Northland CORE is a source of information for homeschoolers in the Twin Ports and surrounding areas. The group sponsors homeschooling events throughout the year.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Finding other homeschoolers
When families move to an area or first begin homeschooling themselves, often they look for people like them. Adults enjoy meeting like-minded parents and understand the value of information that only seasoned area ...
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Relearned lessons - using the right tool
I was reminded this weekend of just how important it is to have the right tool.
As part of getting our home organized we decided to get a shed for our backyard. We selected a premade shed. It will be about eight feet wide, four feet deep and the highest point will be just over seven feet. It will hold all of our garden and yard tools.
The kit arrived last Thursday. I dug out the instructions Saturday. I skimmed through them and it appeared fairly straightforward. The pieces would fit together and I'd tighten screws to lock the pieces together.
The first step was to anchor the shed floor to a wooden box or a slab of concrete. We already have a small slab behind our house. Janine and I planned to locate the shed near a corner, close to the garden. We went over to a local Home Depot and asked what we needed. A helpful man walked me through the basic steps of drilling the holes and putting in the anchors. It seemed easy. We picked up a concrete bit for my drill and a box of anchors.
Back at home the progress was slow, painfully slow. The bit lasted for over a half hour. All I had to show for the effort were two holes about three fourths of an inch. I purchased another concrete drill bit and got a little farther. But at this rate I could go for a couple more hours and wear out half a dozen, or more, bits.
I took a break and did some research on the internet. I learned that for young concrete, a basic drill and a concrete drill bit may work. But concrete gets tougher as it cures. It cures from the outside in. Our house was built in 1957. The previous owners, back in the 60s or 70s, had poured two layers of concrete. We had old concrete. Old concrete needs a special tool known as a "hammer drill." This is a special drill which makes regular impacts on the concrete through the bit.
This morning I purchased another concrete drill bit, for hammer drills, and rented a hammer drill. In less than five minutes all four holes were made, to depths of about three inches. After all the hassle Saturday it was just amazing to see the hammer drill so effortlessly push through the concrete. It was almost like a knife going through warm butter.
So what does this have to do with homeschooling?
One of the great benefits of homeschooling is we are not forced by some remote bureaucrat to follow official procedures, to use specific text books or teach in a certain way. We can use the right process or textbook for our children. Each child often needs slightly different approaches, and sometimes majorly different approaches. We can go fast or slow. We can try different methods. We can even put a curriculum on the back burner and pick it up months, or even years later.
The problem of public education's approach to have just an approved method was driven into my brain while reading Left Back: A Century of Battles over School Reform by Diane Ravitch. Page after page describes how the "experts" cane up with a new theory about the "best" way to teach children. Education schools would twist and turn chasing after the latest fad while children would suffer with poorer and poorer education. (If you have a couple hours and don't mind being depressed borrow Left Back from your local library.)
Public education seems to want the "one true" way for teaching children when in fact there are many ways which seem to work with different children. I am reminded of Malcolm Gladwell's TED talk on spaghetti sauce. He recounts how for decades the food industry looked for the one spaghetti sauce that everyone would buy. One researcher figured out that different people wanted different types of spaghetti sauce.
As homeschoolers we have the opportunity to find and use the right approach for each of our children. We're not locked into a one size fits all mentality. We can use the right tool to make sure our children get a great education.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Missional Mama: Planning Our Homeschool Year
Planning Our Homeschool Year. Part of the fun of homeschooling is reading catalogs, looking at material, and planning. I really enjoy the planning! We settled on using Ambleside Online as our core again this year which ...
Notes From A Homeschooled Mom: 4 Tips for Transitioning from ...
This blog is the journal of a mom and family in our 9th year of homeschooling. I am passionate about education as a whole and feel that homeschooling can also be used to prevent struggling high school students from being ...
Saturday, August 25, 2012
~Whimsical Moon~: Homeschool
I've stopped writing out weekly lesson plans for homeschooling, they worked well when Noah was younger but for the past few years (as he becomes more of an independent learner) the weekly scheduled lessons have flown ...
Week 1 of School: Celebrating the Sabbath
This past Monday, we began our first day of our 7th year of homeschooling. Here's a few pics from our first day...
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| Mackenzie, 12 years old |
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| Abby, 10 years old |
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| The best part about starting a new school year! |
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| I paid her to say that ;-) |
We made candles - one for each person in our family and one for our future adopted child ;-) "All of the flames, although they are separate, share the same source, symbolic of the family depending on God for strength and life."
read more ..
Back to School Homeschool Style | Homeschooling In Detroit
Good morning fellow homeschooling families! Are you enjoying all of those Back to School commercials? The wonderful thing about homeschooling is that we don't have to worry about those school lists.
Weekend giveaway: Oak Meadow | Simple Homeschool
Thanks for visiting Simple Homeschool. If you subscribe to the blog via RSS feed or via email, you'll get helpful tips for homeschooling sent straight to you, for free!I am especially happy to welcome you to this weekend's ...
A Preschool Toolbox - Getting Started HomeSchooling
Read A Preschool Toolbox and learn how to get started Homeschooling! How to homeschool and resources for those new to homeschooling from a Christian perspective.
Homeschool Days are back!
And they're better than ever! This is a great way to try climbing while networking and getting to know other home school families. With our Home School Day format, we'll have staff dedicated to accommodating our home ...
Friday, August 24, 2012
Reminder - send in a post for the next Carnival of Homeschooling
Please send in a post about homeschooling for the next Carnival of Homeschooling. The Carnival of Homeschooling will be held next week at momSCHOOL.
This will be the 348th edition.
Go here for the instructions on sending in a submission.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
I have a reminder mailing list. If you would like email reminders, please tell me. 
