Why Homeschool?

     Every parent can home school.  There is no special requirement of the patience of Job or intellect of Einstein or tenacity of Wilbur and Orville Wright to qualify one as a home schooling parent.   Regardless if the child is enrolled in public, private or home school, every parent who has a child aged 5-18 does indeed home school in some way.  From helping with after school projects and homework, to finding tutors or mentors, to leading 100% of the child's studies at home, all of this parent-led, parent- assisted learning and instruction is home education in some way.

     If this concept is understood, then the focus of choosing the learning environment for the child becomes more about the child and less about the parent. 

So the question is more about – If every parent can home school, why should they? 

     Home schooling parents can tailor the educational instruction for each child to best meet that child's need including the need of identity and value.  A child's self-esteem need not be valued on how quickly they recite the times tables or how well they memorized the state capitals.  A child's self-esteem can be enhanced by those abilities, but not defined by them.  The only qualification is for the parents to dedicate themselves to finding mentors, groups, individuals, and experiences that meet the needs of their child's education as well as dedicating time themselves in the pursuit of knowledge.  If you need to hear it, I'll say - “You don't have to teach your child Algebra!”  There!  Feel better?  But, the parents need to find the resources, tools, and mentors that will.

     Home schooling parents can provide life skills and real life experiences.  When has any adult ever been in a work environment where everyone else was their same age and lived in the same area of town?  The public school model is not realistic in that way, nor does it provide the best avenue for social skills.  Social skills are created and enhanced by meeting, working and conversing with people of varied ages, skills and backgrounds.  Home educated children are constantly exposed to a variety of people with whom they are taught to respect and to converse.  The majority of social interaction for home school students is with adults (librarian, store clerk, repairmen, museum docent, art teacher, field trip tour guide...).  When adults have conversations with children, they patiently guide the child to proper manners, etiquette, expectations, and also reward children who speak clearly, intelligently and with interest of learning.  Compare this instruction on socialization with the socialization that occurs in a class of twenty-seven 3rd graders.

     Home schooling parents can allow the child to progress as fast and far as they desire or as slow as needed.   There is a difference between education and knowledge; education is obtained through a formal study process from institutions and set curriculum, and knowledge is obtained through experience and knows no bounds regarding age, required curriculum or institutions.  Knowledge is not taught, but acquired through self efforts.  In this regard, home educated children begin their life of learning in the realm of knowledge, not merely education.

     Home schooling parents offer their children the gift of time.  Time to learn to do chores and contribute to the family as well as time to learn an art or sport.  Time to be involved with the family and create working relationships with siblings learning to compromise, cooperate and care (amid the usual chaos :o).   Time to completely satiate their thirst for knowledge because they can dive as deep into subjects for as long as they desire.  The home educated child is placed in a position of quicker maturity by learning to manage their time and resources at an earlier age.  By managing time, these students are able to complete their daily studies and household chores, and also have time to enjoy recreational interests and community service.  Family vacations can occur anytime during the year and can last for the amount of time determined by the family, not by the school schedule.

     Home schooling parents create an environment of desiring wisdom not only for their children but for themselves.   Leading by example, these parents enjoy enhancing their own knowledge by reading aloud classics to the family, by discussing religion and beliefs, with exercise and play, with working side-by-side in the home and in the community, and with the sharing of their hobbies and interests.  Inspiring a desire for wisdom is not as challenging as one may think.  Consider this quote:  “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.  The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.”  (President Boyd K. Packer, April 2004, Do Not Fear).  When the home schooling family places a “study of the doctrines of the gospel” as the main part of their curriculum, the natural outcomes can include desires for wisdom, increased obedience, philanthropy, and self-mastery to name a few.  A philosophy of life-time learning negates the popular thought, “I'm in school, so I'm learning” verses “I'm not in school, please don't make me think!”

     Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart.  It may require the home school parent to grow and develop parts of their character as well as enable their child's growth.  However, whatever path led the parents to consider homeschooling, they will be blessed for spending time with their children.  Focusing on the child's needs, considering that to some degree each parent already home schools and remembering the thrill of seeing a child learn are the foundational ways to make the journey to home education a successful and enjoyable one.

Written by: Tami Maloney

Learning Styles

Is This Just One More Thing to Worry About?

