Homeschoolers Make Your Own Memory Book!

es r n a l

n
Se ing
y l e a ci

io
St L S pe

Homeschooling
ct The Link

Homeschooling,
Magazine
Pop Culture
and Creative Est. 1995
Expression Article
Index
Mating Page 4
Without
Dating, Pt 2

Weapons
of MaSS
Instruction

Defending
Teaching
Standards &
Corrections
 TTHEN LINK
HE’ ATION S
Homeschooling Magazine In This Issue Homeschooled Entrepreneur

6 22
I Thought I’d Be Taller – Demonstrating the independent
thinking so familiar to
Letting Go of Picture-Perfect homeschoolers, Connor Bernstein,
– Ann Lloyd, Ph.D. shares her thoughts on how life –
14-year-old science whiz, has
including homeschooling -- is not what we dream as
created his own line of science kits, built from the young
children, and that adult life can be downright difficult, but that we
person’s perspective and about to be marketed nationwide!

8
can and should still dream, realizing that life can be great.

26
Mind the Gap Weapons of Mass Instruction
Veteran homeschooling mom Diane Flynn Keith, In this excerpt from his new book, John Taylor
uses the warning of London’s Subways to watch Gatto brings us more vivid information about
for the spaces between the car and the platform as a focus mass education and its shadowy agenda for
point for avoiding the “holes” in your child’s education. social control.

Homeschooling, Pop Culture

and Creative Expression
Elizabeth Michalak, a homeschooled 10 28
young woman of 21, relates her childhood unawareness of
pop culture icons and how that “shelteredness” has been a
College Experience for
Homeschoolers
Gail Lewis, of College Goals, discusses the
valuable experience of high school-age homeschoolers enrolling
boon to her creative life as a songwriter and musician. in college early, rather than wasting time with high school subjects

12
they may already be knowledgeable of.
Christian Classical Education

30
– Is It for You? Making Homeschool Work Better with Field
Marlin Detweiler, founder and president
of Veritas Press, provides an in-depth explanation and Trips
discussion of one of the most popular and effective Dawn Hauff, experienced
homeschooling styles – Classical, also known as the Trivium. homeschooling mom and field

14
tripper in Idaho offers an excellent article about
Mating Without Dating, Pt 2 planning and fulfilling field trips, including some
Moira Bell, homeschooling mom of unusual ideas for great supplemental trips.
six, continues with her own daughter’s

34
story and the experience of observations
and ideas about sidestepping the pitfalls of dating, and Lessons From the Road
actually seeking a life-mate instead. and speaking of “Field Trips”

16
Measuring Handwriting Fluency
Rand Nelson, handwriting expert and owner
of Peterson Directed Handwriting, provides
Lauren Brenner Katz recounts her
experience making a field trip out
of a rock concert in San Francisco, demonstrating
that homeschoolers can think quickly on their feet!

40
detailed information and suggestions for aiding your child in
improving handwriting, while eliminating much of his/her
frustration and resistance to this still-important skill.
The Link Reviews
this issue we offer information on three great

18
products that every homeschooled family should
Defending Teaching Standards & Corrections consider.
Frode Jensen, grammar teacher and owner Wilder Museum 8/14/09 12:47 PM Page 1

of Jensens’s Wordsmith Publishing, provides

52
an intelligent defense of “the red pen” as Why Teach Laura Ingalls Wilder
opposed to avoiding “damaging” a child’s self-esteem by Amy Ankrum, of the Wilder Museum, presents
not correcting his errors and not making him accountable to the why’s and how-to’s of using this great set
certain standards of excellence in learning. of American “history” books to youngsters as
an entertaining supplement to regular academic study.

20 Good Beginnings to Good Endings

for Handwriting
Nan Barchowsky’s advice to effectively teach
handwriting is, “Let children play!” Her Fluent
Handwriting method begins with playful activities long before
Elementary GrammarLaura Ingalls Wilder
MUSEUM AND TOURIST CENTER
here, Robyn Martijena offers
guidance through the scary dark
81
330 Eighth Street • Walnut Grove, MN 56180
Home of “On the Banks of Plum Creek” in Southwest Minnesota
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forest of English grammar. She Toll Free (888) 528-7298 • (507) 859-2358
Enjoy learning the history of the
clarifies some of the terms andIngalls
definitions that are
practicing letters. This almost-lost art needs to be kept alive among
& Wilder families. Exhibits
include: Laura owned items, TV
so daunting, but necessary in helping our children
homeschoolers, who someday, may be the only people in developed countries series memorabilia, and life-size

learn not only English, but to building

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who can still write by hand! complex. Plum

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Page 4 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
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 Dear Readers: I was talking to a teacher the other day who made an odd remark. She
said: “There is no such thing as homeschooling in the state of California” I asked what
she meant. She said, “The state of California does not recognize ‘homeschooling’ as a

TTHEN LINK
legal choice.” I thought that seemed like a funny thing to say and very strange. The state
does not recognize the act of keeping our children at home and raising them ourselves, as
a legal concept? I am not sure if that is true or not, but I have been thinking about it ever
since. I do not believe homeschooling needs validation from the state.
I hope that mainstream acceptance of homeschooling as a viable educational alterna-
’ HE ATION S
Homeschooling Magazine
tive does not take away from the reality that homeschooling is really more about home
than school. Learning from books and whatnot is fine, but real life is the way to actually
learn about everything. Charlotte Mason and John Holt both had this point of view – that
if a child lives a full and real life, the academic part of learning – which is a very small
part, after all -- comes right along, without a great deal of hair-pulling and anxiety by
parents.
I have known families who began homeschooling with “school at home” or working
through a public school ISP and stressed themselves out early on, trying to “keep up”
with the workload. Once they met other homeschooling families and discussed the ways
Editor-In-Chief: Mary Leppert
and means of child-raising-teaching our own, they quickly realized what was important mary.thelink@verizon.net
and what was not. . . life is important; family and home are important; raising a child who
lives a whole life is important. M anaging Editor: Michael Leppert
Does homeschooling need validation from the state? Do newcomers to homeschool-
link.art@verizon.net
ing need government validation to even consider it as a choice for their families? I hope
not. My hope is that new families will become more independent from all styles and P ublishers: Modern Media
systems and enjoy the freedom that self-reliant homeschooling brings. Thank you for
“homeschooling” and thank you for reading The Link. A d Design: Lennon Leppert

Love,
Mary Leppert Our Mission
lennon.thelink@verizon.net
L ayout & Design: Lennon Leppert
The Link’s mission is to provide information and resources to anyone interested in homeschooling,
regardless of religious or non-religious beliefs, teaching philosophy or any other agenda. While we do our L ink Staff Writers:
best to scrutinize all ads and material submitted, we cannot make guarantees; therefore, we do not accept
responsibility for ad content or product quality. We reserve the right to refuse any and all advertising at Michael Leppert • Emerson Sandow • Linda Foster
our discretion. The entire contents of this publication, including artwork and all editorial, are copyright
2008 by The Link Homeschool Publications. All rights are reserved. L ink Staff Photographer: Lennon Leppert
Article Index Featured Columnists: Diane Flynn Keith, John Taylor Gatto,
W i l d i n g Wa l l b e d s - S a v i n g S p a c e Chemistry with Charisma By Terrific
Beautifully................................................24 Science...................................................... 76 Ann Lloyd, Marlin Detweiler, Frode Jensen, Rand Nelson,
Drake Institute’s Home Program - Safe Homeschool Mom Turns Author By Tammy
Alternative for ADD, ADHD & More.......38 Raden........................................................77
Nan Barchowsky, Connor Bernstein, Gail Lewis,
Sylva n Dell Book s - Revolut iona r y Kid Scoop cartoon By Kid Scoop..........90 Lauren Brenner Katz, Moira Bell
Fun/Learning Products............................40 Woodshop for Kids By Jack McGee...... 91
R o s e t t a S t o n e , I n c r e d i bl e Fo r e i g n Respecting Our Children By Lynn M. A dvertising Sales: mary.thelink@verizon.net
La ng u age Homeschool Ve r sion By Griesemer..................................................92
Michael Leppert....................................... 41 Freedom-Based Education By Kathy Customer Service:
Magnificient Monologues for Kids 2 By Richardson................................................94
Emerson Sandow...................................... 42 Turn Knowledge Into College Credit By Mary Leppert
S i l p a d a D e s i g n s: O p p o r t u n i t y f o r UExcel . .................................................. 113
Homeschooling Moms by Sasha Rusk... 45 Writing Strands By Writing Strands.... 114 mary.thelink@verizon.net
10 Subjects You Can Teach While Creating a Giant Campus High School: Prepping
Yearbook By Memory Book Staff.......... 59 Students for Global Econ Online By Giant Editorial & A dvertising Offices:
How To E n c o u r a g e Mo t iv a t io n B y Campus................................................... 116
M a r i a e m m a P-W i l l s & V i c t o r i a Dig It! Games’ Archeology Computer Game 587 North Ventu Park Rd. Ste. E911
K-Hodson.................................................. 62 -- Roman Town By Michael Leppert... 118
Am I Qualified To Teach My Own? By Gary Motor & Sensor y Skills Boost Brain
Newbury Park, CA 91320
Grammar...................................................63 Development By Cindy Roth Pahr.......124 M ain Number: 805.497-3311
Enjoying the Process By Mary Hood, PhD What Type of Learner Is Your Child? By
64 Mary & Michael Leppert......................125 Fax: 805.492-9219
Stop! In the Name of Life By Richard J. T he 5-to -7-yea r Sh if t By Web: www.homeschoolnewslink.com
Prystowsky, Ph.D.....................................65 Dr. Marcie Zinn......................................126
Teton Science Schools By The Link Staff.66 Music Theory Software - Ear Training -
Notes on the Charlotte Mason Method By Practice Tools By Music Goals.............129
E-mail A ddresses:
Catherine Levison.................................... 67 The Developmental Potential of Music By Editorial: mary.thelink@verizon.net
Kay’s Kareer Korner By Kay Miller......68 Music Together.......................................130
High School Transcripts in 5 Easy Steps By The Keystone School & IQ Academy By Classifieds: classifieds@homeschoolnewslink.com
Janice Campbell....................................... 70 Keystone School..................................... 133 Subscriptions: subscriptions@homeschoolnewslink.com
Grammar & Creative Writing By Daniel Gram mar: The New Black Dress By
Schwabauer...............................................72 Grammarlogues...................................... 137 A rtwork: lennon.thelink@verizon.net
Macaroni Kid - Money-Maker for Moms Betty Lukens Felt Products - Timeless
Nationwide By Macaroni Kid . .............. 74 Learning Toys By Michael Leppert..... 138 General Office: linkadvertising@verizon.net
Connie Crawford - Fashion Design &
Sewing to Homeschooling By Michael The Link Homeschool Magazine reserves the right to refuse
Leppert...................................................... 75 advertising space at its sole discretion.
See Our Ad Index On Page 146
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 Patterns in I Thought I’d be Taller...
Arithmetic Letting Go of Picture-Perfect
A series of
3 books for By Ann Lloyd, Ph.D. lege. I met my dark-haired prince endless overtime would rile any

M
home school and married him that same year. teacher’s union. Often we must
and classroom y sister is 5’ 9” – tall
Our castle, however, had a few work for days with little sleep,
teachers about and thin. My mother
problems. For starters, it closely support, or recognition. Yet, as
how to teach is 5’ 8”; my father, 5’
arithmetic resembled a two-bedroom apart- adults, we are inevitably called
11”. Unfortunately, I stopped
using an in- ment in Jersey. I had three chil- to do things that we’d rather not.
growing in 8th grade. It’s not that
quiry method. dren in four years, and wasn’t able Things that aren’t easy. Things
I’m short, it’s just, I thought I’d be
to have any more. In addi- we don’t enjoy. But the truth is,
taller. Granted, I also thought I’d
tion, my prince gave you don’t have to love
be an Olympic gymnast, but that’s
no indication that every aspect of ho-
beside the point. As a child, I’d
he wanted to
The meschooling to
planned to marry Prince Charm- truth is,
stay home to be a successful
ing and live in the castle. My
dark-haired, brown-eyed prince
raise them. homeschooling, like homeschooler.
“Unlike a lot of educational My beauti- dieting or exercising, It’s OK to get
would raise our six children (three
activities these are as much fun ful gowns frustrated. It’s
for me as for my daughter.” boys, three girls), while I worked. is not always fun.
are night- OK if you oc-
–Joyce Fetteroll, homeschool parent I would be tall, of course, and thin. In fact, it can
gowns, and casionally feel
I was to be graceful, well-educat-
(760) 728-3731 ed, and fabulously dressed at all
the ultimate be downright like giving up.
blow? I really difficult. It doesn’t mean
Pattern Press times. It goes without saying that
thought I’d be that you’re a failure.
P.O. Box 2737 Fallbrook, CA 92088 we would live happily ever after.
PatternPress@aol.com taller. It doesn’t mean that
In 1986, I graduated from col-
http://members.aol.com/patternpress/ Women don’t grow up you are a bad wife, mother, or
dreaming of housework. My Christian.
castle, in fact, was spotless. Not The truth is, homeschooling,
Bring This Incredible because I had a maid; on the like dieting or  exercising, is not
Resource Into Your contrary, housework simply always fun. In fact, it can be
Child’s Learning Life! didn’t exist. Likewise, many of us downright difficult. Being re-
dream of children, but deny the sponsible for every aspect of your
reality of diapers, noise, illness, child’s care and education is a
Kid Scoop covers and insomnia. In fact, perhaps the daunting task. There will always
many subjects! hardest aspect of homeschooling, be days when nothing goes right.
or staying home with children in The days when you wake up late,
Downloadable Weekly Activity general, is letting go of what you the children are cranky, and the
Packages on a variety of thought your life would be. Not dog throws up on the rug. Clearly,
fascinating Themed Topics! that we, as women, should give the  routine  of a homeschooling
up our dreams. Certainly, we can mother is often a far cry from the
make them reality. But we cannot glamorous life most women envi-
Brimming with live out every childhood fantasy. sion for themselves. It is far from
illuminating puzzles There will always be housework, picture perfect.
and games on so homework and hassles. Children Too often as homeschoolers, we
many fun activities. require sacrifice. And in the pres- allow ourselves to falsely believe
ence of a screaming toddler, there that others are achieving an ideal
Kid Scoop believes learning is fun! is little room for fantasy. that we can only dream of. We
To be happy as a homeschooler, know their houses are clean; their
Created for: Kids Parents Teachers we must accept, and learn to en- children gifted and well behaved
joy, the realities of a homeschool- at all times. We look at our neigh-
Easy to use and Website: www.kidscoop.com ing life. Homeschooling is admi- bors with children in school and
reasonably priced! rable. The rewards are great. But cannot help but wonder what this
Just pay and
Telephone: 707-996-6077
the process is far from glamorous. life of leisure would be like. Even
download! E-mail: thescoop@kidscoop.com The long hours, low budgets, and continued on page 83

Page 6 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
 ©2009 Rosetta Stone Ltd. All rights reserved. Patent rights pending.

It starts with Rosetta Stone Homeschool enhancing and accelerating

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 TRAVEL Mind the Gap –
buddies Watching for “Holes” in Your
Supports sleepy heads Child’s Education with “Mind the Gap” — and
on planes, trains, and
automobiles. By Diane Flynn Keith
Fun

A
snuggles
to go! few years ago my fam-
it’s not just the tourists who
ily took a field trip to
wear them. There was a movie
England. I didn’t say
made called “Mind The Gap”
“vacation.” We didn’t take a
in 2004. I’ve never seen it, but
single vacation in all the years
the Internet Movie Data Base
we homeschooled — but we
describes it this way, “Five
took lots of “educational field
seemingly unrelated people
trips.” Calling it that helped to
Little decide to take huge risks in
justify the cost.
Bag Buddies their personal lives in an ef-
pals can tag One thing my sons found
fort to find happiness.” Hey!
along on particularly amusing in Lon-
That description could apply
backpacks or suitcases! don was the sign “Mind The
to just about any group of ho-
Gap.” It is somewhat synony-
2008 Creative Child Magazine meschoolers I know.
Seal of Excellence Award! mous with “Watch Your Step”
Yet, happiness is elusive,
in the U.S. You see it most
and taking risks by reject-
often in subway stations when
Check out all of the Travel Buddies at ing conventional
noodleheadfun.com you must step
schooli ng
from the
c a n
train

onto
make
the sta-
o n e f e a r-
tion platform.
f u l. How m a ny
You have to step across
times have you heard home-
a gap or a divide, a hole or a
school parents, who have re-
space — hence, “Mind The
cently decided to step off the
Gap.” Not only is the warning
linear school train, anxiously
posted, you hear it in recorded
say with a straight face, “I
messages announced through
want to make sure there aren’t
loudspeakers inside the trains
any gaps in my child’s educa-
and the station, “Mind The
tion?”
Gap.”
National Standards
T he sloga n has i nspi red
Fear of gaps causes them to
those who see and hear it.
slavishly and unhappily adhere
Songs and video games con-
to a school model, scope-and-
tain references to “Mind the
Gap.” T-shirts are imprinted continued on page 60

Page 8 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
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 ERIES
Homeschooling, Pop Culture
A HOT NEW S R FOR 2010 and Creative Expression
MILLE
FROM KANE OOK EVERY MONTH
B
WITH A NEW
By Elizabeth Michalak
“C
her? Who’s that?”
I asked this un-
fortunate question
as a twelve-year-old spending
Halloween with my mother’s
– 12 M O NTHS! family in Port Richey, Florida.
As a last-minute addition to
12 BOOKS my satin-and-lace Princess
costume, I had added a wig
of long black curls that fell to
my waist. My uncle’s casual
comparison of my appearance
to the well-known pop singer
prompted my clueless and
rather embarrassing question
-- a question that clearly illus-
trates my childhood insulation
ch 2010
2010 Book 3 – Mar from pop culture. I grew up
Book 2 – Feb.
Book 1 – Nov
. 2009
in a home that lacked a T.V.
iracy36 5us.com
www.consp
and computer for a number of
years and that only acquired a
high-speed Internet connection
D C H E C K O UT THESE more recently than I care to
AN R N E TITLES: admit. But my educational en-
GREAT U S B O vironment was still more sig-
nificant in contributing to my
social insulation -- I never saw
the inside of a classroom until I
sat in on a few college classes
as a teenager. Homeschooled
from the beginning of my edu-
cation, I was spared the daily
barrage of input from so-called
“popular culture”, and I believe
this has shaped the course of
my vocation and career choice,
namely the development of a
personal creative voice as a
musician and songwriter.
My experience as a young
homeschooler started in my
childhood home 17 miles out-
side of Ft. Collins, Colorado.
Unwilling to leave my educa-
Contact your Independent Consultant today for over 1,500 tion, and that of my older sister,
other fun and educational books from Usborne & Kane/Miller! Katherine, to the standard edu-
To find a Consultant in your area call 800-611-1655. cational system, our parents
chose instead to take things
Page 10 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
into their own hands. They also
chose not to follow a strict cur-
riculum, but instead decided
to trust their own -- and our
-- natural instincts about what
and how we needed to learn.
This is not to say that they
subscribed entirely to the view
of child-based learning; they
were very clear that certain
subjects were not negotiable,
especially English and Math.
Their main concern was that
the acquisition of this neces-
sary knowledge left time and
energy to explore, create and
discover what we were pas-
sionate about.
During my early childhood
we were blessed to be a part
of an established homeschool
group in Ft. Collins. Composed
of families like ours, this group
offered support, information
and plenty of “field experi-
ence” for my parents to draw
from, and for my sister and
me it created a social network
outside of the standard school
system. However, the year I
turned six our family relocated
to Crestone, Colorado, a small
town offering limited social
opportunities in general and
nothing at all in the way of a
homeschool community. I was
slightly distressed at finding
myself in this new environ-
ment, but in retrospect it simul-
taneously allowed and required
me to look to myself and not
my peers to decide what was
interesting, impor tant and
valuable.
As a child I wasn’t excep-
tionally musical, nor did I have
a burning desire to become so.
In fact, as a preadolescent, my
continued on page 110
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 Christian Classical Education –
Is It for You?
By Marlin Detweiler
I
’ve written and spoken fre-
quently on classical Christian
education and I never tire of
doing so—it’s that important.
However, it’s a bit tricky to ad-
dress both folks who are new to
the idea and those who are veter-
ans in the same effort. Let’s give
it a try.
I was first introduced to this
educational model when R.C.
Sproul recommended I read Re-
covering the Lost Tools of Learn-
ing by Douglas Wilson. This book
impresses the reader with both the
superiority of the classical model
and the necessity of a Christian
education for children of Christian
parents. It was both convicting
and motivating.
Calling something superior
today is both bold and politically
incorrect so an explanation is in
order.
The term classical when used
in education has become quite
popular. When an idea becomes
popular, many seek to use and
even redefine the term to vari-
ous ends. Consequently, defining
the strain of classical education
promoted here is necessary. The
definition pertains to both method
and content in education.
Classical educational method
(pedagogy) makes use of the first
three of the seven liberal arts --
grammar, dialectic (or logic), and
rhetoric. In times past it was un-
derstood that the learning of every
discipline or subject involved first
getting the basic facts (grammar).
As an example, the Who, What,
Where, and When of history
would be the “grammar” of his-
tory. Notably absent, for now, are
the How and Why. The second
stage, the dialectic stage, takes
the mastery of the facts in the
Page 12 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
grammar stage and seeks to help
the learner understand how and
why they relate. Just how was the
War for Independence related to
the War Between the States? Or,
what was the connection between
Alexander and Socrates? The
rhetoric stage builds on the factual
mastery of the grammar stage and
the logical connections made in
the dialectic stage. It is character-
ized by taking this mastery and
teaching the learner to be win-
somely articulate and persuasive
when discussing a topic. Listeners
are more easily persuaded when
material is presented to them in an
enjoyable way.
Classical education should also
be understood to include certain
content. Today, as was common
in classical education of the past,
learning Latin is very important.
Here we must understand that we
are not primarily learning Latin
as a foreign language instead of
Spanish or French. A large ma-
jority of our English vocabulary
comes from Latin. So, knowing
Latin helps us master English
vocabulary. Additionally, Latin
helps master English Grammar,
Latin is logical and teaches us
how to think, Latin is the key to
many modern languages, and,
pragmatically speaking, Latin
students perform exceptionally
well on standardized tests for col-
lege entrance. Summarily, Latin
is a tool of leverage for mastering
our own language -- a key to the
grammar stage.
In addition to making connec-
tions, the dialectic stage should
include the study of logic as a sub-
ject. Studying formal and informal
logic results in the student’s learn-
ing to think clearly and error-free.
You’ve no doubt heard it said, “We
just don’t teach children to think
continued on page 54
1-870-269-4177
 Mating Without Dating
Get Into Shape!
as seen on NBC’s
- Part Two
“Finding a Suitor to Suit Her”
By Moira Bell

“The Today Show” Warning: This article addresses an emotionally-

charged issue and is designed for those who
realize modern dating practices are a snare. It also

Rebounding Benefits the presupposes the presence of a caring father figure in

our young people’s lives. If that is not the case in your
Body in 30 Healthy Ways! family, don’t be discouraged, you and your students can
still avoid the dating trap.

