• Keeping all information in one place
• Search Google or Pinterest for Free Printables
• Writing things down commits them to memory
• A visual reminder of what needs to be done and where I want us to be

• Synced with our Google calendar
• Alerts to remind me of activities and appointments

• laminate charts so that, as well as being protected, the children or I can use dry erase pens to "check" things off :)

• checklists allow me to see at a glance what has and hasnt been done

• “routine” refers to summary or condensed wake-up, morning, afternoon and evening
  
• adapt your routine around the rhythm of your family
• add in a few things you want to change

• plan for YOUR family
• plan around your routine

• choose a few things that are most important and add those first

• if something’s not working change it!  
• its not a good schedule if it doesn’t work.

The time has come again where the books arrive and the summer draws to a close.  It’s hard to believe that I am gearing up for my 9^th year of homeschooling.  In some ways, I am more confident as I carefully select the curriculum, go over my school supply list and set up the school room, but in other ways, I feel like I am embarking on a whole new journey . . . oh wait, I AM embarking on a whole new journey—both with high school and traditional homeschooling . . .

My oldest is entering grade 10, settling in for homeschooling through his high school years.  We are looking at credits, diploma routes, portfolios, work experience, special projects and more.  The options are endless, the choices, dizzying.  I can only hope and pray we’ve made the right choice.  Ironically, the course that I am most confident about is the one that I am pulling together myself (interesting, since I am “traditionally” a non-tradition or teacher-based homeschooler).  After looking at what the school offered for Social 10 and discovering that I didn’t have to complete this to get our diploma, I opted to teach Grade 10 Social myself, drawing on recent history and geography.  Thankfully, my son shares my enthusiasm with this put-together Social curriculum. 

This brings me to my oldest daughter, who is entering grade 9.  The best choice in educating her was to break away from the teacher-directed program a year ago and allow her to go blended with some subjects.  We are continuing with this approach for grade 9 as well. I am more confident in this approach and she feels that she has a voice in what she is studying. 

My middle child presented unique challenges with homeschooling.  The curriculums I had chosen were working marginally well, but she was disappointed that she couldn’t study what she wanted due to the fact we were completely teacher-directed.  Add to that fact, she was already stressing about the PAT exams next spring.   She was rapidly losing her love of learning.  It was time for a change—a drastic change.  So, I decided that the best choice for her was to go completely traditional.  I have put away the lists of requirements and am focusing on what she wants to learn, where she loves to learn and what she needs to learn.  It will be a change, but one that I am welcoming. 

And then we start over . . . my second youngest is entering grade 1.  I now have the chance to do all the things “I’d do if I had a chance to do it over”.  I feel like I have a bit of a head start since he is already reading and very enthusiastic about learning.  Though I am going teacher-directed with him at this point, I may branch off on my own as the years progress. 

Overall, I am quite excited about how school is shaping up in my household.  My children are adamant that they do not want to go/return to a traditional school and I am more content then ever about the fact that I am a homeschooling mother.  I am discovering that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to school one’s children at home, provided that you, as a parent, are directly involved in your child’s education.  Part of growing as a homeschooling family includes adjusting one’s teaching style and curriculum to suit the child, teenager, parent or circumstance.  Regardless of how you school, your way of homeschooling is worth revisiting once in a while.

Happy Homeschooling!

