Differences

Celebrating Differences

• 4 Ways to Avoid Homeschool Animal School

  24 April 2012 / Career Exploration, Curricula, Differences, High School, News, Personal Growth, Teaching / 2 Comments

  

  This week's topic is gifts/talents/career exploration. So, I pulled up a classic post that says it well. Join us!

  Homeschoolers remember the story of the Animal School:

  Once upon a time, the animals got together to form a school so that all their offspring would be well educated. First, they set standards so that all the students would receive a uniform, quality education. Then they set up their programs: flight class, climbing class, running class, singing class.

  The animal parents were soon dismayed to find out that their beloved child was struggling in some classes and met qualifications for an IEP. The school psychologist informed:

  -the eagle parents that while their eaglet had some hope of improvement in singing class with more tutoring, he was experiencing a statistically significant level of disability in running and climbing

  -the deer parents that their fawn was struggling in all areas except running (an area he appeared to have some mastery)

  -the cheetah parents that their cub had difficulty waiting on the rest of the students in running class and would need special compensations in singing and flying

  All children have areas that are weaknesses. It could be spelling or math or art or attention or coordination. While we all have to work to make certain our homeschoolers learn to conquer, cope, or compensate for those weaknesses, we would do well to avoid making the weaknesses the main focus of our attention.

  Instead, it is wise for homeschooling parents to help their child discover and develop his/her strengths and giftings.

  So avoid having your own animal school by:

  

  It won't be a career, but it was out-of-the-box!

  1) Enrich your child's experiences with creative, out-of-the box field trips

  In my 20+ years of homeschooling, my kids and I (and usually our co-op or support group) have taken field trips to historic sites, wastewater treatment plants, plays, dress rehearsals for operettas, museums, dams, apple farms, state parks, beaches, big cities, re-enactments, concerts, film festivals and more. Some grossed the kids out, others were ho-hum, but some inspired my kids to explore more.

  2) Study something unusual

  If you only cover the 3R's, you may miss a gifting in your child that is waiting to be developed. My oldest son discovered his love of philosophy from a workbook his grandmother sent him, my 3rd son discovered his love of filmmaking as he watch a gazillion historical-fiction films with his history-buff next oldest brother, my second son and daughter learned to love cooking from my friend, Lois, who taught them the ropes in co-op.

  3) Explore any interest

  

  Umbrella School's Praise Band

  If a child expresses an interest or shows a gifting in any area, make the development of the interest/gift part of your homeschool curriculum. When in high school, my daughter developed a passion for photography, we had her take classes at the local community college. My son who loves making music (well, ALL my kids love to make music), develops that gift by playing in 2 praise bands, singing in homeschool choir, playing with his friends and siblings, and taking courses like History of Rock.

  As your child explores, he'll probably discard some interests (mine discarded karate) and gradually clarify what he/she wants to do. These clarified gifts and interests may lead to career choices. Better to explore many things ahead of time than to send them off to college clueless.

   4) Do some active Career Exploration

  I have my high schoolers do my Career Exploration Workbook and (free) Career Exploration Questionnaire.

  I developed these years ago based on my work as a counselor (I do a fair amount of career counseling). I wanted my kids to have a Godly look at gifts, talents, experiences, values, and interests- and seeking God's will and direction. These are the topics I included in the workbook.

  It seems to me that kids make the best choices about college major and/or career if they understand what God has put inside them, how to value their experiences, how to seek His guidance, and how to choose priorities. Career Exploration Workbook and Career Exploration Questionnaire help a high schooler do this.

  Question: What are some ways you have helped your homeschooler explore gifts and interests?
  

   

   

   

• Resources for Moms of Homeschoolers with Learning Disabilities by Angela O'Shaughnessy

  04 April 2012 / Curricula, Differences, News / 0 Comment

  

  Our friend, Angela, is first on the left in our co-op picture

  Join us for this classic post from our good friend, Angela:

  Angela has lots of experience working with children who learn differently. She is a long-time homeschool mom and friend of the 7 Sisters.

  Angela’s top general resource recommendations for learning difficulties:

  Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World, by Jeffrey Freed: ADD is mentioned in subtitle, but this is a fantastic resource with all kinds of helpful strategies for all kinds of learning issues.  I can’t say enough good about it.