Great for the entire family
T
his summer we joined 25
teens and parents who did
a book club together on
The Dating Trap by Martha Rup-
pert. The youth were surprised
that every parent in the room, to
a one, did not look back fondly
on their dating years. In the same
way that many of us realized
something was amiss in modern
education and began to explore
home schooling, we are finding
young people and their parents
across the country are seeing
something is awry in modern
dating and wondering if there
isn’t some better path toward
marriage.
My last column in The LINK
was entitled, “Mating without
Dating Part 1 - Why Dating
Doesn’t Take Us Where We Want
To Go.” I unmasked the dark side
clear of dating before this story
unfolded, I might be now, simply
on the basis of the deep bond that
resulted from our son-in-law’s
dating-free approach.
From the outset, know that we
are not interested in arranged
marriages, nor do we think the
issue is one of dating vs. not
dating. More fundamentally, we
long to see young people raised
in an atmosphere not of rules
(such as “against dating“), but of
love, respect and acceptance, so
they don’t go looking for those in
all the wrong places. Our goal is
that they see for themselves that
dating, rather than fostering love,
promotes false fronts, broken
heartedness, and rejection.
Allow me to set the stage. At
age 20, Crystal had finished her
homeschool studies and gone

A fun exercise for all ages of dating (which modern media

conveniently fails to mention)
and explained how it can so eas-
ily damage our hearts and work
Call Today against forming solid lifelong
three times to Costa Rica to as-
sist a jungle doctor there. She
returned and worked in the home-
based office of a remodeling
company. She lived at home, paid

1-800-232-5762 bonds with a well-suited mar-

Or Order Online
www.needakrebounders.com
riage partner.
I promised readers that this
month I would share the real-life
romance that our family watched
firsthand as our daughter, Crys-
tal, was sought for marriage,
completely without dating. If
I hadn’t been a fan of steering
her own bills, such as cell phone,
car insurance and wardrobe, and
a proportionate amount in “rent”
-- all part of our overall parenting
goal -- that our children learn to
handle freedom well.
She had evaluated the dating
scene and agreed that was not
a promising or wise course to

Page 14 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
follow. Not that it was easy, but
she decided she would trust God
and continue to grow as a person,
waiting until the right man came
into our lives. She had the chal-
lenge of fending off unwanted
machismo from some fellows
while she was in Costa Rica. This
experience reinforced that requir-
ing a man to go through her father
for “clearance” before landing in
her life was a protective and intel-
ligent decision. It would separate
the men from the boys, the lusters
from the lovers.
Our family began hosting and
attending family “vintage” danc-
es, such as those from the Civil
War era, where period clothing
was worn and many types of
formal dances were enjoyed.
We wanted our children to cherish being
married, not getting married (something
which greatly impacts wedding planning).
The family who came to do the
dance calling at our first one of
these events included a daughter
and four sons, the eldest of which
was a 29-year-young man named
Ian. Interest in these dances grew
quickly within our homeschool
circles and we participated in
about one-a-month.
Concurrently, our family began
seeing Ian’s family socially with
no awareness of unique interests
between any of the 12 young
people in our combined fami-
lies. Throughout these times our
children were “themselves” - no
one flirting or seeking to impress
anyone. Dinners in each others
homes, ultimate Frisbee games,
air-softing, movie nights and
discussions - a variety of activi-
ties amidst friends - brought us
many intersections with his fam-
ily. This practice of socializing as
families is a key in a dating-free
approach… more on that later.
Five months after we met them,
Ian called my husband, Greg, and
asked to get together to discuss
his interest in Crystal. “Whoa,
Nellie!” I thought, “Where did
that come from?” Ian had never
divulged an interest in Crystal
around any of us (her included)
and we had no indications of
something special between them.
Perhaps his being several years
older than she made us assume
there wouldn’t be any interest.
Ian had carefully guarded him-
self, not to awaken Crystal to his
interest before speaking to her
father and receiving genuine per-
mission to pursue her. I use the
term genuine permission, since
it is so rare that a suitor humbly
submits himself to a father’s
scrutiny before he gets the girl’s
emotions stirred into the mix.
Once a guy and gal are openly
attracted to each other, her father
can either rubber-stamp the deci-
sion to pursue a relationship that
has already been made, or run the
risk of alienating his daughter (as
well as the young man) by voicing
any concerns he has or trying to
put on any brakes.
Ian’s request was to meet with
my husband and I and his folks
at a restaurant. We agreed to do
so a week later. That night, when
asked what he was thinking, he
described Crystal in detail ac-
curately and admiringly. When
asked, “When did you first notice
her?”, his startling reply was,
“The night we met your family at
that first dance.”
Having never been down such
a road before, we didn’t have any
map to follow, but simply began
asking about his spiritual life, his-
continued on page 48
www.homeschoolnewslink.com
Lightning Literature and Composition
Guides for Grades 7-12 by Hewitt
The difference between the right word and the
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—Mark Twain
Writing is critical to so many aspects of our lives—
finding and keeping a good job, expressing our beliefs and
passions, communicating crucial information. We may not be
novelists or journalists—but most of us will write a report for
our boss, a letter to the editor, or kind words to a friend.
Help your children prepare for a life of writing, to say
exactly what they mean in a way that others will note and
remember.
He knew everything about literature except
how to enjoy it.—Joseph Heller
Do you want your children to read good literature but are
afraid they won’t enjoy it? The Lightning Literature Guides
were written by teachers with extensive home-schooling
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Literature can transform our hearts and our lives. Dig
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Page 15
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Page 16 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
Measuring
Handwriting Fluency
By Rand Nelson
I
s your child frustrated by
handwritten assignments
because they take too long to
complete? If your answer is “Yes”,
your student needs to improve
fluency, correct letter formation
and speed. The problem is far too
common and yet it is rarely men-
tioned in most handwriting pro-
grams. Your first question should
be, “How long does it take?” Have
you ever timed a writing activ-
ity to find out? Has there been a
change when you measure the
same activity a second time? Is
there a simple way to measure and
track handwriting fluency as an
indicator of progress?
Handwriting fluency has been
buried in the curriculum closet
since the invention of the hand-
writing workbook. It is a shame,
because fluency should be one of
the most important goals during
handwriting lessons. Fluency is
the forgotten link between hand-
writing and the other language
skills that are needed for proficient
composition and reading.
“The correlation between read-
ing skill and fluency at printing al-
phabet letters in kindergarten and
first-grade is readily apparent.” –
The Writing/Reading Connection
by Robert V. Rose, MD
Legibility is also a necessary
objective. It does little good to
write rapidly if the handwriting
cannot be read. The coaching
job is a bit like a circus tightrope
act when fluency is included as a
goal. We must balance our effort
between fluency and legibility in
order to make progress. That bal-
ance is constantly challenged by
motor development. But fluency
is not only about speed. It is about
learning how to control smooth
movements as the rate of travel
increases. We can move slowly
through the steps at first and then
faster as rhythm is established.
Children begin by drawing the
letter shapes they are shown using
the visual feedback system. But,
the brain guides fluent movement
with a different system. None of
us can use this fluent movement
system until we have established
some movement recordings that
can allow it. The challenge to
learn how to move fluently is
the most valuable thing offered
by handwriting instruction. The
brain responds to the challenge by
changing the way it is processing
the symbols. A child who can
write the letters with fluent move-
ment no longer has to look at mod-
els to draw the pictures. However,
if children are never challenged to
use the fluent process, they may
well continue to draw out of habit.
Does the child have to write very
carefully to create handwriting
that others can read?
Early efforts to write with
rhythmic movement often result
in a product that is not very close
to the model provided. This tends
to push the child back to visual
guidance. However, it is true that
a letter shape can be distorted
considerably before legibility is
lost. This small truth is important.
It means that in the beginning, we
can focus on good movement. The
child is challenged to demonstrate
several skills simultaneously.
How do I hold the paper and
pencil? Which way do I move
across the paper? Where does the
letter start? Which way do I move
to form the letter on the line?
continued on page 85
Accelerated Christian Education has a unique homeschool
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Three ways you can run your homeschool:
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 Defending Teaching
Standards & Corrections
By Frode Jensen
I
t has been popular for some
time to decry the use of the
red pen on student papers. It’s
all about self-esteem and how the
children don’t need such negative
influences pressed upon their
tender consciences. Such poor
teacher behavior might indelibly
influence the child to grow up
recognizing less of his full human
potential. The educational psy-
chologists would have everyone
believe their pronouncements as
truth.
As a youngster, I remember the
new system of every participant
getting a ribbon. At the time it was
called the Danish system. Every-
body was a winner; nobody was a
loser. Well, it all sounded good in
theory, and all the children were
supposed to be happy, but practi-
cally speaking, the system did
not work or prove helpful in the
long run.
The following quote is from
Daniel Tammet, who is autistic.
He has some handicaps, but he has
made his way in life and offers the
following: “Obtaining guidance
from experts in the subject you
are learning helps you to both
develop the conceptual frame-
work necessary to master a field
of study and avoid many of the
potential discouraging pitfalls that
can lead to discouragement. Get-
ting feedback on wrong answers
allows the brain to eliminate them
from its bank of possible future
responses. Consequently, learners
can ignore poor choices and focus
their attention on good ones.” (p
33 Embracing the Wide Sky).
He’s talking about teachers and
students here. He’s saying that it is
the teacher’s job to tell the student
where his mistakes are. He’s say-
ing that not only is it acceptable
Page 18 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
to mark an error with a red pen,
it is necessary to help prevent the
student from making the same
mistake again. What a defense for
correcting mistakes. While the
student’s ego may take a bit of a
hit for the moment, if the student
learns from his mistake, he won’t
be taking future hits in that de-
partment.
Tammet’s statement is a ra-
tionale for quality teaching and
clear materials. The teacher’s job
is to teach, to put the information
forward in such a fashion so as to
help the student learn the material,
to master it. After having taught
the material, the teacher is then
to assign and correct the student’s
work over what has been taught,
and hopefully learned. In the
process of reviewing the student’s
work, the teacher should praise
what can be praised and note the
errors that occur.
When dealing with objective
facts, the process is straightfor-
ward. In math, for instance, the
student either gets the right an-
swer or he doesn’t. Content-driven
subjects lend themselves to objec-
tivity. It is the same in English to
some extent.
Let’s take writing as an ex-
ample. The student has read a
piece of literature and has been
asked to write about it. Hopefully
the assignment has indicated the
structure of the response, a five-
paragraph essay perhaps. The as-
signment should also have given
direction on what the focus of the
response should be. Maybe the
student is to discuss the plot and
explain the movement of the story
through the problem to the resolu-
tion. Perhaps the student might be
directed to describe three char-
acters from the story, the hero,
continued on page 83
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GOOD BEGINNINGS to GOOD
For ages ENDINGS for HANDWRITING
11 - Adult
By Nan Barchowsky
D
on’t start with lowercase
letters. Don’t start with
capitals, or even with
numbers. What then? Let chil-
dren play. What???
Yes! Barchowsky Fluent Hand-
writing, or BFH begins with
playful activities that relate to
alphanumeric formations before
the actual characters are learned,
as well as while they are be-
ing learned. BFH gives young
children the rock-solid base they
need to develop legibility and
fluency for handwriting that will
serve them well throughout the
school years, and into adulthood.
Too often handwriting pro-
grams start with the replication
of 62 different shapes. Instruc-
tion is visual. Some programs
introduce circles and sticks with
which to make lowercase letters.
Some use undercurves, over-
curves, loops and straight lines.
BFH relies on motor memory for
the natural, rhythmic movement
of lowercase letters, those that
should be taught first because
we need them more often than
capitals. They are designed to
move easily.
BFH is a well-planned program
taking into account that young
minds and young hands need to
be prepped for the skill of writing
by hand. Help for hands is about
posture and pen hold. Help for the
mind is the development of motor
memory. Activities that help with
both posture and motor memory
should be introduced at the same
time, but I’ll separate them for
the purpose of discussion.
Young children are almost al-
ways eager to comply with their
instructor, so they hold writing
tools in a death grip in an ef-
fort to get characters just right.
Their hands need to first develop
the strength to hold the tools in
a relaxed manner. The goal is
fluency. For that the hand and
fingers must relax. Tense muscles
do not move easily or effectively
for any task.
HAND AND FINGERS
Here are a few suggestions.
Let children make patterns in the
sand, or even mud. Let children
help in the kitchen. They can
knead dough, and peel potatoes
and carrots. If they grow impa-
tient, cover your ears and let them
bang old spoons or pans on the
floor. (That helps with rhythmic
movement too.)
String beads. Children pick up
the beads with their forefinger
(call it the “writing finger”) and
thumb.
Collect small things, pebbles,
pennies, etc. and put them in a
box. Hang clothes or paper ban-
ners with clothespins that clamp.
Put a cotton ball or a tiny ball of
yarn in the palm of a child’s hand.
The child holds the ball in place
with ring and small fingers, leav-
ing the writing finger and thumb
to hold a writing tool; the third
finger is a support.
If you have a chalkboard
or slate, this is a favorite. Cut
a sponge into a small square.
Dampen it, and place it in the
palm of the hand with a short
piece of chalk as described
before. Then let the child draw
or scribble. If the little artist/
writer doesn’t like the marks, the
sponge is in the hand to erase for
a new start.
Markers, crayons, pencils
should have the right tactile
relationship to paper, meaning
that marks are easily made, and
continued on page 73
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 Trouble with the Homeschooled Entrepreneur Connor
R Sound?
Does your child say
Bernstein and Kits for Kids --
wabbit for rabbit? Seeking To Increase Science Interest Nationwide
maw for more?
By Connor Bernstein
G
reetings! My name is
Connor Bernstein, and
I’m the fourteen-year-
old owner of Connor’s Kits for
Kids, a company dedicated to
The only complete providing educational, afford-
program for the R sound
able science experiences for kids
• Effective
and teachers. Kits for Kids has
• Researched
• Easy-to-follow
come a long way since I started
• Step by step it in fourth grade. In this article,
• Complete I want to share more about my
•Award winning
science kits, as well as my expe-
• Home school
tested rience with homeschooling and
Developed by a
Speech-Language Pathologist how it has made my business
for professionals, but clear and concise
enough for parents to use at home.
possible.
To hear from the author go to: Most everyone now realizes
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these subjects in school, so a
lot of kids simply aren’t excited
about science today -- many don’t
even have a good understanding
of what a scientist does! Here
are some scary statistics: There
are more foreign students than
American students studying
physical sciences and engineer-
ing in American universities. The
U.S. produces approximately 18
lawyers and 50 MBAs for every
engineering researcher with a
PhD, and almost 30% of adults
here in America don’t know that
the Earth revolves around the
Sun. Twenty-two percent don’t
Eliminate the mystery behind fractions know that the center of the Earth
is very hot, and over half of don’t
• What Is - Invert and multiply • Hands On know that electrons are smaller
• What Is - A Common Denominator • Engaging than atoms.
• What Is - An Abstract Algorithm • Fun We urgently need to address
• Why - Doctor Loyd’s? this problem! Homeschool-
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kits, I want to show basic, ev-
Page 22 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
eryday kids that science is fun.
I want them to realize that one
doesn’t need to be a genius to
have fun with science, to explore,
and experiment. My approach is
to provide a stress-free, complete
science experience so parents
or teachers don’t have to worry
about prepping, or making sure
they have enough time to teach
all of the material. For kids, this
means providing an experience
that encourages experimentation,
and is FUN, not a chore!
Kits for Kids approaches sci-
ence from a different direction
than other science kits. What that
means, is that each kit includes
everything kids need to dive
right in and start having fun right
away. There are enough materials
to do all the experiments more
than once, and with variations.
The easy-to-follow instructions
are written by a kid, for kids, and
explain (in a way that kids can re-
late to!) how and why each exper-
iment works. Not only that, but
the kits are allowance- friendly, at
only $14.95! My goal is to provide
kids with super fun, single-focus
experiments that they can do
themselves, learning while they
play. To find out more about my
kits, please check out my website,
www.kitsforkids.com.
I want to connect with Presi-
dent Obama’s education team
at a national and state level, and
spread my message to parents,
homeschool and classroom teach-
ers. If I can raise enough money,
my goal is to kick off a “Have
Fun With Science” tour in the
fall, where I will visit underprivi-
leged schools in North Carolina
and hopefully around the coun-
try, motivating the students and
teachers to embrace science
education.
So that’s where I want to take
Kits for Kids. Now I’d like to
tell you a bit more about myself.
I’ve always been intrigued with
science and discovering more
about the world around me. I also
have a passion for teaching oth-
ers. When I was younger, I did
countless experiments at home
and went through a bazillion sci-
ence kits. In third grade, I taught
my class about polymers, and
in fourth grade taught my class
about siphons. Let’s not men-
tion the hours my friends spent
playing with me and my science
“discoveries”.
Frustration with the science
kits I purchased drove me to
create my own when I was nine
years old. Most kits on the market
didn’t (and still don’t!) include
even half of the materials needed
to complete any of the experi-
ments that the boxes described.
The instructions were generally
hard to follow, and lacked a kid-
friendly explanation of how and
why the experiment(s) worked.
These kits were expensive for
what I got, and I always felt let
down when I didn’t see the value
in what I had just purchased!
I started homeschooling full
time in 8th grade because the
public schools weren’t able to pro-
vide the kind of science education
I craved and was ready for. My
teachers made their best effort,
but accelerated science was just
not available. Despite all the ben-
efits I could see, the decision in 8th
grade to start homeschooling was
a tough one. I didn’t know what to
expect, and I don’t think my mom
did either. I hesitated to give up
my friends and everything I was
used to at a regular school, but I
knew I wanted to scale up Kits
for Kids. It was pretty clear that
I would only have the time to do
that if I homeschooled. My mom
and I decided to take the jump.
At the end of 8th grade, I had to
decide what to do with 9th grade.
It seemed as though I had two
options: I could go back to public
high school full time, or I could
homeschool full time. However,
I knew I would not have enough
time to work on Kits for Kids if
I went to a regular high school. I
liked homeschooling, but needed
more time with kids my own age.
My mom and I decided to think
outside the box, and I ended up
attending a charter high school in
the morning and homeschooling
the rest of the day. This is a great
schedule because I have time to
be with other kids my age in the
morning, but I come home and
I have time to focus on Kits for
Kids and other educational ac-
tivities that I would not normally
be able to do. For example, one
outstanding opportunity I had
was taking a General Biology
class at a local community col-
lege, which I loved. I completed
the class with three college credit
hours. Thanks to a homeschool
connection, I was able to take a
class called “Launch the Venture”
at the University of North Caro-
lina’s Kenan-Flagler business
school and received 4.5 college
credits. This course really gave
me the knowledge I needed to get
my business off the ground. The
workload was intense and fast
paced -- I had to learn to work at
a much higher academic level. If I
hadn’t been homeschooled, there
is no way I would have been able
to take this class. Homeschooling
has been an inspiration to my
mom and me.
I’m so glad I have had the op-
portunity to share my experiences
and goals with you all through
The Link, and I hope you have
enjoyed my story! I love to hear
from people! Please feel free to
visit me website (www.kits-
forkids.com) to connect with me.
C.B. L
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 23
 WILDING WALLBEDS
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Homeschooling
hen I decided to move
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a three dilemmas: First, the exist-
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Wilding Wallbeds take up to five
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In addition to the traditional
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Wilding Wallbeds is more than
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Education & Training Council
 Weapons of Mass Instruction
We are pleased to bring you
an excerpt (p. 145 to 151) from
the much-anticipated new book
by one of America’s foremost
social and educational observ-
ers/commentators, John Taylor
Gatto, entitled “Weapons of Mass
Instruction”.
W
hat is Education?
Kant’s Questions
and the Epic of Eu-
rope
The great German philosopher,
Immanuel Kant, posed four ques-
tions he believed were are the
hearf of any educational quest:
What can I know?
What may I hope?
What ought I do do?
What is Man?
It’s surely one of the great iro-
nies of modern life that Germany,
a national culture which revered
Kant as the ultimate ubermensch,
created a form of youth training
which virtually extinguished phil-
osophical curiosity at home, and
aggressively exported its system
throughout the world in the nine-
teenth and twentieth centuries.
You need only Google Horace
Mann’s famous “Seventh Letter to
the Boston School committee” to
dispel any lingering illusions that
American compulsory schooling
is a home-grown product, or that
it aims to transmit “basic skills” as
those are generally thought to be.
At root, it is German.
All of Kant’s questions must
be grappled with before a useful
curriculum can be set up to reach
the ends you wish. But if you duck
this work, or are tricked into ced-
ing it to an official establishment
of specialists (or coerced into do-
ing the same thing), it shouldn’t
surprise you to find yourself and
your children broken on the wheel
of somebody else’s convenience,
someone else’s priorities.
You’ll never come close to the
Page 26 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
exalted condition education can
offer, where money and fame
don’t matter very much, as long as
you remain content to memorize
somebody else’s definition of the
thing, but reflecting seriously on
what someone else says about it
isn’t worthless. It can bring you
closer to your own truth – as Su-
preme Court Justice Potter Stew-
art said about pornography, “I
can’t define it, but I know it, when
I see it.” With that in mind, I’m
going to offer you no comprehen-
sive definition, but three “probes”
into the mystery: One from an un-
usually acute travel writer named
James Salter; one from a state-
ment I gave to a Senate committee
seventeen years ago; and one from
a free verse scribbled on a legal
pad while I was wrestling with the
idea for a letter I intended to send
to my granddaughter, Kristina,
which you’ll find as Chapter Nine
in this book.
James Salter was looking for a
way to capture in words the admi-
ration he felt for the continent of
Europe and its history. He began
by saying that Europe helps to
clarify Kant’s questions:
“The thing it finally gave me
was education, not the lessons
of school but something more
elevated, a view of how to endure:
how to have leisure, love, food
and conversation; how to look at
nakedness, architecture, streets,
all new and seeking to be thought
of in a different way. In Europe
the shadow of history falls upon
you and, knowing none of it, you
realize suddenly how small you
are. To know nothing is to have
done nothing. To remember only
yourself is like worshipping a dust
mote. Europe is on the order of
an immense and unfathomable
classroom, beyond catalogue or
description.”
Confronted with the mighty
epic of Europe and its inexhaust-
ible bounty, Salter is able to see
how far “the lessons of school”
are from education. Look around
you at America, as he did Europe:
Did you own schooling teach you
how we got this way?
The next two offerings are my
own. On October 23, 1991, I got
an invitation to give testimony
to the U.S. Senate Committee on
Labor and Human Relations. The
subject: Speculation what schools
in the year 2000 were going to
look like. Although I’ve polished
prose, grammar and syntax a little
to spare myself embarrassment
that an old English teacher would
write so sloppily, the argument
remains as I delivered it. And the
reader will note that the future,
as I foresaw it a decade down the
line, happened right on schedule.
Senator Ted Kennedy of Massa-
chusetts was the committee chair:
“Senator Kennedy, distin-
guished committee members,
guests: What we should most fear
is that school in 2000 will look ex-
actly like school in 1990. School
in 1990 is almost exactly like
school was in 1890. Keep in mind,
however, that if we moved back
almost another hundred years, to
1790, the echoes would vanish.
In 1790 it was still possible to
become educated in America be-
cause school didn’t preempt all the
time of the young, nor did it act
as a leech upon family life then;
it didn’t impose servile habits
on the growing up time; it didn’t
indoctrinate young minds with a
burden of too many pre-thought
thoughts.
It was still possible to take an
education in 1790 because too
many people weren’t around pre-
tending to give you one, forcing
you to accept what they offered
under penalty of law. In your own
Massachusetts, Senator, more citi-
zens were literate under a system
where schooling was voluntary
and of short duration, than ever
they have been under the long-
term compulsion scheme in place
right now.
Whether it will ever again be
possible to take an education eas-
ily, in Massachusetts or any other
state, will depend upon political
decisions made by those – like
yourselves – who hold power in
trust for the rest of us. I mean
no disrespect, only to signal my
personal sadness when I say I
don’t think those decisions will be
made. My reasons for pessimism
stem from knowing that failure is
built into our political system be-
cause it forces our political leader-
ship to depend for its election on
the same financial interests which
profit from schools staying the
way they already are. Schools are a
most lucrative source of contracts
and an enormous jobs project with
sinecures for friends and relatives
of your campaign donors. Don’t
chalk that up to cynicism: Un-
less you acknowledge why your
hands are tied in regard to school
change, you’re certain to make the
same mistakes year after year in
counterfeit reforms.
Change isn’t likely to be pos-
sible from any political center for
the same reasons, but it can come
from defiant personal decisions
made by simple men and women
who won’t stand still for their kids
being outraged any more – like
the revolution of homeschoolers
taking place nationwide. This
system has had a century to prove
itself, that’s enough. It didn’t work
at the start except in house-gen-
erated fairy tales; it doesn’t work
today, and it won’t work better in
the future.
But if we can pry the boot of
the political state off our necks, by
the year 2000 here’s what might
begin to emerge. First we’d have
a long, loud national, regional
and local debate whose purpose
would be to establish the range of
acceptable definitions of an edu-
cated person.
Professional pedagogy has
never done that except in the
airiest generalizations because
it knows better than to have its
hands tied to commitments it can’t
deliver. At the most arrogant end
of the institutional spectrum we
have public enemies like James
Bryant Conant, the WWI poison
gas specialist and longtime presi-
dent of Harvard, who announced
in 1959 that education is “what-
ever a school delivers.” Dr. Co-
nant was annoyed that any mere
citizen might think he had the
right to question decisions made
by experts like himself. What he
demanded for himself, in essence,
was the right to say, “Education is
whatever I say it is.”
But a public definition of the
goals of mental and character
training can’t be avoided. If we,
the people, don’t agree on ends
there is no way on earth to make
beginnings – would you set out by
car on a 12-year journey whose
destination was “out there some-
where”?
The principal target of school
time at present, a target many
self-satisfied men and women
congratulate themselves upon
knowing, is the production of high
standardized test scores – which
correlate with almost nothing of
value. Every president of the Unit-
ed States, since such testing was
launched, has had a mediocre to
poor standardized test score; the
same is more true than not among
corporate executives. If the scores
had any meaning wouldn’t they be
a common piece of data demand-
ed by consumers? Would you bet
on a horse without consulting its
past performance charts, reduced
to mathematical data? Yet you are
compelled to bet on schoolteach-
ers, principals, superintendents,
college professors, etc., every
day without being given access
to this “valuable” information.
What kind of lunacy is that? High
standards and standardization are
two very different things, but you
have been deliberately led by the
rules of Newspeak to regard them
as the same, just as you’ve been
conditioned to think of education
and schooling in the same breath.
The long, loud, angry na-
tional debate I’m calling for,
Senator, would settle school’s side
of the bargain by producing a list
of valuable human competen-
cies schools would guarantee to
enhance – or lose their ability to
command attendance with the
police power of the state.
That said, let me give you my
own list:
• Educated people are seldom
at a loss what to do with time; be-
ing alone is often a blessing to the
educated because they like their
own company. Time doesn’t hang
heavily on their hands.
• Educated people can form
healthy attachments anywhere
because they understand the dy-
namics of relationships.
• Educated people are aware of,
accept and understand the signifi-
cance of their own mortality and
each of its seasons. They learn
from each moment, they gain
insight all their ages, even to their
last minutes on earth.
• Educated people possess a
hard-won personal blueprint of
value. They accept no prepack-
aged marching orders without
passing them through the test of
critical review. But they are also
aware of a larger, human com-
munity and its values; are knowl-
edgeable about values in different
cultures.
• Educated men and women
enjoy power to create new things,
continued on page 78
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 27
 College Experience for
Homeschooling High-School
Students. Why It’s a Great Idea
By Gail Lewis
“If you want a place in the
sun, you must leave the shade
of the family tree.”1
In our sunny tropical state,
we regularly remind ourselves
of a common pidgin saying:
“Lucky we live Hawaii!” I
believe that homeschoolers
can reflect in a similar way on
their good fortune not to have
to waste time in high school,
learning things they already
know or developing views of
k nowledge-acquisition that
they will have to unlearn once
they get to the more sophisti-
1 O s a ge s ay i n g. ( T h e
Osage Nation is a Native Ameri-
can tribe in the United States)
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Page 28 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
cated environment of college.
It is important, however, to
recog nize that the college
environment itself is a very
valuable place in which to de-
velop the vital skills of an in-
formed and thinking citizen:
The ability to make informed
decisions, to acknowledge and
appreciate a range of perspec-
tives, to manage conflict con-
structively, to contribute pro-
ductively to one’s society and
maintain a sense of personal
and civic responsibility.
“Lucky I homeschool!” Not
only are homeschoolers free
from the constraints of rigid
schedules and petty school
rules, they are in a position
to develop more intellectual
perspectives than their high
school-attending peers, and
thus prepare better for what
will be expected of them in the
college setting and beyond. I
made some interesting discov-
eries during my background
academic literat ure search
for my research project on
the Running Start Program of
dual credit college/high school
courses that I did as part of
my Masters in Education (UH
Manoa ‘06). I came across
the work of Marcia Baxter-
Magolda concerning what she
ter ms “self-authorship.” In
my view, “self-authorship” is
another way to define home-
schooling – gaining the ability
to develop one’s own balanced
and meaningful perspective
and act accordingly.
Baxter-Magolda asserts that
self-authorship requires the
continued on page 47
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 Group Crafts For
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Page 30 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
local timber and mining history. I
didn’t recognize or comprehend
what some of the items were in
the museum, so it was nice to have
a guide that interacted with us
and explained things. There were
butter churns and washtubs, meat
grinders, and ice-cream makers,
kitchen utensils, not in use today,
that looked a mystery to us. There
was steam-driven equipment for
mining, and a room with black
light and rocks that glowed. It
awed the kids and parents alike.
We went to a bowling alley,
where we had a free lesson on
bowling from the owner. It was
an old-fashioned alley that had
manual score-keeping cards. We
learned how to keep score, and
use our adding skills.
Eastern Washington University
at Cheney, gave us several field
trips. We went to their Planetari-
um twice, and to the Archaeology
Department, where we had a very
interesting day. We pieced togeth-
er, like a puzzle, the fragments of
the past at a workstation, finding a
marble, barbed wire, canning lids,
Indian arrowheads, bone awls,
mortar and pestles. They gave us
a map of where an old farm was,
a hill, and a river, and had us de-
termine where the items had been
found and what the story was
behind them. They showed us that
Anthropology and Archaeology
take some guessing on how things
might have happened. It was a
unique experience.
We visited our local Post Office.
The Postmaster had us address
letters and send them off to see
how the process of mail delivery
works. She gave us a little his-
tory lesson and let us cancel the
stamps. It was a reinforcement, in
third grade, on how to write and
address letters. And why writing
clearly for others to read is so im-
portant. Misaddressed mail and
unreadable mail doesn’t always
get where it’s going.
A publishing company gave us
At
an amazing field trip, where the
children learned about marketing, Treasure Blending
editing, and writing books. They Box at
gave us free books, and did a slide Toys
show visualizing the steps that go We have carefully the
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 Making Homeschool Work Better
M A G A Z I N E with Field Trips
Helping Families Explore the Wonders continued from page 31
inside the dam, and see the power
of God’s Creation Since 1983 blessed with the ability to do what
turbines. They had a circuit board
he loved, and wanted to share that
that allowed us to flip a switch
experience of watching some-
Readers participate many ways. and see how power was produced
•  Stories thing grow, by giving each of us
and brought to people’s homes.
•  Experiments a tree to plant. What a wonderful
After this field trip, we requested
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home and carefully planted them,
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Save $2.00 let us learn about electricity and
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We use a wonderful full cur-
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people doing
Darth Vader, and
real jobs, using their
looked scary, with their shields,
knowledge to make our world a
reflective tape, axes, masks, and
better place.
oxygen tanks. That was a good
When planning a field trip, you
thing to know, I wouldn’t have
should have an idea of how many
thought that a fireman could look
will be going, what age groups
scary to a child!
are welcome, how much time is
They let the kids sit in the
allowed. I made some mistakes in
equipment and they sounded
planning, when others came with
their sirens, and slid down their
us. Not all field trips are friendly
pole for us. Later we took a CPR
toward families, and prefer a cer-
course for only five dollars, and
tain age for learning. Make sure
we learned life-saving skills.
you know what will be taught at
The last field trip I will mention
the field trip, as for instance, a
was a trip to a dam. We got to go

