Aug. 6, 2018

5 Rewards of a Reading Lifestyle

By Gina Munsey
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5 Rewards of a Reading Lifestyle

Mention Sonlight to someone, and the conversation might turn toward a discussion of living books versus textbooks. But to me, Sonlight is more than the sum of its literature-based parts. Reading is not a philosophy of education; it’s a way of life. And a reading lifestyle offers many rewards.

1. Reading Allows Us to Seek Oases in the Desert

As homeschoolers, we have the privilege of embracing the full spectrum of learning, rather than simply going through the motions of school. (What’s the difference? School is something you have to complete, while learning is a lifestyle.)  Our goal in educating our children is not to spoon-feed a given set of data over a twelve-year period, but to ignite a lifelong thirst and teach our kids to seek out oases in the desert. Books invites us to continue on in our figurative quest for water.

2. Reading Rewards Us With Hidden Beauty

Sometimes the nuggets of truth in a written passage are readily apparent; other times, the nuances require a little deeper digging before they’re visible. This is analogous to life; the profundity of life will not always shout to us from the surface, but is often

  • hidden away in quiet corners,
  • glistening in the shadows,
  • camouflaged by the everyday,
  • waiting to be discovered.

Reading teaches us it’s not always the flashiest or the loudest moments which are the most precious. In quiet searching through the written word, we are rewarded deeply.

3. Reading Instills in Us a Drive for Answers

Have you ever encountered someone who just seems to know an abundance of (accurate!) information about all sorts of topics? It’s likely not because this person is inherently more intelligent than any other given person, but simply that she is skilled at independent research; that is, she knows how to find information and connect ideas.

The modern educational system has a tendency to produce students who are stunted in their ability to find answers, verify facts, and research information. But reading ignites curiosity, and curiosity, in turn, demands answers. And kids who read will be far more adept at placing facts in the context of cultural literacy than those who simply click search on a computer screen.

4. Reading Trains Us to Sift Facts from Fiction

Reading allows us to practice discernment by separating facts from fiction. When we’re very young and still learning the limits of the world, children’s storybooks teach us—often through the humor of implausible situations—the confines of natural law. And when we read historical fiction, we’re not just learning history, but we’re also learning to discern the factual thread in the midst of a story-line which reflects collective human experience.

As we

  • navigate philosophy,
  • identify literary themes,
  • call out good and evil,
  • shine the light on logical fallacies, and
  • discuss what we’ve read

we’re molding and influencing our worldview. That’s why it’s so important to read both books that make you cry and books with difficult topics, then to break up the heavier themes with books of varied genres.

5. Reading Gives Us the Gift of Cross-Cultural Travel

Ever since I was a little girl, books have given me wings. When my age—or my travel budget—kept me home, books allowed me to travel to faraway lands, gently placing me down on streets filled with chatter, where I wandered through alleyways, chapters, and pages. Even today, my favorite books are those which provide a window to another culture. (I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough for Sonlight’s study of the Eastern Hemisphere in History / Bible / Literature Level F.)

Reading cross-cultural books does more than give context to our geographical frame of reference; it also breathes human life into the scattered, faceless, dots on the map.  Cross-cultural books allow us to

  • listen in on conversations,
  • step into the lives of others,
  • see the world beyond our own limitations, and
  • develop empathy along the way.

And you’ll notice another gift: the more you read diverse books, the more you’ll embrace the marvelous God-given diversity in your own city, too. Reading excellent books full of truth expands our horizons, and allows us to receive new ideas with a teachable spirit.

The reading lists may seem long and the homeschool days may seem endless, but there’s delight in the pages, and myriad rewards for cultivating a reading lifestyle. Readers ponder topics thoughtfully, see the world in deeply nuanced ways, and never stop seeking out more.

Carry on, dear friend. Stay the course.  To raise a reader is to raise a world-changer.

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Aug. 3, 2018

What To Do If Your Child Hates Homeschool History

By Nicole Walter
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While all kids have their favorite school subjects, it's especially sad to me when kids say they hate history. Unfortunately, I understand how it can happen. I, too, used to despise history because the method I encountered in public school presented history as a lifeless list of events, one after the other. I didn't see the narrative behind the people of history. There were few connections beyond the most basic cause and effect. And history didn't seem to have any relation to my own day to day life.

As homeschool parents, how can we prevent our kids from loathing history? And if it's already the case—if you have a child who hates history, how can we turn around that perception and help kids fall in love with history?

