good. The offers were never ones that would be better for our children just better for the schools.

Extended family tried to get the kids in school that way. One family member had someone from the parish approach us and offer to pay for the children’s education at the parish school. I suspect family was behind that first offer and that they would really have been paying. At first we were a littel temped but then that same year the new principal banned rosaries from the campus. (Hello Catholic School here!) She thought they were too much of a distraction for the students and forbad them. No rosary was allowed in the pocket or anything. If she saw it, the child would be punished. I knew then that there was no way our children would ever spend time in that building. Later that principal was fired but I have always wondered if any children have lost their faith because of her years.

In all honesty no one cares about my children as much and their father and I do. We are the only ones that will answer to God for them. No teacher will ever care for them that much. Unless of illness, death or some other extreme situation we will never put them in school, at least I have yet to see one that can measure up.

What are some reasons you decided to home school?

2009-02-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

Year before I met my husband I met an incredible family. This family was unique in that they homeschooled. The mom said that it was because she wanted a stronger faith instruction for her children. These kids were the coolest kids I had ever met. They were all beautiful and smart. They were all very athletic and had an incredible love for life and each other, even the cousins. These were not dorky kids at all. They were a part of the community in their social work, volunteered at church, had jobs and yet were kept home for school.

These teens and young adults went to Mass everyday, they prayed the rosary as a group just about every day, they stomped each other at some game (soccer, football, waffle ball, hoops etc. ) every day. The more I spent time around them the more I wanted to get to know Christ. My faith grew so much just being around these people. Where did that passion come from?

I think it had to do with the fact that they were home schooled. Their moms pulled them out of the strong Catholic school because the faith wasn’t a strong enough part of the day. These were fun people who were real. They could have cared less what I thought of them. I asked my friend where that came from. He said it was home schooling. He was allowed to grow up with confidence because his mom believed in him and he had never heard to the contrary. I was in love with my faith but couldn’t share it like these kids. I decided then I wanted that passion and self confidence for my children if I was ever lucky enough to get married.

Convincing dad was another issue. As it turned out is was God's will. I still thank him for allowing me to see that humble example in my young life.

Do your children enjoy learning?

2009-02-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

Learning is very natural. I do not know if I would say enjoy because it is just a part of our daily life. My children are curious about everything. When they want more information on a topic they find it. They have learned to see their passions in everything.

Our oldest son struggles with reading and yet loves to learn about history. He also loves cameras, picture taking, computers and being creative. While watching a history show about an Egyptian pyramid he commented that he was enjoying the show. He seamed a little too interested. I had not known that he like Egyptian history that much. I asked why he liked this so much. At the next commercial break he explained.

He saw his passions of history and of filming put together. He said that he would love to know history and filming enough to get to be the person that films those types of shows. He understood that to be in a pyramid he would need to understand history so as not stand in the wrong place. He would have to know where the camera had to film. He would also need to know quit a bit about filming so that moments of discovery would not be lost. You can't reopen a tomb if your filming was bad.

These kinds of things show me that my children are learning all the time. They have learned how to learn. I didn't need to point out all careers involved in the show we watched. My son thought that one through on his own. He wasn't wanting to be the host, he wants to be the camera man. He was looking at the entire picture not just what was in front of him. He was thinking and that is what real learning is all about.

Has homeschooling helped your children to be more able and willing to stand up for what they believe?

2009-02-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

Their faith is their life. It is part of everything we do. They can not imagine things happening without their faith. They have never had the misfortune of seeing things happen outside of faith. Yes I think they stand up for it all the time without even knowing they are doing anything special.

A few years back the then 5 year old noticed that one of the swim team coaches said something about not knowing who The Blessed Mother Mary was. This child took her coach the small statue she had bought on vacation the previous summer to give to her. I was worried she would offend the girl. My daughter didn’t care. She said, “Our coach needs to know Mary. She doesn’t know her and Mary wants to get close to her.” Our daughter gave it to her with great confidence. Two years later this same daughter was having a bad day at swim team. This coach told her not to get upset. She told her, “I know that your friend Mary would want you to be strong. I still have her on my dresser. I talk to Her every day!” Wow, our strong willed daughter is spreading her faith without even knowing.

Do your children seem strong in their faith as a result of homeschooling?

2009-02-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

On 9-11, I watched the beauty of home schooling unfold as my family reacted to the shock of this attack. We were at Mass that morning. One of the old guys told us something bad had happened as we walked into church. We smiled and told him we would pray. Nothing was said during Mass, we stood outside and talked with friends before heading home. On the way home we turned the radio on. As we passed another Catholic church we heard the announcer saying, “Oh my God, a second plane has just flown into the second tower.” We made the sign of the cross and prayed devoutly the rest of the way home. At home we watched the news for about one hour. Then our oldest walked up to the television and turned it off. Dad and I are both news junkies. We were like, “What are you doing?” In response she handed us a rosary.

Later that night we had volleyball practice and soccer practice. The church offered a Mass, and we went and then to practice. We found that at practice these other kids needed to talk and understand. My kids had already spent the day doing that. These kids had not been allowed to think for themselves at school, and they all went to Catholic school. It was at practice with our Dad that these other children got to say, “Are we going to be ok?” My husband told them as long as they stayed close to God they would be fine. They had not heard that at school, or from their parents. Their parents had just not had the time with them. My children looked at the real world and could respond with their faith, these other children needed to be told how to respond. They needed to be reminded to respond with faith.