Page 32 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
university may give a world view
instead of a Christian view. Try
to always remain polite, as you
are a guest, and are making an
impression of who homeschoolers
are. Try to get, and relay as much
information as possible, and try
to keep your group small, with
people who are dependable, espe-
cially for field trips that are time-
sensitive. Don’t let your group get
too big, speaking from experi-
ence, as with more people there
is less dependability and more
frustration. Some of our field trips
required a minimum number of
people; others happily accepted
as many as were able to come. If
you want more out of your home-
school experience, don’t be afraid
to reach out to others and try some
field trips together, or just as indi-
viduals. They are well worth the
effort!
One of the things that happened
as a result of our trips, was that we
volunteered to be Fire Lookouts
as a family. For two summers
we have worked on a mountain,
taking weather readings, look-
ing for smoke sightings, relaying
important weather and smoke in-
formation to fire fighters and dis-
patchers. We have watched smoke
jumpers parachute into fires;
watched helicopters drop buckets
of water on fires and retardant
planes drop their red retardant
over hot areas to cool them down,
so the fire-fighters could go in and
put them out. It has been an unfor-
gettable experience, that I am now
able to share with others, and try
to “give back” some of what we
have received.
We see owls, deer, elk, moose,
bear, and mountain goats up on
the mountain during the sum-
Make sure your
child’s skills stack up!
ACT research reveals that the most important step
parents can take to improve their child’s college
and workplace readiness is to make sure he or she
has acquired the foundational knowledge and skills
in math, English, reading, and science.
EXPLORE ® informs you
about the skills that your
8th and 9th grader will need
for success in high school
and college.
mer. It has been a very rewarding
experience that takes some hard
PLAN ® informs you about
work and dedication, but the result the skills that your 10th
is priceless! grader will need to be ready
Project Learning Tree, Project for college.
Wet, and Project Wild offer work-
shops to homeschool educators to The EXPLORE and PLAN assessments will help you:
help teach about our environment; ■ Evaluate your child’s level of academic
www.plt.org, www.projectwet. achievement
org, and www.projectwild.org. If
■ Identify and address skill gaps
you visit www.fs.fed.us you can
find out all about the Forest Ser- ■ Make coursework adjustments
vice and some of their volunteer ■ Prepare for college entrance exams
opportunities.
Visit www.act.org/advantage/link to learn more.
Fish and Game Departments
offer educational material. Check
with your State for some fun
things to do. Go to www.volun- ACT ®
teer.gov and find out how your
family and you can volunteer for
many exciting, rewarding, and
educational jobs. Life is an educa-
tion. It’s a daily adventure if that’s
what you make of it. D.H. L © 2009 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
12935
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 33
 Lessons From The Road
By Lauren Brenner “educational” if there’s a writ-

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all it ‘temporary in-
sanity’, but when my
teenager asked if I’d
take her and a friend to San
Francisco to see their favor-
ite singer, Regina Spektor, in
concert, I said “Okay!” and
bought concert tickets for my
two kids and their friend, Gina,
telling myself that these days
of maternal inclusion are surely
numbered and not to be taken
lightly.
The road trip from Los An-
geles to San Francisco was four
hundred and some-odd miles,
and I wasn’t even sure I liked
Regina Spektor. But I agreed
to do it with the understanding
that we justify this indulgence
by referring to it as a “field
trip,” and that we make the
obligatory visits to the Golden
G at e Br idge, Fishe r m a n’s
Wharf, China Town, Lombard
Street (“the crookedest street
in the world!”), Haight Ash-
bury, and other notable “Points
of Interest.”
The girls were surprisingly
cooperative. Then again, they
knew on which side their bread
was buttered, and this resulted
in my willingness to wait with
them two hours after the con-
cert to catch Regina Spektor as
she exited the back stage door at
1:00 a.m. The girls were beside
themselves with glee, and were
certain that this face-to-face
meeting with their latest musi-
cal idol would forever remain
the highlight of their lives.
I knew I had to do something
fast to prevent this trip from be-
ing filed in the “vacation” sec-
tions of their memory banks.
So on the final night of our stay,
I asked them to humor me with
a little homework. (It has to be
ten assignment, right?)
“For the record, let’s make a
list of what you learned on this
trip,” I said. After a few min-
utes of deliberation, the girls
unanimously agreed on the
most educational and positive
aspect of the weekend. Surpris-
ingly, it had nothing to do with
the concert, nothing to do with
touring the city, nothing to do
with shopping, either. (Note to
teenage girls: The “Forever 21”
store in San Francisco is three
stories high!) On the contrary,
it related to something not
planned, not desired, and not in
our budget, either. Yet there it
was, top of the list:
“DON’T PARK IN A
TOW-AWAY ZONE!”
Gina was the one to first blurt
it out. We all yelled “YES!”
and literally rolled on the floor
laughing, realizing that our
towed car had indeed been a
positive (although overpriced)
exper ience, t ha n k s to ou r
“field trip” perspective where
everything is grist for the edu-
cational mill.
We’d been in San Francisco
two days when we decided to
have lunch in China Town.
After driving 20 minutes in
the wrong direction, (my car’s
navigational system misguided
us to a beautiful field of red-
woods) we finally arrived, and
took great pains to memorize
the name of the street so we
wouldn’t get lost again. After
a big lunch and a little shop-
ping, we easily found the street
where we’d parked.
But we couldn’t find the car.
That’s when we read the
“No Parking After 3 P.M.”
sign. And that’s when I forced
myself to remember my “field
trip” perspective. Instead of

Page 34 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
moaning about how badly I
messed up, how stupid I felt,
how much money this mistake
was going to run me, and how
I hoped Gina’s mom wouldn’t
think I was unfit to chaperone
three kids on a trip . . .
I focused on the learning
opportunities within the situa-
tion. And suddenly, the towing
fee felt like a bargain, (well,
almost), because it bought the
kids some priceless, personal,
confidence-building lessons,
delivered through experience,
the best teacher of all.
Within an hour, we’d hailed
a cab, paid the towing fees, and
were back on the road. In the
process, the cab driver gave
us some expert tips on which
roads to take to avoid traffic
when returning to Los Ange-
les, and we discovered a great
sushi bar on the way back to
the motel. So all was not lost,
and a lot was actually gained,
because now the girls know
how it’s done if their cars are
ever towed in the future.
I n a d d it io n , d u r i n g t h e
three-day excursion, they also
learned what to do if they get
locked out of a motel room
late at night (call the front desk
from your cell phone), if they
lose a camera (look under the
sofa cushions), and if the car’s
navigational system takes you
in the wrong direction (enjoy
the view!).
As we worked on the “What
We Learned” list, we all real-
ized the memorable lessons
came not from our pleasant,
planned sightseeing activities,
but rather from the unexpected
bumps in the road. In the fu-
ture, we probably won’t recall
what we had for lunch that day
in China Town (though we’ll
surely remember the menu in-
cluded “chicken feet”). But we
will remember to read street
signs. The kids will always
know that towed cars and other
daily glitches aren’t the end of
the world, even in a strange city
miles from home and family.
And I’ll know that it’s a good
idea to pack ear plugs when
sharing a motel room with
three night owls.
Yes, we’ll all know these
things from the inside out, be-
cause we learned them through
experience rather than from
lectures or books. As William
Hazlitt, the literary critic and
author wrote, “You know more
of a road by having travelled it
than by all the conjectures and
descriptions in the world.” To
that, I’ll add, you know even
more of a road after getting
towed from its curb. L.B. L
www.homeschoolnewslink.com
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rainmapping malfunctioning. For example,
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is a high probability of treatment emotional regulation, so if it is
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and Fitting DVDs save the day. This your temperature, the Brainmap and fever to determine which
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Page 38 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
to create electrochemical energy,
or simply, electricity, to enable
your brain to carry out all of its
functions, including learning and
emotional regulation.
This electrical activity can be
recorded in the form of brain-
waves by placing passive non-
invasive electrodes (sensors) on
the head. Brainwaves occur at
different frequencies, from the
slow brainwaves, Delta and Theta
to the fast brainwaves, Beta, as
measured in cycles per second.
Slow brainwaves (Delta) reflect
that the brain is under-aroused or
functioning at reduced capacity
for mental efficiency. This occurs
during sleep and daydreaming.
When your brain is producing
predominantly fast brainwaves
(Beta), it is more fully aroused;
we are alert, focused, and net-
works of neurons in the brain are
engaged to fully process informa-
tion. The faster brainwaves (Beta)
need to be dominant for control-
ling attention, behavior, emotions,
and learning. If one is producing
too much of the slow brainwaves
(Delta or Theta) or too few of the
fast brainwaves (Beta), then the
brain will be operating at reduced
capacity.
Neurofeedback training/treat-
ment is simply brainwave bio-
feedback. With neurofeedback
training a patient can learn to im-
prove and strengthen brainwave
patterns to the more dominant
faster brainwaves essential for fo-
cus, organization, follow through,
and basic learning functions.
A QEEG is conducted first,
which records brainwave patterns
from all over the head and it de-
tects if any regions are malfunc-
tioning. Then 1 or 2 electrodes
(sensors) are placed on the scalp
over the abnormal area and the
patient’s brainwaves are recorded
and displayed in front of him on
a computer screen in the form of
a game.
Normally, we cannot accurately
influence our brainwave patterns
because it is beyond our level
of awareness. But when you see
your brainwaves on a computer
screen in front of you, almost in-
stantaneously as they occur, you
can influence them in a positive
direction.
For example, your brainwaves
are converted into a computer
game of a car driving down the
highway. The moment you cause
your brainwaves to shift to a
faster, healthier frequency, the
car begins to speed up on the
computer screen and an auditory
tone goes off. The auditory tone
is triggered every half second you
sustain this “response”.
There is a new awareness the
patient develops as this occurs,
almost like learning “the feeling
of balance” on a bicycle. Though
the disorder may be biological or
neurological in nature, you can
retrain your brain to normal or
improved functioning, whereby
symptoms decrease or resolve.
What the patient learns in the
clinic during the treatment ses-
sions are practiced or integrated
into their everyday life situations
until it becomes their natural
state. Drugs can be harmful and
sometimes even dangerous with
only temporary improvement
for conditions such as ADD/
ADHD. However, neurofeedback
is safe and can lead to long-term
improvement, unlike the drugs,
because neurofeedback uses a
learning process that strengthens
and develops the synaptic connec-
tions in the brain.
FullCare Program
The Drake Institute’s FullCare
Program is the key to our un-
precedented success. FullCare
is a comprehensive, medical,
non-drug program that employs
a synergy of Brainmap Guided
Neurofeedback, Cognitive and
continued on page 87
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continued on page 88

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an additional language, the easier
it becomes and this represents
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language. The interaction takes
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that is provided), as well as click-
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Just for Homeschooling fami-
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parents to set up the users and
choose from a wide variety of
variations of the program. To
begin with, there are four Place-
ment Tests (General, Listening,
Reading and Reading & Writing)
for students who may already pos-
sess some knowledge and need to
pick up at their own knowledge
level. The customizable portions
include two Full Year Curricula,
a 36-week and a 45-week choice,
for those using the program for
educational credit; the Standard
Curriculum for those learning the
language new, but possibly with
accelerated abilities, as it does not
repeat skills that might have been
slightly less-than-perfect, which
the Full Year section offers. The
Standard With Reading Intro sec-
tion offers letters of the alphabet
and letters sounds preliminarily,
for student who need this work.
There is also a Reading & Writing
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on those who need to know how
to write and read their chosen
language of study. The Dashboard
tracks the performance of each
lesson, its completion and elapsed
time, allowing the parent or older
continued on page 88
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The Center On Congress at Indiana University
Silpada Designs: A Sterling Opportunity for Homeschooling Moms
By Sasha Rusk
W
hen someone asks you why you
homeschool your kids, what’s
your answer? Is it that you love
how free and family-centered your days
are? Do you bust out a John Taylor Gatto
quote and reply that you’re raising future
entrepreneurs, not employees? Or maybe
you explain that your definition of “social-
ization” isn’t thirty-five same-aged kids
sitting in a room full of desks. These are
my answers, and they’re the same reasons
that I work from home. After researching
several direct-sales business opportuni-
ties, I joined Silpada Designs, the original
and fastest-growing sterling silver home
party company. Having my own business
with Silpada gives me the same freedom,
flexibility, and family-centered lifestyle
that I want for my children . . . it’s a per-
fect fit.
One advantage of homeschooling is that
our days don’t revolve around school. One
of my boys is up with the chickens (we
have four!) and the other one sleeps in. I
love that my kids’ individual rhythms are
accommodated by the fact that we make
our own schedule. Working from home
extends that same freedom to me; I decide
what days and times I want to work my
Silpada business, rather than my day cen-
tering around a nine-to-five job.
There are as many ways to homeschool
as there are homeschooling families;
whether you’re unschooling or working
with a charter, following a curriculum or
making it all up as you go along, it’s up to
you! Silpada Designs offers the same kind
of flexibility. Some women want to earn
an extra $1,000 per month to help out with
expenses; others see Silpada as a viable
career, providing full-time income. I’ve
met Silpada reps that single-handedly sup-
port their families and reps that are selling
Silpada jewelry to help them reach a spe-
cific goal. Just as with your homeschool-
ing journey, with Silpada Designs you can
change direction at any time . . . after all,
you’re working for yourself!
Homeschooling compels parents to
evaluate our goals for our children, and
to help them set goals for themselves. As
a Silpada business owner, I love that I’m
modeling entrepreneurship right here in
our home. My boys help me put labels on
catalogs and print out invitations. When
I’m leaving for a party they cheer me
with an enthusiastic, “Sell lots of jewelry,
Mama!” As I drive, I contemplate my good
fortune -- I’m going to work and ending
up at a party! Now that’s socialization!
So why did I choose Silpada Designs?
The income is great -- 30% of my sales
go straight into my pocket, no waiting
for commission checks. The jewelry is
gorgeous . . . so there’s no need for a pre-
sentation or pushy sell. Silpada’s Lifetime
Guarantee backs each handcrafted piece,
continued on page 101
College Experience for Homeschooling
High-School Students. Why It’s a Great Idea
continued from page 28
following quite complex as-
sumptions about the nature of
knowledge, that:
• Knowledge is constructed
by individuals in the context
of relevant evidence
• Evaluation of the evidence
is necessary in order to decide
what to believe
• Each individual has the
capacity to make these deci-
sions
• Individuals need to have
a strong sense of identity as
people who ca n const r uct
knowledge for themselves
• Interaction and engage-
ment with others is necessary
to gain access to other per-
spectives and make meaning
of one’s own experience.
Most homeschooling fami-
lies would probably concur
with these asser tions. Cer-
tainly, they reject the common
experience of many schooled
students who are ‘forced’ to
accept the teacher’s choice of
what to believe, in order to get
the best grades. The school
setting has a more limited def-
inition of knowledge than one
finds in homeschooling, and
of course in the college en-
vironment. I began my study
of the Running Start Program
in the belief that early college
experience would have great
cognitive benefits for students
ready for higher intellectual
challenge than they could re-
ceive in high school. A desire
to move ahead faster and gain
these cognitive benefits are
probably also the main rea-
sons why many homeschooled
students begin taking Com-
munity College or four-year
college courses during their
high school years.
SAVE ON
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What I discovered, though,
both through the focus groups
I conducted for my Running COURSES.
Start research and through my Make your homeschool
own experience as a parent record-keeping simple SPECIAL SAVINGS
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•Store data for multiple
DURING THE MONTH
homeschooler, was that the
benefits were indeed as great school terms OF MAY
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or greater in the affective area
printing
as in the cognitive area. The
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most effectively in the world. to ONE YEAR long for
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ing college indicated a greater homeschoolsolutions.com
significance for the degree of
affective development than
that of cognitive development,
though the two were closely
interlinked in the experiences
of college by high-school-
aged students, as they are of
course in college students of
traditional age. Naturally, the
Running Start students made
huge strides in their cogni-
tive skills but more important
were the leaps in progression
in terms of their readiness for
new challenges, the growth
of a personal identity and the
beginning of a commitment to
‘self-authorship.’
I chose to conduct my re-
search study on the experi-
ences of students in the Hilo/
Puna area of the Big Island of
Hawaii who were taking part
in concurrent enrollment in
college/high school through
the Running Start early ad-
mission program, attending
continued on page 50
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 47

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Page 48 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
Mating Without Dating - Part Two
continued from page 15
tory, beliefs, goals, perceptions
of married life and how it works,
employment, and spending hab-
its. Several key questions had
already been answered inadver-
tently over the months of family
friendship - such as his perspec-
tive on dating, home schooling,
family planning, and whether his
wife would be expected to work
outside the home.
Our evening together spanned
four hours and it was appar-
ent this young man had looked
closely at our daughter and found
her lovely inside and out. It was
also clear that he was ready for
marriage and shared Crystal’s
core values. We drove away from
that meeting struck rather silent.
My husband and I were in deep
thought. Finally he asked me,
“Are you thinking he might actu-
ally be the one?” “Yes.” I replied
- although I had not gone into the
evening with any such thoughts,
and we both knew the decision
would be Crystal’s to make, not
ours.
Ian had impressed us greatly.
It was apparent that much of his
depth and maturity had been
honed in the painful years of
waiting and wondering if he
would ever find that special
woman. In the months of our
budding friendship with his fam-
ily, we had had many discussions
Enroll anytime! exploring matters of religion vs.
actually intimate friendship with
Complete in one year or less!
God. Unbeknownst to us, this
Over 100 online courses was all dovetailing with things
in more than 25 subject areas: that God had been doing inside
Accounting
Advertising
Health Care Administration
History
him. There were some conversa-
Anthropology Journalism & Mass Media tions that Crystal thought bor-
Business Library Science
Business Law Mathematics dered on arguments where she
Child & Family Studies Microbiology, Molecular
Computer Science Biology & Biochemistry assumed they would have left our
Economics Music History
Education Philosophy home thinking “those people are
English
Environmental Science
Physics
Political Science
whacked.” Ian later told us that
Family & Consumer Sciences Psychology he left those conversations feeling
Finance Real Estate
Foreign Languages & Social Science spurred on in the internal trans-
Literatures Sociology
formation he was experiencing.
He was also realizing he really
enjoyed a woman who challenged
and sharpened him as Crystal
did.
Greg and I both felt a bit over-
whelmed and wanted time to
pray, think, and talk. We gave
Ian some further questions we
wanted to talk about at a future
date. We did not go easy on him.
Our daughter had entrusted to
her dad a list of things that were
important to her in a future mate.
We owed it to her (and to Ian)
to screen him well and not open
an emotional gateway between
them, if he lacked major elements
of the things Crystal had decided
she needed in a husband.
He had obviously been studying
her for months and made it clear
that he was not asking permis-
sion to evaluate her up close and
decide if he liked what he found -
that assessment was behind him.
He had the boldness and fortitude
to say that he knew he desired to
marry her. What he wanted was
to give her a chance to evaluate
him in detail and determine if she
would have him. That he was man
enough to put himself in the place
of vulnerability and risk spoke
volumes about his character and
ability to lead lovingly.
We met again a week later and
tackled more tough questions -
asking about his health history,
his experience with pornography
(something we know all young
men in our culture are exposed
to due to the nature of modern
advertising and the internet), his
tastes in entertainment, and his
sense of responsibility to his par-
ents and to his younger siblings
in the event that his parents died
or could no longer care for them.
We did not hold back or go easy
on him. Crystal was a treasure
and we were not going to expose
her to any unworthy suitor. We
shared honestly about aspects of
her upbringing, experiences, and
needs in a spouse. As much as
possible, we sought to uncover
and remove anything that could
be an obstacle to the growth of
a deep friendship maturing into
love between them, if Crystal de-
sired to pursue the relationship.
The sense of having two pre-
cious young people’s lives in the
palms of our hands called for
extreme care and seriousness.
We wanted to do all we could to
prevent them from being hurt un-
necessarily.
After much prayer, and with
the growing sense that this was
a divinely ordained approach, we
asked Ian to put the crux of all he
had shared with us into a letter
that we would share with Crystal
when we felt the time was right
(since she knew nothing of our
meetings, emails, or conversa-
tions with Ian). We felt a letter was
a good approach because she was
going to need time to come up to
speed on all he had conveyed to
us without the awkwardness of an
initial face-to-face meeting.
After that letter was received,
Greg arranged a quiet time for
us to speak to Crystal alone and
share that someone we had in-
terviewed in depth and prayed
about was seeking her hand. We
gave her the letter and told her
there was no pressure here. If she
wanted to pursue this, we would
facilitate that. If she had a “No
go” in her spirit, then the matter
would be put to rest quietly with
a minimum of embarrassment.
I shed some tears as amazement
and disbelief washed over her.
She assured us she would pray
and we told her we would con-
tinue to do so as well.
Initially, she responded to Ian
with a “Let’s enter a time of in-
tentional friendship building.” A
rash of get-togethers between the
families were held. Hours on the
phone enabled them to cover im-
portant questions, and racked up
a serious cell phone bill! Within
a month, Crystal knew her heart Marva Collins
Seminars for
wanted to say “yes” to this man’s
pursuit of her and she found a
quiet moment to tell him so.
Several more family times to-
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them time to talk. They chose
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knew that premarital physical in-
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later within marriage - two keys
of lifelong love that they had seen
so many others surrender and
regret.
Another month later, Ian
surprised Crystal with a tender
romantic proposal and ring. We
had told Ian before we shared his
interest with Crystal, that if she
said, “yes”, we would encour-
age them to plan and progress
toward a wedding date. We saw
no benefit in long engagements -
it is not the season for exploring
the relationship (that should have
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continued on page 57
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 49
 Introducing... “Comet® College Experience for Homeschooling
The Fast Path To Learning” High-School Students. Why It’s a Great Idea
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An exciting game 11 or older continued from page 47
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ally situated to participate in
such opportunities if they live
within commuting range of a
tertiary institution. On-line
college courses, while valu-
able, do not offer the extensive
affective development possi-
bilities which I believe are the
most helpful to students taking
early college courses. One of
my students commented: “At
college you’re actually doing
stuff worth doing . . . People
will like discuss what’s going
on. You can actually talk to
them about stuff in your class
and they’ll have interesting
things to say – they’re not just,
like, bored.” Other students
agreed, noting: “It’s more of a
choice learning environment
than a forced one, you know.”
“Yeah, if you want to choose
to do a lot of work, then it’s
there for you.”
Coming to a recog nition
that the student himself or
herself had to take responsi-
bility to seek help if studies
weren’t going well, seemed
to be an epiphany that all of
the students I interviewed had
experienced. Perhaps the need
to take the initiative on one’s
learning path is more likely
to be a surprise to students
from a school background, but
learning to speak up and take
steps to seek help from pro-
fessors and college resource
centers is not a guaranteed
early achievement of those
from the homeschool setting.
Homeschooled students are,
by definition, likely to be in-
dependent learners who might
take longer to realize the ben-
efits of co-operative study and
office hours. One of my Run-
ning Start study participants
continued on page 55
 CHILDREN AND ADULTS

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 Why Teach Laura
Why Buy Ingalls Wilder to
Tooties? Boys and Girls
Educational By Amy Ankrum, curator of the Wilder Museum
Magical for ages 1 to 10

L
au r a’s how-to chap -
Self-teaching ters on molding bul-
lets, making cheese,
Used by millions digging a well, decorating
shelves, making homemade
butter, drying plums, framing
Over 40 years in use a house, and smoking a ham,
among dozens of daily activi-
Ingalls hoped for a better life
for their f r iends and their
children. They sacrificed and
worked hard to ma ke that
d rea m come t r ue. We a re
all, when we are at our best,
drawn to give of ourselves to
make life better for others.

