Sonlight Homeschooling Blog

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

Feb. 24, 2014

Why We Learn Even Though We Forget

By Luke

I find myself supporting the process of building a love to learn. I often downplay the importance of gaining this or that bit of information or skill set. "This is a life-long process," I tell you. "Relax. Enjoy."

So why go to the trouble of trying to learn anything? Why not take a radical unschooling approach and abandon all routine, structure, and formality?

I've already shared 5 reasons to teach even though we tend to forget the details of our lessons. But today I think I stumbled on another one: Learning inspires more learning.

This is one of the key points of unschooling. If you allow kids to find joy and wonder in the world, they will be inspired to find more. I'm actually not at all opposed to unschooling; it works for many kids. But focused routine and exposure to subjects that aren't naturally of interest to a student has so much potential. One reason to force ourselves to work on something we dislike, "won't use," and are "bad at" is that the hard work can reverse these trends. Done well, we can take something a student hates -- say, math -- and turn it into something useful, important, even enjoyable.

Blocks

When the wind sweeps across the field and the clouds drift across the sky, I'm reminded of heat rising, barometric pressure changes, cloud classifications, the water cycle ... math, science, physics, history ... a combination of subjects and disciplines that allow us deeper insights and wonder at the world around us.

Why learn even though we forget?

Because the more we learn, the more we can discover the joy in learning. The more we connect ideas, the more ideas we can connect. Life-long learning is far more important that learning a single lesson, but each lesson is a block upon which we build our life-long pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

Tagged life-long learning | Leave a comment

Feb. 21, 2014

How to Help a Kid Who Hates Math

By Luke

Ken, a Sonlight dad whose kids are now in graduate programs, shared this great article about success in math. If you hate math, learning how to fail at math can help you move forward. It relieves pressure and allows you focus on working hard to understand. Do that, and you'll succeed.

This brought up so many key ideas to helping kids alleviate their hatred of math.

Stop with the grading! Grades do not help students. In a subject like math where your answer is either right or wrong, constantly reinforcing the idea that you did it incorrectly gives students the "I'm bad at math/I hate math" complex. Stop it. Focus on getting it right. Take the time you need. Homeschooling lets us do this. We can learn to "fail," as Matt Waite calls it, by continuing to work toward success. I think fewer kids would fear math if they were allowed to learn it instead of tested on it.
Relax about being behind. This is interrelated with #1. In fact, I already mentioned it. Growing up, I struggled with reading. The fact that my parents let me take the time to learn how to read made it possible for me not hate reading. I believe that "math anxiety" is not from math itself, but from a pressure to perform at a pace. This is true for any subject. Relax. Your kids will then be able to focus on learning instead of performance.
Don't compare. (Connected to #2.) Students compare themselves to those around them. If they are "behind" another student in this or that area, they assume they are "bad at" that subject. This is one reason why homeschooling or going to a small school is so much better than going to a big, prestigious school.^* So don't compare Johnny to Susie. Johnny could be good at writing; Susie could be good at math; both will be more likely to give up on the opposite subject if you compare them to each other. Some students resonated with words, others with numbers, others with colors and shapes, some students connect with music, and a few seem great at everything. Focus on each student's strengths and help them work hard in the areas that require a little more effort.
Find new tools/try a new program. What math program is right for your child? I don't know. There are many different options that appeal to different students. If your student is struggling with his or her math program, try something new. You may also benefit from something like MathTacular which helps teach math concepts in a way that makes sense.
Focus on what really matters... learning. I've said this in other ways in the past. Your student does not need to know this or that math fact. Your child does not need to know how to do this or that math operation. Too many of my friends who "hate math," do so because they were forced to perform or fail. What mattered to the school was test scores. Results! Far better to remind your student that learning is a life-long process. There is no need to rush or cut corners. We're homeschooling to learn. And we plan to keep learning long after formal schooling has ended.

That's all I've got time for today. What have you found helps a student who hates math?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian

*See Gladwell's David and Goliath for more on this. Example: A brilliant student who is behind his peers at an Ivy League school is more likely to drop out of a tough subject than a typical student at a small college who is ahead of his peers.

Tagged learning, math, MathTacular | 2 Comments

Feb. 20, 2014

Our India Trip to the "Edges"

By Sarita

In the 1970s, the famous missiologist Dr. Ralph Winters had an epiphany. He had met scores of missionaries headed to Mexico, Guatemala and Nigeria. But he had never met a missionary serving in Afghanistan.