  Complete Learning Disabilities Handbook, by Joan Harwell, Big book, choke full of all kinds of useful information for all ages.

  Homeschooler’s Guide for Learning Problems: Practical Tips for Daily Succcess, by Jill Dixon: Lives up to its title.  Order from Rainbow Resource.com.

  Teaching Tips and Techniques: Help for the Homeschooling Parent, by Kathryn Stout:  Find it at DesignAStudy.com or Amazon.com.

  How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and on to Learning, by Carol Barnier

  Learning Outside the Lines, by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole, This book is written by two non-Christian college students, both of whom having learning disabilities and have attended an Ivey League college. HEADS UP: They use profanity freely.  I choose to look past it, because I think they have some really good suggestions, especially for high schoolers and college students.    

  NCLD.org: National Center for Learning Disablities

  Bonus for those living in Delaware and the Tristate area:  DeVisionAcademy.com: Dr. Don Blackburn is a caring, knowledgeable, meticulous optometrist who offers vision therapy.  Some children see perfectly, but may have other issues with tracking, teaming or processing.

  What are YOUR favorite resources for students with learning disabilities or differences?

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Download our Social Skills guide for 10 interactive activities that give kids tools they need to feel confident in various social settings. $3.99.

• Equipping Homeschoolers to be Sensitive to Special Needs

  03 April 2012 / Autism Spectrum, Differences, Helping Others, Relationships, Special Needs / 2 Comments

  Parenting a child with special needs is no easy job, and I have the utmost respect for these parents.  I also have the responsibility to equip my own kids to understand how to appropriately interact with peers with special needs.  Here are some suggestions for helping young people become confident in reaching out to build relationships with peers who may look, sound, communicate, process information or move differently than they do.

  *  PRAY.  One of the things we need to pray for our own kids is that they would grow in love for others, and grow in understanding those who may be confusing or frustrating to them in their flesh.  By beginning with prayer (in this endeavor, and in all things) we are going to the Source of all love, and asking Him to enlarge our children's hearts to extend love to all men.
  

  *  TALK AHEAD OF TIME.  Sometimes we fail to talk to our kids about physical disabilities, speech impairments, autism, mental retardation, or the myriad other challenges that are a part of everyday life for many individuals but may not occur in our own immediate world.  Intentionally introduce the subject of ministering in love to people with special needs in your homeschool.  Use video, books, and conversation to honestly and fearlessly explore the topic.

  Allow your kids to begin with using whatever words they need to in expressing their feelings when they think about interacting with someone with special needs.  If they say things like "weird," or "scary" or "embarrassing" in this private conversational context, they are not being mean -- they have to be able to honestly articulate how they feel in their flesh in order to recognize that they need something more, something from God, in order to deal with relationships that are out of their comfort zone.  When you make it safe for them to admit that they are intimidated by certain situations, you can then lovingly show them that Christ is our strength in weakness, and that we need to ask Him to equip us to reach out in love, to change our view of people who are different than us, and to teach us to minister to them in His love.

  If I wait until a situation is unexpectedly thrust upon my child, I have done him (and the person with special needs) a great disservice.  My child needs to be equipped through conversation and research before the situation is in front of him.
  

  *  BE DIRECT.  Every individual with special needs is just that:  an INDIVIDUAL with special needs.  There is no cookie-cutter that can be applied to a person because of a diagnosis.  The vast majority of people with special needs appreciate direct questions like, "Is there a way that I can help with this, or do you prefer that I stay out of your way?"  Asking the parent of a child with special needs very basic questions like, "What kinds of help may I offer your child?" will do more equipping in a few moments than weeks of fumbling and fearing offense.

  If the child or parent is taken aback by your question, don't be offended.  That is simply your answer; this is a person for whom help from strangers or casual acquaintances is not desired.  Typically this type of reaction is NOT what you will get, but sometimes an individual or family is in the process of emotional adjustment to the special needs, and may not be comfortable to talk about it with you.  If you have asked the question in love, you can rest assured that you have not really offended, only offered help and been told that it is not needed at this time.
  

