You begin your African adventure when you step off of the airplane. Instantly, you are struck by how different this place is from back home in Texas. Although it is difficult to believe, it is actually hotter here than back home. The sounds here are unfamiliar, and even the smell of the air is different from the air in the States. You soon begin to taste the strange foods and decide that you like some of them, but some of them you decide you can do without! As you go into the wild places to see animals different from any you have ever seen before except in books or on television, you truly realize that this is a unique and blessed place. When you go into the animal’s habitat, you realize that this can be a dangerous place; but if you follow the rules and guidelines given by those who have been here before, you will be protected and guided. You adapt and learn, and eventually you begin to feel that perhaps you can adjust to living here. You even begin to like it! You begin to welcome others to this great adventure! One day, you realize that you are no longer new to this life; although you don’t have all the answers, you have come to love your new home.

Welcome to home schooling!!

It is a jungle adventure for most of us! There are not very many second-generation home educators – yet!! We have all walked the trail-blazing path of “something new here,” and we have, generally speaking, come to love it. Most of us remember the strong emotions, the fears, the questions, and the tears. If we are honest, those of us with some years of experience will probably confess that there continue to be days when we endure similar things. But all of us were new at it once-exactly as at some point we were new, first-time parents! God can give you the grace to tackle this job and to come out at the other end with the satisfaction of a job well done!

Welcome to your great new adventure! Welcome to home education!

As you begin this adventure, ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” Keep in mind that there is no “right” answer, but when you know the answer to the why question, even if it is not a perfect answer or as complete as you want it to be, you can begin to determine how to pursue this task. If your desire is to do this forever, your plans will be long range. If your desire is to bring a child up to a school district’s qualifications for grade level, your plans will be shorter in term. If your desire is to build stronger character in your child, your goals will be different from someone whose main concern is strong academics. None of these choices necessarily have imputed values. They are just different; however, they do have a major impact on how you make your choices as you begin to educate your children at home. Once you have at least a general idea about why you have made this choice, your next step is determined by how much time you have before you are going to begin your schooling. If you have a few weeks or months, we recommend that you spend some time educating yourself. If you have to begin schooling tomorrow, your immediate emphasis needs to be on obtaining curriculum. You will have to educate yourself on the practice and principles of home education as you go along.

To educate yourself, peruse the listing of recommended books in THSC Association Resources. (See p. 6-5.) This list is by no means comprehensive, but it is a good place to start. Many of these books are available in local libraries; all of them can be requested through interlibrary loan. They can also be ordered at your local bookstore, through various mail order sources, as well as through the THSC Association.

It is impossible to emphasize strongly enough how very important it is for you to read much of this material. Not only will it help you to have an understanding of the movement and how to educate at home, but it will also help you when you encounter the various questions from family, friends, and strangers whom you will encounter.

As you begin to make decisions about curriculum, realize that Texas law requires a written curriculum pursued in a bona fide manner. The curriculum must include reading, spelling, grammar, math, and a study of good citizenship. If you are withdrawing your child today from an institutional program, whether public or private, you need to get something quickly. (For information on withdrawing from a public school, see question 1 on page

2-3.) If you have some time, you can research curriculum at your leisure and take longer to make your decision.

Whatever your situation, there are some common variables that you must consider.

What type of learner are you? Do you like workbooks, textbooks, schedules, and organization? Do you like free-form learning which allows your interests to take you to depths of knowledge and understanding in a more unstructured environment? Are you somewhere in between? You must come to understand at the beginning that home schooling is absolutely a learning time for the parent as well as the child. If you cannot get enthusiastic about what you are doing, you will never be able to convey a love of learning to your child. What type of learner is your child? Does he sit quietly in a chair while you read? Does he squirm every time you try to sit together and read? Does she like neat things all in a row, or does she prefer frogs and snails and puppy dog tails? You must understand your child and have at least a glimpse of his learning style, so that this experience can be rewarding for both of you. Learn and accept that each child is different and unique and that each child is different from you. Many children cannot sit still if they must sit in a chair but can spend hours reading if they are upside down on the stairs. Conversely, other children must have structure or they become as stressed and frazzled as any overworked mom or dad. While there has admittedly been too much emphasis placed on the learning style of the child in today’s educational modes, there is some validity to accepting the differences and working with them instead of fighting them.

How many children are going to be involved in school at home? A mom who must make lesson plans for only one or two children will face different challenges from the mom dealing with five or six grade levels. If you have children who are on roughly the same grade level, can you combine their lessons? If you have different age groups, can the older children help the younger children? If you have a younger child, can he help his older sister as she memorizes multiplication tables or a poem? You will be amazed at the creative ways your children can help you solve these sticky problems. Remember that all of the family can read books aloud together; you then simply adjust the assignments to the abilities of each child.

How much money do you have available for the purchase of curriculum? A complete program for one child can cost several hundreds of dollars per year, or you can design a program that mainly uses your local library and items which you already have around the home. No matter how much money is available, it is helpful if you realize early in your adventure that you will not be able to use every great idea or every great book that is calling out to you to buy it. Be thoughtful when you make the purchasing decisions and commit to doing some researching, meditating, and praying as you seek those things which will make this a valuable experience for the entire family.

As you ask yourself these questions, remember to stay as relaxed as possible. You do not make a lifelong commitment when you purchase a curriculum or a book, and you will make some mistakes. If you decide you have made a mistake in a purchase or see that it is time for a change in your approach, your local support group will probably sponsor a used book sale at which you can sell and buy used curriculum. Just take it easy and do one step at a time. Remember the old military saying, “A poor plan well executed is better than a great plan poorly followed.” Be excited about new challenges. Desire to try difficult things. Break out of your fear and try something new. You will discover as you go along what works for you and your children. You can rest in the assurance that you will make mistakes, but you and your children will all survive them and adjust.

