Sonlight Homeschooling Blog

Jul. 22, 2013

How Will the Common Core Affect Standardized Testing?

By Luke

Karen asked a great question after reading my post on Sonlight and the Common Core:

Will the revisions of the standardized tests and college entrance exams become so curriculum-specific as to set up independent learners for failure? Even if our standards may exceed theirs, we may not even read the same books or study the same criteria per grade level! How can we prepare our kids best to pass these tests?

I am most assuredly not an expert. But having read a bit about the Common Core State Standards, here's what I understand to be the case:

I know many people--including, for example, teachers and the College Board--are still trying to figure out the impact of CCSS and how to address the issues that are surfacing. So you are not alone! I am not aware of what changes are actually coming to the standardized tests. I haven't read anything on that topic, specifically.

Something to keep in mind: The Common Core State Standards do not dictate curriculum changes. They set a standard--a rather low one, if I'm reading things correctly--and publishers, teachers, and school districts merely need to meet those standards. I think SteveH makes a great point in the comments of this post: "...the standards are so vague that educators use them to justify whatever they want..." So, at the moment, I am not concerned about any specific information that will be tested that homeschoolers will somehow miss.

In other words: Standardized tests should not, under CCSS, suddenly be about making sure you've read the "right" books. Homeschooling will continue to prepare children for academic success. And if you're thinking about college, Judy has a great post where she shares some insights from her experience with high school and beyond as a homeschooler.

Hope that helps alleviate some of your concerns!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

P.S. I try to keep up on this kind of thing, but I may not read the same blogs/education news sites you do. If you have any input, I would very much appreciate it!

Tagged Testing | Leave a comment

Jul. 19, 2013

Summer Tunes

By Judy

It has been said that Music has charms to soothe the savage breast (William Congreve). The phrase came to mind yesterday evening as I was returning home from our church praise team practice. My week has been full of struggles and dilemmas, and yet as I drove home last night, I found my mind full of the songs we had been practicing and noticed that my spirits had lifted considerably.

Not to take away from the simple benefits of praising God, I think there is truth to the saying I quoted above. Music brings with it the innate benefit of calming a troubled heart and bringing joy to the listener. King Saul certainly found it to be so as he often enjoyed David's musical talents.

All that to say ... summer is a wonderful time to weave a little music into the lives of your students. If you are not, by nature or training, a musician, don't give up on finding ways to expose your children to good music. Sonlight's Summer Explorations has some great options for music appreciation ... perfect for a lazy day at the park or a long summer vacation drive.

My children especially enjoyed the Classical Kids Collection. It brought to life some long-dead classical composers and generated a real interest in their work. The Story of the Orchestra is a fun way to introduce younger children to various instruments and well-known orchestral music.

So no more "I'm bored mom!" Pop in a CD and let your kids fill their summer afternoons with a new-found joy in great music. Who knows ... you may unearth a budding interest in music that would benefit from instrumental instruction this fall.

Still on the journey ...
~Judy Wnuk
Sonlight Customer Champion

Tagged appreciation, music, orchestra, summer | Leave a comment

Jul. 17, 2013

Terrible Customer Service

By Luke

It was the middle of my workday when my phone interrupted me. On the other end was a company I had severed ties with in favor of another option that was half the price for identical service. I told the girl as much.

"I understand," she said. "But we don't let people cancel by letter. This is a courtesy call to inform you that we won't be canceling your service or refunding your money."

What?

"So how do I cancel and get my money back?" I wanted to know. "You have my signature on the piece of paper in front of you. I clearly want out."

"We don't let people cancel by letter."

"So--what--you need me to hang up and call you back?"

"My supervisor is nearby. Please read between the lines."

I had my answer. "What's your phone number?" A minute later--less time than I had spent deciphering the cryptic courtesy call--I had canceled my service and was told I would get a full refund. I was pleased about keeping my money, but the whole experience was absurd and frustrating. I felt like I was part of a Dilbert cartoon:

Ratbert: I'm a powerless rodent

Every time I have a terrible customer service experience, it makes me glad that Sonlight has a different approach. We're here to help. When you talk to Customer Relations, you're in touch with someone who has been authorized to help you. When you chat with a Sonlight Advisor, you're connecting with a homeschool mom who is there to help you find the right materials for your family. And if you discover--halfway through the year--that a different Core program would be better for your family, we have you covered with the Love to Learn, Love to Teach Guarantee.