  *  DON'T CRINGE.  If your children are young, they are likely to ask something of a person with special needs (especially visible physical disabilities) that may make you want to cringe.  Of a person with atrophied limbs, "Why do you legs look like that?" is not an insult, it's a genuine request for information.  The person who is dealing with those atrophied limbs every moment of  every day is likely to simply answer the question.  Don't make the situation complicated by jumping in to answer for them unless they seem unwilling to answer for themselves.  Following up with a gentle word of appreciation for the information validates everyone involved.
  

  *  GET SPECIFIC WHEN YOU NEED TO.  An ongoing relationship (a co-op, a Sunday school class, a drama production) with someone with special needs will result in specific challenges where a solution will not be obvious.  Pray, take a deep breath, and deal with them specifically when they arise.  The longer you put off asking the awkward question or suggesting the delicate suggestion the harder it will be for everyone.

  A hygiene issue arose in a play I directed in which a teenage student on the autism spectrum was unable to process my instructions to the whole cast about being diligent in using deodorant when we were working up a sweat close to one another onstage.  (Honestly, our church sanctuary where we held rehearsals was beginning to smell like a locker room!)  I had already spoken to the parents to make sure that the student was able to use deodorant, and I knew that the parents had sent a stick in to rehearsal.  But group admonitions like, "Wow, guys, we are really work hard here and it's starting to smell like it!  May I tactfully suggest we all check our deodorant?" were lost.  The response I got was a big smile:  "I made sure I put it on when I got out of the shower!"

  What to do?  How to breathe?  The other students were struggling mightily with the situation.  I prayed, I took my student leaders in the cast aside privately and explained the new plan to them, and then I turned the challenge into a new cast-bonding activity.  In a cast meeting, I explained that as we approached opening night the sweat was getting out of control, and we would have to re-apply deodorant whenever I called for it.  Regardless of when you last put it on, it would  be an act of cast solidarity to add a little more when asked to.  My student leaders piped in with encouragement to everyone - "I make sure I shower and put on deodorant before rehearsal, and I STILL am getting smelly by the end of the first hour.  I think re-applying during rehearsal is a good idea."

  Guess what?  It worked beautifully!  "RE-APPLY!!" became a rallying cry for the cast.  I would call it out, or one of the student leaders who noticed things "going south" onstage would start it, and before you know it every member of the cast was calling it out in response, marching merrily to their duffle bags to pull out a stick of deodorant.  It was the craziest thing; what could have ostracized a student became a rallying point for everyone in the cast.
  

  *  ADDRESS YOUR OWN FEARS.  Sometimes we struggle to equip our kids to deal appropriately with special needs because we ourselves are uneasy or face fears of our own related to the particular disability or challenge.  Be honest with God first about your fears.  Then find someone with whom you can share honestly about your struggle.  Seek education for yourself via the internet or community resources.  Joni and Friends has fantastic resources for understanding individuals with physical disabilities.  Autism Help offers good information about spectrum disorders.

  What has helped you equip yourself and your homeschoolers to minister lovingly to individuals with special needs?

  =====================================

  Have you downloaded our new literature study guide for Joni Eareckson Tada's autobiography, Joni: An Unforgettable Story?  Click here to view excerpts from this study guide with comprehension questions, supplemental resources and answer key for just $3.99.
  

• Short-Term Missions Opportunities: Joni and Friends

  30 March 2012 / Conventions, Differences, Helping Others, High School, Literature / 1 Comment

  God has an amazing sense of timing, doesn't He?  He always brings the pieces of life together for us in just the right time for us to get the most learning and blessing out of the puzzle.

  About a year ago, I compiled the book list for a Great Christian Writers class that I would be teaching to homeschooled high schoolers in our area in 2011-12.  On that list I included a book that had a huge impact on me when I was a teen:  Joni: An Unforgettable Story by Joni Eareckson Tada.