Our faith isn’t a test we pass at 10:00am every morning, it is our lives. The joy of a new baby coupled with mom and dad’s fear of how to pay the bills. The trauma of a death in the community or the result of a hurricane are real like situations. They all are handled with prayer. That is our real faith and home school children see it in action all the time.

What are some negative effects you see in homeschooling?

2009-02-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

As a mom I don’t get alone time. It is so important for us moms to have some social interaction of our own. It becomes limited when home schooling. I have to search it out to get it.

For the kids I see a wondering what school would be like. I don’t think it is really a disadvantage. They also get to see mom at her worst. I don’t know if this is really bad or not. Some kids that go to school just think mom has an easy day cleaning, laundry and running errands. They don’t see her stress out when a bill is due and there is no money to pay it. Some might think this is a good thing. I don’t. I think it is unrealistic. My kids see the good and the bad.

What are some positive effects you see in homeschooling?

2009-02-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

The most important effect I have seen is self confidence.

This is an old example but still very appropriate. Many years back we were at the home of relatives. Many extended family members was there. One of the Aunts corners me and begins a conversation out of the blue. She is telling me how concerned she is about the social life of our children, (I don’t even think she knew their names but was still concerned for their socialization.) It seamed beyond her comprehension how I could even consider that my daughter was getting all the interaction that she needed.

While I was trying to truly listen with charity knowing that another family member had set her up. I watched a scene in the corner of my eye. I watched this kind woman’s heavyset grandson. He was awkward in his actions. He was about 9 or 10 and would not look any body in the eye. He was hiding under the kitchen table where his grandmother and I were talking. My oldest (who was apparently so anti social that she was considered a freak by family) walked up to the table, pulled back a chair. She was only about 7 at the time. I watched her coax this “well adjusted schooled” child from under the table and down to the basement to join the other kids while they were playing. She wasn’t told to include him and she had never met him. I watched her just be Christian and work to include someone when that person was having a hard time. It was so ironic to watch while I was being shown the ‘truth’ by well meaning family.

My children are very aware of each other and others. They are kind, polite and thoughtful. They remember everything, we have huge discussions as we pray for people at night prayer time. I have watched them help at functions put on by schools, they always help clean up and never leave someone out. I never see those same things in school children.

I see this strong character in each of my children. I see children that are polite, kind, trusting, helpful and independent thinkers. They value heaven and they know Christ. I ask for a more important positive effect from homeschooling.

Are your children responsible enough to one day have a family? If so, how has homeschooling influenced this?

2009-02-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

An example from our daily life might illustrate my answer. Dad and I were sitting in our bed room just off the family room. A candle was lit on the coffee table as it usually is. We heard a scream and cries which we often hear. As it turns out the four year old had been ‘reading’ a piece paper that she kept moving closer to the light. It caught on fire. The little one froze and did nothing as this paper burned in her hand. We heard the 10 year old screech and looked out to see the 11 year old pushing the four year old out of harms way, taking the paper and shoving it into a cup of coffee that was sitting there. That was impressive to us. At 11 I would have been frozen, this young one took action. We have seen things like this over and over again.

Home school kids are in the real world. Our son didn’t need to go to a special presentation from a fire fighter to learn not to panic and what to do. He knew he needed liquid and fast. He didn’t wait for an adult to ‘give him permission’ to react he just took care of things. In one week I can give you 100 stories just like this. Kids in school wait to told to try something, to do something etc.etc. Home school kids seam to not be afraid of life. They understand family. They do not get to hide from their family at school. I feel that a home school family has a more rounded and real family life.

Yes they are responsible enough to one day have their own families. I think that also have a better idea of what to expect. More realistic.

Do your children interact with children from all age groups better than most children their age?

2009-02-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

It seams that no matter where we go our children are sought out. Other children love to be around them. I think that has to do with the fact that they are friends with children from all ages. They have never known age as a boundary like children in school do. They can talk to adults and babies alike.

I got an email today from a gentleman in the neighborhood and the parish we just switched out of. He emailed asking why he hadn’t seen us. I replied that we left the parish. He quickly emailed back explaining that he had wanted to talk to dad and I about our children. A few of our children had done him a favor the summer before. We had helped his family move some boxes. The man said that he was very impressed with our children.

This neighbor said that he and his wife still discuss how articulate and fun these young people were to interact with that afternoon. He commented that he had never seen such young people act so mature when needed. He also pointed out that they were also able to play with his children at the same time. He had been thinking about and after six months still felt compelled to point it out.

Are you children, especially your older children open to big families?

2009-02-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

Oh My gosh YES!!! Our oldest has been reminding me that she will go away to college soon. She wants us to have another one so she can get to know him/her before she goes to college. Our last one was a shock. To be honest mom and dad were taken back by this news. It wasn’t in our plans but all of the children were ecstatic. I can not even begin to describe the joy we can see in each of their faces when they share in the joy of a new life.

They all seam to want to have bigger families when they get older. One says that says she might not home school her six because it would be very hard to be a doctor and a home schooling mom. She also feels that six is all she will have. I don’t think that she realizes that is a large number. Another has always said that she wants a dozen. One is undecided between being a nun or having 14. I just pray that they are open to what God wants of them. It is very contrary to society but I do hope that they can accept God's will no matter what it might be. I have tried to teach them the skills and a strong faith base to handle things if God has in a path that doesn’t include children. I know it would be hard but I am confident that they will accept his will and continue to love God. If any of them can not have children it will be very hard.

