Scheduling for Middle School

Middle school is a time of great transition in our family’s home education program. We take a relaxed approach during the elementary years—not unschooling, but definitely far from school-at-home.

My youngest is in sixth grade now. I work with him on almost everything; we’re a team. On the other end of the spectrum, my daughter is in 10^th grade and works completely independently. So, what happens in those four years to go from teacher-directed to student-ownership?

We make a deliberate move toward more and more independent work in middle school when three key components come into play: checklists, “buckling down,” and accountability.

{Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom to read about how we make the most of middle school in our own small world!} 

Have you entered iHomeschool Network's Stocking Stuffer yet? Read all about it and leave a comment here for a chance to win $250!

Book Review: Grammar Girl's Ultimate Writing Guide for Students

I am a grammar and writing book junkie. I have two complete shelves of such guides, and I have no plans to stop collecting. But honestly, I don’t use them all.  I use bits and pieces from some of them as I create lesson plans for my middle and high-school level English classes for homeschoolers.

But I found one this year that I love so much that I am requiring that my co-op students  purchase it: The Ultimate Writing Guide for Students by the Grammar Girl herself, Mignon Fogarty.
I’ve been a long-time fan of the website Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. I love how Fogarty explains tricky grammar rules in a light, amusing fashion. For example, this explanation of bachelor’s degree on the Grammar Girl website is so simple but memorable: …

{Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom to read about why I think you should get this grammar guide for your middle/high schoolers!}

Ways for Kids To Earn Money Around the House

If your kids are like mine, they love to have a little cash on hand. While we do have give our children a weekly allowance (see Our Allowance System), they are often looking for ways to earn more money. My youngest enjoys a few extra dollars to buy Lego sets or, more often, candy. My daughter has her eyes on saving for big-ticket items, like a nice camera.

My problem has always been that, while I know there are lots of extra jobs that need done around the house, I can never think of them when the kids seem to want them. I finally took the time to come up with a system that I wish I had thought of years ago: our Money Makers file. 

{Check out details about Ways for Kids to Earn Money Around the House on The Homeschool Classroom!}

To Test Or Not To Test?

To test or not to test? It is one of the most common questions I hear in homeschooling discussions. Every state has different requirements for testing, and have family has different reasons to test or not to test.

Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom today to read pros and cons for testing. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments, here or there!

Celebrating National Poetry Month with Hands-on Poetry Projects

National Poetry Month is right around the corner! Since 1996, April has been designated as National Poetry Month by the Academy of American Poets. It is a time to for people everywhere to celebrate poetry and its vital place in our culture. So what can you do in your family?
First and foremost, read poetry! Check out my article Reading Poetry with Children  on The Homeschool Classroom for an abundance of links and ideas for sharing poetry with your children.

Poets.org has a list of 30 Ways to Celebrate Poetry, ranging from “put a poem on the pavement” to “write a letter to a poet.”
Perhaps my favorite way to help kids fall in love with poetry is to integrate poetry with hands-on projects.

Below are several projects—ones that I have used both with my own children and in my creative writing classes— that are almost guaranteed to generate excitement about poetry!…

{Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom where I write about 8 great hands-on projects you and your kids will love!}

Facebook and Your Teen

For my daughter and most of her friends, getting a Facebook page at 13 was a rite of passage. Chances are, if you have a tween, s/he is looking forward to that day. So what do you need to know if your teen is about to enter the world of Facebook?

{Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom where I provide suggestions for safety and rules of Facebook etiquette to teach your young teens!}

10 Favorite Grammar Resources

I am a bit of a grammar fanatic. I love solving grammar problems, diagramming sentences, and proofreading. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need guidance! Below are some of my favorite resources for teaching grammar, as well as other aspects of language arts. With all of the resources available on the internet, one could easily put together a comprehensive language arts program without spending a dime; however, the first two programs are ones that are well worth the purchase price! …

{Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom to read the rest of my article on grammar resources!}

Making Books in Your Homeschool

Possibly, I am slightly obsessed with books. Not only do we have a dozen bookcases or more that house hardbacks and paperbacks of all shapes and sizes, but I have boxes of books that the kids have made during our dozen years of homeschooling.