  Joni broke her neck in 1967 at the age of 17, and the resulting quadriplegia that "should have" ruined her life instead opened the doors for international ministry that has led countless people to Christ and provided wheelchairs and care for disabled people of all ages worldwide.  Joni's personal ministry and that of the organization she founded, Joni and Friends, are introduced at the end of the book I chose for our class.  I slated the book for the late-winter/early-spring slump when the kids begin to tire of school.  I knew this book would inspire them out of their slump!  Little did I know how much MORE God had in mind with the timing.

  One week before our syllabus called for the students to read Joni's autobiography, our homeschool community was deeply grieved when the 23 year old son of one of our homeschool friends went home to be with the Lord after a battle with Ewing's Sarcoma bone cancer.  Our day-school (offering high school classes for homeschoolers in community 2 days per week) had been deeply involved with this family, and we were all impacted with grief and confusion and pain.   Many of our teens (and lots of adults, too, whether they said it aloud or not) were confused and hurt; why hadn't the Lord healed Joseph when we had all prayed and believed in our God's healing power?  Joseph loved Him passionately, and testified to His goodness; wouldn't it have been a tremendous miracle for God to raise him up when the doctors had no more that they could do?

  Right at this vulnerable moment, the syllabus for our literature class called for the students to read Joni's story.  In chapter 13 of her book, Joni deals with this question in her own life, and her thoughts and experiences as she waits to be made physically whole in God's perfect timing (here or in heaven, whichever He deems best) ministered to our hurting hearts 26 years after her book was written.

  But God wasn't finished weaving my days together yet!

  The following week I traveled with Marilyn and Kym to the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Spartanburg, SC.  We were excited to exhibit in the vendor hall and share a workshop about using Drama in your homeschool (click the link for a FREE download of the workshop handout).  We had plans to meet IRL ("in real life") friends we have made here on our blog and other homeschooling blogs in the past year.  Our plans were good, but God had even more to offer us!

  I was able to slip out of the vendor booth long enough to attend the workshop "Open the Eyes of Their Hearts" about developing a heart f0r individuals with special needs and physical disabilities.  Joyce from Joni and Friends spoke with warmth and intelligence about the many ways the church and homeschoolers can minister to those with special needs and their families.  Marilyn and I spent a wonderful hour at her booth later talking about this often-overlooked mission field.

  I returned to my homeschool literature class with an extra assignment for the students.  I sent them to the Joni and Friends website to do a little research on the 13 ministry divisions they have, and I asked the students to write about the ministry that captured their hearts the most.  It was exciting to read how some of them were drawn to Wheels for the World, the ministry that takes wheelchairs to underdeveloped countries.  Others were excited to learn about Through the Roof , equipping the church for disability ministry and outreach.

  But what excites me most is this:  the majority of the kids were drawn to Family Retreats, the ministry that hosts week-long retreats for disabled folks and their families, and trains volunteers on short-term missions to be a "buddy" to a camper with a disability for the week.

  A whole new arena for missions trips has opened up in front of us, and I pray that several of our homeschool teens will explore it.  Here's a link to the Joni and Friends site explaining how these "buddy" short-term missions work for volunteers 17 and older (there are also volunteer opportunities for younger teens).  The cost is a fraction of what is necessary to go overseas on a missions trip, and while overseas missions is necessary to fulfilling the Great Commission, so is ministry here in the U.S.  Joni and Friends Family Retreats are an exciting possibility to explore in choosing a mission on which your teen can serve.

  For the study guide I wrote to accompany Joni: An Unforgettable Story, visit the EBookstore.   Priced at just $3.99 it contains background information, comprehension questions by chapter, suggestions for supplemental activities, and an answer key.

• Homeschool Freaks - Kym's Top 10 Confessions a la David Letterman

  25 October 2011 / Differences, Healthy Living, Helping Others, Humor, News, Personal Growth, Relationships, Sports, The Home / 4 Comments

  

  Stewie the Basset/Shepherd

  Honorable Mention - Our dog, Stewie is a "purebread" Bassett/Shepherd that looks like he was assembled by Dr. Frankenstein.

  10 - My hubby eats NO veggies. Really! And his cholesterol levels are better than mine! He almost vomited all over our friend's kitchen floor when she challenged him to try broccoli last Christmas.

  9 - We were the only homeschoolers in our entire church. Now we go to 3 or 4 churches - and some of our friends there actually homeschool too!