A few suggestions to help you on the way

If you are a first-time home educator with no teaching experience or need to bring a child to grade level to return him to public school, we suggest that you choose a comprehensive curriculum which covers all of the requirements of the state law. Contrary to popular opinion, this does not have to be expensive; although, it can be extremely expensive. If you want to try a less structured approach which also covers all of the requirements, look for a unit study that is grade level appropriate for your family.

Everything that is good or bad about education can be said about both kinds of curriculum. Course studies (a book for every subject) versus unit studies (studying a specific time period or concept while incorporating all subject

areas) is really a matter of choice. This choice is like the foods in Africa. Some of the choices you will love; some you will dislike. You may be amazed that your friends like different ones than you like, but each of you has the freedom to do what is best for your family. One of the wonderful things about home education is that you can try both methods or use only one. The final choice is yours! We praise God for this freedom!

It may be helpful to have these incidental items for your great adventure. We recommend a chalk or dry erase board, maps as you need them, bookshelves or bins for child and teacher, markers, pencils, pens, glue, and paper of all sorts. A refrigerator or a blank wall can be the bulletin board. A table and chair or desk that is just the right size for your child or a special room for school is wonderful if your house has one, but many families do not have that luxury. A kitchen table works great!

Remember that trip to Africa?

As you continue on your adventure, you will recall that you would not have considered going into the strange areas of the country without guides. Likewise, you do not want to homeschool without the support and guidance of others who have come before you in home education.

On the local level, most areas have support groups which provide a variety of events and services for a nominal yearly fee. Large metropolitan areas usually have a variety of support groups to meet many different needs. There are regional groups in some areas of Texas which work to network the local support groups. On the state level, the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) not only provides support to families as they begin and continue to homeschool but also provides ongoing public policy information and training, THSC Association provides lobbying support to ensure that Texas remains one of the best places in the world to homeschool. They also have a program which provides legal services to its members if contacted by the school or government officials concerning home-school issues.

These organizations exist to provide support and guidance to individual families as the parents independently school their children. These are not regulatory agencies, and they are not designed or intended to govern the home school community. They do consist of moms and dads who have years of home-schooling experience and whose desire is to make home education a very positive and effective mode of education while maintaining and ensuring the freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution to each American.

Finally, remember that school starts every day-and ends every day-and tomorrow is another day! We hope you will find a point in the day when mom becomes mom again and school lets out. Enjoy the Great Adventure!

The post Home Schooling, the Great Adventure appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Two women meet at a playground, where their children are swinging and
playing ball. The women are sitting on a bench watching. Eventually, they begin to talk.

W1: Hi. My name is Maggie. My kids are the three in red shirts—helps me
keep track of them.
W2: (Smiles) I’m Terri. Mine are in the pink and yellow shirts. Do you come
here a lot?

W1: Usually two or three times a week, after we go to the library.

W2: Wow. Where do you find the time?

W1: We home school, so we do it during the day most of the time.

W2: Some of my neighbors home school, but I send my kids to public school.

W1: How do you do it?

W2: It’s not easy. I go to all the PTO meetings and work with the kids every
day after school and stay real involved.

W1: But what about socialization? Aren’t you worried about them being cooped
up all day with kids their own ages, never getting the opportunity for
natural relationships?

W2: Well, yes. But I work hard to balance that. They have some friends
who’re home schooled, and we visit their grandparents almost every month.

W1: Sounds like you’re a very dedicated mom. But don’t you worry about all
the opportunities they’re missing out on? I mean they’re so isolated from
real life—how will they know what the world is like—what people do to
make a living—how to get along with all different kinds of people?

W2: Oh, we discussed that at PTO, and we started a fund to bring real people
into the classrooms. Last month, we had a policeman and a doctor come in to
talk to every class. And next month, we’re having a woman from Japan and a
man from Kenya come to speak.

W1: Oh, we met a man from Japan in the grocery store the other week, and he
got to talking about his childhood in Tokyo. My kids were absolutely
fascinated. We invited him to dinner and got to meet his wife and their
three children.

W2: That’s nice. Hmm. Maybe we should plan some Japanese food for the
lunchroom on Multicultural Day.

W1: Maybe your Japanese guest could eat with the children.

W2: Oh, no. She’s on a very tight schedule. She has two other schools to
visit that day. It’s a system-wide thing we’re doing.

W1: Oh, I’m sorry. Well, maybe you’ll meet someone interesting in the
grocery store sometime and you’ll end up having them over for dinner.

W2: I don’t think so. I never talk to people in the store—certainly not
people who might not even speak my language. What if that Japanese man
hadn’t spoken English?

W1: To tell you the truth, I never had time to think about it.
Before I even saw him, my six-year-old had asked him what he was going to do
with all the oranges he was buying.

W2: Your child talks to strangers?

W1: I was right there with him. He knows that as long as he’s with me, he
can talk to anyone he wishes.

W2: But you’re developing dangerous habits in him. My children never talk to
strangers.

W1: Not even when they’re with you?

W2: They’re never with me, except at home after school. So you see why it’s
so important for them to understand that talking to strangers is a big
no-no.

W1: Yes, I do. But if they were with you, they could get to meet interesting
people and still be safe. They’d get a taste of the real world, in real
settings. They’d also get a real feel for how to tell when a situation is
dangerous or suspicious.

W2: They’ll get that in the third and fifth grades in their health courses.

W1: Well, I can tell you’re a very caring mom. Let me give you my number—if
you ever want to talk, give me call. It was good to meet you.

