A Typical Day in the Life of a Large Family Homeschool

Share this post via email










Submit
A Typical Day in the Life of a Large Family Homeschool

Two chickens are roasting on the counter in the biggest slow cooker you’ve ever seen. A lanky teenage boy is sprawled on the couch reading Willa Cather’s My Antonia. A blond preschooler is clambering over the end of the couch with several sections of the letter “A” he just built on the Handwriting Without Tears mat that’s now abandoned on the floor. A mother is in a chair reading aloud Daughter of the Mountains above the sound of a dishwasher that’s on its second load of the day and a kindergartner who is recreating the battle for the Alamo with plastic army men. In various spots around the room there are children building with blocks, finger knitting, drawing, and finishing a late snack of popcorn under the kitchen table.

It’s anything but quiet, but it’s everything I’ve come to expect from my days. Welcome to my large family homeschool.

The Latest Model in Large Family Homeschooling

As the mother of a large family, I’ve recreated the one room schoolhouse multiple ways over the past 18 years. Today, our homeschool consists of

  • a high schooler
  • 4 elementary students
  • a preschooler

One of those students has profound special needs. The children I’m teaching are 16, 12, 10, 8, 6, and 3. Like every year previous, it’s been unique, with its own challenges and joys.

I don’t expect any school year to look the same as the one before it; we’ve had

  • years where the bulk of our work was done in a room earmarked just for that purpose
  • years where we couch-schooled almost exclusively
  • years when we were routinely hitting the books by 8:30 each morning
  • years where we were done each day by noon

What follows is just one day in what Mr. Gilbreth from Cheaper By The Dozen would call, “the latest model.”

The Morning Check-In and The Morning Basket

I have only one high schooler this year, and his need for direction is fairly low. He’s learning with Sonlight’s HBL 400, which allows for zero planning on my part and a great deal of latitude for his weekly schedule. Through years of being accountable for his work and showing initiative, he’s gained the privilege of taking the Student Guide as a weekly to-do sheet. As long as it’s all done by Friday, I don’t care in what order he chooses to do the work.

Each morning, I flip open the Instructor’s Guide to the appropriate week and we go over his intended game plan. This allows me to make sure he has access to what he needs and gives me an idea of how he’s proceeding. If he’s turned in an essay or current event the afternoon before, this is also when I return it and we discuss his work. From there, he heads into the trenches, and I assemble the (younger) troops for our Morning Basket.

The youngest five children and I spend the next hour and a half to two hours in our Morning Basket time. There’s no actual basket involved, but that sounds so much sweeter than just saying that this is when I sit in my favorite red reading chair and we work through Read-Alouds, History, Life of Fred, Bible memorizing, poetry, art study, geography, Science, composer studies, and singing hymns.

Three of my children take music lessons, and they’ve already logged their daily practice time, so Morning Basket time is just for focusing on the subjects we all enjoy together. We’re using a modified HBL F Eastern Hemisphere for this group, taking into account our special family circumstances.

Rest & Running and Another Check-in

We are a home-based missionary family which means that my husband and older children frequently travel internationally throughout the year. When my husband is home however, we try to have lunch on his schedule. This is a good break time for my social teenager, who after two hours working on the couch or at the kitchen table is ready to talk with a fellow human. My younger kids, too, who haven’t been still for the entire morning time (far from it) get a chance for a change of pace.

Lunch is usually leftovers. As things are heating in the oven, the younger kids clean up their handiwork items and LEGO, help me move laundry, join in emptying the dishwasher, and find excuses to run outside and stretch their legs. We eat and talk with Daddy before he heads back upstairs to keep working.

Post-lunch, the younger kids take a short rest time. My independent readers take their current books to their beds for half an hour, and those who can’t yet read are allowed to listen to audio books. At the end of this window, they burst from the house as if they haven’t seen daylight in years. Unless it’s inclement weather, I expect them outside, roaming the farm for 45 minutes or so.

