Homeschooling 101

Okay, okay....I know it's summertime, but it's never too early to plan and organize for the upcoming school year! John thinks I'm crazy for wanting to get things figured out a couple of months ahead of time. Oh well. Better to be over-organized than unprepared, right??

I've got a large family room downstairs that is to become our main Learning Room. I can't wait to get things configured in there! Even though I've been homeschooling for FOUR years (has it really been that long?), I feel that I am still kinda new at this. Last week, I began to search around to discover the way other homeschoolers have organized their rooms, manipulatives, schoolwork, etc.

I found a blog carnival from a couple of years ago, where so many other homeschooling bloggers linked up pictures and ideas from their own homes! I urge you to check it out! You will find a huge range of rooms and ideas. I found some great blogs and discovered new ways of doing things!

As I searched around, I also discovered new curriculums that I had never heard of before and also rediscovered things that I had forgotten about. I'll explain my curriculum decisions in a future post. I saw that the same blog that hosted the homeschool room carnival, also hosted a curriculum carnival. If you are looking for some new ideas, go check it out!

Among my findings was a blog that is LOADED with FREE PRINTABLES and UNITS! Confessions of a Homeschooler is a great resource! Plan on spending some time on there!

Through that blog, I came across another blog by the name of 1+1+1=1. She also has a lot of free printables and units. For a fee of $15 you can gain access to her members section where things are more organized and there are some extras. It's a one time fee and well worth it!

As I discover new things, I'll be sure to keep you posted!

Right now, I've got a couple of projects for John and I to do before the school year starts. I plan on making some ledge shelving for children's books. I am intrigued by the rain gutter shelving, but I think the ledge shelving will work better for us.

We're also going to make our own inexpensive white dry erase board! I love finding ways to do things myself and save money too!

Right now, our downstairs room is pretty empty. Once it's done, I'll show you all before and after pics of our Learning Room! As for now, have fun browsing through the links I've shared....you can literally spend hours looking through it all!

Free Homeschooling Planner Pages!

Download free Homeschooling Planner Pages here. The site gives you a variety of options and there are enough different pages to put together a very comprehensive complete curriculum planner — for free (minus the printing costs!).

Wrapping up the 2008-09 School Year

Has it really been a week and a half since my last post? I apologize profusely for that!

We are wrapping up school for another year. I came to the realization in January that I wasn't making school the priority that it needed to be. It was always thrown in our busy day as the last thing we did, rather than it trumping the unimportant.

There was a day that I sat down with Nolan and Gideon and apologized for this. It wasn't that we didn't get our work done, but my daily focus was not where it needed to be.

Being a mommy to five and homeschooling the oldest two, can sometimes be overwhelming. I realized that I needed to tackle the task of homeschooling one day at a time. There were times that I really lacked the energy to do it all, and with prayer and the Lord's help, these past few months have been better than I ever thought possible.

Nolan is my first grader. He catches on extremely well to new ideas and concepts...which is no surprise to anyone that knows my Nolan! We have a few subjects yet to finish, which he will breeze through, of course. It's just a matter of getting them finished up. He is a lot like I was when I was in elementary school. He knows what he is asked to do...and he wants to get it done asap. I have really had to work on getting him to slow down and take the time to read carefully and check over for mistakes. If he gets things wrong, it's mainly due to his impatience of completely his work as fast as he can. We are working on this, and I can see a lot of improvement over the past year. There is a maturity in him this year that wasn't there last year. He is amazing little boy, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

Gideon is my Kindergartener. When we first began the schoolyear, I had my doubts. He had just turned five, so he was on the young side for being in Kindergarten. We spent the first couple of months just practicing writing our letters and how to hold the pencil properly. There were days that I felt like I was talking to a wall...like nothing was getting in! Now, he can read and has learned a lot of the basic concepts needed to phonetically sound out words that he is not familiar with. He has learned many sight words, and I am just so proud of him. His face beams when he knows he has done a good job and immediately puts his hand up for a high five!

It has definitely been an interesting year, juggling the younger kids while I teach the older. Paysie had just been born when the year started and now she is starting to move herself around the house. Jamison is finally starting to talk after months of frustration on his part. Haddon is now looking forward to next year, when I will start him on a more structured preschool curriculum.

Needless to say, there have been days that it has felt like my plate was more than full....but those have been few and far between in the more recent months. I am so grateful that I am able to teach my children at home and couldn't imagine not being the sole teacher (along with John!) in their lives.

We have been truly blessed, and as this year wraps up, I am in awe of my God. That He would send me these little people to teach and to nurture...knowing that I would make mistakes and be so very imperfect with them on a daily basis. I am humbled by this great responsibility, but am so very thankful that the Holy Spirit has used me to teach and live out the Gospel to my children.

I am a mom to a first grader

Nolan finished up his first year of school this week. He is officially a first grader!

It was my first year homeschooling and it went really well. There is always room for improvement, but now I know how to make things work a little better. In September, I'll begin with both Nolan and Gideon, and I have a feeling that I will have to make myself that much more organized.