1. Use Narratives to Teach History

When history is taught with a dry textbook approach, it loses its ability to captivate. And history can captivate you when you use a better approach—namely stories.

I've been using Sonlight's History / Bible/ Literature D with my children, and its engrossing stories have helped them fall in love with American history unlike any textbook approach could ever do! Using a combination of picture books, Read-Alouds, and non-fiction, the Sonlight approach creates a sense of excitement when introducing children to history.

Stories are filled with adventure, excitement, and sometimes comedy. Let your children laugh and use their imagination when reading the narratives in Sonlight curriculum. Don't just read the story, transport your children to the scene and inspire them with your own curiosity about what will happen next.

2. Make a Lap Book

I love lap books! They are a great way to get children involved in creating a personalized papercraft that doubles as a history reference for future homeschool lessons. Sonlight now offers Lap Book Kits which make it easy to add this hands-on teaching strategy to your routine. If your kids are especially creative, they may want to go beyond the kit and create their own foldables. Let them express what they've learned through crafts if it helps them fall in love with history.

3. Play the Part

Your children will love dressing up as the characters in history and playing the part in a home play performed and directed by themselves. After a daily history lesson, encourage your kids to recreate what you read by acting out the parts. They don't need to write a script; let them improvise based on what they learned. This method is all about getting the children involved. Laughter and silliness are encouraged!

After a daily history lesson, encourage your kids to recreate what you read by acting out the parts. They don't need to write a script; let them improvise based on what they learned.

4. Do Hands-on Activities

When you read about something from history, try to do it yourself.

  • Make butter by shaking heavy cream in a sealed jar to understand how Pioneers did it.
  • Use clay to create beautiful little pots like the Native Americans of the West.
  • Use a compass to understand how explorers navigated the continent without detailed maps.

Again, Sonlight makes hands-on activities easy with a kit that is just as open-and-go as their Instructor's Guides.

5. Keep a Timeline

Keeping track of what happened in history is much easier with the visual aid of a timeline. Instead of memorizing dates, create a timeline that you can reference. Sonlight's Timeline Book and timeline figures are part of each HBL. The Instructor's Guide tells you exactly which figures to place and where to put them. Again, if you have artsy kids, they may want to embellish their timelines with extra drawings, cut-outs, or descriptions.

Have fun transporting your children into history and guiding them to discover different cultures and events from the past. Inspire them by asking questions and learn alongside them by participating in fun activities. When you take a literature-rich and hands-on approach to history, you won't have a homeschool of history haters. Instead, history will be your kids' favorite subject of all!

To find out more about Sonlight's book-based homeschool programs, order a complimentary copy of your catalog today.

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Aug. 1, 2018

9 Ways to Motivate the Dawdling Teenager to Get Homeschool Done

By Veronica Soto
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9 Ways to Motivate the Dawdling Teenager to Get Homeschool Done

Raising teenagers gets a bad rap. Ask most moms and they will let you in on a huge secret—raising and homeschooling teens is one of the most rewarding phases of parenting! You finally start to see the fruit of years of parenting, catching a glimmer of the soon-to-be adults that they are transforming into.

That is not to say that homeschooling teens is without difficulty. Some older kids have a tendency to slack on their homeschool work, procrastinate, or dawdle through the day, getting little done. If you have a teen dawdler, don't feel like a failure! You still have time to instill a strong work ethic and time management skills in these final years of homeschooling.

Getting behind can be detrimental to your four-year high school plan. So it's important to stay on top of your teen's progress.

Here is my list of nine methods for dealing with dawdling in older kids. When it comes to dawdling, I've found that the older a child gets, the less effective incentives become. A ninth grader will roll his eyes at a sticker chart or a trip to the zoo. On the upside, consequences seem to become more effective as children mature. And that's why you see consequences in this list whereas I don't use them as much with younger children.

1. Provide More Supervision

Oftentimes I’ve found that when my children are less than fully compliant with their assignments, it’s a sign that I’ve given them too much to do on their own. They may not be ready to have quite so much to do on their own. In these cases, they may benefit from sitting near me so I can see and redirect them when they are getting distracted. They might benefit from more direct supervision in their lessons or frequent check-ins. It could be they need a hand setting up a schedule or an outline. Once they get help in the area they are struggling with, they usually do well with it on their own, but you may experience a few lapses over the teen years when you need to swoop in and assist again.

