home digest fall 2014
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HOME DigestOnline Issue--Fall 2014
Freedom From the Four Walls
Learning to Love Silence & Solitude
Developing a Love of History
Reaching Beyond Our Family
Paul Revere’s Ride in Context
Managing the Homeschool Teaching Day
The Advantage of Homeschool
Audibles
HOME DigestFall Online Issue
2014
Editor-in-Chief:Kimberly Miller
Editorial Staff :Kathy Green, Proof Reader
Kathi Kearney, Proof Reader
Photographic contributors:Kimberly Miller, Front & Back Cover Photos, photos on pages 2-4, 6, 12-13 & 17
All other photography is stock photos
HOME Digestis published by
Homeschoolers of MainePO Box 159
Camden, Me 04843-0159(207)763-2880
(Fax 207-763-4352)
HOME Digest is published biannually in the spring and fall. Th e spring issue is a printed version, and the fall issue is available online at the HOME website.
HOME Board Members:
Ed and Kathy [email protected]
Kathi [email protected]
Chris and Jen [email protected]
Chuck and Carolyn [email protected]
Mark and Melanie [email protected]
Chris and Tiff any [email protected]
Contents4 Freedom From the Four Walls
8 Learning to Love Silence and Solitude
10 Developing a Love of History
14 Reaching Beyond Our Family
18 Paul Revere’s Ride in Context
22 Managing the Ho-meschool Teaching Day with a Struggling Learner
26 The Advantage of Homeschool Audibles
Freedom
From the four walls
by Jennifer Smeltser
I never in my life planned to homeschool. When I fi rst learned about homeschooling, which was years before I was married and had children, it sounded like some type of weird and extremist way of rais-ing kids. Coming from a traditional public school background, I knew that was the route I would take, when, and, if I had children. My elementary school years were some of the best, and I believe it is during that time a seed was planted that would later lead me to welcome the challenge, and the oppor-tunity, to homeschool.
It was my sixth grade year and my teacher, “Hoff ,” took school outdoors one day. He placed us all under a tree, opened a book, and began to read. I felt rebellious, because school belonged inside a classroom, but I listened. I felt relaxed, but remained engaged. I was not sitting at a desk surrounded by four walls, but I was outside, under a tree, enjoying God’s surroundings—and I was learning,
Even before that moment, I had always enjoyed being outdoors. Without discounting the value of learning at home with family as we do, I also realize we are not limited to learning only at home. There is so much to learn outside of our four walls. Learning could be as close as walking out to your backyard or as far as traveling the world. I must admit that it is my nature (pardon the pun) to be outdoors.
Fortunately, my children have adopted my perspective on learning wherever we are and have been willing participants as we learn together.
One of the many issues my husband and I discussed before we were married was how we intended to educate our children. By the time I met him, I was ready to settle down and have children. Homes-chooling was a more appealing way of leading the children we would later have. I did not know how many children there would be, but I knew I wanted to get out and let them experience many of the things I enjoyed as a child.
We have been blessed with three children: River, who is 10; Lily, who is 9; and Canyon, who is 6. It is amazing to realize we have been homeschooling for six years. I consider myself a newbie because I am still trying to fi gure out what it is I am really doing.
The years we have been at this “homeschooling thing” have not led me any closer to truly defi ning our homeschool style. When asked, I make it easy on myself and say we are eclectic with a little bit of Charlotte Mason mixed in. So far, it has worked for our family.
Our defi nition of homeschooling has given me permission to take our learning outside of our home and not feel guilty about the lack of table time we spend indoors. Some of the outside experiences we have enjoyed include: a private airplane fl ight (free-falling included), meeting the governor, meeting the county and local mayors, seeing the Broadway play Matilda The Musical [http://us.matildathemu-sical.com/] in New York (in which my sister, Karen Aldridge, is starring), walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, visiting the 9/11 Memorial, visiting the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the Metro-politan Museum of Art, and enjoying our yards. Plus, we enjoy the freedom to treat every place we go as a learning experience—even if it is not inside the traditional four walls.