The post What about Socialization? (From Another Angle) appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Our home schooling journey began with the closure of Benjamin’s private preschool. Suddenly we had no place to send him for the fall of his first grade year. We investigated other private schools in our area, church schools, and the local public school. There was also some fringe, hippie, commune, granola “thing” called home schooling that we knew two families were doing. Completely skeptical, Chris at one point even told Bev that it would take the audible voice of God for him to agree to home school the kids. While we had an opinion about home schooling, it was based purely on a lack of information. So in an attempt to be as objective as possible and examine all of our options, we knew that we at least had to do some research on home schooling.

Bev set about reading everything she could get her hands on. We attended a Gregg Harris home schooling conference (That is when God spoke.), compiled a “pros and cons” list, and decided that we should at least give it a try for Benjamin’s first grade year. How hard could it be, right?

Initially opposition from both sides of our families was fierce. Bev comes from a long line of public school teachers, and there is even a school in San Antonio named after her grandfather. Chris’s dad is a bit of an academic. Neither set of grandparents knew anything about home schooling (note from Chris: “and still do not”), and were determined to have their grandbabies properly “socialized,” and not in some “religious cult.” The good news is that after all these years, they have realized that their grandkids have turned out just fine. They do not even grimace anymore when asked where their grandkids go to school.

Chris was graduated from one of the federal military academies and was always drawn to the ability to give our kids an academically excellent education—given the one-on-one tutorial method of home schooling. Bev was drawn to having control over what the kids were taught spiritually, morally, and otherwise. More than anything else though, we both wanted to be the primary influence in our children’s lives and knew that home schooling offered that opportunity.

Over the years, home schooling has enabled us to custom-tailor our kids’ educations to their specific needs, pace, and learning styles; they are not forced to conform to the needs of a random, “average” student in a classroom. We have had late readers who blossomed into voracious and proficient readers because we were able to relax and let them learn at their own pace. There have been years when we did not accomplish all the academics that we wanted and seasons when we seemed to have nothing but interruptions to our school schedule. The one thing for sure that this journey has taught us is that high test scores are not the measure of success. Success is seeing your nineteen-year-old wrestling with his four-year-old brother. Success is having your sixteen-year-old sitting contentedly in church with his two-year-old brother (happily attaching stickers to his big brother’s shirt and face) in his lap. Success is seeing your kids develop their own genuine faith in the God of the universe.

We have both been involved in different home school leadership roles over the years. Chris currently serves on the board of THSC, and Bev hosts a “Smoothing the Way” group for new home schooling moms. We also host “open to the public” informational meetings at the local public libraries where we get to meet prospective home school parents and answer their questions, guide them toward helpful resources, and assure them they can successfully teach their kids at home. At these meetings we see parents who are choosing to home school their children for a wide variety of reasons. Chris is fond of saying that there are as many reasons to home school as there are parents who do it. They may not share our particular convictions or beliefs about education, but we do share a commitment to give our kids the very best. Every parent who leaves feeling encouraged to tackle their children’s education represents a family whose lives might well be changed for eternity.

Chris is self-employed in the land development business. Bev is self-employed as a domestic goddess*. We both enjoy reading, exercise, and chocolate. All of us enjoy sailing, and the oldest three boys have been sailing competitively for three years. Our eldest son, Ben, has just received a congressional nomination for appointment to a federal academy. Luke is learning to fly. Andrew is a Civil War historian. Hannah has been riding in a therapeutic equestrian program where she gets to wear her boots and be a real Texas cowgirl. She, Seth, and Gavin are also taking swim lessons and are becoming very proficient little swimmers. Young Jack sits quietly, observes all, and strategizes his pending global domination. When not teaching school, Bev enjoys doing her nails and eating bonbons in the over-abundance of her free time.

*Editor’s note: A definition of “goddess” is a woman whose great charm or beauty arouses adoration.

Chris and Beverly Parrish live in Houston with their family. Chris and Beverly both served as officers of Christian Home Educators of Central Texas (CHEACT), the regional support group in Austin before they moved to Houston, and Chris continues to serve as a THSC board member on the finance committee.

The post Meet a Texas Home School Family – The Parrish Family appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Many Christian book stores carry curriculum, and you should also browse our list of curriculum and resource providers. We also suggest that you contact a teacher certification.

Are You a “Happy Home Schooler”???

Thanks to an underlying notion that home schools must be perfect in all ways lest they be judged by anyone outside the home, moms force themselves to put on their “happy faces” and pretend that there are no problems.

Back to School for Mom

My first year of home schooling sent me “back to school” in spite of the fact that I had a degree in education with a teaching certificate saying I was qualified to teach kindergarten through eighth grade

But It Looked So Good at the Book Fair…

Remember: “All that glitters is not gold” and “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” It is so easy to get overwhelmed and caught up in the sales pitches offered by book fair salesmen whose purpose is to get you to buy a book. These people do not know your children, your home, or your needs. Advance preparation could mean the difference between making it through next year and repeating this year’s frustrations.

Can I Homeschool and Work, Too?

Do I long for the days when I was home all day with my children? I certainly do. I have actually started a home-based business for just that reason. Once my business replaces the income from my part-time job, I will once again be at home all day with my children.

Deep Roots Make Strong Wings

“What about socialization?” “You can’t shelter them forever!” “How will they live in the ‘real’ world?”

Discovering Texas

One of the beauties of home schooling is that we can teach in ways that are not practical for tightly scheduled classes with scores of children. We can adapt our teaching methods to engage students in learning more, doing more, and thinking more so that they become participants in their own discovery of knowledge. They will remember and understand far more because they have experienced it firsthand.

Fear of Loss, Hope of Gain

Academic and moral excellence were the things I hoped to gain by home schooling. What loss did I fear? I hoped to avoid the heartbreak of watching my children succumb to the snares of this world—drugs, alcoholism, promiscuity, rebellion, and godlessness.