  8 - Our 14 year old twin daughters play ice hockey and were invited to play on a college team.  This is one of the reasons we do so much car schooling.

  7 - I am relaxed, flexible & often waaaay too unstructured. My two oldest children crave structure. They have clearly suffered from the dissonance there.  At least 3 of US have some sort of learning differences. I must confess I have ADD and sometimes even wish for a small side of the "H" to go with it. I'd love a little more energy.

  6 -Hubby Doug, as opposed to the other hubby (just kidding), works for the school district in which we live. Each year his former boss said if we brought the kids to school for 3 days, he would buy each of them the lunch box of their choice.

  

  Kym wearing Lucy the snake

  5 -We constantly struggle with our messy, even dirty, house and the maintenance thereof. I struggle with organization in general too. How is it that I can be incredibly organized when I'm helping Sabrina with Drama Camp?! Go figure!

  4 - My kids have had 2 pet snakes and I LOVE THEM! I've even been known to wear them around my neck while I'm cooking dinner. Maybe that's why my family doesn't like my cooking?! Maybe it's just that there are only 6 foods that all 6 of us like?

  3 -We've done KONOS, 3 other Co-ops, our umbrella school dayschool and even started out as unschoolers and I'm still an unschooler at heart!

  2 - Doug and I voluntarily became  the "parents" of 235 college students 5 weeks after we got married!

  1 - My dear, sweet, amazingly wonderful mother-in-law sometimes thinks Doug,  (hubby #1 - and only), is her boyfriend.  She has been battling Alzheimer's Disease for several years now. We are so very blessed that she is happy and otherwise healthy. The Lord continues to give us so much grace and humor as we walk the road of chronic illness with our loved ones. Thank you Lord!

  

  Mimi celebrating with us

  What makes you unique (or even a "homeschool freak") in your corner of the world?

• 6 Simple Ways to Build Your Homeschooler's Strengths

  19 October 2011 / Differences, Healthy Living, Homeschool Information, News, Teaching / 0 Comment

  

  Marilyn's son #4 building his drumming strengths

  Find ways to build on your homeschooler’s strengths while redeeming their weaknesses.

  1) Let your homeschooler see your delight in learning something new.

  Do you enjoy exploring new topics, reading new books, researching new ideas? Do they hear your excitement as you relate what you have learned?  

  2) Enter into their areas of interest and help them to learn more about the things they love.

  Show an interest in their passions and help them to explore them. We did unit studies on things of interest to various children when they were young - a pirate unit for the boys and a horse unit for my horse-crazy daughter.

  3) Keep your lesson times age-appropriate.

   A first grader can’t sit still very long, so keep instruction brief and interspersed with other activities.
  

  4) Take advantage of teachable moments.                            

  

  Some teachable moments are when siblings teach each other

  Yes, your children will roll their eyes and tease you about turning everything into a “lesson”, but they will remember these moments for years to come.  (Okay, don’t turn everything into a teaching lesson, but you get the idea).
  5) Find curriculum that balances your teaching style and your child’s learning style.

  What works well for one homeschooler doesn’t always work for the next one. It’s both frustrating and brings variety to life.

  6) Limit exposure to things that are not “true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise” while exposing your children to the finer things.

  Teach them about the wonders in nature. Read good books. Watch good movies. Explore museums and historical sites. Go to worthy plays, musicals, and concerts. Show them fine art. Read the Bible and memorize scripture. Fill their minds with things that are good.

  What are some ways you build your homeschooler's strengths?

  ===========================

  Another way to build your high schooler's strengths are to do some good career exploration. 7 Sister's Career Exploration e-workbook helps a homeschooler explore his gifts, talents, values, interests, abilities and God's leading.  Download today!

  Free download to get Career Exploration: Career Exploration Questionnaire. It covers role models and interests. Try it out! Download free today!

• Review: StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

  18 October 2011 / Career Exploration, Curricula, Differences, Homeschool Information, News, Personal Growth, Teaching / 0 Comment

  Do you do what you do best every day?

  Three years ago, I found StrengthsFinder 2.0, took the test, and used their suggestions for my personal growth plan for that year. It helped me tremendously to appreciate the gifts God put in me and to develop each one in a concrete way.