I would love to say our decision to homeschool came after many days and nights of fasting and pray-ing, but instead, it was just something my husband and I knew we would do with our children. I do feel confi dent enough to say that God placed it on our hearts and we just went with it, with no ques-tions asked. It just seemed the right thing to do at the time and we will continue to do so, until He leads us in a diff erent direction. I am rallying for going all the way through high school with all three children, because I am having a blast. If you homeschool, then you know there is nothing else like it,
5
and I believe it is worth every white hair that continues to sprout on my head. The time I get to spend with my children every day as we learn together is something I will always cherish.
Are you wondering if we ever stay at home and learn? Of course we do. I do not do very well outside during the winter months. Some of our favorite curriculum and resources include Apologia Bible and Science, Awana, edHelper.com, First Language Lessons, Five in a Row, Institute for Excellence in Writing (Primary Arts of Language and Student Writing Intensive), Math Essentials, Math Mammoth, Netfl ix, RightStart Math, and we are avid readers. Some of the new products we are trying this school year are America the Beautiful by the Notgrass Company, Christian Kids Explore Chemistry, Easy Grammar, and Homeschool Programming, Inc.
Managing homeschooling has been a task for me, but we continue to meet the challenge. My children and I have been a review family for The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew for the past three years, which has introduced us to many quality products that have been incorporated into our school. I also work as a journalist and manage Homeschool Roster [http://www.homeschoolroster.com], a homeschool event and fi eld trip blog for West Tennessee homeschoolers encouraging them to get out of the house and learn.
Every day of homeschooling is a learning experience for my children and me. This opportunity contin-ues to allow me to practice my skills in diligence, patience, organization, and also to appreciate all of the moments we have together—even when it comes to telling them the same thing for a fi fth time or literally cleaning up spilled milk. I count it all a blessing and thank God for the opportunity and what He has set before me.
Jennifer Smeltser is a homeschooling mommy of three children and fulfi lls her creative side as a journalist. She coordinates fi eld trips for homeschoolers and manages Homeschool Roster [http://www.homeschoolroster.com], a homeschool event and fi eld trip blog. Jennifer also blogs at Milk & Honey Mommy [http://www.milkandhoneymommy.com] about homeschooling, family, vegetarian cooking, and green/natural/crafty living in small town USA. You may contact her through e-mail [[email protected]].
Copyright 2013, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the November-December 2013 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.
Our defi nition of homeschooling has
given me permission to take our
learning outside of our home and not
feel guilty about the lack of table
time we spend indoors.
6
Learning to Love Silence and Solitude
by Sheila Cambell
I love the quiet stillness of early morning when the house is dark and the only sound is the pop and gurgle of the coff ee pot as it fi lls the kitchen with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coff ee. It is the perfect time to pray, collect my thoughts, and spend a few minutes reading and refl ecting on God’s Word.
Whether it is the silence of morning, the quiet stillness at the end of the day, or a few moments of quiet time when little ones are napping, for many, silence and solitude is an essential part of keeping a quiet and content heart. It is oft en during those quiet moments that we are able to refl ect on God’s blessings in our lives and His abundant grace towards us, and it is in the silence that we most oft en hear Him speak to our hearts as we refl ect on His Word and pour forth our prayers. Th e psalmist proclaims in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God...” And while some people are by nature more com-fortable with their own thoughts and seek out solitude more oft en than others, I think learning to quiet our thoughts and be content in silence is a skill that is developed with practice.
As a general rule, children are rarely content with passing quiet moments in the company of just their own thoughts. Most children would much rather spend their time in the company of others. I think this is why young children have a diffi cult time lying quietly in bed until sleep overtakes them. But in generations past, children rarely had any other options—there were simply times when they had to be content with silence.
Today there are many people—especially those born into the age of technology—which have never heard the sound of silence or truly felt alone for even a moment. While I am thankful for modern technology that allows us to stay connected to family and friends in ways unavailable to previous generations and provides us with resources that allow us to see, listen, connect with others, and access all types of information, music, and entertainment almost anytime and anywhere, I think we must be careful or our children will miss the opportunity to learn to enjoy silence and solitude. Filling their minds with information is an essential part of learning, but children also need time to process that information; they need time to develop their own thoughts and to become comfortable with silence.
