Sonlight Homeschooling Blog

Aug. 5, 2011

When Things Go Wrong

By Luke

...so... I have a video to share with you. But it failed to upload properly and it will take too long to try again today. So... Monday I plan to share a video with you.

Naturally, this is a tad frustrating. I much prefer when things work, especially when my plans revolve around said things working. But often in life things don't work. When this happens, our plans need to change. Thankfully, with this blog, I can roll with the changes. We have a similar flexibility in homeschooling to change when situations require it.

Another benefit struck me today: At home, we get to go through the changes and frustrations of life with people we love.

This is a huge benefit.

On the one hand, it's often easier to get through things with people you love. We're doing a home improvement project this weekend and our friends are coming over to help. It makes things much more fun and diffuses frustration.

On the other hand, it's often harder to get through things with family. (Or maybe that's just me.) We're doing a home improvement project this weekend and our friends are coming over to help. It makes things much more fun and diffuses the frustration I experience when it's just Brittany and me working on something. How is this a benefit? First, we can adjust the situations to be less aggravating. Second, we have the opportunity to grow through these moments.

When things go wrong, being with family gives us flexibility and grace to get through it.

Do you notice the benefit of being home with people you love, or--like me--do you more often find yourself in a "growth opportunity" when around your family?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Tagged Homeschooling | Leave a comment

Aug. 4, 2011

Drowning: Learn the Signs

By Sarita

Note: I said last time that I'd share here about how literature helps us talk with our children about race. But when this important information about drowning came to my attention, I decided to share it now before swimming season is over. Look for some thoughts about literature and race next time!

When my youngest, Justin, was a young toddler, I sat with him on the first shallow step of a pool. I looked away for a moment. When I looked back, he was upright under the water, just looking up at me. No flailing, no screaming, nothing.

My heart stopped and I grabbed him out. If I had not looked back when I did, he would have drowned. Praise the Lord he was OK.

As if one terrifying incident like this isn't enough, a similar thing happened a few years ago. I was relaxing with all my kids and grandkids at a pool. The adults outnumbered the children and we were all "paying attention" to the kids swimming. I was even in the water myself. Yet as I happened to look over, there was one of Amy's young boys silently submerged, upright underwater. Again, he was not flailing his arms, calling for help, or even looking panicked. I raced, running through the water, sure I wouldn't get there in time. I grabbed him up and all was well. But again, if I hadn't noticed when I did, he might have drowned.

In both of these situations, I had a definite feeling that something was wrong, but it was not at all obvious that these children were in the process of drowning.

The silent signs of drowning

You may have already seen the article circling the internet right now about the real signs of drowning. But in case you haven't, I wanted to point it out here. Click to read "Drowning doesn't look like drowning."

As the article says, drowning in real life does not look like it does on TV. Victims rarely flail or yell for help. Once they start drowning, they go into an instinctive response they cannot control. It is silent, calm and looks harmless.

As the article shares, victims are usually upright with their mouth hovering around water-level. They cannot call for help, wave or reach for a rescue device. Their eyes look glassy and unable to focus.

Click to watch a short video of a young boy in the midst of this "instinctive drowning response" before he is rescued by a lifeguard. (I apologize that you'll have to watch a short ad before the actual video starts.)

What to do if you see these signs

If you ever wonder if someone is drowning, simply call out to them "Are you OK?" If they can answer you, they're fine. If you get a glassy stare in response, you may have less than 30 seconds to reach them before they drown.

If we're not aware of the fact that this isn't what it looks like on TV, we're not prepared. Praise Jesus that neither of my situations ended up as a tragedy, but I am just shocked at how it all happened so fast, while adult supervision was right there!

So please, learn the signs of drowning, and pay attention carefully to children around water. If they get quiet, recognize that there is a problem.

I share this not to panic you, but pray that a little education can go a long way here. As a person "in the know," you just might be the one to save a life some day.

Blessings,
Sarita

3 Comments

Aug. 1, 2011

In the Interest of Interests

By Luke

The college model is well established: Find a major to focus on while also covering "general ed."

Why is it, then, that people take issue when homeschoolers follow a similar trajectory? I can sympathize with being nervous about a "student directed" model. I get that early education is about covering a wide range of topics and so a "trade school" approach isn't exactly what we think of for grade school. But why such negativity to covering the basics while allowing for focused pursuit of a particular subject or skill?

Lee, The HomeScholar, recently blogged about nutty homeschool parents who allow their children to "follow their interests." Mary Grace also has a blog post about the pressure to do high school the "right" way. Both posts hint at this nagging idea that school shouldn't be about interests. Rather, interests should be aligned with school.

Granted, my education prior to college didn't include much formal training in what specifically interested me. I wrote and filmed and programmed and recorded music on my own time. But homeschooling let me devote hours of the day to my hobbies. I didn't need to take a class on making movies because I was practicing on my own.

I guess this post isn't so much about the kind of schooling environment you are in, but rather the kind of learning environment that is open to you both in and outside of formal education. Do you have time to pursue your interests, either formally or for fun?

You can with homeschooling.