2. Consider Diet, Exercise, and Sleep

If you're finding a child struggles with learning and attention span on a regular basis, pay attention to these three key areas of diet, exercise, and sleep.

  • Children who are hungry have a difficult time focusing on mental tasks.
  • Children low on protein and high on sugar and carbs have shorter attention spans.
  • Teens who are fatigued from sports and activities or who don't get enough exercise can struggle with schoolwork.

The same goes for a child who stayed up until 2 a.m. reading under the covers or a child fighting their natural circadian rhythm by getting up at 7 a.m. when their natural wake up time is closer to 10 a.m.

I've found it necessary with some of my children to monitor their behavior after certain foods because sensitivities do affect behavior and concentration. Foods that affect my children include egg, soy, dairy, and food dyes.

3. Start with the Hard School Subjects

Have your teens start the homeschool day with their toughest subjects under your supervision (or at least nearby presence) before moving on independently with the easier subjects. Getting the hard things out of the way usually will encourage teenagers to fly through the rest. But in some children, saving the hardest for last is more motivating. They will power through their least favorite subject simply to be done for the day. Either way will be effective; it just depends on your child’s personality. Try both and see!

4. Make a Distinction Between School Time and Homework Time

Another method I’ve found effective with preteens and teens is to have a set amount of time for school. Once that time ends, they are on free time. However, if they have not managed to finish all their schoolwork by free time, they must complete the rest of the assignments as homework. Knowing they will be cutting into their own free time, as opposed to scheduled school time, provides stimulus to work a bit harder.

5. Go Half and Half

Sometimes compromise is key. I’ve found that by simply giving my children half the math problems on a page and then setting a timer, I can avoid many conflicts. If they can get them all right in a reasonable amount of time, then they are done because they have proven they don’t need the other half.

If they miss problems or dawdle, then I move onto consequences (although I have been known to ignore small errors). Simply having the child correct the problems they get wrong (or didn’t get to do), plus two extras from that page is often enough of a consequence to motivate a child to work quickly without rushing and making simple mistakes.

6. Take Away Electronics or Other Privileges

Teens love their technology, their friends, and their independence, so they make prime candidates for consequences. If teens are wasting your time by dawdling through their homeschool, you can restrict one of those three cherished items as a consequence.

I tend to try to balance the consequence with the dawdling. For example, if they are taking an extra day to do their work, then I usually ban them from electronics for a day. Or if they are taking an hour to argue with me instead of getting their assignment done, I might decide to have them stay in for an hour that evening instead of going out with friends.

7. Incorporate Summer School

We tend to homeschool year-round, so this solution to dawdling hasn’t been used much by our family. But it works for my sister-in-law! When her children dawdle to the point they are frustrating her, she will shut down school for the day and tack that day onto the end of their school year, postponing summer break. Her children know if they don’t do their homeschool assignments now, they will still have to be done later, subtracting time from their summer vacation.

8. Let Them Set Their Own Consequences

Teens and preteens will often be harder on themselves than you are, so let them come up with a plan for what should happen if they aren’t following through on their work. You'll be surprised to find that they may come up with a plan that needs very little negotiation because it's so reasonable. As a bonus, they are more likely to follow the plan and comply with the consequences since it was of their own creation.

9. Supplement Mental Work with Physical Work

Sometimes, children simply don't want to put in the work. In those cases, I have them switch from the mental work of homeschool to something physical:

  • running laps around the house
  • doing extra household chores
  • mowing the lawn or doing other yard work

These physical tasks, of course, are in addition to their regular classwork, not instead of it. They are still required to do their assignments. Two of my children love the extra activity and find it helps then focus better. Two hate it and thus are more willing to do their schoolwork than extra chores. Either way, it's a win.

Consequences are usually not my first inclination for correcting a problem, but they do have their time and place. Used sparingly, they can help reset attitudes get the teen dawdler back to work.

Educating high schoolers? Get your free guide for Homeschool High School Transcripts.

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Jul. 30, 2018

You Can Homeschool Kindergarten Without Fear—Use These 4 Things

By Deana Wood
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You Can Homeschool Kindergarten Without Fear—Use These 4 Things

Between church activities, my time spent teaching in public school, and my time spent homeschooling, I’ve taught children almost my whole life. I’ve birthed three children. I’ve adopted one. There isn’t much that scares me about children anymore.