We were created for fellowship and so we naturally seek out companionship; our hearts were created for fellowship with our Creator and it is oft en only in solitude that we recognize our heart’s longing for fellowship and seek to commune with the One who knows us better than we know ourselves. Prayer can naturally fi ll those quiet moments and our hearts can start to look forward to times of silence and solitude—times of quiet fellowship with our Lord and Savior. And while God may speak to us in any number of ways, He is oft en heard in those quiet moments we spend alone. When the Lord spoke to Elijah in 1 Kings 19, He was not heard in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fi re, but rather it was a still, small voice that spoke to Elijah.
Of course, we may pray anywhere and anytime—and we should— but it is diffi cult to fi nd comfort and companionship in the company of our Savior if there is the constant prattle of noise ever about us. Even Jesus sought out silence in solitude as recorded in Mark 1:35, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
Listening to others with our thoughts and attention completely focused on them is a skill that is not always easy to learn, but hearing that still, small, voice that speaks in the stillness to our hearts may be even harder, especially if we never stop to listen. While it may be easier to entertain our children with the technology that is available at our fi ngertips, let us be careful not to rob them of the opportunity to learn to love the sweet fellowship that is found when we commune with our Lord in silence and solitude.
Sheila Campbell began homeschooling in 1991 and graduated the last of her four children in the spring of 2009. Aft er the death of her husband in 2001, Sheila homeschooled as a single parent. She also was the parent of a special needs child whom she cared for at home until his death in 2004. Th ese diffi culties have strengthened her walk with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and it is her prayer that her words will encourage and inspire others. Sheila is currently working on a book about the life of her handicapped son and how his life changed hers. Visit her blog at pausingtopraise.wordpress.com.
Copyright, 2013. Used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in Th e Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine, November/December 2013. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.
9
developing a love of history
By Mary Hood, Ph.D.
When I was starting to get my thoughts together for this article, my 33-year-old son, who has always loved histo-ry, came in and asked me what I was working on. When I told him it was an article about helping children learn to love history, he said: “History can be so dull when you focus on places, dates, and names. To get someone to love it, you have to help them learn to walk in the shoes of the people who lived back then.”
So true . . . but how, exactly, do you accomplish that?
It has been almost fi ft y years since I was in seventh grade, but I still remember like yesterday how my social stud-ies teacher inspired a whole classroom of students to love the study of history. She gave up many of her weekends to travel all over the state of Wisconsin with us, teaching us about various historical sites and telling us stories of the people who had lived in the area before we did. She told us about Solomon Juneau, who founded the city of Milwaukee. She shared the story of the fi rst kindergarten in the United States and took us to see it. She walked around the state capitol building with us and helped us learn the names of the important state legislators from years past, as well as meet with some of the current men who worked there.
Besides all of the hands-on fi eld trips, she also made us each do what she called a “big project” each semester. We would each choose one historical site or fi gure and give a ten-minute talk about the person or site, supplemented with dioramas, poetry we had written, or whatever we could come up with. To this day, I remember one of the poems I wrote. I won’t share the entire poem, but it started with these words: “Only an Indian village stood, a circle of huts, a fi re of wood. Only an Indian village lay, when Solomon Juneau decided to stay.”
Not exactly Longfellow, but apparently my teacher achieved her goal, because I learned to love history and can still remember the poem in its entirety fi ft y years later. In fact, I remember the beginning of my best friend’s poem too: “When I walk through Whitnall Park, I wonder if, perhaps, the Indians of long ago had it on their maps.”
Neither of us became poets.
However, many years later, when my family had access to a resource center for homeschoolers in the Atlanta area, I did follow my teacher’s lead and started a program called “Georgia History Adventures.” I went on numer-ous fi eld trips with our students. We went to Savannah and learned about Oglethorpe and the founding of the Georgia colony. We explored the gold mine up in Dahlonega, and we learned about Georgia having the fi rst gold rush in the country. We stood on top of Kennesaw Mountain, next to the cannons, and pictured in our minds what the start of the Battle of Atlanta may have looked like. We tromped around on top of the Etowah Indian Mounds and pretended to be Indians who were there before the white man arrived.