Renae

CHESN Coordinator

Have you ever noticed that you can be cruising along with life and all of a sudden, a curve ball comes up that completely
throws you for a loop? Just when you think you’ve got things figured out, you are left wondering which way is up.  It may not be an earth-shattering or life-altering occurrence, but rather a change of heart that comes so clear that you wonder
how you got there.
This happened to my family a few years ago. We were happily involved in a ministry in our church and all of a sudden, we felt the need to pull out. It wasn’t about hurt feelings or even lovingwhat we were doing any less, it was just time for a change. In the year that followed, it was a challenge to find a new niche in what we were supposed to be doing.
The same sudden change can happen within the home. You may be working along with a certain curriculum or teaching style that you and your kids have loved for years and suddenly you find that it’s just not working anymore. Maybe your child has outgrown the curriculum, or maybe they’ve come to a place where they desire to more (or less) independently, or perhaps their interests have shifted. Whatever the reason, you could be left wondering “now what?”.
So, what do you do when you are left wondering what the next step should be? Perhaps the best thing to do is to try to step back and get the full picture. Are there outside circumstances that may be influencing what is happening in your homeschooling environment? What about your kids? I’ve seen as children grow and mature, the emotions and behaviours change and develop (this can be challenging, especially as ages of greater independence emerge). Does the curriculum or style of schooling work with both you and your kids? Are you just getting tired of the “same old”? How about the weather? This winter especially has resulted in more cabin fever in my house.  I find that the most challenging time of year to homeschool is the January to March stretch. The excitement of Christmas and the newness of starting the school year have worn off. Reaching the half-way mark of school is nowhere near as exciting as being close to the end of the school year.
As a homeschooling parent, it is so important for you to keep refreshed and recharged. This can be a huge challenge as you juggle the demands of homeschooling your children, taking care of your household and managing younger children. Often the expectations we have for ourselves far exceed what we have to give. It’s easy to feel burnt out, tired and ready to give up on the extra demands around you, and you know, if you need to cut out the extras for the sake of a peaceful home, do so without feeling guilty. 

Homeschooling is not about keeping up with those around you. If the stress of meeting everyone’s educational needs in your home is too much, talk to your facilitator. They are here to help you, not to pressure you. Decide what is essential and what is not. Eliminate all that is not essential—it won’t hurt the kids to not be in a sports or art program for 1 month while you focus on science.
But what if it’s the curriculum? Now is the time to re-evaluate. Ask around to see what others are using, borrow it, research it and if possible, get your hands on a copy to see if it is a good fit for you.
There are several upcoming events that may help you find out the answer to “what now?” . . . we have a used curriculum sale, well-known homeschooling parents/speakers coming to the area, a night where we can hear from school boards about our various options for homeschooling, a homeschooling conference in central Alberta . . . plus the connection with other homeschooling parents. Don’t let the “what now?” get you down, if change is needed, know that it will be okay. You are not alone in your homeschooling journey.

RenaeWilson
CHESN coordinator

The decision has been made, the kids are officially pulled out of school, you’ve signed up as a homeschooler and now the summer draws to a close, now what?

The first year of homeschooling can be especially daunting, especially if you are homeschooling more than one child.  I can remember so clearly that first year.  Thankfully, I had the support of some great friends, an excellent facilitator and a support group to lean on.

As you’ve probably noticed, one of the first decisions to make is what route to homeschool.  The 3 basic choices are:  Teacher directed, Parent directed, or Blended.

 In a nutshell, Teacher-directed follows the Alberta Education Guidelines.  Different school boards offer different options for study, but in the end, you are expected to meet the expectations that the Government of Alberta lays out in regards to what your children learn.  This offers the most funding, but the least amount of flexibility.

Parent directed is the polar opposite.  You are allowed to teach what you want, when you want to.  More freedom is given to you, as a parent, but in the end, you receive less funding.

Blended is a combination of both.  You can follow the Alberta guidelines for some courses, and at the same time, teach some the way you want.  The funding ends up being on a scale based on how closely you follow the guidelines.

You facilitator can answer questions regarding individual school board policies better than anyone else.  Keep in mind that your facilitator is there to help you, so good communication is vital.

...because you may be the only example of homeschooling "they" see!

• Observe the age level of the field trip. Since little ones can be distracting, find a sitter or co-op with other mothers if applicable.

• Register if asked and call to cancel if you can't make it. Having people show up who were not on the list or not show up who were on the list, isn't considerate and is stressful for everyone involved, especially if there is a minimal requirement.

• Be on time. Show consideration for other homeschoolers and for those at the facility.

• Stay with your child. Remember, this is not a free baby-sitting service, it is an educational event.

• Have a designated leader. In consideration of your hostess who may have to make certain decisions during your tour, be sure that someone is designated as "the leader. "

• Have the host make clear what is "hands-on" and "hands-off." Parents should make sure their kids observe all the facility's rules.

• Prepare for the field trip. Let your child know what to expect academically and what behaviors are expected before the trip begins.

• Supervise your children.  For family events, be aware of where your children are and make sure they understand and are following the rules. 