  I liked it so well that the next year, I gave a copy to my kids and told them to take it. (My adult kids mildly groan at such assignments, but they usually humor me- like when I had them all take the Myers-Briggs Personality test and compare our results). This year, during our December break, my 14 year-old will take it as part of his Career Exploration credit (along with Myers-Briggs and 7 Sisters Career Exploration).

  The mission of StrengthsFinder 2.0 is to help adults and teens to discover their top 5 strengths and develop them.

  The StrengthsFinder quote is:

  Hide not your talents. For use they were made. What's a sundial in the shade? -Benjamin Franklin

  The idea is to know, appreciate and develop those gifts within us. StrengthsFinder identifies 34 areas of giftedness and explains that each person has 5 top gifts, such as:

  Achiever

  Activator                                                                                                            

  Adaptability

  Analytic

  Belief

  Command

  Competitiveness

  Communication

  Connection

  Consistency

  Empathy

  Focus

  Futuristic

  Harmony

  Learner

  Includer

  Positivity

  Restorative

  Woo

  The book includes a code that allows the reader to take the StrengthsFinder test online. The results come with explanation of the test-taker's top 5 strengths and development ideas. (They also have StrengthsExplorer for children 10-14 with test and downloadable companion workbook.)

  StrengthsFinder can be beneficial to parents and teens, alike.

  This is not a sponsored post. We just like to share books that we really like.

  ---------------------------

  Congratulations to MissMOE! She is this week's Winner Wednesday Winner. MissMOE commented on one of our posts and was chosen to receive a free download of Career Exploration Workbook.

  You could be a winner, too- simply join the conversation!

   

• Enhance Your Homeschool Transcript with Movies

  09 October 2011 / Curricula, Differences, High School, Homeschool Information, News, Teaching / 1 Comment

  Movies are a great way to add power to your homeschool high schooler's transcript.

  Everyone loves movies and many of them can enhance your teen's educational experiences. Well-produced movies:

  -give the essence of a culture and time period

  -provide visual aids for clothing style and settings                                                             

  -explain a person or event

  -are often interesting and thought-provoking

  Homeschoolers can use movies to enhance their transcripts. The current vogue for transcripts is to show the educational level of each course. While there is no national standard, our umbrella school displays these levels on the transcript:

  Level 1: Remedial (for students who have learning disabilities or are severely struggling with a subject)

  Level 2: Average High School (for average students or for students who can do college prep in other areas, but are weaker in a subject that won't be a college major area)

  Level 3: College Preparatory

  Level 4: Advanced  (College Prep course plus 1/2 again as many hours, extra text-work or special advanced texts)

  Level 4: Honors (Fully double college prep hours or extra text or special honors/AP text)

   

  ===========================================================

  7 Sisters has several e-study guides based on books that have been made into movies.

  These are excellent resources for your students: Read the book/Complete the study guide/

  Watch the movie/Discuss. Download Sense and Sensibility, The Hobbit, and A Christmas

  Carol today!

  ===========================================================

  Here are some tips for using movies for the transcript:

  1) High school credit is usually measured in Carnegie Units (120-135 hours of instruction- this number will vary according to state rules or umbrella school guidelines)

  2) Remedial students often benefit from instruction that consists largely of experiences- hands-on activities, field trips, movies. When choosing an experiential format for credit, a detailed log showing 120-135 hours of intentional, sequential experiences is usually valid documentation to earn a credit.   

  3) An average high school student can pull a credit up to Level 3 by adding hours watching and interacting with movies (field trips and other experiences can be used also). Our local umbrella school requires 37 movie/interaction hours to do this- check with your local umbrella for requirements. A log explaining the movies watched and interactions made should be included for the student's portfolio reviewer.

  4) College prep students can pull up their credit level to Advanced or Honors (document 68 hours or 135 hours respectively of movies and interactions).

  Here are some questions for interaction:

  -Was the movie fiction or documentary?

  -How accurate was it?

  -How was the culture or fashion different from our current culture or fashion?

  -Did the movie seem to be bias in the presentation?