How has having children with learning disabilities affected the older student/sibling?

2009-02-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

That is a very interesting question. Our oldest has never known any different. At times she would follow my example and get angry that they were not catching on. I think she thought, like I did, that they were just lazy and not really trying. That frustrated her to no end. She was also worried about ourside family and what she would say to them. It did become easier for her when we found out about the ‘disabilities’ we were looking at and actually labeled them. She let me do the research but always wanted an update. She often offered her opinions that helped me decide what issues we were dealing with.

She also defended them at times. She was in a girls group for awhile and when the next daughter joined; the other girls made fun of her for not reading. Our oldest wasted no time in defending her sister. She wasn’t embarrassed by her. That would be different if they were in school, I think. Our oldest felt like she had invested herself in raising and teaching her sister right along with me. She felt a little guilty that her sister wasn’t reading, just like like I did. She also saw how hard her sister really worked to read one word, she saw for herself that her sister was very smart even though it didn’t look to this group of girls.

Last year we decided that the math program we were using was too difficult for the ones with the learning issues. I would never have thought that our oldest had learning issues and yet she asked if she could change programs as well. In all of our searching for what worked in the other kiddos the oldest paid close attention to her own learning styles. She now asks for stuff that works better for her. I think that will give her a huge advantage in college. She will know how to search out help if she needs it. Knowing when to ask for help is an important skill to learn in life.

I don't think she is burdened by any of it. I really believe she is a better student based on her siblings and their issues. If anything she has learned the kindness and compasion that we all need to succeed in life. She is closer to heaven having had to learn to deal with it all.

How has having children with learning disabilities affected school?

2009-02-12T10:01:00.001-08:00

One is the way that we are affected by the learning disabilities is the way in which we school. My kiddos that can’t read still want to learn. I don’t want them to be denied the history and the science that they love. So we group many classes together. We do history as one big read aloud and adventure as a group. Younger ones do not work on a time-line but the older ones (3rd grade and up) must prepare the picture while mom reads the history. You will then add your item to your own timeline.

We have done science work as a group also with mom doing most of the reading aloud. Everyone has their own notebook. Each must copy notes off the board and add to their books. Mom helps to create the notes by writing the high lights on the chalk board. Hopefully this is also helping to prepare them with note taking on lectures. These science binders where the notes are stored are fun. They make the science touchable.

Most of our subjects are done as a group. This does not included the high school students. I feel that high school needs to be more independent. This is when the child is preparing for college work. It is truly when the student needs to take over the learning process. It isn't hard because the foundation has been set.

The other way the learning disabilities have affected us is not as positive of an observation. Having the non-readers come along really seeded doubt in me. I worried so much that I was failing them by not putting them in school to learn how to read. By becoming friends with moms in similar situations I gained the confidence that I needed to persevere. I have found that we need to maintain a little more privacy in how we home school. More privacy in where each child is or isn't. I will not reveal in present terms where exactly we are or are not.

My in-laws do not like that we home school and they would often use the non-readers as reasons to try to push school. I can not even begin to tell you the number of family “fights” that have started by outside family trying to convince us, our friends and even our priest to force us to send the kids to school. We have even had legal issues threatened. That makes us very nervous.

I know that each of the children are learning. They grow in their knowledge and ability every day. I am thankful that we have been in Texas where the law has been on our side. Showing progression is not that difficult but it can look bad if you just compare a child with learning issues to the public school peer. The true peers with learning issues often have very low self esteem but on paper look like they are doing so much better. I know that we are better off but it does require me to be a little more private about where the non-readers truly are in their scholastic endeavors.

How has having children in all age groups/a big family affected school?

2009-02-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

I used to think that the different ages could really make it difficult at times. Then I was put into place many years ago by another home schooling mother. This woman had 16 kids at the time and I was just pregnant with number 6. I remember asking her a question that I thought was very profound and her answer shocked me. She started her reply with, “Well if I ONLY had 6, I would blah, blah, blah.” I had never thought of it that way but she reminded me that the ages, the numbers, the personalities that I had were all from God. Someone else always has it worse and someone else has it better. It just depended on how they looked at it. I decided right then that until I had 16 like she did I would never complain or allow myself to use the number or age range as an excuse to not learn. We might learn differently but we would still learn.

It would be a lie to say that our school day isn’t influenced at all by the ages. I can’t even begin to say how many times we stop a lesson to deal with a very poopy diaper, or stopping because one of the little ones is running through the room with a knife. It is a good day when the older ones sit still no matter what the distraction.

To be honest the biggest issue we deal with is dad working from home and not the babies. He often comes in to share news, or ask my help or wants to kiddos to talk to his mom or whatever. He is our principal so we try to not get too upset and he tries to only interrupt when it is important. I love that we are all together to get good or bad news. We can pray right away and I don’t have to wait for people to get off an ugly old school bus before I tell the kids.

What are some ways you have used family life to influence school?

2009-02-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

We start the day with prayer. We first begin by talking about what family news we might have or reminding each other of what we might need to pray for. Like our family friend might need special prayers because of a medical test she is having done today, etc. We might also remind them that dad will not be home all day today, that is odd for us because dad works from a home office, or that mom and dad might be going shopping that afternoon. During our brief time in a group in the morning everyone is present, except dad. I have nursed babies during this time and now the 2-year old must color in her book. It is as much family time as it is school time. The two are the same thing in our home.