There is just one thing that scared me to death—teaching kindergarten. I mean, kids start learning to read in kindergarten. It’s kind of a big deal.

I was so terrified of kindergarten that we sent two of my children to public school for kindergarten and I had no plans to change my no-kindergarten policy.

But then my youngest came along, and isn’t it just like the youngest child to throw a kink in all of your tested-and-tried plans? Because my youngest daughter’s birthday fell late in the year, she just missed the cutoff for public school. But, she was ready—very ready—to start school. So we decided to do the thing that I had never done before, to homeschool kindergarten.

I have to say that over the course of that year, kindergarten became one of my favorite ages, and I no longer fear it. I don’t think that you should fear it either. Homeschooling kindergarten is all about doing a few things really well.

1. Kindergarten Structure

Kindergarten is the year you want to work on getting your children used to the flow and structure of a school day. If you’ve already been doing preschool, you will simply build upon that existing structure. But, if your child is new to school, you’ll need to establish a routine for the day. That does not mean that every minute of the day is scheduled. Rather, it means that each day is predictable and has a clear flow.

I would caution against waking up one day to implement a full daily routine. You’ll want to ease into the transition of a school day routine. The first week, work on your morning routine. As your children get used to it, gradually add more elements of the routine until you find yourself with a full day.

A simple daily flow to work toward through the year might look something like this:

Kindergarten days should be fairly simple with plenty of time to explore and play. You will find that your daily structure is vastly different than the family down the street because each family has its own dynamics. Schedule your routine to reflect your family. The main idea here is a predictable routine that the child can depend on each day.

Sonlight History / Bible / Literature A
History / Bible / Literature A

2. Kindergarten Basics

We all make the mistake of wanting to study quantum physics with our first child, and even sometimes our second, third, or fourth! Resist the urge to force feed education at this age.

You need a laser focus on the basics during kindergarten. Think reading, writing, and arithmetic, and for us, Bible study. You will sprinkle in art and nature naturally, so don’t get wrapped up in that. I highly recommend you read Ruth Beechick’s The Three R’s book to help you get started.

Sonlight's History / Bible / Literature  (HBL) A is a fantastic place to begin in kindergarten. The Language Arts Activity Sheets contain just the right amount of practice to get your child on the right course, and the books are colorful, fun, and full of great themes for age-appropriate discussion. For math, I would recommend a simple curriculum such as Math-U-See or Singapore Math. Trust the curriculum you choose and allow it to be your guide for the year.

As you go through HBL A, you’ll notice several arts and crafts ideas as well as nature activities suggested throughout the Instructor’s Guide. If you get to them, great! If you don’t get to them, you can save them for another day or skip them altogether. Either way will be just fine.

3. Kindergarten Memorization

A huge part of the younger years is making the most of young children's amazing ability to memorize. Kindergartners are like little sponges, soaking up every bit of information you give them. When I homeschooled my daughter for Kindergarten, we did daily memorizing, including Bible verses, letter sounds, songs, short poems, etc.

Some days I offered an M & M for each item she said perfectly. Other days I held memory challenges to see who was better at reciting—my child or me! There are a plethora of really fun ways to memorize. Just be sure you tap into your kindergartner's budding talent of memorization.

4. Above All, a Love for Learning

The best piece of advice I can give for kindergarten is to encourage your child to develop a love for learning. Pay attention to your child’s cues. When they are tired, put the pencil away for a while. Play games. Go outside often. Make sure your child knows that learning comes from everywhere, not just books; the world is their classroom.

Raise a child who loves to learn, and you have raised a child who can do anything. Learning gaps can be quickly closed by a curious child.

Whatever you do, make sure that learning does not become a chore. If they moan and groan every time you pull out schoolwork, maybe they would benefit from an extra year of preschool. As a homeschooler, you are not on anyone else’s timeline. So, take your cues from your children, and don’t push too hard too early.

After teaching my youngest child through her kindergarten year, I realized that kindergarten was absolutely delightful and probably one of my favorite grades to teach. Since teaching my daughter, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching other kindergartners in our homeschool co-op, and I have loved every minute.

K-ers are so fun and so eager to get started learning. As you can tell, teaching kindergarten really isn’t so bad! It’s only tricky when you overthink it. Trust the curriculum, focus on the basics, take cues from your child, use lots of repetition, and cultivate a love for learning. Do these simple steps and you’ll be a Kindergarten homeschool extraordinaire! You’ll probably be like me and wonder why you were ever afraid of homeschooling your kindergartner.

