Blocks...

I wanted to say a quick word about blocks. I think blocks are one of the best--if not THE BEST--childhood tools available. And I have to say, that I think Dr. Drew's blocks are among the best.

You can see Scotty many years ago with one of his Dr. Drew block creations. He used to make structures like this all the time when he was little. You can see this one is a sky-scraper type with little men in each cubical and a farm fence around the base with various animals corralled.

This takes a lot of imagination, small motor coordination, planning and time! It develops so many parts of a child's growth and is really a pretty cheap tool.

Disclaimer-I am not affiliated with Dr. Drew in any way. Now, let's look at the actual cost of this phenomenal tool. 72 blocks in a nice cloth storage bag--and these are high quality, nicely finished beechwood [hardwood] for around $60. This is a nice starter set and that is what Scotty has in the picture. We ended up adding planks for around $30. So, for about $100 we had a set of tools that can be used for years and years, by many, many children spanning more than one generation.

When I bought them they were cheaper, but even at $100. Let's say you have 3 children. That is $33 each, and figure they will play with them [conservatively] for 3 years each, that is $11 per year. If they play with them one day out of three, that is about 3 cents per day. And after all that playing, they will be just as good for your grandchildren!

What? Grandchildren?

Our blocks have been played with my our children [turning into catapults and domino runs in later years], our nieces and nephews, little friends that visit and now [still good as new, even the drawstring bag is in good shape] we have two grandchildren expected this year. In a couple of years this second generation will get hours and hours of creative play time.

So, whether you choose Dr. Drew blocks, or Melissa and Doug, or some other type of wooden block, know that you are providing tools that will give you a high return for the $$. I think this is a childhood tool that is worth the investment.

Take care,
Jill

High School Help...

I had another high school question today, so I wanted to gather my high school posts in one location.

I will add to these as I have time.

• Transitioning to College from Literature Based Learning
• Using Dictation with High School Students
• High School Transcripts, Not as scary as you think...
• High School Credits for Sonlight Cores
• Grading High School Work-Contract for Grade
• Stretching a Core for longer than a year
  

2010 Sonlight Catalogs

Yesterday while I was busy making waffles for my 2 year old niece and 5 year old nephew Scrappy started barking her "There's-a-guy- in-a-uniform-and-big-truck" bark. When I looked out I saw a UPS guy looking like he was going to cry.

I yelled out, "Do you have boxes for me?"

"34." [This said in a defeated voice.]

He was looking up at our house and the many steps it would take to lug all those boxes up the steps to my porch. There are twelve steps up to my house, and 34 boxes at 29# each, meant he needed to tote nearly 1/2 ton of Sonlight up the steps.

Now you know why he wanted to cry!

I yelled down to the truck, "You can put them on your hand cart and wheel them up my neighbors driveway and into our side door. There is only one or two small steps that way and the cart can come right up them."

Ahh--I saw him smile. I locked Scrappy in my office, rescued the waffles out of the waffle baker, put some syrup on them and gave them to the kids. I said they could eat in their hands if they needed to since I couldn't help them cut them up. I propped the door, opened the gate, got Bob to give the UPS guy a hand...and in rolled the catalogs.
Once they were done, Isaac and I counted the boxes, estimated how many there were, 1700--oh I and I got a LARGE warm cloth and wiped maple syrup covered hands, faces and the table. [You can imagine!]

Isaac said, "It takes math to figure out how many catalogs, doesn't it Aunt Jill?" And ever the homeschooler we counted, talked weight, shapes, found my name on the back and I had Isaac read the cover and my contact information printed on the back.

Ahh, a good day. I love catalog day. I just need to wipe down the chairs--still a bit sticky.

Take care,
Jill

Transitioning to College...

Over on the Sonlighter Club Forums I see over and over again that folks want to be reassured that using a literature based curriculum will prepare their kids for college and for life.

It will.

Do you remember when you were pregnant or maybe when you first thought you might homeschool? I doubt that you checked out a text book about pregnancy or homeschooling and then answered the questions at the end of the chapter or took a final test. But, I am guessing, you learned? I am guessing, by reading real books and possibly discussing what you read and your thoughts about what you read with a friend or spouse, you learned, made decisions and had a fairly good idea of the thing you researched?

It is the same with our kids. When they use real books to learn and discuss what they have learned with you or write a response paper, they are learning--and what is more--they are learning to critically think about what they read. This is THE BEST way to learn, THE BEST way to assimilate information, THE BEST way to figure out where they stand and what they believe.

When Scotty first went to Eastern Kentucky University he was a bit hesitant. He had been homeschooled his whole life and had never taken a community college class or been in a co-op. He did have the opportunity to take a chemistry lab at our local Christian College with other high school homeschoolers, but that was the extent of his out-of-home education.