     “Chris, will you please stop tapping the table with your pencil and focus?”  “Chris, will you please be still and listen to the story I’m reading?”  “Chris, how is it that you can tell me what we just learned but can’t write it down?”  “Chris, you just spelled those words correctly yesterday.  How did you forget those already?”

      Sound familiar or do some other comments of your own come to mind?  Being a home school mom is intimidating for some of us and when things don’t go as perfectly as we first imagined in our minds, it’s easy to say, “It just didn’t work out” and quit.  There are a myriad of difficulties we may find ourselves in but I would like to address just one – learning styles.  If we can figure out our children’s learning style, we can discover fun and creative ways to help our children learn more efficiently. 

There are 3 main types of learning styles: Visual, Auditory and Tactile-Kinesthetic.  

     Most of us use all of the learning styles at least a little, not just one exclusively.  The type of activity we are doing can determine which style we use.  For example, we may prefer to visually see the correct spelling of a word instead of “sounding it out” and yet also prefer to get a lot of hands on experience during a science lesson instead of reading about it.  There are several free online tests to help determine learning style preference and once that is discovered, the following may be helpful for you and your children.

Visual Learners

     Visual learners make up about 65% of the population and recall information best by seeing.  Viewing books, notes, diagrams, maps, graphs, flashcards, and using highlighters and charts makes it easier for them to process and remember information.  They can even remember where information was located on a page and can recall it better if they copy the information again.  Since they get distracted easily with visual movement, they need a quiet place to study.  They also tend to be good spellers (because they can remember what it looked like).  If they need directions to a place, they need them written down or have a map.  If they are listening to a long lecture or to someone reading a book, they tend to wander off in their minds unless they can read along with some notes or with the book. 

Auditory Learners

     Auditory learners make up about 30% of the population and best learn information through the sense of hearing. They tend to be the talkative ones in class (yes, they even like to hear themselves) and enjoy discussions and debates.  They prefer to hear oral instructions instead of reading them and also prefer to do oral tests instead of written tests.  Listening to an audio book or reading aloud can really be fun for them.  They also need a quiet place to study since noise will easily distract them.  Instead of a map, they just need to hear the directions and they’ll remember them.  They don’t mind a lecture as long as it’s not too long or they’ll start talking to their neighbor because they’d rather discuss it.

Tactile-Kinesthetic Learners

     Tactile-Kinesthetic Learners make up about 5% of the population and absorb information best by doing.  It’s interesting to know that all young children are kinesthetic learners.  Visual and auditory preferences emerge later.  Chris is a kinesthetic learner.  He performed well on spelling tests orally while doing cartwheels rather than writing on paper.  Kinesthetic learners tend to be weak in spelling but they can use spell check!  Chris rolled around turning somersaults as I read a book aloud, but surprisingly could recall details and characters in the story.  Movement helps these kids learn.  They prefer to get their hands on something to manipulate and figure out so they can understand it better.  Since they need to move, it’s not too surprising that these kids tend to be thought of as hyperactive.  Can you imagine this child sitting through a long lecture?  Instead of a quiet learning environment, they may enjoy soft music in the background as well as tapping their pencil on the table constantly!  They may even prefer lying on the floor to learn instead of sitting in a chair.    

•       For visual learners:  Fill their world with things to see!  Have them draw or write down notes, watch documentaries, do brain puzzles like Sodoku, put things in sequential order, compare, contrast and classify things.
•      For auditory learners:  Fill their world with wonderful educational noise!  Play music, find books on tape with great narrators, have great discussions with them, put facts to lyrics to memorize, or have them record their notes so they can hear them.
•      For kinesthetic learners:  Fill their world with everything!  Give them math manipulatives, let them dance to classical music to “feel” it as well as hear it, have them do science experiments first and then explain what happened, have them act out a story in history, give them an old appliance to take apart and put back together.

     Experiment and ask your children their preferences and enjoy the journey of personalizing their education.  Thankfully, I learned about the learning styles while Chris was still young and realized that his tapping, constant movement and talking was his way of learning and that it actually helped him.  It drove me crazy because I’m a visual learner and all the visual distractions seemed to contradict with how I would learn.  But it worked for him.  If you’re finding yourself being frustrated as a home school mom, consider researching further about learning styles and maybe this one more thing to worry about will eliminate a lot of exasperation.

Kellee Clark – Homeschooling Mother of five.  Hear more from Kellee in THIS video.  

