e-course Archives - Page 7 of 9 - Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Jan 14 2014

{Day 14} Teaching Children To Read

{For an overview of all 31 Days of Homeschooling click HERE.}

Teaching children to read isn’t as mysterious as it sounds. In fact, many children learn to read entirely on their own, with no help from mom or dad at all.

There are ways to help the process along, however, and many homeschool parents begin working with their children at a fairly young age. This is fine, and will eventually be successful, as long as parents remain patient and recognize that reading will come when the child is good and ready.

Two common approaches to reading include teaching phonics, and teaching whole words. Each has its supporters and success stories, and each is a perfectly acceptable way to go.

Phonics is the practice of teaching sounds that young readers learn to string together. Phonics teaches children to make a connection between the letter symbols, and the sounds they make. At the core of phonics is knowing the alphabet, thus many parents begin teaching this way without even really knowing it, as they sing and recite the alphabet and encourage learning letter sounds. In true phonics instruction, children are taught sounds in a logical sequence, and eventually children learn to recognize these sounds in unfamiliar words. The well-known game, “Hooked on Phonics” has popularized this approach through the media, by teaching reading through phonics in an entertaining way.

Whole Language Approach is the practice of learning words at a time, and teaching children that words function together to make meanings. This is part of the constructivist approach to education, which emphasizes that students make meaning out of the context of the words they see. Learning in this way often happens when parents read aloud to their children, and read with their children as they follow along in the book. Children will also learn whole language in groups and by reading independently.

There are many products on the market that may be used to teach homeschoolers how to read, with this list representing only a small subset. Each will open in a new window:

Starfall is a free online game/program to teach children to read with phonics.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is a book that involves pointing to letters/symbols on a page and teaching their sounds from left to right.

Bob Books is an example of a set of early readers, designed to be used in sequence when teaching children to read.

Horizons Phonics and Reading is one example of a fun workbook used to teach letter recognition and sounds.

The Blue Book, a part of the Learning Language Arts Through Literature series from Common Sense Press, is an example of a comprehensive reading system containing all of the books, flash cards, instructions and activities needed to teach children how to read.

Tag and LeapReader from Leapfrog are examples of electronic reading tools that many children enjoy.

The important thing to remember is that all children learn to read at different rates. There is a wide range of what is normal in this area. Though parents should still work at it, they should not become overly concerned if a 7 year old still isn’t reading. By the same token, parents must not be quick to label a 4 year old reader a highly gifted learner, either. While children have an instinct toward spoken language, reading doesn’t always come so naturally. Doing what one can to encourage reading, combined with giving children access to lots and lots of books around the home, (barring any learning challenges) will eventually produce a reader!

I offer a reading log that you can use to record all of the books your child is reading. Download a free copy HERE.

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Related posts:

When should kids start reading?

Think about it: Kids reading to kids

Teaching your child to read

Go-alongs

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A liaison for regional school-to-home organizations, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT, Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

Jan 13 2014

{Day 13} Are There Different Ways To Teach The Same Things?

{For an overview of all 31 Days of Homeschooling click HERE.}

If there was ever a reason why homeschooling trumps all other forms of education, it would be this one. Allowing students to learn the way they learn best is a tremendous advantage of homeschooling, and why the results are often so superior.

It’s no secret that some children learn differently than others. While organized schools must teach large groups of children the same way at the same time, homeschool parents are able to constantly adapt to the needs of their own children. While organized schools traditionally use textbooks and classroom lectures for teaching, homeschoolers can discover the ways their children learn best, then adopt the strategies used in the home to maximize the learning potential of every child.

This is where the idea of selecting a homeschool method comes in. A homeschool method, or teaching philosophy, is a phrase used to describe the general strategy that will be used for teaching and learning activities in the home. Some homeschoolers choose a teaching method that heavily involves the use of textbooks. Others decide to use a method that relies more on hands-on experiences, online activities, independent discovery, learning using classic literature, or something else.

