Sonlight Homeschooling Blog

Aug. 25, 2011

What am I teaching?

By Judy

As our final high school student begins his junior year at home, I am contemplating what I have taught, and am teaching our children. On my junior's plate for this year is Geometry, Chemistry, Sonlight's Core 300 program, some Christian worldview titles, and the expected writing that he really doesn't enjoy. I am patting myself on the back because academically it appears to be a very sound year for him.

Reality, however, is hovering in the background behind the academics. My good friend is engaging in an uphill battle with breast cancer, another dear friend emailed early this morning to let me know that her husband is slowly losing his long battle with cancer, our college-graduate son-in-law is discouraged at his seeming inability to find full-time employment, and my aging parents face each day's multiple medical appointments with grace and patience.

It strikes me that while academics may define to some extent what my students/children can *do*, it does not begin to define who they *are*. Our homeschool journey has allowed our children to face life head-on. They've had the blessing of mowing grandpa's lawn or driving with grandma to the hospital. In return they have blessed their grandparents by seeking their counsel and excitedly sharing reached milestones. Living under the same roof has provided an amazing opportunity for one generation to benefit another. They're learning a servant's spirit and better communication skills as our daughter and son-in-law have returned home temporarily while they seek employment. Sibling relationships take on a whole new dimension as they become young adults. They've watched us struggle with sorrow as friends battle disease and discouragement, and have learned to pray with us amid those trials.

So as you face a new school year this fall, in addition to the academics you have planned for your children, consider what "life lessons" they might be able to learn as well. Look for ways to purposefully place your children/family in situations that will stretch them/you in areas of servanthood, faith, and character. As hard as those experiences may prove to be, the lessons learned will have eternal value.

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

Tagged character, faith, Geometry, Homeschooling, servanthood, worldview | 2 Comments

Aug. 23, 2011

Just Average

By Karla

Uh-oh. I've caught myself doing it again. Comparing my kids to other people's kids. You would think I should know better by now.

I remember worrying when my baby didn't walk as soon as "most" babies. I worried when my preschooler didn't talk as plain as "most" tots. I worried when my kindergartener didn't learn to read as fast as "most" kids.

Yep. I was convinced it was me. I was doing something wrong. My kids were not above-average, and they really ought to be, right? I mean, any homeschool mom worth her salt has above-average children. Just read the glowing testimonials in the Sonlight catalog. That proves it. Doesn't it?

The fact of the matter is, somebody has to have average kids for there to be above-average kids. Turns out one of mine is average, and the other is actually--gasp!--below-average. And you know what? That's okay.

My oldest daughter graduated from high school this spring. She won't be going off to college like Judy's and Jill's children. They are rightfully proud of their children, but when I read their posts I began to second-guess myself again. Did I do something wrong? Why isn't my daughter academically inclined like theirs? It must be my fault.

Um. No. It isn't. We are all different. We all have strengths and weaknesses. I have to remind myself not to compare my weaknesses (or my children's weaknesses) to other people's strengths. When I remember that my daughter has above-average character and a gift for hospitality I realize that it's really okay that she has no interest or aptitude for going to college. God has a plan for her life just as He does for those with more "book smarts." We can't wait to find out what it is!

You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
Psalm 139:16-17

Enjoying the adventure,
~Karla Cook
Lifelong Learner

Tagged character, Encouragement, guilt, special needs | 13 Comments

Aug. 22, 2011

Buying Books

By Luke

My college-aged friends have been bemoaning the high price of textbooks. I can't do much more than grimace and empathize: Textbooks are pricey! I wish they could order a Core and get a ton of wonderful books for less.

...but Universities don't use Sonlight. Which is a shame. <smile>

Buying my books in college was nothing like Box Day. And the experience was split up by semester so I got to go through the pain twice every year. But it was nice to not have to shell out all my dough in one lump sum.

You, by contrast, get to order your whole school year's worth of books and celebrate the joy of all you're going to cover this year. But, like my University, you don't have to pay for it all at once either. You can take advantage of Sonlight's fee-free Time Payment plans and spread the cost of your curriculum over the next three months. You can get going with your homeschooling this year, celebrate Box Day, and not break the bank all at once.

Good deal.

