Sonlight Homeschooling Blog

Mar. 10, 2014

Things You've Never Thought to Try

By Luke

Cristi posted a photo of homemade marshmallows in the making. Brittany made marshmallows once. They turned out a tad different than the kind that come in a bag (more like cubes than cylinders). They weren't as light and fluffy. They tasted fine. And had you asked how to get marshmallows before my wife made a batch at home, I would have told you to try Aisle 6 at the store.

A Square Marshmallow?

Same with mayonnaise.

I know we can make food at home. I realize it's totally possible to create stuff you can buy from a brand. And while I gladly support the move away from processed foods, why do these kinds of things keep catching me off guard? Why is it so surprising to think of making marshmallows at home?

Let's step out of the kitchen for a moment. A similar resignation to outside processing is rampant in our society. It's largely an artifact of specialization. Why would I need to know how to work on my car? I can take it to a mechanic. He has the tools and the training to do it faster and better than I. So when I stop to see if I can help a stranded motorist, if they need anything more than a battery jumped, a tire changed, or a push ... I'm not going to be of much help.

Homeschooling has much the same shock value as, say, making your own vanilla or laundry detergent. Once you've done it, you realize there is no guarded secret to the process. This may explain why so many of us homeschoolers make our own vanilla and detergent. We've discovered that while store-bought marshmallows all look the same and have the same light and airiness, we'd really like a little more control over the ingredients. We're not looking for conformity. We're looking to do something that matches our child's needs.

This analogy helps us see the other side as well. There are times when outside resources are super helpful (like my auto mechanic who is currently fixing a window stuck in the down position). There are times when it benefits our children -- and us -- to send them to a "specialist" be it in an advanced subject or sports or band or otherwise. We're not fundamentally against using resources available to us, we're just more selective in what resources we use when. Because we've realized we have that choice.

Many people never even think to try homeschooling.

And that is unfortunate because, like homemade doughnuts, homeschooling is amazing.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

P.S. One last food thing before I sign off: French fries. I'm still looking for an easy, uber-tasty way to make them at home. There's something about the processed starches and grease of a restaurant that we just haven't matched at home. ...that's probably a good thing.

Tagged Homeschooling | Leave a comment

Mar. 5, 2014

Pop Culture's Misunderstanding of God vs Science

By Luke

A comedian is riffing on the radio. He's had the crowd laughing and now says:

I'm not against religion. Believe what you want to believe. But I always side with science because religion constantly changes over time. Scientists don't suddenly say, "Turns out the moon is made of cheese."

This was yet another example of how humor turns off people's minds. And I don't like it. Let's unpack this a bit, shall we?

The Divine or the Developed?

First, science constantly changes. In fact, this is one of the top arguments for science: It is self-correcting. Religious thought can -- and does -- get stuck on itself. Humans can make mistakes. Science has a built-in feature that allows it to change as new discoveries are made. So if you side with science because what it tells us remains constant, I don't think you understand science at all. Just one minor example: When I was a kid, Pluto was a planet.

Second, while some cults pride themselves on modern revelations and "better" translations, religion doesn't change much. I was in India a while back, and Hinduism is alive and well. And Christianity has not shifted it's core values near as I can tell. So if you don't like religion because it changes to accommodate the times, I don't know what religion you're talking about.

Third, we need to be quick to admit when we've been wrong. Truth does not change, but our understanding develops. Where we have misinterpreted the Bible and misapplied Christ's teachings, we should be the first to declare our mistake and decry our failure. Just as the reality behind science does not change, we must joyfully embrace a better understanding of God and His will.

Fourth, if I understand creation properly, there is no need to side with either God or science. This is a false dichotomy. But if we're forced to choose between man's interpretation versus God's revelation, it may be better to side with science.

[See what I did there? No? Let's chat in the comments!]