Great for kids & adults
Best for ages one thru college
ties fulfill the “Little House”
book series’ purpose to en-
tertain and to educate. The
It was an oasis in the tall
grass prairie. Walnut trees
grew and thrived on a little

Effective treatment for: books also instill wholesome

values that are easy to agree
with and conform to.
• Vision problems The adventures and hands-
• Hyperactivity on experiences th roughout
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little
• Attention deficits House” series can be used to
• Coordination teach children of all ages his-
tory, science, home economics
• Dyslexia and how hard work can bring
• Behavioral problems forth happiness and survival
in the harshest circumstances.
• Improve normal children in On the Banks of Plum Creek,
Math, Reading and Science, etc. comes to life off the pages
while visiting Walnut Grove.
• Self-Esteem & Much More!! Visit the museum, walk the
stream that was home to a few
trappers and a resting place
for travelers. This small dot
on the plains would eventually
become Walnut Grove with
the meandering Plum Creek
i m mor t ali zed i n t he w r it-
ings of Laura Ingalls Wilder
some sixt y years after her
family worked the land and
made friends with many other
pioneers.
The stor y of the Charles
Ingalls’ family began long
before they arrived in Walnut
Grove in the Spring of 1874.

WHAT ARE
WHAT ARE TOOTIES?
TOOTIES? banks of Plum Creek and re-
member Laura’s past.
Visit our web sites or call to get answers and Laura’s stories parallel the
obstacles and triumphs that
personal suggestions for your children.
every family faces at some
Search Google for other websites such as point in their lives. The train
NetSuyo.com or Baby2T2.com. whistle beckoned Pa west-
ward. That distant whistle
www.Tooties.com Call Today: resonated with a mix of ex-
310-643-9882 citement, memories, a few
regrets, and a strong hope for
Creative Ideas a better tomor row. Laura’s
books can also resonate in
5328 W. 142nd Pl.
us, br inging for th images,
Hawthorne, CA 90250 USA
thoughts and feelings. The
Charles was born on January
10, 1836 in Cuba Township,
New York. Caroline Quiner
was born December 12, 1839
in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The
United States was growing
rapidly. The territories to the
west were rich in game, furs,
farmland, and open range.
Charles and Caroline were
married February 1st, 1860 by
Reverend Lyman in Concord
Township, Wisconsin. Civil
War er upted the following
April. The Homestead Act of

Page 52 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
 Wilder Museum 8/14/09 12:47 PM Page 1

1862 sent thousands westward a Norwegian settler, Anders

with hopes of free land and
more opportunity. The Civil
War raged through 1865.
Mary and Laura were born
ne a r Pe pi n , Wiscon si n i n
the Ingalls’ log cabin. Mary
Amelia arrived on January 10,
1865 and Laura Elizabeth on
February 7, 1867. In the fall of
1868 the Ingalls family moved
to Montgomery County, Kan-
Haroldson (Laura’s Mr. Han-
son), who lived about a mile
north of town, wanted to sell
his land. Charles bought the
172 acres of fertile land along
w it h t he d u gout o n Plu m
Creek. Charles’ plans were
solid. Charles began working
his plow and ox team, turning
up the sod for wheat fields.
With a large crop, their future

Laura Ingalls Wilder

sas just 13 miles outside of
Independence, where their
daughter, Caroline Celestial
“Carrie” was born on August
3, 1870. Hearing a r umor
that the government planned
on retur ning the land they
were living on to the Native
Americans, Charles moved
back to Wisconsin. Charles
had unknowingly settled three
miles into what was called the
Osage Diminished Reserve.
The man who bought their log
cabin could not pay for it, and
the Ingalls moved home to
Wisconsin.
In October of 1873, Charles
once again sold the family’s
Wisconsi n home a nd la nd
to a Swedish farmer named
A nd e r s on for $10 0 0. T he
family moved in with Uncle
Peter and Aunt Polly Ingalls.
On February 7, 1874, Laura’s
7th birthday, the two families
crossed frozen Lake Pepin.
They stayed at the Lake City
Hotel until Charles and Peter
located an abandoned cabin.
T he fa m ilies waited u nt il
spring to continue by wagon.
Peter chose a far m on the
Zumbro R iver but Charles
continued west. Laura heard
her first train whistle on this
jo u r n e y. C h a rle s b r o u g ht
the family to a new pioneer
town called Walnut Station.
This town had a railroad and
several businesses and resi-
dences. Charles learned that
was assured. Caroline kept
house in the dugout with Mary
and Laura’s help.
During the summer of 1874,
Charles and Caroline helped
organize the Union Congre-
gational Church with the help
of Reverend Edwin Alden, a
traveling Home Missionary,
who was in charge of bring-
ing new churches to various
pioneer towns including Wal-
nut Grove. On December 20,
1874, a new bell rang out over
the prairie, announcing the
dedication of the newly-built
church. In Spring of 1875,
Charles moved the family into
a new house that was built of
yellow pine lumber brought in
by the railroad and purchased
on credit. The wheat crop was
lush and green, and Charles
thought a house would be a
wise investment. Eleck Nelson
assisted Charles in building
the new home. Because they
were close neighbors, Caroline
and Olena Nelson also spent a
lot of time together with their
children. A new school was
built in the spring of 1875.
Mary and Laura would have
attended this school.
Swar ms of g rasshoppers
(locusts) devoured all the area
crops and gardens in 1875. “I
have lived among uncounted
millions of grasshoppers,”
Laura later wrote, “I saw their
bodies choke Plum Creek. I
continued on page 58
MUSEUM AND TOURIST CENTER
330 Eighth Street • Walnut Grove, MN 56180
Home of “On the Banks of Plum Creek” in Southwest Minnesota
www.walnutgrove.org
Toll Free (888) 528-7298 • (507) 859-2358
Enjoy learning the history of the
Ingalls & Wilder families. Exhibits
include: Laura owned items, TV
series memorabilia, and life-size
dugout structure all within a multi-
building complex. Visit the Plum
Creek Dugout Site and Pa’s Bell.
Visit our Museum Complex:
June, July, and Aug.
Daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
May & Sept.
Mon-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sun. 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
April & Oct.
Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sun.12 p.m.-4 p.m.
November – March
Gift Store Open Only;
Museum Closed
Admission: Adults $5.00,
Children 6-12 $2.00
5 & under Free
Gift Store also available on-line
New exhibits every year