After a couple of weeks I asked him what he thought and how he was doing. He said, "Well, at first I just sat and didn't answer many questions. But, in my English class we were supposed to read some selections from Plato and discuss them the next day. When that day came, the teacher asked for us to tell what we thought and the significance of the writing. A few kids raised their hands and basically regurgitated something from the selection. But, the teacher said, 'No, what I want is what it means--what is the significance. What do you think about it?'

So, I raised my hand and told what I thought it meant, what the significance of it was."

"Kids looked at me with amazement and said, 'Did you study this last year?' and I had to answer no, that I had never seen it before. Then they said, 'How did you know that, then?' and I said, 'I just read it, thought about it and figured it out.' The teacher was pleased and I knew right then that college wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. The kids are just regular kids, the same kids who work at McDonalds. I don't know what I worried about."

And there you have it.

If you use literature to teach your children they well learn to think for themselves, learn to analyze what they read, be able to form opinions and then to communicate those opinions back orally or in writing. It will be second nature to them--they have been doing it for years. Reading textbooks and filling in blanks does not adequately prepare them for this higher level of thinking like literature based learning does.

It just doesn't.

[Note: I think textbooks can be used as a tool toward this end, if literature and discussion are used along with it. I don't think all textbooks are in and of themselves bad, but they need to be used as a tool, not to be memorized and accepted as fact.]

Take care,
Jill

[Photo: Scotty's graduation from our homeschool in 2007]

Socializaton...should I be worried?

Years and years ago when we decided to pull Cris out of school because of a variety of problems, nobody talked about the "S" word. What they said back then, 20 years ago, was "He'll never be able to go to college."
"You realize you are destroying his chance of having a profession, getting higher education, etc."
"If you pull him out now, he will never be allowed back into public school later if you change your mind."

You get the idea.

We even got a letter from the superintendent saying this very thing. I wish I had saved it. It would be laughable.

But, evidence showed just the opposite. Homeschool kids flourished and have gone on to college, military and excel in a variety of professions, jobs and trades. Many are raising the next generation of homeschoolers.

Studies have shown that homeschoolers outperform traditional schoolers on every achievement test given.

So, about ten years ago, the nay-sayers changed their tune. Since they couldn't argue about the educational deficiencies of homeschoolers, they started throwing "socialization" at us.

"Your children won't be socialized."

I guess they think they will be like Mogli, raised by wolves and a big bear? They won't know how to....What? I mean what really won't our kids be able to do? What do they mean by socialization?
When I went to school if kids talked in class the teacher would look stern and say, "We are not here to socialize." That's right, we were there to learn.

But, somehow, it doesn't matter if we provide a quality education-our kids need to be socialized. I looked up socialization in a few places, and this definition seems to fit what folks think our kids are missing:

The adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture; "the socialization of children to the norms of their culture" wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

But is this what we want? Do we want our children to adopt the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture of 35 other age mates? I don't think so.

What most of us want for our kids is to be socialized to be independent adults, good family members, participating members of society--but we also want them to stand apart. Not to adopt the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture, but to be leaders and ambassadors for Christ.

And, according to the latest study done by Brian Ray, 98% of homeschoolers are involved in at least 2 activities outside of the home. They are getting lots of social experiences with people of all ages and ideas. They are not isolated and kept apart, but they are trained by working along side of their moms and dad, sisters and brothers--trained to be functioning members of society while getting a great education.

So, if someone asks you about socialization, feel free to ask them what they mean. Do they mean your child won't have social opportunities? If that is the case then I am sure you can let them know that you won't be keeping your child in a closed room all day without any human contact.

If they mean you will be depriving your children because you won't be keeping them locked up with their age-mates all day so they can become more like them, then you can let them know what you think about that! You may want to ask the parents of the public schooled children, "Aren't you worried about socialization?"

Take care,
Jill

Note: The picture at the top of the blog is of a T-shirt available from http://www.greathomeschooltshirts.com/

My daughter and the Press...

This is a nice homeschooling article about homeschoolers who went off to college. My daughter Kari is quoted quite a few times. The author was homeschooled in Berea Kentucky then graduated from Transylvania University in Lexington, KY.

The Jessamine Journal: Nicholasville, Kentucky

Off to Indianapolis

Today we pack up the truck so we can leave for Indianapolis tomorrow. The first convention of the year, IAHE .

Here is my office-notice matching shirts for the booth assistants and boxes and tubs of supplies.

We have a little apartment/guest room in the back of our house. I have tubs of books here, ready to be packed up--too bad it is cold and a bit snowy today.






There will be much scurrying around once we get to the conference center, trying to set up a 30x10 foot booth to look like a showcase. Here are a few boxes of catalogs. There are five altogether--each weighing 58.1 pounds. They have each been stickered twice--once with my contact information and one that is a unique coupon, good for $5 off an order of $50 or more. These are piled up in our short hall, blocking the cold air return and not allowing the bathroom door to open very far--see the door on the right side.