Common misunderstandings are popular. But we, as life-long learners, have the opportunity to seek to better understand both God and science.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

Tagged life-long learning, popular culture, religion, science | 1 Comment

Mar. 4, 2014

You Can Use Education to Solve Problems

By Luke

Educators infer that all we need is an education to solve problems. If we -- or those currently afflicted by suffering due to ignorance -- could simply learn what we needed to know, we'd come out of our current situation.

Poverty? Equations? Interpersonal tensions? Economics? Political division? All could be done away with or resolved with a little know-how.

But then these same educators opt to create arbitrary (if not illogical) rules rather than use education to solve problems. Example: Deter gang violence by outlawing American flags at school. Rather than teach kids that Cinco de Mayo is not a reason to beat up on your white American neighbors -- as it is a Mexican-American holiday -- administrators let the gangs run wild that day and suppressed any US "patriotism" to reduce a repeat of past gang violence on May 5th.

Why the Tension?

On the one hand, I agree: If you've got out-of-control kids bent on hurting others due to a warped sense of misplaced loyalty, let's do what we can not to provoke them. If my student was doing something likely to raise ire, it'd be good to be aware of the risks. Given such a climate at school, I may just keep my student home, thank-you-very-much.

On the other hand, we've got zero-tolerance laws in place. If you know students are going to act out on a particular day, you get security and other systems in place to crack down on kids who are disrupting school and enacting violence against their peers. It's ridiculous that we throw up our hands about that but expel students who pretend to diffuse imaginary bombs.

On the other hand, this is a complex, difficult situation with a bunch of moving parts and humans. There is not going to be a simple, clean fix. Lives need to be changed. And one way we can help that is through education.

Scratch that.

One way we help people move forward is by helping them learn. An "education" in a traditional sense -- a certain number of hours where your rear is in a room -- does little to help. But opening up the world, making sense of the present by looking at the past, and allowing students to see things through the eyes of others makes for a much better place.

And that global, historical, humble approach to learning is exactly what you'll find as you homeschool with Sonlight. I'm not here to decry public education, they have enough to deal with and rightly don't much care what a little blogger like me thinks. I'm here to offer you an alternative. I'm here to encourage you if you've already made the counter-cultural choice to homeschool. Because I believe that what we learn can be used to solve problems.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

Tagged American history, current events, education, learning, school | Leave a comment

Mar. 3, 2014

The Beauty of Having a Plan

By Luke

It's late in the day for me. I'm sitting here trying to conjure up a blog post topic.

Nothing.

I flip through my Other Posts of Note hoping for some inspiration.

Nope.

I stare out the window. I take a bathroom break. I get a drink of water. I spin around in my chair a time or two.

Nada.

'I wish,' I tell myself, 'I had some kind of schedule that just told me exactly what I should blog about every single...'

And there it is. My inspiration struck. The thing I was looking for was an Instructor's Guide. If I had an IG for my blog, I would simply open it up each day with directions, notes, helps, and other tools. Blogging would be a breeze! I'd simply apply my style, input, and time into writing my own post, and it'd turn out great.

Unfortunately, the IG-for-my-blog idea is only good for a single post. But your Instructor's Guide -- part of your Sonlight homeschool curriculum -- is very real. And it gives you a framework for every single homeschool day. It's a tool you can use as much as you need or as little as you want. But it's there, ready to provide inspiration and direction as you like.

Your homeschooling experience, like my blog posts, are yours. But we can all use a little direction and support now and again.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

Tagged Instructor's Guide | Leave a comment

Feb. 28, 2014

History, Worldviews, and Life

By Robert

In a 1784 essay philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote, "Dare to know." At Sonlight we want children to know and understand ideas. That's one of the reasons we put together a new package called History 520: World History and Worldview Studies.

Intended for upper-level high school students, History 520 combines not only history from ancient times to the 21st century, but also worldviews--the philosophies and ideas that have shaped our world. Far from being impractical, the study of history in conjunction with the rise and fall of worldviews demonstrates just how influential ideas can be.

