|
HELP FOR NEW HOMESCHOOLERS
Many new homeschoolers believe they need to make their
home schools as much as possible like school as they have known it, in order not to
short-change their children. Nothing could be farther from the truth. One of the most
important distinctions between institutional and home schooling is the opportunity to
teach the child at his own pace rather than both teacher and student being dominated by a
textbook. Many new to homeschooling don’t realize that they can save money and do
better for their children by holding off on textbooks until a real need for them presents
itself.
So what does one do instead? Many experienced home
educators use a unit study approach. This enables many ages to study the same subject
together using books in one’s own or the public library instead of textbooks. Helpful
books for those wanting to explore this approach include How to Create Your Own Unit
Study by Valerie Bendt (Cat. #1520, $15.00), and the various Design-a-Study books
by Kathryn Stout: Comprehensive Composition (Cat. #1519, $14.00); Critical
Conditioning (Cat. #1299, $9.00), on reading comprehension; Guides to
History (Cat. #1521, $9.00); Natural Speller (Cat. #1507, $22.00);
Science Scope (Cat. #1523, $15.00); Maximum Math (Cat. #1522,
$24.00); and Teaching Tips and Techniques (Cat. #1524, $10.00). All of these
books cover their subjects from kindergarten to grade 12, and might be all you need to get
started with subjects other than reading and math.
Teaching Elementary Ages / Teaching Junior High and High School
SPECIAL HINTS FOR TEACHING ELEMENTARY AGE CHILDREN
One of the best home school activities for children of
all ages is reading aloud to them. This is especially important for the very youngest
children, but it should not stop when children are old enough to read on their own.
Reading good books aloud models language skills for your children. They hear complete
sentences. They hear proper usage. They increase their vocabulary beyond what they are
able to read by themselves. They are introduced to new ideas that become foundations and
building blocks for other ideas. As families share books together, they build a common
frame of reference. As they discuss what they read they prepare their children to face new
situations before they meet them in real life. They can learn to understand what their
parents believe and why. They can learn to evaluate what book characters say and do in the
light of what Scriptures teach or what your family believes.
If you need help in choosing good literature to read
aloud or to have your children read, three books may be of help: Honey for a
Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt (Cat. # 705, $10.99), Books that Build
Character by William Kilpatrick and Gregory and Suzanne Wolfe(Cat. #699, $11.00)
and Books Children Love by Edith Wilson (Cat. #993, $14.99). These authors
review a large selection of recommended books for all ages. Gladys Hunt spends the greater
part of her book discussing how to evaluate and choose good literature for your family.
She explains the special value of each type of literature. Edith Wilson pretty much sticks
to the book reviews themselves. Mr. Kilpatrick and the Wolfes give detailed reviews of
picture books, novels, myths, sacred texts, and biographies that lend themselves to
teaching certain moral values, and these reviews give you an idea of what values you can
find examples of in different literary works. On another page on this site I have offered
my own recommendations and reviews of books I think are worth reading aloud.
If you are convinced of the value of reading aloud,
there are two curriculum plans that incorporate this as a major component: Five in a Row and Sonlight. I carry most of the books
that are still in print to go with both of these programs. I suggest you follow the given
links for more information on the programs themselves. I believe they are both excellent. Five
in a Row is limited to ages 4-8 for most effective use. I carry all of the
Curriculum materials for Five in A Row at a 10% discount. Sonlight covers the entire age
span through junior high and plans to continue into high school.
If you are considering textbooks because you’re not sure what
you should be teaching your children at each grade level, there are other ways to keep on
top of it. Teaching Children: A Curriculum Guide to What Children Need to Know at
Each Level Through Sixth Grade by Diane Lopez (Cat. #884, $12.99) is something you
will want to refer to often. E.D. Hirsch’s Core Curriculum Series is another
help. He has six volumes, one each for each grade level through grade six. These books
have actual selections that you read to your children each day. Each book contains every
essential subject (except Bible) for each grade level and includes even the fine arts. It
was designed as a supplement for any curriculum, but could also be used as a framework for
developing your own. Be sure and look these books over. Hard cover editions are 22.50.
Paperbacks are 10.95. To order, just write Core Curriculum Grade ____ (filling the blank
with the proper grade level) and indicate whether you want paper or hardcover.