Foundations

Many moms who are committed to doing the best with their children flounder in building a foundation. The distraction of school demands gets in the way of spiritual and life goals.

Foundations for Home School Families

Families who have chosen home schooling have already chosen a radically different path of child rearing. However, for those who homeschool out of conviction, it is only the beginning. The same convictions that led us to look to home schooling also challenge us to look at other facets of our families and the way in which we respond to the world around us.

Getting Off to a Good Start

Many of you have chosen to educate your children at home because you are dissatisfied with what the public school system has to offer in the way of academics. But be forewarned! No matter what reason you have for teaching your children at home, you will quickly find that home schooling is more than just a way to teach your children–it is a way of life!

Going to the Fair!

Standing in the open doors of the exhibit hall, I was mesmerized. Rows of exhibitor booths and tables filled with colorful materials and supplies, audio tapes, workbooks, textbooks, and—to the complete and utter delight of this book lover-turned-home school mom—books, books, and more books!

Home Education 101

Parents who utilize these five characteristics of efficient home education – parenting, patience, preparation/planning, progress, and purpose – will be headed in the direction of a home school that provides the best education possible for each child in the family.

Home Safety for Home Schoolers

Try to imagine the typical safeguards a regular school might have. While home schools are drastically different from public schools, many of the necessary safeguards are the same.

Home School Conferences

Why should any home educator—beginner or veteran—attend a conference? May we chat together over a cup of tea? You may have overlooked some particular rewards of being part of your local or state event.

Home Schooling for the Future

A biblical worldview agrees that wisdom and knowledge have no beginning point other than the fear of God; therefore, all known facts and knowledge owe their very sustenance to God, Who is the definer of everything that is known. Accordingly, the fact that two plus two equals four and that it does yesterday, today, and tomorrow cannot be known truly by our children unless they know it from the foundation of godly fear.

Home Schooling Tips

It is good for us to learn from our own mistakes, but it is a lot less painful to learn from the mistakes of others! The following are twelve important principles that my wife and I have gleaned from fifteen years of home schooling. I hope you find something here to challenge and encourage you.

Home Schooling, the Great Adventure

As you begin this adventure, ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” Keep in mind that there is no “right” answer, but when you know the answer to the why question, even if it is not a perfect answer or as complete as you want it to be, you can begin to determine how to pursue this task.

Home-Centered Learning

When I focus the minutes of my days on priorities, when I fill my home and family life with resources, interesting people, meaningful activities, and live my own life before them with purpose, joy, and a gusto for life; then in my home, my children will get all they need to be prepared to live the lives for which God designed them.

Homeschooling? Yes! You Can!

My two little boys have a new favorite TV show, Bob the Builder. It is a cute, little show about Bob the Builder and all of his construction machines. The trucks, tractors, and mixers are all animated, and they work together as a team.

Lesson Plans for the Disorganized

When I am really, really organized, I even leave a spot for housework, piano lessons, baseball games and practices, family time, and whatever else we have going on in our lives at the time! One of the great things about this system is that I can use it for traditional textbooks and workbooks, for unit studies, or for a combination.

New to Home Schooling?

If you are just starting or even changing your approach to homeschool, seek an experienced homeschool parent—someone has been there before. Join a support group. There will be others who have paved the way for you. There are probably other homeschoolers who have dealt with the challenges you may be facing. You can remind each other of the reasons you chose to homeschool in the first place, and together you will find strength and joy to finish the course.

One More Lesson from the Garden

When children are little, they need a rather small world so that they can grow rooted in God and family. They will need the resources of a loving family and a faithful Heavenly Father when they go out into the larger world.

Organizing Your Home School

Because being organized allows me more freedom to teach my children in greater depth, I have found it necessary in our home school to make organizing our materials top priority.

Tend Your Garden

It is really true that great oaks from little acorns grow. To make sure that we end up with children who will stand strong for God and His purposes, we must make sure that we do not despise the day of small beginnings but instead steward the most precious resources God has given us.

Time Management For Moms

One of the first things a home schooling mother realizes is that she has all her previous duties to fulfill in addition to teaching her children.

Top Ten Home Schooling Myths

Mary James will give you an amusing tour through the top ten home schooling myths, including “If you homeschool your children, they will all be geniuses.”

What Should Your Child’s Classroom Look Like?

If we allow Christ to be our Interior Decorator, He will create the most fabulous schoolroom imaginable for our children—a room that is furnished with “precious and beautiful treasure.”

What Type of Curriculum Did You Use With Your Children

Once parents understand and respect their children’s interests, concerns, and natural talents, they can provide opportunities that allow their children to participate in activities and learning experiences about which they can get excited.

What? or That! Reflections on Reports

In sixth grade or thereabouts, you had to write a report. Searching for a subject that seemed moderately interesting, such as Japan or Betsy Ross, you went to the encyclopedia and began to browse.

Why Am I Doing This?

When I first made the decision to homeschool, my oldest son was eighteen months old. As he grew toward school age, I became more convinced that I had made the right decision. When asked at the time why I was going to homeschool, my pat answer was “… because of what the public schools are teaching and because of what they are not teaching.”