Semester of Science (Human Body) Part 2....

     Welcome back to another installment of "Hands on Semester of Science - The Human Body." In part one, I showed you a simple human body chart that kids can color in as they learn about different organs.  Today we are going to start getting into the experiments {insert mad scientist laugh}.  It might be cool for the kids (and you) to invest in some cheap science tools such as a lab coat, gloves and goggles if you plan to do several experiments.  Hey, that stuff is considered hands on in my book.

     Let's get started with Dem Bones.

 If I need an idea I always start by looking on Pinterest. When I saw the following experiment I had my doubts. It turned out so cool and I ended up keeping the hand until my son took a bite out of one of the fingers and it attracted ants. Who knew ants liked flour? Who knew L wondered what a fake hand would taste like? 

     Here is what you do:

• Step One: Get a glove from the dentist in your ward. That's a joke people. Not every single ward has a dentist, just most ;-). You can get a glove from fast food places or beauty salons too. If you must buy them, you can get them at Walmart and I'm sure there are lots of fun and educational things you can do with them. I may even do a post some day called 'Ways to teach with Latex gloves'. And yes, try to get the latex type since it has more of a flesh feel to it than the plastic see through ones.
• Step Two: Get five large flat Popsicle sticks. You can get these from the doctors office for free if you ask nicely. I'm sure there are other places you can get them for free but again, these are always good to have on hand for future use and are not very expensive. Ideas may one day appear in a post labeled 'Ways to teach with Popsicle sticks'. Getting back on track... place the sticks inside of the gloves where your fingers would go. Last step: Fill your glove with flour. It doesn't take much but you do want it packed well. Then tie the glove at the bottom. Your done. My 6 year old was able to do this almost completely on her own. I held the glove open for her to dump in the flour (do this part over the kitchen sink for easy clean up). When it's complete it really does feel similar to a human hand! Seriously! Here is the Pinterest link that I followed for my Bones class experiment. 

Side note: I love most Steve Jenkins books.  The book with the big skull and the red background is a great one of his!  Try your library first but I personally think his books are worth investing in.  While libraries are a fabulous resource (most home schoolers visit on a weekly basis), may I suggest investing in a few well rounded, kid friendly books on this topic.  I say kid friendly but I really mean books that you can understand, too.  If it's over your head, it's guaranteed to be over your child's.  I went to a used book store and browsed their human body section to find mine.  I also borrowed from the library first to make sure the book was worth buying. 

Another favorite experiment of ours was making our own blood.

This idea also came from Pinterest:

 I save my glass jars for no good reason but every once in a while I'm glad I did. This was one of those rare times. 

Step 1:  You will need a glass or plastic  jar filled  1/2 to 3/4 full with water plus yellow food coloring.  This represents the plasma.  Next get a couple of hands full of mini marshmallows- one for project, one for eating.  These will be your white blood cells.  I used purple pom poms as my platelets.  Last I mixed Cheerios with some red food color in a small Ziploc bag for my red blood cells. 

Add all your ingredients one at a time while talking about why each one is important-- well, you know the drill. Teach! 

In the end your blood turns red from the red blood cells.  Since blood really does look red when you bleed and not like yellow plasma this made more sense to J. 

     Last one I'll show you today

is on the backbone.

     You may notice in my picture that J's back bone is lacking a few gummy life savers.  I bet some of you guessed it: L struck again!  Maybe I should feed that kid more. I did find both a somewhat edible versions of this experiment which I went with HERE or HERE is another option to use for the backbone with a pool noodle: 

  Here is how you make this back bone: 

Gather your whopping three materials. By now you are realizing that I usually go pretty cheap with my hands on learning and you love me a little more. You will need a piece of rope (spinal cord), some cheerios or maybe wagon wheels (bones)  and a large pack of gummy life savers (disk). The non food version is probably more visually accurate but I made this in the fall so there were no pool noodles to be found at the Dollar Tree. You see above in the photo J is putting the lifesavers and the Cheerios on alternately. Make sure you have counted enough bones (33 for kids and 24 for adults). Kids will remember how many backbones we have if they are counting them as they are added.