The main thing that I have learned this year is how selfish I can be. It is my innate selfishness that has prevented me from having school on certain days. I either just didn't feel like it, or there was something else that I would have rather been doing instead.

I don't think that I quite understood how much work goes into teaching your child. It would be so much easier to just drop my child off at a school and give the responsibility of teaching and raising him to a complete stranger. Thankfully, we made the decision long ago that we just couldn't do that.

We were convicted several years ago that it is part of parenting to homeschool our children. I would side with those that say it is a Biblical mandate that we teach our children. How can I throw my five year old to the wolves? As I see him play with his brothers, I see how naive and immature he is in his knowledge of God. If he is in school 8 hours a day, how can I compete with that? How can I prevent the world from having more influence on him than me?

The way I can do that is through him attending school within our home. I have full control on what he learns, who he spends his days with and how to discipline him when he needs to be set on the right path.

As a young mom, it is a huge decision to be made for your family. I really recommend listening to Voddie Baucham and his sermons on his book, Family Driven Faith. Most of all, read how God commands us to raise our families. Homeschooling is not easy by any means. When you have more than one child, it is even more trying...but it can be done. I urge you to really think and pray before you enroll your child into the public school system.

California to ban spanking?

Washington Times Op-ed—California May Ban Spanking

by J. Michael Smith
HSLDA President

It’s often said that California is a trendsetter. Ideas that begin in California have a habit of making their way across the country.

Currently, many families have been alarmed at the recent California Court of Appeal ruling that prohibits homeschooling unless the parent is a certified teacher.

In just 10 days, more than 250,000 people signed the Home School Legal Defense Association petition opposing this decision. Not all these families were homeschoolers. James Dobson of Focus on the Family says the ruling was an “all-out assault on the family.”

The good news is that the Court of Appeal has granted a request for a rehearing of its decision on homeschooling, which by law, automatically vacates the decision, meaning it’s no longer binding.

The court has solicited a number of public school establishment organizations to submit amicus briefs, including the California Superintendent of Public Instruction, the California Department of Education, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and three California teachers unions.

Although there is no guarantee the outcome will be different after the rehearing, The homeschool community welcomes the opportunity to file an amicus brief advocating that the court retain the current method of homeschooling in California through the private school exemption.

Just when things seemed to be settling down in California, on April 3, Assembly Bill 2943 was introduced by assembly member Sally Lieber. This bill would have the practical effect of making a noninjurious spanking with an object such as a ruler, folded newspaper or small paddle illegal in California. The bill is identical to Assembly Bill 755, which failed to pass the assembly last year.

This bill amends Penal Code section 273(a), which makes it a crime to cause unjustifiable pain, harm or injury to any minor child. If the bill passes, spanking with an object such as a stick, rod or switch would be lumped in with throwing, kicking, burning, or cutting a child.

Striking a child with a fist. Striking a child under 3 years of age on the face or head. Vigorously shaking of a child under 3 years of age. Interfering with a child’s breathing. Brandishing a deadly weapon upon a child. These are all factors that a jury could use to conclude that a defendant in a criminal case has inflicted unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering.

What the bill would do is to equate discipline administered via an implement with the above conduct, which obviously is abusive behavior toward a child.

This likely will have several negative unjustifiable consequences in California. Prosecutors could end up filing criminal charges against parents for simply spanking their children with an object even though reasonable, age-appropriate corporal discipline is a protected right of parents in every state.

Secondly, by the mere fact that jurors in criminal cases would be instructed that they could consider spanking with an implement to be criminal conduct would imply that the legislature believes that this type of conduct is abusive conduct. Finally, if this law passes, it will have a chilling effect on parents who reasonably exercise discipline through the use of spanking with an implement.

Although this is not a homeschool issue, it is a parental rights issue. One of the foundations for the right to homeschool is based upon the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.

The erosion of parental rights is a dangerous trend. If California continues to push to have homeschooling parents be certified teachers and limit heretofore well-established disciplinary tools of parents, it will be asserting the view that the state knows what’s best for children, thereby limiting the authority of parents to raise their children in a responsible way.

Defending parental rights is apparently going to be an uphill battle in California. Now is the time to take a look at amending the U.S. Constitution to protect parental rights.

Found on Home School Legal Defense Association.

Thoughts?

Al Mohler responds to the homeschooling decision in California

Read about it here.

He will also be talking about this on his radio program on Monday.

Ruling seen as a threat to many home-schooling families

State appellate court says those who teach children in private must have a credential.

By Seema Mehta and Mitchell Landsberg, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
March 6, 2008

Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children at home, according to a state appellate court ruling that is sending waves of fear through California's home schooling families.

Advocates for the families vowed to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court. Enforcement until then appears unlikely, but if the ruling stands, home-schooling supporters say California will have the most regressive law in the nation.