A more recent book than any of the above is What Your Child
Needs to Know When: An Evaluation Check List for Grades K-8, by Robin Scarlata
(Cat. #1509, $15.95). This book tells you the objectives for the five most widely used
national achievement tests. You can compare your curriculum to this book to be sure you
are teaching everything your children will be tested on . There are check boxes by each
objective so you can check it off when you believe your children have learned the
material. There are also evaluation sheets for things your children won't be tested on:
Bible reading, character traits, spiritual fruits, social skills, and study and work
habits.There is also a glossary of common teaching terms and a copy of the Dolch sight
word list, as well as instructions on how to use this book with several children.
Before investing in any textbooks to teach basic subjects such as
reading, math, and language arts, it would be wise to read what Ruth Beechick has to say
about teaching those subjects for your grade levels. She tells you how to teach the basics
without textbooks, and you can save a lot of money by taking her advice. The 3 R’s
(Cat. #916, $12.00), a packet of three books on reading, language, and arithmetic for
grades K-3 may be all you need for these grades. You Can Teach Your Child
Successfully (Cat. #915, $13.00) tells you all you need to know about teaching
grades 4-8 their required subjects. Ruth Beechick’s ideas on teaching the language
arts have been incorporated into a curriculum called Learning Language Arts Through
Literature which you can use if you’d rather not make your own lesson plans.
We can get this program for you. Books range in price from $18 - $20 and student books ( a
convenience rather than a necessity) are $16. Inquire if you need help selecting the right
level for your child. But remember, you do not need to use these books to incorporate Ruth
Beechick’s ideas into your curriculum. You can make your own plans with any books you
choose. If you do choose to use Learning Language Arts Through Literature,
we do carry most of the literature that goes with the curriculum.
One book we always recommend to families with
children in grades 4-8 is the English handbook we call "the student’s best
friend" -- Write Source, Cat. # 1509, $14.99 ( or it’s newer and
more expensive cousin, Write Source 2000, Cat. #1510, $15.99). Not only do
these books help students with any possible kind of writing they could ever have to do,
they also teach them how to study, take notes, give speeches, and use the library. They
contain all the necessary information on spelling, mechanics, usage, and grammar that is
usually taught in these grades. The books are easy for students to use and topics can be
looked up in the Table of Contents by page number or in the index by topic number -- a
real help to a teacher trying to bring a student back to the explanation of a topic when
he makes a mistake. The appendix contains maps, help with math, computer terms, and many
other reference helps. The chief difference between the two books is format . In Write
Source, the pictures are more whimsical and the grammar and usage sections are at
the front with writing instruction appearing after. Write Source 2000 has a
black cover with bright, clean, crisp graphics, and the writing information is first with
a section of "yellow pages" at the back containing grammar and usage references.
The content is almost identical. Don’t buy an English text book until you’ve
seen these!
If your children are below fourth grade level, and perhaps are just
learning to write, an alternative to the above is WORD BOOK For Beginning Writers
(Cat. #1513, $6.95). This 64-page, 8 1/2 by 11" reference is designed
to help young writers easily find the words they don’t know how to spell as they
write. There is a double-page spread for every letter. On the left-hand side is an
alphabetical list of words. The words are grouped. Each group begins with the same two
letters, which are put in bold face type and used as guides or group headings. The
right-hand side has three columns of lines for students to write their own frequently
needed words beginning with the letter.
These pages are following by five pages of words grouped by
category(people, toys, numbers, clothes, pets, furniture, flatware and dishes;
transportation, food, etc.). Each noun is pictured with a simple line drawing beside the
word. The next page lists common English sounds and the letters used to write them --
phonics. This is followed by a page of simple punctuation rules. Next come pages modeling
the Zaner- Bloser and D’Nealian manuscript and cursive alphabets and numbers.
Page 56 has a list of story starters. This is followed by a page on building sentences
with subjects, verbs, and objects.
The book also contains pages on capitalization and spelling
rules,common abbreviations, and word play (words that can be read backwards, hink pinks,
and jokes. To help students choose words carefully there is a page to aid with word
variety: common synonyms, and words grouped with a common theme (e.g., mad words, sad
words, happy words, kind words, amount words, and sound words.) The most common easily
confused homophones (to, too, two, etc.) are also spelled and used in sentences. The last
page contains models for a friendly letter and a properly addressed envelope.
I would heartily recommend this book as an English handbook for
primary grades. Supplemented with reading aloud, discussion, and writing assignments, it
could serve as a curriculum in English usage because all the basics are there in
user-friendly form. I like it much better than EPS’s Spelling Dictionary for
Beginning Writers (Cat. # 1192, $5.25) which has a more complete mini- thesaurus,
but no help with easily confused words or mechanics. Spelling Dictionary has
more and harder words than Word Book, but I think the lists are harder to sort
through to find a word, and there is not as much room for students to write their own
words. Word Book has a crisp, clean look, and attractive simple graphics,
and I believe it is more appealing to the children who will use it. Spelling
Dictionary is 50 pages long. . Both are good resources for primary writers.