     I previously told you that my daughter likes to color and does really well at listening while she does it. I invested in the Dover Human Body coloring book (pictured at the top of this post) which is very educational and filled with a lot of information and details. Details take a long time to color which equals a long time for me to teach about the subject which means my child will have a better chance of learning something. That's just a theory and only true when the child is in the right mood ie: the wind is blowing to the east, it's high tides and.... just kidding.  I don't think we were able to get the full use out of this coloring book but maybe you would. Here is the link so you can look into it.  If you're not positive that you would use it, do a Google search for whatever organ you are learning about and print a color page instead. 

     That's it for this week, folks. Stay tuned for Part 3 when our "Semester of Science - The Human Body" concludes with experiments about the brain, lungs, intestine and nervous system.

     What would you like some "hands on" ideas about? Drop me a line in the comment section below or email me bethany@lds-nha.org.

You CAN Teach Your Child

 First, a story . . .

    From day one of second grade I knew, my daughter was going to really struggle.  It seemed that before she could even unpack her school supplies the evaluations and conferences began.  Her scores were alarmingly low on assignments and tests and yet she didn't seem to even care.  She seemed almost oblivious to what the rest of us knew, "Something was wrong with her."  

     The weeks marched on.  Test after test came back "normal" for eye sight, dyslexia, learning disabilities, ADD, etc.  I cringe to think what she must have felt while her own Mother and a team of doctors, administrators and professionals tried to put a label on her shortcomings.  Dead end after dead end resulted in frustration and desperation.  I was sending my daughter to school every day for eight hours while she sat detached and not learning or absorbing what was being taught.  Despite the best efforts of her school, a  great school with an amazing staff, she was not thriving.  It was then that the thought came to my mind, "If she doesn't pass second grade, I will have to homeschool her."

     I was terrified.  I always found it a rather bold assertion that a mother thought she was qualified to teach her child when she had received no professional training.  How could she possibly be equally as equipped as the professionals that had gotten a degree and had the experience of teaching in a classroom day in and day out?  I was more than intimidated at the idea of teaching my own child.  Homework had been such a nightmarish exchange filled with threats, emotional outbursts (by both parent and child), a battle of wills, and superhuman patience that I could not imagine doing it all day!   I ignored the prompting for months.  I looked for another way out with desperation but it just kept coming back, "You are going to have to homeschool her." 

   I had a conversation with a friend that has stuck with me.  I said, "How can I add anything more to my plate?"  Her response was this.  "You are not adding to your plate, you are going to get a whole new plate."   The idea of this "new plate" was alluring.  I was so tired of the one I had.  I felt like a failure every day as I struggled to help fill in the gaps after school.  

     Second grade came to an end and you know, they even passed her.  But, in my heart I knew that she wasn't ready for the third grade.  So, I made the decision to homeschool and I have learned a thing or two about "true vs. truth."

     "True VS. Truth"

True:     Teachers have a lot of experience.  They work with children every day.  They have been trained on how to present information and make lesson plans and create a scope and sequence.  There are some amazing teachers out there who my child could benefit from.   I do not have the same kind of training or experience. 

Truth:     Teaching my child is more instinctual than I could ever imagine.  I know my child better than anyone knows my child and I know what he/she is capable of and I won't settle for less.  A teacher may accept that my child is incapable of doing a certain level of work but I, as her mother, know better.  

True:  I am completely overwhelmed with my life already.  I have so much to do and no time to do it.  Homework is a major struggle and we are not successful when I try to help her.  

Truth:  Believe it or not, homeschooling is a way to simplify my life.  I am free to create my own schedule around what works best for me and my child.  We can work in the morning when both of us have energy and patience rather than at the end of the night when we are both exhausted.  Homeschooling takes the pressure off of measuring up to what the school wants my child to learn and helps me to work on ONLY the things that are essential.  This gives us MORE time and allows us to cater her work to her level her interests and her abilities.   I feel less stressed now that I am in control and have a complete understanding of my child's academic strengths and limitations.  

True:  I do not know what to teach.  I am afraid that I will ruin my child and she will never graduate from high school or go to college.  

Truth:  I can learn.  There are amazing resources available.  I had to start over in first grade work with my third grader and by fourth grade she was back on grade level.  I have the ability to work with my child on her level.  This enables us to go at her own pace.  We can gain much more ground when we aren't trying to keep up with the other kids in her class.  At school she was sitting through an entire day and getting only thirty minutes of special attention to work on her challenges.  Now she has special attention every day, all day and she is able to make progress at a much faster pace. 

