Combining Subjects and Projects

In public schools, team teaching is an effective tool.  It is usually two or more teachers with different subject strengths working together within classrooms of students teaching material with themes or like concepts.  In home education, using this approach becomes very beneficial in time and effort.  It's not that you need to get other teachers working with you, but use your subject matter to teach in various areas of study.  Many times unit studies are used.

For example, young students may study an area of science that they like.  Reading materials are chosen to coincide with the science.  If the material has a historical component, that is also studied.  You can even add in some math problems that use the material.  Parents can purchase unit studies or create their own.  A unit study can revolve around almost anything:  science, history, literature, sports, music, art, etc.  Curricula developers see the benefit for both the students and teachers in creating materials that can be multi-faceted as well as multi-level.  Parents also use lapbooks to organize and have a hands-on element to a unit study.

We have used My Father's World in the past and are using it again this year.  It is our plan to use it for all four years of high school too.  MFW provides a wonderful selection of reading materials and resources.  The younger grades cover history, literature, science, Bible, and art.  Parents add in a math and English grammar.  The high school level covers history, literature, grammar, writing, and Bible.  They recommend Apologia sciences; you also have to add mathematics.  The program comes with lesson plans that are easy to use and easy to manipulate as you see fit.  We find that we can double up days as we need to also which gives us the flexibility we need.  This year I have 2 students using the high school level and one using the younger level; they are both doing the same "time" study of ancient history.  I am hopeful that it will run smoothly.  The high school level is set up for the students to work individually with a weekly check by the parent.  I like to do some of subjects together and since I only have one in the younger level, it seems doable.

As an English major, I also teach a class to homeschooled students.  I am using the English literature supplement as my guide in teaching.  We won't cover all of the material in MFW with the class, but I am impressed with the literature supplement.  I thought I would be adding a different grammar into our studies.  But upon viewing the guide, I do not see that an addition will be necessary which means more ease for me as an instructor.  The class meets once a week, on Mondays, for an hour and fifteen minutes.  I give instruction and we have class time as well as short presentations done by the students.  It is enjoyable for me to teach as well as a help to some parents.

My children are also involved in a 4H club and the Youth Fair in our county.  We don't do much with animals as we don't have property to do so.  But my children enter items in the Consumer and Family Science division each year.  My youngest is studying Astronomy through an Apologia study this year.  (We started it last year and are finishing it up this year.)  To make sure she has a good understanding of what she is studying, I asked her to make a book with a page for each planet and the sun and moon from the chapters in our book.  As we are talking about it, she asks if she can use this as her children's book for Youth Fair.  A fabulous idea indeed!  I went through my stash of large construction paper.  She is going to scrapbook pictures and typed info written for a young child.  We will get it laminated and simply bind it.  Now she has a review for Astronomy and a project to turn into the Childcare Development area of the Youth Fair!  I love it when we can take our school, our extra projects, and our fun to make our homeschooling stretch.

One more example with the Youth Fair, my older daughter is fairly proficient in the kitchen.  I belong to a produce co-op, and we had a lot of bananas--too many for us to eat.  We usually make banana bread or muffins, but I'm trying to watch my carbs.  So I looked up a recipe for banana butter.  She made it and canned it.  Now we have yummy banana butter, another Youth Fair project, and gifts for some friends later on.  Yay!

Choosing Curriculum

When I meet people who are new to homeschooling, I usually get one of two questions.  What do I have to do to homeschool?  What curriculum should I use?

Laws are different depending on the state you live in.  Please read and understand the laws that you must abide by.  Floridians go to www.fpea.com  It is a great help.  I recommend that you become a member of this group.

But the big question, "What curriculum should I use" does not have an easy answer.  I can tell you what I am using this year.  I can tell you what I've used in years past.  Choosing a curriculum isn't difficult, but research, visiting other homeschooling families, and going to conventions or used curriculum sales are great things to do. 

1. The first thing in choosing a curriculum is to know your goals for your educating your children at home.  This does vary greatly.  Some educate at home for religious reasons.  Some are unhappy with the learning process in the schools.   Some are not happy with the boredom that schools can produce.  Some are concerned for safety.

Personally, I mainly want to teach my children to know how to learn and to enjoy learning.  I have stuck with some things for all of my children.   There are also things that I have changed each year.  I am an eclectic curriculum user who re-evaluates yearly (or mid-year if something is not working).

2.  What does your budget look like?  The arena of home education is vast and growing.  You can easily spend hundreds of dollars, but you don't have to do this.  Reading or literature can be done through public libraries.  Math workbooks are not expensive--but teacher's manuals may be.  See if you can buy them used.  Spelling and phonics workbooks should not be a large expense.  Depending on how you want to approach history and science, the library can again be your best friend.  Our public library has an online catalog for the county.  I can search for books and have them sent to my local library for pick-up or have them mailed to me free of charge.  Just watch your due dates, late fees can sneak up on you.

You can also use free printables from the internet or join sites that have a membership fee for using the materials.  (I do caution anyone from using the internet as a full-time teacher; most children do not thrive in front of a screen for all subjects.)

3.  What can you combine in your family?  We have done history and science together for years with our three children.  The older children may have a bit more required of them than the youngest.  Even if your younger children may not be able to sit and listen for the entire lesson that is okay.  You can give them coloring pages or maps that correspond to your study while you are doing it.  Lapbooking and journaling are also great ways to work together.

4. You can research so many things online today, that it really helps you to know what a product is like.   You can buy new or used.  I use homeschoolclassifieds.com to purchase and sell.  There are other sites as well.

5.  Don't forget you can leave your house to educate too.  I hear from some veteran home educators that there was a time when they would not leave the house during public school hours due to the social implications.  Today, most people know that home schooling exists.  Go on nature walks and field trips. Involve yourself in out of the home classes.  Meet other home educators and form a co-operative learning environment.

Here are some that I've either used or seen and liked.

Math                                       English                                          History                           Science
ABEKA                                  First Language Lessons                 Story of the World       Apologia
Teaching Textbooks                Rod and Staff                           My Father's World           Exploring God's
Saxon                                     Total Language Plus                      Mystery of History              Creation
Math U See                            Jr. Analytical Grammar                  Notgrass                         hands-on
Singapore

Literature Clubs

Over the years, we've been involved with the literature clubs offered through our homeschool support group, Lighthouse Homeschoolers.  Here is a photo of one from this past year.  The mom who has volunteered to do this has such a creative way with all that she does with the children.  This photo was from the activity they did while studying The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White.

She starts with all the students sitting at a large table in the conference room of the local library.  They have their time for discussion of the book.  Of course, with children, you never know exactly where the discussion will lead.  Then, the students made different puppets for a shadow puppet show.  The boys grouped for one show, and the girls for the other show.  They had a wonderful time.  Several parents also bring healthy snacks and drinks to share during the discussion and activity.

Since our library is along a lake with swans, we all went out to feed the swans afterwards.  It was a fun day. Thanks to Heather for all she did with our students this year.