The following are questions posed by Christine, a member of the Lethbridge homeschooling community, to members of the local online networking forum on Yahoo*. An experienced homeschooling mother herself, Christine is looking to change things up and wanted some input as to how others are conducting their teaching at home. Below are the questions and subsequent responses Renae provided.

-----------------------------

Hello Fellow Homeschoolers,

I have a few questions for you! It seems our family is always changing and next year is no exception, we will be teaching three grades rather then two. Next year we are hoping for much success and tweaking things a bit. I'm wondering:

What are your favourite Language Arts materials and why?

What have you found to work best with a larger family?

What are your favourite Science materials and why?

What is 'Story of the World' and how does it compare to Sonlight?

How do you use SOTW? What is it like?

Do you have a chore system that works really well?

What time do you rise in the morning? And what does a typical day look like in your home?

How do you instill a love for learning? Or a lifestyle of learning in your home?

In what ways do you teach character development?

Has anyone successfully used a MOTH (Managers of Their Homes) schedule? How did you do it?

There you go! I would love to hear back from you.

Blessings,

Christine

-----------------------------

Renae said:

Christine,

I love your questions, I will try to answer them as best as able . . .

1. Favorite LA curriculum: Learning Language Arts Through Literature, I love the way it includes so many quality books and has a variety of activities to go with it. The only drawback: the spelling and phonics are weak, so we supplement.

We are renovating. I am thankful it’s just one storage room, but still, it feels like my house has been turned upside down! I know that anyone who has experienced home renovations can relate. Our purpose is to create an extra bedroom, but in the process, we lose our storage room. Now, I need to find a place for more items.
With 4 kids and a medium-sized house, I have learned a few tips to help with storage. The key is to have a place for everything. If we don’t have a place for a certain item, I need to question that item’s importance to the household. This is especially true for all the access we acquire while homeschooling.
Kitchen: My spice cupboard has been greatly improved by the “Tupperware” spice holders (they are rectangular and fit very well in the cupboard). I buy my spices in bulk and fill the containers. If there’s extra spice, I put a small sticker on the spice container and store the leftover spices.
Office/School: We school upstairs, with the majority of our books downstairs. The exception is the books we use everyday. I bought each child a 4-drawer unit on wheels. This holds their books, completed work, daytimer, etc. Additional resources are stored downstairs with the years books easily accessible. At my computer desk, I reuse the “Maxwell House” cappuccino tins to hold paper clips, rubber bands, etc. The tins are rectangular and fit very well on my shelf. I cover each one with mat-tack and label them clearly. I also have a box and tote bag specifically for library books. The unread books stay in the box, but once the books are ready, they go into the library bag, ready to be returned. This helps keep the books all in one spot.

Homeschooling Helps:
100 Top Curriculum Picks, by Cathy Duffy:
I really enjoyed how this book is laid out. You begin by narrowing down your own homeschooling purpose, style, and philosophy (no easy task for me), and take a closer look at your children’s learning styles. Once you achieve that, the book looks closely at the hundreds of choices of homeschooling curriculum available and rates them on how they fit in with various homeschooling philosophies, match learning styles, and even how much teacher-prep is involved. As much as I would like to donate my copy to CHESN, I just cannot part with this valuable resource. I would highly recommend each homeschooling family purchasing one of their own. The cost is around $26.50 (or less).

Curriculum:
The Story of the World, by Susan Wise Bauer.
This world history curriculum was recommended to me when I first began homeschooling. I found it difficult to work into daily lessons, but despite my irregularity in teaching it, it has always been a favourite of my children’s. So, in year six of homeschooling, I am again writing into my weekly schedule. The books comprise of a novel-like reader and an activity book with chapter questions and project plus reproducible activity maps and pages. There are 4 volumes in this series. The first begins with the nomads—a lesson that my kids still remember and talk about. Generally a basic historical timeline is followed, but you jump from country to country as significant events occur in history. What I enjoy most is that all the grade level I have are drawn into the story. Material covered overlaps with what is required to be covered in some social studies. I have developed a love and appreciation for history by reading these stories to my children. The cost for the books are: $25 for stories and $35 for activities.

Recipes/Organizing:
Here’s a couple favourites that I have found make (or will make) life easier: The Big Cook, www.thebigcook.com