True:  I can't imagine being with my children all day every day!  I need a break!

Truth:  Homechooling looks and feels different.  I learned how to be with my kids and my kids learned how to be with each other.  We learned how to go grocery shopping and to the doctor's office without killing each other.  I learned how to have more patience.  I actually enjoy being with my kids more than I ever thought I would.  

True:  My child loves the social aspect of school.  I couldn't possibly take that away from her. 

Truth:  My daughter has more friends now than she ever did at school.  She goes to theater, art, and science classes.  I take her to park days and field trips.  She is even involved in a tween club that gets together to do arts and crafts.  She has had more fun homeschooling and has interacted with more friends than she ever did at school.  

True:  I never thought I would homeschool my kids.  I don't think I am the kind of mom that can handle that kind of lifestyle. 

Truth:  I LOVE homeschooling.  I AM the kind of mom that can homeschool her kids!  Homeschooling has been one of the most natural transitions in my life.  It is hard.  I have had to push myself to the outer limits of my abilities.  But, I have been blessed tenfold!  

So what is the truth?  

If I CAN teach my child, You CAN teach your child!  

I hope you too can discover this truth, dear reader.  

Learn more about Nicole.

The Children's Songbook - A Homeschool Handbook

I have the best calling in the whole church. I get to have all the enjoyment of being with the cute primary kids without the responsibility of keeping little bodies reverent during the painful third hour of church. I am the primary pianist. 

My favorite part of this calling is listening to the kids sing from the Children's Songbook. In my life I have felt the love of God and received messages from his Holy Spirit more clearly through those simple songs than in any other way.

So, it shouldn't have surprised me as I sat behind the piano last Sunday when a homeschool problem I needed divine help with was answered through a simple children’s song. I've been thinking since then about the messages that the Children’s Songbook has for homeschoolers, and I have found so many! Let me share some of my favorites.

Teach Me to Walk in the Light (#177)

This song has plenty that applies to teaching our children, but the second verse popped out to me this time. “Come little child and together we’ll learn.” A common reason parents are afraid to homeschool is they don’t think they know enough or don’t feel qualified to teach. But homeschooling (and Earth life) is not about becoming an expert before you begin. It is about learning and growing as a family. I think my oldest was smarter than me before he was five, but that doesn't mean I can’t be his teacher. It doesn't matter if you never learned to diagram a sentence or completely failed algebra. When you homeschool you learn and grow together (and find yourself motivated like never before to conquer algebra).

You Don't Have to Push a Handcart (#218)

The song says, “You don’t have to push a handcart to be a pioneer...You DO have to have great courage, and faith to conquer fear. And work with might for a cause that’s right, to be a pioneer.” Although, in recent years homeschooling seems to be more widely accepted and less “weird”, many of us are exploring a completely new lifestyle with homeschooling. It can be difficult and there may be family or social opposition. I receive the most opposition from my own self doubts. But pioneering through the tough spots is homeschool at its best. I can’t count the times that things have gotten hard and I have wanted to give up on this crazy idea of teaching my own kids. But it never fails, after the rocky parts come the beautiful vistas of success and I am glad I didn't give up. I’m hoping that my children will be able to learn from my mistakes and can be better teachers to their children because of the path I've paved for them as a homeschool pioneer.

Search Ponder and Pray (#109)

The first thing every homeschooler does after deciding to homeschool is fret about what curriculum to use. There are thousands of options, which is what I love (and hate) about homeschooling. Sorting through the endless possibilities can be daunting. A homeschool mentor of mine asked me (after I had read every book I could find on choosing curriculum) if I had prayed for help yet. Embarrassed I said, “I hadn't thought of that!” I think I was worried about coming to the Lord with small decisions. But I’ve since learned that the Lord can guide us to help his children. He does care about the little details that are important to us, because teaching His children is important to Him. It’s good to read and study and search curriculum and philosophy so the Lord can guide us to the materials that will help our kids. “The Spirit will guide.”

Every Star is Different (#142)

This sweet primary song reminds us that everyone is unique. It says “Everyone is needed for just what he can do. You’re the only person who ever can be you.” There is no one way to homeschool. There are as many different ways as there are families who do it. Homeschool is constant trial and error. Learning what works for you and your children will take time. I often stress because I am not as consistent and structured as some successful mom’s I know. But one friend said to me she wished she could be spontaneous like me. We all have our strengths. Homeschooling brings out our weaknesses, to be sure, but it also helps us grow. Co-ops are a great way to team up with other homeschoolers and benefit from one another’s strengths and interests.