The post New Home Schoolers appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Recently someone asked me how to get the most out of her first home school convention. The following are seven tips I gave her:

1. Make your list, and check it twice. Conventions are overwhelming sources of information, resources, and materials. Your shopping list should be divided into two parts: needs and wants. Needs should include any curriculum, textbooks, or resources you and your children must have for the coming school year. Wants are resources you already know you would like for your home library.
2. Budget your spending money. Save up for shopping. Home school conventions are an ideal time to do your curriculum and resource shopping for several reasons. First of all, you save on shipping, and many publishers offer convention specials. Second, you can handle the materials before you purchase them to make sure you are getting what you really want. Best of all, you can, in many cases, meet the authors and publishers of the books and curricula, asking questions and establishing personal relationships.
3. Dress and pack appropriately. Be certain to wear comfortable shoes and clothes for your active day; bring a sweater because conventions are notoriously cold. Wear a watch so you will not miss an important workshop. Bring a rolling cart for your purchases, if you have one, or extra tote bags. Inside your bag or cart, pack a notebook, pen, and highlighter for workshops and conference materials. If you are attending with a young child, throw some small, quiet toys and books in there, too, to amuse him during the workshops; keep in mind that some conferences do not allow strollers in the exhibit hall or workshops. Check the conference website for meal information, and pack a lunch or lunch money accordingly.
4. Schedule workshops. Before you begin shopping, be certain to check the workshop schedule and plan for the sessions you want to attend. Highlight them in your conference packet, or circle them prominently so you do not miss out on something important.
5. Plan your child strategy. Last year I lost my three-year-old, not once, but twice in one hour. I soon became very aware that to an energetic little boy, a home school conference looked like a very large toy store with very friendly people and children everywhere. He had a great time getting to know every vendor with an educational game, while I was frantically searching the exits. The only way we could survive was by dedicating one person to watch him while I perused the merchandise. Be aware that many home school conventions have children’s programs with pre-planned activities.
6. Grab business cards and pamphlets. I am very grateful for the relationships I established through the convention vendors I met last year. Their business cards are all organized in my files, and many have become dear friends. Take information from conference vendors; file it away in a catalog or home school material file at home so that, when you are looking for resources later, you will have a good starting point.
7. Stop by the THSC table. Be sure to get updated information from Texas Home School Coalition and say hello to the representatives at the table while you are there! Thank them for supporting home education freedom in Texas. Tell them Lea Ann sent you.

I hope you will attend a home school convention or two this year. I plan to pack up my family and enjoy a few. The fellowship, information, and resources are invaluable. With a little planning, strategic shopping, and friendly mingling, you will get the most out of each conference you attend.

The post How To Attend a Home School Convention in Seven Easy Steps appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Later, in eighth or ninth grade, objectivity and analysis became the major thing. The literature-loving language teacher, with genuine sincerity and enthusiasm, determined to extract from you a character analysis paper, or perhaps a compare-and-contrast essay. Burdened with new and unpleasant vocabulary words such as “foreshadowing,” “metaphor” and “sub-plot,” you wondered what kind of person would actually ever choose to ruin a good book by having to talk and write about it ad nauseam. After somehow struggling to squeeze out your five pages (this time typed, double-spaced), you received the paper back with marvelously helpful red ink margin comments similar to: “This doesn’t work,” or “Needs smoother transition,” or perhaps “Topic unclear,” or worst of all, “Develop this.” “If I had any idea how to implement these suggestions,” you mutter, “I would have done it in the first place!” Fortunately, the semester was soon over, and you were not thinking about having to write another literary analysis paper . . . ever.

Now you are all grown up and trying to teach writing yourself. You believe your students should write reports and do literary analysis essays like you did, but being a compassionate person, you would like their experience to be less stressful than yours. How can you help? More importantly, though, you should ask yourself, why? Why ask kids to write reports and essays? What should they learn from the exercise? What did you learn? Unfortunately, we bring to teaching all the experiences we had as students ourselves, some of which are perhaps less than ideal. Therefore we should occasionally take a moment and rethink the purpose of the assignments we give.

First of all, let us define what we mean by “report” and “essay.” A report is basically the collection and presentation of existing facts. In police work, journalism or administration, to “report” on something means to state the necessary facts clearly and concisely. Similarly, children’s “reports” serve much the same purpose, and give a student opportunity to learn and practice several basic skills:

1. How to locate sources of information, get an overview of a subject and choose possible topics.
2. How to limit the number of topics for the report and select from available references a limited number of facts pertaining to those topics.
3. How to organize those facts and present them in an engaging, understandable way.

The term “essay” implies something more than just reporting facts; by definition, it includes the opinions or thoughts of the writer. Expanding a simple report into an essay by adding an introduction and conclusion, we teach children how to “frame” the topics and, especially in the concluding paragraph, how to comment on the relative importance or underlying significance of the facts presented in the body. As essays become more sophisticated, commentary is smoothly integrated with factual information inside the topic paragraphs themselves, and in persuasive writing, topics and facts are selected and presented in such a way as to cause a strengthening of, or a shift in, the opinion or attitude of the reader. Because essays are built on facts, effective essay writing develops from a foundation of good report writing.

In writing a short two- to three-page report on a subject such as Japan, or Benjamin Franklin, or the French Revolution, the first task of any student is to determine the topics. Generally, the number of topics will be based on the assignment length. (At the junior high level, a paragraph with a topic sentence, five to six details or facts and a clincher sentence will average approximately 90-130 words.) Next, the student must find and choose specific facts about the topic. Let us say he (or she, of course) has chosen the subject of Benjamin Franklin with four topics: Franklin the child, Franklin the author, Franklin the scientist, and Franklin the statesman. As there is a lot of information available about these topics, no one would imagine that you could tell everything there is to tell about Franklin in three pages, or even ten pages, and perhaps the subject (Franklin) should be narrowed. But let us assume the student proceeds with these topics. Now, several good things happen in the process of tackling this. Of course, the child will undoubtedly learn a few things about Mr. Franklin. Second, he will have to exercise his discriminative faculty and make some decisions—choices about which facts among the hundreds available he will use in his report. How will he choose? There are two basic methods: choosing what is important, and choosing what is interesting.