I take this opportunity to do more general housekeeping and check in again with my high schooler. Now’s the time for those deeper discussions on questions raised from his morning readings. If at all possible, he’ll head to the computer to work on math at this point, but if he’s working on chemistry, that's usually the first thing he’ll tackle in the afternoon.

The Whack-A-Mole Hour, Or How We Manage Four Different Maths

I’ve learned that the easiest way to reassemble my large family for an afternoon of seatwork is to ring the dinner bell out front and lay out tea. Someone is charged with getting a cup up to Daddy, but my teenager rarely joins us. Instead, this is when I focus with the younger kids on the more concrete 3 Rs. My preschooler finishes his tea and either grabs a tray from our selection of Montessori-based table activities, sits on my lap with picture books, finds someone willing to be distracted with a toy, or turns the entire living room floor into a carpet of puzzles.

I sit at one end of our 10-foot table or in my beloved red reading chair. Then the four elementary-aged children rotate through math, language arts, and any other individual work that needs doing. I won’t be coy: this is the craziest part of my day. Without my absolute attention (no texting allowed!) this window could easily devolve into chaos. We have an understanding that only one person can have Momma’s attention at a time, and if it’s not your turn, you grab the book (for reading, stickers, or coloring, depending on skill) under your chair and entertain yourself until it is.

Does that work perfectly? Not on your life. But it make me feel a little less like I’m playing whack-a-mole for an hour and a half.

We save science experiments and art projects for the end of the day, both because they’re good motivation and because they require the most clean up. We end every day with a general house tidy-up. We’re finished by 4 p.m., which is also when my husband ends his work day. My high schooler and I have a final, quick check-in where he updates me on his daily progress and turns in any work that needs grading before walking to the YMCA for his daily workout.

The younger children usually spill back outside, although sometimes they will scatter; some are fond of afternoon chess matches, and others have the habit of racing scooters down our gravel drive. Before they go to bed, my husband will finish off their school day, though they don’t suspect it. He will read a chapter to us all from one of the books in their History / Bible / Literature program, making the load of this homeschooling mom’s day that much lighter in the long run.

Share this post via email










Submit
Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

How To Be a Non-Anxious Homeschool Mom for Your Kids

Share this post via email










Submit
How To Be a Non-Anxious Homeschool Mom for Your Kids

As parents who homeschool,  we are deeply invested in our children. We long for our kids to be happy, to succeed, and to benefit from our life lessons. Yet, sometimes our desires for our children are so intense that we are overcome with angst. Our efforts to help our kids may feel overbearing or controlling.

We may focus so much on the future, we fail to connect with the family we have in front of us now. We spend more time worrying about our kids' reading level or how well they know world geography than we do enjoying the process of learning alongside them.

Too narrow a focus—aimed at academic achievement and impending adulthood—can mute the joy of day-to-day homeschooling.

In The Self-Driven Child, authors William Stixrud and Ned Johnson offer five keys to maintaining a non-anxious presence for our kids. I am striving to apply these parenting principles to my role as a Christian homeschool mom so I can live more fully in the moment. I'm learning to relinquish some control to my children and even more to my heavenly Father as I learn to be a non-anxious homeschool mom for my children.

1. Prioritize Enjoying Our Kids

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3, NLT

The benefit our kids receive when we are genuinely happy to spend time with them is huge! We are conveying to them that we find them valuable and that we like them. This assurance builds resilience and confidence that they are lovable.

Not every moment of homeschooling is fun, but our kids need to know that we enjoy their company. This may be as small as making sure we smile when they enter a room.

Faking it won’t work. If enjoying our kids is truly a struggle, it’s time to devote energy to identifying and removing barriers such as anger, depression, discipline issues, or lack of social support so we are free to enjoy our kids.

2. Do Not Fear the Future

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” Philippians 4:6, NLT

We have very little control over the future; furthermore, worry has never solved anything. If we spend resources worrying about possibilities, we miss the enjoyment of the present day.

Eventually, most children will overcome their struggles.

  • An angry adolescent is very likely to become a contented and successful adult.
  • A struggling, emergent reader will learn to read in time.
  • A scatterbrained child will grow to be responsible.

