Sonlight Homeschooling Blog

Jul. 8, 2014

The Road Trip

By Robert

Woody PEZ on the Golden Gate Bridge

1 vehicle
6 people
53 hours
3600 miles

My family recently returned from a big road trip that spanned seven states and a lot of miles. Somehow we managed and had a lot of fun, too.

Our trek wasn't all dependent on video games, smart phones, and tablet devices, either--things I didn't have when I went on road trips as a kid (well, ok, we did eventually have Merlin and Coleco's Electronic Quarterback).

Sitting in a fast-moving metal box for hours and hours is not always pleasant, but it did provide us with the opportunity to enjoy a lot of stories together. We got through a number of titles, including some we've read before, such as Watership Down, a couple of the Narnia books, and American Tall Tales told by Jim Weiss.

People love stories. It's as though we are wired for them. Whether it's literature, film, television, or other forms of storytelling, we are often captivated by the stories we encounter. That's why literature-rich eduction, which Sonlight Curriculum offers, is so powerful and moving. We not only get to encounter great characters and situations, but we can learn much from them, with the added bonus that they're a lot of fun on road trips!

What sorts of activities help you pass the time on a family road trip? Does your family enjoy experiencing certain stories again and again?

Robert Velarde
Author/Educator/Philosopher

Tagged literature, road trip, Sonlight, stories, storytelling, vacation | Leave a comment

Jul. 7, 2014

How to Homeschool Better: Be a Team

By Luke

You don't homeschool alone. I know it can feel that way. Even if your other half does some reading at bedtime, it sure can seem like you're running this ship all by your lonesome. For those of you without the present support of a spouse, I'm certain the isolation can be overwhelming.

But remember: You're homeschooling with your children. Homeschooling isn't a solo gig. It's you and your kids working together.

A recent blog post about how school leadership affects student performance got me thinking about management and us homeschoolers.

Many of my kids -- high school and college-aged people I'm blessed to know -- tell me about their jobs. When management rocks, they are on cloud nine. When management is a rock pulling them to the depths of despair, they hate going to work. Little wonder. Management has such a profound impact on morale that entire comic strips, like Dilbert, are dedicated to the office worker's plight.

So if bad principals, teachers, and managers can all severely detract from our ability to thrive, what does that tell us about homeschooling?

You matter.

You and I already know this.

But the fear, dark and foreboding, looms in the shadows: What if I'm a bad teacher, leader, parent? Doesn't this mean that I'm the one to blame if my children fail? Are my children doomed?

No. Your children will turn out fine. With Sonlight, you and your kids are guaranteed to love learning together. As Judy recently mentioned, your children can learn from you. You can homeschool successfully. And there are tremendous benefits to homeschooling, including being there to know what your kids are going through.

But, yes, like getting married and having kids, homeschooling does provide one more mirror in which you can see yourself. Your growth areas will be evident. But so will your strengths!

Your children have strengths and weaknesses as well. I really appreciated the comment about how the culture of the school is even more important for the quality of the school. If you create a homeschool experience where you can learn and grow yourself, your children will do the same. And as you work together, as a team, you can all do far better than trying to do things alone. It's like the sports analogy: This is a team event; by working together you can achieve more than your natural abilities would theoretically allow.

Part of a Team

Your children will discover a love of learning that builds upon their natural desire to learn. You will get better at teaching and recognizing their needs. This is not a solo gig. You're there, learning right alongside your children. That is the secret to teaching subjects you don't know. Keep working together in your culture that embraces learning. You're doing great!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

P.S. Need some encouragement? Have some questions? Swing by the Sonlight Forums or chat with an Advisor. There's always room for improvement ... just one more lesson we all know from our life-long learning adventure.

P.P.S. I really like the idea of school as a team sport. You each have your role to play, your position to fill, your event to tackle. But you don't do any of it alone.

Tagged homeschool, teaching | Leave a comment

Jul. 3, 2014

Don't let your child flunk summer

By Judy

I wish I could take credit for the catchy title, but I can't. It was the opening line from an excellent blog entry that I read earlier this week. The author also made the following statement, which really caught my attention ...

People, we are failing our children. They might be proficient at history, language arts and calculus to compete in the global marketplace with China, but they are lagging behind every local kid who can kick their butt at watermelon seed spitting, cartwheel contests and completing the world's best belly flop.

Her comment immediately took me back to hot, lazy summer days spent outdoors in the wooded area bordering our property. My brother and I used to hike the hill, climb the trees, and set up "housekeeping" in the tall weeds. My own children enjoyed many summer afternoons running in and out of the sprinkler in our backyard, and reading great books while stretched out in their treehouse. We made yummy, homemade popsicles that you had to eat in a hurry before they melted all over your bare toes.