Find your homeschool curriculum now!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Tagged books, box day, college, curriculum | 4 Comments

Aug. 17, 2011

Awkward

By Autoblot

Humans are odd creatures.
You yearn to be unique and yet you spend your lives comparing yourselves to others.

An Autoblot^™ Post

Close to home are the "lies homeschool moms believe." But only slightly removed--out the door, across the street and down the block--are the students struggling to make their way in school. From the popular to the outcast, the prom queen to the socially inept, the conflicting rules of being "just so" lead to misery for just about every child.
Just last night I got to listen in as three girls swapped stories from middle school: The cruel comments of classmates about acne, the popular girls who would pat your shoulder to see if you were endowed enough to have a bra yet, the kids who would jeer and leer if you were an early bloomer. Drifting into the later years they talked about the pressure to "put out" and how all the talk of sex made you feel left behind if you didn't know what your classmates were saying; the thrill and pain of relationships, the pressures and pleasures of boys, the desire to do good but not knowing what was the right thing to do...
My digital heart pours out ones and zeros in response to such silliness producing so much hurt and damage.
Like an email with a virus embedded in it to my kind, so schools can be a vector for the cruelty of children to those around them. I'm not suggesting that you unplug your children from the world like you would a computer from the internet. But perhaps a few spam filters are in order. Not that homeschooling rids the world of all such ails, but it provides a much more positive environment in which to learn and grow and socialize.
 ~Autoblot

Automatic Blogging Robot

Tagged guilt, high school, socialization | 2 Comments

Aug. 16, 2011

Seeing Inside the Missions Movement

By Luke

One of the huge benefits of reading missionary biographies is that we get to see how God has worked--and is working--around the world. We are able to watch as God uses men and women to transform lives and show His love. We get to wrestle with the difficulty of contextualizing and translating messages. We witness the courage and sacrifice of believers who lay down their lives for their faith and their friends. Our views of what "church" looks like are challenged by vibrant communities of believers who worship God in ways unfamiliar to us. The pressures and assumptions of culture smash against the desire to see people encounter Christ. Missionary biographies--which are included in almost every Sonlight Core--are great because they give us a glimpse of just how big our God is.

A couple days ago my family got to talking about the "Insider Movement" that continues to be a hot topic within the world of missions. I found a brief overview of what is wrong with these ideas dating back to 2006. For the other side, check out the article written earlier this year about the Insider Movement and Discipling the Nations.

I'm not a fan of "missionary dating," but I've heard enough stories from pastors who met Jesus because they were trying to be closer to a girl to think God can't work in pretty bizarre circumstances. I've read enough missionary biographies of women whom God used to transform whole villages to believe that God can't use women to lead. And I wonder: Is the Insider Movement another "crazy" way God is transforming lives?

I am so grateful that I get to be part of a company--and curriculum--that is so committed to sharing the Good News of Christ with those who have never heard...

As you read about how God has worked through missionaries of the past, what are your thoughts on modern missionary efforts?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Tagged benefits, books, Christianity, missions | 5 Comments

Aug. 15, 2011

The Horizon and Beyond...

By Jill

As I read Judy’s post about another milestone in their family I couldn’t help thinking of an upcoming milestone in ours. In December, our youngest son will graduate from college and my husband and I are already patting ourselves on the back. We have five children and come December, all five will have college educations. I get a goofy grin whenever I think about it.

Like Judy, I can remember when the thought of homeschooling through high school left me shaking in my boots. I got an introduction to making limited transcripts for our older boys years ago when they went to public school in 10^th grade after being homeschooled for several years. But as I homeschooled my two Sonlight educated kids I realized that they would graduate from our homeschool and I had to make full transcripts, issue diplomas and help with college admissions.

It was scary thinking about transcripts, credits, diplomas and college applications. I had friends who were going to weekend training seminars so they could learn how to do these things but I kept thinking,

“Could it really be that hard to do high school?”

I remembered what a wise woman once told me, “You don’t have to worry about everything, just make a plan and then do a year at a time.” Hmm…that sounded easier.

So, I got online and looked up what colleges and universities in our area wanted to see in their incoming freshmen. Then I made a grid that had 4 columns across the top, one for each year of high school. I put all the subjects along the left side, and then drew lines to make a grid.