If you need help choosing the best program for Kindergarten, we have Advisors who can help! Click here to schedule an appointment.

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Jul. 27, 2018

3 Clever Incentives to Motivate a Homeschool Dawdler

By Veronica Soto
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3 Clever Incentives to Motivate a Homeschool Dawdler

For mid-elementary through early middle school children, I’ve found that incentives—both tangible and intangible—work well to motivate a homeschool dawdler. I tend to use them temporarily to stimulate a lagging child and then taper the rewards, expecting the schoolwork to become its own reward.

Of course, after time I may have to resort to an incentive again when children need another boost of motivation. This cycle is natural, and I have no qualms about using extrinsic rewards where needed. After all, I use incentives for myself when my own spirits are lagging about doing a job!

Each child is unique and responds differently to rewards. So it does take some trial and error to find the best incentives when dawdling needs to be nipped in the bud. Here are my three go-to incentives for kids who dawdle.

1. Timers and Timed Goals

Sometimes simply showing children there is an end point is enough to motivate them. Instead of having my children work until an assignment is complete, I may have them work for a set number of minutes instead. Once the time is up, they are done with that subject for the day.

Some children work best with a timer so they can see the minutes counting down and look forward to being done. You can purchase regular timers that show time elapsed, visual timers that highlight how much time is left, or fancy hourglasses that slowly trickle away the minutes. Seeing that visual reminder that time is ticking away helps many children stay on task instead of dawdling.

Another good use of timers is to give children a reward if they can finish their work within a certain amount of time. Or encourage kids to work faster by asking them to beat their previous time by a certain number of seconds or minutes.

2. Extra Recess

An easy reward that doesn’t cost anything is simply the promise of more free time—extra recess, extra screen time, or any similar reward that you know will appeal to your child. To use this incentive, simply set a time frame for a homeschool subject. It can a scheduled task, such as math between 9:00 and 9:30 am every day, or a routine task, such as reading for 30 minutes a day.

If a child is especially reluctant or has a terrible case of dawdling, offer the free time reward immediately after he finishes the required homeschool time. If the child is older or the dawdling isn't as severe, you can record the work and award all the extra free time at once on a weekly basis.

3. Reward Tracking Systems

Reward charts are highly versatile and easy to use. You can use a sticker chart, a daily checklist, or any other type of record keeping you desire. Use the chart to track completion of homeschool tasks your child dawdles over. Then depending on how well your child can delay gratification, offer daily or weekly rewards based on the charts.

The Sticker Chart

A sticker chart typically uses one sticker for each completed task. The sticker chart itself may work as a standalone incentive, but if your child needs a little extra motivation, you can offer rewards for each filled chart: a trip to get ice cream, an hour at the park, or a chance to choose a weekend meal.

The Candle Method

The candle method works great for read-alouds and other subjects where the child is not expected to produce output but needs to pay attention. Simply light a candle at the beginning of your read-aloud session, and as you read, give warnings each time your child interrupts (with comments not related to what you are reading) or stops paying attention. After two or so warnings, simply blow out the candle. When the candle is completely burned up, the child earns a reward your previously agreed on.

The M&M or LEGO Method

When you need to reward individual problems for a serious dawdler, the M&M or LEGO method works well. The premise is simple. Lay one M&M, or one LEGO beside each math problem. As soon as the child completes the problem correctly, they get the candy or LEGO award. If their answer is incorrect, either mom gets the reward, or they can try again to earn their prize.

The Marble (or Bean) Jar

Set up for this incentive is simple. You need a large jar and enough small pieces to fill it. I like marbles or colored rocks for aquariums, but you can use anything similar in size. Each time your child does a good job, they get to put a marble in the jar. When the jar is full, they have earned a reward.

Mommy Money/Daddy Dollars

In this incentive, you create your own ticket system or family currency which kids earn in exchange for homeschool work, chores, or even positive behaviors. You hand out money as you feel fit for different tasks your child has done

After they have a bit saved enough tickets or currency, they can exchange them for rewards. Here are some examples:

  • 30 Daddy Dollars may equal an afternoon trip to the park
  • 500 Daddy Dollars earns a day trip to the zoo
  • 20 pieces of Mommy Money may equal one US dollar
  • 100 Daddy Dollars equals a reward from an incentive box (below)
  • 10 pieces of Mommy Money gets a bag of sunflower seeds

Incentive Boxes

These boxes require a trip to a dollar store for various assorted toys, treats, games, and fun school supplies. Create a price list and mark each item in the box with the number of points/stickers/dollars it will take to earn each item. The incentive box has an added bonus of teaching your children to share if you allow them to gather points collectively to earn larger items.

