American History Curriculum

I decided to teach The American Revolution this year. They’re studying in public and private schools here this year and I decided to keep pace.

I picked a resource from The History Channel called the American History Series Multimedia Classroom. We started with Volume 1 on the American Revolution. It is in the History Education section of the web site along with lots of other topics.

This volume includes short videos with live-action sequences on a series of topics, such as the Boston Massacre. After watching the video you can choose from vocabulary, discussion questions and activities and there is a transcript of the video. My son likes the videos of course.

My review is thus; this program is a jumping-off point for learning about The American Revolution. It helped me get started. It is not a complete curriculum.  I found the need to supplement the material, which was easy enough since there are many web sites on the subject.  Links to helpful web sites are provided but I found them to be weak resources and that surprised me.  Will I buy their next volume on the subject? Probably not. I think the volume is overpriced for what it offers. I do really like many of the programs The History Channel offers however and will most likely purchase things other than the multimedia classroom.

  Getting yourself organized and on a path through a subject is a huge part of homeschooling and something most of us need help with. Here is what did the trick for me. I printed out a timeline of the revolution  from ushistory.org  provided by the Independence Hall Association and then Googled the events. ushistory.org online textbook is my favorite resource.

There are tons of great resources out there on American history. One of my other favorites is How Stuff Works which has info on the defining moments of the revolution. Here is one on The Boston Massacre.   I used my timeline of the revolution and I seached the How Stuff Works site by events on that timeline.  I printed out the material and put it in a binder.

Another nice resource is American Presidents Life Portraits from C-SPAN. I was struck by a video on CNN where they asked people on the street to name the first 5 American presidents and none of them could. I don’t want my son to stumble on that question.

Also check out the Mount Vernon  and Monticello websites. Beautiful resources. We had the opportunity to visit Mount Vernona and the kids had a great time there.

That’s it for today folks!

How to Get Over Your Fear of Homeschooling

I am just bursting . . . with information and posting subjects! I could go on all day at this point but first I’m going to answer a question from a reader.

HOW TO GET OVER YOUR FEAR OF HOMESCHOOLING

I agonized over whether to homeschool for at least a year before I decided to do it. I was terrified of what I/we faced. You see, I always pictured homeschoolers as a group of people who wanted to shield their children from anything outside a tightly prescribed ideology, or slightly crazed intellectuals who thought their kids could learn simply by osmosis. I had no idea that there was a vast community out there of ordinary, unremarkable people who simply wanted the best for their children, people just like me.

Social Interaction

I have learned that the “social interaction” so widely touted to be the best thing for my kids is a joke. Would you turn your children lose everyday with a bunch of kids whose parents you did not know, who you might not like, who include bullies and cliques and who knows what right along with the ”good” kids if it were not a public school classroom?? Of course not!! Would you trust someone you barely know to manage this social mileu in a way that’s best for your child if it were not their teacher? No! You wouldn’t!

What a ridiculous situation! We’ve all been brainwashed into thinking this is appropriate!

The best social interaction my son gets is at his Boy Scout troop. They engage in productive activities which are well supervised and there are high expectations for them as far as their personal conduct. Parents are always welcomed and help teach badges and skills. The scouts make plans between themselves for activities outside the troop. He loves it. He does not miss the nonsense at school one bit. BUT, by maintaining a cordial relationship with our neighborhood school he obtained an invitation to join their ski club once a week.  With these activities, plus just making plans on his own, he get plenty of good, healthy, appropriate socialization. He’s happy.

My daughter loves school and wants to be an elementary school teacher. After a dismal experience in public school we put her in a private school and she is doing better. It’s extremely expensive and requires sacrifice but it’s worth it. However, if I need to I will pull her out and homeschool her too before I will let her receive an inferior education. We chose not to homeschool her for a couple of reasons. Both my children are 7th graders and the competiton between them would be intense and possibly more than I’d feel like handling and because with his emotional issues and learning disabilities my son needs all the attention I can give him in the area of schoolwork.

If I ever pull her out here is what will  happen. She is already in competitive gymnastics plus she swims and skis. I would either find a Girl Scout troop for her or she would join more sports teams. She has always wanted to be a Girl Scout but her athletic  activities take up so much time outside of school there just hasn’t been room in her schedule. Girl Scouts these days sure is different than in my time (the 1960s). Today they go rock climbing and spelunking and orienteering. I’ve seen them beat the Boy Scouts.