These books are not only treasures for us but fantastic learning tools for the kids. We make books primarily as a means to enhance a certain topic we are studying, although sometimes we make books just for fun. Book making provides a multisensory approach to learning: hands are busy, minds are exploding with ideas, connections are being made between topic and task.

A book can begin with just a folded piece of paper, or with cardboard, wrapping paper, or a brown grocery sack. The possibilities are endless.

{Come and visit me on The Homeschool Classroom today to see some of those possibilities for making books with your kids!}

Making Community Service Part of Your Homeschool

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” Indeed, although as homeschoolers we have opted out of traditional public education, that doesn’t mean we have opted out of being part of the community at large. One unique but often overlooked benefit of homeschooling is that we have the opportunity for regular, deliberate acts of service.

My husband and I are both leaders in scouting organizations (Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts for him, American Heritage Girls for me) that encourage community service. I frequently get emails from members asking for ideas for service. People want to serve but sometimes don’t know how or where to do so.

Opportunities are everywhere, for every age. But where do you find them?
{Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom to read the rest of my article on community service!}

Starting Year 12

I’m coming up on my 12^th year of homeschooling. Astonishing! If I had been a public school teacher as I trained to be in college, I would have earned somewhere around $350,000 in the past 12 years, give or take a few thousand. I would have spent somewhere around 2,000 hours teaching literature, grammar, and composition to hundreds of students. Some I would have loved; some I would never have wanted to see again.

But I am thankful, so thankful, that 17 years ago, we decided that I would stay home with our kids, and 12 years ago, we knew that homeschooling was the best choice for our family. I haven’t made much money in the past decade, but I have learned more than I ever imagined about a wide spectrum of subjects, from art history to coral reefs to the Oregon Trail. …

{Please join me over at The Homeschool Classroom to find out how we transition into the new school year!}

In Search of the Perfect Math Program

Our homeschooling support group hosts a “curriculum show-and-tell” session annually. This is an opportunity for members to examine all kinds of materials that other homeschoolers use without the pressure of sales. (Here is an example of a curriculum show and tell.)

It never fails. The number one question that is asked from table to table: “What math program should I use?” Parents prowl around the room, picking up one book and quizzing its owner, and then head over to the next table in search of perfect math curriculum, as if it waits just beyond the horizon with a gold sticker proclaiming “The Best Math Book EVER!”

I am not a “math person,” but after 11 years of homeschooling, I think I am qualified to give opinions on math programs. I’ve been in the math trenches. I have three kids, and over our 11 years of homeschooling we’ve used …

{Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom to read the rest of my article about how math works for us!}

Starting a Literature Circle

There is something especially exciting and enriching about discussing literature in a group setting. Homeschooling families tend to devour books at home, but we don’t always discuss them chapter by chapter. We often assess our students’ comprehension with a few questions or some chatting about the book. Analyzing books to death often takes the pleasure out of reading.

For the past couple of years I’ve been teaching a literature circle class at our co-op. I perhaps shouldn’t call our class a “literature circle” because it doesn’t fall into the typical literature circle format of student led/teacher observer. (This page gives a good overview of a typical literature circle.) For various reasons—including physical space, time, and meeting limitations—I tweaked the concept so that we basically have a discussion-based class, teacher-facilitated, but with lots of projects and student input.

My main goal was simply to introduce middle-school kids to discussing literature in preparation for high school and college. The literature circle is a perfect forum for practicing analysis and interpretation, cleverly disguised as a really fun time with friends. That’s a key, by the way: …… {Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom to read the rest of Part 1 of my article on literature circles, and check back tomorrow for Part 2!)

Curriculum Review: First Language Lessons

In my corner of the homeschooling world, February seems to be the month when everyone begins planning for the next year. Our support group’s e-mail group is abuzz with “what should I use for __________ next year?”

As the resident grammar fanatic, I enjoy participating in any discussion about language arts. Contrary to expectations, my advice is always to take it easy during the “little” years, particularly in regards to grammar. I hate to see seven-year-olds churn out page after page of tedious sentence labeling.

