Homeschool Day

In our house, just about everyday is homeschool day. After all, we ARE homeschoolers. It's my goal to add more of what we do every week. I always love seeing what others homeschoolers are doing, so maybe you'll be interested to see how we do things, too.

First, though, I wanted to show you a couple of books that we are really getting a lot out of. The first one is Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons. We LOVE this book! I admit, I was skeptical at first. There's a little bit of preparation on your part, first, but it's not bad. It's worth taking the time, though, to read through all the prep work. It makes a big difference. For me, it's hard to stop to take the time...I want to just rush right through it and get to the bottom line! I'm one of those "just-tell-me-how-to-do-I-don't-want-to-read-the-instruction-manual" type of people. But, I DID take the time, grudgingly, and read it.

We're only on lesson 16, but already I see great progress in Ainsley! She's reading, y'all! With only 16 lessons. I highly recommend this if your child is just starting to read or needs extra help.

Here's another book we love. I've had this one for years and years. We used it a lot when the four older ones were younger. We set aside Fridays as Fun Friday and did art projects all day. The kids loved it. Our favorite was a "stained glass" project made out of colored tissue paper. It was so pretty! The projects take anywhere from an hour to a week to do.

This month we're learning about the body. We found all of these printouts at homeschoolshare.com. They have a fabulous website and you can find a ton of stuff on there for just about any project.

One neat thing we did (I forgot to take a photo of it!) was a tracing of her entire body. I didn't have butcher paper that was big enough so we taped a bunch of printer paper together until it was big enough for her to lay on. Then, I traced all around her. We hung it in our hallway (the only empty wall space!) and as she learns new things about her body, she draws it on her outline. We just finished with her teeth - she drew ALL pointy teeth on the mouth. Kinda scary!

Next week, we'll do eyes.

What are you doing this week?

Happy Homeschooling!

Fun Friday

I saw this while doing some research on some fun things to do. I actually had another idea but I'll post that for next week. ;)

My youngest, A, loves to paint. I thought, "What a great way to spend a Friday!"

Gather up any large piece of material you can find - cardboard, butcher paper, fabric - and paints. You might want to make sure they are water based so they clean up easy! Wear old clothes or a paint smock and then just let them go to town!

In my experience this is best done outdoors!

If being outdoors is not an option you could do a smaller version of this inside. Just spread out a bunch of newspaper on the kitchen floor or an old table (we use an old folding table that we set up in the kitchen). As long as she is not flinging the paint across the room I let her have free reign for artistic expression.

It's fun to see what they'll come up with!

Blessings,

Dana

Homeschool 101 - College Bound

Several months ago I started a second blog - Homeschool 101 - and had really great intentions for it! I wanted to introduce homeschool families to other homeschool families, educate people about homeschooling, provide tips and networking, and other stuff. Much to my chagrin - although I shouldn't have been surprised - I couldn't keep up with both of my blogs and everything else I had going on. So, I recently decided that instead of getting rid of Homeschool 101 altogether, I would incorporate it into this one. What a novel idea, I know!

So, each Tuesday I will have something related to Homeschool 101 and I hope it will be a help to all you homeschoolers out there. I'm constantly getting questions about this or that from new or prospective homeschool families.

This week's the topic is: Homeschooling & College

I got a call a couple of days ago from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro. Since I'm listed as the president and founder of the South Georgia Homeschool Association I tend to get calls like this from time to time. But it just proved to me that colleges are LOOKING for homeschoolers. In order to find my contact information, this college had to search homeschooling sites. They were looking for us!

Why? In their words, they look for homeschoolers because they know we tend to be very self-disciplined and independent learners by the time we reach high school.

So - as a homeschooler How Do You Get Into College?

1. Keep good records. There are several good ways to do this.

• Use a software program like Homeschool Tracker, Homeschool Easy Records, etc.




• Keep a binder with tabs for Subjects, Reading Logs, Activity Logs, Extra Curricular Activities. A good source for forms is Donna Young.


• Create your own tracking system using Excel or Word.

We have done all of these methods. It just depends on what you think works best for your family. If you would rather just input information using a computer use a software program. These also help you create your own lesson plans.

Keep in mind that each of these methods takes times and planning. But in the long run, when your child is ready to take that step toward college you'll be prepared!

2. Keep a Portfolio. Many universities like to see the work the child has done. Keep samples of writing and other work done by the student. Here are a few ideas of things to put in the portfolio:

• Samples of work
• Copies of Attendance reports


• Reading Logs


• Logs for Outside Activities, Clubs, etc.

Grades

Here's an article about keeping Electronic Portfolios.

3. Standardized Tests. Many universities will require a student to have the SAT or ACT. It's best to try to take the test in the spring of their Junior year. This will provide them time to work on weak areas. Then, the student can retest in the fall of their senior year.

Many times a student can choose a 2-year community or technical college to start with and they won't be required to have an SAT or ACT. Most times all that will be required is that the student take the college's entrance exam (like the Compass test) like all other students. (Three of my five children either have or will do this at our local technical college)

Here's a great article by The HomeScholar about taking the SATs.

4. Check Your College. The best way to discover what colleges want from a homeschool student is to contact the college of your choice. Different colleges have different policies regarding homeschool students so it's best to find out first hand what they require.

And in case you're wondering which colleges accept homeschool students, here's a list for you! You may be surprised.

Colleges that accept homeschool students

Please let me know what you're questions or concerns are regarding homeschooling, especially if you're new to it or just considering it. I'll have a different topic each week, so check back often!

If you have questions on the current topic please email me and I'll be happy to try to answer them!

Blessings!

Dana