Sadly, I think the author of the blog post does make a valid observation. Sometimes as parents we get so caught up in scheduling all the great and exciting local activities available for the summer, that we forget to give our children some "time off". Time to run, time to play, time to sit and stare at the clouds, time to read piles of great books .... I've heard so many kids whine "I'm bored", because we've set the expectation that every single moment has to be filled with activity. So plug in the sprinkler, don't holler when they make mud pies, and gauge the "success" of each day by how dirty the bath water is at bedtime.

One of our customers has the idea ... I received this auto-response back when I emailed the other day ...

Thank you for your email. Our family has decided to forgo screen time for the summer in favor of more family time, outdoor play, reading together, and maybe finally getting around to some organizing projects. So, we have no internet connection or TV until the end of August. We may check email occasionally during a trip to the library, but this will be infrequent. So, if you would like a timely reply please pick up the phone and call us.

What are your kids *not* going to do this summer? Sit outdoors with them one day and snap some great photos of their imaginations at work, then feel free to share them on our Facebook page!

Still on the journey,

~Judy Wnuk

PS ... If your kids don't have a pile of books to read in their treehouse, be sure to check out our Summer Readers. It's never too late to add some great titles to your library!

Tagged readers, reading, summer | 1 Comment

Jul. 2, 2014

Learn It Quick Schemes

By Luke

I think about education now and again; I blog about it regularly for work <grin>. So when my phone rang yesterday and someone tried to sell me a "learn it quick" idea, I frowned. Something about that concept made me uneasy, and not just because it smacked of a "get rich quick" scheme.

We love the idea, right? Making a billion bucks in an afternoon doing something awesome or quickly downloading information and skills, like Trinity learning to fly a helicopter or Chuck with Kung Fu. In reality, without a special pair of sunglasses or being linked to a computer, we learn by exposure to content, practice, repetition, application, and more. That's how Nathaniel Bowditch learned several languages using nothing but an applicable dictionary and a Bible. Things have become easier since then with programs like Rosetta Stone, but we still have to put in the time and effort.

That's not to say there aren't great tips and tricks to memorizing content. Learning need not be slow and painful. But an education consists of both a broad knowledge base and mastered skills.

There are probably a bunch of ways to lay the information bedrock faster. You can get tools and technology to help learn math facts. But that's just the start. It takes practice and patience to learn to apply math principles to problems. Similarly, once I could decode words, I had a long way to go before I was literate. This applies across disciplines because education is the 3 Rs plus application.

The fact that an education takes time should not surprise us in the least.

As proponents of life-long learning and lighting a fire of interest, we know that whatever we learn today can be expanded tomorrow. We're never "done" learning. And we pray that we grow in wisdom as well, carefully using what we know to bless others.

As parents and former students, we know how easy it is to lose skills if we don't keep practicing them. With summer upon us, we benefit from considering ways to prevent summer learning loss. Learning may take effort and work, but losing knowledge and skills sure feels effortless.

The analogy that comes to mind, like an agoraphobic neighbor asking to borrow a cup of sugar yet again, is sports. I used to be a competitive swimmer. I trained hard and occasionally got in shape. I learned how to swim. But to be able to keep swimming fast and well, I needed to be in the pool for many hours every week.

About to Swim the 500 at a College Meet

I don't do that anymore as my body and swimming show.

Learning, like work or sports, requires effort. But, like a sport or job you love, it can be a joy throughout your life. I know I still love both swimming and learning.

Homeschooling is not a learn it quick scheme. As Sarah Mackenzie reminds us, homeschooling is all about relationships, and relationships just aren't efficient. Efficient or not, homeschooling produces great results. Just check out the recent Sonlight Moment Is this for real?

If that's not enough to convince you to keep doing what you're doing with Sonlight, I'll remind you of 5 reasons to waste time reading to your children.

Spend the time. Do the work. Reap the benefits.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

Tagged education, learning | Leave a comment

Jul. 1, 2014

Don't Teach Like a Girl

By Luke

The negative impacts of school-based socialization have recently come to the foreground of social thought. Ironically, I don't think many people realize that socialization is the culprit. The focus is currently on our girls. In a telecommunications ad, they ask us to Inspire Her Mind while placing the blame squarely on parents. In a feminine products ad, we see that Like A Girl becomes a derogatory term sometime after age 10. Why? Where? How? <shrug> Buy tampons.

Ugh. One of the little girls right around 1:14 makes a great observation. When asked if "like a girl" was a good thing, she paused before saying, "I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

Exactly. Gender is just a thing. A reality. A fact. In fact, later in the video, a young woman makes the obvious point that she does things like a girl because she is a girl. But this tautology is ultimately unhelpful. We homeschoolers have already figured this out: We should teach and learn things. Period. Not like a girl or like a boy.

Schools, as Dr. Sax observes in Why Gender Matters, are notorious for reinforcing gender stereotypes and arbitrary gender roles. In fact, simply by putting the sexes in separate schools you increase the number of boys who take, say, dance and the number of girls who participate in things like chess club.

The problem, then, is not gender, but what society -- via socialization -- teaches us about gender. The problem is what I call a "socialization ill."