I am thrilled with all the tools you have to ensure your homeschool experience is a success. You can find a community on the Sonlight Forums and a happy throng over on Facebook. And if I can be of any help, please let me know.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Tagged advisor, guarantee | 1 Comment

Jul. 16, 2013

Why Pray in Your Homeschool

By Luke

Prayer can change lives--including your own. I was very much encouraged by Mandy's post How the Gospel Changes Prayer. And Se7en provided 7 ways to make God part of your daily (homeschool) life. Even if you haven't been thinking about prayer lately, you should find both posts encouraging.

Personally, I've been challenged lately to turn to God when things get overwhelming. This is often related to the spiritual discipline of meditation. I get so caught up in what's going on that I have a tendency to forget to look to Christ. But if I take a moment to thank God for His sacrifice, to consider His creation, to remember His provision, I find I am a little more relaxed. And praying in these moments helps me change my attitude.

I appreciate that Sonlight offers time to pray each morning and that we can stop to pray any time something comes up. I think this is a very healthy perspective to have in work. It's also something I should do more often at home.

Pray

So why pray in your homeschool? Here are the things rattling around in my head today--inspired by the linked posts above:

Prayer reminds me that--through Christ--I can draw near to God
Prayer encourages me to seek God's will in a situation
Prayer sets my focus outward
Prayer offers perspective as I consider the needs of others
Prayer links me with other believers as I intercede with and for them
Prayer allows me to stop running and rest
Prayer--in a group--allows me to learn from others as they pray
Prayer gives me a chance to ask for more wisdom
Prayer can change lives ...like mine

Has prayer been on your mind recently as well? Were you encouraged by Mandy and Se7en's posts?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Tagged prayer | 1 Comment

Jul. 15, 2013

The Benefits of Discussing a Story Together

By Luke

As a homeschool family, you have many opportunities to see how your kids are doing. But even with that close connection, sometimes it's difficult to get down to core ideas and beliefs. This is where discussing stories together can be so powerful.

In one of the Sonlight titles--Peace Child(?)--the passage about Judas betraying Jesus was met with cheers. Why? That culture celebrated backstabbing. It was even better if you could get the person to think you were a friend. So Judas using a kiss to turn in Christ was the epitome of success. Talk about fundamental differences in perspective!

Even in small areas, discussing stories can reveal things near and dear to your child's heart. Is he moved with compassion for the injured animal? Is she stirred by the injustice of the situation? Does the description of how things were built then spark his imagination? Does she want to try her hand at making the meal depicted in that passage? Can he not stop talking about a particular situation in the book? Does she still make up stories associated with that moving passage? Those are ways to see how God has made and gifted your children. And I think those are great hints to where you may want to point your children to fly.

As you discuss the stories you read together, you may discover that you didn't read the same book. You may catch one theme and your child may have caught another. That's one of the things I like about great literature: There is depth you can explore together.

Did you have any conversations or insights come up while you were reading stories together this last year?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

P.S. Peace Child and Out of the Dust are both titles in Sonlight's Core 100 program.

Tagged books, discussion, literature, stories | 2 Comments

Jul. 11, 2013

Academic excellence matters because it honors God

By Sarita

Sonlight cares about academics. After many years in our programs, Sonlight graduates tend to be very well-educated and insightful adults. (Meet our 2013 scholarship winners for some shining examples.)

We emphasize academics because we believe that academic excellence honors God.* Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to love with your whole being. He describes a love that involves the heart, soul and mind:

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." –Matthew 22:37-39

Our minds aren't the only important things, or the most important. But they are important. God wants us to stretch our minds and use them to the fullest. I knew a fellow homeschool mom who used to buy four little workbooks, hand them to her children, and consider her work done. I thought, wow, that would be easy! But it wouldn't be good.

