You may have noticed a recent lull in my blogging. A few months ago a family member was assaulted. It was devastating and sent our family into crisis. Everything stopped. Like any educator, I needed to take emergency leave from teaching to care for my family member in need. There’s just one problem. Unlike the employed educator, I didn’t get paid while on leave, nor did my child continue to receive full time instruction from a substitute. Everything just stopped, and rightly so.

I’ve seen it time and time again that an event like this sends homeschoolers back to the school system. I’m not necessarily against that it you feel it’s the best course of action- sometimes it’s necessary. But what if you really want to continue to homeschool long term?

 Sustaining homeschool through crisis is possible.

Ways to be prepared.

Nothing prepares you for violence against a loved one. You ache for them and ask yourself why over and over. You search for meaning or some explanation. You wonder what you could have done differently to have prevented it. I am humbled by the recent violence in Paris and I realize that none of us are immune to crisis. It’s part of our human experience. I’m thankful to God today that healing and forgiveness are also part of the experience.

1.Plan to Plan

When it comes to homeschooling we can be prepared. I have struggled with planning over the years just like any other homeschool mom and the dubious task of balancing homeschool demands with other aspect of life. I’ve had more success when I have planned the entire year out ahead of time. I know it sounds crazy, but it works. I usually order books early and then take a month to plan a scope and sequence as well as daily assignments. It’s really easy to adjust later and omit as needed.

Because when crisis hits you can still do some homeschooling according to what’s planned and you really don’t need to think about it. You can focus on the crisis.

2. The 3 R’s

Reading, Writing , and Arithmetic. You can get back to the basics during a time of crisis. Just do what is necessary and take a break from the extras and keep it simple.

3. Outsource

As a homeschooler today you have many choices. Outsource what you find optimal. It may mean dual enrollment at a public or private school, online enrollment, co-ops, private tutoring of a course or two, etc. Take advantage of ALL the resources available and do whatever you need to make your homeschool sustainable during crisis.

     There is a light during all this darkness…

And at the end of the day, your child will learn more than just academics. He’ll (or she’ll) learn what it means to love each other through difficulty, share pain and joy as a family, and bear trials with grace and understanding. They will know the meaning of being loved and being family- this is your most important task as a parent and as the first teacher of your child. This is your finest hour. It’s when you practice what you teach.

So, if you are suffering a trial or other difficulty while homeschooling, hang in there. Do what you can and teach through love and grace.

The post Sustaining Homeschool Through Crisis appeared first on Dymphna's Song.

Enter Why Homeschool Giveaway Below!

Why Homeschool After 18+ Years?

I’ve homeschooled now since I first attempted it in 1997 with my ADHD child, whom I homeschooled for very specific reasons. We homeschooled only off and on for the first few years, It was a struggle. Then I found confidence and success in 2003 after adopting a Charlotte Mason philosophy and approach. We’ve been homeschooling exclusively ever since. Homeschooling my artistic and gifted children was something I simply HAD to do.  

But why keep going after 18+ years? Things have changed greatly over the last 18 years, my homeschool too. I’ve had to redefine and reinvent things over and over again. And as I enter into a new season of my life I find myself adapting once again. I’ve already graduated two children, both have completed their college and trade schools. Ahhhhhhh, sweet success. What a feeling of accomplishment- but no easy task. We had many good days and also bad ones.  Homeschooling is not perfect. It’s a labor of love.

Having purchased 19 years of curriculum over the years, I’ve tried a lot of what’s out there. I learned to homeschool by trial and error, adapt programs and create my own. But I’m not done yet. I still have a 7th grader this year to educate.

The dynamics have changed once again. Renewal is in the air. I’m seeking a fresh approach and thinking as much as I can about letting my homeschool approach evolve and be right for the now. I don’t want to be  “stuck” in the past but I I also want to allow myself the opportunity to revisit what has been a success.

However it may look in the specifics, Homeshooling is the right choice for us for these five reasons:

1. I get to choose what my child will learn. It’s up to me to choose what is academically appropriate and best for his learning style and ability. I get to decide what is best; I can make sure it is in tune with our values and beliefs. This is so important.

2. It’s academically effective. It’s hard to compete with one on one instruction and supervision. Though it’s not a fix all for everything, homeschooling is a strong form of education when executed.

3. It’s flexible. I try to be constant and true. But it’s important for our family to have flexibility; it’s great to be able to adjust fire, take breaks and vacations and family time when needed! And it’s wonderful to have total control of the schedule. As a military family, this aspect has been so beneficial for us.

4. It’s faith based. Most of my program is written by Christian authors. Some subjects are written by specifically Catholic authors which is extra wonderful so that we can incorporate faith into our child’s education.

5. It’s Affordable. Homeschooling can be expensive if you’re not disciplined. But there is also a range of affordability as well. It’s much cheeper than Catholic school tuition fees and you can invest your money in what is high priority and find so many other resources out there for free!

For More Why Homeschooling Inspiration, Visit the Posts Below!

Why I Still Choose to Homeschool After 18 Years – Harrington Harmonies

Should I Homeschool? – Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Why We STILL Homeschool – 1+1+1=1

10 Reasons to Homeschool – True Aim

Why Homeschool Giveaway!