www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 53
 Christian Classical Education – Is It for You?
continued from page 12
anymore.” Teaching logic is the
most important aspect of teaching
clear thinking. Some examples
Our Money Management might help. Formal logic is fairly
System is an all-in-one mathematical. “‘A’ cannot be ‘A’
money storage and and ‘not A’ at the same time and
tracking system to set in the same relationship” is a basic
your children on a course axiom of formal logic. Informal
towards nancial success logic is the study of logical falla-
and responsible living. cies. One popular fallacy is the “ad
hominem” fallacy. Ad hominem
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is Latin for “to the person. “You
can’t believe him, he’s a cat-lover”
would be an ad hominem fallacy.
Rhetoric becomes the capstone
discipline in classical education,
and it is taught, naturally, during
the rhetoric stage. This discipline
focuses on teaching the learner to
communicate so as to move the
Available Now! listener to action. Much, much
more than public speaking, an ex-
pert in rhetoric will find he is able
www.SticktoitCharts.com to assume positions of power and
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Page 54 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
influence because he can exert
power and influence.
Finally, classical education
should include reading the “Great
Books.” Mortimer Adler popular-
ized the idea of “participating in
the Great Conversation.” Learning
from and building on the past, en-
joying the time-proven works, and
identifying good and bad ideas in
the present, are all results one can
expect from this kind of study. It’s
quite a shame that much of educa-
tion today fails to learn from those
who went before us, dooming us
to repeat their mistakes.
What’s even more amazing in
classical education is that it neatly
coincides with child develop-
ment, making it the perfect tool
for teaching our children. Gram-
mar school age children (kinder-
garten – 6th grade) are naturally
inquisitive and need little reason
why they should learn something.
Make it fun and interesting, and
they will devour enormous quan-
tities of data. At this age, they’re
naturally geared to memorizing,
and classical education hits them
at their strength. As they get older,
say the junior high years of 7th – 9th
grade, they become more pert or
argumentative. That is the natural,
albeit a dangerous, time to teach
them to argue well through the
mastery of logic. Thankfully, they
continue to mature and become
more image conscious in the high
school years, say 10th – 12th grade.
They are then ripe for the learning
of rhetoric.
Thus far, I’ve sought to make
the case for continuing the recov-
ery of a very rigorous and time-
proven approach to education. Yet
the most important part of this
great educational model is still
missing. Imagine a person with
an extraordinary grasp of the facts
in many fields, an ability to argue
flawlessly with regard to his logic,
and a winsome, highly-developed
sense of rhetoric, all-the-while
having no moral scruples nor
being willing to submit to the
Lordship of Jesus Christ. What a
disaster. That is why the purposes
we promote at Veritas Press are
classical Christian education.
Furthermore, it’s important to
see education as one of the most
religious things we do. The popu-
lar myth that education is morally
neutral is a lie. It matters who tells
the story of history, who writes the
science book, and who describes
how things came to be. By what
standard do we determine what
ought to be? This “oughtness,”
as C.S. Lewis calls it in Mere
Christianity, is a God-given sense
that needs to be accompanied by
knowing the God of the Bible.
Anything else is less than the
complete truth. We cannot hon-
estly expect our children to be
educated by the godless and then
to turn out godly. Christian chil-
dren need a Christian education.
One last concern. It’s the idea
that classical Christian education
can be easy or rigorous and good,
but not both. I must admit that
some time ago this was a tradeoff
one needed to consider. Not any-
more. Along with many other
purveyors of tools to educate your
children classically, we have made
it our mission at Veritas Press to
help you give your children the
best education available without
compromise. Online education,
planning tools, curricular options,
and consulting all contribute to
making classical Christian educa-
tion not only the best option but a
very easily executed one. M.D. L
Mr. Detweiler is the president
and founder of Veritas Press
(www.veritaspress.com). He
and his wife, Laurie, have four
boys (ages 19 – 24) and a border
collie. They live in Lancaster
County, PA.
College Experience for Homeschooling
High-School Students. Why It’s a Great Idea
continued from page 50
summed it up well: “It feels
like the teachers, the profes-
sors – they support you being
there and stuff, but it’s not the
same as, like, if you’re in high
school and, like, you’re failing
or something, or you’re get-
ting a bad grade, the teacher
will come and talk to you and
tell you, like, you’re getting
a bad grade; . . . you have to
keep track of that for yourself
at the college. If you need help
and you go to the teacher [pro-
fessor], they’re, like, totally
willing to help you. From my
experience, they’re not go-
ing to tell you that you need
help, so you have to have the
initiative for yourself to go
talk to them, go to their office,
whatever you have to do. It’s
like a little bit of a different
dynamic.”
And because it’s a different
dynamic from the relaxed and
inherently supportive environ-
ment of the home or unschool-
ing setting, that’s exactly why
I recommend it as an option
for homeschooled high school
students. Disjunctive experi-
ences such as these are well
documented by educational
academics as very important
because development is often
stimulated when a person’s
experiences do not match his
or her expectations; the indi-
vidual is forced to seek new
ways to understand and func-
tion within the experience and
grows in the process.
Epistemology is the study of
the nature of knowledge. One
researcher, Kroll, sees the pro-
cess of intellectual maturation
as a movement from a belief
in what he terms “ignorant
certainty” towards what he
J o in tho u sa nd s o f parent s and
K -12 s tu d e nts a ro u nd t he worl d
calls “intelligent confusion.” w ho ha v e re dis co v ered t he
A student’s experience of col-
lege, both affective and cogni-
jo y o f le a rning.
tive, parallels this change in
Oak M ea do w
world-view rather well. For
most, the sense of confusion
eases over time through the
process of increasing maturi- Inde pe nde nt Le a rning Si nce 1 9 7 5
ty, as the individual learns the
skills of evaluating evidence
rationally in order to come to
an independent point of view Choose from our renowned, creative
in which the individual feels homeschooling curriculum materials
confident in confronting the or our internationally accredited
issues of the world, issues that
s/he discovers to be far more distance learning school.
complex than they at first may
have appeared.
It is my content ion t hat Curriculum
students, homeschoolers par- We offer a creative, well-rounded and academically
ticularly, stand to gain a huge
complete curriculum designed for
advantage from early partici-
homeschooling families.
pation in college courses of-
fered on the college campus,
interacting as though with
their peers of regular age. To
me, taking college courses
(either full or part-time) dur-
ing high school represents for
homeschooled students the School
option to begin the process
of self-authorship. College Our accredited K-12 program provides all of the
classes provide them with the benefits of learning at home with teacher support
chance to “leave the shade of and full academic credit.
the family tree”, enjoy some
sunshine and plan for that
“place in the sun”, without
getting sunburnt in the pro-
cess. Early college attendance
offers homeschoolers the best
of both worlds, including the
option to go in and out of the
shade of the family tree.
“Each man must look to
himself to teach him the
meaning of life. It is not
something discovered: it is
something moulded.” An-
toine de Saint-Exupery, Wind, Brattleboro, Vermont 802-251-7250
Sand and Stars (1939, p.29)
J.R. L www.oakmeadow.com
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 55
Mating Without Dating - Part Two
continued from page 49
enjoying making their nest, and
functioning as a team. All their
romantic dreams and longings
have found their outlet in one
chosen and deep unity.
Looking back, we can see that
the same reasons that lead many
away from the damaging peer dy-
namics of public education also
factor into leading families away
from recreational dating. The
pressure to conform in the dating
scene feeds defective thinking in
young people - “ I need a boy-
friend because everyone else has
one“, “I need to have sex so I’m
not viewed by myself or others
as defective or a nerd“, “I have
to flaunt myself to play the game
and beat out other girls” or “No
one will ever love me.” “I’d be
better off dead.” “If I can’t have
love, at least I can have attention
if I prostitute myself.”
It is incumbent upon parents
who hope their children will
escape the dating trap, to create
alternative family social outlets
or children may feel gypped.
Ian’s parents had begun a home
school softball league involving
hundreds of young people and
did Civil War re-enacting as
ways of networking with other
quality families. We have dinner
with other families several times
a month, hosted family park days,
poetry nights, camping trips,
dances and community service
projects.
Some have questioned us,
“Didn’t Ian and Crystal need to
date (spend lots of time alone to-
gether) to figure out if they were
right for each other?” I would
answer - look back in human his-
tory. It is only in the last century
that men pursuing young ladies
were even allowed to be alone
with them premaritally. Men of
past generations knew that they
had to pass muster with a girl’s
protector/provider father in order
to ask for her hand. The father
knew his daughter’s needs and
had every right to evaluate the
man’s suitability (same root word
as suitor). You could liken it to the
progressively tough interviews
Bring Learning to Life with
one might undergo on the way Brain Noodles®
to landing a corporate executive
position today. Would a father Brain Noodles® stems are a big twist
who loves his daughter be any
less rigorous interviewing a man on an old favorite! These giant pipe
who wants to marry her? cleaners are 18” long and 1 ¼” wide.
Dating and getting hormonally
excited about someone takes no
brains or foresight. Submitting
to serious scrutiny in pursuit of
obtaining a lifelong treasure takes
a maturity that only a real man
will possess. Which kind of guy
would any of us want our daugh-
ter to marry? And even more to
the point, which produces better
results? Look around you and
count how many healthy roman-
tic marriages you see. We know
the dating practices that have
contributed to this grim statistic.
I’ll take my daughter’s experience
=
over these, any day. +
Voddie Baucham writes in his
new book, What He Must Be, If
He Wants to Marry My Daughter,
about a father grilling a young
boy who has come to take “her” • Great for tactile and
out. The man’s obvious care for visual learners
his “baby” is made abundantly
known to the sweaty-palmed boy, • Promotes kinesthetic
as the father makes crystal clear learning
how “she” is to be treated. When • Model concepts as simple as letters,
the young man conveys that he numbers or complex geometric shapes, DNA
fully understands, the father fi-
nally hands over the keys to his
• Lesson plan ideas online at www.brainnoodle.net
pricey sports car.
The reader is rightfully hor- Email us to request a sample
rified having believed the man
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continued on page 86
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 57
 Why Teach Laura Ingalls Wilder to Boys and Girls
continued from page 53
saw them destroy every green thing on the face of the earth.”
Charles walked 200 miles east to find work. His crops had been
destroyed and the family needed money. This would be the first
of several grasshopper plagues. On return to Walnut Grove,
Charles moved his family into town to avoid the harsh blizzard
weather and to allow the girls to still attend school. On No-
vember 1, 1875 the Ingalls family grew. Charles Frederick was
born. Laura and Mary fondly called him Freddie.
In the spring of 1876 the Ingalls moved back to their frame
house by Plum Creek. Charles planted a small field of wheat. He
was unsure what nature would bring. The grasshoppers once
again covered the area, destroy-
ing vegetation and the clothes
off the line. William Steadman,
a friend from church, purchased
a hotel from William Masters
in Burr Oak, Iowa. He asked
Charles to bring his family back
east to work at the hotel in the
Fall. On July 10, 1876 Charles
sold the 172-acre farmstead to
a new settler named Keller. The
Ingalls family once again loaded
up the covered wagon and trav-
eled east to live the rest of the
summer with Charles’ brother,
Peter Ingalls. Baby Frederick
was ver y ill. On August 27,
1876, the “awful day” as Laura Ingalls Wilder later wrote, baby
Freddie died. It is said he is buried near South Troy, on land
Peter Ingalls owned.
The family moved to Iowa. Burr Oak was an older town that
was a crossroads for travelers. The family lived on the first
floor of the Burr Oak House (now known as the Masters Hotel).
Caroline cooked, cleaned and laundered with Mrs. Steadman
and a hired girl. Charles worked odd jobs at the hotel. Dur-
ing the winter of 1877 Mary, Laura and Carrie continued their
schooling. Grace Pearl, the last Ingalls child, was born on May
23, 1877. No matter how hard they worked, they were not able
to make ends meet. In the Fall of 1877 the Ingalls returned to
Walnut Grove.
They lived with the Ensign family until Charles could build a
new home. Charles continued to work at various carpentry jobs
and manual labor to support his family. On November 4, 1877,
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for Park, Car and Home!
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Reverend Leonard Moses was ordained minister of the Congre-
gational Church. Laura earned the treasured reference Bible by
participating in the afternoon ministry at the Methodist. Later
that spring, Charles opened a butcher shop. Charles became a
trustee in the congregation. Mary, Laura and Carrie enrolled
for both the spring and summer terms of school in 1878. Still,
for many, each day was a challenge for survival. The people
of Walnut Grove were a hardy lot. They had survived raging
prairie fires, frigid winters, hard births, plagues of grasshop-
pers and the loneliness of isolation and separation from their
families.
March, 1879 Charles helped organize the village of Walnut
Grove and was elected Justice
of the Peace. Mary fell ill with
scarlet fever in the spring of
1879. By July, 1879, Mary was
entirely blind. Laura became
Mary’s eyes and described the
world to her sister. Charles
loved to play the fiddle. Laura’s
books are filled with referenc-
es to religious, patriotic and
children’s songs. It provided
a release and a way to express
joy and share time together.
Cha rles was restless a nd
wanted to move further west.
His sister, Docia, arrived and
told Charles of a job working
for the railroad. The pay was good, at fifty dollars a month.
He left Caroline and the girls in Walnut Grove while he earned
enough money to bring them to Dakota Territory. In September
of 1879, Caroline and the girls said goodbye to their friends.
They took the train from Walnut Grove to the end of the line
in Tracy. They traveled to Dakota Territory where more adven-
tures awaited. They did not return to Walnut Grove.
Milking cows, schoolyard games, vanity cakes and lemonade
are but a few of the activities Laura describes in her book On
the Banks of Plum Creek. Historical events such as the Home-
stead Act, the building of the railroad west and the start of new
pioneer towns allows children to research new subjects. What
is a badger? How do you make homemade butter? What else
can you use a coffee grinder for? These are all questions an-
swered within the pages of Laura’s “Little House” series. Her
books are timeless and can be read by all ages. A.A. L
10 Subjects You Can Teach While Creating a Yearbook
A
s a home educator, you have the option to teach your
children through unique experiences. Why not utilize
a yearbook as a way to introduce new subjects into
your curriculum? Creating a yearbook will give your
children or homeschool group a chance to learn about photogra-
phy, computer skills, graphic design, journalism, time manage-
ment, sales, business, advertising, budgeting, and teamwork.
First, you need to select a yearbook company. You can count on
Memory Book Company (www.memorybook.com/homeschool),
a homeschool yearbook specialist with more than 20 years of ex-
perience, for quality, value, and performance. Plus, they offer an
easy online design program that allows you to create yearbooks
from your home computer. And they’ll provide help and tips to
guide you every step of the way.
Here are some ideas on how you can incorporate new subjects
your children can use while creating a yearbook.
1. Photography
Pictures are an essential element of a yearbook. Your yearbook
pages should be filled with individual pictures and group activity
pictures. Have children practice their photography skills by tak-
ing the pictures. They should learn how to take a quality picture
with either a traditional or digital camera by considering the
subject matter, lighting, shadows, background and composition
to ensure they all work together.
2. Computer Skills
Creating a yearbook also requires computer skills. After the
pictures have been taken, children can learn how to transfer
the images to the computer or how to scan images. Then, teach
children how to upload pictures, re-name files, locate files on the
hard drive, and more.
3. Graphic Design
Designing a yearbook gives children the opportunity to ex-
press their creativity. And they’ll learn important design ele-
ments such as page layout techniques, bleed requirements, back-
ground and image placement, and the organization of pages with
the yearbook ladder. And don’t forget the yearbook cover – have
your children create a cover design and hold a contest to pick the
winner!
4. Journalism
Aspiring writers can showcase their talent by creating stories
and captions for activity pages. You can also have your children
write an introduction or dedication for the beginning of the year-
book.
5. Time Management
Meeting deadlines to get the yearbook produced on time is im-
Get Into Shape!
Great for the entire family
A fun exercise for all ages
portant. This can also spark a conversation about time manage-
ment with your children. To ensure that yearbooks are delivered
by the date you set, forms and materials need to be turned in by
predetermined deadlines.
6. Sales
Once you decide to produce a yearbook, your children will
need to sell all the copies you’ve ordered. They can practice sales
techniques by selling yearbook copies to other homeschool chil-
dren in the group, family members, or clubs that will be featured
in the yearbook.
7. Business
The yearbook can be treated as a business project, and children
can manage the operation from start to finish.
8. Marketing/Advertising
A great way to offset costs is to sell advertising space in your
yearbook. Children can visit local businesses to sell ads, or ap-
proach homeschool families and ask them to purchase space to
publish words of encouragement for their children. Overall, it is
a great way to learn how to sell, create, and produce advertising
materials.
9. Budgeting/Economics
Teach children how to manage a budget. Start by analyzing all
yearbook costs, and determine how to create revenue while re-
maining profitable. Have them monitor expenditures and report
periodically on their progress.
10. Teamwork
The yearbook is a team effort, and your children will learn
to work with others to accomplish a goal. They can also learn
effective management techniques to engage and motivate their
teammates.
What can a yearbook mean to your family?
For some it can serve as a way to look back on childhood
memories and friends. For others, it is a chance to show relatives
achievements and accomplishments. Regardless of whether you
pull out a yearbook twenty years from now or if you proudly
present it this year so grandparents can see what their grandchil-
dren have done, a yearbook is a tradition that brings people to-
gether. Your children should have a yearbook to remember their
homeschool experience.
What yearbook company can you trust?
Memory Book Company is the most dependable yearbook pub-
lishing team. With experience preserving memories for schools
and homeschool groups like yours, they know what it takes to get
the job done. Call 1-800-247-1526 or visit www.memorybook.
com/homeschool.
Call Today 1-800-232-5762
Or Order
Online www.needakrebounders.com
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 59
 Mind the Gap – Watching for “Holes” in Your Child’s Education
continued from page 8
sequence curriculum that satisfies “national standards.” They
think it will ensure their children won’t have any “holes” in their
education. Or, they sign up with a charter school home study
program believing that reporting to a teacher-facilitator every 20
days or so will guarantee their child has a “complete” education.
They may have begun to get off the school train, but they are
trapped in suspension over the gap, too fearful to land firmly at
the homeschool station where educational freedom awaits.
Can following a curriculum guarantee there won’t be gaps in
a child’s schooling? Is a transcript from a public charter school
proof that there aren’t any cracks in a child’s education?
No! And if you think so, you’re delusional! No one has a com-
plete education. No one ever has, and no one ever will. You can
learn some of the curriculum all of the time, and all of the cur-
riculum some of the time, but you can’t learn all of the curricu-
lum all of the time! You can’t learn everything there is to know.
And I certainly don’t mean to imply that any “curriculum” is
even worth knowing. As Albert Einstein said, “Education is
what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in
school.”
I’ve noticed that the parents who are fixated on minding the
gap in their child’s education are usually relatively new to home-
schooling. Those that have been around a while seem reconciled
to the fact that there are gaps in everyone’s education. Compare
your own education to anyone else’s and you’ll see that it’s true.
Building a Sugar Cube History
Did you know that if you went to school in one state and your
spouse went to school in another state, you didn’t have the same
history lessons? One of you has a “gap” in their education. It’s
true! I was conducting a workshop on homeschool resources at a
Link Homeschool Conference and mentioned that fourth graders
in California public schools study California history. Students
learn about the California Missions and, for some reason, build
sugar-cube facsimiles.
One mom interrupted and said, “I’m from Pennsylvania, and
we studied Pennsylvania history and built sugar-cube steel
mills.” A dad spoke up, “I’m from Alaska and we built sugar-
cube igloos.” Someone else said, “We didn’t study Missions
either, we studied Egypt and made sugar-cube pyramids.”
As you can see, it isn’t studying history that matters, it’s build-
ing something with sugar cubes that seems to be of universal
importance across national curriculum standards for fourth
graders.
If you keep thinking along these lines, you can see that the
Page 60 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
gaps in education from one person to the next are a social engi-
neer’s nightmare. If the majority of the population isn’t indoc-
trinated with the same agenda and curriculum, it is difficult to
predict and manage their behavior.
Standardized Curriculum
Let’s imagine, for a moment, that a presidential proclamation
decreed that every student must build a Mission out of sugar-
cubes in the 4th grade. Now let’s suppose those fourth-graders
are all grown up. If you were to hand those adults a box of sugar
cubes and ask them what they could do with it, what do you sup-
pose would be their first answer? Duh, build a Mission? Would
any of them first suggest adding a few drops of methyl salicylate
to the cube and then hammering it in a darkened room to dem-
onstrate triboluminescence? Heck, would any of them suggest
using a sugar cube to sweeten their coffee or tea?
The point of standardized curriculum is to standardize people.
They are much easier to manage and control if they think and
act alike.
We hear a lot from politicians about closing educational
achievement gaps. Depending on which special interest group
they are addressing, you’ll hear rhetoric about closing the gen-
der gap, racial gap, economic gap, and opportunity gap as they
all (we are told) negatively impact the goal of public education.
Lately, the government tells us that closing all of those gaps be-
gins with preschool.
Our government isn’t the first to suggest it. Political regimes
(the Nazis and Communists, for example), have come and gone
knowing the meaning of Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the
way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
The absorbent minds of young children are highly susceptible to
government control. Indoctrinate babies with the state pablum
of social and political philosophy wrapped up in standardized
curriculum and they will be loyal to their Government Nanny
forever.
So, why are you minding the gap? What is it exactly that you
are afraid your child will miss? Reading? Writing? Arithmetic?
Building Missions with sugar cubes? Face your fear. Give it a
name. Make a list. Then really look at that list and determine
what is most important in order to give your child the educa-
tional foundation that will allow him or her to become an au-
tonomous, self-directed learner. If that is your goal, following
a curriculum and agenda created by the state (or anyone else) is
counter-intuitive.
Learning to Read
We’d probably all agree that learning to read is important.
John Taylor Gatto, the author of “Dumbing Us Down,” who
taught in New York schools for 30 years, reports that it only
takes 100 contact hours to teach a child to read. If that’s true, is
it necessary to have “reading” as a required subject for an hour a
day, for 180 school days each year, for fourteen years, from pre-
school through high school? If not, why would you insist upon it
in your homeschool?
We’d also concur that writing is an important skill to learn.
In our society you must have the skill to communicate your
thoughts legibly to someone else, in writing. The debate rages
about what to teach first — printing or cursive. In 2003, I con-
tacted Dr. Steve Graham of the University of Maryland, who has
conducted research studies on handwriting, and he said there
isn’t any conclusive evidence that shows one style is preferable
over the other, in terms of legibility and speed. If that’s true, why
do some homeschoolers -- who can opt out of school agenda --
insist on teaching both? Rather than learning two ways to write,
it may be more productive to learn one way to write along with
typing. Keyboarding will be a more useful secondary skill, over-
all. Your child is more likely to learn it quickly if you don’t turn
the activity into drudgery with compulsory, schoolish lessons.
In fact, take a page from Nicholas Negroponte’s book. A for-
mer director of the MIT Media Library, he founded the non-prof-
it organization, One Laptop Per Child. Their goal is to provide
every child in the third world with the XO Laptop computer for
free. Acknowledging that traditional schooling is too slow and
ineffective, their mission statement includes this:
“Any nation’s most precious natural resource is its children.
We believe the emerging world must leverage this resource by
tapping into the children’s innate capacities to learn, share, and
create on their own. Our answer to that challenge is the XO lap-
top, a children’s machine designed for ‘learning learning.’”
In a recent interview on the 20/20 television program, Negro-
ponte reported that children in emerging nations learn to use
the computer with very little instruction. They aren’t required
to take endless lessons in computer classes. They are simply
provided with a computer (the XO Laptop) and intuitively figure
it out, or are mentored by friends who quickly show them how
to use it. Negroponte claims it opens their world to unlimited
knowledge while expanding their creative and problem-solving
potential. The reporter who interviewed him double-checked
with a professor who insisted hours of instruction and supervi-
sion should be given. I guess he’s afraid of the potential this
project has for informational gaps among the laptop learners.
Nevertheless, Negroponte says that children in the most re-
mote regions of the world are being “given the opportunity to
tap into their own potential, to be exposed to a whole world of
ideas, and to contribute to a more productive and saner world
Get Into Shape!
Great for the entire family
A fun exercise for all ages
community.” If this free-style method of learning works so well
for third-world children, perhaps more homeschoolers should try
it. Abandon the school model. Quit worrying about gaps and get
on with the joy and adventure of learning.
Learning Math
As for arithmetic, the majority of people need to understand
enough consumer math not to be cheated, fooled, or kept perpet-
ually impoverished in a credit-card world. In a consumer culture
it’s interesting that we don’t think kids need lessons in how to
spend money. It’s mystifying (and oh-so-telling) that we don’t
give them lessons in how to manage money, either.
Once your child understands elementary math processes, then
teach your kids to review and balance bank statements. Show
them how to decipher financial statements. Learn to calculate
compounded interest on credit card balances and loans. Show
them how to invest their money. Take Robert Kiyosaki’s advice.
He’s the author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and encourages parents
to give their children a financial education. Help them under-
stand that it is far better to have your money work for you, than
to have to work forever for money.
Next up, what would happen if your son or daughter never
built a sugar-cube Mission or anything at all from sugar cubes?
Would their lives and ability to learn be stunted? Of course not,
that’s ridiculous. Let go of your fear and quit minding the gap.
Homeschoolers have embraced the idea that school is not the
only place where one can learn socialization skills. Perhaps
more should question whether following schoolish curriculum is
the only way to get a “complete” education.
As you disembark the linear school train, don’t spend all of
your time minding the gap. You may miss the wonderful sights,
sounds, and learning opportunities that abound in the liberated
and abundant landscape of your homeschool destination.
D.F.K. L
About the Author:
Diane Flynn Keith homeschooled her two sons for 14 years in
the San Francisco Bay Area. She produces Homefires.com an
online journal and resource center for homeschool families. She
offers support and encouragement to thousands of homeschool
families through her numerous free e-lists at Yahoo Groups. (To
join the lists visit: www.homefires.com/support.asp.)
Diane is the author of the book, “Carschooling: Over 350 En-
tertaining Games & Activities To Turn Travel Time Into Learn-
ing Time,” published by Random House. (www.carschooling.
com) She is also the publisher of ClickSchooling (www.home-
fires.com/free.asp) - a FREE daily e-service that provides rec-
ommendations for great educational websites on the Net.
Copyright, 2007, by Diane Flynn Keith. All rights reserved.
Call Today 1-800-232-5762
Or Order
Online www.needakrebounders.com
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 61
 How To Encourage Motivation
D
ear Learning-SuccessTM Coaches:
What can I do to motivate my eight-year-old
son to learn? Although he asks a lot of questions
and is very curious about reptiles, animals, and
insects, he’s not interested in school subjects. I’ve tried all
kinds of rewards and punishments, but I’m tired of think-
ing of new ways to get him involved in his studies. Isn’t he
ruining his future?
Thanks, Cathy
Dear Cathy,
The truth about motivation is that kids have it in abun-
dance. It is their nature to be interested in the world and
motivated to learn about it.
There are several ways to encourage and enliven a child’s
natural desire to learn. Over and over again, we find that the
eager learner is revived when a child’s strengths are accen-
tuated and when they have freedom to pursue their interests.
This is a wonderful opportunity to turn your frustration and
confusion into learning success for your son.
Here are a few suggestions:
Stop relying on rewards, punishment, threats, and lec-
tures. They aren’t working for you, and research shows that
they won’t work.
Find out your child’s learning style and yours also. The
more knowledge you have about what works for him and
what works for you, the more understanding and f lexible
you can be.
You and your son can choose a curriculum based on his
learning style, especially his interests. The curriculum that
looks interesting to you isn’t likely to appeal to (or to be ap-
propriate for) him.
Suggest that your son “major” in things he enjoys. This
means that he will spend more time doing the kinds of ac-
tivities that he enjoys and less time doing the activities that
aren’t as enjoyable. It sounds as if reptiles, insects, and ani-
mals are his major interests right now.
You and your son can determine daily schedules together.
You will be surprised by how creative and receptive he is
likely to be when he knows that he has a say in the things
that affect him most.
When You Talk About His Future, Please Use Caution
When you talk about an eight year old ruining his future
because he isn’t interested in school studies, your fears are
clouding your perceptions. The truth is that your son has
Hands On Learning Games
for Park, Car and Home!
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11 titles available; Bilingual (Spanish-English) OR English
Page 62 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
about ten more years to learn the academic skills that he
needs. Let him progress at his own pace. Not only will he
enjoy the learning process, he will make steady progress.
Dear Learning-Success(tm) Coaches:
My daughter is seven years old and is not reading yet. She
is very interested in books, loves looking at the pictures,
likes to listen to stories, and she is very good at retelling
and discussing them. Would I be able to help her with her
reading if I knew more about her learning style? Thanks,
Kris
Dear Kris,
Reading is a developmental skill. Some people are ready
at four years old, some won’t be ready to learn until they are
eight, nine, or ten years old. There is nothing that we can
do to make someone learn a skill that they are not ready for.
The incredible stress we put on our children to start to read
at four, five, or six years old is counterproductive as well as
damaging to their self-esteem. and blocks further learning.
Until we learn this as a society and start to work with the
developmental readiness and learning styles of each child,
more and more children will continue to be left behind.
You can help your daughter become a good reader by:
1. backing off
2. reading to her often
3. providing tools that work for her learning style
Your daughter is giving some clues that she is a Visual-
Picture learner. This means that she needs to have pictures
integrated WITH letters to learn phonetic sounds.
If she likes to draw, she can draw pictures, tell you the
story about the picture, and you can write it for her. She
might want to experiment with typing the story from what
you have written or write part of it herself.
What is most important is that you provide her with many
opportunities to have successful, fun experiences with print
and pictures in relationship to one another.
We know of many students who did not read until they
were 13 or 14 years old. Within a year or two there was no
difference between their abilities and those of children who
began reading at ages five or six.
c o py r ig ht 2 0 03 V K Ho d s o n & M PWi l l i s / L e a r n i n g-
Success(tm) Institute, www.learningsuccesscoach.com
Email questions to info@learningsuccesscoach.com or
fax to 805-643-8633.
 Am I Qualified To Teach My Own?
By Gary Grammar
[Ed. Note: This article is a number of years old, but we feel
the underlying reasoning is still relevant. It is possible that
all states have higher standards for teachers than was the
O
case in 1998.]
n July 2, 1998, a story out of Massachusetts was
carried by the Associated Press describing the
failure of 56% of the aspiring teachers of that
state in the reading and writing portion of the
teacher exam.
The governor referred to the failed test-takers as idiots and
the state head of education suggested lowering the standards
for prospective teachers. (Somewhat like intellectual limbo
dancing: “How low can you go?”) The teachers’ unions con-
sidered this music to their ears, while much of the state legis-
lature fumed along with the governor.
Most of the reason for the hubbub was that this exam was
not particularly difficult. The “56 Percenters” missed spell-
ing words a nine-year-old is expected to know, could not
write in complete sentences and failed to correctly define a
noun or verb. No matter how sympathetic one might want to
be, this really is inexcusable! These college grads are sup-
posed to become teachers —having completed the degree
portion of the certification process, the remainder should
be a cakewalk, intellectually. Many homeschooling parents
can attest to the fact that members of the teaching occupa-
tion strongly question (and doubt) if parents are capable of
teaching their own children. I have never met a homeschool-
ing parent whom I thought could not spell on the level of a
nine-year-old. Nor have I ever met one who could not write
in complete sentences —even if simple sentences —at least
they are complete. Also I am confident that every such parent
I have ever met would be able to define a noun and a verb.
This is very poignant because one often overhears prospec-
tive homeschool parents expressing, with worry lines creas-
ing brows, “What if I am not qualified to teach my children?”
This statement takes on new meaning in light of the Massa-
chusetts 56-Percenter performance. What exactly is “quali-
fied to teach your children”?
A teacher’s job in public school is to move a group of 30 to
40 children through time, on time. If the school administra-
tion has decided that the 5th grade classes must be on page
65 of the math text by Thanksgiving break, then the teacher’s
duty is to have her class on page 65.
I do not wish to demean the work involved in such an un-
dertaking. (I do not believe that I could do it.) However, I
wish to point out that this work is not particularly intellectual
in nature. This sort of teaching is more crowd control and
schedule maintenance than it is Plato strolling through the or-
chards of Greece switching on the cranial lights in the minds
of his students.
When it comes to teaching one’s own child, love enters
into the picture. The loving parent teaches her child anyway,
tying shoes, eating with utensils, dressing, etc., why let an
intrusive government program interfere when it comes to
academics? Massachusetts’ 56 Percenters prove the folly of
Mass Ed. Unless one has more than three children, there
is little crowd control to consider, and at home, time is on
the parent-teacher’s side. You have a full 16 hours in which
to switch on the cranial lights of your students and bring
to them an abundance of wonderful information! Although
some times of day are more suited to brain activity than oth-
ers, the home-teaching parent has the clear advantage over
the school teacher.
When do you suppose school teachers are going to read the
same newspapers as the rest of us, realize that we are very
aware of the 56 Percenters (and other aberrations of institu-
tional teaching) and come clean that “Yes, of course, parents
are just as qualified as school teachers to teach their own.” If
you, or any homeschooling parent you know, has a problem
with f lak from a school teacher I suggest you visit your local
newspaper’s morgue and obtain the July 2, 1998 story about
the 56 Percenters in Massachusetts. Clip it out, photocopy it
and distribute it to every homeschooling family you know.
The next time a school teacher asks you if you are qualified
to teach your own child, hand him a copy of the article and
ask “How could I not be qualified?” Then — right before his
eyes — perform a demonstration of your ability: Spell four
or five words your nine-year-old can spell. Write a paragraph
composed of three short, but complete sentences (with a
subject and a predicate) and then write out the definition of
a noun: (A word that names a person, place or thing.) And
then a verb (A word that shows action or being.) Hand him/
her the sheet of paper demonstrating that you have English
skill enough to pass the Massachusetts exam and await his
response. G.G.
Copyright, 2010 by AMNI. All rights reserved.
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 63
 Enjoying the Process
By Mary Hood, Ph.D.
I
n the early childhood profession, there is a distinction
made between “process” and “product” when work-
ing with kindergarten students. In an arts and crafts
program for preschoolers, one popular project is shav-
ing cream art. In this project, the teacher gives each of the
children a metal tray, a can of shaving cream, and some
powdered paint. The children smear the shaving cream all
over the tray, shake on the paint, and use their hands to swirl
the colors throughout the shaving cream, making a very at-
tractive mess. As soon as they are finished, the trays are
washed off, and nothing remains to show their parents at the
end of the day. The emphasis is on the creative process, and
is an example of the purest form of art. On the same day,
the children may make pictures of snowmen, using pre-cut
shapes that were actually created by the teachers. Each pic-
ture comes out virtually identical and the parents are handed
a product suitable for hanging on the refrigerator at the end
of the day.
There is a place for both types of experiences, both in early
childhood education and in life. Too often, however, we place
more emphasis on the ultimate product, and forget to value
and enjoy the process itself. For example, when children are
learning to read and write, too often parents and teachers
emphasize the grade levels they have achieved on a standard-
ized test, the number of vocabulary words they have learned,
or the number of books or pages they have read in a par-
ticular week. It often isn’t until a mother is raising her fifth
child, or has become a grandmother, that she finally learns to
fully appreciate the experience of sitting next to a child and
watching him or her struggle to fit together sounds, know-
ing that all too soon, that child will be off to college, writing
term papers. Many potentially joyful moments are lost when
the product is assigned a higher priority than the enjoyment
of the process.
I started thinking about this idea of enjoying the process
when I was making Christmas cookies for Valentine’s Day.
I was planning to use the recipe for Christmas cookies, cut
them into heart-shapes and decorate them with red sugar. Un-
fortunately, at the crucial moment, I couldn’t find the heart-
shaped cutters. They eventually wound up as red gingerbread
men, without the gingerbread. At the start of the process, the
dough was too sticky, and kept clinging to the rolling pin. At
one point I started to get so frustrated I almost threw away
the whole batch. As I was standing there, allowing myself
Get Into Shape!
Great for the entire family
A fun exercise for all ages
Page 64 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
to get more and more upset, contemplating the garbage can
with a huge wad of uncooperative dough in my hand, it sud-
denly dawned on me that I was being ridiculous. What was
the point of this whole project, anyway? Was it really to wind
up with a beautiful plate of heart-shaped cookies, made out
of white f loor, white sugar, red sugar and butter, in order
to clog the arteries of the adults in the family and send any
visiting children into sugar fits so I had to scrape them off
the ceiling? No. The real reason I was doing it was because
I missed the experience of making cookies with my children
now that they are grown up, and wanted to recapture that
feeling. I went back to the process, enjoyed the experience of
messing everything up, and wound up with cookies that were
somewhat less photogenic and holiday-appropriate than I had
planned, but eaten with gusto just the same.
Of course, this leads to the next process we all should learn
to enjoy: Weight control. Again, too many adults get focused
on a specific product they want to create: A slimmer, young-
er-looking body, a particular Hollywood-created image, a
certain number on the scale. We try to stay on diets, exercise
like crazy for a few days, and then, too often, give up when
the scale starts to head the other way, despite our sporadic
efforts to stay on track. What if, instead of focusing on the
product, we found a way to enjoy the process, instead?
I have finally found something I actually enjoying doing on
a daily basis, trotting through the woods with my dog. I can’t
really call it running because I’m just not as fast I was in my
younger days. It’s definitely more cardio-friendly than walk-
ing, though. The process looks just silly enough to make the
younger runners smirk and yet attract admiring looks from
the elderly folks who are out for their leisurely strolls. It
doesn’t matter to me what any of them think, because I have
found the exact pace that is right for me. Because I am genu-
inely enjoying the process, I have stuck to my exercise plan
for several years now. Even though my weight still f luctuates
a bit, it really doesn’t bother me anymore because I am much
more focused on the health aspects of weight control and the
enjoyment of being in the woods with my dog than I am on
the image I present to the outside world. If I had attempted
to create the same product through a process I didn’t enjoy,
such as going to a gym to use exercise equipment, I would
have given up long ago.
The other aspect of weight control is diet. This has been
continued on page 98
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 Stop! In the Name of Life
By Richard J. Prystowsky
T
he other day, I was sitting with a younger colleague of
mine at an end-of-the-school-year social gathering. She had
brought along her two-month-old baby boy, her first child.
At the same gathering, my 17-year-old son, who attends the
college where I work, was socializing with his classmates. Thinking
about my son when he was an infant, I told my colleague that I recall
being able to place my thumb at the nape of my son’s neck and reach
his waist with the tip of my pinky. I was tempted to ask my colleague
if I could try doing this with her baby, but I decided simply to enjoy the
memory of my son’s infancy.
The week before this gathering, my wife and I attended our older
daughter’s graduation from the University of Alabama, where she
received a PhD degree in social work. At a celebration party held in
our daughter’s honor, I had a flashback: I recalled a beautiful spring
afternoon when my daughter was perhaps nine or ten years old. She
and I had impulsively decided to take a car ride together, heading no-
where in particular. We spent much of the car ride repetitively playing
a game in which she would ask me first what my favorite animal was,
then what my favorite color was, and finally what my favorite number
was, and then would proceed to tell me that I was (for example) a blue
horse with 17 legs.
Both of these flashbacks serve as a reminder to me that life is always
in transition and that, as parents, if we are not present with and for
our children, we will miss the many opportunities offered to us to be
fully there with them. I recall that, when I stretched my hand across
my son’s back, I experienced an awe at his miraculous being that
remains with me to this day and that I was able to experience again
as I watched him mill about, chatting with his friends. I also recall
that, when my daughter and I took our drive, I played the guessing
game with her with fervor, carefully considering each choice that I
made, game after game. Every moment was a miracle. Each moment
we were fully alive, greatly enjoying each other’s company. I felt this
intense “aliveness” again when we celebrated together her recent aca-
demic achievement.
An old Jewish proverb states that “man plans and God laughs.” John
Lennon has given us a trenchant modern version of this wisdom in his
famous line “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making
other plans.” Fittingly, this line appears in the song “Beautiful Boy
(Darling Boy),” John’s beautiful love song to his then-young son Sean.
When John took some time off from what had been an extraordinarily
demanding musical career, he didn’t hide the fact that he wanted to
spend time being with his family. As he always did when he wrote
from his heart, John deeply understood what he was writing about in
his love song to Sean.
As did John Lennon, many of us homeschooling parents desire to
stop running through life so that we can spend extended amounts of
meaningful time with our families. But sometimes I wonder if, as
Shakespeare’s Hamlet might say, we honor this desire more in the
breach than in the observance. I wonder if, for example, we often place
more importance on our children’s academic success than we place on
our families’ just being together, enjoying each other’s company.
Whatever our reasons for homeschooling, we need to understand
that even the best curriculum, workbooks, book report projects, lesson
plans, or, at the other end of the spectrum, unschooling (in)activities
are of secondary importance. Of primary importance is our ability to
take advantage of the daily familial miracles that present themselves
to us in each moment of our daily lives.
When a mother takes her ten-year-old son for a walk, for example,
she might want to show him a tiny flower growing in the crack between
two slabs of concrete sidewalk. She could ask him to look closely at the
flower so that he experiences the miraculous wonder of the universe
that is contained in that tiny flower. Just by sharing this experience
with him, she will help him to understand that the entire cosmos came
together to help grow the flower, whose life has no beginning and no
end, “because,” the mother might say, “nothing in the world comes
into being out of nowhere, and, when this little flower dies, it merely
becomes mixed into the ground and the air and therefore continues
its existence elsewhere.” The mother might also say, “Look closely at
this flower, whose appearance is itself the miracle of life,” a miracle
that the mother, herself fully present for this experience, understands
is helping us to grasp the notion of life’s continual state of being and
becoming. If the mother has a spiritual life and wants to teach her son
about God, she could do no better than to have her son be fully there
with the flower and to be there herself, fully, with and for her son.
The Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches
that we ourselves are like flowers. To help our children grow, we need
to nourish them as we would nourish seedlings that we hope will
manifest into beautiful flowers: By watering our children’s seeds of
happiness, joy, compassion, and other positive qualities and attributes.
Thich Nhat Hanh refers to this process as “selective watering,” in
which, in ourselves and others, “[w]e water only the good seeds and
refrain from watering the negative seeds,” such as fear and violence
(Peace Begins Here, p. 45).
Life is always in transition. Our children are always growing. We
cannot stop these processes, whether or not we would want to. But we
continued on page 101
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 65
 Teton Science Schools
T
By Carol Sacher
eton Science Schools turns the word ‘science’ into a
verb by Actively Engaging Students in the Process of
Learning.
“Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may re-
member. Involve me and I will understand.” -- Chinese Proverb
Located near the wildly-beautiful environment of Grand Teton
National Park in northwestern Wyoming, Teton Science Schools
offers groups of homeschoolers (and their families) an almost
indescribable opportunity to participate in the study of geology,
plant and animal habitation and ecology. Since 1967, Teton Sci-
ence Schools have educated and inspired thousands of children,
youth and adults about the natural and cultural history of the
area through place-based, field science experiences.
School & Youth Groups
Throughout the year, Teton Science Schools not only offer
a variety of outdoor educational programs for children of all
ages but they also custom-design three-to-seven day “hands-on/
minds-on” programs to meet the needs, interests and objectives
of any group, whether the goal is to foster leadership skills or
create and build awareness of place-based education using the
Greater Yellowstone Geo-ecosystem as a classroom.
“Whether studying elk migration, sage grouse populations,
wolf and bear behavior, wetlands habitat or wildflower produc-
tion, this area is a laboratory rich with wildlife and wildland
variety.” Using this area and its vast, natural wealth as its “class-
room”, Teton Science Schools are able to provide an unforgetta-
ble, educational, hands-on learning experience for youth groups
of all ages and ability levels!
“The level of instruction at Teton Science Schools is phenom-
enal,” said, Martha Daltoso, a homeschool mom who has orga-
nized groups of homeschoolers to attend Teton Science Schools.
“Yet, they are able to customize the program to handle not only
kids of all ages but also different ability levels,” she continued.
“It is real-life learning. These kids return home ready to share
their knowledge because they are so ecstatic about what they’ve
learned and how they learned it.”
With a wide array of existing programs and the custom-de-
signed programs, the students may participate in a magnitude of
activities, such as:
• Ecological field research with plants transects, water quality
testing, or snow science
• Exploration of the effects of fire, glaciers and earthquakes
on the land
• Wildlife tracking and animal adaptation studies
Page 66 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
• Witnessing the effects of regional geologic forces.
• Service-learning stewardship projects
• Hiking, skiing or snowshoeing in the Tetons
According to Joe Petrick, Educational Programs Coordina-
tor, Teton Science Schools has a strong focus on field research.
He continued by describing one ongoing field research project
where the students are using GPS units (Global Positioning
Systems) to track and document the distribution of pica, a small
rabbit-like animal. The students are then encouraged to develop
questions and a hypothesis, collect data, synthesize the data,
create and share their presentation, which encourages asking ad-
ditional questions. The information gathered is actually used by
researchers in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems and beyond.
Summer Youth Adventures
Teton Science Schools offer nearly 40 summer adventure ses-
sions, which provide a huge variety of educational activities for
individual kids of all ages. Six to seven-years-old kids can spend
five days learning about amazing animals and their habitats, us-
ing the tools of a naturalist and their own senses as they safari
across this incredible valley -- Jackson Hole.
One of the many summer programs for older kids (12-15 years
of age) offers a spectacular opportunity for future adventure/
nature writers by attending the five-day Adventuring Authors.
By observing and absorbing outdoor life, these students will in-
terpret, express and record their visions as poems, short stories
or research papers.
As Nick Delmolino, Marketing Coordinator, points out, “Your
child may not have graduated from high school yet, but this sum-
mer they can join a university . . . the University of Nature at
Teton Science Schools. With over 100 courses and multiple dis-
ciplines for students entering Kindergarten through 12th grade,
Teton Science Schools offers some serious fun!”
Professional Staff
Whether students enroll in one of the school and youth group
programs or one of the summer programs, it is the mission of
Teton Science Schools’ staff to ensure that all students -- kids
and parents -- leave with a profound understanding and appre-
ciation for this area’s unique eco-system and how to apply those
lessons to their own local environment.
With over 25 years of experience in environmental, outdoor
and science education, Jack Shea, Executive Director since
1988, selects staff and faculty that not only have college degrees
and often advance degrees but have extensive experience teach-
continued on page 104
 Notes on the Charlotte Mason Method
N
By Catherine Levison
ature Study
Charlotte Mason wrote extensively on various educa-
tional philosophies and she held to an unusual emphasis
of taking children outside every day to be in direct contact
with nature. She really means every day, and she lived with the less-
than-perfect weather of England. The objective is to help the child
learn to be observant. The parent can relax, sit on a blanket, bring
a project or a book along, and make this a leisurely outing, casually
point out scenery around your children. Charlotte suggests we ask
them “Who can see the most and tell the most about . . .” any plants,
insects, or anything nearby. This appears to be a form of narration to
me. With as little talking as possible and absolutely no lecturing, at-
tempt to have them notice the geography of the area, the position of
the sun, the weather, and the clouds.
In order to foster the power of observation you need to take your
children to places where they will find things worth observing. Char-
lotte wanted children to have beautiful memories of their childhood
stored for their old age and thought too many of us have blurry memo-
ries due to the fact we did not slow down and really look at things. To
remedy this, she suggests that on rare occasions we have the child take
a mental photograph of some scenic landscape. Have the child look,
then shut their eyes and describe the scene. If it is too blurry in their
minds, have them open their eyes, look again, and make a second at-
tempt.
Getting outside this often can be difficult, I know. I live with rainy
coastal conditions, and I tend to not be an outdoor person. However,
there is refreshment and a literal re?creation involved that makes this
worth the effort. Living in an urban or suburban area is going to make
finding a natural setting more difficult. Our family has done a fair
amount of nature observation in our cultivated suburban yard, and
one advantage I can think of is that I know the names of the trees
we’ve planted. If planning regular trips out of the city seems impos-
sible to you, start small, and don’t be discouraged. Cities always have
parks and arboretums. Maybe you can plan a family vacation with a
new outlook of getting to more natural places.
A side benefit of observation is recognition. Charlotte Mason wrote,
“[in] science or rather nature study, we attach great importance to
recognition.” Some examples Charlotte provided are plants, stones,
constellations, birds, field crops, and leaves. On the other hand the
schools using Mason’s philosophy say they were “extremely careful
not to burden the verbal memory with scientific nomenclature.” How
then does the recognition process develop? By being careful to “teach
the thing before the name” as an article in Charlotte Mason’ periodi-
cal put it. Children easily learn the name when the item is present and
Get Into Shape!
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A fun exercise for all ages
they need a name for it. So we teach them the correct term like pollen
or antennae instead of “sticky-up-thing.”
Nature Walks
One afternoon a week take the children out for a nature walk. These
are not instructive walks because we want them to observe with very
little direction from us. One reason is that science should be studied in
an ordered sequence, which is not possible with the randomness you
will encounter out walking. The parent may be asked questions, and it
is permissible to answer; that’s why it is recommended we adults work
on our nature knowledge somewhat. There is nothing wrong with not
knowing and looking it up at home in a field guide. You can invite a
naturalist to come with you, provided you can locate one and they
agree to follow the Mason’s method (e.g. , not lecturing the children)
to some degree. I have used private property for these walks, with
permission, and often the owner enjoys supplying a little information
about the plant life or animal life of their area. Try to visit the same
area quarterly to note how the seasons have altered the life.
Tree Observation
A good time of year to begin observing trees, according to Ed-
ward M. Tuttle, is in the winter when the trees are bare. He wrote
an in?depth article for Charlotte Mason on how to study trees. This
approach could be used on trees in your yard as well as trees in the
forest, I believe. You can sketch the tree, noting the branches and
the bark. Mr. Tuttle also wisely suggests we observe what birds and
insects live in the trees we are visiting. He suggests we find out what
purpose trees are used for, such as syrup, nuts, or the wood.
Mr. Tuttle also suggests getting sample pieces of woods in length-
wise and crosswise cuts and then comparing the natural state of it to
the “finished” state of being oiled and polished. You could try collect-
ing samples from your local lumberyard. One source I’ve found for
mail?order wood samples is a company called Woodcraft. They offer
a Wood Identification Kit that includes fifty 4”x 9” samples (for under
$30.00). It comes with a list of species, botanical names, and country
of origin. You can write for their catalog at 210 Wood County Indus-
trial Park, P. O. Box 1686, Parkersburg, WV 26102?1686 or call them
at 1?800?535?4482. They have retail outlets in various major cities
throughout the country, which you’ll find listed in the catalog.
Other ways to Study Nature
Some other science ideas are pressing and mounting flowers on
cardboard. Write their names and where and when you found them.
I recently saw a photo?album used to store pressed flowers. Having a
field guide to identify flowers and flowering trees is very helpful. A
calendar devoted to nature observation could be kept with simple en-
continued on page 145
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 Kay’s Kareer Korner
Careers 4 Students - http://careers4students.com/contact
A
By Kay Miller, Career Counselor
s a career counselor, I talk to a lot of parents of high
school (and college) kids, worried and frustrated
that they don’t have a clue as to what they want to
“be” when they grow up. Chances are, their parents
didn’t know either, when they were their kid’s age! How can
kids possibly know what career they want to pursue, when their
knowledge of their options are limited to what they see on T.V.
or at school?
Instead of expecting their kids to select a career goal, parents
should instead help their kids identify their natural abilities and
interests, taking into account their distinct personality to dis-
cover a direction, and not an end goal, to pursue. If you read the
stories of many successful people, you’ll see their path looks
more like a meandering river rather than a straight highway.
Besides adjusting your expectations of your kid’s career
goals, let’s also redefine “work.” Work is often seen as drudg-
ery, something you have to do, and certainly not something you
like to do. Common expressions support this idea. “Work is a
four-letter word.” “Thank God it’s Friday.” And these concepts
are supposed to inspire and motivate our kids? I don’t think so!
A better, more inspiring definition may be:
Work gives each individual the opportunity to use their best
skills, doing what they love to do, in order to realize their full-
est potential.
I know what you’re thinking: “We need to be practical.” But
how practical is it to force your kids to do something they don’t
want to do, or for which they are not suited? Think of the kids
who went to college and dropped out without ever finishing.
Think of the wasted time and money. In fact, look at one ques-
tion I received from a frustrated parent:
Q: I paid a fortune for my daughter to attend a 4-year uni-
versity. She did not finish because she is very interested in the
fashion world, landed a high paying job in a boutique in Bev-
erly Hills and does not want to return to school. What do you
think I should do?
A: First, be thankful she found a job in these tough economic
times, and especially grateful because it’s “high-paying.”
Second, stop harping on college. Chances are, this was your
dream, not hers. Third, praise her for her job success. This
means asking and then REALLY listening to her talk about her
job; what she likes about it, what she’s learning, and where she
sees herself; what are her dreams? Does she like dealing with
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A fun exercise for all ages
Page 68 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
the customers the most? Or does she like to help display the
merchandise? Would she like to help decide what the store buys
to in turn sell, or is she interested in design? Would she like to
have her own store?
How she answers these questions will determine what type
of further education or training she needs to develop the skills
she’ll need to reach her dreams. It MAY be college in the form
of a Business or Marketing degree. Or it may be a vocational
school in fashion design and merchandising. Either way, she’s
much more likely to pursue additional education if she sees how
it will help her reach her (and not your) dream.
You may be thinking, that mom has nothing to worry about
because her daughter has a job, and maybe even some very re-
alistic options. But consider this next question:
Q: My son only wants to do music and theater. What sugges-
tions do you have regarding college?
A: Let’s set aside the college question for now and start with
his interests in music and theater. Chances are your son likes
to sing and act. He likes a lot of attention. He’s probably the
“life of the party,” is very outgoing, and makes friends easily.
His personality is going to be very useful, especially on a job
interview, but also in any career that requires leadership.
But let’s discuss his interests and how to develop his natural
talents. Get him involved in his school’s choir and theater. If
he’s homeschooled, this may be more difficult, so you may
need to involve him in a church choir, or community chorus
or theater. These activities will help him learn technique, and
also provide him with valuable performance experience. If he
doesn’t play a musical instrument, encourage him to learn gui-
tar or piano. It will help him learn music theory and how to read
music. He’ll also be able to accompany himself.
I’m sure you’ve heard the of Marsha Sinetar’s career develop-
ment book Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow (it’s
a good read and I highly recommend it). In it, she tells numer-
ous real-life stories of people who followed their dreams, but
they all had to work very, very hard. In other words, loving the
work wasn’t enough; preparation, planning and hard work are
also absolutely necessary to realize your dreams.
Even if your son doesn’t pursue either interest professionally,
training and participation in these areas will give him hours of
enjoyment throughout his life. Performing will give him confi-
dence, especially if he ever has to give a formal presentation or
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lead a meeting.
But let’s assume that he actually wants to go to college and
major in Music or Theater Arts. At least he wants to go to
college! Choosing the right college is very important (and a
specialty of counseling in and of itself – college counseling).
Regardless of the college, he’ll be required to take general edu-
cation courses such as English, psychology as well as courses
in the arts. He may decide that he really doesn’t have the pas-
sion or the talent to pursue this professionally (especially as he
meets other very talented kids). He may then settle on another
major, without losing much time in the process. His chances
of actually graduating are greatly enhanced, because he’s had
a chance to explore his options and choose one that suits him
well. And if he does have the passion and talent, wouldn’t you
rather he graduate with a major in Theater Arts than drop out
and never finish at all?
In case you’re not convinced, let me tell you the story of
“Matt” (not his real name) whose parents sent him off to a four-
year university right out of high school. He wanted to major in
music, but his parents wanted
him to be “practical.” So he
struggled the first two years,
finally settling on Environ-
mental Science, perhaps in-
fluenced by Al Gore’s movie
“An Inconvenient Truth.” He
quit his junior year because
he just didn’t like it, and was
failing his classes. He is now
back living at home, working
at a pizza parlor and taking
classes at a local community
college taking - you guessed
it – music classes! He has a
lot of catching up to do, but
he loves going to school, even
though he has to juggle working with his class schedule. But
think of the tens of thousands of dollars wasted in tuition that
will never be recovered, not to mention the three years he spent
going to a university that his parents – not he – wanted.
College is not for everyone; so what about trade, or vocational
schools? Consider this parent’s question:
Q: In this economic climate, it seems like a trade school
would be more advantageous and practical than a four-year
school. What do you advise?
A: Regardless of the economy, the type of education I rec-
ommend should be determined by your student’s interests and
natural abilities. If your child wants to be an attorney, then he
MUST go to college. But if he loves to fix or build things, then
a trade or vocational school would more likely offer the training
he’d need to succeed. There are numerous private vocational
schools, as well as training through adult education facilities.
Don’t forget community colleges, which not only offer transfer
to four-year colleges and universities, but also offer a variety of
vocational training programs.
I was intrigued with this parent’s question about her son’s
future after college:
Q: My son is applying to graduate schools. The competition is
so fierce, I’m concerned with the emotional repercussions from
the grueling process. How do you think it can be handled?
A: My first thought is, you’re kidding, right? If you think ap-
plying for graduate school is tough, try getting a job fresh out
of college, without any professional work experience.
But, back to your question. The first consideration is: What’s
his goal? Is it to postpone entry into the real world and avoid
actually proving his value to a business? Or is graduate school
necessary to realize his dream?
Let’s assume it’s the latter.
Going through “the gr ueling
process” of applying to gradu-
ate school is great preparation
for life: Working hard for some-
thing you want, dealing with re-
jection and disappointment, and
persisting no matter what. Over-
coming obstacles like this is the
BEST (and possibly ONLY) way
to develop true self-esteem. It
can’t be developed by receiv-
ing praise and awards just for
breathing or showing up. Some
schools won’t give out awards
for good performance, unless
EVERY student gets an award.
Unfortunately by the time they graduate from college, a great
majority think they are entitled to the best, high-paying jobs,
without “paying their dues.” No wonder so many college gradu-
ates return home, unable to become independent, autonomous
adults.
So, encourage your son. Tell him he can do it. But HE needs
to do the work. Do NOT bail him out if he isn’t willing to do
the work himself. Give him ideas, but let him follow through
and do the work himself, or help him identify and approach an
expert who can help him succeed.
Do you have a question for Kay? Email them to: careers4stu-
dents@yahoo.com
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 69
 Create Your High School Transcript in Five Easy Steps