Common homeschooling methods have names like:

Classical Education
Charlotte Mason
Curriculum Approach
Leadership Education
Enki
Montessori
Unschooling

Selecting the method that best matches the children and fits in well with the family’s lifestyle creates a richer learning environment. When a match exists between people, methods, values and ideals, learning is optimized with little or no additional effort at all.

In addition to selecting a general teaching philosophy, homeschoolers can also choose the learning tools they want to use. As long as curriculum goals are being met, the way the material is delivered doesn’t matter at all.

For example, teaching math can be accomplished with a book. But it can also be accomplished using an abacus, using pictures, by watching videos, by playing math games on a computer, or by using counting sticks. Teaching reading can be accomplished using sophisticated reading systems, or can be reinforced by providing stacks of early readers, by reading together, by listening to audio books and following along, by holding read-aloud sessions for the family, by using electronic tablets and pads, or using any number of other ways.

Learning history can also be accomplished by using textbooks. But a great many homeschoolers also learn history by visiting museums, watching educational programming, re-enacting characters from the past, attending plays and lectures, conducting research on-line, reading biographies and more. Science can be learned in books, too. But it can also be learned by exploring nature, talking to scientists, reading articles and periodicals, and visiting companies and talking to the staff.

In my latest book, The Homeschooler’s Guide to Science Fairs (on Amazon), I talk about the importance of having students select topics they find interesting, or are meaningful to them. That’s because the most learning occurs when students are very interested in the topic they are studying. This theory also applies to selecting the learning tools that best match and most motivate students. This idea can be used across the curriculum, and not just for science, too.

Imagine a place where children have access to a world of resources and are able to use those resources any time, anywhere, in any way they like. That is what homeschooling is like. Exploiting the ability to learn in many different ways is what makes homeschool the most perfect school of all!

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Further reading:

Choosing a homeschool method

What to Use? What to Choose?

Accidental learning

The best homeschool curriculum ever

Jan 12 2014

{Day 12} What Do High Schoolers Need to Learn?

{For an overview of all 31 Days of Homeschooling click HERE.}

Homeschooling the high school years is an experience like none other — in a good way. The limitless number of ways that courses and learning experiences may be combined over a period of four years provides endless opportunities for every kind of student there is. Unlike the elementary and middle years, which are often viewed as preparation for the next level, high school is the end of the homeschool road for the most part, thus where homeschoolers feel their skills will be tested, and on which their futures depend.

Because of the nature of high schooling — as preparation for college, for a career, a gap year, or for something else – there are many variations on teaching grades 9-12. Among them include a traditional high school curriculum, a college-prep curriculum, an interest-led curriculum, and just about everything else in between. It would be irresponsible for anyone to recommend a one-size-fits-all high school curriculum that works for everyone, and yet many parents of homeschooled teens ask for exactly that!

For high school, at least one thing is clear. Student goals after graduation should determine the type of work assigned in high school. So, students seeking college admissions should complete the kinds of courses that will capture the attention of admissions officers; those moving into a family business should be offered the skills needed to be productive in that environment; students called to travel or mission work should be prepared to tackle the demands of that lifestyle; and so on.

Having a plan for high school is crucial. Tweaking the plan along the way is fine, but mapping out requirements in advance guarantees nothing is missed by graduation day. I offer a free download of a high school checklist that is easy to complete. Having this kind of plan makes moving ahead from year to year easier and less painful.

Taking student interests and desires into account is important during high school, too. Often, parents do not know a child’s desires unless they ask. So, talking frequently with teens is another key to making sure high school fits just right.

Often, but not always, a high school plan includes the following courses, spread out over grades 9-12:

4 courses in Mathematics (Algebra 1 and beyond)
4 courses in English (most with substantial writing)
3 courses in Science (at least 2 with significant lab experience)
3 courses in Social Science (such as history, economics, civics, or government)
2 courses in Foreign Language (the same language both times)
Several elective courses

Using this general guide, it is easy to see that one math course and one English class should probably be scheduled every year. Also using this guide, students will probably take either a science, or a history, or both, every year, too. Foreign language on the other hand (sometimes called, World Languages now) may be scheduled for two of the years, being replaced by electives for the other two years. And so on.