With some children, you’ll find it’s hard to figure out what their motivational currency is, in other words, what stimulates them to do their work. In that case, use as many methods as it takes to find what really helps them stop the dawdling and get on track with completing their homeschool lessons.

 We can't promise your kids will never dawdle with Sonlight. But you can order with confidence because of our 100% guarantee.

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Jul. 25, 2018

A Thoughtful Exposé of the "What About Socialization?" Question

By Gina Munsey
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A Thoughtful Exposé of the What About Socialization? Question

I’m a second-generation homeschooler, so I’ve heard questions people ask homeschoolers for as long as I can remember. Curiosity comes in waves, and some of the most commonly asked topics tend to evolve over the years. A few questions, though, persist. Perhaps you, too, are wondering

First of all, a quick spoiler alert: colleges love homeschoolers. They really do! And while many of the academic questions about home education have been answered in big ways over the years, the socialization myth lives on. This is simultaneously fascinating and confusing to me.

Continue reading below or listen here:

The Socialization Question Relies on an Incorrect Belief About the Public School System

Homeschooling has been fairly mainstream in the United States for some time now, at least long enough that many people have likely met not just a homeschooled kindergartner but also a homeschool graduate who’s now a likable, employed, successful, and well-adjusted adult.

Yet for whatever reason, the fears and myths surrounding the socialization question persist. Why is this? What cultural influences drive this question?

At its root, the socialization question relies on the ingrained—but inaccurate—belief that no shy, dysfunctional, or socially awkward child or adult ever emerged from the public school system.

Let’s think about that for a second. Is it really true that traditional brick-and-mortar education is the antidote for social dysfunction? Of course not! The socialization question itself reveals a clear double standard at play. When a disturbed individual surfaces on the news (night after night, in every local new station in the country), no one ever reports that the socialization practices of the public system are flawed and need to be changed.

The Socialization Question Relies on an Incorrect Perception of When Socialization Occurs

It’s easy at times to hold on to an idyllic view of the traditional classroom:

  • a caring teacher
  • a loving group of friends
  • everyone’s individual needs being met
  • all the educational opportunities we could dream of

Yet when we break down traditional education and look at it with a realistic lens in light of the socialization question, how much socialization—conversing, bonding, and making friends—is actually happening at a classroom level?

The truth is, as anyone who’s ever helped in a room full of young students can attest, teachers constantly remind students to stop talking, be quiet, and listen.

Yes, listening is a valuable skill, but when the classroom is held up as the gold standard for forming friendship and relationships, things simply don’t add up. In reality, most true socialization in school does not happen in a classroom, but during the fringe times of schooling:

  • at recess (which are dwindling at an alarming rate in US schools)
  • on class outings and field trips
  • during extra curricular activities

Homeschool parents can offer their children all this—and much, much more—due to the tremendous scheduling flexibility which homeschool offers. While traditionally educated children are sitting in a desk next to same-age peers, homeschooled children have the chance to be plugged in to a wide range of mixed-age experiences, including

  • field trips
  • travel
  • group music lessons
  • specialized classes
  • sports leagues
  • scouting groups
  • internships
  • clubs
  • camps
  • job shadowing

The Socialization Question Relies on an Incorrect and Narrow Definition of Socialization Itself

When my daughter was three, she carried on a vibrant conversation with the stranger across the picnic table at the park. “She speaks so well,” exclaimed the woman, turning toward me. “Where does she go to daycare?” When I explained I stayed at home with my daughter instead of sending her to daycare, the woman was shocked, exclaiming, “Then how did she learn to talk?” (I tried not to take it personally; myths tend to persist in the face of the facts.)

Although it defies logic, some people—like the woman I met at the park—continue to believe a group of extremely young, babbling, pre-verbal, children are better qualified to teach language through interaction than a verbal adult.

But much of this pervasive mindset stems from believing the public school system’s very narrow definition of socialization: interaction between peers born the same year. Due to this limiting view, some people have never thought of interaction outside this narrow age range as legitimate socialization.

The truth is, the traditional model of education—and the subsequent narrow definition of socialization—actually widens the gap between generations, resulting in more social awkwardness.