Like my son said, history can be dull and boring, especially when learned from a textbook. However, there are many methods that make history alive and exciting. One of the best methods is learning through fi rsthand experiences as we did back in seventh grade. However, vicarious experiences, such as reading real “living” books written by people who experienced history fi rsthand, reading interesting biographies of the people who traveled this land before our time, or watching carefully chosen videos or documentaries that supplement instruction are also great choices. One of the many productions we watched with our children was the mini-series “Centenni-al,” which focused on the founding of a town in Colorado, taking the viewer from the days of the Indians to the present.
History doesn’t have to suddenly become dull and boring when a student hits high school either. You can still avoid the use of textbooks by simply making a list of topics to cover and then going to the library and getting good books and videos and supplementing when possible with real-life experiences.
As part of a high school U.S History class that covered World War II, to tell the story of the fateful day when the 11
bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, we borrowed from the library a video about the pilot who carried out the mission. We spent an hour glued to the television set, hanging on every word. In a textbook, a study of that event would have occupied a single paragraph.
If you’re worried about not being able to plan instruction in history without using a textbook, begin by using the table of contents from a textbook to plan your own curriculum. For example, if you are studying U.S. history, just start with the Indians, then the explorers, then the original colonies, then the Revolution, and keep on going right up to modern day. Spend a week or two on each topic; go to the library to search for interesting books, videos, or biographies, and consider what experiential learning or fi eld trips could be added as you study each topic. Younger children might like dressing up in costumes or making up their own plays about a particular time period. Older teens might enjoy participating in historical reenactments or spending some time traveling in con-nection with a particular study.
Is this more work? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely—100%.
Above all, keep history fresh, interesting, and exciting! It has always been one of my favorite topics, and I owe a lot to my seventh-grade teacher, who made Wisconsin history come alive by sharing her own infectious enthusi-asm with us almost fi ft y years ago!
Mary Hood, Ph.D., and her husband, Roy, homeschooled their fi ve children since the early 1980s. All have suc-cessfully made the transition to adulthood. Mary has a Ph.D. in education and is the director of ARCHERS for the Lord, Inc. (Th e Association of Relaxed Christian Home Educators). She is the author of Th e Relaxed Home School, Th e Joyful Home Schooler, and other books, and is available for speaking engagements. Contact her via her website, www.archersforthelord.org.
Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the April 2012 issue of Th e Old School-house® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and down-load the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.
12
13
Reaching Beyond Our
Family By Sheila Campbell
I waved as they drove off and Jennifer waved back, with the excitement of spending the day at the corn maze bursting through her beaming smile. Th rough the van window I could see my boys eagerly looking ahead, already absorbed in the adventure of the day. I turned back with mixed emotions to see Justin, who sat quietly in his wheelchair, and I gently kissed his cheek. I loved my handicapped son and was grateful for a day to spend alone with him, and I was also grateful for homeschool friends who had off ered to take my other children on a fi eld trip organized by our homeschool support group, but my heart was torn—I wanted to enjoy the adventure of a corn maze with my kids, and I wished that Justin were capable of enjoying such an adventure too.
As the van drove away, I thought back to the day only a few weeks aft er my husband’s death, when our homes-chool support group had changed the plans and location of our “end of school” party to help my family. Families arrived at our house armed with food and prepared to spend the day working. While the men built fence and completed some outside projects, the women provided food not only for their families and the men who were working but also enough to last our family several weeks. My heart warmed at the memory, and I once more thanked the Lord for the bountiful blessing of friends.
As I turned back to Justin and the quiet house, it was with a twinge of loneliness. Justin was nonverbal, and although he might smile at my conversations and the music and audio books that fi lled the silent spaces of the house, I still felt the silence. I had several friends with whom I oft en exchanged childcare—I would keep their children in my home when they needed help, and they would off er to take mine to activities so that I did not have to take Justin, who was easily over-stimulated by crowds and preferred to stay home. However, it was only my mother who ever off ered to stay with Justin so that I could attend an event with my other children, which meant she missed out on many of their performances.
As a single parent and the parent of a special needs child, I sometimes felt as if I had a double dose of loneliness. When our support group hosted family events, I went with my children, and I never felt out of place as there were always other women whose husbands were either working or unable to attend for some reason. However, when families gathered in smaller, more informal groups, I oft en felt left out or like a “fi ft h wheel.”