Somewhere in the range of 24-27 courses is the usual tally at the end of the four years. Many homeschooled students exceed this number {mine did} and that’s okay, too. Still, having a general framework to follow can be awfully helpful when mapping out the entire 4 years.

A great deal of the work I do is helping families prepare for homeschooling the high school years. I offer workshops and seminars about high school, too. If you need help in this area, contact me so we can discuss how I can help.

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Further reading:

Is there such a thing as college-prep homeschooling?

High school math: What is really needed for college and why?

Writing course descriptions for high school

Chemistry and Calculus: 5 Solutions for Teaching Tougher Classes

and one more you might like:

Thinking of putting your homeschooler in high school? Not so fast.

Jan 11 2014

{Day 11} What Do Middle Schoolers Need to Learn?

{For an overview of all 31 Days of Homeschooling click HERE.}

Overall, the job of middle school (typically, grades 6-8) is to prepare for high school. Having learned the foundations of grammar, reading and math in elementary school, and with the ability to write legibly and complete basic writing assignments, middle schoolers are now ready for so much more.

Apart from electives that may be added to the 6th-8th grade cycle, in public schools, every year of middle school is pretty much the same. Homeschoolers may teach middle school anyway they like, but many find it prudent to cover the subjects that will prepare their students for the demands and rigor of high school.

Traditionally, middle school includes the following:

3 courses in Language Arts
3 courses in Mathematics
3 courses in Social Studies
3 courses in Science

plus any number of elective options (or courses required by law in certain regions).

How these are rolled up into homeschool courses is up to individual families. Some teach all of these courses every single year of middle school, while others prefer each year to take on a special focus, alternative topics like Health or Technology every year.

An example of a very minimal yearly middle school curriculum for 6th, 7th and 8th grades would be:

Language Arts
Mathematics
Social Studies
Science
Elective (a different one each year)

An example of a more rigorous yearly middle school curriculum for 6th, 7th and 8th grades would be:

Humanities (for instance, Literature, Art or a Language)
Language Arts (Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling, and Writing)
Mathematics (Middle School Math 1, 2 and 3)
Science (Middle School Science 1, 2 and 3)
Social Studies (for instance, US History, World History, Civics or Geography)
Technology
Health and Physical Education

Many curriculum manufacturers offer middle school curriculum packages, so that families can easily teach all 3 years using the same vendor or product, if they wish (some of those products are listed HERE). Or, families can select different ways to learn each and every year, as long as courses are completed in one way or another.

It is important to keep in mind that students all mature at different rates. Therefore, some middle schoolers will still need additional reinforcement in areas left over from the elementary years, while others will be ready to begin high school level work as early as 7th or 8th grade. Listening to students and observing their work is the best way to determine what is needed during the middle school years. Making sure to remediate where needed is highly recommended for locking in high school success.

Finally, there is one more reason that middle school is important: The 8th grade year is the perfect time to start thinking about the future. With high school just around the corner, knowing whether a child is college-bound or whether he is planning on an immediate career is tremendously helpful when planning high school courses. Gauging this information at the end of middle school puts families that much more ahead of the game when high school rolls around. I write a lot about this topic. You are invited to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss important middle and high school planning information.

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Further reading:

Awarding advance high school credit

How long are classes? How many fit in a day?

Better curriculum = better experience

One child. Different grade levels in different subjects

Jan 10 2014

{Day 10} What Do Elementary Age Children Need To Learn?

{For an overview of all 31 Days of Homeschooling click HERE.}

Knowing exactly what to teach in elementary school (K-5, or K-6, in some areas), is not as easy as it sounds. This is because many people — even so-called “experts” – do not agree on what is required at all.

