College Transcripts

Recently at the York Homeschool Convention I was asked about college transcripts and how you could relate your own material on them. I answered poorly because I hadn't thought of it before. I hadn't thought of it because, for one, my oldest is just now in 9th grade and with the two curriculum I've written he did them in 7th and 8th respectively and so it wasn't an issue. The second reason is that I have a very "interesting" mother-in-law and two parents who are former teachers and I have to provide descriptions of what the kids are doing in  "educationalese" for them.( makes family gatherings better) To answer the question now; in writing your own curriculum you have goals and you can evaluate if your child has met them on not. For college transcripts you just have to put the goals into "educationalese" and you'll be fine. In fact , I would have to argue better than fine because your curriculum filled in a gap with your child's education  or stretched them in a way that was needed, usually very creatively and colleges like that. The only other thought I have on this, and please, don't take this the wrong way, is if you are questioning how your own material will be received,it might be an issue that you undervalue your own gifts and talents.

Speaker

I was asked to speak at a homeschool convention in York, PA. I am thrilled!! I will be speaking on "How an Ordinary Homeschool Mom can Write her Own Curriculum". I was on cloud 9 when I was asked and now I'm back to earth and having to think of what to say! 

The Gift of Time

My son happened to say that he noticed that he thought differently than many people and he often looked at things from various sides. I first thought he was complaining so I apologized. I know it all because of the books I steered him to read or read to him, of the shows we watch and mainly the discussion we have. He was not complaining but wanted to know how to do the same thing for his kids. I said to give them the gift of time. Time not spent on video games or organized sports but time they have to use their own brains to come up with imaginative play. This one place where quantity outweighs quality. They need time to be bored. Then they can come to know themselves and then and then can look at others with interest but also critical thinking and not just be swept along with the crowd.

Interesting series

My oldest and I just discovered a british science series. It is a fictional mystery story that has Patrick Stewart explaining so very controversial modern science issues such as cloning and viruses. It's wonderful. Very british!! But like MacGuyer a great way to introduce science's depth and breathed. 

Why I homeschool

Why do I homeschool. I could go on for hours. I started for the simple Biblical reason that I wanted to guard what my little ones were exposed to. Why I homeschool now is so much more!! It's time for kids to play. It's time for me to have with them. It's books on tape in the car and discussions on the way to the grocery store. A friend, Shay Seabourne, has said: "There are no educational emergencies"And that is alot of why I homeschool. I see neighbors trying to get make-work and projects done on someone else's timeline and schedule.  We get things done in a way that fits our family and interests and use what works, tossing what doesn't. That means Katie makes a scrap book of Russia, Colin does research and has a discussion, Duncan answers written questions and Ian listens to an audiobook. Russia comes alive to each of the kids. Some people say that they have to learn how to do make work, as that is real life. I admit, sometimes it is, but when faced with work like that in a real setting, my kids do it.We just don't do it when we're trying to learn something.

Stone wall do not a prison make

Nor iron bars a cage." That is the start of a quote by R. Lovelace and a small but significant part of my homeschooling. Every week the kids have a quote to memorize. Some weeks it is a full poem, sometimes a Bible verse, but without fail they are memorizing different thoughts from different people. This year I have added a twist, on Wednesdays they write the quote down in a notebook and add their thoughts on it.  We've often discussed the quotes but this insures that actual thinking goes on. They have had to consider Ethel Barrymore's comment on the need to be able to laugh at oneself, they have seen more of Victor Hugo than the lines for "Hunchback of Notre Dame" that they are memorizing for HTT. We enjoyed the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper so much more after memorizing the poem and then anticipating the next part of the story. Memorizing quotes, writing them and reciting them takes very little time but has a long term, significant impact on how my kids think and see the world.To finish R. Lovelace's quote..."If I have freedom in my love and in my soul am free, angels alone that soar above enjoy such liberty." I want my kids to always have freedom in their hearts and minds, training them to think and filling their minds with the resources to do that is a very important part of why I homeschool.

Newly discovered "boy" books

Having grown up a girl then having three boys first, I have had to spend alot of time finding good"boy" books. Little House on the Prairie just does not hold as much appeal to my boys as it did to me. Boxcar children and Encyclopedia Brown went over well but I've had to really look.  I have very high standards for books. It doesn't have to be "High, classical literature" but I do need to want to read it, be able to read it aloud and want to tell someone else about it. I tend to skip formulaic books like the Magic Treehouse series and the Boxcar children series written after Gertrude Chandler Warner. Anyway, just discovered two new wonderful books. The Mad Scientist Club by Bertrand Brinkley. Wow! What a hoot! One funny adventure after another. Had me rolling with laughter and even the 14yo, who only wants to read facts, racing to read it.  The next is the Soup series by Richard Peck. How I ever missed these!! Wow! Funny! I was laughing so hard I had trouble reading it aloud to one of the twins! Great great books!