Th ere was loneliness in that season of my life that was oft en overlooked, but it was in that loneliness that the Lord drew me ever closer to Himself, so I have no regrets and look back on that season with special fondness. Th at season of loneliness also opened my eyes to the needs of others that oft en go overlooked.
My situation was not unique, and as the number of homeschool families has grown, it has become even more common to encounter single-parent families who homeschool; the number of homeschool families with special needs children is even larger. I would venture to say that almost every homeschool family knows at least one family who homeschools under unique or diffi cult circumstances. Th ere are a number of ways that families can minister to others who may be struggling.
As a single parent, I wanted my children to be surrounded by whole families, since statistics indicate that chil-dren from single-parent homes are far more likely to become single parents. I wanted my children to know how whole families functioned and to experience the fellowship of whole families, and the Lord was gracious to answer my prayer.
Although I oft en hosted gatherings for the ladies in our group, as my children grew I also began to invite indi-vidual families to share a meal and fellowship with us. I would usually invite at least two families so that the men in each family would have fellowship with one another and would feel more comfortable in our home. Later, the Lord provided several families who opened their homes and their hearts to our family and included us in their fellowship. All of those families were dear Christian friends from our homeschool group! Over the years there were even a few special families in which the men embraced the opportunity to fellowship with my boys and were willing to welcome our family into fellowship with theirs without the need for others, which made us feel
15
special indeed!
Today, I listen as my boys talk about the men in their lives, and I am moved to tears with gratitude for men who were willing to be surrogate fathers to my boys. I watch with gladness as these families continue to open their homes and their hearts to other single parents and include them in their fellowship, giving their children living examples of whole, complete families.
I have also witnessed a very special family take extra time to learn how to care for a special needs child belonging to another family. Th ey off er to keep him when the mom needs a break and are available when this family needs someone to care for him for a few hours or even a few days.
Every special needs child is diff erent, and each has diff erent needs. Some enjoy being in large groups and thrive on activity and people, while others are easily over-stimulated and prefer one-on-one attention. I would encour-age others—especially families who do not have a child with special needs—to embrace a family with a special needs child and take the time to learn how to care for that child. God was gracious to provide for the needs of our family, and looking back I realize I did not encourage my friends to learn how to care for Justin’s needs because I did not want to burden them. Perhaps my pride prevented some family from reaping the blessings that come with learning how to love unconditionally and giving time and attention to a child who cannot return that love and attention in the same way that other children do.
I do not always agree with the statement that “it takes a village to raise a child.” I believe God placed children in families because He intended parents to raise children, but I also believe He placed families in community to help and minister to one another. I encourage you to look around and reach beyond the boundaries of your fam-ily to those families who need the fellowship of the Body of Christ. May you fi nd the blessings boundless!
Sheila Campbell began homeschooling in 1991, and aft er the death of her husband in 2001, she homeschooled as a single parent. She also was the parent of a special needs child whom she cared for at home until his death in 2004. Th ese diffi culties have strengthened her walk with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and it is her prayer that her words will encourage and inspire others. Sheila resides in Hale Center, Texas, and recently left her job with the Texas Home School Coalition to pursue her writing goals. Sheila invites you to visit her blog at pausingtopraise.wordpress.com
Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the November 2012 issue of Th e Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.
16
Paul Revere’s Ride
in Context
By Adam Andrews
When our kids were little, Missy and I used to read them Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem about Paul Revere. It’s a great poem—a classic by any defi nition. We particularly like how the poem’s imagery takes us back in time, and we imagine ourselves in the Boston hinterland on the 18th of April, 1775, as Paul Revere rides out to warn his countrymen of the British threat. Even the rhythm of the piece recalls a galloping horse: LISTen my CHILDren and YOU shall HEAR Of the MIDnight RIDE of PAUL reVERE.
In all the years that I read it to my children, I had never thought to ask them what Longfellow’s poem was about. It went without saying, I suppose. It’s about the American Revolution, of course. It’s about the famed Minutemen of Massachusetts and their heroic battle with the British at Old North Bridge in Concord.
