Homeschooling: Evaluate Your Homeschool

Stop sign

Homeschool: It’s Time to Take a Break

This is a good time of year to take a break from some of your homeschooling and have a check up about how things are going.

And if they aren’t going well, it’s time to look for the resources and get the help you need so that your homeschooling days do not become a battleground between you and your children.

When your children are little, everything is new and learning is fun!

Writing their name is fun!

Counting is fun!

Drawing is fun!

Science is fun!

Even helping Mommy is fun!

However, as the children get used to the routine of their school days and learn the basics, school is not so much fun anymore.

In fact, it can become a battleground. So what can you do about this?

Stop sign

Stop Homeschooling for a Day or Two.

Look at what is happening so that you can get back to that fun stage.

Oh, I know that learning isn’t all fun and games.

Education is referred to as a discipline for a reason —but there are strategies that you can use to help you capture your children’s imagination and help make their learning meaningful and tolerable again.

Many families use unit studies as a break to freshen up their learning.

What is a Unit Study?

A unit of study focuses on one central theme, e.g. insects.  In the unit study, students will learn all about insects by combining multiple subjects into one study. These learning adventures may cover everything from the biology of insects, the history of species, the spelling of scientific names, adding and subtracting favorite bugs, drawing insects! In other words, one topic is studied via various disciplines. What does this mean for your children? Unit studies are a great way to introduce students to real-life experiences and use their natural curiosity to make their learning relevant. (More Information is available from Homeschool.com)

 

If your home and homeschool really has become a battleground, I recommend using an Action Plan to get back on track. Let’s face it- we all have bad days.  This action plan is not for a bad day, but it may help you change a bad pattern of behavior and replace it with the desired action.  And sometimes, it just helps you identify and decipher what is really going on with your child. You can read the whole article here.

 

Homeschool Art Project: So Blessed that I HAD to be thankful!

was featured on the How to Homeschool My Child FB page in November. This is a great art project to encourage some graphic design and gratitude.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:12-15

How has God blessed YOU?

Just for fun, here’s some reels. Click on them to play. I’m on Instagram @the.elizabeth.estelle. Be sure to like and follow while you are there!

Socialization

This Simple Mistake

People Don’t Talk About This But

Why do I write homeschool blog articles?
Make encouraging phone calls?
Post homeschool tips?
Read Scripture and have a biblical worldview?
This child.
Because there is another generation coming that needs to have the kind of Christian training and excellence in education that only homeschooling offers.

Cute baby in crib
Because there’s another generation coming!

Let’s connect:

SALE information: BJU Press Homeschool

IT’S SUMMER SALE TIME!

Exciting news! BJU Press Homeschool is holding a sale from Auguat 1st to 15th, 2023! Everything is 10% off (excluding Testing & Evaluation, AIG, Logos Science Kits, etc.) for these dates only! This offer cannot be used on previous orders and expires at 11:59 PM (ET) on August 15th.

If you haven’t gotten your BJU Press Homeschool material yet, NOW is the time!

Everything will be 10% off (excluding Testing & Evaluation and Logos). Please not— this discount CANNOT be combined with any other discounts or promotions except for the payment plan.

This sale is not retroactive on orders already placed.

Note: The deadline for getting in orders will be 11:59 (EST) on August 15, 2023. 

Please, please  please use my LINK for your orders by clicking here. Thanks in advance. You can thank me later. 

Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them and purchase I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.


Bonus Homeschooling material:

Spelling is more than just learning how to spell words. If you are unsure of what to look for in a spelling curriculum, you can read more about it HERE: Review of Spelling, 6th grade. I highly recommend BJU Press Homeschool Spelling because they integrate so many of the language arts into their lessons.

Or you can watch my Youtube review here.

If you know ANYONE with a 4 year old, the Footsteps for Fours curriculum is one of my new favorites. The authors have included SO MANY ideas!! I go through a lesson to show you how FUN and THOUGHTFUL the lessons are!

Join us!

Homeschool with Confidence Facebook page Resources, Community and Encouragement

Homeschool Christian Mom Facebook page and group: We discuss the ins and outs of our homeschooling days and offer great ideas to help each other succeed.

Youtube: Homeschool Christian Mom  I review curriculum as well as presenting homeschooling tips. These videos discuss homeschool scheduling, working with your Littles, thinking long term, and many other topics.

For additional homeschooling support, Join us!

Twitter   @hmschchristnmom

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Homeschooling and the Difference Between College and Kindergarten

This image shows a young student working matching the correct word to a picture with an inset of an older student studying chemistry

What’s the Difference Between College and Kindergarten?