Give your kids love and support. Pray for guidance and do your best. Let the fear go; it’s contagious.  

3. Commit to Stress Management

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV

What children want most is happy parents. A happy parent is one who feels healthy and at peace. As homeschooling parents, it can be easy to overlook our own needs and focus solely on the needs of our young charges. We must devote time and energy to ourselves if we are to take care of others.

  • Get enough sleep
  • Exercise
  • Eat well
  • Pray
  • Meditate or practice mindfulness
  • Spend time with friends
  • Enjoy hobbies

4. Acknowledge Our Worst Fears

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4, NIV

We can’t protect our children from all pain and suffering. Doing so would preclude their being able to live their own lives. Challenges and roadblocks are what shape us. In fact, our children need opportunities for struggle and growth.

Managing risk and dealing with disappointments is part of building resilience. Give your children responsibility over their own choices. Let them pursue a seemingly impossible goal. Their own successes and failures will teach them more than your verbal lessons ever could.

5. Love the Child We Have

“And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5, NIV

By accepting our children—with all of their gifts and imperfections alike—we are offering unconditional love. We do not need to condone bad behavior or approve mediocre efforts to be accepting. We simply need to respect our children by acknowledging where they are in their life’s path.

By accepting that our child struggles with fractions or is uncomfortable with public speaking, we can choose to maintain a supportive and honest relationship. We can take action by focusing on strengths, offering assistance, or setting limits. Loving them as they are models acceptance and sends the message that they are worth more than an algebraic fraction, a test score, or a diploma.

Discover Sonlight, a true and meaningful education.

Learning alongside our children through reading and discussing great books builds the parent-child bond. Learn more about this type of family life—discover Sonlight.

Share this post via email










Submit
Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

5 Simple Ways to Extend and Deepen Your Homeschool Bible Reading

Share this post via email










Submit
5 Simple Ways to Extend and Deepen Your Homeschool Bible Reading

Seven years ago when we began our homeschool journey, my goal was simple. We wanted to raise children to love the Lord with their hearts, minds, and souls, and to love their neighbor as themselves. We figured that if we were diligent to teach the Word of God, the rest would fall into place.

The Lord has abundantly blessed that desire of our hearts. One reason we chose Sonlight was because Bible study is built right into the curriculum. Over the years, we have all come to love Bible Time in the mornings. In fact, it’s probably my kids’ favorite part of the day. It has looked very different from season to season, as my kids have grown and matured, and we have learned a few ways to extend the plan with these extension ideas.

Oh, and don’t worry...glue, glitter, and sequins are not a requirement!

1. Bask in the Simplicity

There is something really special about sitting down with your family armed only with prayers and your Bible. One of the things we have appreciated so much about the Sonlight Bible plan is that it is no frills. You will not find suggestions for an object lesson or a themed bible study. Rather, Sonlight focuses on helping our children know and develop a deep love for God’s Word, because it needs nothing else.

To quote one of my favorite Bible teachers, Jen Wilkin, “The heart cannot love what the mind does not know.” So, appreciate the focus being only on The Word of God, and enjoy the simplicity of the Sonlight plan.

“The heart cannot love what the mind does not know.”
—Jen Wilkin

This simplicity makes it easy to include the entire family in the Bible reading, regardless of age. If possible, have your family read through the passage before you come together, and then study the scripture together.

2. Use Cross References

Too often, we view the Bible as a collection of short stories and letters rather than one big, wonderful story. This is because we tend to isolate stories when we study the Bible, puling out a single passage for study. What we really need to do when we study a passage of the Bible is to consider the context—what comes before and what comes after.

Cross references are very handy for deepening understanding of your homeschool bible reading. Most Bibles have cross references listed in the margins, but I think every family would also benefit from owning a Bible cross reference index. As you read the passage suggested in your Sonlight Instructor’s Guide, search out the applicable cross references. This will help you and your children see how the Bible all fits together.