What are some ways you have incorporated school into family life?

2009-02-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

Home school is part of us. We have never done any other form of school. Learning is very natural. We all have a desire to learn about things that interest us. Being a home schooling family means we dive into things we really love.

Last semester we studied Ancient Egypt. We read aloud from books on Ancient Egypt every day. We watched movies about Egypt. When we went to visit family in St. Louis we made sure to fit in a visit to the museum that had three mummies and a huge Egyptian display.

Last year we focused on Astronomy that meant that as a family we held passes to NASA and we often cuddled around to TV to watch the latest show about the planets. One child got a telescope for Christmas last year. We all enjoyed watching the stars with him.

We try to study many things as a group even though we are different ages. That way we can have great conversations and our trips can interest everyone. The younger kids don’t get as much out of it and don’t take notes like the big kiddos. They are learning though. When we come back around to those subjects they will already know some of it.

There is no incorporation needed it is just who we are!

Heaven is the goal!

2009-02-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

(originally written in 2005)

So you are home schooling your children and you have had a friend over to play with your 4th grader. This kid is smart. He plays the piano, he is in advanced classes all across the board, you about pass out when he starts quoting a book that you didn’t even read until college. You then look back at your beautiful 10 year old son. This poor boy cannot read at all. It is near impossible to read what he attempts to write. His work is always sloppy and he would do anything to get out of the classroom. You send his friend home and begin to really judge your son. How can he be this lazy and unmotivated? What, how dare you judge your own son that way?

What am I talking about? Your son will need to lead a family some day; he must learn his math and his reading. He will need to provide for a wife and children (God willing) or better yet run a parish, a diocese, or maybe even the entire Catholic Church. Wow, how can you see your little under achiever as the pontiff. Those men need to know several languages and you can not even master English. Maybe you should put him back in school. Will that be the best for him?

Let’s think about that idea for a moment. If your child was in school you would be on his side and not out to point out his faults. Why have you abandoned him? He still needs your support. He still needs you to see his potential. If a teacher was telling you how slow your son is, you would be pointing out how smart he is. You would remind her that he comes home every day sharing what he has learned. You would be pointing out that he is the only one in the family that knows anything about hooking up the DVD player or getting the computers running. He might not be reading but he is brilliant.

Now you are the teacher and the mom. You have to see both sides. You need to see him like Christ does. The Father created your son; of course He knows his faults. Remember our Lord sees the complete package. He sees the child as a temple for the Holy Spirit. He sees the potential and the love. It is so hard, but that is what we are called to see. The math and the reading are very important but Heaven is the real goal. Don’t ever forget that.

Where we started

2009-02-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

(originally written in 2006)

Are you a new homeschooling parent and wondering if you will ever feel at ease with what you are doing? Have you been homeschooling for a long time and wonder if you will ever feel comfortable? Did your best friend convince you to try it and said you would love it, but you can not see why?

For me it took 10 ½ years before I felt completely at ease with it. I have had many friends start homeschooling and give up. It always makes me so sad. Why did we keep going while others get overwhelmed and stop?

I always knew that I was supposed to be homeschooling. It is my call. I had always wanted to be a teacher so when I found out that I was pregnant. My husband and I decided that I shouldn’t continue to take out student loans to learn to teach someone kids. I would have my own child to work on.

I had always wanted to homeschool. My husband didn’t want me to. We knew that we would be not using public schools. Our Catholic faith meant so much to us that we would do anything to see that their education was from the parochial schools, just as ours had been.

We prepared our first for the beginning of school and toured the facilities of our parish. We took her in for the state testing and in to the school for their testing. She had so much anxiety that afternoon. She faced it with Grace and style and she would prove to do as time went on over and over again. She would have handled school with ease if we had sent her. Her father stated to worry that she would not be challenged because she was clearly very smart. So just in case I also gathered some information about different homeschool programs as we prepared all the paperwork for her to enter the private school.

We received a note telling us about the expenses for the year, uniform fittings, and to send in payments by certain dates. In this same mailing was letter telling us that there was not a spot for our daughter because they had too many children in the class already. We had turned stuff in early and had jumped through every hoop. She was number four on the waiting lists. She should just wait until a spot opened. I was so upset, we had sat down with the pastor and discussed this very subject when we registered in the parish. At that time we were assured that every child would have a spot in the classroom.

We sat on that note for two weeks. We were very upset. Did the pastor lie to us? In retrospect I am sure he did not, but it felt like he did at the time. I sat there one afternoon looking over the packet of information I had just received from one of the Catholic Homeschool providers. My child would excel with these books. The cost would be much less. What would everyone say? My mind was spinning. Dad was home that afternoon. He came down to the kitchen to see me looking over these books.

When the phone rang he took my spot at the table and let me get the call. As it turned out it was the school. They were upset because I had not sent in my last required pre-payment for our daughter’s tuition. I asked what the payment was for considering they didn’t have a spot as of yet for my daughter. School was to start a few weeks later and they still had her on the waiting list at number 4. One student had dropped out but another younger sibling of a current student got that spot.