I
By Janice Campbell
like to make things simple. There are few things sadder his or her learning style, plans for the future, and the resources
than a homeschooling parent who would like to home- you have available. Just as in earlier grades, you’ll find that
school through high school, but is considering giving learning happens more easily when information is presented
up because keeping high school records and creating a in a way that is appropriate for the student’s learning style.
transcript sounds like an insurmountable challenge. I’ve been Auditory learners do well with audio and video resources; vi-
through the process four times with my own sons, and I’d like sual learners do well with books; and kinesthetic learners do
to share the basic steps that helped make recordkeeping simple. best when they can move around and experience learning in a
If you’re like me and you’d rather spend time with people than hands-on way. Each of the required subjects can be covered in
paperwork, you may find this five-step process helpful as a way that fits the learner.
well. If your student is college-bound, or if he or she will be earn-
Cr e at e a Tr a n s c r ipt: Five ing college credits while in high
Simple Steps school (my book, Get a Jump Start
1 Understand the purpose of on College, explains how and why
the transcript and basic format- “Your goal in creating descriptive to do this), you must not only keep
ting guidelines. class names is to provide a clear excellent records, but you also
2 Create a plan that covers need to ensure that the classes
core high school requirements picture of your student’s academic you’ve planned meet or exceed the
in a way that is appropriate for interests and strengths.” admission requirements of the col-
the st udent’s lear ning st yle, lege your student hopes to attend.
abilities, and goals. Most colleges list these require-
3 Accumulate essential records ments, along with the academic
using Subject Worksheets and other organizational tools. profile of the average student admitted, on the college website.
4 Create a blank transcript form on your computer and fill it State graduation requirements are minimums — it is the col-
in, semester by semester. lege’s expectations that should guide your high school plans.
5 Calculate grades and record the grade-point average for Keep Essential Records
each semester as it’s completed. I suggest creating a Class Profile, with an outline of readings
The Purpose of the Transcript and assignments, as a plan for each specific course. You may
If you understand the purpose of the transcript, you can keep also record extra activities and readings by subject, on a form
exactly (and only) the records you need. A well-made transcript called the Subject Worksheet. In addition to Class Profiles and
is similar in form and function to a résumé. In just one or two Subject Worksheets, have your student keep reading and ac-
pages, it briefly summarizes knowledge and experience in a tivities logs so that you’ll be able to include extensive topical
way that allows an evaluator to easily compare your student reading and non-traditional activities on the transcript. Other
to others. A transcript can also be a marketing tool that helps items to keep, include representative copies of student work,
a college admissions officer see the breadth and depth of your certificates and awards, and test scores. Keep these organized
student’s experiences. in a notebook, and you’ll have easy access to everything you
Create a Master Plan need to create a transcript, and to provide supporting evidence
There are core subjects that need to be covered on every high for the grades you grant.
school transcript (see sidebar), and there are many ways to ful- Create and Fill In the Transcript
fill these basic requirements. You can choose traditional text- There is a children’s song that has the line, “Little by little,
books, a literature-based curriculum, satellite school, classes in inch by inch; by the yard, it’s hard; by the inch, what a cinch…”
a co-op or community college, or other options. As you create and it’s so true. If you fill in the transcript semester by semester,
your high school plan, be sure to talk with your teen to discover you’ll find that it’s quite easy. If you wait until the night before
special interests or preferences. You’ll also need to consider your student’s college application is due, it’s going to be harder

Page 70 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
(but you can do it). If you’re late in starting to keep records or C=2, and so forth. If the student is taking honors or college-
create the transcript, don’t waste time feeling guilty — just get level classes, the quality points assigned would be weighted, or
started! There’s a reason that Transcripts Made Easy begins have an extra half or whole grade point added, so that ‘A’ would
with instructions for exactly where to start in the process, de- equal 4.5 or 5 quality points.
pending on what grade your student is in—recordkeeping is a To calculate the cumulative grade point average, add together
job that is easy to postpone. all the semester grade point averages and divide by the number
When your student begins to fulfill high school requirements, of semesters. Do not add the current semester to the previous
create a blank transcript form on the computer. The three sec- cumulative grade point average, or your total will not be cor-
tions you’ll need to include are: rect. To make the process extra simple, you may want to visit
* Identification Section: Contact information for the student the free GPA calculator at www.FreeGPACalc.com. No matter
and school; how you figure the final grade point average, you can be sure
* Course Record Section: The main body of the transcript, that each college that receives your transcript will refigure it to
containing the list of courses studied, grades received, and ensure that all student transcripts they receive are calculated in
quality points earned; the same way.
* Basic Information Section: The grading scale, key to ab- Remember the Goal
breviations, and brief notes about important test scores and If you’ve been worried about recordkeeping through high
awards, and a signature line for the certifying parent. school, I hope you’ll find that these steps take some of the
There is no “one right format” — you may choose to orga- mystery out of the process. Remember that while recordkeep-
nize by semester or by subject. As long as all three sections are ing and transcripts are important, the ultimate goal of the
included, the format is clean and uncluttered, and standardized high school years is help your teenager grow into a mature,
test scores support the grades you have given, your student’s well-grounded adult with a
transcript will meet the goal of showcasing your student’s aca- solid academic and spiritual
demic history. foundation. As you include Minimum requirements
Grades and Credits your teen in the planning and for high school graduation
At the end of each semester, record classes and grades on recordkeeping process, you usually include:
the transcript. Rather than listing just “English” as the class can move together toward this
name, choose a title that offers specific information about what goal. I think you’ll find that English
the student has learned. For example, if you list “English III: homeschooling through high (including literature) 4
Survey of American Literature,” this identifies the class as the school can be a time of encour-
student’s third year of high school English, and clearly states agement and blessing for your
Math (Algebra I and
what was covered. Similarly, “Multivariable Calculus” is more entire family.
descriptive than “Math III,” and “Western Civilization to 1608” higher) 3-4
is more specific than “History.” Your goal in creating descrip- Bio: Janice Campbell is the
author of Transcripts Made History, Government,
Easy, Get a Jump Start on Col- Geography (also called
lege, Excellence in Literature, Social Sciences) 2-3
“State graduation requirements a classics-based, college-prep
are minimums — it is the college’s English curriculum for home- Lab Sciences (Biology,
expectations that should guide your schoolers, as well as Evaluate Chemistry, Physics) 2-3
Writing the Easy Way. She is
high school plans.” also Director of the National
Foreign Language 2-3
Association of Independent
Writers and Editors (w w w.
tive class names is to provide a clear picture of your student’s NA I W E .c o m) Vi s it w w w. Arts (Visual and/or
academic interests and strengths. Eve r yd ay-E d u c at ion .c om Performing) 1
Assign grades for each class as the student finishes the se- for more articles and a free
mester. Each letter grade has a numerical equivalent that is newsletter on homeschooling Electives 1-3
used to calculate the grade point average (GPA): A=4, B=3, through high school.