But I really haven’t addressed the subject of how to get over fear of homeschooling. As they say, Just Do It. That’s right! Just jump on in. Homeschooling does not need to be a permanent situation, you can ALWAYS put your kids back in public school if it doesn’t work out. The schools have to take them back at any time!

I did not “get over” my fear, it gradually went away as I saw my son learning, relaxing, and enoying his life. The fact is homeschooling is not right for every kid or every family and there is no way to know unless you try it. There is no shame in deciding it isn’t your cup of tea either! I’ve seen people try it and decide it’s not right for them, and re-enroll their child in school. Nobody at school gloated or offered any comment, they simply welcomed the children back.

Don’t be afraid of the opinions of friends and relatives. Mine have been mostly supportive, if a bit surprised. Some think I’m a saint (Who, me?) Some think I”m nuts and that’s ok.  I really don’ t care if they approve. When it comes to my child other people’s opinions mean nothing to me if I know what’s right in my heart.

Yes I was afraid to homeschool and I stressed out terribly about whether to homeschool or not and it was needless stress. I don’t think that stress can really be avoided though, do you? It just means you really care. I say give homeschooling a try. The majority of us find success and better relationships with our children.

Well, I’ve gotta go. My son is working on magnetism experiements and I have to help him out. It’s a fun day today!

Constructivist Math

Here is a link to a great video. It explains, in plain language and with examples, the “constructivist” math programs hindering our special education students (and many others).  Investigations Math, taught in our local public school system, was a disaster for both of my children but especially my son. I am now teaching my homeschooled son pre-algebra  in conjunction with mastering long division and fractions, and having great success with traditional methods. My daughter, who is in a private school, is being tutored after school so she can catch up. From the time they were in 4th grade they were bringing home work we could not understand or help them with and we have 3 degrees between us, two in engineering. I argued against these programs for years without success and they are still being used.

There is much disagreement about these programs and I know that some homeschooling parents use Everyday Math and consider it a success.  These programs have been anything but for us.

If you’d like to understand more – just watch the video.

Our Childrens’ Privacy

I read this NY Times article today on middle schoolers and medical privacy. If there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that my two middle schoolers value their privacy more than their iPods. A closed door is inviolable.

Many of us who are schooling a child with learning disabilities also have those children seeing medical professionals on a regular basis. My son sees a therapist for anxiety issues every couple of weeks and it’s been indispensible for us. I’ve always made it clear to him that he can talk to his therapist (or his family doctor) ALONE and that his therapist does not have to tell me ANYTHING that was said. Of course we’ve told him that if he is in danger the therapist has to tell someone. I offer my son time alone at each visit and although he usually prefers to have me there in the room there are times he wants me to wait outside.

What has surprised me is that I haven’t worried about what is being discussed. I have this theory that if my child knows he can talk to someone else, and it’s ok with me, he’s more likely to then talk to ME or his dad. I figure sometimes they are “testing” their thoughts out on a neutral adult before they confide in us. 

I’m very comfortable with my children’s medical privacy at this point and I trust our current doctors to handle it responsibly. As much as I’ve always tried to be completely open and supportive with my kids there are times when they probably won’t confide in me. That’s just the way it is. 

If you are a parent of a middle schooler I’d give some thoughts to this. Are you comfortable with your doctor? Comfortable enough to let your children have a private conversation with them and not pry afterwards?  Is the closed door between you and your child still inviolable when a doctor is on the other side with them?

Triennial Evaluation

My son just had his triennial evaluation for his IEP. It was interesting to say the least. I always wonder how much stock to put in one test given on one day. That’s what we have to deal with however. Que sera, que sera.

He was previously designated as having a language disability. To the surprise of his examiner he scored pretty well on reading comprehension. It was no surprise to me because we have worked so hard on that skill.

They want to change his designation to math and writing disability and at this point I have to agree with them. He is behind in math and and has a particularly difficult time when you get him away from straight calculation. His writing, while interesting in itself, is frequently dismal in spelling, grammar and organization. He is a very good storyteller when he is speaking. I hope I can be helpful enough to him in his writing process and I am looking for materials which will help me. His first love is aviation and he probably cannot become a pilot for medical reasons so to my surprise he has decided to become a travel writer! Since this decision he has written more, with more enthusiasm, than I’ve ever seen.

His IQ scores were up and down and were labeled “severely discrepant”. That means that it is impossible to judge his potential by how he tests.  The future is uncertain.

I do know the traditional college path is unlikely. We question whether he will be able to handle a full course load at a major university, simply because of the stress that causes and the level of organization it demands.   He does not want to leave home and I don’t think he should (unlike my daughter who will be fine wherever she goes). He may spend his first year or two at home, either attending community college or a private college part time and working at something he loves. That’s fine with us.

