From the monthly archives:
The Parent Educator is getting a much needed and long overdue makeover. Over the next few hours, we will be totally remaking The Parent Educator, giving it an entire new look.
Upon completion of the facelift, we will begin (at long last!) regularly updating the blog with helpful homeschooling resources and more.
While we do the changes, the blog will look a little off.
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If you are going over a particular subject with the family and feel that a field trip would be beneficial, then that’s what you should do, go on a field trip. If you are attached to a homeschooling support group, you can plan to include other children too.
Here are some guidelines that will help you plan:
1. Collect the rates of the event
2. Check on the alllowed ages
3. Special highlights of the field trip
4. Size of the group
5. Timings of events
6. Eating facilities or pack a lunch
Inform your support group of all these details well in advance so that the necessary circulars or notes may be sent out to the homeschooling families that will go on the field trip. On the appointed day, arrange to meet with other parents and children in a particular place. Plan the mode of travel and reach the place at least ten minutes in advance.
The field trip is not just fun. So, let your kids bring their writing material. Allow them time to stare and admire. Don’t hurry them along too much, allowing them time to enjoy what they are seeing and hearing. Get help from a guide, if necessary. And most importantly, have fun and enjoy the time you spend with your children.
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Frugal Homeschooling Group
We welcome parents of homeschoolers who choose and want to homeschool their children in a frugal manner, without spending tons of money to teach. (This CAN be done!)
Frugal Homeschooling is a group for friendly people who want to learn new ways to homeschool frugally, and who want to share frugal resources and tips for teaching. We encourage all homeschoolers to join our new group!
We are a Christian based group, therefore talking about God and the bible is allowed AND encouraged! No flaming, no running down other parents, etc. The list is moderated simply to keep the icky spam out. Welcome, and enjoy!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FrugalHomeschooling
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How many, how often and when? These are some oftten repeated questions when it comes to homeschooling hours. Flexibility is of course one of the key underlying principles behind homeschooling. This flexibility applies not only to the curriculum but also to the number of hours. It is only natural that parents, especially if they have just started out on homeschooling should feel that their children should be at their books all the time when regular school-goers are at school. This is not only fallacious but can
also be damaging and counter-productive.
One of the most ignored but glaring drawbacks of the public schooling system is the sheer waste of time and energy that it causes. Many periods are simply wasted away and the child effectively derives only 1-3 hours of study everyday. Then, there are days when the studies become too intensive and other days when it’s only games and no work at all. There is a lot of ‘invisible wastage’ involved here.
Early on in your homeschooling practice, work out a schedule. It is advisable to stick to the same hours everyday. A routine makes it easier to learn and gives structure to the learning experience. It also tells the students that parents are strict about their learning. A routine also allows your child to free his mind from other activities and concentrate on studies. He knows that a particular time is strictly set aside for learning.
The actual number of hours that you need depends on the curriculum you have chosen and the learning style that suits your child. If you are dealing with a subject that seems to be more complex, you may need to sit with the child for a longer period. Using various techniques, it may be necessary to demonstrate what you are trying to teach. For instance, a lesson in Algebra may take more time than a lesson in English.
Homeschooling does not refer to the practice of sitting in front of the books and learning the printed matter. Field trips, watching documentaries, visiting factories and libraries also make up an important slice of the homeschooling process. It makes sense to intersperse these activities so that learning becomes fun. You may want to finish off the few hours of textbook learning in the morning and dedicate the afternoons to these kinds of activities.
Given the fact that too many public school hours are wasted in meaningless activities ranging from talking to extra-curricular activities, do not allow public school hours to dictate the time you should spend teaching your child at home. Remember that at home, he is getting a high-quality one-to-one time that is highly productive. About 1-3 hours of study is enough in the primary level. It is of course true that the more number of hours you put in, the more learning takes place. This is also the reason why homeschooling children are much smarter and more balanced than regular school going children.
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A topic that frequently comes up in meetings and forums that deal with homeschooling is record keeping. The importance of record keeping cannot be ignored. It is not only legally required in various States, but also provides important milestones in your child’s learning experience. An interest-initiated homeschooling
approach means that the topic of studies is far ranging and multifarious. Thus, it can be something of a challenge to write quarterly reports for the school district, when it is difficult to classify learning into neatly pigeonholed areas.
Record keeping is important not only for the sake of regulations. It is also an exciting way to record and document the learning process of the child. When most of the learning is done through play and there is no clear cut index of topics that have to be covered, it is necessary for the parent to keep some sort of a log which records the child’s progress.
The records you keep can be as simple as a daily journal, or as elaborate as a software program. If you participate in a support group, you probably have set forms and requirements. But even so, keeping track of daily work makes reporting easy and efficient.
There are various record keeping methods used by various homeschools. Some of the more popular ones are:
Journal:
This can be maintained by the teacher or the student. This basically aims to keep a log of what was learned and what was done. Recording memorable events that happened in the course of the year is a great way to reminisce later on.
Daily planner:
Lay out the plans and the assignments for the week in a teacher’s planning notebook. Check each item as it is covered. Maintain a separate area where any additional things can be recorded. This includes educational trips, visits and videos etc. Any extra topics that were covered are also recorded in this area. Make a summary every quarter.
Portfolios:
This consists of a collection of varied materials that show what the child has achieved and done during the course of study. Portfolio assessment is a very effective way to chart the child’s progress. It gives structure to the otherwise loose and flexible form of schooling called homeschooling. A drawing portfolio will consist of some paintings or sketches that are considered the best in that quarter. A language portfolio may consist of essays, stories, reading-logs, spelling samples or letters. Progress in mathematics, fine arts, history, science and social studies can all be recorded this way. The biggest advantage is that portfolio assessment places control in the hands of the children. Having a tangible record of what they have established eggs them on to greater heights.
Other than the above-mentioned systems, there are also purchased record-keeping systems that lay out a good checklist. Some of these allow one to personalize the organizer. Irrespective of the methods used, record keeping in one form or the other is essential. Your child’s future may well depend on the well-maintained record that you have meticulously kept over the years.
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