-by Mimi Rothschild
When we think of homeschooling’s benefits, we usually think of the opportunity to provide a first-class education at much less than the cost of a typical private school, the chance each child has to work at his or her own pace and in the best way for that particular child, or the blessings of learning in a nurturing Christian environment.
There are benefits for the parents as well. We have a closer family life, the ability to be sure of what our children are learning, and the pleasure of spending more time with our precious children as they grow. There’s another benefit for parents, though, one we often overlook when we count our blessings as homeschoolers.
Have you thought about your own education? It’s true, refreshing our knowledge of the things we learned in school – or occasionally the things we should have learned in school and didn’t – is one of the great benefits we homeschool parents gain from our children’s schooling.
Some of the things we now have the opportunity to learn, such as web design, the history of Christian music or forensic science, may never have been available to us when we were students. Now we can take pleasure in learning these things as adults.
For no cost of time or money above the investment we’re already making in our children’s education, we can polish up our algebra, learn about world history with our more mature understanding, and perhaps finally get complete comprehension of how to multiply fractions.
Our children get to see our own excitement in learning, and to have our example of diligent study and an enthusiastic teachable spirit. Our friends and spouses get a more interesting and informed conversational partner. And we get the satisfaction of being better educated individuals.
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Mimi Rothschild is the Founder of LearningByGrace.org the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.
-by Mimi Rothschild
Nobody likes being stuck at school every day, even if your schoolroom also happens to be your home. It’s good, even healthy, to get out once in a while and see what’s going on around you, beyond the four walls of your house. But thinking of things to do that are fun and educational for your children can be challenging. Here are a few ideas that might help you get started:
Museums, zoos, farms and planetariums make excellent educational experiences for your students. They are a great way to tie in lessons on science and math, because they really bring the subjects from paper to life. They can sometimes be a little pricey, though, so if cost is a factor, organize some other homeschoolers in your area to get a discounted group rate. Going with a group also benefits your children by allowing them much needed socialization time with their peers.
Local colleges often host small art galleries where students can exhibit their work. These galleries are usually open to the public, and are free or available for a small entry fee. If all goes well, your students will leave there inspired by the creativity of others. Encourage them to try their own hand at artwork once you get home, and maybe even set up your own little gallery somewhere in your home. Check first, of course, to be sure the work they are showing are appropriate before you go.
Outdoor trips are always fun for kids, and can usually be turned into something educational without much effort. Simple things, such as a walk in the park or a hike through the woods, can really open the doors to discussions about nature and Creation. Just examining the intricate details of the leaves on the trees can open a child’s eyes of wonder. If you live near the ocean, take a trip to the beach. Build a sandcastle, walk in the surf and examine the shells that are scattered along the sand. Nature is a wonderful testimony to the Lord and what he has created all around us. Use the experience to truly enjoy His handiwork, and don’t forget to thank Him for it.
Tap into the local businesses in your area for some enlightening and unique field trips. Most businesses, particularly factories, welcome visitors and often offer free tours of their facilities. How thrilling would it be for your child to watch how a newspaper is made, or how bread is baked from start to finish? They’re sure to be talking about what they saw and learned for years to come.
Nursing homes also make a wonderful place for you and your child to visit. Spending time talking, reading, and listening to people who have lived long and intriguing lives can be captivating to a young student. This also instills a sense of giving in them, as they learn to give of themselves and their time to brighten someone else’s day. Most seniors living in these homes love to have young visitors, so everyone benefits from the experience.
Of course, you don’t have to go out to have a fieldtrip. There are lots of online resources to educate and entertain your children from the comfort of their own classroom. Look for videos and how-to demonstrations so your kids can learn as they watch. The site http://www.diaryofahomeschoolmom.com/fieldtripideas.html has a couple of links to get you started.
If none of these ideas appeal to you, tap into the resource of other homeschool Mom’s in your network for ideas or suggestions. Perhaps one or more of them are already planning a trip and you can sign your children up to go along.
Regardless of what you choose to do for a trip, it will all come down to what you make of it. You can turn just about any activity into a learning experience if you are creative. And don’t forget to have fun!!!
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Mimi Rothschild is the Founder of LearningByGrace.org the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.
-by Mimi Rothschild
Probably most of us have had days when we think it might be better for us as homeschooling parents if we just had a set of twins. Then we could do one lesson for all our kids, instead of hopping back and forth from one to another.
On most days, though, we realize that it’s a blessing to have all the different ages together. Mixing up the ages helps our kids have the natural socialization of the family instead of being segregated into age groups. It gives the younger children the opportunity to look up to the older ones, and it gives the older children the chance to show care and tenderness for the younger ones. It lets children see how far they’ve come in their skills and learning, and look forward to where they’re going.
Can we have all those blessings without exhausting ourselves? We can, with a little planning. Here are some tips for homeschooling when you have a range of ages in the family:
Dovetail the work.
Work with the younger children while the older ones work on their own, and then settle the younger ones with play or a project while you check in with the older ones. It’s a sensible approach, but we have to plan ahead in order to accomplish it. Otherwise, we find ourselves getting one child started while the others wait, then starting the next one, and then the next one – and finding that the first child needs us again before we have the last one settled into work. This is a recipe for feeling frazzled by the end of the day!
As long as we get each child’s first activity of the day organized and set out before the day begins, we will be able to start everyone at once, with only one activity at a time needing us.
Get the older children involved.
Older siblings’ reading skills can benefit from the chance to read to the younger children. A six year old can cement his understanding of counting by explaining it to a five year old. A teenager learns from helping younger siblings plan and produce a play on the subject they’re studying.
Again, it takes planning to make sure the older child’s involvement in the younger ones’ lessons fits into the older child’s lessons, too. It helps to list an objective for each of the lessons. When our seven year old reads a story to the three year old, the three year old is practicing listening and the seven year old is practicing reading aloud. It will be a cherished memory for both of them.
Take time for yourself.
With all the planning and thought this requires, you need to be sure to build time for yourself into the day. The kids’ reading time could be your recreational reading time. Their time with online lessons could be your quiet prayer time. Nap time for the children should be nap time for you, too, and the kids who are too old to nap can spend that time in quiet play.
Once our family was driving to the nearby botanical gardens for a visit to support our lessons on plants. As we drove, we were talking about the history lesson the older children were working on: the Renaissance. In a break in the conversation, our baby spoke up: “Ty-renaissance rex,” he said confidently.
We all laughed. We figured he had put together snippets he’d heard from our study of dinosaurs with the history discussion he was listening to, and made up his own new word.
Over the years, we’ve seen how the younger kids’ enjoyment of family lessons has made it easier for them when they get ready to study, and encouraged the closeness of our whole family. It can be hard, but it’s certainly worth it.
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Mimi Rothschild is the Founder of LearningByGrace.org the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.