I'm Trying to be Like Jesus (#78)

Jesus loved the little children. He made time for them. He blessed them. And he taught them. We can try to be like Jesus by following in His ways. We can learn from Jesus, the master teacher, as we embark on our journey of becoming educators to our families. We can study the lessons he taught and learn to teach with love and simplicity as he did. We can learn from his example how to teach to multiple levels at once through the use of stories and questioning. Best of all we can learn to be “gentle and loving in deed and in thought” and prepare as a family for the “day of gladness when Jesus comes again.”

I’m SO Glad When Daddy Comes Home! (#210)

Thankfully I have a spouse who is able to provide so that I can be home to teach my kids. But there are days when I have had just a little TOO much togetherness and “I’m so glad when daddy comes home” so I can hide in the closet and rock in the fetal position while the little darlings suck the life out of a fresh adult. Phew! If you don’t have a spouse to share the load, be extra careful about arranging time for yourself to regroup. Trading babysitting with a friend, asking a visiting teacher for help, or finding a hobby you can use to “escape” are great ways to renew yourself so you do not burn out.

I’m all Made of Hinges (#277)

“But we have to have hinges or else we will, crack!” Homeschoolers have to learn to be flexible. Don’t stress if things don’t work out as planned. I think as a general rule things don’t work out as planned in our homeschool. Certain times and phases of life will require different kinds of schooling. People get sick, appointments come up, life happens. It’s okay to coast when you need to and roll with life’s punches when family trials throw off your groove.

Saturday is a Special Day (#196)

I can have a clean house or be a nice mom. But not both. It has taken me several years of reconditioning to learn to “close one eye” to messes. By lowering my expectations for the daily state of the house, my homeschool efforts are much more successful. We pick up a bit throughout the week, but we save the big chores for Saturday mornings and put our house back together. Then we can have a peaceful Sunday and are ready to tear it up again Monday. (Visit us on a Friday at your own risk!)

If You Chance to Meet a Frown (#267)

Even though homeschool is the most fun, and you will have the time of your life, some days just stink. And homeschooling can get intense. There is wisdom in the words “If you chance to meet a frown, do not let it stay. Quickly turn it upside down and smile that frown away.” The only attitude we can change is our own, but smiles are contagious and bring light and happiness; and where there is light, darkness cannot exist. Even if we don’t feel like smiling we can turn a bad day right by finding the humor in it and counting our blessings. We will “make the world a better place by smiling all the while.”

I am a Child of God (#2)

Despite my best efforts I always fall short of what I think my family needs or deserves. I find comfort in the very first song in the Children’s Songbook. It says, “I am a child of God, and he has sent me here. Has given me an earthly home...” God is my father and he gave me the chance to come to earth and have a family. He will lead me and guide me. He will walk beside and me and help me find the way to teach the special Spirits He has entrusted to my care.

Along with the sweet children’s voices, I will be listening carefully to the Still Small Voice as I sit behind the piano in Primary this Sunday. I am sure there are many more messages that await in that little blue book for me.

Learn More about Jana.

Semester Of Science (Human Body) Part 1

     Howdy everyone! Welcome to my first blog post about hands on learning. Jump over and read my bio for more information about me and why I'm writing about this special learning tool.

     I thought I'd start you out with a bang for my first few blog post by giving you a semester of science. When my daughter, Jillian (now 6), started showing an interest in science at an early age, I was kind of worried I would not be able to meet her needs. I may have even been dreading it a little bit. I'm sure you can relate, even if it's not science that gave you a scare, maybe it was math (for me it's only math now). I believe my past science teachers would all be surprised to learn this about adult Bethany: I am totally in love with science! I'm not sure what is different now then when I was in school but I am so interested in the topics I am teaching. Doesn't it make school so much more fun to teach if your learning, too? Anyway....

     The topic of the Human Body has been fascinating children since the beginning of time. Ok, I don't have proof that's true but I wouldn't be surprised to one day learn that Adam and Eve taught their kids about guts and body functions. Surely kids way back when asked their parents where poop comes from. Don't be squeamish, people. We all wanted to know at some point. For some reason kids really want to know what is going on under their skin. The great thing is, I have some very cool experiments and ideas you can do at home to teach your kids all about the human body. Let's start simple.