The secretary was rude as she asked for the payment and laughed when I asked why I should send payment in for class. While at the same time she was telling me that I needed to get our daughter registered for public school and let her go for about three weeks. By then a spot would open. That would be only if I had sent the next two payments in by the end of the week.

Looking back I am very thankful that the secretary was so rude that day. It was just enough to get my husband thinking. We knew that public school wouldn’t happen and we were now very angry that this school needed several thousand dollars by the end of the week to hold our daughter’s spot even though she didn’t have a spot. He told me, “Let’s homeschool one year. We will see how it goes and we can put her in school next year. If it works we will talk next year about what we should do.”

We have been on a “one year at a time” basis every since. Man that is a long way until retirement. So far I will be teaching until the school year of 2024-2025. I would give up at that thought alone if I haven’t seen all the reasons of why I do this. It feels like it will never end. We reserve the right to put them in school if it is ever needed. I pray that will never be the case. I love what we do and how we do it.

That is a huge investment. But it is more worth it that I could ever put into words. We have faced many challenges and I am sure God has many more in store for us. I am confidant that with his care we can continue on.

The proof really is in the pudding. We have spent years around other schooled children. We have seen the bad right along with those parents. I know we made the decision that we were supposed to make. The homeschool movement has changed so much over the past decade. I can only imagine where it is headed. Our children are well behaved, they love to learn, they are kind, gracious and smart. Those qualities will help them get into heaven. That is all the truly matters and that is what keeps us going.

When will you put them in school?

2009-02-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

I am often amazed when a family member will comment over and over again about how well behaved my children are.

You are such a wonderful mother! They are such great kids. You have done such a
great job. They are so well behaved in a restaurant. They are so good at church!
How do you teach them how to talk to people? They act so mature and yet still
have so much fun. How do you teach that?

Then I always get that next question,

When do you think you will put them into school?

I hate that question because it is already implying that we are failing. This is what I hear when they ask that question.

When will you just admit this isn't working? When will you love your children
enough to do what is best for them? When you let go of the fantasy of
homeschooling because we are tired of being embarrassed to say that you Homeschool the children!

HELLO, maybe they are so great because they have never been in school.
Did you ever think of that!?!??!

Am I the only one that can see that?

Special words

2009-02-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

There are many educators out there that have helped me to form my ideas on educating in realation to faith. One would be Charlotte Mason. I like to make notes of some of her words as I refresh my own passion for educating my children.

In Home Education she is quoted as saying:

Let us save Christianity for our children by bringing them into allegiance to Christ the King!

Thougths on Dsylexia from email 1-09

2009-02-10T07:07:00.000-08:00

The problem with the term dyslexia is that is covers so many variations of a way of learning and processing information. There are a million different sources with a million different ideas. My thoughts are that is is just a way in which the mind in some people works. I have 9 kiddos and each one has issues at different levels. I don't like the term learning disability because they are not disabled just different. The trick if finding what works for the individual.

A lot will depend on how old this child is. It is very hard to diagnose anything if the child is under 7. Developmentally sometimes reading is hard until a child is older than 7 but by 7 they should pick out the letters OK. Letters may move around on a page for any child until about 7 and writing letters and numbers backwards can be very common.

If the child is in school, the schools tend to try to label right away. In the case of dyslexia it is dangerous to diagnose to early. Remember this is not an illness just a learning style. It is hard to remember that when talking to teachers, counselors, and doctors. I found that the book that helped me the most was a book called: The Gift of Dyslexia. The first half of the book opened my mind into how this type of mind works and thinks. The second half of the book offers a trick to fix dyslexia. I did not find that part helpful at all. I also trust the information gathered about the dyslexic from that same author at this website: http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm

We struggle with reading issues and comprehension issues and even with one child writing issues. I still find that my children are very smart and I try to encourage learning in spite of their issues. I think that the hardest thing is the self esteem issues and not the actually learning. We try to keep in mind every day that our goal is heaven and any thing else is just gravy. I find comfort in knowing that there will be no reading test to get into heaven. I think they still need to learn to read but being kind to others is the most important, even in learning how to read. I hope this helps. I wish I had more time to write stuff but that website should be a good vantage point to take off from.

Time Line Template Coming Soon

2009-02-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

I have had many discussions with friends about how to teach History in a way that brings it alive and ties everything together. I keep Math separate but almost everything else can be taught with the aid of a time line. Our approach is to use it as the base for most other studies. We put everything into ours and love using it.

I like what we have but have wanted to improve it for years. Pooker is done but even Moogie wants to revamp as we have gone in and out of using ours. I first made our time lines about 10 years ago. Now with the use of better computers I want to update and make it a tad more appealing to the eyes.

I will soon add a link so that you can print your own copies. I will also add a history of how we developed it and how we use it. I will give complete instructions with some tips. This is in the works and will be up by mid-month (Feb 15Th) at the very latest. I just wanted you all to know that I have not forgotten it and that I am working on it now.

Dyslexia isn't an end to home education!

2009-01-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

I have been homeschooling my children for ever is seams and we deal with the same issues. I have 9 children. All of them have different learning styles. Some are way more difficult to adapt to than others. The bad news is that nothing will fix this. I hate that we use the term "diagnosed". We are not talking about an illness here, medicine will not make it better. We are really talking about a way of thinking. The brain is working differently for these individuals than for others, and that isn't a bad thing. That was the hardest thing for me to understand.

