Define "Learning Activity"

Last week, I heard a news station report that local schools had decided not to show footage of tomorrow's inauguration because they didn't want to take children away from important "learning activities".

Hmmm.... I'd really like know how the school system defines learning activities. Do learning activities have to come from cookie cutter lesson plans handed down from the district? Do learning activities have to include worksheets and quizzes? Is it only a learning activity if it contributes to performance on standardized tests? Can our school system's poor performance be attributed to its narrow definition of learning activities?

Watching any presidential inauguration presents abundant opportunities for learning. Even more so when a country with a history like ours is inaugurating its first African-American president.

In a country as politically divided as ours, I could respect a decision to let parents decide whether or not they want their children to watch the inauguration. However, I'd still like the schools to rethink their definition of learning activities.

The world is a wonderful classroom, and current events are great teaching tools. There are many learning activities that don't come from the pages of a textbook. That's another reason we home school.

Homeschool Character Lessons

Last week, my 8 year old learned that cheaters never prosper.

We were reviewing addition and subtraction flashcards and I congratulated him on how well he answered. He laughed and said, "Mom, I could see through the cards."

I said, "You could? Andrew! Why didn't you tell me?" And he said, "I'm sorry, Mom." And started crying.

The tears surprised me for two reasons. One, I was not planning to punish him in any way. And two, I was not upset about him having peeked through the cards.

I don't think he could have helped seeing the answers as I was sitting with my back to a sunny window, and I was glad he had confessed instead of letting me think he'd answered the cards on his own.

I asked him why he was crying and he said, "Because I cheated." I told him to remember that feeling and let it motivate him not to cheat again.

This is another reason I'm glad we homeschool. I'm glad my son is still pure enough at heart to confess wrongdoing and feel genuine remorse about it.

The Truth about Christmas

We finally cleared the clutter and brought out the Christmas decorations. We decorated the tree, and once my husband had rearranged the ornaments to his satisfaction, we brought out the gifts.

I know, I know... Christmas in America is too commercial. I know Jesus wasn't really born on December 25th, and I've heard all about the origins of the Christmas tree. But we don't worship Christmas trees during December or any other month. And honestly, in America, every day is a bit too commercial for my taste.

The truth about Christmas is - you decide how it affects your family. Tree or no tree, gifts or no gifts, Santa or no Santa, you can spend time debating with friends and family, or you can spend time enjoying them. You can make your loved ones miserable, or you can make memories that will warm their hearts for years to come.

At our home, we go on outings, bake goodies and raise money for charity. We burn cinnamon candles, "ooh" and "aah" over crafts from years past, and collect keepsake ornaments for our ornament tree.

We have ornaments from Our First Christmas Together, Our New Home, and Baby's First Christmas. We have ornaments that commemorate everything from a first choir performance to our children's former fascination with Barney. This year we purchased an ornament in memory of my husband's father.

Tonight we read the story of Christ's birth, and we talked about Emmanuel - God with us.

Among the many things I'm thankful for this Christmas, I'm thankful that God is with us. And I'm thankful that, as homeschoolers, we don't have to hide behind phrases like "winter holiday." We can sing Oh Holy Night and Oh Come All Ye Faithful. We can use words like Savior and Emmanuel.

Whether or not you choose to celebrate Christmas, make time this season to celebrate. God is with us. That's a reason to be merry!

Why I'm Still Homeschooling

I'd be lying if I said I never thought about sending my children to school. In fact, there are many times this fall that I've wanted to pack everyone a lunch, load them into the van, drop them off at the nearest school building and come home to spend the day hiding under the covers.

We were at an all time high this summer, and then my husband's father died. Then I had a botched oral surgery that resulted in permanent nerve damage. Then my husband's grandfather died. There's more, but I won't bore you with the details. As for schoolwork, I'll just say we've watched more than our fair share of preschool on TV, and it's a good thing there are no record keeping requirements in Texas...

However, in spite of all that has happened this year, we've felt the Lord's presence and we've been encouraged in many ways.

It's been encouraging to talk to my aunt who is a homeschooling mother of 12, and has 6 successful home school graduates. She says, "Carletta, there were years when the babies kept coming and there was no time for school work. Your children will be fine."

It's also been encouraging to know that my Lord and Savior is no stranger to sorrow. It encourages me to know that even Jesus struggled with walking in His father's will.

I do know that, for now, it's God's will for me to homeschool, even when my flesh tells me there's a sweeter cup somewhere. But that's not why I'm still homeschooling.

My son burst into tears a few weeks ago during his spelling exercises, and we put the lessons aside. He told me how much he missed Pa Pa and how even though he knew we'd see Pa Pa again, life isn't the same without him.

I wondered how many children failed a spelling test that day because they were missing their Pa Pa. I wondered how many children couldn't concentrate on schoolwork because they were thinking about a puppy they'd left at home, a new baby sister or brother, or their parent's pending divorce.

I am a mother. And I homeschool for my children. No matter how much or how little we accomplish, for now, their place is at home with me.