We want to make it easy for you to start homeschooling! So, enter to win with the Rafflecopter below! The first 5000 people will get a FREE LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP to Lessontrek.com and more exclusive freebies & discounts! The Grand Prize Winner will receive a Kindle Fire HDX 7″, 16 GB; a $50 Amazon Gift Card, and a choice of one curriculum package below! 2 other lucky winners will be drawn for the remaining curriculum packages!

If you prefer NOT to use Rafflecopter, but would still like to enter to win, please subscribe to the Why Homeschooling Newsletter (1 entry).

PreK & K Prize Package ($338 value)

Timberdoodle – Tegu Excursion

We Choose Virtues – Homeschool Kit

Blue Manor Academy – Preschool Curriculum eBook Set

Usborne – Start to Read Pack

$50 Amazon Gift Card!

Elementary Prize Package ($646 Value)

Sing’n Learn – Math to Music 4 Book Set

CTC Math – 12 Month Family Homeschool Membership

Simply Fun – 3 Game Set; Dinosaur Challenge, Star Gazer, Global Ranking

Character Concepts – Kids of Character Curriculum

Math-U-See – New Complete Set of your choice

See The Light – Bible Story Art Projects DVD Boxed Set

WriteShop – Your Choice; Writeshop Primary or Junior Set

Geography Matters – Desk Atlas Bundle

Middle Grades & Up ($250 Value)

Math Essentials – No-Nonsense Algebra

Sing’n Learn – Kingdom’s Hope Audio Book 3 Disc Set and 1001 Writing Projects for Students

Masterbooks – Principles of Mathematics

Alpha Omega – LifePac Elective Course

$50 Amazon Gift Card

*For full rules of entry, view the Rafflecopter “Terms & Conditions”

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Why I Still Choose to Homeschool After 18 Years appeared first on Dymphna's Song.

Notebooking is very similar to journaling, but there are a few distinction in how they are utilized and stored. While journaling requires a bound journal or book with blank pages for writing, notebooking is best when using pre-made and themed  notebooking pages and then filing them into a binder, usually a three ring binder.

I suppose in the loosest sense, notebooking could refer to using blank sheets of notebook paper and inserting them into a binder. But in that case, notebooking and journaling would really be about the same thing.  Notebooking refers to the filling in of facts and information on sheets created for or on a particular subject.

Homeschool Journaling

When I was homeschooling my older children, they each had hardbound legal size lined journals in which they wrote several types of assignments- from book reports to creative writing paragraphs. Other uses for their journals would include drawing maps and diagrams for science, poetry, copywork, nature walk findings, narrations, etc. We used the journals for every subject (except math) and it was the only notebook we had for over three years time. 

It was the best season of homeschooling in my life! We mainly read tons of great books and then I had the children write. It was a time of free homeschooling for me. During their middle school years, we lived overseas and I had the freedom to really homeschool the way I wanted. The timing was very good. We took nature hikes every week, explored the country, and I assigned a research project each week~ alternating science and history topics and added math for a complete program. And so, they wrote, wrote, wrote in their journals.

⇒Read more about homeschooling with journals.

Homeschool Notebooking

So if notebooking is simply just “filling in facts” on a sheet and inserting them into a binder, then why is that any different from just doing worksheets? Here is why: the philosophy behind notebooking, true notebooking, offers the child freedom in what facts they record, what pictures they draw and then they can highlight the information they felt was significant from a book, project or other learning experience. Some notebooking pages do ask for specific information; but they should always offer more open ended space than a typical worksheet.

How do I know which style, journaling or notebooking, is best for my child?

I got involved in making notebooking pages with my youngest child because he is such a reluctant writer. I quickly realized that journaling with him was not going to work. He found notebooking pages easier to manipulate than a blank journal. Notebook pages didn’t overwhelm him as much and they offered the same opportunity for creative learning. He needed something with a simple feeling framework to get started.

My two older children in contrast, who were naturally good writers and very creative, thrived on the freedom a journal offered. I only gave them a few directives to get them started and then they soared with it. They had no trouble writing a mini report on what information was meaningful to them. But my reluctant writer, I could see that he needed short and concise, less intimidating boxes and lines to be filled in.

Notebooking isn’t for everyone and don’t do it for every subject. Pick one or try it with a project or unit of study to see how it goes for a while.

When thinking about whether to go with a journal format or notebooking, consider your child’s learning style and ability. Teaching styles also play a role. You can take a hands on approach, classical, or any that you find natural and appealing because notebooking is so flexible. They can also be used with any age as long as your expectation of filling them out is appropriate. Another plus is that it frees you up considerably and requires your child to take initiative.
And-here’s a special limited time build your own bundle you may like if you want to get a bunch of notebook pages at a crazy low price!

• State Notebook Pages
• Insect Notebook Pages
• Artist Notebook Pages ( Subscribers only)
• GardenNotebook Pages ( Subscribers only)
• Solar System Pages ( Subscribers only)

The post What’s the difference between Homeschool Notebooking and Journaling appeared first on Dymphna's Song.