From the despair of nihilism to the hope of Christianity, students will engage the ideas of thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Descartes, Marx, Nietzsche, and more. These philosophical studies are scheduled alongside the history that is part of History 520. This allows a broader view and understanding of how ideas influenced other areas of life, such as the fine arts, literature, and culture as a whole.

History 520 also prepares high school students for life, including college. By providing a solid introduction to philosophy, students will learn about critical thinking, philosophy of science, and key areas of philosophy that are part of every worldview (what is ultimate reality? how do we know it? what do we do about it?). Students will be prepared to engage the many competing ideas in our culture today.

At the advent of World War II, C.S. Lewis spoke to a group of Oxford students, telling them, "Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered." History 520 integrates history and worldview studies in a way that will help students understand the rudiments of various philosophies, their place in history, and how to engage the many ideas they will encounter in life and in future studies.

May you and your children dare to know--and understand.

Robert Velarde
Author/Educator/Philosopher

Tagged critical thinking, culture, curriculum, high school, history, ideas, philosophers, philosophies, worldviews | Leave a comment

Feb. 27, 2014

The Next Generation . . .

By Judy

Earlier this month we received the exciting news that we’re going to be grandparents later this summer. Our first grandbaby! How exciting.

I immediately began dreaming of all the “firsts” that I could share with my oldest daughter … the first time she feels the baby move, the first time she sees an ultrasound picture, the first time she realizes she can no longer see her feet, let alone reach them … You get the idea.

I also began thinking about our daughter’s childhood, and the "first" choices we made for her upbringing … including the decision to homeschool she and her siblings. She survived through all my researching and experimenting with homeschooling. I have no idea if my daughter and son-in-law will choose to homeschool their children. We certainly will honor whatever decision they make, and I have promised myself that I will not harass or even subtly try to influence them in that decision (well, maybe just a little).

But just in case they do decide to homeschool this child prodigy (whom I have nicknamed Felix) who will be my grandchild … I tried to think of the three most important things I would share with them based on my almost 20 years of homeschooling experience …

1) This baby will be the smartest, most intelligent, most creative child on the face of the planet ... simply because Felix is yours (and comes from our gene pool)! But no matter how much Calculus darling little Felix can do at age 2, please let him/her be a *child*. The world is full of wonderfully amazing learning experiences you can have with this wee one without ever picking up a textbook. Save the math workbooks for a later date and fill the hours with reading great books, playing outside, wandering through the zoo, and visiting grandma. Dr. Raymond Moore had it right when he said … “…recipe for genius: More of family and less of school, more of parents and less of peers, more creative freedom and less formal lessons.”

2) It matters not what age Felix learns to read independently, or what the little girls and boys in his/her Sunday School class are doing in school. Felix will come with his/her own set of giftings and challenges. He/she may be like his uncle, who didn’t learn to read well until he was 9 years old, but was doing complex math calculations in his head at age 6. Or maybe more like his aunt who wrote beautifully detailed stories at the age of 8, but couldn’t make change without a calculator until she was in her teens. Bottom line … be prepared to meet this child’s educational needs based on his/her skill set … not on some government-generated standards, or the pressure to conform to what others in your group of friends are doing. Find confidence in the knowledge that you are the best teacher your child will ever have ... because you know him best!

3) Socialization is not the looming hurdle of homeschooling that many would like to think it is. Having children spend multiple hours per day in a classroom with peers of the same age group does not qualify as socialization. Putting them on a sports field with team members of the same age range does not qualify as socialization. Socialization, as it is defined, is to acquire a personal identity and learn the norms, values, behavior and skills appropriate to his/her social position. (www.dictionary.com). Socialization is done well when a child interacts with others across the age spectrum. There is as much value in playing with a peer as there is in learning to respect and enjoy time spent with an older adult, or in learning to be patient and encouraging with a younger sibling. Playing team sports can be a great and valuable opportunity for Felix, but it is not where he/she will gain his most valuable socialization skills.