  -What was the author/screenwriter wanting you to understand about the people, place, or time period?

  OR- why not take a few of those hours and have your homeschooler make his own movie?

  Here is my son's short about Ralph Waldo Emerson:

   

  Question: How have you used movies to enhance your homeschool curriculum?

   

• What if there comes a time when it is time for you to stop homeschooling?

  20 July 2011 / Differences, Healthy Living, Homeschool Information, News, Personal Growth, Relationships / 8 Comments

  Free download!

  Tale of Two Cities Study Guide.
  

  Charles Dickens' story of the French Revolution is a good resource for studying that time in France or to compare/contrast with his books on British life in the Victorian era.

  Don't miss your chance to download it free!

  =====================================================================

  

  Marilyn has been homeschooling her children for more than 2 decades. She also knew when one of her 6 children needed another kind of education.

  ************************************************************************

  What if there comes a time when it is time for you to stop homeschooling?

  I’m not talking about the day your youngest child graduates from high school.  I’m talking about a day when you believe that homeschooling is no longer the best option for your home, or for a particular child.

  Is this heresy? Can this actually happen? I believe that it can. I am 100% committed to homeschooling, but I believe that there are times when it is time for a change.  What are some circumstances that could lead to this earthshaking decision?

  • You are only homeschooling because being a “homeschool mom” has become so much a part of your identity that you can’t let go.
  • God is calling you to a new season - or calling your child to a new season.
  • Your child’s God-given potential can be better reached by a different educational choice.
  • Your life circumstances have made home-education so difficult that it is counter-productive.  (You need to get a full-time job, you or another family member are chronically ill, behavior problems of a child make it a constant battle and you have no time to just be the parent, are some times when it might be good to pray about a change.)
  • You are homeschooling a particular child just because that’s what you did with your other children.
  • You are so tired that all the joy has gone out of your home & school (not just for a short period, but for a prolonged season).
  • Your child has needs that cannot be met at home.

  I believe that most “problems” in our homeschools can be worked out and will actually build character for us and our children.

  But, there is no verse that says, “Thou shalt homeschool, now and forever”. This is another time when it is important to seek God’s wisdom and be open to the thought that he might have a different plan, even if it’s only for a time.

  

  We've seen many, many homeschoolers complete the process- but it is ok if God says, "Try something else."

  =====================================================================

  Download at 1/2 price while you can!

  Intermediate Guide to High School Poetry Writing

  This 45-page interactive guide helps a high schooler with very little poetry writing experience learn to read and write poetry- and maybe even enjoy the experience.

  Have fun and be creative- come to know some great works of great poets, too!

  You can download it right now for only $3.49 at our ebookstore!

  Hey, and don't forget to sign up for our free e-newsletter. Just look over on the right side of this page to register!

   

   

• WINNER WEDNESDAY - Which Way Do I Go?

  20 April 2011 / Differences, High School / 2 Comments

  Congratulations to Penny - our Wednesday Winner this week.  She received a free copy of Vicki Tillman's Career Exploration Workbook and Questionnaire.

  Keep those comments coming, and you might be next week's winner!

  

  Choosing a career should not be like dropping a marble into a spinning roulette wheel and waiting anxiously to see where it lands. But for many people, that's exactly what their experience is like!

  Some of our kids seem to know what they want to do from birth.   (For more on helping those kids have a well-rounded education, check out my post about "my boy, Boots.") But most kids just feel overwhelmed by the many possibilities, and about the time they start high school they need some help understanding their natural areas of giftedness and interest and the types of careers that might be worth pursuing for them.

  Deciding what to do after high school should never just be done in a flurry as graduation looms on the horizon.  By delving into the options little by little throughout the teenage years, we can equip our children to make wise choices for their post-homeschooling path.

  

  Vicki has written a wonderful workbook for helping students do just that!  As this school year winds down, why not give this workbook a try?  It's a low-stress way to help your teen begin intelligently exploring the options.  There are so many good choices out there, and putting together specific ideas for pursuing exposure to possible careers takes the stress off your student AND you.

  Special half-price sale on Career Exploration Workbook today - $4.99!

  What interesting careers have you explored with your students?