I have found First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind series to be the perfect introduction to language arts. Written by Jessie Wise of The Well-Trained Mind fame, each book covers one year, beginning in first grade (Level 1) and going up through fourth grade at this time (Level 4). The series has recently been redesigned so that each book covers one year. The original book covered two years in one volume; however, the content is the same as in the original edition. …

{I'm over at The Homeschool Classroom today! Come on over to read my revised and extended review of First Language Lessons 1-3…)

Favorite Christmas Books

One of my favorite parts of the season is opening the box of Christmas books and putting them on the book rack right by the Christmas tree. They are, truly, old friends. For me, the mark of a good Christmas book is that it makes me cry.

We have a good number of children’s books for Christmas, and I try to add a new book each year. We have some of the popular ones like The Polar Express and some silly but sentimental ones like Mercer Mayer’s Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad, starring Little Critter. I love to hear my Dad read Twas the Night Before Christmas every Christmas Eve. Some of the books we give the obligatory seasonal read and then put back on the rack.

But I have my favorites. These are the books that, without fail, make me cry at some point. My voice catches, a child’s head pops up and looks at me and says, “Mama! Are you crying again?” I can’t help it. … {Want to see some of my favorites? Head on over to The Homeschool Classroom for the rest of this article!}

Having Fun with Grammar

No, the title is not an oxymoron: you really can have fun with grammar. Admittedly, I love grammar, but I realize that most people don’t share my strange affinity for prepositional phrases, pronouns, and punctuation. That’s no reason for torturing your kids with dry grammar worksheets and tedious sessions of circling, underlining, and crossing out. …

{I'm at The Homeschool Classroom today. Come on over and read the rest of the article there!}

Biting Into Apples

Apples speak “autumn” to me like nothing else. We have had apple orchards in our family for six generations (that’s my brother and me in the picture above), and I can’t let an autumn pass without apple pies, apple sauce, and a trip to an orchard. In this post are all kinds of activities, recipes, rhymes, books, and other resources that can enhance your knowledge of apples. This is a great time to take a break from your regular studies and delve into autumn—and apples! These activities are geared toward preschool-6th grade, but you can adjust to fit your own students.…

Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom for the rest of the post!

And be sure to visit me tomorrow; I'll be hosting The Carnival of Homeschooling right here on SmallWorld! You can submit your homeschooling-related post here until 6 p.m.!

Back to School Reflections

I’ll soon be heading into my eleventh year of homeschooling. My firstborn is leaving for college, and, as usual, the dynamic of our homeschool will change. I like to take this time before we start again to prepare myself for a new year. After 10 weeks of enjoying lazy days, it’s time to shift gears from Summer Mom to Teacher Mom. Remembering basics like sharpen all the pencils and have coffee first is easy. But what makes the transition work the best is reflecting on the less tangible lessons I’ve learned over the years:

• My children reflect my moods. (Yes, I said reflect, not affect.) If I am distracted, grumpy, and/or irritable, they will be, too. I should be nice all the time. …

{I'm over at The Homeschool Classroom today. Visit me there for the rest of this post!}

Reading Poetry with Children

“Whatever you do, find ways to read poetry. Eat it, drink it, enjoy it, and share it.”
~Eve Merriam

Poetry is terribly misunderstood. Most of us were introduced to complex, often incomprehensible poetry when we were in school and learned quickly to dislike it. But poetry doesn’t have to be a jungle of symbolism and metaphor, heavy with hidden meaning. …

{I'm over at The Homeschool Classroom today. Catch the rest of this post over there!}

My Homeschooled Graduate

High school graduation is a big milestone for any parent. The pride, the joy, the tears shed for that little guy who once carried his crayons and glue sticks in a Matchbox-car backpack, now proudly accepting his high school diploma and moving his tassel from one side to the other. Sweet success—he did it!

A momentous occasion for any parent. But for those of us who have homeschooled, this event takes on epic proportions. Not “he did it” but “WE did it!”

We learned to sing the ABCs, to form letters, to sound out words, and ultimately to enjoy the sweet reward of the world of books. …

[I'm over at The Homeschool Classroom today. Hop over there to read the rest of My Homeschooled Graduate!]