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 Grammar and Creative Writing
Q:
By Daniel Schwabauer
Should we throw out grammar, spelling, and rules
during the creative process?
A: Yes.
I was fifteen the first time I drove a car. Mr.
McAfree, my Driver’s Ed teacher, slid into the vinyl-clad passen-
ger seat as Craig Sulley, another student, buckled up in the back.
Even though McAfree was nearing retirement, he looked uncom-
fortable. I chalked it up to lack of self-confidence and revved the
engine before pulling out into traffic.
For ten minutes or so everything went smoothly. I followed his
instructions quickly and with perfect attention to detail. And then
it happened. We were charging along a busy four lane street in
Kansas City when Mr. McAfree made a rookie mistake so silly
that it still surprises me.
“Turn right at the next street,” he said.
Clearly a mistake. He should have known that I would figure
“next” meant “very next” and not “the next one after the one that
is right there in front of you.”
Also, he failed to tell me to slow down.
I yanked the wheel hard to the right and felt myself slipping the
surly bonds of earth as the school’s frost-blue Dodge Omni heaved
itself sideways onto two wheels. For a brief moment I felt like the
Captain of the Titanic just after hearing the word “iceberg.”
McAfree clutched the door handle with both hands and dropped
his jaw to scream. I am sorry to say that it wasn’t a very manly
scream. He was making the same sound angry yaks use when
they charge hyenas in nature documentaries.
I figured by the color of his face that he wasn’t feeling well, so I
pulled over to let him out. But instead of throwing up, he pointed
a finger at me.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” he yelled. It sounded more like
an accusation than a question.
I wasn’t sure why he was yelling, but I could tell by the way he
fingered his rosary that he was unhappy. “Turning right,” I said.
“WHY DIDN’T YOU SLOW DOWN!”
A trick question disguised as a statement. I turned around and
looked at Craig, who was grinning like a well-fed dolphin. He just
shrugged and twirled one finger by his ear.
“Um...” I said, “because you didn’t tell me to?”
Mr. McAfree’s real mistake was assuming I would slow down
reflexively, without needing to make a conscious decision to do
so. But slowing down for a turn is only a reflex after you’ve done
it a thousand times. It can’t possibly be a reflex the first time
Page 72 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
you’ve driven a car.
We make the same sort of mistake as parents and teachers when
we ask kids to do too many things at once.
We’ve trained our legs where the brake pedal is, and now we
don’t have to think about braking. As soon as we see a deer in the
headlights, we hit the pedal.
The same thing is true with language. We form words and sen-
tences out of habits that are carefully cultivated over a lifetime.
We don’t realize, or we have forgotten, that children are at various
levels of habit formation. They have to think about how certain
words are spelled, what sort of symbol to put after a question, and
how to conjugate verbs.
This is why creative writing assignments are often difficult and
discouraging for students. When we require good grammar and
creativity in an assignment, we’re essentially demanding that the
student be simultaneously creative and analytical. But the brain
isn’t wired to do both at the same time. Now, it’s true that talented
people can sometimes jump between both activities with the
speed of an Intel processor, but this is a lot to ask of a student still
learning the complexities of the English Language.
Telling a kid to be creative and not have any spelling mistakes
or punctuation errors is going to result in that kid concentrating
on grammar. In most cases it will also make the kid think, “Writ-
ing is boring.”
Instead, it is far more fruitful to teach creative writing as a
two-stage system. The first stage is the rough draft. While your
child is writing the first draft of a story, let her write however she
pleases, without needing to worry about the mechanics of writ-
ing. Make sure she knows her rough draft will not be graded.
Once she’s finished, ask her to go back over the story, looking for
any story problems, places she needs to add or subtract in order
to make the story more interesting. Once the story events happen
the way she wants, go on to the second stage.
During the second stage, she should look for mechanical prob-
lems: Spelling and punctuation errors, run on sentences, etc. This
is an analytical process that’s quite different from the process of
story creation. And that’s good news for you. It should be easier to
help her at this point, since the rules for grammar are fixed. You
will be able to point out mistakes in need of correction. “Cat,” for
instance, is always spelled with a “C”, not a “K.” And since her
brain is not trying to generate new, creative material, she may feel
the revision process is a bit easier. Her mind can safely downshift
into revision mode.
continued on page 104
 GOOD BEGINNINGS to GOOD ENDINGS for HANDWRITING
continued from page 20
leave a distinct trace: No dried-out markers, no crayons that are more
wax than pigment. Save yellow for drawing blond hair; its mark is too
wimpy for writing.
Always use short tools. Cut pencils in half or use golf pencils. Pens
and pencils are designed to fit adult hands. They balance well for us,
but in a young child’s hand the weight is too great at the back end
of the tool. This should give you a start, and inspire you to try other
play.
MOTOR MEMORY
Motor memory is best developed with rhythmic exercises. Write
them in the air. Write them to music. Emphasize rhythm. Write them
with the eyes closed. When children close their eyes to write they can
better feel what their minds are telling their hands and fingers to do.
BFH uses three basic, pre-writing patterns: , and
This is just four downstrokes with a light lift up between each
downstroke. The pattern controls letter size, slant, spacing and consis-
tent letter formation. The pattern might be incorporated into a picture.
Grass? Flower stems? Or, how about puppy fur?
This pattern and the next both support consistency.
This one relates to the counterclockwise movement of half of the
lowercase letters and some numerals.
This relates to letters and numerals with clockwise movement.
The patterns teach directionality too, especially if the child chants,
“Down and down and down…” while writing them. BFH letters and
numerals all start at their tops and move down.
Handwriting is a complex skill, more so than reading. Reading re-
quires recognition of letters and their assemblage into words. To write,
one must know how to form the characters, put them together into
words and sentences (all with spelling, grammar, etc. in place). Then
the message can be transmitted from mind to paper. If characters are
grouped according to directional and rhythmic movements, the task
becomes easier and more efficient.
Of course, students should sit up in a comfortable position. The non-
dominant hand should steady the paper. Handwriting may be legible
with a tight and poor hold, but it will never attain the speed one needs
for automatically committing thoughts or messages to paper.
WHY TEACH HANDWRITING?
Do children need handwriting instruction when computers can be
used for communication? For several years many believed handwrit-
ing was becoming obsolete. Now, it seems that attitudes towards
handwriting are shifting. In a recent article in “American Educator”
Dr. Stephen Graham a professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt
University wrote, “…researchers …have found that, done right, early
handwriting instruction improves student’s writing. Not just its leg-
ibility, but its quantity and quality.” Those are Graham’s italics. We
communicate more lucidly and eloquently with pen in hand.
It is simple logic. If handwriting flows well for students they will
enjoy writing. Too many students with great ideas are reluctant to put
pen to paper.
In practical terms, math problems are hard to solve if characters are
illegible. Notes that one needs to refer to later are useless unless they
can be read. Also, note-taking must be fast enough to cover the es-
sence of a lecture. Technologies are out there to cover these problems,
but they are not always available and up and running. As adults, our
need to write continues. There are notes, forms to fill out, letters of
congratulation, sympathy and more that are not appropriate for e-mail.
Most of us are careless when texting and sending e-mails, and we lose
the subtleties of expression that work so much better by hand.
WHAT METHOD TO USE?
Below you see a typeface in the copperplate method. It’s beauti-
ful. It is the ancestor of our modern conventional cursive. I include it
for its history. It is not a method to teach or emulate unless you are a
calligrapher. Remember, Matlack was a professional scribe. Literate
persons in the 19th century spent many hours practicing penmanship
with copperplate styles, keeping journals and writing letters. In the
latter part of the 19th century Austin Palmer simplified handwriting,
and that is essentially the method used today for conventional cursive
writing.Who among you holds a pen like the image at the left? It is the
proper hold for copperplate and Palmer. Notice that two fingers only
ride along as one writes. The wrist is off the table or paper, meaning
that all the movement is in the arm. That is how one can successfully
write with all letters in every word connected. Unfortunately, when
most of us write with the hold shown at the right, or worse with a tense
hold, letters go off slant, become inconsistently sized, and wander off
the baseline as we try to connect all letters within words.
Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting complies with the way we hold
our hands now, especially if it’s the tripod hold. Movement is princi-
pally in the fingers, and somewhat in the hand and wrist.
I developed Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting with elementary
school children, always searching for the easiest and most natural
movements for them. The method has proved successful for those
adults who learned it as children.
There is no transition from print-script to conventional cursive be-
cause letter formations never change. Children can learn all the basic
letters and join them up by the end of first grade. They have learned
BFH italic cursive writing. They are happy with their progress and are
well on the way to being eager writers. All that is needed is practice
until handwriting becomes automatic.
OLDER STUDENTS AND ADULTS
Many learn a form of print-script or manuscript first. Formations
continued on page 138
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 73
 Macaroni Kid – A Brilliant Money Maker for Moms Nationwide
www.macaronikid.com
M
ake Money Publishing Your Local Events Online
When Joyce Shulman and Nicki Hemby con-
cocted the idea for a community- based e-newsletter
of kids events and family activities in their home-
town, they never imagined they’d be empowering moms all over
the country, but that’s exactly what happened when they founded
Macaroni Kid.
In the Summer of 2008, Joyce and Nicki started emailing and
posting a weekly listing of events in Southampton New York
where they live. Local newspapers listed only a fraction of the
things going on, and they knew there had to be a better way. With
virtually no Internet experience, they found a way to inform other
moms and the word started to spread. From mom to mom word of
mouth they found new subscribers and realized they were truly
filling a need that they themselves had felt. And as their read-
ership grew, advertisers came on board and Joyce and Nicki
were thrilled to earn some extra money and trade for things
they used to buy for their kids.
Macaroni Kid reached something of a tipping point
when one of their friends in New York City said “Hey, I
want to do this for my neighborhood.” Then a friend in New
Jersey said the same thing. So Joyce and Nicki went to a
web designer friend and together they figured out a way
for Moms all over the USA to publish their own edi-
tion of Macaroni Kid.
Since then, Macaroni Kid has
grown to a family of nearly 100
editions in communities from
New York to Knoxville, and
Miami to Santa Monica.
Each edition is written and
published by a local “Publisher Mom”
who lives in the community she covers. Each
week, she gathers the latest scoop about events and
activities of interest to moms in her area and writes
them up via Macaroni Kids’ easy to use website. The
website also has a simple way to collect and store the
subscribers’ email addresses that are collected by
the Publisher Moms.
Joyce and Nicki call publishing Macaroni Kid
a “Wobby”, which is short for work plus hobby. It
is a hobby because it’s something that’s fun to do,
and creates mini-celebrities out of Publisher Moms,
and work because it is a great way to bring in extra
Page 74 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
money, thanks to the way Nicki and Joyce set it up. The Publisher
Moms keep all the money from the local ads they sell or trade for.
As one Publisher Mom said, “I have two kids who take different
classes every day after school and I don’t pay for any of them,
thanks to Macaroni Kid”.
The founders also wanted to make it easy for moms to start their
own editions of Macaroni Kid, so there is no start-up fee and no
long-term contracts (they know life gets in the way sometimes).
Publisher Moms just pay a small monthly hosting fee. That in-
cludes the website, start-up instructions, personal support from
Joyce, Nicki and Eric (Joyce’s husband who helps Publisher Moms
with their advertising questions), as well as membership in the
wonderfully supportive “club” of other Publisher Moms who share
tips on making Macaroni Kid a success for all. Publisher
Moms also receive free care packages from various
companies with new products to review and
write about.
The first questions the Founders are asked
by women who are interested in starting
their own edition is “Do I have to know a lot
about computers?’ and “How hard is it?” The
answers are pretty simple, if you have figured out
your Facebook account, you can publish Macaroni
Kid. To be a successful Publisher Mom the most
important thing is to have the desire to do something
that will make a difference in your community and
the ability to follow through with something you
started. That’s it.
While it was pretty apparent to Nicki and
Joyce that they were filling a need of readers,
after a while, they realized that they were
filling a need of the Publisher Moms that
went way beyond the extra money and free
goodies. For each Publisher Mom ,it’s
something different: For some, it’s the
need to hear “Great job” every now and
then from the other Publisher Moms; for
others it’s the need to accomplish some-
thing and succeed.
Joyce and Nicki are always happy
t o welc ome new P u bl i she r Mom s
into the fold. For more infor mation,
email them, nicki@macaronikid.com, or
joyce@macaronikid.com.
 Connie Crawford Leads the Way in Bringing Fashion Design &
Sewing to the Homeschooling World
I
By Michael Leppert
n the world of fashion design, creation and sewing, there is a
new wave of interest and excitement which extends to the ho-
meschooling world. Sewing has traditionally been a popular
“cottage” activity for homeschoolers and many homeschooled
students learn to make their own clothes and home décor items as
part of a well-rounded education. The new interest and attention to the
world of fashion design is fanned by the T.V. reality show Project Run-
way and a variety of spin-off shows that focus on the world of fashion
design and creation in all of its facets.
Homeschooling devotees of sewing and fashion design will find just
the instructional assistance they need in the extensive line of books
and DVDs by Ms. Connie Crawford. Connie Crawford, through her
company, Fashion Patterns by Coni, is one of the leading experts in
the field of fashion design and sewing, having 23 years of teaching
experience at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Design & Merchan-
dising (FIDM) in Los Angeles; her pattern line with Butterick; her
“Signature Collection” of patterns; her many textbooks and her lec-
ture/workshop programs in the consumer side of the market and her
reputation for fit and design for women of all sizes.
One of the cornerstones of Ms. Crawford’s teaching is that “When
learning how to sew, a student needs to understand how to assemble
a garment and how to sew each and every item within the garment.”
This approach teaches the student to be methodical, stimulates ab-
stract thinking and provides real-world insight into how “things” are
made. In this way, studying the art of sewing and design serves as the
instructional springboard for many other subjects. Math, hand-eye
coordination, history of three different types -- the social history of
clothing, the history of the development of fabric making and dyeing
-- which is also geographic -- and high fashion. All are vital aspects
of Man’s existence, growth and development and have as their center,
sewing and fashion design.
In keeping current – and actually being ahead of the curve – in June,
Ms. Crawford is releasing the Fifth Edition of her popular fashion
industry book, A Guide to Fashion Sewing. This book outlines the
information needed to learn how to assemble any design of a garment.
With over 2000 colorful illustrations and young fashion drawings,
the new seamstress will have no trouble in following this step-by-step
book.
One of the goals in preparing this new edition was to include an up-
to-date textiles reference chapter. In addition, a big plus is Appendix
C, Fabric Resources, as well as entries for major fabric stores through-
out the U.S. This appendix is a resource guide of wholesale fabric
suppliers who do not require large minimum purchases! This list is
an important added asset for students, new start-up manufacturers, or
those with a smaller cottage industry.
Another added feature of this new edition of A Guide to Fashion
Sewing are the illustrations, which have been updated and colored to
help the reader more easily identify the sewing steps and show more
precisely what to do at each step of the sewing process. A Guide to
Fashion Sewing continues to provide easy-to-read text with step-by-
step sewing instructions and illustrations. The information progresses
from basic theory to simple sewing techniques, concluding with more
complex techniques and applications. It assists students and those
with sewing experience to create simple and more complex, fashion-
able, professional-looking garments. This text also provides a compre-
hensive sewing course of current fashion industry sewing methods.
The first 5 chapters of Fashion Sewing provides basic information
about sewing supplies and equipment, measurements, commercial
patterns, fashion fabrics, and fitting. Because fitting is an important
element in making successful garments, the fitting section in Chapter
4 has been expanded for this Fifth Edition. These fitting techniques
illustrate the method of fitting a design in the same manner in which
a designer follows in the fashion industry. Chapter 5 illustrates how
to assemble any garment. These sewing techniques are also referred
to as “Unit Method of Construction.” The remaining 17 chapters of
this book illustrate the step-by-step sewing instruction of the various
items within any garment.
The new layout of the Fifth Edition highlights STUDIO TIPS.
These STUDIO TIPS focus on the important features that are used
within the fashion industry. A Guide to Fashion Sewing will interest
anyone who desires to learn more about fashion sewing.
Another great cutting-edge product offered by Connie Crawford is
her instructional DVD, Studio Sewing Skills, which provides students
with efficient techniques to learn to sew in this fast-paced world. This
DVD allows students to learn at their own pace. These sewing skills
are designed to build knowledge progressively, while the student
learns the basics of sewing as well as how to assemble a garment in a
logical and time efficient sequence. Students will complete a project
that encourages them to sew more and more. A companion Student
Packet of practice exercises is also available.
Homeschooling families who are familiar with the broad value of
sewing, as well as neophyte seamstresses, will rejoice at the tremen-
dous resources and wonderful world of creation that Ms. Crawford’s
instructional DVD, books, patterns and materials offer.
Please visit Connie Crawford’s website, www.fashionpatterns.com
and be inspired! M.j.L.
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 75
 CHEMISTRY WITH CHARISMA, Volumes 1 and 2
Published by Terrific Science Press
By Linda K. Foster
Middletown, OH.
T
www.terrificsciencepress.com
he world of chemistry is a fascinating subject that nat-
urally causes awe and wonder. While often considered
complicated, chemistry, simply put, is the study of
matter and how it interacts. Chemistry With Charisma
shows how this can be incorporated into daily life and be thor-
oughly enjoyed by students of all ages and backgrounds.
Many students might ask, “Why do I care? Why should I
study chemistry?” Chemistry With Charisma seeks to answer
this question by offering lesson plans that “capture and keep
attention”. It also poses a larger question, “Where would we be
without chemistry?” and engages students in diverse experi-
ments designed to motivate them to investigate the world around
them.
Both volumes offer well-organized chapters with engag-
ing, hands-on lessons that use toys and everyday materials
to encourage students to think like a scientist. Chapters are
well-written and contain a succinct overview of planned experi-
ments, key concepts, National Science and Education Standards
met by each experiment, a list of materials, clearly written pro-
cedures and instructor notes. While a list of answers to student
questions is included in each chapter, teachers are encouraged
to challenge students to expand their observations beyond the
basics.
Volume 1 consists of 24 meaningful and inspiring lessons de-
veloped to encourage the use of a variety of tools and teaching
methods to help students comprehend, process and demonstrate
an understanding of abstract concepts and phenomena — and
to have fun in the process. In “Syringe Investigations”, students
use a common gadget to illustrate the relationships of pressure
and volume of gases. The effects of gas volume and pressure
are further examined in “Toys Under Pressure,” a unique expe-
rience investigating whoopee cushions and exploding straws.
In “Creaking Plastic Bottles”, students learn the difference
between what happens to a helium filled Mylar balloon that sits
in a car for hours on a very cool or a very hot day. Younger stu-
dents are challenged to figure out how a hand boiler works in the
appropriately title chapter, “Investigations with Hand Boilers”.
Older students continue the lesson to learn how the hand boiler
can be used as a closed-system, mini-distillation apparatus. Fi-
nally, who could resist a chapter entitled “Magic Sand”? In this
Page 76 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
engaging activity, students explore and compare the behavior
of water drops on spoons coated with Magic Sand and spoons
coated with regular sand and then learn the contrasting behavior
of Magic Sand in a non-polar substance such as hexane, veg-
etable oil or mineral oil.
Volume 2 affords 28 additional unique and exciting lessons
that are tied to the students’ world and meaningful to them.
In “Fired Up”, students watch the teacher eat a small “candle”
made from an apple cylinder and a nut sliver as a “wick”. They
then explore the concepts of calorimetry, discrepant events, ex-
perimental design and heat energy. “Observing Candles” offers
a chance to collect evidence to identify the reactants and prod-
ucts when a candle is burned. In this lesson, students learn such
concepts as chemical reactions, combustion and conservation
of mass. Sounding like an episode of CSI, “Scent of a Mystery”
asks students to identify some unknown odors and the familiar
scent that results when they are mixed. Health conscious stu-
dents will appreciate “How Much Sugar in Your Soda”, an ex-
periment involving construction of two types of hydrometers for
making density measurements. Perhaps one of the most popular
chapters in Volume 2 is “Micro-Rocket Challenge”, an oppor-
tunity for students to find the ratio of hydrogen and oxygen that
will propel a micro-rocket the furthest.
Since chemistry is a process, not just a collection of facts,
students should be encouraged to do what real chemists do:
make predictions, design and modify experiments, make ob-
servations, and draw reasonable conclusions. Both volumes of
Chemistry With Charisma convey the methodology of scientific
investigation in a way that allows students to develop the funda-
mental skills necessary for scientific inquiry and the scientific
way of processing information.
Chemistry With Charisma is a concise, interactive guide of-
fering a fresh approach to a fascinating subject. It is a “thinking
outside the box” approach to chemistry and a chance for stu-
dents to see that, through experience, the scientific method be-
comes more than a list memorized from a textbook; it becomes
a working system that is an integral part of their lives.
For more information on Chemistry With Charisma, Volumes
1 and 2, please visit www.terrificsciencepress.com. L.K.F.
 Homeschool Mom Turns Author
By Tammy Raden
H
ow many of us go through life letting the fear of
failure stop us from pursuing what we should or
want to be doing? I know I did. That is until a
life-changing event happened to me. This one act
changed the way I see others and myself in this world.
My son was having difficulty in school. He was a great kid
and tried extremely hard in his classes, but reading was dif-
ficult for him. His teachers tried to help but each school year
became harder. Finally we found out that he had dyslexia, but
the school did not have the resources to help. I will never for-
get the frustration I felt when I was told by the principle that
they couldn’t help him. I found out on that day how the fear of
failure doesn’t seem that important when others have already
failed you. I also learned that it was okay to take the power of
what happens to my child from others and give it to myself. I
figured I could only go up, since they felt my child had already
hit bottom.
That day I awoke to the possibility there might be another
way of doing things. So I did the only choice I had left I pulled
all three of my children out of school and decided to try my
hand at homeschooling. Sure, I was scared, but I figured I had
something the school didn’t have: The determination not give
up on my children. It was a lot of hard work and dedication, not
only from me but from my children and husband too. Before
long, we learned how to battle my son’s reading issues. We
kept trying new ideas; some worked and some didn’t, but we
never gave up. Eventually he learned how to work around his
dyslexia. It wasn’t just my oldest that benefited from home-
schooling, all three of my children loved being homeschooled.
It made for a fun-loving, safe environment and they excelled
from the experience. The learning was not the only thing we
saw improvement in. The confidence they gained by constantly
being surrounded by a positive influence helped them to grow
into strong, confident young adults.
Another positive that came from homeschooling was that I
spent a lot of time with them. This gave me a better understand-
ing of what problems they faced in life. I took these challenges
and created stories for them. I did this so they could learn from
the characters in the story how to handle the same situations,
but with a positive outcome. This became an entertaining way
to teach them important life lessons. Before I knew it I had writ-
ten over eleven stories. As time went by, I realized that making
the choice to homeschool my children was the best decision I
ever made. My children benefited greatly from it. My oldest is
at Moorpark College (California) and just made the dean’s list.
My twins are getting ready to graduate -- a year early I might
add, and received perfect scores on their exit exams.
I needed to find something to occupy my time. I decided to
take that same attitude I had toward homeschooling and apply
it to turning my stories into books. I knew that if I could suc-
ceed at homeschooling I could succeed at anything, as long as
I was willing to give it my all. That’s when I decided to take
my stories and try publishing them. I figured I couldn’t ask
someone else to believe in me unless I was willing to believe
in myself. So, I decided to self-publish my books. The hardest
part about this new venture was drawing the illustrations. As a
child, I always loved to draw, but it seemed scary to illustrate
a book. So, I sat down and attempted to draw my first illustra-
tion. It took me several attempts but finally I had a picture
I was proud of. Once I got my family’s approval of that first
illustration I kept going and before long I had my first book
ready for publication.
My Dog Blue is my first book. It is a rhyming story about a
little boy who can’t get his dog to follow his commands. But
instead of giving up, he decides to look for the uniqueness in
his dog, something that makes his dog special, too. I wrote this
story to show my kids you could take any situation and find
the positive in it. Sometimes you just have to be willing to see
things from a different perspective. My Dog Blue was released
in October, 2009 and Every Time I Want to Play, Brother and
Sister Get in My Way was released in March, 2010.
All of my stories are written in rhyme because I believe a
rhyming story can better hold the attention of younger chil-
dren. This allows them to get more out of the story. I have vis-
ited over thirty local preschool and elementary schools, sharing
my books. It is so much fun to see the reaction of the children
and how it compares to the way my own children related to
the stories. It is my hope that I am able to give parents and
children a positive interaction through my stories. The most
important thing I have learned from my experiences -- whether
it is homeschooling or creating children’s books -- is that we
all have the capability to be successful. All we need to succeed
is the knowledge that not one of us is more or less capable than
anyone else in this world. We just need to believe in ourselves,
work hard at the goals we set and don’t let the fear a failure
stop us from going after our dreams. I hope I have inspired you
to go after your dreams. I know I am happy I went after mine.
T.R.
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 77

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Are you prepared for the life passages which have united
generations from the beginning of
time. First is the mystery of birth
mind is a thoughtful approach to
vocation – how does one contrib-

coming economic collapse?