One of the things homeschool parents can do, is look at what topics children would be offered in school. National standards and other curricular recommendations and milestones written by independent people and publishers, are some of the only guides we currently have at our fingertips. These guides may not be perfect (some are even the basis for much controversy), but for many families, they provide a starting point by which to base the rest of the year. Using these topics as a guide, homeschool parents can then determine what to teach on their own. {This is just one approach! As a teacher and homeschool parent, I do not follow public school guidelines much, either!}

That being said, read the following statement, then proceed to the curriculum recommendations, below:

Remember as you read: No two children are alike. No two homeschools are alike. Keep these two basic tenets of homeschooling in mind as you read the remainder of this post. Not every parent desires to duplicate what children would be learning in school. That would be defeating the purpose of homeschooling and sabotaging its success, would it not?

KINDERGARTEN:

Core Knowledge, supporters of Common Core, recommends that Kindergarteners study these topics called Listening & Learning: nursery rhymes and fables, the five senses, stories, plants, farms, Native Americans, Kings and Queens, seasons and weather, Columbus and the Pilgrims, Colonial Towns and townspeople, taking care of the Earth, Presidents and American symbols. There are many more areas of study. See all of the Core Knowledge recommendations for kindergarten HERE.

1st GRADE:

World Book Curriculum Correlations for First Grade include the following topics in science: Grouping and classification; living and nonliving things; animals; pets; farm animals; zoo and circus animals; woodland animals; common birds; plant and animal habitats; seeds, bulbs, plants, flowers; weather and seasons; day and night; solids, liquids, gases; air and water; magnets; fire and temperature; Sun, moon, stars, planets; simple machines; beginning experimentation; and scientific method and scientific inquiry. See all of World Book’s recommendations for first grade HERE.

2nd GRADE:

Core Knowledge, supporters of Common Core, recommends that Second Graders study these topics called Listening & Learning: Fairy tales and tall tales; early Asian civilizations; ancient Greek civilizations; Greek myths; the War of 1812; cycles of nature; westward expansion; insects; U.S. Civil War; the human body building blocks and nutrition; immigration; and, fighting for a cause. See all of the Core Knowledge recommendations for second grade HERE.

3rd GRADE:

World Book Curriculum Correlations for Third Grade include the following topics in math: Reading and writing numbers to 5 places; beginning Roman numerals; rounding numbers; positive and negative numbers in daily life; simple fractions and equivalents; properties of one; numeration systems; addition and subtraction facts to 25; multiplication and division facts to 100; perimeter, area, volume; geometric constructions; similar and congruent figures; properties of solid figures; customary and metric measurement; time to 1- and 5-minute measures; estimation of outcomes; problems-solving analysis; word problems; and, charts and graphs. See all of World Book’s recommendations for 3rd grade HERE.

4th GRADE:

World Book Curriculum Correlations for Fourth Grade include the following topics in social studies: Types of community life; history and development of the local state; relation of the state to its region, nation, and the world; world cultures; reasons for our laws; regions of the world; continents; time zones; Earth’s resources; climatic regions of the world; map skills: longitude, latitude, scale; and using a globe. See all of World Book’s recommendations for 4th grade HERE.

5th GRADE:

World Book Curriculum Correlations for Fifth Grade include the following language arts topics: Silent and oral reading; types of literature; presenting original plays; listening skills; dictionary use for word meaning, analysis, spelling; common homonyms; homophones and homographs; synonyms and antonyms; using a thesaurus; spelling; plurals and possessives; kinds of sentences; parts of sentences; cursive handwriting; outlining; paragraph writing; writing letters, stories, reports, poems, plays; preparing a simple bibliography; proofreading skills; parts of a newspaper; and, using study materials: keys, tables, graphs, charts, legends, library catalogs, index, table of contents, reference materials, maps. See all of World Book’s recommendations for 5th grade HERE.

In the end, homeschool parents have the freedom to select any guide they trust (or none at all) and design a homeschool curriculum that is perfect for them.

Perhaps the best approach of all is to follow the recommendations already outlined in {Day 3} of this program. Combining curriculum guidelines, common sense, and goals for each individual child, a personalized curriculum can be developed for each student in the homeschool. Read my book, “The Way Homeschoolers Do” to find out why this is one of the things that homeschoolers do best!

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Further reading:

A relaxed way to look at elementary science

Unit Studies (Thematic Units)

100 Ways to learn without really trying