What really helped with that was reading a book called "The Gift of Dyslexia" (click on the title and it will take you to a visual of the book). The book is in two parts. The first part is wonderful and lovingly explains the mind and how it works for a dyslexic. I felt like I could once again understand my children. It was worded so positively and not too technical. Very good read. Ignore the second half of the book. It is an odd approach to try to "fix" it. I found that part goofy at best.

Math U See is wonderful for this situation. I switched programs for younger children and had my then high school freshman want to retake all math. She had never understood it even though she was doing well. She worked her way through each book her freshmen year. It was the best investment of money for me and time for her. I love Math U See. I have heard some people complain about how it prepares one for the SAT though, or I should say doesn't. BUT we haven't experienced that issue ourselves yet. The other children are making progress as well.

Please do not stress about this. You have discovered your child in a way at a very young age and there are many things that you can do to help that child adapt to school world. Please do not run out and buy tons of new programs to help. They are all very costly and often not very effective. You will to do lots of reading aloud. Get audio books from the library, etc, etc.

There are many cognitive training programs out there that will help with processing speeds and such. Some are a little too advanced for a 7 year old. Looking back I wish I had stressed less and spent more time with hands on stuff. My children thrive with art, living history, science projects etc.etc. When you can afford it I would recommend looking into the PACE program. It will be costly but worth it. A friend of mine runs a business in the Woodlands with this program. She teaching/trains with the PACE program out of her home. Her business is called The Woodlands Learning Center. http://www.thewoodl andslearningcent er.com/main. html

There is another home version of the same type of program. I have listened to talks and have a few products from Little Giant Steps. I have not used their new complete program or had my children evaluated, so I can not say the true value but it looks good. And in Theory I agree with the approach and philosophy behind these programs. http://www.littlegi antsteps. com/index. php

We love our timeline approach to history and it really seams to help this type of leaner. We pick a time frame and read book that are suggested by Designing your own Classical Curriculum. We then read together many of these books and add pictures from the Internet to our homemade time lines. We like to look at our time lines as photo albums for His family. We include saints, science, politicians.

As your son gets a tad older. I would recommend Apologia science. They have a younger program that starts about 4Th grade. We do them all together as a read aloud. I love them. I do "take notes" on the board and make them copy them. Not many but a few.

Please remember. This is not a problem. It is wonderful that God has given you an insight into how your child thinks. Your child is not broken or damaged or different. This is just how it is. The world needs people that think in pictures. They are the ones that give us ideas and hope. It can be a tad different but wonderful. It is a challenge to discover how to teach someone that learns differently but I have learned so much with them.

Just enjoy this learning, it is God sent. Dyslexia

Parenting advice

2009-01-12T06:01:00.000-08:00

The most important piece of advice any one can ever give a new parent would be to remind the new parents to never hand away their authority. That child is yours don’t ever give the authority of parent to the grandparents, the day care providers or even teachers. You were given this child and only you know what is best for the child. It is true that often people might know more about a topic that might fall into your world. If you find out your child has a deathly allergy to peanuts you would defiantly listen to the advice of a medical doctor on how best to parent this child in the immediate topic of peanut consumption. But you are still the parent. Don’t forget that. Too often as parents we choose clothes, foods, schools based on what other “experts” tell us is best for our child. This can be very dangerous.

You need to see the good qualities, not just the faults! 2-25-07

2009-01-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

So you are home schooling your children and you have had a friend over to play with your 4th grader. This kid is smart. He plays the piano, he is in advanced classes all across the board, you about pass out when he starts quoting a book that you didn’t even read until college. You then look back at your beautiful 10 year old son. This poor boy cannot read at all. It is near impossible to read what he attempts to write. His work is always sloppy and he would do anything to get out of the classroom. You send his friend home and begin to really judge your son. How can he be this lazy and unmotivated. What, How dare you judge your own son that way.

What am I talking about. Your son will need to lead a family some day, he must learn his math and his reading. He will need to provide for a wife and children (God willing) or better yet run a parish, a diocese, or maybe even the entire Catholic church. Wow, how can you see your little under achiever as the pontiff. Those men need to know several languages and you can not even master English. Maybe you should put him back in school. Will that be the best for him.

Let’s think about that idea for a moment. If your child was in school you would be on his side and not out to point out his faults. Why have you abandoned him. He still needs your support. He still needs you to see his potential. If a teacher was telling you how slow your son is, you would be pointing out how smart he is. You would remind her that he comes home every day sharing what he has learned. You would be pointing out that he is the only one in the family that knows anything about hooking up the DVD player or getting the computers running. He might not be reading but he is brilliant.

Now you are the teacher and the mom. You have to see both sides. You need to see him like Christ does. The Father created your son, of course He knows his faults. Remember our Lord sees the complete package. He sees the child as a temple for the Holy Spirit. He sees the potential and the love. It is so hard, but that is what we are called to see.

We have one graduated! 1-3-09

2009-01-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

January 3, 2009 is the date listed on the official transcript as the date she is finished with her high school studies. Along the way we were often asked "how do you do it?" Just remember it didn't start with her as a teenager.