Although we have mentioned many good resources here which we believe
every homeschooler should know about, the best resource you have, apart from God's
guidance and grace, is the experience of other home educators. Try to find a support group
in your community. If you can't locate one, surf over to the Homeschoolers
Curriculum Swap where you have your choice of several forums to ask for help and where
you can buy and sell used books. And, don't forget, I am also a resource. Look over the
rest of our site for ideas. We have many books for beginning and veteran home schoolers
among our used books and our books on sale.
Feel free to
e-mail me if you feel overwhelmed
with everything you see here and in catalogs and you want to find out what's right for you.
I will do the best I can to help you evaluate your situation and choose the right
materials. God bless you in this new adventure.
Questions? Just ask by e-mail.
Or call 1-800-925-8587 after 9 AM and before 10 PM Pacific time.
Top Tools for Teachers / Books Worth Reading Aloud / Ralph
Moody Review
Used elementary fiction / Used fiction
for teens and adults
Back to Home Page / Order
Form
WHAT IF I HAVE SECONDARY
STUDENTS?
Probably the most common fear of those who start
homeschooling at the secondary level is how to keep the kind of records needed for
graduation and college entrance. They wonder how to calculate credits and how to make
transcripts. These are certainly valid concerns. They are addressed by a book called Home
School, High School, and Beyond by Beverly Adams-Gordon (17.95) This book is
intended to be read by teens as well as their parents, and it encourages them to
participate in the planning of their high school program.. This book contains information
on how to organize and document home school learning and how to translate real life
experiences into high school credits.. There are reproducible forms to help in the
planning and record keeping. This book advertises itself as "a nine-week (one-quarter
credit), high school course designed to help Christian home schoolers take a more active,
thoughtful role in their education.." This course begins with setting goals and
learning the importance of using time and talents for God’s glory. Then there is
instruction in collecting, organizing, and maintaining the kind of records necessary for
college or other post-high school education.
Other good references for those who begin teaching on
this level are Cathy Duffy’s Christian Home Educator’s Curriculum
Manual for Jr./ Sr. High (16.95) and Mary Pride’s Big Book of Home
Learning, Vol. 3, Teen and Adult (25.00). These will give you an overview of available
resources for teaching this age and some general hints. The unit study approach --
integrating two or more subjects such as history and language arts -- can still work with
many subjects, but you might want to get a math or science text at this point. The
Sonlight Curriculum goes to the ninth grade. They have plans to add the high school
levels, but it doesn’t look as though they’ve done it according to the schedule
they projected.{Note, 2003: this may have changed by now.} We carry many excellent biographies to enhance the teaching of history.
Secondary history texts tend to treat so many topics that not much space can be given to
any of them. Instead, we recommend using primary source materials to help students really
understand a given time period. We can help you pick books to fit whatever period you may
be studying. And don’t forget, Kathryn Stout’s books, reviewed above, are still
good with secondary students.
The same principle applies to English and literature.
Use complete books to study literature. We carry most of the classics and can help you
choose appropriate books for each grade level. For grammar and writing there are many
options. We recommend you get Basic English Revisited (Cat. #1511, $14.99)
or it’s newer cousin, Writers Inc. (Cat. #1512, $16.99) to use for
reference. They are the more grown-up versions of Write Source and Write
Source 2000 reviewed above, and have all the same features
and a few more geared to older students. Basic English Revisited has a
yellow cover with the same kind of whimsical art featured in Write Source
and the same format inside. Writers Inc. looks like Write Source 2000
and the content is arranged the same way. These are handbooks, and do not contain lessons.
I have a few workbooks to go with either book if you inquire, but the supply is limited.
Be sure you see these books before you invest in some other English textbook. You can use
Kathryn Stout’s Comprehensive Composition (Cat. #15.19, $14.00) for
lesson planning, as well, or Wordsmith Craftsman (Cat. #1518, $16.00).
There are some other important reference books for the secondary
grades that will be of great help to you. The Silver Burdett Mathematical Dictionary
{Note, 2003: This is now out of print. See our Math Reference page for
substitute suggestions} is designed
as a reference for those 11-18. This book explains the special terms of mathematical
language both visually and verbally. Definitions contain illustrations where they are
useful, and examples. If you're using Saxon math books, we especially recommend this as a
supplement. Dictionary of Mathematics Terms (Cat #1117, $10.95) contains
over 700 definitions of terms related to algebra, geometry, analytic geometry,
trigonometry, probability, statistics, logic, and calculus. It is an ideal reference
source for teachers, engineers, scientists, and high school and college students who are
headed for technical fields.