     If you look in the back of the book: The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body, you will find the inspiration for my human body chart. 

     Let me tell you how I made the coolest chart you've ever seen (hey, I know you were thinking it).  This background is a roll of mailing paper (found at Dollar Tree and Walmart near the mailing envelopes section). I rolled the paper out and had J lay on it then cut it to size across the top. I trace my kids on the trampoline with side walk chalk a few times a month so it was simple enough to trace around her using a pencil. I did have to erase or else her right leg would have been about as thick a ruler but that's why I used pencil first, right? After corrections were completed, I used a black sharpie to trace the pencil markings. Being a bit of a perfectionist I turned the paper over and followed again with the sharpie (it showed through from the back) so you couldn't see the eraser marks. I did this with all the organs and such which I'll admit did take all the artistic abilities I claim to have and also doubled the project time. It may not be worth the effort for you, do whatever you feel comfortable with. As I was working on my chart I turned on Netflix and let the kids watch The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body. Yes, they did get to watch it twice since I chose the hard perfectionist way. Option B: If you are already saying to yourself: No way could I draw this! Never fear you can simply do a google search to print out organs and glue them on.

    What makes this hands on learning? As we learned about each topic we colored them in. That's it. Simple. You see, J loves to color and I've realized if I give her something to color as we are learning she does a much better job at paying attention. It's true, give it a try! It works great with History.

     You will notice in the next picture I added the  bladder since J specifically asked about it. Customize it all you want. You may also notice that I got a better camera since starting my human body chart (yahoo!!). Perhaps you spot the brain on the shelf as well. We will get into that project too in the coming week(s) as we get more into experiments and such. So, here it is, the finished project . . . 

Let me know if you take this on! I'd love to see your super cool human body charts as well. Stay tuned for next week's 'Semester of Science (Human Body) Part 2'.

 "God did not put us on earth to fail but to succeed gloriously," - Richard G. Scott. 

Learn more about Bethany

Special Announcement - The Sentinel

     We are happy to announce that  LDS-NHA has reacquired The Sentinel.  The Sentinel is a weekly publication of articles written by LDS homeschoolers.  It was started by founder, Jolene Irving, in the year 2005 and was a major foundation block of the early establishment of our organization.  When family concerns required Jolene to step away, Dana Wood picked up the torch and has kept it running until now!  We would like to thank Dana for her efforts and dedication to keep it going and are grateful that The Sentinel has found its way back home.  

     What does this mean for you? We have transferred all of the articles onto our blog.  This means that there are almost ten years of articles for you to search.  Please be patient with us as we categorize the articles and list the authors.  In the meantime, you may use the search bar at the top of the blog to search for topics that interest you. 

     We will be continuing The Sentinel here on our blog.  We have put together an amazing team of writers and we are excited to get started.  Please check back often as we will be introducing our writers and posting to our blog regularly.   

Avoiding Crash and Burn

Today's post brought to you from the LDS-NHA archives.  

Avoiding “Crash-and-Burn” Syndrome

by Michelle Duker

It happens all the time:  Parents decide that they need to bring their children home to homeschool. They study, prepare, buy books and curricula, and jump into this new experience with both feet. Soon, however, many parents begin to worry that they have made a mistake. “This just isn’t working.” “She wants to go back to school.” “Maybe I can’t do this after all.” We have all heard of the “burnout” that can afflict home school moms; let’s call this form that crops up in the first year the “crash-and-burn syndrome.” It causes untold frustration and often leads to children re-entering the school system.

     Today’s new home school parents, thanks to the rapid growth of home schooling, know quite a bit about the technical aspects of home schooling; they've read articles, books, websites, browsed at home school fairs. But most of them are unprepared for the tremendous change in lifestyle that homeschooling entails, for both parents and children. It is important to allow plenty of adjustment time to avoid a “crash-and-burn” experience.

     Many parents are unprepared for the practical effects of moving to the “all-children, all the time” channel. Both parents and children had previous routines and habits, but the new reality of being at home all day, and being in the company of parents and siblings all day, can put stress on existing relationships.  Impatience and quarreling abound; mothers try to keep houses at pre-homeschool levels of order; some children have never really learned the principle of obedience and everyone ends up frustrated.