Opportunities

As homeschoolers, you and I have the opportunity to skip all that nonsense. We don't teach boys and girls, we teach students, our children. Knowing the differences between the genders, of course, can be instrumental in helping them achieve whatever they are called to do. That's one the reasons I love Why Gender Matters: It helps us empower our children by educating us.

As a mom, you will teach like a girl. As a guy, I'm going to teach like a boy. That means I'm going to be louder and likely thrive under a bit of pressure. We're different. But ultimately our goal shouldn't be to do something based on gender. Our goal is to follow where the Lord leads.

Please, inspire your children's minds. Continue to encourage them in their interests -- be it rocket ships like The Moehrings or pottery like Heather's daughter or astronomy and Legos like Kim's children. The first video offers a good reminder to relax a bit and let our children find joy in what interests them, not pulling them away from their passions simply because it's messy or not perfectly safe. Life is messy and everything carries a bit of danger. We know this. We see it every day in our homeschooling.

Keep doing the great things you're doing. Continue to observe your children and let them fly. And thanks to your support and encouragement, they'll feel free to pursue aerospace if they want.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

P.S. As I wrote this post, I kept thinking about how homeschooling gives students confidence. It's not exactly on point, but the theme is very similar. Homeschooling rocks.

Tagged gender, learning, socialization ill | 2 Comments

Jun. 30, 2014

Tonight: Last Chance for a 6-Month Payment Plan

By Luke

If you've been thinking about getting your curriculum, do it today. Sonlight's fee-free 6-month payment plan is only available through this evening. Stretch your homeschool investment over the next six months at no additional charge!

Here's how it works: Order the homeschool curriculum you want and pay only 25% today. Pay the other 3/4ths in three easy payments every other month. Use the handy chart and calculator on the payment plan page to see this in action. Sonlight's payment plans are straightforward and hassle-free. If you're ever not sure when your next payment is due (two months is a long time), simply log into your Sonlight account page for your complete payment plan schedule.

4 payments over 6 months

Paying for a year's worth of materials all at once can be daunting. That's why we encourage you to spread your educational investment over half a year at no additional cost.

If you want to take advantage of this opportunity but have a few questions or don't know which program will best for your family, please chat with a Sonlight Homeschool Advisor now.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

P.S. Get all the details for your payment plan here. Don't forget all the other benefits you get when you buy a curriculum package from Sonlight: Free shipping, a 1-year guarantee, 10% off other purchases, and more.

P.P.S. While the 6-month payment plan option expires tonight for orders of $399 or more, you can get your choice of payment plan year-round when you purchase a complete Full-Grade Package from Sonlight.

Tagged Time Payments | Leave a comment

Jun. 27, 2014

On Being Open to Learn

By Luke

I am quite convinced that what I know and believe is true. So this morning I inwardly recoiled when I read, "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows." [Hat tip: Heather Sanders]

That's simply not true. I think I know and yet I am also totally open to learn. But if you were to read the rest of Heather's post, you'd realize that the quote above isn't completely clear. The deeper issue is pride. And you and I both know how impossible someone is who pridefully believes something.

The distinction, then, is not confidence. We can know things with certainty. The difference between one who learns and those of us who do not is openness. Are my ears and eyes closed in conceit, or am I sure enough of my position to listen and look in humility?

Let's take the example of the 2+2=5 joke. We both know the answer is four. But someone approaches us and says otherwise.

I scoff and tell them they are sorely mistaken.

You, more humble and certain of your grasp of math, instead raise an eyebrow. "How do you figure?" you ask.

"Well," this clever little urchin grins back, "2+2=5 for very large values of 2."

You chuckle, realizing this is true. By looking only at the whole number, we may overlook the decimal that brings us to five or beyond. 2.7 plus 2.7 is not four. I, too proud to admit I didn't see the turn, contest the statement, noting that significant digits were misused in this instance (which is all too true).

Too Proud to Laugh

Granted, a bad joke doesn't have much to do with learning. But this same split between the proud and humble works out elsewhere with more impact. You and I can both be confident that our interpretation of Scripture is correct, but am I open to hear what you have to say if I find we are in disagreement? And how many times are our differences not as drastic as they appear, resting more on different assumptions about what is significant and what is not?

We life-long learners do not fear learning. We do not stop up our ears and close our eyes. We are humble enough to consider that there is much more to learn.

But that does not require that we believe we could be wrong. We are right, what we hold to is true, but there is more to learn. We're open to more.

Or, to put it in the words of a quote I heard as a child, "The purpose of an open mind is to close it again on something true."

I am right. My opinions are well grounded in reality.

But when someone shows me a piece I have overlooked, I do my best to gladly re-anchor into a firmer position.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

Tagged humility, life-long learning | Leave a comment

The Road Trip

How to Homeschool Better: Be a Team

Don't let your child flunk summer

Learn It Quick Schemes

Don't Teach Like a Girl

Tonight: Last Chance for a 6-Month Payment Plan

On Being Open to Learn

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