It is just like anything else-it is WAY more work than anyone thinks. Here you see a Newcomer 3 in the purple tub, the math supplies and in the bottom tub are the books for the front table.

I don't want to bore you with all the details, but there are signs to print, catalogs to label, coupons to print, books to organize, and then you have to figure out what tables, book shelves, book racks and other display items to bring. Here is a box of pens and gift bags, each with a book and a Smencil. These bags will be given away to every person who fills out a contact card that has a star sticker on it. 4% of the cards have star stickers on them.

And then there are banners, tablecloths, pens, tape and the equivalent of an office supply store to pack away. There are 5 banners [in the black cases] for each booth. Since I will have two booths, that is ten banners.


What if you need a utility knife, or tape, or scissors or... All that has to be packed.

It reminds me a bit of backpacking--only lots heavier! If you don't take it with you and then you need it at the convention, you are out of luck. I have had frantic convention neighbors who are relieved to find I have duct tape! My motto: Don't leave home without Duct Tape!

And then there is chocolate, nuts and dried fruit that are the fuel to keep my many assistants working during the convention. There will be a total of six moms, 4 teen girls, my graduated daughter and my husband working in the two booths during the two days. Their hours have to be coordinated, they need to be paid and the out-of-towners need to be housed.

At any rate, we have a small house. So, today, before we try to fit everything in our convention mobile [also known as a Dodge Ram pick up truck] there are boxes, tubs and more boxes scattered all around the house. I am praying it all fits!

Take Care,
Jill

Note: It all fit! I am so thrilled that there is even room left over for our suitcases!

Sprouts...

Spring poked through some leaf mulch in my flower beds yesterday. The day before looked like this [see icicle picture below] as we drove home from our farm.
And then, yesterday came and it was like spring came bursting through. It is funny, because just the day before it looked like it was "Always winter, but never Christmas" and then it was like Aslan was on the move, and spring was anxious to tell winter to say goodbye.

Isn't that how it is a lot of the time? Just when things seem all cold and frozen and like things will never be sunny and warm again--then something little happens--and just like that, the ice is melting and the season is changing.

I couldn't help but think about when I was teaching Scotty to read. He knew the letter sounds, knew the idea but he seemed frozen in that knowledge and couldn't really understand blending. It was like winter had set in and we were stuck in the season of letter sounds-but no reading. Then, just like that, he "got it." He jumped up and down and hugged me and thanked me for teaching him to read. In that moment, the world opened up to him that had previously been locked away, frozen and inaccessible.

It was just like the little daffodils who are poking though the leaves. They are done sitting in the same place under the dirt, locked away, and are opening up to the big world.

Ahh, spring. When seasons change. When new life pokes through and new ideas take form.
Hope springs eternal and sometimes when one is coldest and surrounded by ice, the promise of spring poking through ground, gives us renewed energy.
If you are stuck in a cold place right now. Take comfort. Seasons change, nothing stays the same. There is green among the ice.

Take care,
Jill

Food Rules...

I just finished reading a really good book called Food Rules by Michael Pollan.
The book's title is kind of a play on words, because it actually contains "rules" for eating, but it also seems to be saying that "Food Rocks" or "Food is Awesome" and that is why Food Rules.

A quick read, this book had me laughing right out loud in some places and nodding my head in others. Michael starts out with the words, "Eating in our time has gotten complicated--" and he continues on from there. He gives a brief overview of how food science is a relatively new science and that there is all sorts of conflicting information on what is the best way to eat, even among specialists and professionals.

Michael sums up all the rules in seven simple words.

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Then he goes on to explain what this means by giving 63 easy to follow rules.

I don't want to go into too much depth, but with rules like:

• Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food
• Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not
• Avoid foods you see advertised on television
• Avoid foods that a third grader can't pronounce

You will find yourself getting a dose of common sense and a refreshingly healthy view of food.

With a easy to read format and only 139 pages [many of them partially blank or with pictures] you will find that you will glean a lot of memorable information in just a bit of time. I bought my copy from Amazon for $5.00 and had free shipping with Amazon Prime.

A great deal.

Take care,
Jill

Visit my Homeschool & Parenting Library...

For the past year I have been working on an on-line homeschool and parenting library. It is a collection of my thoughts and ideas on both subjects. There is even an audio file of a talk I gave in Frankfort in September, "How Living Books Teach," and a teleconference I did with another homeschool mom on how to use Sonlight to homeschool a large family.

You can find My Library here: Homeschool and Parenting Library

I hope you will find it helpful to see these posts in this easy to find format. In the past week I have had some phone calls from people asking many of the same questions that I speak to in this library.

Take care,
Jill