Raised Quiverfull: Kiery, Homeschooling
Question 2: Briefly describe your experience being homeschooled, including the amount of interaction you had with other homeschoolers or non-homeschoolers (socialization) and what sorts of textbooks or homeschool ...
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Ten Criteria for Choosing Homeschool Curriculum | Visionary ...
This is the time of year that I'm cleaning out closets, donating or swapping books with other homeschool moms, and also making purchases. As homeschoolers we are blessed to have so many options out there, but what works for one family ...
Homeschool Ebook Omnibus! Save Over $325! 53 eBooks! 5 Days ...
Do not miss this AMAZING Homeschool deal! This is a great opportunity for you to add books to your library without taking up any shelf space! These are some of the top bestselling homeschooling books, AND books on ...
Teach Beside Me: Carnival of Homeschooling
Carnival of Homeschooling. I am happy to be the host of the 347th edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling! I always love sharing what other homeschoolers are doing- because we all need fresh ideas sometimes. Be sure to ...
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Getting it All Done and Homeschooling! | Ultimate Homeschool Expos
BWS tips button I was so blessed by Marnie's talk on dealing with adversity and I really have had my share lately! How do you do it all? How do you volunteer, run a business, host webinars, take care of a busy household?
This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up
Karyn is hosting this week's Carnival of Homeschooling at Teach Beside Me.
She starts the carnival with:
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I am happy to be the host of the 347th edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling! I always love sharing what other homeschoolers are doing- because we all need fresh ideas sometimes. Be sure to stop by some of these blogs and see what they have to say and teach us.
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She intersperses several pictures with the links to this week's posts.
Enjoy.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Frugal Living: Saving on Textbooks & Homeschool Curriculum ...
I have been getting a lot of questions lately about how to save on school textbooks and homeschooling curriculum. There are so many options and it can seem so expensive that shopping may be overwhelming at first, but ...
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Advice for Homeschool Dads - Christian Homeschool Encouragement
Read Advice for Homeschool Dads and be encouraged in your Christian homeschooling! Encouraging words and inspiration for homeschoolers.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
What Precisely Is Homeschooling | Contacts Manufacturer Supplier ...
Mother and father who're contemplating or have made the choice to homeschool have taken a deep interest in their child's training and are dedicated to having the home becoming the point of their kid's education.
Advice for Homeschool Dads
Homeschooling fathers should be leaders in their homes, including their children's education.
Monday, August 13, 2012
School's Out Forever: Parents Who Don't ... - Homeschooling Parent
According to a philosophy called "Radical Unschooling," children shouldn't be forced to study — not to mention brush their hair, eat their vegetables, or keep their clothes on. A homeschooling mother decides to take a closer ...
Homeschool Showcase #101 - Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
Homeschool Showcase is a weekly blog carnival featuring hands-on learning ideas and inspiration from around the web.
The Importance Nike Air Max Of Homeschooling Laws | ApostolicCM ...
For numerous causes many mothers and fathers choose to homeschool their youngsters. Homeschooling can deliver an increased studying encounter that much surpasses what is usually had in a community or personal ...
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Weekly Wrap-Up - Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
The Weekly Wrap-Up is a weekly meme for homeschooling families to share fun ideas and hands-on learning from their homeschool week.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Why Homeschool: This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up ...
Mission statement: On this blog we explore why homeschooling can be a better option for children and families than a traditional classroom setting. We'll also explore homeschooling issues in general, educational thoughts, ...
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Would you rather have Homeschool or go to School ? | CreateDebate
Honestly, home school. Because then you have complete control over your child's education. There's no distraction of other students, or bad influences during class, and honestly my school life was terrible. There were fights nearly every day, ...
Why Homeschoolers & Christian School Parents Should Be ...
They both expressed concerns about the Federal government's involvement in promoting the Common Core State Standards and what that could mean for homeschooling and Christian schools in the future. In an interview ...
Silly Eagle Books: homeschool books for kindergarten
This past year, Juliet has attended a one-day-a-week school that offers classes for homeschoolers. (She was in preschool). I had no intention of homeschooling her when we first enrolled her--I just was looking for a preschool ...
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Why We Homeschool
Why We Homeschool. August 7, 2012 By Sam Kelley. I have said before that I never intended to homeschool. I also never intended to exclusively breastfeed 6 children, but I digress. I always thought homeschooling and homeschoolers were ...
Who Home Schools? Heather from Upside Down Homeschooling ...
After reading this interview and exploring Heather's blog, "Upside Down Homeschooling," you will know that she is full of energy. Heather not only teaches her children and maintains a ...
Monday, August 6, 2012
Teach Beside Me: Why I Chose Homeschooling
I am going to try my best to give you my reasons for choosing to homeschool my children. I never planned on homeschooling, in fact I thought homeschoolers were weird! I know lots of my friends and family probably still feel ...
Friday, August 3, 2012
Back to Homeschool | Apologia Blog
As you make your back-to-home-school preparations, I'd like to ask this question: What are some of the benefits of homeschooling that are often taken for granted? I display a top ten list in my workshop entitled "Give Me One ...
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Yes, My Grown Homeschooled Children Are Odd - And Yours Will ...
I am sick and tired of defending homeschooling from the question, "What about socialization?" Members of the modern homeschool movement have insisted for thirty years that homeschooled children are well-socialized.
Who Stated Homeschool Is For Children Only? It's For Highschools ...
Most that do homeschooling are those teenagers who can not take the pressures at school, particularly those of peer pressure and bullying. Others cannot catch up with the lessons and curriculum programs of typical sch…
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Traditional Schooling And Homeschooling - What The Differences ...
Public schools today are not satisfying many parents and home schooling is becoming more and more popular. Many parents today are extremely frustrated with the public school system and are thinking similarly. Prior to ...
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