Sometimes, you may scratch your head and wonder how the listed verse applies to the verse you are studying. They can be a little puzzling at times, but that’s okay! Lean in to that uncertainty because it is one of the ways we draw nearer to God through His word. We depend on Him to reveal Himself to us, so it’s okay to say, “I’m not sure. Let’s pray about it and meditate on these passages and see what the Holy Spirit teaches us.”

3. Always Look for the Son

It would be hard to read the Bible without marveling at how truly magnificent it is. To think that around 40 people, at different times and in different places, all wrote one single message is really quite remarkable. Of course, we can clearly see that the task would be impossible without the Holy Spirit enabling the work.

Ask, "Where is Jesus in this passage?"

Every time we read a passage or a story from the Old Testament, we always need to see how it reveals The Gospel. What does it say about Jesus? In my family, we like to ask, “Where is Jesus in this passage?”

This simple question is one of the easiest ways to extend homeschool Bible reading and stimulate discussion with your kids.

For example, the story of Noah could be taught at face value, but when you dive a little deeper, you will see that Noah is a shadow of Jesus Christ. He is a figure who gives us a small glimpse—albeit imperfect—of the coming Savior. When you begin to read the Bible in this way, it comes alive in a whole new way.

4. Don’t Skip the Memory Work!

Oh it’s so tempting to just slide right over the Bible memory work for the week. It’s hard for our adult brains to do, and to be honest, it’s embarrassing when our kids memorize it long before we do. Resist the urge to skip it.

Memory work is so beneficial in the childhood years.

  • First, they soak it up so quickly.
  • Second, it’s building a framework for understanding everything about the Bible.
  • Also, it’s growing their brains and teaching them to store and recall good and worthy information.
  • However, the most important reason why memory work should not be neglected is much more basic. There will be a rainy day when they will need to pull a verse from memory to give them hope and encouragement. Even years down the road, memorized passages can surface quickly in a time of need.

Take heart. Memory work does not have to be laborious. Games and music, like these CDs available from Sonlight, are great tools to help with memorization of scripture. My girls love to fall asleep listening to these CDs, and they oftentimes wake up singing the songs. We are also big fans of Seeds Family Worship which puts scripture to music, helping God’s Word get into our hearts and minds forever.

There will be a rainy day when your children need to pull a verse from memory to give them hope and encouragement.

One of the few things that I do like to add to the Sonlight Bible Reading Plan is a catechism. The catechism is a set of memorized questions and answers that are foundational to the faith. Again, the idea here is to build a framework of understanding. I really like The Shorter Westminster Catechism for my kids. Songs for Saplings and Dana Dirksen offer an extensive collection of songs that aid in memorizing this catechism. Another great option is The New City Catechism, which is a modern catechism that includes very short questions and answers and plenty of resources to help your family memorize.

5. Use a Bible Atlas

Aside from a cross reference index, a Bible atlas can be a most helpful tool for Bible study. Seeing the place where the Israelites walked across the Red Sea and the journeys that Paul took after his conversion to spread the gospel can really open your eyes to Biblical history and make it come alive. My kids and I have always marveled at both how our world has changed since Bible days, and oddly enough, how much it has remained the same. So, as you are reading, search out your subject matter in a Bible atlas, and see the wonder and amazement in your child’s eyes.

Bible study need not be complicated. You don’t have to break out the felt board every day or hold a degree in Bible theology. Your kids need to see you studying and enjoying your Bible, and learning something new on a regular basis. A well-known pastor in our community passed away several months ago, but before he went, my husband had the privilege of gleaning wisdom from him. One of the wisest nuggets of truth he gave was this:

"I am in my eighties, and I have read the Bible every day for at least the past 60 years. I’ve learned something new every single day."

According to The Shorter Westminster Catechism, the purpose of life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I can’t think of a better way to do that than to enjoy learning more about His character every single day by reading the Bible.

Sonlight invitation

See if Sonlight—the original literature-based Christian curriculum—is right for your family.  Sign up here to get a free book and schedule to read with your children.

Share this post via email










Submit
Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

So Many Books: How to Organize Your Homeschool Library

Share this post via email










Submit

Whether you have one Sonlight level in your home or—like our family does—multiple years’ worth, it won’t take long to realize your need to organize your homeschool library.