I believe the ultimate goal of homeschooling is to equip children to do whatever God calls them to. We want to raise up children to do whatever comes their way. And more often than not, that goal requires a solid academic education.

Sonlight student Anna P completes an impressive experiment with Sonlight Science E

Whether you are actively teaching in the younger years, or serving as your high schooler's learning coach, we don't skimp on academics. Sonlight provides the tools for you to teach the full spectrum of what kids need to know. We cover all the subjects. Those 60-pound Sonlight boxes arrive at your doorstep full of materials to help your children become well-educated people who love to learn.

When you choose Sonlight, you know you're giving your children the academic foundation to succeed in life. Over their years with Sonlight, they will learn to read, write, communicate effectively, think critically, consider various perspectives, and figure out whatever they want to keep learning.

Does character matter? Does loving God matter? Yes, yes and yes!! These are my highest desires for your children and you'll find Sonlight helps you more than you could have imagined in those areas. At the end of the day, we want to help you raise up children who love the Lord.

In doing so, Sonlight doesn't waver in its commitment to solid academics as well. We believe that well educated children who love the Lord can grow up to truly change the world. May it be so.

Blessings,
Sarita

P.S. I wrote more extensively on this topic last year. Read more about the balance between a focus on academics and character, and four reasons why we should challenge our children academically.

* More accurately, perhaps I should say that academic excellence gained through devotion to Christ honors God. The mere acquisition of knowledge in a prideful way or for the sake of personal glory doesn't do much to honor our Creator. But when we seek Christ as the motivation for our academic pursuits, when we submit to His call on our lives each day, we will be ready to follow Him wherever He leads.

Tagged academics | Leave a comment

Jul. 9, 2013

Are You in Control of Your Kids?

By Luke

He's got a dusty-blond head of hair and the physique of a high school football player. He has a similar expression as well. But he doesn't play football. He boxes and hikes. Someone in the room mentions that Brittany and I are "really religious."

"I'm always up for talking about it," I offer, reiterating my enjoyment of Random Bible Question Time with Luke. I love answering questions and encountering sticking points I didn't know existed. I also do my best to present various views if I am aware of them. This is one of the ways I challenge myself to keep learning.

He talks at me but doesn't meet my gaze. "You do not want to get into this with me."

"Oh, he does," my wife rejoins. I nod emphatically.

He sighs. "Well, first, you should know I'm an atheist." No problem. "What do you say to the fact that Christianity is just a conglomeration of much older religions, like the Egyptian sun god born on December 25th and stuff?"

We talk about it. I mention Zeitgeist: The Movie and then we get down to history. I'm not trying to shut him down, but there's no way I'm going to hold back. He then mentions the late publishing of the Gospels and hints at the theory that the Gospels made Christ progressively more divine the later they were written.

So we talk about that too.

I try to affirm his questions as reasonable--given what he's heard and read. But even so, I'm afraid I steamrolled him a bit. It's uncomfortable to come up against someone who has solid responses to the flimsy straw men you've been burning as effigies. Our time comes to a close before I can decompress the discussion. That bums me out a bit.

I want to provide a safe place for kids to express their doubts and struggles. When I was in high school, my goal was to "win" and "prove" the other person wrong. Since then, I've seen firsthand how destructive such an approach can be to building relationships and pointing people to Christ.

Supermom made this point really clear for me in her post Relationships Before Rules. Please give it a read. I really appreciated her thoughts.

May the hearts of our children be turned to us (their parents) and drawn to Christ as they see in us His love and grace, and not anger and offense and judgment. As your children transition from "totally under your control" to giving you influence, are they allowing you to provide insight or are they pushing away?

Whatever the case, may the peace of Christ rule in your heart as you continue to bring your children before the Lord in prayer. Because, while you ultimately can't control your kids, He loves them and does not want them to perish.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Tagged children, discussion, ideas, parenting | 2 Comments

How Will the Common Core Affect Standardized Testing?

Summer Tunes

Terrible Customer Service

Why Pray in Your Homeschool

The Benefits of Discussing a Story Together

Academic excellence matters because it honors God

Are You in Control of Your Kids?

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