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-fi ve;Hardly a man is now aliveWho remembers that famous day and year . . .In the books you have read How the British regulars fi red and fl edHow the farmers gave them ball for ball From behind each fence and farmyard wall . . .
But in larger sense, the poem is also about the American spirit. It’s about how Americans won’t stand for slavery and how they fi ght against any and all threats to their liberties. Longfellow urges his readers to adopt the Minute-men’s attitude toward oppression and tyranny:
Th rough all our history, to the lastIn the hour of darkness and peril and needTh e people will waken and listen to hearTh e hurrying hoof-beats of that steed And the midnight message of Paul Revere.
One day fairly recently, long aft er I had stopped reading the poem to my kids, I decided to explore the context of Longfellow’s poem—that is, the details of time and place that surrounded its writing. I learned that until you take a look at these details, you may never really know what a story is about.
Th anks to Google, it is much easier to fi nd out about a story’s context than it used to be. In no more than three minutes of searching for terms such as “Longfellow” and “Paul Revere’s Ride,” I came up with the following de-tails:
First, I found that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived from 1807 to 1882 and was a lifelong resident of New En-gland. Th is made him a contemporary of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Abraham Lincoln, and Mark Twain. Th is also means he lived through the War of 1812, the development of steam power, and the American Civil War.
Second, I learned that Longfellow was a famous poet. By some accounts he was the most famous man in Amer-ica and was considered a national treasure even during his own lifetime. It was customary, I read, for gentlemen to rise and doff their hats when Longfellow entered a room, out of respect for the great man. Longfellow was so highly regarded, in fact, that everything he wrote was immediately bought up and read by an adoring public. He could be certain of a wide listening audience every time he put pen to paper.
Finally, I noted the publication details of “Paul Revere’s Ride.” It fi rst appeared in Th e Atlantic Monthly, a Boston literary journal, in January 1861. January 1861! I was shocked. Th at means that he wrote the poem less than two
19
months aft er Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States without the benefi t of a single South-ern vote. Th at means he wrote the poem just as the fi rst Southern states began to secede from the Union, a little more than a month before a Southern government, the Confederate States of America, was formally declared, and less than four months before shots were fi red on Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston harbor. Longfel-low wrote the poem, in other words, at the very height of the secession crisis that brought on the American Civil War.
Th e combination of these three simple details produced a dramatic and immediate change in the way I under-stood Longfellow’s poem. I realized that while the events of 1775 gave shape to the story, it wasn’t really about the American Revolution at all. Aft er all, why would Longfellow spend so much energy rallying his readers to a cause nearly a century old? Why encourage them with all of those passionate words about the American spirit if the issue had been decided before they were born? What need was there in 1861 to fan the spark of patriotism into fl ame if he was writing about the crisis of 1775?
But Longfellow did spend that energy to rally his readers. He did encourage them with passionate words about the American spirit. He did strive to fan the spark of patriotism into fl ame. Longfellow clearly wanted to arouse in his readers the American love of liberty that had animated the founders and direct it against the old foes: slavery, oppression, and tyranny. But what power of slavery, oppression, and tyranny was he railing against? Th e eighteenth-century British Empire? In 1861? Hardly. I realized it was much more likely that this famous New Englander and friend of abolitionists used this poem to rally his troops against the Southern slave power and the incipient Confederacy.
Longfellow clearly wanted to arouse in his readers the American love of liberty that Longfellow clearly wanted to arouse in his readers the American love of liberty that had animated the founders and direct it against the old foes: slavery, oppression, and had animated the founders and direct it against the old foes: slavery, oppression, and
tyranny.tyranny.
As a historian, I already knew that “Paul Revere’s Ride” is not a very reliable guide for historical details about the American Revolution. It exaggerates some of the facts and gets others simply wrong. A quick look into the con-text of the poem, however, reveals its great value as a glimpse into the mind of an American Northerner on the eve of the Civil War as he contemplates his nation’s past and looks hopefully toward a glorious future.
As it happens, all stories are written by particular people at particular times in particular places. We readers would do well to pay attention to these details of context. As I learned with Paul Revere, they are oft en the key that unlocks a story’s meaning.