For science reference, it is very handy to have the Usborne
Illustrated Dictionary of Science (Cat. # 1514, $24.95) around. It contains The
Usborne Dictionary of Biology (Cat. #1515, $11.95), The Usborne Dictionary
of Chemistry (Cat. #1516, $11.95), and The Usborne Dictionary of Physics
(Cat. #1517, $11.95) all in one volume and is a better buy than getting the three volumes
separately. The definitions in all of these books are supported by detailed color pictures
and diagrams. The topics are arranged by theme so that the words are explained in context.
A fully integrated system of cross referencing and a comprehensive index makes it easy to
find the definition you need. These books are a must for those taking high school science,
but junior high and college students will also find them useful. (Not to mention the
teacher.)
I have asked some veteran homeschoolers to share some of their
advice about teaching this age at home for the first time. Most of them said they
encourage an initial relaxed time of of adjustment in which parents and child explore this
new way of learning and allow themselves to find their ideal pace and methods. Study Home
School, High School and Beyond together and plan out your year. Even reluctant
teens, used to just going along with what’s required in school, may get excited about
having a say in their own education. I would also suggest this might be a good time to
rearrange the chores so that teens are learning more practical ways to contribute to the
family and prepare for running a household someday. Even the boys can and should learn
some cooking basics -- they won’t always have Mom around and they may not get married
the instant they leave her. Every child should learn the basics of fixing healthy meals,
caring for his or her clothes (mending, laundry), checking (and even changing) the oil in
the car, changing a flat, painting rooms, doing minor plumbing repairs, etc. Incorporate
these and other skills into the first quarter so that your children will be able to help
you more as they learn to be capable, responsible adults..
Along with this, take time to read as a family, thus sneaking in
vocabulary, reading comprehension, listening skills, and critical thinking. Start in the
morning by reading the Bible together and discussing it. Have the children put the passage
read into their own words. Memorize a key verse. Pray together about the day ahead. Then
work on some of the chores for a break with physical activity. for about half an hour.
Later in the day, perhaps after lunch or dinner read some literature together. Ralph Moody’s Little Britches series reviewed
on another page, is ideal for this purpose. If you have only girls, try any of Bess
Aldrich’s books, perhaps beginning with Miss Bishop, (Cat. #654,
$11.95). Both Ralph Moody and Bess Streeter Aldrich are masters of the English language
and reading their books will model writing styles worth imitating. Both authors deal with
themes that are challenging and which can lead to discussions of important values. There
is more information on Aldrich's books and other books to read to teens on our Books Worth Reading Aloud page.
Writing is an important part of any curriculum. During your relaxed
beginning, instead of formal composition lessons, assign journals. (See my article How to Get Started with Journals, if you’d like some ideas on
implementing this.) Let it be known that you will be reading these journals, and that
private thoughts should be kept in a separate diary. You will use these journals to
evaluate your child’s strengths and weaknesses so that you can decide which usage
skills still need to be taught and practiced. And if you want a little structure, use the Wordly
Wise Vocabulary Program for a change of pace.
So there you have it: Bible, Composition, what I called Practical
Arts, and literature. With a little creativity, you can sneak some basic math review into
the cooking and other practical arts where measuring and other math skills are used. If
you feel you’ve got to teach formal math during this time, there are plenty of
textbooks available , and there are also plenty of workbooks for reviewing basic skills.
You can find some of these in our Sale Section, and you can e-mail me for help in finding
just the right program for your student.
If you use these suggestions for the first quarter of your new
experience and incorporate some family walks, bike rides, or other physical activities
(P.E.), Your children will probably take to homeschooling like ducks to water. You’ll
get the chance, in the meantime, to get to know these children who have, in the past, been
gone during the day, a little better.. Believe me, that relationship between
parent/teacher and child is the thing that will be remembered long after the textbooks you
may someday use have fallen apart. A parent/teacher’s primary job is discipling the
children God has given.
Copyright © 1997 by Barbara Radisavljevic
Prices may have changed since this article was last revised,
so be sure and email for a price check before
ordering.
Questions? Just ask by e-mail.
Or call 1-800-925-8587 after 8 AM and before 10 PM Pacific time.
Top Tools for Teachers / Books Worth Reading Aloud to Teens / Ralph
Moody Review
|