Way back when our oldest was just 5 years old I had it in my heart that I wanted to home school her. Her dad did not want that for her. We had both grown up going to private Catholic grade schools and then high schools. He wanted the same for our children. So we researched both and actually enrolled her into the local Catholic School. We jumped through the hoops, took placement tests, made deposits, turned in medical records, met with teachers, signed up for volunteer lists, ordered the uniforms and then we waited. (. .and waited . . .and waited)

Her placement scores were very high and we had turned our paper work in early but there were too many kids that year. In the end our daughter was put on the waiting list and not really set for classes at all. We had never wanted her to go to public school but now she would have to start there until a spot opened. So my husband said to me, "Go ahead and try this home school thing. We will try it for one year and see how it goes."

When our daughter's peers started at school that year we began her work at home. She was a very smart young woman and loved learning. It was a fun year, full of adventure and wonderment.After the end of that first school year we took the the time to re-evaluated. We decided to try homeschooling for one more year. She started her first grade year using the complete program from Seton Home Study. This was a very intense year of study and I felt it included too much busy work. We did it all but it got difficult with all the babies running around.

Second grade was a little easier. We still used Seton but this was the last year for a pre-packaged program. I was reading so many teaching books and knew that I wanted to pick my own curriculum. I had now been teaching this child for 2 years and knew that we were on the right track. As each year passed my husband and I became more and more confidant that this was the path for our family.And so it went from there. It had started as a second choice and a last minute fill in alternative. Now homeschooling was a way of life for all of us. In the end it is a true calling from God. We took it one year at a time for 12 1/2 years. We had always thought we would send her to a Catholic High School when the time came. After moving to Texas we realized that high school would be better taught at home as well.

It hasn't always been easy but our daughter has always given her best. She has matured and learned to find balance in life with it all routed in prayer.We will offer her a graduation ceremony later in the Spring. She is currently enrolled in community college for next semester. She has graduated our program one semester early. She plans to work toward her associates and then head off to a earn a bachelors. She is interested in nursing of some sort, and is open to seeing what God has in store for her.

We are so proud as we offer the world our first graduate of our home school. We kept our daughter home and maybe protected her from some stuff. That wasn't our reason. Most importantly we offered her a world of studies that were not limited to four walls and a curriculum picked out by a board of strangers. We have nourished her social life with positive experiences and good Christian peers. We have boasted her self awareness offering her a strong education that included her faith. We have demanded that she learn to balance all aspects of her life to best form her into the kind, loving, smart, passionate person she is today. We are so proud to graduate this young woman. We offer the world a beautiful, smart, strong, educated, fun loving, well rounded woman of GOD.

I'm not the only one! Right? 9-26-07

2009-01-11T08:48:00.000-08:00

I’m not the only one! Right?

I know that this has happened to you, at least to some degree. You are in a public place, the library, grocery store or even church, and the children are politely talking to an adult. As soon as mom enters the conversation the tone changes and that question is asked. You know the question. They always ask. I am often trying to juggle a baby that wants to nurse, catch a toddler that is trying to run, telling a teenager she can’t skip school work, answering a million voices asking why we can’t have McDonalds for lunch all while trying to assess what my little informers have shared with this total stranger. It is hard to determine “friend or foe” from the statement/question that was posed, “You Home school these children?”

This is about the time that my little informers start sharing our family ‘secrets’.
“If you can call it that, we don’t even get up until after 9:00a.m.”
“We do home school but some of us can’t read yet.”
“Mom says that because of the new born we are unschooling now.”
“We were tight on money so she hasn’t ordered my books yet.”
“This year our school work is learning how to help mom with the laundry.”
Usually the stranger can’t hear these sarcastic remarks due to the constant rumble from all the voices offering these answers. Thankfully most ‘outsiders’ are not used to hearing so many people talking at once so they can not decipher these lies (secrets. . .exaggerations . . .OK they are completely true but I don’t have a year to explain the reasons to this stranger.) This is one of those situations that I am very thankful we have a bunch of kiddos.

I try to talk loud enough to drown out all the little ones that are selling me out. “Yes, Yes, we do home school. I just love it. I have great children so they make it easy.” Maybe if I speak loud and continue talking this stranger will not hear the little ones at all. “We do a lot of group study and it really has helped our family to grow close. I would not trade it for anything in the world. The day includes several loads of laundry but other than that we get a lot done.” Hopefully this is enough information to answer the persons question and I can move on to the stranger’s next question or chase down the toddler.

The truth is this would be a funny scenario if it didn’t happen several times every day! Can you relate?

Note sent to a new friend from the pool. 8-7-08

2009-01-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to plant one little seed with you for right now. You seam very concerned that you will not teach them something that they need to know. The only thing that we really need to learn in life is God's love. Now the reality of learning God's love is by learning about his earth and everything in it. I get so excited that it becomes hard to pick my words. Forgive me. My point goes back to basic Baltimore Catechism. Why did God make you? God made me to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this world so that I can be happy with Him in the next. (or whatever) The point is that all your children must truly learn is the path to heaven. Often the school setting (even a Catholic or private school) does more harm than good in that ultimate goal of heaven.

So before we even begin to talk about programs, tests, books, or even the social issues I encourage you and your husband to look at our faith. You will find the answer there. Read the promises that you make during your child's baptism. Study the graces that are freely given to the parents who bring their child to Him. Read the catechism on baptism. Read what JP II said about the parents responsibility on education of a child. Refresh your marriage vows. Look over them. During a Catholic wedding we promise to raise our children in Him.