Adam Andrews is the Director of the Center for Literary Education and a homeschooling father of six. Adam earned his B.A. from Hillsdale College and is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington. He and his wife Missy are the authors of Teaching the Classics, the popular reading and literature curriculum. Th ey teach their children at home in Rice, Washington. For more information, visit www.centerforlit.com.
Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the June 2012 issue of Th e Old School-house® Magazine, the family education magazine. 20
MANAGING THE HOMESCHOOL
TEACHING DAY WITH A STRUGGLING
LEARNER
by Pam Gates
As a homeschooling mom of six, one of the most challenging situations that has arisen is having a struggling learner who needs one-on-one time with me. I do as much of my homeschooling as possible with all of us work-ing together. Even with math, which is so individualized, I prefer to have everyone working at the same time so I can move easily from one child to the next, helping where necessary. Our day is full, so the thought of spending an hour to an hour-and-a-half with just one child seemed diffi cult at best. Th e reality is, though, that that one-on-one time is crucial for the struggling learner. Up to the time I began my third child’s more formal education, I thought I must be a pretty amazing teacher. My two sons had no struggles academically. My daughter is very bright, so it was a surprise to me when I began noticing her having diffi culty grasping even simple things.
She wanted so badly to learn. But by the age of 7 she was already considerably behind. She could not count to 10 comfortably. She could not say the alphabet (even with the song). She could write her name, but was unable to name each of the letters in it consistently. She could not remember phonics, so reading was nonexistent. I scheduled a consultation with an educational diagnostician in Denver who was able to diagnose my daughter as having dyslexia. Th e diagnostician outlined a daily schedule for us to follow and taught me specifi c teach-ing methods (most of them right brain strategies). She also taught me therapy designed specifi cally to open my daughter’s blocked learning gates and guided me through a nutritional plan found to work particularly well with children with dyslexia.
I left the appointment relieved and excited, but somewhat overwhelmed. Frankly, at this point, educating my daughter had become so frustrating for both of us that we had drastically reduced the amount of time we spent on it. But I went home determined to prayerfully carve out the time she needed.
Please take this in the spirit it is intended. I know how diffi cult the task is and how the enemy tries to cripple us with guilt, so I was asked to share practical advice to help those of you who fi nd yourselves in a similar situation. With our schedule as it was, how could I possibly give Breanna the individual time she needed, continue my sons’ education, and manage my 4-year-old, 2-year-old and newborn’s schedules?
TIME MANAGEMENT SUGGESTIONS
Set your priorities. Th e fi rst milestone was the realization that teaching my daughter to read was the most important thing to focus on at that time. Her two big brothers could aff ord to take a break, if necessary, while I concentrated on her for awhile. I found that my children who are not struggling can catch up in a short time. You may decide that it is necessary to ease up on the amount of curriculum you cover with them during the school year and spend some of the summer break working to pick up the slack.
Realistically look at your daily schedule. What activities could we drop, or at least put on hold for a while? Mu-sic lessons, sports, fi eld trips, even extra church activities may need to be set aside. Remember, this is not a per-manent situation. It is oft en more diffi cult for us as mothers to give the extra activities up than for our children.
Extend your teaching time. For me this meant getting up earlier in the morning. It is much more productive for me to get myself to bed earlier and have more hours in the morning than to plan to get things done aft er the chil-dren have been put to bed. Th e energy I hope to have in the evening hours is somehow nonexistent. As for my children, I began making sure they were up, breakfasted and ready for the school day by 8. Look at your schedule to see what works best for your family.