He also wants to be a volunteer paramedic.  We have a large and well-funded volunteer fire department nearby so the example has been set. He’s the kid who loves to watch “Trauma Center” on TV. He asks as many questions of the doctor as the doctor asks of him. He is very compassionate and nurturing and is never, ever grossed out. Hmmm. Sounds like a good candidate to me!

I agreed to have additional, more comprehensive IQ testing done last week in order to make sure he retains his testing accomodations. In the coming weeks he’ll also have in-depth neuro/psych testing done by private physicians and I’ll be very interested to see the results. My family has always known he is smarter than the tests show. We see sparks of brilliance radiating out from underneath the learning issues. We intend to get a more detailed diagnosis in order to help him shine.

It’s a long and winding road. Never give up.

Twilight continued (or “Say What?”)

I’m going to digress here from the theme of education. I ran into a blog with a totally different take on the Twilight saga. There are lots of opinions out there and some who don’t like the books very much. Some are simply outrageous. Let me address them.

I’m currently reading the final  book, Breaking Dawn. I am a voracious reader and I appreciate a well crafted tale. These first three books are not well written and to tell you the truth I’m surprised the editor let them hit the market as-is.  I’ve seen fanfics which were much better constructed than these stories. I had trouble with the first few chapters of Twilight, so much so that I fell asleep twice while reading it, which I’ve never done before. I couldn’t figure out the appeal. But then the book hooked me.

Yes, the dialogue in Twilight sounds like two 14-year-old girls whispering in the hallway and that’s exactly how it hooks them. This is not Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and it’s not meant to be. These books are aimed at the 12-18 year old market. It’s beach reading for the adolescent girl and these movies are going to be the biggest DVDs ever for sleepover parties.

To continue in more detail . . .

This is a chaste romance. I’m glad the relationship between Bella and Edward is chaste and I’m glad of WHY. It is chaste not because of some lecturing adult but because of the thoughtful choice of Edward. It is chaste because that is what’s best and it is no less because of it. The subject is not tip-toed around either or treated in some goody-goody manner. When Bella and Edward talk about the possibility of a more intimate relationship in the future it sounds like two teenagers having an tentative moment. Bella has to go through embarassing conversations with her concerned parents as well.

Now the idea that these books show that men cannot control themselves simply baffles me. In my opinion it shows that men and women can control themselves and that people can choose  their behavior, no matter how difficult that might be.  It isn’t just Bella and Edward who have to make important, life altering decisions, many of the characters do and the consequences are shown. Obsessive? Yes, the relationship between Bella and Edward is obsessive but what first love isn’t?

Edward as stalker?  The first time he’s near her he runs away so he won’t hurt her. It’s more like Edward the gentleman protector and as the story progresses and he makes it clear on plenty of occasions that if she chooses someone else he will accept her decision. She doesn’t.  As the books progress it becomes more and more obvious that Bella is the one in control.

Are the stories believable? Of course not! Who can reasonably complain about suspension of disbelief when discussing a novel about vampires and werewolves living amongst us? It’s pure fantasy folks! It’s ridiculous to say the least!

I haven’t finished the  final novel so I can’t comment on the ending and I don’t want to be a spoiler. I can say that the fourth book is very well plotted and written and filled with humor.  It continues to handle the relationship in a lovely manner parents will approve of. It continues an overarching theme that family is the most important thing in life.

There is plenty of comment out there about the morality play aspect of these books and the fact that the author is Mormon. I think that’s irrelevant.  I’m Jewish and not particularly observant and I totally agree with the content in these books. I don’t feel like someone is preaching at me or my daughter. The moral lessons in these books, about love, family, evil, and redemption are universal and presented in a practical way that makes sense. no matter who you are. 

Ok, enough with that. Back to education . . . .

Rosetta Stone is Awesome

My son uses Rosetta Stone Homeschool Spanish and we were having some pesky technical issues. We called customer service expecting the usual run around. I never get my question answered by the first person I talk to. I’m sure you know how it is.

Rosetta Stone proved to be a wonderful exception. The person I talked to (the first person) knew what was wrong, asked me all the right questions, and stayed on the phone with me for at least 30 minutes walking me throught the fix. He was knowledgeable not only about the product but about computers and operating systems in general. He suggested more memory for my specific brand of laptop (Dell) and was as helpful as helpful could be.

We are now back on the road to learning our Spanish!