If the child feels he needs to choose what is most important, he will read the reference looking for facts that seem to have the most significance. How does a child determine what is most important? Without a breadth of cultural literacy and life experience, it is hard for him to know which facts truly carry more weight than others. In many cases, he is primarily trying to find the facts that he thinks the teacher will consider the most important. On the other hand, when a child feels free to choose what is most interesting, what will he be doing? Searching for the things which best capture his attention or imagination, he is engaged. He gets excited. He enjoys the process. Now, perhaps you are the type of teacher who feels that what is important is more important than what is interesting. Possibly you are the type of teacher who thinks that what is interesting is more interesting than what is important. Although a good report will have a balance between the two, which teaching approach will encourage the best writing? More vitally, which approach will teach the skill that the child most needs?

If a student selects his facts based on what he thinks you want him to choose, is he really making a choice? Is he exercising his independence, his will, his intellect? Or is he simply trying to make you happy. Consider this teaching approach: “Hands on structure and style; hands off content.” As long as a child presents his facts according to the model and checklist for the assignment, does it really matter about what facts he chooses to write? Is it not more valuable for a child to practice of the act of choosing than to always be trying to second-guess a teacher? Let the children decide what they want to write and run with it. Even if the facts they choose are not, in your opinion, the most important or significant things about Japan, or Florence Nightingale or the Apollo missions, the very fact that they made a choice is what teaches them to think, to be bold, to write. “What they choose” is not nearly as important in the long run as “that they make a choice,” even if in their childlike simplicity their choices are not the “best” ones. As they grow and mature, their sensibility and choices will improve, while the freedom to make choices in report writing will have strengthened their fundamental ability to think. This year, as you assign reports to your students, let them know that what you are really looking for is not “what” facts they choose, but “that” they do choose facts and put those facts on paper with structure and style.

The post What? or That! Reflections on Reports appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

When our school year draws to a close, I will be planning summer school . . . for myself.

The school year keeps me so busy making lesson plans, grading and shuttling my students to various lessons and extracurricular activities that I scarcely have time to read anything more substantial than a magazine or incorporate any enriching activities for myself. All work and no play make me feel dull and uninteresting.

Quite a few years ago a dozen or so home schooling mothers met in south Austin as a study group that shared various facets of the Charlotte Mason method of education. We discussed music, art, foreign languages, reading and handicrafts and learned how necessary such pursuits are to developing into a well-rounded, whole person. I miss that wonderful group of ladies who met with such dedication over several school years. As our children grew, their school activities demanded more time, and our little group disbanded.

Thus, I have decided to use the summer months to refresh and invigorate myself. Charlotte Mason called such activities “Mother Culture.” I believe that, in order to interest my students in their education, I should be a person of culture and interests.

I will take the time over the summer to reread classic novels I have not read in a long time or delve into some that I have never read. I may decide to join a book club over the summer to enhance my reading activities. I plan to utilize How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren to assist me in my summer school reading plan.

Another area in which I wish to further develop myself is the area of classical music. I will take the time to listen to the various CDs I have purchased over the years for my students and will finally be able to identify Beethoven from Bach! Many cities and towns have free music concerts on summer evenings that feature the local orchestra playing the works of various composers. I am thankful that I have several choices in the Central Texas area from which to experience live performances of these composers’ timeless offerings.

I am interested in understanding the works of Shakespeare better. I am fortunate that there are opportunities to see his plays each summer in various locations for free or for a nominal admission fee. I am planning to attend as many plays as possible so that “Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him well” will be more than just a quote I remember from my high school days. I plan to read each play prior to attending a performance and to use study materials, such as Brightest Invention of Heaven by Peter Leithart and Cliff’s Notes to assist me in furthering my understanding of Shakespeare’s plays.

Two other areas I would like to add to my summer school plan are art appreciation/art history and foreign language (French). At the beginning of this school year I was fortunate to purchase a copy of Sister Wendy Beckett’s The Story of Painting, which is a very comprehensive guide to the history of Western art. I am quite fond of the Impressionists, but that is pretty much where my art knowledge begins and ends. I would like to develop my knowledge of artists and art movements by systematically working my way through this book. It may take me a few summers to complete this task since I will be covering 800 years of the developments and movements in painting from the ancient world to the present.

I was extremely fortunate to study French from the fourth grade through college. I fell in love with this beautiful language just about the first time I heard it. Having lived in Texas since 1983, I have not had many opportunities to speak French and have gotten quite rusty. I have a collection of French books that have been gathering dust on my shelves that I will put to good use. I also plan to set the language to “French” on DVDs I watch so that I can regain my ear for the French language. If you have experience with a foreign language that you have not used in a while, think about regaining and sustaining fluency in it this summer.

There are many enrichment opportunities for home educators to pursue their educations each summer: museums often have teacher nights or training sessions that are open to all educators, colleges often have free or reduced-price lectures, bookstores have author readings and movie rental companies have documentaries available in varied subject areas. Of course, the Internet is also a useful tool in an adult summer school plan. Without leaving your home you can watch a Shakespeare play, listen to an orchestra somewhere in the world perform a concerto, view art masterpieces, listen to and practice speaking a foreign language and even read books online.

Parents, I encourage you to think of making this summer a fruitful one for yourself and even inviting your home schooling friends to summer school along with you. A school break spent in worthy pursuits will equip you with fresh enthusiasm and energy for yourself and your students.

Author’s note: As a home educator with only two students of high school age, I find myself with time for self-development. Parents with many young students or those just beginning their home education journey may want to try just one or two of these ideas or wait to implement them until they are under less stress in their home schools.

The post Summer School for Parents appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

That may sound strange coming from me, since twelve years ago I wrote Discover Texas, a Texas history curriculum for home school families. The explanation is simple: I did not want my children to hate the study of their state’s history. I wanted them to share my husband’s absolute love of Texas history—a love I did not understand until his eyes misted with memories as he told me stories of great adventures—of dreams and goals and meaningful struggles—that his mother, who also loved history, had told him. His father’s occupation required travel, and sometimes the family would go along. He recalled hunting for arrowheads, scrambling over ruined landmarks, and reenacting battle scenes with his brother.