Continue reading
Share this post via email










Submit
Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

How to Know When It's Time to Switch Homeschool Curriculum

Share this post via email










Submit
How to Know When it's Time to Switch Homeschool Curriculum

When we decided to homeschool, I knew that the perfect curriculum was out there somewhere, and I was absolutely positive I would find it.

Then we started homeschooling. I quickly realized that there is no easy, one-size-fits-all solution. Thankfully, after that first really tough year, we found Sonlight. It was a great fit for our family and has been since then.

That year, we immersed ourselves in World History via Condensed HBL B & C, and we loved every minute of it. We also chose Horizons because it was a solid math program with plenty of spiral review. What I didn’t take into account was that my oldest son hated to write. Most days, just the sight of the work page was enough to start the tears flowing. We hung in there with it for months, hoping he would get used to it, but he never did.

The great thing about that time is that I learned a lot about my son. I learned what helped him succeed and what held him back. I saw him soar with the Read-Alouds and the simple Sonlight Language Arts assignments. I saw him struggle through the lengthy math pages. I found that even when I cut out half the problems, just the sight of the page was overwhelming for him. It was a learning year for both of us.

The next year, I found Right Start Math, and my son and I absolutely loved it! Within a few days, he went from hating math time to anticipating it. The hands-on nature of the course and the simple, sparse work pages were something he knew he could do. He was feeling success for the first time in math, and I could not have been happier.

Over the last seven years of homeschooling my four children plus a few extras along the way, I have learned a lot about regularly evaluating your curriculum choices. Here are a few keys to remember when you are wondering if it's time to change curriculum or stick with what you've got.

1. Understand and Accept that One Size Does Not Fit All

I shared above that my son did not do well with Horizons. Well, when my daughter came along, she did not do well with Right Start! The first time I laid a colorful page of Horizons math problems down in front of her, I knew that she was vastly different. She came alive, adding her own flair to the illustrations and happily making sure that she used her best penmanship on each problem. I realized that I had made a mistake. Because of my son’s experience with Horizons, I had assumed that it was a bad curriculum. Actually, it just wasn’t right for him, but it worked just fine for my daughter.

So the first step is to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all curriculum. What works for your neighbor may not work for you. On a smaller scale, what works for one child may not work for the next child.

2. Be a Student of Your Student

Understand that you may not get it right the first year, and maybe there will be hiccups along the way, too. After all, kids grow and change. That’s okay!

What you will want to do is to become a student of your student. Learn what makes them tick and what makes them wither. You may even keep a journal about how they are learning, what is working best, and what they are struggling with. I truly delight in knowing my children well. It serves me well when I am choosing their Christmas gifts and when I’m choosing their curriculum.

  • For example, I know that my oldest son can cover a lot of material if he enjoys the book. I also know that he needs to see the value in his work. He is not a fan of busywork in any form or fashion. He also loves to know why something works. In math, he doesn’t want to know how to do it. He wants to know why it’s done that way.
  • My youngest son is a true science buff. He will do anything if you can relate it to science. In math, he is much less analytical. He gets bogged down with the why and just wants to know what's required of him.
  • My daughter excels in writing and would rather write than just about anything else. She loves creativity and appreciates anything that allows her to exercise the creativity coursing through her veins.
  • My youngest child is really bright and gets easily bored with schoolwork. She needs a challenge, and she likes to move and wiggle.

All of this information drives my ability to make informed decisions about their curriculum, and it helps me to stay tuned in to their potential struggles.

3. Watch for Cues from Your Children

Your children will give you clues if the curriculum isn’t sparking joy or encouraging progress. Look for these signs that a curriculum isn’t working:

  • A change in attitude toward schoolwork
  • Tears on a weekly or daily basis
  • A sense of defeat even before beginning
  • Big emotions such as anger or frustration
  • No academic progress over a period of time; seemingly stuck in one place
  • Significant gaps of knowledge
  • Craving a challenge that the curriculum does not provide
  • Boredom on a daily basis

4. If It’s Not Broke....

...don’t fix it! If your curriculum is serving your children and you well, don’t change it! I have made this mistake more times than I’d like to admit. Shiny curriculum catalogs and pretty websites are sometimes hard to resist. Everything looks so good!