Delegate within the family. My husband encouraged me to look at my daily tasks and determine which of my responsibilities I could turn over to the children. For example, we set up a simple breakfast and lunch menu and my three older children (10- and 8- and 7-year-olds) were each responsible for one day a week. As a mother,
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Resources for Parents of Children with Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities
•The Source for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia by Regina Richards (ISBN 0760603081) Lingui Systems Publishers (800) 776-4332 •Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level by Sally Shaywitz, M.D. (ISBN 0375400125)•Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz, M.D. (ISBN 0679781595)•Homeschooling Children with Special Needs by Sharon Hensley (ISBN 1568570104)•Learning in Spite of Labels by Joyce Herzog (ISBN 1882514130)•Th e LCP Solution: Th e Remarkable Nutritional Treatment for ADHD, Dyslexia & Dyspraxia by Jacqueline Stordy, Ph.D (ISBN 0345438728)•At Last! A reading Method for every Child by Mary Pecci, available at www.onlinereadingteacher.com (ISBN 0943220076)•Recipe for Ready by Nina Traub
your time is more stretched. It is important to free yourself from some of the more repetitive tasks. Generally, our children can take on a lot more responsibility than we give them credit for. Once the initial (rather messy) training period is completed, this turns out to be a real blessing.
Delegate outside of the family. Recently, someone suggested hiring a homeschooled teen in the area to come over for an hour a day to do some of the teaching with the other children. It is important to note that I, as parent, am the one who needs to be focusing on my struggling learner. If funds are tight, consider instead checking his-tory, science, and literature videos out at the library to keep your other children productively entertained during the tutoring session.
INCREDIBLE PROGRESS Th e individual time invested with my daughter was invaluable. We would not have been able to accomplish all we set out to do by keeping her constantly in the family teaching setting. She had to have some time free of dis-tractions with me. Aft er about six months of more concentrated time with her, she had made incredible progress and was able to work alongside the other children most of the time. We have been using the teaching strategies found to work best for her and have continued with the at-home therapy, along with nutritional interventions.
It has been a long, sometimes laborious, process, but now, six years later, you would never know she ever had dyslexia. She is reading, writing, and doing math at grade level. Last year her language arts teacher in our once-a-week home school co-op said she was amazed at her talent for poetry. Her teacher this year commented that she sometimes uses my daughter as a “second teacher” to help some of the other students. Best of all, my daughter no longer considers herself dyslexic.
Just as with homeschooling in general, this is obviously a very personal situation. I encourage you to pray for wisdom and patience to accomplish the task God has placed before you.
Article used with permission.
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THE ADVANTAGE OF HOMESCHOOL
AUDIBLESBy Ronald E. Johnson, C.Ph.D.
At a recent court trial in which Child Protective Services (CPS) fi led charges against foster parents who home-school, the judge asked a professional witness to give his opinion as to why parents ought to homeschool their children, especially those who are diagnosed with special needs.
Th e expert witness (on homeschool and public school) replied, “In football, a quarterback has the option to exe-cute the play (strategy) sent from the coach, or to assess the defense alignment and call an entirely diff erent play (strategy) if he observes that the opposing team has lined up in such a way as to prevent eff ective execution of the play called by the coach. Th at quarterback option is called, an audible.”
In like manner, parents intuitively know when standard classroom learning practices and curriculum will likely prevent eff ective learning by a child on any given day. Th erefore, homeschool mothers have the option to call audibles throughout the day in order to adjust the academic game plan to address issues presented by each child’s attitude, physical condition, academic needs, or family emergencies.
Classroom teachers are required to execute academic game plans sent by the state education agency to public school campuses (the academic playing fi eld). Classroom teachers generally do not have the luxury of calling audibles to address individual student needs. Teachers must follow the state plan designed for children locked-stepped in classrooms according to ages and grade levels, regardless of individual needs and circumstances of children.
Parents who homeschool can call the audibles of where, when, what, and how individual students should ex-perience optimum learning on any particular day. Th at option is a huge advantage, especially for children with special needs, or those who are underperforming, or who are capable of accelerating above the schedule of peers. Opportunity for parents to call audibles as needed and to select curriculum that fi ts individual students are among the numerous reasons why families are making the decision to homeschool their children. In fact, the home school movement has grown an estimated 8.3 percent during recent years. Th ousands of parents realize that their children are too precious to be placed under state academic game plans that are not designed to ad-dress personal, emotional, spiritual, and academic needs of individual students. Homeschool allows parents to call the audibles needed to help their children win in the game of life.
For more articles by Dr. Ronald E. Johnson, check Doc’s Blog at www.pacworks.com or www.PardigmVirtualAcad-emy.com. Comments are welcome at [email protected]. Share this article with families who are considering homeschool.
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