If I had been introduced to history in that way, I would have loved it too. Come to think of it, my third grade teacher let us build a teepee on the playground. (Bless you, Mrs. Cathey!) We used a tea-dyed sheet wrapped around broomsticks and decorated it with tempera-paint handprints. I remember to this day how the Plains Indians lived.

The trick, it seems, is to teach state history in a way that is memorable and meaningful.

Making history memorable

Back when I hated history, the people in my history textbook had one thing in common—they were all dead. I had no connection to them, so they were not important to me. However, the first time I hiked to a rock shelter where some nameless tribesman had left his handprint in red paint, a human link connected me to him like an echo through time: “I was here. Remember.”

I cannot remember one word of any lecture I ever heard in a history class, but as a child I loved the historic homes in our town and noticed that they did not have indoor plumbing. The pictures in my textbooks were black and white, with shades of gray, but when my family attended a play in which scenes from history were reenacted, the story of history came alive!

If you are like me, most of the education you received in school was passive—which is possibly why I sometimes had the vague notion that education was something inflicted upon me. My presence was required, as well as my cooperation in reading textbooks, taking lecture notes, and quietly watching the occasional documentary as a rare treat. Yet, studies prove that we remember only

• 10 percent of what we read,
• 20 percent of what we hear,
• 30 percent of what we see (pictures and other visual images), and
• just 50 percent of material presented in a passive manner (a movie, exhibit, or demonstration).

However, retention jumps to between 70 percent to 90 percent when learning is active, when we

• join in a discussion,
• share with others what we have learned,
• enact a simulation or dramatic presentation, or
• experience something for ourselves!

One of the beauties of home schooling is that we can teach in ways that are not practical for tightly scheduled classes with scores of children. We can adapt our teaching methods to engage students in learning more, doing more, and thinking more so that they become participants in their own discovery of knowledge. They will remember and understand far more because they have experienced it firsthand.

Of our five senses, we tend to rely most on sight and sound. Inside the classroom, we give visual learners a book, and we lecture audio learners. In the act of seeing and hearing, the stimulus originates at some distance from the student who receives the data. By contrast, when we experience something firsthand—when we smell the gunpowder; taste the campfire supper; feel the textures of flint and cactus, cotton and camel hair—we actually come in direct contact with what we are learning about, and the information becomes a part of us.

We Live in the Middle of a Field Trip

Field trips provide an opportunity to connect with the people who made history–to walk where they walked, to experience a bit of their lives, and to gain an appreciation for their goals and challenges. We participate in their drama, and we talk about what we have learned with others who are excited to share their own observations.

You do not have to travel far. Start in your own community. The Texas Historical Commission has an online atlas of all the state historical markers (http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/). The Texas State Historical Association (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook), Texas Highways magazine (http://www.texashighways.com/), and Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine (http://www.tpwmagazine.com/) all sponsor wonderful, FREE websites full of ideas, as does the Discover Texas blog, “News Around Texas” (http://www.discovertexasonline.com/blog/). If you have more time, an extended Texas vacation can be loads of budget-friendly fun with a purpose.

“… and a course in good citizenship”

While many social studies courses can be used to satisfy Texas’s requirement that home schools include “a course in good citizenship,” I hope you will not overlook Texas history as an exciting option. A study of state history provides an opportunity to impress upon our children the way history touches us where we live–the relationship of past events to our contemporary lives. For believers, this connection is all the more vital. Personal choices have broad consequences, but God is sovereign. History is truly HIS-story—God revealing Himself in the affairs of men and working out His purposes through time.

Few of the people we learn about in history ever intended to become famous. Most did as we do. They went about living their daily lives and, at some point, found themselves faced with a decision. They may not have realized that their decision was significant when they made it, but their choice affected lives beyond their own and became their legacy.

It is that relationship of cause to effect, choices to consequences that forms the basis of character development and makes us good citizens. That’s not a bad thing for young people to consider. For all of us, really. Who knows whether we have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)

The post Discovering Texas appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

We bought a peach tree. When the nurseryman came to plant it for us, he pulled out his pocketknife and cut it back severely. I thought he had killed it. Surely his pruning was too severe. “No,” he said. “The tree needs to direct its energy to putting down good roots. Once those are developed, it can draw up resources to put out leaves and fruit when it’s time. If it tries to make leaves and fruit too early, it will not be able to sustain them.”

Then he staked the trunk of the tree with three soft ropes lashed to pickets. “Leave these in place for three years,” he instructed. “Adjust them as the tree grows, to make sure they give firm support but aren’t so tight that they’ll cut into the bark.” After three years we were to remove them. “If you leave the supports on too long, the trunk will never develop the strength it needs to stand firm on its own. It will be weak and dependent on the ropes.”

This is my theory (and you are free to disagree). When children are little, they need a rather small world so that they can grow rooted in God and family. They will need the resources of a loving family and a faithful Heavenly Father when they go out into the larger world. Trim early involvement in too many activities and too much socialization until they have the spiritual strength to sustain godly behavior. We do want them to be good witnesses and bear fruit for the Lord, but that has to be the overflow of inner strength.

When it comes to discipline, put a few firm—but gentle—guidelines in place early. In our house, there were only three major offenses: disrespect, disobedience, and dishonesty. Everything else was a childish mistake that could be discussed, but those three rules were non-negotiable. It was never okay to dishonor parents or intentionally make someone else feel bad about themselves. It was never okay to deliberately disobey, and it was never acceptable to lie. We adapted the house rules occasionally as the children grew, but the boundaries were always clear. In that way, we bypassed many discipline problems. Once in a while a child will test the boundaries to see if they are really there, but there is a lot of security when he knows in advance what is expected. It frees children to enjoy clear consciences and builds good self-images when they have done well.