But, don’t be easily swayed when things are working. Most of the time, the choice to abandon ship on a curriculum when nothing was broken is a choice that leads to wasted time and money.

5. Does it Fit Your Teaching Style?

While much of finding a good curriculum fit is about your child, you cannot discount the role that you play in it. When you evaluate your curriculum, think about this:

  • Does your child’s curriculum work for you at this stage in life?
  • Do you enjoy teaching it?
  • Are you learning and growing alongside your child?
  • Are you frustrated by it?
  • Is it user-friendly?

Over the years, I have switched various parts of our curriculum several times, and the conclusion that I have reached through all the trial and error is that there is something to say about simply being consistent. For a short time, I became convinced that Sonlight Language Arts wasn’t enough, so I began looking around and trying other language arts curricula.

Once my search was done, I had realized two things. First, the grass was not, in fact, greener on the other side of the fence. There was nothing that proved to be a better fit for our family. Secondly, the time I lost while looking for the perfect language arts curriculum cost my son. The lack of consistency in instruction created gaps in his knowledge that we had to go back and correct (with our beloved Sonlight Language Arts!). So be careful when you evaluate your curriculum and honestly consider your motives. Make sure that you aren’t just wanting something new. Be sure there is a valid reason to switch.

I’m thankful for the wisdom I’ve gained from my successes and my mistakes in homeschooling. I’m thrilled to be able to share these so that maybe some of you new homeschool moms and dads will not make the same mistakes. I’m thankful for the voices that did this for me in my early years ,too, even though I didn’t always listen.

Remember, when you do make mistakes, it’s all part of the journey. Homeschooling is all about studying your children and knowing what makes them tick as well as knowing yourself better. Homeschooling teaches you to lean on God as you pray for Him to give you the wisdom and serenity to set your hands and heart to the task before you.

Sonlight Invitation

Curious to see what Sonlight might look like for your family? Try Sonlight FREE and see for yourself firsthand!

Share this post via email










Submit
Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Power That a “Not Yet” Attitude Brings to Your Homeschool

Share this post via email










Submit
The Power That a “Not Yet” Attitude Brings to Your Homeschool • Growth Mindset for Christian Homeschoolers

I watched a TED Talk recently that inspired me. Carol Dweck started with the example of a Chicago school that has a grade labeled “Not Yet.” The idea, Dweck says, is that we are in a process of learning. Just because we don’t know something now doesn’t mean we won’t know it later.

Learning takes time. Our home-life, children, homeschool direction, and lives are constantly growing and changing. We are works in progress, continually learning how to become better versions of ourselves.

Most adults understand that perseverance can help us to grasp something or to get better at things we struggle to master.

  • We didn’t learn to tie our shoes the first try.
  • It took time for us to learn to read.
  • We have to rehearse our lines before we can perform them masterfully in a play.

We adults understand that repetition—practice—comes before mastery.

We have to help our children learn the same lesson: perseverance will pay off in the end. We do that by helping them keep on trying when they might want to give up.

Dweck calls this “Not Yet” attitude the growth mindset. Its opposite is the fixed mindset—“If I don’t have it now, I’m never going to get it.”

Our mindset affects (or certainly reflects) how we interpret daily interactions and events.

People with a fixed mindset believe they were born with certain traits or skills, and no matter how hard they try, their skill set will remain pretty much the same. Interestingly, rather than believing—as growth mindset people do—that practice makes perfect, people with fixed mindsets view their shortcomings as obvious proof of their incompetence. And, believing that no amount of practice will raise them from their current state of imperfection, they stop trying before they begin.

Those with a growth mindset, by contrast, believe they can improve with practice over time.