Think about it. Traditionally-schooled kids spend the majority of each six-hour school day around only those children who are close in age. They tend to initiate conversation and seek friendship primarily within that range.

Homeschooled kids, on the other hand, regularly converse with everyone from the elderly to the very young—not just same-age peers. As a result, homeschoolers are far more comfortable interacting with a wider range of humanity than the average age-segregated student.  And the natural flow of multi-generational interaction prevalent in homeschooling, too, far more closely resembles real life—and real life workplaces—than does a traditional school setting.

So take heart, friends, especially if you’re just beginning this home education journey. Be empowered and encouraged in the face of ill-informed “But what about socialization?” questions. These doubts are flawed at the very root, based on

  • incorrect beliefs about the public school system,
  • incorrect perceptions of when socialization occurs, and
  • incorrect and narrow definitions of socialization itself.

Non-traditional education bypasses these pitfalls, and allows for a wide range of (true!) socialization.

There’s no question. Homeschooling prepares kids very well for the real world.

Experience what it's like to use Sonlight. Request your FREE book and schedule here.

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Jul. 23, 2018

4 Ways Your Homeschool Curriculum May Encourage Dawdling

By Veronica Soto
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4 Ways Your Homeschool Curriculum May Encourage Dawdling

Children are naturally born with a poor sense of time management. They tend not to see the importance of deadlines and schedules and are not experts as using their time wisely. Unfortunately for busy homeschool parents, this tendency to dawdle can create friction when their children don’t complete assignments in a reasonable amount of time.

It may be time to clear the table for dinner, and your adorable dawdler is still laboring over math problems from 3:30 this afternoon!

The first step to conquering dawdling is to uncover the reason. If one of my children is taking a long time, an honest and open conversation usually pinpoints the issue, making it easier to solve.

One of my key revelations in the area of dawdling through the homeschool day is that the problem is often the curriculum instead of the child. It’s easy to look at an assignment, see how straightforward it appears, and assume the child is at fault for not completing it in a speedy manner. Because very young children are typically eager learners, if they are dawdling over an assignment, it usually boils down to one of the following curriculum-based reasons.

1. Dawdling Because It's Too Easy

As a parent, there are certain chores I don’t like because they are mindless and repetitive. For me, it’s the dishes. After every meal, I’m washing the same dishes over and over, day after day. The monotony is excruciating.

For my children, practicing writing the same letters or doing the same types of math problems they already understand is equally tedious. Because they are so young, they don't have the fortitude to approach the task as I would approach the dishes.

Sometimes dawdling is a result of curriculum being too easy, mindless, or repetitive.

2. Dawdling Because It's Too Hard

Just because an assignment many look easy to me, doesn’t mean it’s easy for my child. Even though we are our children's primary teacher, we homeschool parents can still be surprised to learn of gaps in learning. We assume our kids grasp some academic foundation that is actually a mystery to them.

Homeschool dawdling could be because an assignment is too hard or not well understood.

3. Dawdling Because It's Too Long

A child might be willing to complete ten math problems a day but may get overwhelmed by doing thirty. Once she passes that 10-problem limit, the dawdling begins!

I can relate to this kind of child by reminding myself that I might be fine doing a load or two of laundry a day, but if I’m going to be folding and putting away ten loads a day, I need a huge amount of motivation or energy to make it through that mammoth task.

If you see dawdling happen suddenly at a certain point in the assignment, the culprit could be the size of the task.

4. Dawdling Because It's the Wrong Method

Not all children learn equally well with all programs. I’ve seen huge changes in a child’s motivation simply by changing to a math program that fits their personality better or trying a language arts program that uses a different approach.

Correctly identifying the reason for dawdling opens up a workable solution. It's not hard to see in each of the four situations above what the answer is! If work is too monotonous, skip ahead to something more challenging. If the assignment is too long, shorten it. If it's too difficult, stop and reteach or put it aside until your child has more maturity.

Sometimes identifying the problem is as simple as asking our children why they are procrastinating or why they don’t want to do their work. Other times we can observe what happens when they do the work and trust our gut to tell us if the issue is actually a fault of the child or a problem with the curriculum. Don’t be afraid to switch things up in an effort to curb dawdling. Our freedom to make changes on the fly is one of our most valuable homeschool perks.

Sonlight has homeschool consultants available to talk to you about curriculum management issues like dawdling. Click here to schedule an appointment.

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