Planning for High School

I PENCILED in the year we would do those subjects the colleges said we needed to have. Leaving room for electives and things I was unsure of, it looked kind of like the sample I have here.

This gave us a basic plan. As opportunities came up, such as swim team, etc., I added those to the grid under the category I thought it fit into. At the end of each year I updated the grid showing what we did and added the completed courses to the “in progress” transcript.

A transcript is just record or resume of what your child has done. If this scares you, remember this—THERE IS NO SINGLE RIGHT WAY to make a transcript. EVERY school and district has their own design, format and set up, so an admissions officer sees literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of various transcripts a year. [Tip do an internet search for high school transcript and you will get lots of ideas.] Yours will not look any different to the admissions officer than any of the others.

There are a few things you must have such as your grading scale, the total credits given for a course, the student’s name, your signature…but the set up is up to you. Like Judy, I highly recommend Cafi Cohen's book, Homeschooler's College Admissions Handbook. It is an amazing wealth of information and will show you sample transcripts and how to plan a high school education.

I have gone to many homeschool conventions in the past years and colleges and universities are recruiting our kids. They are looking for a reason to admit them. They know they get top quality students who know how to think, study and learn when they admit home school students. Don’t let the fear of transcripts rob you of the joy of homeschooling your high school student. Your child will learn to think and digest material and discuss it with you at a whole new level. You will deepen your relationship with them while giving them the tools they need to enter society as an adult.

I am convinced that there is no better high school education anywhere than through Sonlight. Our kids can read, think and communicate at a level not often seen in incoming freshmen. You can do it. You can homeschool through high school; just take it one year at a time keeping your eye on your four year plan. And, for lots of great ideas and support, visit Sonlight’s “Parents of High Schoolers Forum.” The wealth of information and years of accumulated experience on this forum will amaze you.

Yes, Scott’s December college graduation will be quite a milestone in our family. We gave him the best we had to give and now it is up to him—and the way I see it, the opportunities awaiting him stretch out to the horizon and beyond.

Take Care,

Jill

Tagged education, Encouragement, forums, grades, graduation, high school, transcript | 4 Comments

Aug. 11, 2011

Another milestone . . .

By Judy

In less than a week we take child #2 to begin her freshman year in college. I find that making the "college trip" each August causes me to stop and reflect on the whole subject of homeschooling high school students. What a daunting proposition that was when our oldest was finishing junior high and facing the dreaded mountain of high school! I am so grateful that we didn't turn tail and run from the challenge, but took the time to research this new leg of our journey, sought out "trail guides" who had gone before us, and decided that with God's help we could scale this mountain.

Yes, there is indeed a "handbook" for tackling the mountain of homeschooling high school. Cafi Cohen's book, Homeschooler's College Admissions Handbook is a must-have for those considering the high school leg of their homeschool journey. Rather than discussing the philosophical ramifications about homeschooling high school, it is packed with practical suggestions, sample schedules and transcripts, and testimonies from homeschool families already well into this leg of their journey.

Choosing your "tools" is another important task in preparing for the high school journey. Many homeschoolers I chat with assume that they are ill-prepared for teaching high school level materials so they turn to an on-line or video solution for their students. While there is nothing inherently *wrong* with those choices, I liken this to taking a bus to the top of a mountain instead of making the hike. While the destination is the same, the journey is so very different. Don't miss the opportunity to tackle a rich high school experience with your teens. Great literature, heart-searching discussions, ministry opportunities, job shadowing ... just a few of the ways to make the journey more memorable.

Finally ... find some "veterans" who have made the journey before you. If you don't have access to skin-on mentors, take advantage of technology. Sonlight has some pretty amazing resources to help make your high school trek more doable. From an active forum for parents of high schoolers to video workshops outlining the "how-tos" for doing high school at home ... you won't lack for supplies for your journey.

As we pack up and head out next Tuesday morning, I expect my thoughts will range from excited to bittersweet. The journey up the high school mountain with this student has been entirely different than that of her older sister. There have been some rock slides, some unexpected downed trees and potholes in the trail ... but there have also been some incredible sights, some amazing discoveries, and the immense satisfaction of having finally reached the summit. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

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

Tagged forums, high school, transcripts | 3 Comments