"This decision is a direct hit against every home schooler in California," said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, which represents the Sunland Christian School, which specializes in religious home schooling. "If the state Supreme Court does not reverse this . . . there will be nothing to prevent home-school witch hunts from being implemented in every corner of the state of California."

The institute estimates there are as many as 166,000 California students who are home schooled. State Department of Education officials say there is no way to know the true number.

Unlike at least 30 other states, home schooling is not specifically addressed in California law. Under the state education code, students must be enrolled in a public or private school, or can be taught at home by a credentialed tutor.

The California Department of Education currently allows home schooling as long as parents file paperwork with the state establishing themselves as small private schools, hire credentialed tutors or enroll their children in independent study programs run by charter or private schools or public school districts while still teaching at home.

California does little to enforce those provisions and insists it is the local school districts' responsibility. In addition, state education officials say some parents home school their children without the knowledge of any entity.

Home schoolers and government officials have largely accepted this murky arrangement.

"This works so well, I don't see any reason to change it," said J. Michael Smith, president of the Virginia-based Home School Legal Defense Assn.

The appellate court ruling stems from a case involving Lynwood parents Phillip and Mary Long, who were repeatedly referred to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services over various allegations, including claims of physical abuse, involving some of their eight children.

All of the children are currently or had been enrolled in Sunland Christian School, where they would occasionally take tests, but were educated in their home by their mother, Phillip Long said.

A lawyer appointed to represent two of the Long's young children requested that the court require them to physically attend a public or private school where adults could monitor their well-being. A trial court disagreed, but the children's lawyer appealed to the 2nd District Court of Appeal, which has jurisdiction over Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

The appellate panel ruled that Sunland officials' occasional monitoring of the Longs' home schooling -- with the children taking some tests at the school -- is insufficient to qualify as being enrolled in a private school. Since Mary Long does not have a teaching credential, the family is violating state laws, the ruling said.

"Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children," wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28 opinion signed by the two other members of the district court. "Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program."

Phillip Long said he believes the ruling stems from hostility against Christians and vowed to appeal to the state Supreme Court.

"I have sincerely held religious beliefs," he said. "Public schools conflict with that. I have to go with what my conscience requires me."

Public schools teach such topics as evolution, which Long said he doesn't believe in. He said his wife spends six hours each day teaching their children reading, writing, math, science, health, physical education, Bible and social studies. Court papers say Mary Long's education ended at 11th grade.

It's unclear if the ruling will be enforced, given the likely appeals. Typically, these rulings take effect 30 days after they are issued.

Other organizations that plan to get involved include the Pacific Justice Institute, Home School Legal Defense Assn. and the Home School Assn. of California.

Meanwhile, state Department of Education's attorneys are reviewing the ruling.

Teachers union officials will also be closely monitoring the appeal. A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said he agrees with the ruling.

"What's best for a child is to be taught by a credentialed teacher," he said.

While many educators and officials remained unfamiliar with the ruling Tuesday, news about it has been sweeping websites and blogs devoted to home schooling. Organizations have been getting tense phone calls from parents worried that they will be targeted.

Families who home school includethose whose religious beliefs conflict with public schools and those whose children are in the entertainment industry or have other time-consuming activities that require them to study at an individualized pace.

Glenn and Kathleen, a Sacramento-area couple who requested that their last name not be used for fear of prosecution, home school their 9-year-old son Hunter because their Christian beliefs would be contradicted in a public school setting, Glenn said. He is troubled by the idea that his son would be exposed to teachings about evolution, homosexuality, same-sex marriage and sex education .

"I want to have control over what goes in my son's head, not what's put in there by people who might be on the far left who have their own ideas about indoctrinating kids," he said.

If the ruling takes effect, Glenn vowed to move his family out of state. "If I can't home school my son in California, we're going to have to end up leaving California. That's how important it is to me."

The Art of Pizza Making

Today, we went to CiCi's Pizza with our homeschool group. We were able to see how they mix soda, how they make their dough (50 pounds at a time!), how they press their pizza, and how they make and cook the pizza! They even got to see the giant walk-in refrigerator.

After the tour, we came out, and we were able to roll out our own pizza dough and then mark them. We had a lot of fun....and ate A LOT OF PIZZA!

Aaaah! The fruits of our labor! Yum!

The First Day of School

My Nolan is 5 now. I waited as long as I could....but it was inevitable, school had to start.


Yesterday was the first day of Kindergarten. He loved it. I have to say that I was a little nervous. I didn't want this to be a battle to get him to do his school work. There was no need for me to worry....he loved it. He reveled in it. And when he discovered that he gets to do school work 5 days a week....you'd of thought I told him we were going to Disney world!


He was very quick to tell his younger brothers that he is 5 and gets to do school work, and since they are younger, they have to wait to start Kindergarten. He felt very important sitting there, pencil in hand, doing his work. Then we played ABC Bingo and did watercolors (Gideon and Haddon joined in).


It was a great morning, and I am so happy that I have been blessed to be able to stay home and teach my children.