According to Dweck, most people seem to hold to a fixed mindset. However, she says, you can uproot this attitude and teach your children to adopt a growth mindset and teach them the power of not yet. Children are great mimics, she says, and so when we adjust our own mindset to reflect what we want out of our children, they will follow.

Have you ever heard one of your children exclaim,

When you hear words like these, think of them as opportunities for you to change your children’s inner dialogue. Remind them that

As parent teachers, we teach our children history, science, math, Scripture, even how to do the laundry or boil an egg. We weave in our beliefs and core values along the way. It’s equally important to teach them resiliency and the grace to make mistakes. The greatest artists, writers, and athletes gain success beyond their inborn, God-given talent by means of practice, patience, and perseverance.

When we teach our children that their brains and talent are the mere soil upon which they must then build, we are showing them the way to success through a not yet mindset.

Remember that Thomas Edison tried over 10,000 different materials to create his light bulb filament. None of them shone for even 100 hours (his predetermined requirement for success). But Edison refused to give up. He said, even after his first 10,000 filaments burnt out: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." He, along with virtually every other great inventor, allowed himself to fail in order to ultimately succeed.

The Bible clearly teaches a growth mindset. Use these Bible verses to kick-start your children’s (and maybe your) inner dialogue of positivity.

I can do it!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

I can do it! Growth Mindset from the Bible

I am brave enough to try again!

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

I am brave enough to try again! Growth Mindset from the Bible

I’m not scared of this challenge!

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

I’m not scared of this challenge! Growth Mindset from the Bible

May you and your precious children grow in your ability to tackle tough topics, wrestle through new ideas, and victoriously move forward as you homeschool and learn together with a not yet mindset.

Share this post via email










Submit
Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Easing the Special Needs Student Into Homeschool After a Break

Share this post via email










Submit
Easing the Special Needs Student Into Homeschool After a Break

Most kids thrive with the more relaxed, open-ended rhythm of the holiday. But transitioning back into the regular school routine can be a challenge for anyone, let alone children with special needs, learning disabilities, or behavioral challenges. Anxious homeschooling moms circle their Back to School Day in red pencil in their minds, gritting their teeth and bracing for the worst as the date approaches.

Change, and More Change

It's human nature to balk at a return to

  • expectations
  • intense concentration
  • less free time

Who among us relishes diving in to real life after the end of a restful vacation?

The problem is the disruption on top of a disruption many children with special needs feel at the end of a break. While days without math and science were novel and fun, they were still a disruption of the understood routine of life. Since most holiday respites don’t actually last long enough or contain enough predictable rhythm to establish a new routine for a child, going back to the original plan doesn't feel like a return to normalcy. Instead, it’s yet another change: a second shift on top of the first. The cumulative effect is a huge drain on a child’s coping skills.

Never Pick A Monday

Knowing this burden of change helps moms develop a re-entry battle plan for their students with special needs. One trick I’ve learned over the years is to take a cue from my local school district: never start your normal schedule back on a Monday if you can help it.

The short week that comes with selecting a Wednesday or Thursday allows a burst of the old school routine… and then a quick visit back to the relaxed days of being able to choose whatever diversion you wish.

Go Gradual

Another valuable tip is to not dive back into a full schedule all at once. Cherry pick a few favorite or more-easily understood subjects for the first few days. This method allows the child’s sensory system to settle back being focused on school work without the added challenge of taxing academics too.

Save the Hard Restart

It’s tempting feel the tingle of a fresh start in January and decide to mix up your homeschool. If you have a child with special needs, this is not the time for changes. Don't:

Again, your child’s neurological and sensory systems are working overtime to compensate for what feels to them like an abrupt aboutface. Let the dust settle before you bring in the New Order!

If, even after carefully wading back in to school routines, you find that your child is more resistant than usual, vocalizing complaints, having difficulty staying on task, or otherwise is off, consider maintaining a bit of routine over the future breaks. Many children—even those considered neurotypical—have an easier time over extended breaks if they keep one foot in the homeschooling world.

Go to SmoothCourse to explore your options for a homeschool curriculum that's built on routine but with plenty of room to flex.

Share this post via email










Submit
Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment