Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

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Nov 14 2017

Struggling with times tables? These tools can help.

May contain affiliate links

Students of all ages sometimes need help learning “times tables” or other math facts. While this can be inconvenient, it’s not at all uncommon, so I urge parents not to worry.

When math facts seem to be taking a while, it’s a good idea to step back and try other ways to approach it before moving on.  Since all children are unique, finding the right system could take a couple of tries…but the facts will come (take heart, eventually…) either thru learning, rote memorization, some other way that makes sense to the student, or all of the above.

Here’s a short list of products, printables and services to try:

  • a basic “times table” you can print from your desk top (see photo of my desktop, above, for examples)
  • Times Tales book and/or DVD system, purchase required, free sample download
  • Learn Math Fast system teaching basic math facts, counting money; free online samples and placement tests
  • MobyMax free and subscription based math practice online for grades K-8
  • Xtramath free practice in basic facts, requires a login; resources for students, parents and teachers
  • Fun4TheBrain’s  Alien Munchtime Game Free online game for younger students, olders may enjoy, too
  • Master Math free middle school math instruction using videos, worksheets and self-grading quizzes
  • Multiplication dot com free practice with math facts, requires a log in, resources for students, parents and teachers
  • Instructables free instructions for learning times tables using fingers and hands
  • Quick Study Laminated Guide quick reference sheet available for purchase
  • Multiplication Wrap Ups hand-held learning tool available for purchase
  • Times Tables the Fun Way book of stories and rhymes
  • Multiplication War card game available for purchase
  • Multiplication Rap CD available for purchase
  • Schoolhouse Rock videos found free on Youtube
List of products to teach multiplication “times tables”:

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For math facts, there’s almost always a method, tool, or product that resonates with each unique student. For us, homemade games, visuals, rhymes, and all kinds of silliness worked well, too!

If you’ve had success with a method not listed here, please leave a COMMENT so my readers can give it a try.

To your success,

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 writer, 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.

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Homeschool · Tagged: classroom resources, elementary, free, high school, math, middle, middle school, struggling learners

Oct 05 2017

Can you homeschool high school after a student was in public school K-8?

Maybe you’ve met parents who homeschooled all the way through 8th grade, then enrolled their children in school for 9th-12th. Years ago, before the homeschool market expanded and learning options became so plentiful, it wasn’t uncommon to hear about teens going to public high school for those last 4 years.

Fast forward to today, when some families are doing the exact opposite.

I’m meeting more and more parents turning to homeschooling for high school after using schools for K-8.

Whether it’s about safety, learning goals, or logistical matters like travel or distance, homeschooling high school is an increasingly popular path to graduation today. What’s new is that there are now families who’ve used the system straight thru middle school, but then decided high school isn’t the right way to get their students to the finish line.

Just last week, I spoke to a mom about homeschooling high school after her daughter completes middle school in the spring. Surprisingly (to me), that was my third request for that specific information this year.

Parents ask, “Can I homeschool high school if my child was in public school for K-8?”

The answer is yes. Homeschooling can start at any time — even in high school. There are no laws, no procedures, or no rules preventing home education from starting at any time that is necessary or practical. The only dates that really matter are when you’re able to get started, and remembering to file paperwork on time, if any is required where you live.

Public schooled K-8th can still be homeschooled 9-12th.

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Parents also want to know, “Will it work out okay if my teenager has never been homeschooled before?”

Again I respond, yes. In fact, I tell them, it will probably work very well if they have a student where great work habits, independence, and maturity are involved. Even if not, with a little direction (and especially if they’re given choices), all kinds of teens can be highly successful in homeschool, no matter their experiences so far. All teens, I add, seem to appreciate the added freedom, not to mention sleeping in a little later, too!

Will there be challenges? I’d be lying if I told you homeschooling teens is always easy, particularly if teens have never done it before. Missing friends, missing activities, and feeling stuck at home all day are common complaints for many a newly-homeschooled teen. Adjusting to changing roles once they realize you’re in charge can be an issue (if authoritarian is your style). True or not, wondering why they have to do all that work when things were easier in public school is another common narrative I hear.

Bottom line, homeschooling is an adjustment period. Like with anything, learning new things take time and patience, while dust settles and teens get used to the new routine. I could share all the tricks and tips I know, but in the end, you’ll figure out what works in your unique situation, given your unique student and the reasons why you’ve ultimately chosen homeschooling for the high school years.

The great news, is that homeschoolers are very appealing to today’s college undergraduate admissions departments, and to potential employers who like what they’ve heard about homeschooled grads. That news makes it easier for today’s families to make high school decisions based on needs and goals, rather than worrying about the validity of homeschooling itself.

If you have the time and can make the commitment, and if homeschooling is on your heart or has become a necessity for other reasons, welcome it in, and give it a try. But, if you’re still on the fence about homeschooling a teen for the first time, let me summarize my very best advice:

If you have a rising 9th or 10th grader, just go for it. There is little to lose and so much to gain. Public schools are always there if you change your mind, but early high school is the perfect time to explore all that is possible when leveraging the power of a home education. Barring anything truly unusual, within a few months, I think you’ll understand what I mean and decide to go the distance.

If you have an 11th or 12th grader, tread a little more lightly, but go for it too. College-bound students in particular want to be careful about meeting requirements and moving from traditional to non-traditional programs during those last 2 years of high school. If college admission is the goal, do some research and talk to a homeschool high school counselor if you can, then be prepared to stick it out for the long haul — no dropping in an out of school during 11th and 12th grades. If college isn’t an immediate option and the “perfect” college-ready transcript doesn’t happen, you’ve served your child well anyway.

To your success,

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 writer, 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.

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Homeschool · Tagged: college, harships, high school, struggling learners

Feb 15 2016

Secret to unlocking homeschool success

Photo: Pixabay under Creative Commons

Like many of you, I’ve learned so much homeschooling my kids. Understanding how they learn best, tricks for organizing our home, and choosing just the right products are just a few the skills I managed to pick up along the way.

But, there is one lesson that sticks out above the rest. Really, when it comes to homeschooling, at least in our home, it’s probably the single largest contributor to our success.

It has to do with me.

And this one secret I’m about to share is what made all the difference in my kids’ learning, their productivity, their happiness in our homeschool, and my satisfaction with the whole process.

Getting out of my own way

There it is. The greatest lesson I’ve learned while teaching my kids at home is how to get out of my own way. Turns out, learning to spot my own behaviors and how, in fact, I was threatening our homeschool, was a critical realization I had early on. Thank goodness I spotted that, too. Because recognizing the background and mind-set I brought into our homeschool, and realizing how those could sabotage my kids, turned out to be the crucial step to leveraging the power of homeschooling and achieving a level of success.

The greatest lesson I’ve learned while teaching my kids at home is how to get out of my own way.

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Today, I’d like to share some examples of this self-sabotage, where ones background and way of thinking can potentially undermine the homeschool, thus, the kids. In my work, I’ve noticed these are common in other families, too. So, while you’re reading, I’d like you to consider whether these threats also speak to you, and whether maybe this kind of sabotage manifests in your homeschool, as well.

Your Previous Background

What’s your background? What kind of training and experience do you bring to your homeschool?

I am a college professor and school teacher by training. I taught on campuses and in classrooms for many years before becoming a homeschool parent. When I tell my ‘teacher-turned-home-mom’ story in public, I get lots of acceptance and support (since non-homeschool audiences assume I know what I’m doing). However (long-time homeschoolers may understand this) I was actually at a great disadvantage by bringing my teaching background into our homeschool.

Let me explain.

You see, my education and my training was all about institutional school-type stuff. I learned to follow textbooks, organize lessons, deliver material, issue exams and check off daily boxes. I learned to treat all the students in my classrooms equally, and I was taught to expect the same outcomes from every one of them, too.

As you can imagine, my background in teaching to large groups of people at one time did little to prepare me to be an effective homeschool parent to a small group — specifically, my very unique children, who were all different ages, all with differing needs and habits, all at the same time. If anything, my classroom experience worked very much against my goal of providing an extraordinary homeschool education. Looking back, I was doing a lot of ‘bossing everybody around’ and telling everybody how to think.

It took a couple of years for me to notice how I was behaving. It really wasn’t until I learned to get out of my own way and trust the possibilities of a true home education that my kids really began to flourish. Leaving my training behind was one of the major keys to our success.

Listening to Others

Do you listen to what others say? Do you have a tendency to believe what you hear?

As with anyone doing something slightly different, homeschoolers are highly prone to receiving advice from others. Between family members, friends, and even total strangers, it seems everyone has an opinion about homeschooling and how we should raise our kids. I could not even begin to count the number of well-meaning (and not so well-meaning) educational and child-rearing tips I have received over the last 20 years. (But, if I did, I’d need to count by the hundreds…)

Now, should you be part of the lucky few who manage to completely ignore these outside opinions, you’re invited to skip this section entirely. But, if you’re like the rest of us, you understand how those darned outside voices can really get into our heads…

It’s a constant battle at times, trying to fight the mental battle of “What if’s” and “Should I’s” when it comes to our kids. Hard as that is, it’s especially why we need to get out of our own way. Homeschool parents have to remember to look upon their own situations and the reasons they chose homeschooling to begin with. They need to personally reaffirm their own decisions, so they can avoid the temptation to adopt the framework used by everyone else.

Listening to our own experience and intuition, is the only way to avoid the self-sabotage.

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Getting out of our own way, and listening to our own experience and intuition, is the only way to avoid the self-sabotage of allowing others to influence what we do. Make sense?

Worrying About the Future

Do you worry about your child’s future? Do you wonder if you’re doing the right thing?

Worrying too much about the future is perhaps the ultimate sabotage to what could be an extraordinary homeschool experience. By constantly measuring children against standards, worrying how kids are going to “turn out”, and continually seeking evidence of homeschool success in the research and literature, we prevent any possibility of really tapping into the potential of homeschooling. The risk of being so fixated on worry is that we miss out on things like customizing the school day or getting creative with the curriculum. We also severely limit our potential for joy along the way.

Though lots of evidence exists for homeschooling successes, we need to get out of the way and trust in the process. After making an informed decision to engage in homeschooling, we need to get to the business of doing it, and just leave it at that. The logical mind has a terrible way of questioning every decision we make for our kids! Worrying too much about the future doesn’t just make homeschooling miserable and difficult, it steals from your kids probably the most influential experience of their early lives.

Your Task

I think a valuable exercise for each of us is to take a few minutes to reflect on what we bring to the homeschooling table. Take a minute to check if your behaviors, actions or ways of thinking could be contributing to the types of sabotage I’ve just talked about.  See if “getting in your own way” is something you manifest, too.

Leave a COMMENT. I’d love to share in your realizations, and encourage you the rest of the way, too.

To your success,

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 and trainer, 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, Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool, 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.

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Homeschool · Tagged: elementary, high school, middle school, relaxed, struggling learners, support, Women

Sep 17 2015

Fear of change

distraught woman

I remember being 25, an Assistant Professor at the time, asked to give a lecture about a topic I had little experience in. It had to do with the practical considerations and psychological implications of undertaking a system-wide redesign within an organization, one that could theoretically pull the rug from under the feet of many employees at one time.  Knowing my limitations, I purposed to research the topic to death over the weekend, then fake it the best I could on Monday morning.

I recall thinking that weekend about what that kind of change would really feel like to people in that situation.  I remember reading articles all about stress, insecurity and facing unknown in the workplace, really trying to understand the kinds of reactions a major upheaval like that would cause for the people who worked there.

That was actually the first time I really thought about change.  Though I hated change and was living a very inflexible life, I had never taken the time to wonder why.

After my research, I remember thinking thank goodness it wasn’t just me. I learned that, for most people, change isn’t exactly a welcome thing. Until that point, it was something I just never knew. What a relief.

I’ve come to understand much more about change over the years. Mostly from my own experiences, but also by observing it in others.  Turns out, it’s true what I discovered years before — change is akin to fear. And, though it may be necessary — sometimes even very exciting – the stresses and insecurities that come with changing course towards the unknown are very, very real.

I’ve learned it’s natural how worry accompanies change.  When we contemplate a big decision, a life altering switch, or a relatively major transition, we’re prone to worry.  Are we making the correct choices?  Are we sure we’re following exactly the right path? What if we make a mistake?  Can we take the change back if things don’t work out?

I’ve learned there is comfort in knowing.  No matter the struggle, no matter how bad, no matter the senselessness of it all, at least we know what is.   Change changes all that.  At least for a time, there is no knowing. There is no guarantee change will solve something, let alone anything. There is never a promise change won’t make everything worse.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learned, however, is that change requires faith. Faith in those guiding us toward that change, faith in the efforts of those supporting and lifting us during the transition, faith in the tools and techniques we’ve selected to help us along, and faith in ourselves to succeed.

I understand this fear of change. I face it regularly.  But, friends, there comes a moment when we must rise against our fears and do what is necessary to create the lives we want.

Is there an area of your life you’d like to change? Will you state your intention in the COMMENT box, so my readers and I can offer words of support?  Will you stand for the change you’d like to see in your life, and take the steps necessary to move forward?

I am standing for you, too.

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Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Homeschool · Tagged: change, fear, high school, struggling learners, testing, unschooling

Apr 23 2015

Too much or too little? Too easy or too hard?

Ever have the feeling you’re too tough on your kids?  If the work you’re assigning is harder than it needs to be?  Think there’s too much of it?

Or maybe you worry the work is too easy?  That you’re a push-over?  That there aren’t enough activities to fill the day?

We all have these thoughts from time to time.

toomuchtoolittle

How do we find just the right amount of work for our kids?   

How do we know if it’s too hard, too easy, or just right?

Finding the perfect balance for every student takes time.  I’ve never met anyone who got it right the first time.

Balance takes months, even years, to get right.  And then kids mature, life takes twists and turns, and we start all over again.

Don’t worry.  You’ll keep up.  Eventually.

This may help.

——————————————————

If balance is your concern, take a moment to ask the following questions.  Ask them for every child in your homeschool, too.  The answers will help understand if that elusive balance has been reached.  If not, they’ll at least indicate areas you can work on to get there:

#1 First and foremost, is the child learning and happy?

Answering YES to this question is crucial.  Homeschooling isn’t about being miserable.  It’s about maturing and progressing, while living a good life.

#2 Next, is the child challenged, but not to the point of frustration?  

Answering YES to this question is what you’re after.  Can the child handle the amount and difficulty of the work you’re assigning — without stress and tears (yours or theirs)?  And while feeling good about himself/herself?  Refer back to #1 if you aren’t sure.

#3 Then ask, is there much idle time?  

With no clear purpose (sometimes indicated by boredom, clamoring for attention, or mischief)?  Answering YES to this question means it’s time for a tweak or two.  Many children do fill their hours with worthwhile activities, ones you approve of, which add to their learning and development.  But some kids need our help filling those hours for them.  Determine how your child uses idle time, then tweak accordingly.

#4 Ask yourself if there’s enough time in the child’s day for play, hobbies, sports, day dreaming, or other things the child likes to do.  

Is there enough time for winding down at the end of the day and preparing for a good night’s sleep?  Answering NO to this question indicates a child’s day may be too full.

#5 Finally, does the child’s output match what is generally expected at that age/grade/stage of life?  

This isn’t an exact science, and varies from child to child.  But for those worried about it, it’s helpful to check the quantity & quality of work against what experts, authors, textbooks, publishers, or placement tests say children might be doing at approximately this stage of life.  (Read about placement and understanding scope &  sequence to learn more.)  If there are genuine issues hampering progress, handle them.  If you can’t, simply factor them into the equation.

Remember, the perfect balance will change as the years go on, and from child to child, too.  What was normal one year will change to match a child’s maturity, habits and developing mind the next.

Keeping asking yourself these questions every six months, or every year, to keep up.  You’ll get it!

Marie-Claire Moreau, Quick Start Homeschool

 

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MCM thumbDr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago.  The founder of many homeschool 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 system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, or with no educational background whatsoever.  A liaison for regional school-to-home organizations and a homeschool leader in Florida, Marie-Claire also mentors homeschool families nationwide. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, and many other events.  She currently writes for audiences at Quick Start Homeschool, which she founded in 2010, and as a guest writer on other sites as often as she can.  Her articles have appeared in CONNECT magazine, on Homefires, at Circle of Moms, and she has contributed to hundreds of other blogs nationwide.  Dr. Moreau can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Homeschool · Tagged: classroom resources, elementary, high school, lesson planning, middle school, record-keeping, scheduling, struggling learners

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