4) Ok … I know I said “three” most important things … but grandmas get to change their minds. Your education choice is your own to make … between you two and God. There will be a multitude of well-meaning “advisors” that will offer their input related both to your parenting and how you choose to educate your child. Learn to listen with a smile, and then quietly discard what does not line up with what God has shown you. Never be afraid to ask for input and suggestions, but ultimately, God has given Felix to the two you, not anyone else (not even his/her wonderful grandmother). When it comes to raising Felix, learn to check with Him both first and last.

Still on the journey ...
~Judy Wnuk

Homeschool Conventions

By Karla

Homeschool convention season is nearly upon us. I always look forward to this time of year because I love traveling to conventions around the country and visiting with other homeschool parents in the Sonlight booth. Judy's most recent post told about the week of training that kicks off the convention season for our Sonlight Consultant team. That's going on this week. We are learning a lot and are excited for the upcoming season.

I'm curious. If you're a homeschooling parent, do you attend a homeschool convention each year? Is that something that's important to you? I have talked to some homeschoolers who have never attended a convention. That always surprises me. They just don't seem to know what they're missing.

I remember the first homeschool convention I attended. My oldest daughter was four. My husband and I hadn't even really been considering homeschooling, but a friend invited me to go with her. We only got vendor hall passes, so we didn't even try to attend any of the workshops, and still, I was overwhelmed. It was an eye-opening experience for me.

In my mind at that time, there were two basic types of curriculum: traditional textbooks and read-and-fill-in-the-blank workbooks. At that convention I learned about unit studies, hands-on learning, and most importantly (for me), literature-based learning. As a life-long avid reader who had been in the habit of reading aloud to classmates and younger siblings long before I had children, I was just blown away to discover that it was possible to provide an education in that way. A superior education, even.

Sonlight wasn't represented at that convention that year, but over the course of the next few months I started researching curriculum options and requesting catalogs. You've heard the expression, "I'll know it when I see it." That's how Sonlight was for me. Once I had the catalog in-hand I realized that was what I had been looking for. So many books in the packages were titles I had read (and re-read) as a child, so I knew that's what I wanted for my children.

The next year I went to another homeschool convention. Still no Sonlight booth, but by this time I had become involved in a homeschool group online and another mom who was also going to attend that convention offered to bring some of her Sonlight books for me to look at. I placed my first order with Sonlight after that, and so we started kindergarten.

I didn't have the opportunity to go to a convention the next year, but Sonlight had worked out so well for us, that we just continued on. I pored over the catalog so much that I practically had it memorized. And I became active on the forums. The following spring I was making plans to attend our state homeschool convention when I learned that Sonlight was looking for homeschool moms to host the Sonlight booth. I knew I would love to do that, so I contacted the company to find out what would be involved... and so... the very first Sonlight booth I ever saw was the one I set up myself back in the spring of 2000.

Every year since then I've continued to represent Sonlight at various conventions in a number of states. It is something I am truly passionate about.

In addition to manning the Sonlight booth I am usually able to find a few moments to walk around the vendor hall to see what's new. Occasionally I may even find time to sit in on a workshop. I've formed friendships with some of the other vendors over the years. And, it's a great way to network with other parents.

It's hard for me to understand the mind-set when I hear another homeschooler say, "I know what I'm going to use for curriculum, so I don't really need to attend a convention." There are so many more benefits to a convention than just choosing a curriculum. If you've never been to one I would encourage you to make an effort to go this year. I think you'll be glad you did!

Enjoying the adventure,
~Karla Cook
Lifelong Learner

Tagged conventions, Encouragement | 1 Comment

Things You've Never Thought to Try

Pop Culture's Misunderstanding of God vs Science

You Can Use Education to Solve Problems

The Beauty of Having a Plan

History, Worldviews, and Life

The Next Generation . . .

Homeschool Conventions

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