  • Type of Learner.
  • Level of dependence.
  • Maturity.

Your last formal education may have been college: however,  remember that in kindergarten, your students are new learners.

Besides the monetary aspect, to the tune of $40,000 or more, the learning is different! (See more about college tuitions below.)
In college, the students are mature learners.
In college, a student is responsible to know the material in the assigned reading, the extra reading, and the lecture material. He is expected to be a mature learner.

In college, the students are independent learners.

Most college students have already had 12 or 13 years of formal education and are ready to take responsibility for their learning. Most college students know how to study and learn new material.

Warning: If you are teaching a young student, be careful not to expect a college student’s learning ability and level of responsibility.

Your kindergartener may have been read to for hundreds of hours, played with and taken places. However, most kindergarteners have never been asked before to identify a letter with a sound, been required to make that sound and then be asked to identify that sound at the beginning or end of a word. This example is one of many totally new concepts.

In kindergarten, the student is a dependent learner.

The under 6 crowd will “catch on” to the best of their ability but their brain is still developing. I had one teacher tell me that she didn’t expect any of her students to read until they their teeth started to wiggle! 
And then just when you think your young charges are starting to understand, their body will go through a growth spurt and they may regress. That’s normal.
Many curriculum use a spiral teaching method: A subject is introduced, and then re-introduced and then talked about again throughout the year. This spiral learning teaching style  (Bruner, 1960)  is based on the premise that a student learns more about a subject each time the topic is restudied.
YOU SHOULD NOT EXPECT YOUR KINDERGARTEN STUDENT TO MASTER INFORMATION THE FIRST TIME AROUND. Oh, my! Did I shout that? Sorry.
Little by little.
Inch by inch.
Some children catch on very quickly to reading or math. Unfortunately it is usually your annoying neighbor’s child, but be that as it may, that is NOT the norm for kindergarten. A good song for kindergarten learning (and our Christian walk) is Little by little, inch by inch. . .  
The maturity you are expecting will come but it will come in increments over the next 13 years. Be patient.
I do recommend finding a good homeschooling co-op or group. These groups provide friendships and encouragement to the children and parents.
God Helps When We Ask: Kindergarten through College!

Remember James 1:5, ESV: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Asking God for wisdom is evidence that we trust Him. (Bibleref.com)

How do we get wisdom? We ask. Every day.

Homeschooling Kindergarten Tips:
  • Pray aloud for yourself and your students before beginning class each day.
  • Plan to have fun learning with your child.
  • Plan a bathroom break before school starts.
  • Halfway through the morning, plan for a snack.
  • Plan a rest time after lunch called Quiet Reading Time.
  • Plan 2 exercise times to get those large muscle groups working.
  • Plan a creative project after lunch.
  • If your school day isn’t going well, it’s okay to take a break and try again in 15 minutes.
  • Have enrichment activities or worksheets ready if needed for an emergency day plan.
  • Have a plastic tub for storing schoolwork and artwork.
  • Take photos often. You’ll thank me later for this one.
What’s the difference between college and kindergarten?    TIME.
12 years of learning! So enjoy the early dependent years and set the stage for success and independent learning later. Happy Homeschooling!
Some additional thoughts about kindergarten readiness:

From the Conversation: When to worry

According to the developmental milestones, parents should seek advice from a professional if their three- to five-year-old child:

  • is not understood by others
  • has speech fluency problems or stammering
  • is not playing with other children
  • is not able to have a conversation
  • is not able to go to the toilet or wash him/herself.
Bonus:
At least there are some things you won’t have to worry about!
Fortunately for the homeschooled crowd, you won’t have to worry about your child being embarrassed to get permission for bathroom breaks and having an accident, too much stimulation in a crowded cafeteria so that forget to eat, fatigue from a long day without the possibility for a nap or very limited outdoor and exercise time. In homeschooling, you get to control the schedule and it should work to fit your family. Click here for more scheduling ideas.

 

If you liked this article you may also like:

How to Teach Sharing: Everyone Wants the Monkey

Parenting Your Strong-Willed Child: The Importance of the Walk

Homeschool Mission Statement: Is It Necessary?

Christian Homeschool Mindset Help from 2 Veteran Homeschoolers

Homeschool Christian Mom Elizabeth Estelle is ready to help you!

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Do you need some extra homeschooling help? Use this link to get on my calendar and let’s chat! Move from being a hesitant homeschool mom to a happy homeschool family.

*About college tuitions: Vermont has the highest tuition and fees of $43,748 and North Dakota has the lowest tuition & fees of $12,678 over 50 U.S. States and territories for the academic year 2021-2022. Click here for more information on college costs by state.