The grace to know what to do is given to the parents. Only mom and dad will know what is best. Don't let a grandparent, aunt or friend make that decision. Ultimately I leave that to dad as head of the family. God gives him the grace not me. That doesn't mean leave it up to him it just means that you might be surprised that while you worry about the detaills your husband might become confidant one way or another. Don't fight his confidence get strength from him. You may start homeschooling right away and you may do it in two years, you might home school for one and put them back. Just be open. God will let you know.

It does sound like He is guiding you. Do not worry. You, the Mom and Dad of a child of God can not mess up. You are not doing this alone. You will not fail. God will never allow it. What ever happens will be guided as long as you are open to it. No one will ever care about the success of your children academically or spiritually as much as you two. In my opinion you two, dad making the major decisions and mom faithfully caring them out (Just like St. Joseph leaving in the middle of the night with Mary having to make a new home.) are the only ones qualified to educate your children. Degrees do not matter. Our beautiful faith tells us that the grace to care for a child is given to us at marriage. It is a promise.

I am not trying to sound all crazy but it is the truth. You will need to concentrate on how to carry out that education. Realizing that you are the parent is sometimes the hardest thing in making the decision. I am sorry to ramble. I am just so excited every time I hear that a faithful person is trying to discern homeschooling. It is a gift from God. I cannot imagine sending a child to a stranger to care for the details that come naturally to me. Our culture tells us the opposite. It makes me angry to think about it.

In short: YES you can do it, you are called to it by baptism and marriage, you will not fail, you will love it!!!! Don't worry. Enjoy the process. I have found that when God starts to pull at your heart. The best thing to do is sit back and enjoy it. The road may get rocky but the bumps are what make the ride fun, just ask the kids who sit in the back seat.

Writing a Transcript

2009-01-11T06:25:00.000-08:00

Where to begin is often the hardest part with anything this "official". I found that one of the tricks to remember is that my husband and I have been in charge of our children's schooling from the very beginning. Why would I approach this any differently. We are are still in charge and this official document will be created by us. This is not a stretch, even though it took me a while to feel that way.

Deciding to home school throughout high school was not an easy decision for us. I am so glad we did and I really feel it was the best approach. That is not the purpose of this post. We are here to discuss the transcript and how we did it.

When planning high school I did have an idea of the projected 4 years. I just found this free tool for helping to plan the 4 years. I didn't have it but it takes some of the work I did out of the mix. I knew in the end that the transcript would need to cover certain things to be usable to get my child into a college. I also know we needed it for scholarship applications as well. As the years went on I tried to make notes, some just mental, on all the projects that were accomplished. I didn't jot down every book read. I have friends that have done that but I didn't see the need. We made notes of all the extra curricular and the volunteer stuff as well.

A tool that I used to actually put it all together to look like a real transcript was a product called: TranscriptPro Home School Transcript Generator Developed by Inge P. Cannon and produced by Education Plus. I found this tool to honestly meet all the promises that it advertised. When it comes to organizing the information this tool is a Godsend and worth every penny I spent. I have the first edition and am limited to just 5 students. I noticed that the third edition limits you to 8.

Before starting I highly recommend that you read: The 12 Most Common Home School Transcript Errors by Inge P. Cannon at Education Plus.

We picked the look that most matched what we wanted and got started. It really was very simple plugging in our courses and assigning a grade. There are many tips out there on how to assign a grade and how to assign credit. We read them all and then with an educated mind made our own criteria. This was all while trying to remember that we were the teacher, principal, and administrator of the school.

Another good source for transcript information can be found at the HSLDA website. They even have examples in file format that you can play around with to create a transcript of your own. HSLDA Transcript information can be found here. As with everything HSLDA is a great resource.

In the end this is what I did. I searched out several examples. I found what I wanted the end result to look like. I knew my child's needs. She was using it to share just course information with the community college she was enrolling in. If she was applying for a traditional 4 year college without starting at the community college I know that the transcript might need to be tweaked a little different. So know your audience and what they are looking for.

I used the Transcript Pro product to calculate the Carnegie Units of Credit and the Grade Point Averages. I printed off their version then compared it to several copies of transcripts I found just doing a google image search. I then created one that worked best for our home school using a publication document creator from Microsoft. I did this because we never studied a foreign language. At least not hard enough to assign a credit to it. I didn't like the empty column generated from the program. We also never took classes from any other organization. She had very few standardized tests to report also.

In creating our own look within publisher I was careful to not get too creative so I followed the same format as the majority of others. I was once told by a college admissions director that it helps the college admission board to asses the home schooled student if their transcripts look like the rest. They are used to looking at those and can do so efficiently. So be careful and keep in mind that you don't want to look so different that your child's transcript gets put off because it can not be quickly reviewed. I added what she needed and took out what she didn't. In the end we had a beautiful document that accurately described her high school studies and accomplishments.

That is how I did it. If you don't want to get as creative and publish your own then use one of the many available generators. In the end the important thing is to remember you are the one that needs to do. Don't put it off. Just get it done! My daughter found such a wonderful sense of accomplishment when I should it to her. "Wow, I did do all that, didn't I? I really did do the school work just like my friends." We had never discussed grades, never. So when she actually saw what she had earned she grew very excited.

The good news is that we got it done without much issue. We are proud of the end result. We have used it to save money on car insurance (she had a B or better!) and is set up at the community college for classes next semester. We now have the official document to also send for her scholarship searches that she is now working on.