When the time comes, do not forget to remove the ropes. That can be scary, but if children only obey because we force them, how will they learn to answer to God for themselves? I have seen many loving parents be lenient when their children are young and then panic and cinch down with restrictions during the teen years. That is a recipe for rebellion. Instead, we put firm boundaries and clear guidelines in place when our children were young and gradually loosened them as our children developed character and proved that they were trustworthy. Their teen years were not without mistakes, but that was a time when our adolescents could try things on their own while they still had the safety net of good counsel at home.

The nurseryman’s advice seems to have worked. Our children are now young adults, firmly rooted in their faith, bearing fruit in every good work, and standing firm in a real faith of their own.

The post One More Lesson from the Garden appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Ouch! I overheard this conversation at a church function a few years ago, and it broke my heart. After all, we are supposed to be the Body of Christ, walking in unity with one another and fulfilling the commission that Jesus gave us, right? How could there possibly be such harsh feelings toward those of us who feel called to teach our children at home and raise them up? How could these feelings be coming from fellow Christians? I have come to believe that at least some of it is our own fault. Let me explain.

I spent several days praying about that unbelievable comment I had overheard. I asked the Lord to show me what was happening. I began to think over things that I had heard home schoolers say and was saddened by the realization that some of the words that were spoken were terribly dishonoring to others. Thankfully, those instances were very few, but even one act of dishonor can cause terrible damage. For some people, one negative experience has the power to dismantle the many positive aspects of home schooling, giving us a bad reputation. When this happens, how can we have the kind of impact on our society that would please God? I believe that we are being called to a higher standard, and that is to homeschool with honor.

What do I mean to homeschool with honor? It means to walk in the love of Christ, displaying His very heart to those around us. It means that we listen carefully to hear God’s voice. Walking in honor means to truly lay down our own agendas and ask Him, “What can I do for You, Lord? How can our family bless someone today?” We must have a revelation of God’s love for not only His people but also for the world around us. The scriptures tell us that it is His desire that none should perish. It is His desire that people know Him. Are we honoring God? Are we helping to give God His desires through our home schooling?

It may sound strange to hear that we should live to give God His desires. After all, we are used to praying for our own desires to be met. What about His? We have a part to play in history, and we have the position in which He has placed us. That position does not mean that we are to live for ourselves, making an ideal family to please our own needs. The position He has given us is one of changing entire nations, and that requires raising up godly, loving individuals who are well equipped to go out and do the will of the Father. We were meant to be a powerful force upon the earth. The key to accomplishing His will is love, and when we love, we walk in honor toward one another.

I am part of a congregation that is very mixed as far as educational choices are concerned. We have a group of children whose education is fairly balanced between home, private and public school. Personally, my husband and I are strong believers in home schooling, and we always will be. Since there are some in our congregation who choose different routes for their children, it is a great blessing that our church has been taught to walk in honor toward one another. We recognize that we may not all agree with one other’s philosophy of education, yet we also recognize that we are united as the Body of Christ and that we all have the responsibility to support each other in raising our families. We are not called to ridicule, look down upon, or be judgmental toward those who are not walking the way that we are. We are called to see and identify the “gold” within every person and to call forth the good things that God has placed within them. We get the glorious job of encouraging and exhorting others to become all that God desires for them.

Home schoolers have blessed the world in many ways, but we have not yet arrived. There is more for us to do, and there is more for us to be. We will accomplish all that God has set before us when we walk in honor and love. If we desire for others to be Christians, then we must be known by our love, even as Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” It was His great love for the world (John 3:16) that drove Jesus to the cross. He never came to curse us but to set us free. Luke 5:32 says, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” I mention these things because, as home schoolers, this is our commission from the Lord. One reason that we teach our children at home is so that they can learn to be a representation of Christ’s love to a lost world.

May we use our freedom to homeschool as a tool to love and draw others into relationship with the Lord. If we truly walk in love, then people will also be drawn to home schooling, which will strengthen our cause. Learning to speak and to exhort those in authority honorably, even when we disagree, will enhance and fortify the home schooling movement. Praying for and offering love to those who do differently than we do will draw them into a place in which they will encounter the Lord and be changed.

1 Peter 2:17 tells us to honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God and honor the king. Notice that this verse does not instruct us to honor only fellow believers or only those in agreement with us, but it says to honor all people, including the king. At the time this scripture was written, believers were being persecuted. Why would God’s Word instruct us to honor those in authority when they are not honoring God? What an amazing command. There is a key here to which we must pay attention. Imagine with me, home school families being the most honoring families in our society. What a change we could bring!

Whether we are dealing with people who are in places of authority or people who seem like your “average Joe” and whether we are dealing with home educators or public educators, we must make sure that their encounter with us is one of love and honor. I have a strong belief in home schooling, but I can choose to respect those who are doing otherwise. In fact, some of my closest Christian acquaintances are public school teachers, and they desperately need our prayers, love, and support to make a difference where they are. Never forget to pray for those who are walking into the dark places, giving of themselves to make a difference. Those teachers have the ability to bring love and truth to children whom we may never meet. Empower these teachers by honoring them! I pray that down the road those who are working in government education will be able to say, “Thank God for home schoolers. They are vital to our success.”

I leave you with this scripture regarding the tongue. You may have read it many times, but I pray that you would take several minutes to truly meditate on God’s instruction. Remember that your tongue contains the power of life and death. “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” (James 3:9-13 [(NKJV])

Let mercy and love lead.

The post Home Schooling With Honor appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.