What better way to begin a journey of life-long learning? If you learn something because you want to, you're well on your way to enjoying the benefits of learning at home, at school, at work and wherever else you encounter something that fascinates you.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Tagged college, education, Homeschooling, priorities | 4 Comments

Jul. 27, 2011

Organs, Legos and Learning

By Luke

Missus Wookie's post about Organ Donation reminded me of xkcd's strip on the topic. [NB: While the xkcd link I provided is clean, please heed the warning that "this comic occasionally contains strong language" if you decide to browse that site.]

I love simple explanations like that.

Heart

I also love that this fictional interaction took place in the home while playing with Legos. Call it a "teachable moment" if you like, but I see it as yet another natural opportunity for learning in the daily experience of life. More than that, this simple explanation opens up a world of discussion. We could move from organ donation to bioethics and issues surrounding a free market of human tissue. We could--as the alt text shows--discuss life after death and the questions surrounding what makes us us. We could then transition into the Platonic idea of Forms.

...all from thinking about the little colored bricks inside a plastic bin.

These kinds of questions can flow naturally in a homeschool environment throughout the day. Eating, playing and reading literature all lend themselves to talking and sharing ideas together. And so we see that education is not something built out of carefully placed pieces, but rather exists outside the individual elements of study.

If you're looking for an educational solution much like a Lego set--one that comes with all the pieces you need, instructions as well as the ability to make it your own--check out Sonlight's literature-based homeschool curriculum. I have fond memories of playing with Legos while my mom read and discussed with us the fantastic books in Sonlight.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Tagged education, Homeschooling | Leave a comment

Jul. 26, 2011

Knowing My Kids

By Karla

Aren't you glad we don't stop learning when we stop growing physically? When our oldest child recently graduated from our homeschool, I found comfort in the knowledge that she will continue to learn even as she goes out into adulthood.

Over our years of homeschooling I have learned right alongside my kids. I remember how fascinated I was the first time we went through Core B. Somehow I had made it all the way through school without ever having World History. What a gap in my education! Needless to say, that was soon remedied as I did a good bit of collateral reading on the subject that year, just for fun.

The most important thing I learned from homeschooling, though, didn't come from any book or curriculum. It came from time spent on the couch. In the kitchen. In the backyard. In the car. With the little people God entrusted to my care. I learned to know my kids.

Without taking college course or receiving special training I became the "expert" on the students in our family homeschool. When we encountered learning challenges I first prayed about it, discussed options with my husband, and then asked around and did lots of reading and research as to how to best help each of my children reach her potential. Each year that I did this I became more confident in my ability to choose what was best for my own children.

Often I speak with parents who find themselves second-guessing decisions they have made regarding their children's education. Perhaps an "expert" in the field has caused them to doubt that they are doing what is best for their child. My advice? Remember who the true expert is! No one knows your children better than you do. That qualifies you to make choices based on what you think would be best for your child's situation.

Enjoying the adventure,
~Karla Cook
Lifelong Learner

Tagged Encouragement, Homeschooling, learning, parenting | 2 Comments

Jul. 22, 2011

Fear: A Challenge to Learning

By Luke

I enjoy books which make a case for "everything you've been told is wrong." That's probably a big part of why I like Gladwell and Dr. Sax, as well as things like the evolution/Creation dispute. I also enjoy hearing about what other people believe about stuff. The idea is that exposure to the other side will help me get a better picture of truth. But, to be honest, sometimes it's scary. We get The Week, and seeing both sides of a current argument can be pretty disquieting. It's much easier to pick a side and parrot the catch phrases of "the party line."

Allow me to start over: I enjoy books which make a case that "everything you've been told is wrong" about something I'm not particularly fond of. The possibility that an idea I've accepted my whole life is wrong often terrifies me. "What if this person presents proof I'm wrong about ______?"

When such fear grips me, I don't want to learn. I don't want to know. 'Ignorance is bliss,' my mind reminds me.

But no. Truth is powerful. Truth is beautiful, even if messy. Ignoring information--while easier--isn't a better place to be. It may be where you need to be today. But don't let fear stop you from learning. Other priorities? Absolutely. Don't have time for this right now? Not a problem. But fear? Please, don't let that stop you.

I bumped into a couple really good (and challenging) Other Posts of Note today. If you have time, I'd encourage you to take a look-see.

But, again, if you have other priorities, please, don't feel pressure! I'm talking about fear in this post, not responsibilities and the constraints of time.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Tagged education, priorities | Leave a comment

Jul. 20, 2011

Placement Tests

By Luke

Tests can be very useful. You could find things to tweak in your homeschool. Or, with a good placement test, you could find which Math program would the best fit for your child. If you're not sure what your student's reading level is, check out the Quick Reading Assessment.

I'm currently working to make the Reading Assessment easier to use. While I'm fiddling with it, check out the placement tests available to you.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

P.S. Want to learn more about standardized tests and homeschooling? Watch the To Test or Not to Test? webinar.

Tagged math, reading, Testing | 2 Comments

When Things Go Wrong

Drowning: Learn the Signs

The silent signs of drowning

What to do if you see these signs

In the Interest of Interests

Organs, Legos and Learning

Knowing My Kids

Fear: A Challenge to Learning

Placement Tests

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