There is a picture here in cyberspace of a homeschool mom who faces trials joyfully and never wants to hide under the covers. She has a neat and tidy home, perfectly executed lesson plans, and well-behaved geniuses for children. In my quest to encourage you towards Successful Homeschooling, I don't want to contribute to that false image.

A successful homeschool mom doesn't always have her act together. She's not always caught up on lessons, and sometimes her home is a wreck. (You don't want to see the photos. Really.)

A successful homeschool mom is a woman who can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.

Many hugs to all you mothers who've had a less than perfect year.

Autistic Child Spends 3 Hours in School Time-Out Room

Here's a good reason to homeschool your special needs child.

Experts Question Benefit of School Time-Out Room

A quote from the article:

"David Wilkerson, superintendent of the Waukee school district, declined to speak about the accusations because of the pending lawsuit. But he said time-out rooms are a 'pretty common practice' and that the district complies with the state's guidelines for such rooms."

I'm glad found out that such rooms are common practice. I'll add that to the list of reasons we homeschool.

A Celebration of ADHD

Although the 2008 Summer Olympic games are over, we'll long remember watching swimmer Michael Phelps win 8 gold medals. Unbelievable!

During an interview, Michael's mom, Debbie Phelps, said her son was diagnosed with and treated for ADHD as a child, and was medicated on weekdays throughout the school year. Is it any wonder that a man who can train intensely for five hours per day had trouble sitting still in school for any length of time? I wonder how many Olympians faced similar struggles.

I don't judge Debbie Phelps for her choices, but I do question a system that requires children to take medication in order to succeed. God bless Ms. Phelps for having the foresight to tap into her child's unique gifts. I worry that we may lose future athletes, carpenters, police officers, firefighters and war heroes in our inability to recognize and appreciate every child's strengths.

In an interview with Guideposts, Ty Pennington of Extreme Home Makeover details his battle with ADHD. He said he felt stupid until the day he took scrap wood and built a tree house in his backyard. After finding out he could build amazing things with his hands, he no longer cared what his school teachers thought about him.

There is more to life than sitting at a desk completing worksheets and listening to lectures. I was good at it, and it has not paid off in gold medals, endorsements or television contracts.

Here is some information about identifying and catering to your child's learning style.

In my September newsletter, veteran homeschooler and author Terrie Bittner will share her tips for homeschooling gifted and special needs children. Follow this link to sign up for my homeschool newsletter.

Homeschool Schedules

I had plans to "start school" this Monday. Last week, I sat down and made a list of books we were going to read, and activities and projects I wanted to complete.

Then I found out my children's Pa Pa had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and the Abeka workbooks went right back into the box they arrived in. We're learning a lesson from the school of life.

The beauty of homeschooling is that we write the schedule, and we can change it. We don't have to worry about excused absences, missed work, or make up tests. We can start formal lessons next week, next month or even next year. We can carschool on long drives to visit Pa Pa or read while we lounge on the couch beside him.

We hope God blesses us with many wonderful years with our beloved father and grandfather, but we don't know what the future holds. We don't want to miss out on a single moment with the man we love. That's why we homeschool.

Here's some additional information about homeschool schedules. Please remember James, Sr. and his family in your prayers.

Multiculturalism

When we went to the library on Tuesday, Andrew checked out the audio book version of Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner. I was surprised to find out the book was based on the true story of black pioneers who settled in Kansas after the Civil War. It was a captivating story that even I wanted to hear again.

For all the talk about multiculturalism, it seems that the study of black history when I was in school was limited to slavery, George Washington Carver, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. I will admit that, for me, even those discussions were uncomfortable. I was put off by the remarks that it wasn't all that bad and embarrassed by the expressions of pity.

I want to teach my children about black history from a position of triumph. I want them to know that, with Christ, they too can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. I want my children to study black art, music, and literature. I want them to learn about black pioneers, cowboys, inventors, war heroes and activists.

More importantly, I want to walk with my children as they study difficult subjects. I want to be the one to answer their questions and dispel myths they encounter. I don't believe that desire is limited to those in African-American home schools.

With homeschooling, we as parents choose what to teach our children, and how and when we will teach it. That's just one of many benefits of homeschooling.

A Lesson from Frog and Toad

Sunday, we took the kids to see A Year with Frog and Toad at the Dallas Children's Theater. This is the fourth play we've attended, and we've enjoyed them all so much that we're buying a multi-play package next year.

For this play, the main characters were dressed in old fashioned, business type clothing. No green make up. No masks. No furry froggy suits.

During intermission, Jasmine said, "I thought they were going to be real 'frog and toads', like in the book, not just 'mens' dressed up in clothes." I whispered, "Me too, Jazz."

It reminded me of a time when I was in college and my sorority took a group of kids to a museum exhibit entitled, A Slave Ship Speaks. I spent the whole time wondering to myself where the slave ship was until one of the kids asked, "Where's the slave ship?" and we all admitted we'd been wondering the same thing.

The kids and I have been listening to Jim Weiss' recording of The Emperor's New Clothes, and the same thing happened in that story. A child exposed the emperor's nakedness while all the adults stood around pretending the emperor was dressed so everyone would think they were intelligent. Kinda dumb, huh?