The prescription: proactive teaching, and time to allow relationships to grow and adjust to the new demands.

     The entire family needs to “catch the vision” of this new endeavor. Homeschooling is intensely relational; at times what is learned can be almost totally dependent upon the quality of relationships in the home. Parents can teach a strong, scriptural vision of the family, with cooperating, serving parents, and obedient, learning children, growing in love and unity, placing family relationships solidly in front of outside relationships.

     A period of “detoxification” from public school can help children adjust to a new daily routine, new expectations, new levels of interaction with Mom and siblings. Some writers suggest at least one month of “detox” for each year the child has been in the school system. Don’t stress formal learning too much in this period. Instead, this is a good time to set daily routines; establish or strengthen the habit of obedience, spend time rediscovering each other, find out what makes each child “tick," explore informal learning experiences, and pray.

     Many times, we mothers, in our single-minded pursuit of the best for our children, bring home “too much school” right away.

     Homeschooling is a new way of life. If we wanted to teach a child to swim, we wouldn't drop him in the deep end of the pool and come back five hours later. Some of our children may feel like this when, after a short break, we plop them down at the kitchen table with a list of eleven subjects! Try prioritizing. Choose a couple of challenging subjects, and a couple of fun ones. Then, when the children are successfully doing this, we can add other subjects. Do remember--you do not have to do it all the first year!

     Try also to keep fathers as involved as possible. Homeschooling is going to change all of Dad’s relationships too, even if he isn't doing the teaching. Take time to find out his expectations, work together as a team, and make sure he feels involved.

     How can we strengthen family relationships in the stressful period after pulling the children out of school?

     Make family worship a priority, especially daily prayer and scripture study. Seek the guidance of the Spirit, at home and in the temple. Spend time connecting, re-connecting, getting to know each other’s habits, preferences, and pet peeves. Meet discipline issues head-on. Spell out the necessary obedience and respect that will be needed in making this transition work.

     Adjust expectations. "Hannah Homeschooler-Forever" may appear to have perfect children, perfect house, perfect everything. You will not. (She doesn't really either). Get used to it. The kids will squabble, the laundry will never get done, you’ll forget to put dinner in the crock-pot, your mother-in-law will insist on calling in the middle of spelling. The children can, and will, learn anyway.

     The first year of bringing the children home to learn will be full of challenges and difficulties. But facing the necessary adjustments with patience and faith will help the entire family to make a successful transition to a new lifestyle. One day, your new-homeschooler friends will be looking to you as an example. And you’ll be ready to pass the torch to them. 

Five Habits to a better Homeschool Day

In the short time that I have been homeschooling, I have discovered a few simple habits that make life easier. 

• Wake up before your kids get up.

 This will prove to be one of the most beneficial as well as one of the most difficult habits of them all!  There is something empowering about choosing when you will start your day rather than having it chosen for you by your children.  This is your best bet to squeeze in a little "me" time.  When I wake up before my kids, I feel like I am in control of my day.  This leads me to the next habit . . . 

• Fill your own cup first.

 We have seen it time and time again: the flight attendant stands up in the front of the crowd to give the speech and demonstration on the importance of putting on your own oxygen mask first.  Same concept here.  You can truly give to your children when you have met your own needs first.  What are your needs?  For me it is exercise (preferably outside in the fresh air), scripture reading, prayer, and hello, a shower!  Once I have done these things I am ready to face my children and my day.  

• Enlist the troops.  

Don't be a martyr.  You cannot do this alone.  Homeschooling is a family affair so you are going to have to get everyone involved.  Even if your kids are little, they can still help out.  Giving your kids responsibilities in the home helps them to gain confidence, self respect, and will give them a sense of belonging and importance.  

• Learn to multitask.  

No one ever said that learning has to take place at a desk.  Listen to your child read while you are folding laundry, discuss the civil war with your sixth grader while you make dinner, do spelling and math drills in the car on the way to activities.  There are ways to fit it all in.  You just have to scoot on over and make room.

• Focus on the positive.

 Sometimes progress in homeschooling is not measurable.  There are principles being learned that may not be seen for years to come.  Focus on the small and simple successes.  I love this quote by Pres. Uchtdorf 

Written by- Nicole Carter