He knew every country needs the Gospel. But there were places that weren't being touched at all. This is where the whole unreached people group movement started. If we believe the Bible's teaching that there will be some in heaven from every tongue and tribe, then we need to know where these people groups are. And, we need to send people directly to them.

This concept radically changed the whole missions movement. Mission agencies began to map the unreached people groups in the world. Who still needs a Bible in their language? Who needs Christian workers in their midst?

Nowadays, the mission agency Frontiers works hard to find Muslim people groups who have never heard the Gospel. Surprisingly, they've found that many of these unreached Muslim people groups live in a country we don't typically associate with Islam: India. In fact, India has the third largest Muslim population in the world.

Last month, John and I had the immense privilege of visiting some of these precious people. We flew to Delhi and went into the oldest parts of the city. These cramped, poor neighborhoods are home to Muslim families who have lived there for centuries. When many Muslims fled to newly-formed Pakistan during the turbulent Partition of India in 1947, these families stayed put. And in a predominantly Hindu country, they often face serious discrimination.

We met workers who live among these Muslims and share the hope of Jesus with them. These workers have a hard road ahead of them, but I pray for the transforming power of the Gospel to take hold.

John and I want to strategically reach out to these places on the fringes. Places that don't yet have a strong Christian presence. We call these places the "edges."

After our time in Delhi, we flew to another "edge" place: the Indian state of Gujarat. When we asked Mission India leaders to identify a region where almost no Christian work was happening, they pointed us to Gujarat. And so we support Mission India's work there – Adult Literacy Classes, Children's Bible Clubs and Church Planter Training.

We visited a church where the pastor had come to faith through Mission India's work. Though he and his congregation are from one of the poorest and most despised people groups in India, this church was overflowing with hope and joy. Their newfound vibrancy in Christ blew me away. The Gospel does transform lives!

Please join me in praying for these places where the Kingdom of God is just starting to break through. What a privilege to help in that work.

Blessings,
Sarita

Tagged Gospel, missions, prayer, travel | Leave a comment

Feb. 18, 2014

Resolutions

By Jonelle

I know February isn't really a normal time to be talking about New Year's resolutions, but January sped by and here it is mid-February and, well, I'm just going to talk about them.

This year I decided that, instead of making a few resolutions that would last the whole year, I would try having one new resolution every month. I'm hoping these good habits will snowball and by the end of the year I'll have 12 good new habits. But, I've only committed to each of these for a month, so if I find that I'm falling off the bandwagon, I can always restart with a new idea a few weeks later. I felt like this would be more doable. Can I try a new meal every week? Probably for 4 weeks. Can I save a specified amount? I can be a more dedicated penny counter for a month. This seemed like a way to have more success overall.

Here is my rough plan:

January: post something to Craigslist every day (okay, I really dropped the ball here, but I think I sold 4 things...)
February: Sort, print, and then put in albums the remaining photos I have from 2013. (Honestly, I'm probably a bit behind on this...but I can make it close!)
March: Read the Bible every day instead of doing my Bible study homework twice a week.
April: Try a new main course dish once a week.
May: No electronics after 9pm.
June: Go for a walk every day (when I told my husband this one, he was aghast, that's 30 walks!...I have every confidence we can do this one).
July: Eat a veggie with every meal.
August: In bed, no electronics by 10pm.
September: Save $___ (I view saving as a sort of competition with myself, it's a really exciting thing to do).
October: Go on 2 dates (I hadn't noticed I had this right after saving...hmmm).
November: Go through all closets and basement for Fall clean up.
December: Focus on Christ and Christmas for this month (sing carols, read the Bible story, really focus on Christ every day).

Unfinished Photo Album

One thing I really like about this type of a plan is that it can cover so many areas of my life. It covers spiritual change, monetary change, eating change, physical change, electronic change, cleaning change and on and on. It's fun to have time set aside to focus on all of those different areas.

This is my plan for the year, and, looking it over again really helps me be excited about all of the fun things I'm going to try this year. It is nice to know that even though I've had a rough start, I have plenty of other things I can strive for.

I want to encourage you, you still have ten brand new months in which to try something new. Resolutions, goals, aims, they are for us. Not for bondage. So, regardless of how your year has started, there’s always time to start something new.

Until next time,
Jonelle

Tagged disciplines, Happenin' at my House, life | Leave a comment