One of my favorite homeschooling books is How Children Fail by unschooling advocate, John Holt. In his book, Holt outlines the process by which school creates fear in children, causing them to stop telling the truth and start looking for cues from others as to what they should and shouldn't say. He says traditional schools cause students to stop pursuing knowledge, and instead become skilled at avoiding embarrassment, disapproval, and failure.

I'm glad my children haven't learned those lessons, despite my many failings as their teacher. I'm glad they still feel safe enough to say, "Something's not quite right about this..."

As we were leaving the theater on Sunday, I heard a kid say, "That was boring!" as his mom desperately tried to shush him. I sure hope there's a way to promote honest sharing in my children without giving them free reign to totally humiliate me!

Every Little Soul Must Shine!

My children's new favorite song is Mr. Rabbit:

Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Rabbit, your ears are too long.
Yes, my friend they're put on wrong.
Every little soul must shine, shine, shine.
Every little soul must shine, shine, shine.

I can't help but smile when I hear it. It is a constant reminder of why we homeschool.

Last year, I asked some online friends, "What did you learn in school that you never used?"

Among the expected responses of "quadratic equations" and "5 paragraph essays," one response stood out. One mother said she learned to blend in, to go with the flow, and to avoid drawing attention to herself. She said,

"I learned to become invisible."

Who could deny that her statement was true?

Isn't that what people are asking when they say, "What will you do about socialization?" Don't they really mean, "How will you make sure your children lose their individuality and become desperate to blend in and disappear?"

After all, isn't that what schools really do when they sort children, grade them and stand silent while they are teased and bullied.

When I was a new homeschooler, I was obssessed with finding the right homeschooling method, and the best curriculum. Now those are the least of my concerns.

For me, homeschooling goes far beyond academics to protecting the very core of my children. It is about making sure they don't become invisible. It is about making sure their little souls feel free to shine.

Teacher Suspended Over Secret Recording

Apparently verbal abuse by public school teachers is not a rare, isolated occurance:

Teacher Suspended Over Secret Recording

There is absolutely no excuse for calling a 5 year old "pathetic" and encouraging other students not to befriend said child.

I question the agenda of a teacher's union who would defend such behavior.

Schools Preach Tolerance, but Teach Intolerance

Apparently someone has watched too many episodes of the show Survivor.

As a form of punishmnt, a kindergarten teacher made a 5 year old boy with Asperger's Syndrome stand at the front of the classroom while she had each one of his classmates comment on what they did not like about him. She then told the students to vote as to whether or not the child should remain in the classroom.

You can read the full story here.

Sign this petition if you'd like to vote on whether or not this woman remain in the classroom.

3rd-Graders Plotted to Attack Teacher

So you think these kids are capable of teaching my children good social skills?

3rd-Graders Plotted to Attack Teacher

School Took Girl's Crutches

Apparently crutches are typically used as weapons - which is why a school nurse denied a student the right to use them; thus, turning the girl's minor injury into one that required surgery.

Full story here:
School Took Girl's Crutches

Why We Homeschool

I'd rather my son read to his baby brother, than read to a teacher who will time his rate of words per minute so she can decide whether or not to label him "gifted" or "learning disabled".


Even slow readers are able to learn. Read the following to find out how all children are gifted:

7 Types of Intellience

Assistant Principal Charged with Lewd Acts Involving 13 Year Old

Check out this link: Assistant Principal Charged with Lewd Acts Involving 13 Year Old

Now what was it Heimov said about her reasons for wanting CA children in public school? Something about them being "observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety."

The Best Part of Homeschooling

My son can put on his sleeveless Oshkosh shirt, his cut off blue jeans, his brown church belt, his Buzz lightyear socks, and his Striderite shoes, and go to a friend's house thinking he looks "cool".


This picture is from last summer, but my son still has no knowledge of the lastest styles and brand names, and neither do his friends.

When we arrived that day, Drew said, "Look at my socks," and his friend said, "cool," and they ran off to dress up in Toy Story costumes.

That is the message I want to send to my child. "Be yourself and choose friends who accept you as you are."

Here are more thoughts about homeschooling and socialization.

Teacher Caught Yelling at Kids

Why homeschool?

Because I would seriously hurt someone who dared call my child "stupid".

Check out the link: Teacher Caught Yelling at Kids

Imagine Hearing Your Child Say...

Can we write out some Bible verses and mail them to our friends?

Why did our team lose the game? (referring to the Alamo)

Did that man ever win president? (referring to a magazine cover featuring a presidential candidate)





Drew and I talk daily about religion, history and current events. He usually stumps me when it comes to science, but I'm working on it.




Monday, he asked me for a spool of thread. He'd been reading The Usborne First Book of Knowledge and decided to conduct a science experiment.

I spread out some newspaper and let him loose with the materials and some glue.

His project didn't turn out the way he'd hoped, so we're repeating it as a family this weekend. But the experience highlights one of my reasons for homeschooling. I want my child to leave home with his love for learning still intact.

Girl Gets Detention for Hugging Friend

Why Homeschool?

Apparently friendship is against the rules and physical activity is dangerous.

Girl Gets Detention for Hugging Friend

Grade School Bans Tag