ute to the common good and at the
and the mysterious emergence of same time, earn a living? Then we
self. To explore self requires inti- meet the theme of “growing up”
mate knowledge of one’s parents as a vocation of its own. How is
and ancestors – and of the specific that distinct from being a child?
cultures which helped form them. What complex of obligations ac-
There’s a growing consensus that the Global Economic Crisis will be a The local cultures, that is, much
worldwide catastrophe of monumental proportions, and what many cepted does growing up entail, ac-
top economists say could be much worse than The Great Depression.
more than the abstract entities we ceptance of which brings maturity
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Elementary Grammar:
Meaningful = Memorable
By Robyn Martijena
M
any elementary age
students resist gram-
mar because they feel
overwhelmed by a flurry of un-
familiar words. Labels that they
are expected to use – subjects,
predicates, imperatives, and
as if pronouns aren’t enough,
we throw in complementary
pronouns. It often seems like
a bunch of unnecessary fluff
when all they want to do is write
down a simple thought. But I’ve
found that when we give these
fluffy words some substance
or meaning, children are able
to make a connection between
these previously-misunderstood
labels, and sentences that clearly
express their thoughts. Kids in-
herently ask questions and want
more information. So creating a
link between the labels and life
is much easier than you might
think.
I was recently tutoring a
nine-year-old girl who attends
private school and was strug-
gling with grammar. Her hurdle
-- those wearisome labels. Her
goal was to indicate whether
a sentence was interrogative,
declarative, imperative or ex-
clamatory. So first things first,
we put the worksheet aside and
started to talk. It took just a
minute to realize that she had
no idea what the labels meant.
The teacher had given them the
labels and explained what kinds
of sentences they belonged to,
but never explicitly discussed
the words. For example, the
word “interrogative” had no
meaning to her – it was no more
than a random word, chosen to
label a sentence that ends with
a question mark. So we talked
some more. I asked, “Have you
ever heard about how police
interrogate a suspect?” Sure she
had. I encouraged her to tell me
what she knew about that and
she happened to know quite a
lot. All people, maybe kids even
more so, love to express what
they know. We so often have
an opportunity to demonstrate
what we don’t know, that it’s a
welcome change to reveal the
things we understand. So she
explained to me in detail how
the police interrogate a bad guy.
They have him in a room with
a single lamp and a metal table
and ask question after question
until they get to the truth. So,
she not only knew what it meant
to interrogate someone, but was
able to conjure up a mental pic-
ture too! I eased back into the
labels asking her if she noticed
how “interrogative” sounds and
even looks a whole lot like “in-
terrogate.” I see her eyes light up
and the lyrical light bulb go on.
“Oh, so interrogative sentences
ask questions, like the police.”
There you have it! There’s a
back story to the word that
she can relate to and mentally
picture. The label is no longer
just a label – it’s a word with
meaning.
Similarly, I’ve noticed that
when breaking down a sentence
into a subject and a predicate,
students don’t make the link
between real life and the word
“subject”. The subject suddenly
becomes a hollow label and
they’ve lost the definition or
point of the actual word. Chil-
dren will often understand that
the subject is a noun and they
know that a noun is a person,
place or thing. But when asked
to identify the subject in the sen- label into a comprehensible
tence they are confused. So, put word. Now when they look for
the workbook away and simply the subject of the sentence they
start a discussion about their understand that they are looking
favorite T.V. show, computer for not only a noun, but what
game or book. Then follow up or who the sentence is talking
with a question like, “If I ask about.
you what the subject of the show As we introduce our children
is – what am I really asking?” to the fundamentals of gram-
They are likely to explain that mar, it is important to remember
you want to know what the point that most of the terminology is
is -- what it’s about. So then you new and is probably used in un-
tip-toe back towards grammar. familiar contexts. So dedicating
So the subject of the sentence extra time to reveal what they
is really what or who it’s about. already know and fostering con-
Prepare yourself – you’ll prob- nections between that and this
ably get a big, “OOHHHHH” new vocabulary is well worth
because now it seems so obvi- the effort. It could very well in-
ous. By pointing out what they spire a confidence and accep-
already know, you’ve success- tance of grammar that will ben-
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I Thought I’d be Taller...
Letting Go of Picture-Perfect
continued from page 6
the most dedicated homeschool-
ing veterans will occasionally
question God’s wisdom. As the
saying goes “I know the Lord
would never give me more than
I can handle, I just wish he didn’t
trust me so much.”
But before you run off to put
your children in school, take a
moment to examine the results
of your efforts. Look closely at
the product, not just the process
of homeschooling. I’ll be the first
to admit that I don’t like grading
papers, hunting for workbooks,
or cleaning up projects, but I love
what homeschooling has done for
my children. I love my relation-
ship with them, and their relation-
ships with each other. When I see
my children stop to help, to teach,
or to console each other, I love
homeschooling. When I see them
reading or diving into a project, I
Defending Teaching
Standards & Corrections
continued from page 18
the villain and one supporting
character. I am assuming here that
the student has been taught about
these elements.
The teacher reads the assign-
ment and notes a couple of spell-
ing mistakes, a punctuation error
or two, and finds a poorly-worded
sentence. These mistakes are
mechanical; they are objective.
The teacher also looks to see if
the student follows the directions
posed by the assignment and how
thoroughly the student expresses
his answer. This is a bit more
subjective and generally requires
comment on the teacher’s part,
both positive and negative. Later,
the teacher will confer with the
student about the assignment and
perhaps explain some things in
more detail. All of this is designed
know that my efforts have been
worthwhile.
As mothers -- and particularly
homeschooling mothers -- we tend
to put our children first.  Let’s face
it: Homeschooling  requires  sac-
rifice. We give up our time, our
TECH CAMPS
freedom, and, to a large extent,
our own career desires. While
our peers are off working, shop-
ping, or meeting for lunch, we are
home, taking care of our children.
They attend aerobics; we chase
toddlers. They hunt for the perfect
North America’s #1 Tech Camp for ages 7-18 held at:
outfit; we hunt for lost shoes. In
many ways such sacrifice simply Stanford University
goes with the territory.
Remember, it is the product, not UC Berkeley UCLA UC Irvine
the process that counts. Let go of
the television fantasy of marriage
and motherhood. Let go of the
Cal Lutheran University
perfect picture, because try as we
might, none of us will ever be
Santa Clara University
taller. A.L. L
UC San Diego MIT
Sacramento State
Princeton Emory
to improve the student’s perfor-
mance on future assignments.
Tammet made another remark
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Measuring Handwriting Fluency
continued from page 16
Where does the letter end? You
will be pleasantly surprised to
see that the child can come close
enough with the right approach
to training. Practice of the correct
process, including ìhow to move
smoothlyî as a goal, will lead to
both fluency and better legibility
as control skills improve. With
practice, the process that becomes
habit will control the product
produced. With practice, fluency
is improved as controlled move-
ments are automated. An anal-
ogy is learning to play a musical
instrument; practice leads to pace
and beautiful music.
It is both helpful and fun to
measure and track fluency over
time. In fact, the simple act of col-
lecting a measurement regularly
will usually result in an improved
score. The child quite naturally
thinks that handwriting practice is
all about taking the time to copy
the model as accurately as pos-
sible. The idea that we are practic-
ing to improve accuracy and the
production rate at the same time,
is seldom presented to the child.
Introduce the fluency test; a timed
writing exercise, and the child
begins to get the idea. The goal
to produce more rapidly is sud-
denly understood. He or she will
probably want to try again imme-
diately to see if a higher score can
be achieved.
Conducting a Fluency Test
Explain the rules. You will say
“Go!” to start the action. The
child will write until you give the
“Stop” command. Depending
upon the age and attention span of
the student, you can call “Stop” in
as little as 20 seconds, or you can
allow a whole minute for writing.
The writing task can vary also.
For a kindergarten or first grade
child, you can ask the child to
write as many of the letters of
the alphabet as possible. Later on
you can assign a word or word
sequence. When you call “Stop”
simply count the number of leg-
ible letters on the page. The goal
is to express the fluency score as
X Letters Per Minute (LPM). If
you have allowed only 20 seconds
(one third of a minute) count the
letters and multiply by three. If
you allowed one minute, the count
is all you need to express the LPM
score and track the changes over
time. Incidentally, another impor-
tant outcome stimulated by regu-
lar participation is an increase in
attention span. Each exposure
provides opportunity and motiva-
tion for the child to attend to the
task for a longer period of time.
A brief guide to tracking fluency
is available free from Peterson
Directed Handwriting. E-mail
your request to the author: Rand
Nelson mrpencil@peterson-
handwriting.com.
High Tech Fluency Measure-
ment
Thanks to Dr. Hans-Leo Teul-
ings, and the team at NeuroScript,
there is now a tool for measuring
fluency on the Internet. It provides
great fun and useful practice,
particularly if you have a digital
tablet for your computer. If you
want to add a tablet to your sys-
tem, visit: www.neuroscript.net/
wacomtablets.php. You can use
your computer now for handwrit-
ing practice with this special tool.
Soon, you will be able to purchase
a computer program offering
much more.
Google: NeuroScript Fluency
Test
Soevik & Teulings first used
this handwriting fluency test
in 1983 when they pioneered
computer-assisted handwriting
instruction using a digitizer and
graphics display. Their research
showed that children improved
handwriting speed when they fo-
Make History
cused on improving their fluency
Come to Life
score using exactly this test. So- with Historical
Newspapers
evik, N. and Teulings, H.L. (1983)
Real time feedback of handwrit-
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“The crucial result of this study
was that fluency feedback helped
improve handwriting speed
without losing accuracy in the ex-
perimental group when compared
to the control group. This experi- People are seen
ment has been used as the model as living and real!
for a software product which will Each series includes 27 to 33
issues of four to six pages
soon be available to parents and supplied in student sets and
teachers.” – Dr. Hans-Leo Teul- is supported by a thorough
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ing skills to improve handwriting (Group rates are available; visit our
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fluency, contact the author, Rand
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 Mating Without Dating - Part Two
continued from page 57
without any coaching or limits
being set, let alone the girl being
imbued with the kind of value
this man gave his treasured car.
As a teenage girl, I can remem-
ber buying a used car. Regardless
of how cute the body was, I would
never dream of buying a car un-
less I had my dad check it out
under the hood. If I knew enough
to have Dad evaluate a motor
vehicle, why wouldn’t I utilize
him to screen a cute guy “under
the hood”, to tell me what I was
really getting?
Crystal says that, without a
doubt, the fact that Ian closed the
door on abandoning the relation-
ship before it even began was the
key that enabled her heart to open
wide to a lifelong love relation-
ship with him.. He made Crys-
tal’s heart and its protection, his
number-one priority. By doing
that, he engendered from her the
respect, admiration, and respon-
siveness every man craves from
his wife. As explained in the last
Link, the caliber of marriage you
wind up with, correlates directly
to whether a woman feels that she
did the alluring and captured a
man, or if he pursued and chose
her apart from any trying on her
part. If the man does the initiating
and the woman the responding,
it’s going to answer questions that
arise throughout marriage. For
her - “Does he love me for who I
am, not how I perform?” For him,
“Does she admire and respect
me?”
Ian said two things stood out to
him as he came seeking Crystal’s
hand: Greg‘s obvious care for her
infused Crystal with great value
only adding to Ian’s sense that
she was a quality woman. He also
found that the level of questions
we asked him confirmed to him
that he was being taken seriously,
and that we valued and esteemed
him for showing us so much re-
spect. Having a strong love bond
with your in-laws is another ben-
efit of approaching marriage the
way he did.
I’ve been asked, “Can’t we just
date, absorb some bumps and
bruises and wind up married?
Didn’t you and your husband
date? My answer is, “Sure, you
can just do what the average guy
and girl do -- and you can expect
the same lackluster marital out-
come you see around you today.
Or, as with homeschooling, you
can head off on a road less trav-
eled in pursuit of much better
ending destinations.
My hope in penning this col-
umn is that readers will apply at
least as much healthy skepticism
to the presumed normality of dat-
ing that they did to the assumption
that institutional schooling was
good for kids. There is no formula
to follow. Every love story will be
unique, but there is a culture of
honor we can cultivate from the
preschool years that will help our
children navigate the love canal
with less loss than we incurred.
See my next column here in The
Link for more on building that
kind of culture in your home.
Some may still think girls have
to kiss some frogs, get hurt and
toughened up a bit before they
find their prince. We enjoyed
having a real prince come to our
door and treat his chosen princess
fittingly from the start.
Our counsel to our own sons is
now this: Prepare yourself to take
a wife -- embracing expanding
responsibility at home and in your
work, knowing yourself spiritu-
ally, intellectually, emotionally,
and romantically. When a young
lady begins to become noticeable
or desirable, talk to us and let us
help you get to know her fam-

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ily better before revealing your
heart. Present your intentions to
her father and wait for his permis-
sion to seek her hand. When that
is received, commit yourself to
her and provide the safety of your
dedicated love within which her
heart can open up safely.
To our daughters: Be yourself
and pursue the things that interest
you. Never posture or perform for
a man’s attention. Let him notice
and fall in love with the real you.
Communicate your heart and
dreams with your father (or in
some families, another trusted
father figure, willing to help you
in this) and trust him to screen
any man who expresses interest.
Respect yourself as a treasure
worthy to be pursued and sacri-
ficed for. Store up all your roman-
tic ideas and longings to pour out
over your husband within your
marriage for the rest of your life.
Copyright, © Moira Bell 2009.
Greg and Moira Bell have three
emancipated young adults and
three homeschool students still
living at home. They are finishing
the renovations on their 130-year-
old Virginia farmhouse. They
hope to begin publishing a clever
children’s book this next year.
They welcome readers’ questions
and feedback at bellsofbed-
ford@gmail.com
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 Rosetta Stone
Incredible Foreign Language Course Homeschool Version
3.3, Level 1 (Latin American Spanish)
continued from page 41 plemental Materials disk which
student to monitor progress and contains printable PDF versions
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more work. Exercises, Tests, the Homeschool
The general program offers an Parent’s Guide for using the
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in the language in all phases of of Latin American Spanish. All
everyday life. The Rosetta Stone three levels are available individu-
package also includes two other ally, making it affordable to ulti-
disks of supplemental material. mately obtain the entire program
One is a practice CD of words, but the entire three-level set is
phrases and exercises that can be also available at a very low price
used after a lesson is completed on various Internet store sites. RS
and played in the car or other is easy to use in its daily lessons,
“informal” setting to reinforce the easy to track one’s progress and
material. The second CD is a Sup- fun to boot! Bueno suerte! MjL

Weapons of Mass Instruction

continued from page 78
the oncoming generations a world
at least as good as the one they
experienced while fully alive; if
possible, a better one.
Give Up the Cathedral
Any school which hopes to edu-
cate must surrender the safety of
the walled compound; must sur-
render the security of employing
a priesthood certified for docil-
ity and political correctness; must
give up the papacy of the political
state and its economic partners. In
the short run, this conveys advan-
tage (to the controlling parties), but
over time it bleeds the common-
wealth of its vitality – as it bled
the once-powerful Soviet Union
– and leaches from the economy
its ability to adapt to changing
circumstances. In grabbing for
short term economic advantage,
schools are being charged with
preventing education – the signs
of decay because of that proscrip-
tion are everywhere.
(Copyright, by John Taylor
Gatto, all rights reserved.)

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 Woodshop for Kids -- 52 Woodworking Projects Kids Can Build
By Jack McKee, Illustrated by Rusty Keeler
201 pages, 8-1/2 x 11, soft cover (Ages 4-12) • Available from Hands On Books, 1117 Lenora Ct, Bellingham, WA 98225
360-671-9079 • E-mail: mchkee@earthlink.net
B elow i s o n e of t h e m o r e a d va n c e d of t h e 52 p r oje c t s c o nt a i n e d i n t h i s exc el le nt b o ok . M r. McKe e i s
keen on safet y and care in working his projects; ever y thing in this example is clearly explained in the book.

Project: THUMB PIANO MATERIALS stores) 4” long by 1” wide by 1/8” thick, to hold
TOOLS • A block of wood approximately 4” x 3-1/2” x the bobby pins down. Steel or brass would work,
• Handsaw 1-1/2” thick. A 4” chunk from a 2 x 4 may work, too, but would be harder to drill. Wood might be
• A countersink but harder wood, like maple or oak, is better worth a try if you don’t have a strip of aluminum
• Wire Cutters because the screws can be put in tighter without handy.
• Hammer stripping the threads out. • Four 1-3/8” screws to hold the aluminum strip
• Vice • Four large bobby pins for the piano keys down
• Eye protection • An aluminum bar (available at hardware • Oil or paint as desired
• Sandpaper
• Hand drill CONSTRUCTION to match each hole position on the metal bar. To
• Keyhole Saw wit h Number 1 – Cut the block of wood 4” long mark the position of these holes, set the metal bar
hacksaw blade Number 2 – Using the hacksaw, cut the on top of the wood block and mark through the
• A drill bit for the sheetrock aluminum bar to the same length as the block holes.
screw pilot holes Number 3 – Drill four equally-spaced holes in Number 5 – The following is an adult job. Wear
• A drill bit bigger than the the aluminum bar. Countersink the holes so the eye protection. Use the wire cutters to cut the
screws for drilling through screws will be flush with the top of the bar. bobby pins to the following lengths: 2”, 2-1/8”,
the aluminum strip Number 4 – Drill pilot holes in the wood block 2-1/4”, 2-3/8”, 2-1/2”, 2-5/8” and 2-3/4”.

ASSEMBLY around to get right. The screws need to be brought up tight to keep
Number 1 – Flatten the ends of the bobby pins (so they will fit the bobby pins from moving, but not so tight as to strip out the
under the bar) by pounding them with the hammer on a hard, flat wood threads.
surface. Number 3 – Bend the keys (bobby pins) up a bit so they have
Number 2 – Start all four screws and tighten until there is just room to vibrate.
barely enough room under the bar for the bobby pins. Place each Number 4 – Oil or paint
bobby pin about 3/8” under the metal bar and tighten all four to suit.
screws. This is easier said than done, and will take some fooling

TROUBLESHOOTING
If the bar won’t keep the bobby pins tight, the screws have probably been
put in too tight, stripping out the threads inside the wood. Try fatter screws.
Another alternative would be to replace the screws with 3/16” x 1-3/4” flat
head machine screws and nuts. If you choose this option, countersink the
screw heads (on the bottom of the block) so they won’t stick out and mar the
surface holding the thumb piano.
 SAVE ON Respecting Our Children
K12 ONLINE By Lynn M. Griesemer
A
COURSES. ®
s a homeschool i ng
mother of 5 children
SPECIAL SAVINGS under age 12, I con-
DURING THE MONTH tinuously encounter “adults with
attitudes” - negative attitudes.
OF MAY Often blinded by the number of
children I have, men and women
of all ages fail to see my children’s
good manners or pleasant person-
alities. The frowns, and negative
or derogatory comments emerge
as they try to picture themselves
with my brood. I certainly have
not asked them to consider a fam-
ily my size and am disappointed
that people feel a need to compare
and compete with others. I assume
Visit K12.COM, that what is running through their
minds is that children are incon-
or call 866.609.9578. venient - not necessarily expen-
sive, but inconvenient.
Children are a disruption to a
quiet, clean household and to a
social schedule of adult activities.
Many couples who finally make
room for children in their busy
lives shower the best care upon
them that they know - nannies,
trendy preschool programs, pri-
vate school or whatever clothes
The World’s Fastest Way to and gifts their child wants. Chil-
dren are often another possession.
Teach Multiplication Science and technology can be
1-877-361-2912 dangerous when we use it to our
advantage to choose exactly when
and how many children we want,
rather than viewing children as
special blessings or gifts. These
attitudes lay the foundation of
how we Americans are raising our
children.
Children are born in institutions
(hospitals) and raised in institu-
tions (day cares and schools).
Some adults work in institutions
(large corporations) , are sent to
institutions when they are bur-
Order Online at: www.KidsTimesTables.com densome (convalescent homes),
and die in institutions (hospitals).
Page 92 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
The names are changing (i.e.,
childhood development centers or
assisted living communities), but
the fact remains the same: indi-
viduality is sacrificed for what is
convenient or easier in the lives of
adults. The abuse (of individual-
ity) starts with “assembly-line ob-
stetrics” and extends all the way
to the deathbed. How can parents
teach children the true meaning of
sacrifice, service and love when
many adults are self-absorbed and
unwilling to make sacrifices?
Sending our children to schools
in which adults decide what they
will learn and how they will
learn is not only abusive and
disrespectful to children, but is a
flawed assumption of what com-
pulsory education is accomplish-
ing. Adults praise themselves on
their fine curriculums and what
they think they are teaching, but
so much learning is never truly
imprinted or retained. How much
of our 13 years of schooling (and
approximately 13,500 hours in
the classroom) do we adults really
remember? We can easily come
up with some of the emotional
experiences we had and very little
of the academic material we sup-
posedly learned.
If we truly respect our children,
we will try to gauge what is im-
portant to them and foster more
self-directed learning. Home-
schooling, and unschooling in
particular, is a major step in the
right direction in raising children
with respect, confidence, opti-
mism and a sense of entrepre-
neurism rather than mediocrity
and apathy. L.M.G. L
Lynn M. Griesemer has been
homeschooling since 1994 and is
the author of Unassisted Home-
birth: An Act of Love
 www.TheMorningStarAcademy.org/thelink
©2010 Learning By Grace, Inc. and other copyright holders. All rights reserved.

www.TheMorningStarAcademy.org/thelink
 A Mother's Thoughts on
Freedom-Based Education
By Kathy Richardson
“I
wa ke t o sle e p a nd
take my waking slow
I learn by going where
I have to go”
Theodore Roethke’s words
are written on a 3x5-index card
and taped on our bathroom
wall. The second line is circled
in pencil and a note added by
my 15-year-old homeschooler:
“Think about this, think about
me.”
Her words are meant to re-
mind me, again, that although
I call our method of education
“unschooling” and claim to
allow her freedom of choice
in what and how she learns,
there is within me a history of
formal public schooling and a
strict family upbringing, both
of which constantly threaten to
topple my tower of good inten-
tions.
Patrick Farenga of Holt As-
sociates and Growing Without
Schooling tells us in Schooling
At Home (John Muir Publica-
tions, 1990) of John Holt’s coin-
ing of the word “unschooling”
to contrast home schools from
public and private schools.
Nowadays, those who teach
their children at home are divid-
ed by some into the homeschool-
ing camp and the unschooling
camp. I see the two terms as
situated at opposite ends of a
long line of families who love
their children’s company and
want to be deeply involved in
their education.
In our area, we have about 20
families who call themselves
unschoolers, but I have noted
that they, too, range from fami-
BOOKS • ART lies who give total freedom to
their children, through the line
Page 94
LINK ad 2.indd 1
www.homeschoolnewslink.com
1/25/10 4:20:48 PM
to those who structure a few
activities and ending with those
who have their children spend
structured time and lessons on
each subject. It seems to me the
terminology isn’t the important
issue here. Instead, each fam-
ily has to make decisions about
their children’s education, based
on the children themselves,
family values and beliefs and
time and money available.
The teacher teaches the learn-
er . . . the learner teaches the
teacher. I taught my daughter
to use the word processor. She
taught me some sign language.
A computer web page teaches
her tabulatures for playing
certain songs on her guitar.
She teaches an acquaintance
guitar-playing techniques. We
are all teachers and we all have
to remain open to a lifetime of
learning.
Public school requires seven
hours per weekday of formal ed-
ucation. I offer my daughter the
opportunity to learn 24-hours
a day, seven days a week, 365
days a year. Our minds do not
operate like a store, open 9:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
An acquaintance told me of
his 10-year-old grandson’s re-
peated failures in schoolwork
and his particular difficulty with
anything in worksheet form.
His beloved grandson appeared,
according to the school’s official
terminology, which Grandpa
was taking as gospel, to be
headed down a path to nowhere
unless they (the school) stepped
in with all kinds of special help.
I asked the grandfather what
the youngster liked to do. Was
there something he excelled at?
There was no hesitation - the boy
loved assembling model cars. I
was intrigued and queried fur-
ther. Did he have any problems
reading or interpreting the as-
sembly directions? If you are not
proficient in such endeavors, as I
am not, such directions confuse
you. You have to wonder what
frustrations and confusions this
boy was facing each time he
worked on a model.
Was I surprised to learn that
he did not need the assembly
directions; he just figured it out
in his mind and did it? No, I was
not surprised. Thomas Arm-
strong leads you to “discovering
and encouraging your child’s
personal learning style” in Their
Own Way (G.P. Putnam’s Sons,
1987). He says that your child
may employ several or all of
these learning styles - never just
one. Schools tend to teach to one
or just a few of the seven learn-
ing styles: Linguistic, Spatial,
Kinesthetic, Logical-Mathemat-
ical, Musical, Interpersonal and
Intrapersonal. The 10-year-old
boy sounds like he is highly kin-
esthetic. My daughter is mainly
musical.
Over the weeks following our
initial discussions, Grandpa and
I continued to debate education
in terms of learning what the
schools require versus what you
are truly interested in learning,
as well as ways you learn best.
The last I heard, his grandson
had started in special classes
where he was doing computer-
ized worksheets and having no
problems at all. I see computers
as more hands-on, (kinesthetic)
and they often come with sound,
which could also be a welcome
stimulus in this boy’s case.
Is a computer necessary in
every home? What about ho-
meschoolers who don’t have
daily access to them? Just as
a parent’s lack of training and
accreditation as a schoolteacher
frightens many people, so does
the lack of a home computer
raise concerns about preparing
today’s young generation for
present and future technologies.
A homeschooler, particularly
an unschooler, has a distinct
advantage in being allowed the
freedom of pursuits of his/her
own choosing, as opposed to a
school-determined, time-limit-
ed curriculum. Patricia Joudry
in And the Children Played
(Tundra Books, 1975), reminds
us: “Some people think that if
you’re going to educate your
children at home, you have to
be constantly ready with black-
board and pointer” (for the year
2000, substitute the word “com-
puter”). “Not a bit. You have to
do something much harder than
that. Mind your own business.”
Joudry’s daughter Stephanie
expressed the desire to make
a dress. When you are a hit-
and-miss seamstress, you hold
your breath, hoping no child of
yours will decide to learn some-
thing you typically approach as
Joudry says, “with the throw-
it-together-and-hope-method.”
Unschooled Stephanie read the
pattern directions and made the
dress - the first of many - re-
quiring nothing more from her
mother/teacher/facilitator than a
quick drive to town and a bit of
cash for pattern and material.
Joudry admits she should have
known this would happen, since
a few years earlier she’d men-
tioned to Stephanie her wish
that someone else would help
out with the family cooking.
Stephanie’s wordless response
was to immediately go into the
kitchen, get out cookbooks and
start cooking. Stephanie became
an expert cook, specializing in
lavish birthday cakes.
Until age 12, my daughter’s
contact with computers was
limited to what was offered at
continued on page 96
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A Mother's Thoughts on Freedom-Based Education
continued from page 95
the public library . . . one with
few capabilities and no Internet
access. After spending a time
in her older brother’s home
(a month-long vacation in the
middle of the official school
year), she returned home quite
the computer expert. When she
needs or wants knowledge, she
gets it.
Recalling these earliest com-
puter experiences, she simpli-
fied the matter: “There was a
place on the screen with www.
And it said address, so I figured
that was where I should type in
www.addresses. And when I
saw SEARCH and a blank space
after it, I typed in what I wanted
to search for. It was all common
sense.”
Other than two month-long
stays at her brother’s home,
she has only occasional access
to computers in the library or
a friend’s house. At 15 she has
recently started a part-time,
paid position in a non-profit
agency, where she spends the
majority of her three hours daily
upgrading her computer skills
and passing on that knowledge
to adults who come in to access
the Internet and computer, GED
and typing tutorials.
Attending a school board
meeting early in the school year,
I couldn’t help but notice that a
large portion of the agenda dealt
with student aptitude testing and
comparisons of the students’ test
scores within that school system
for the current and previous
years, as well as with students in
other schools in the state, other
schools nationwide and with
state scoring expectations.
Prior to aptitude testing, class-
room studies are concentrated
on those facts and figures which
will be included in future test-
ing -- not necessarily what every
child is interested in learning, is
able to excel at, or even under-
stand. These facts and figures
are, instead, what state educa-
tion bureaucrats decide students
should know. Do these aptitude
tests give accurate assessments
of one’s knowledge or intelli-
gence or do they actually show
how much one does not know
about what is included in a par-
ticular test?
As a prerequisite to kinder-
garten my now-grown public-
schooled son and his classmates
met individually with an evalua-
tor. As he entered the small, cur-
tained-off testing area, I noticed
there was a Fisher Price fast
food restaurant on a table. Af-
terwards, I asked if he’d played
with it. “Yes,” he replied, she -
the evaluator - had asked him to
pretend to be going out to lunch
with one of his parents, pick up
a tiny tray and load it with lunch
for the two of them. “And what
did you get?” I asked. “Three
hamburgers, three French fries
and two soft drinks.” he said.
I cringed slightly, wondering
how those numbers would be
evaluated and, at the same time,
wondering why he’d chosen
three hamburgers and three or-
ders of fries for only two people.
I asked him. His simple answer:
“So we wouldn’t have to go back
to the counter and wait in line if
we wanted seconds.”
Aptitude tests are cut and
dried, multiple choice, only one
right answer . . . no alternatives,
no options, no allowance for
thinking ahead.
When my daughter was two-
years-old, we installed a full-
length mirror on the living room
wall near her toy shelves. On the
mirror was a picture of her hold-
ing a sign that read: Help me to
help myself. K.R. L
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 Enjoying the Process
When Learning Happens...
Document the
continued from page 64
more of a problem for me
Journey!
because I have always genu-
i nely enjoyed t he process
of eating ice cream, cook-
ies, and large quantities of
chocolate. However, as my
s o n s a n d d a u g h t e r s h ave
become more and more in-
terested in nut r ition, they
have gradually helped me to
learn to read labels, consider
the fat content of the foods I
put into my body, and reduce
the number of times a year
I go on white sugar-baking
sprees. I am gradually learn-
ing to enjoy the process of
thinking through what I am
Create Your
e a t i n g , a n d r el i s h i n g t h e
Yearbook
days when my blood sugar
level helps me to concentrate
instead of bouncing off the
ceiling.
your way.
Thinking through deeper
issues, including religion,
philosophy, and the ultimate
meaning of life and death,
is also a process. We should
all try to recognize that ev-
eryone needs to go through
these processes on their
own. Once we believe that
we have discovered the truth
for ourselves, there is a huge
4129H-09
tendency to want to take that
product and hand it on a plat-
ter, pre-formed and suitable
for framing, to everyone we
meet. While it is always fine
to share, it is much better to
enjoy the process of listen-
ing to others, while helping
them to think through their
own ideas on the subject. I
figure that if I am correct in
my own view of the tr uth,
then that truth will be able to
stand up to analysis and criti-
cism f rom others. If there
are areas where I am still
in error, I may also benefit
Page 98 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
from listening carefully to
the ideas of others. No mat-
ter what, each individual will
need to process this informa-
tion on their own, and arrive
at t hei r ow n conclu sion s.
Other than planting seeds for
thought, there is little I can
do to speed up the process
for them anyway. There is an
old saying that “God doesn’t
have any grandchildren.”
And speaking of grandchil-
dren, I am looking forward
to the days when I will be
able to put my new-fou nd
wisdom to work once again.
My mother used to say, “You
get so soon old, and so late
s m a r t .” Fo r yo u yo u n g e r
moms, or moms-to-be, I hope
you will make an effort to
enjoy the processes you are
sharing with your children
today. Don’t waste potential-
ly joyful moments worrying
about products which will
almost certainly develop in
due time, when the children
are ready.
I n my favor ite musi-
cal, “Fiddler on the Roof ”,
there is a song that called,
“ S u n r i s e - S u n s e t ”, w h i c h
says, “Sunrise, sunset. Sun-
rise, sunset….Swiftly f ly the
years…
One season following an-
other, laden with happiness
and tears”
Learn to focus on and to
savor the processes you are
g o i n g t h r o u g h e a c h d a y,
whether you are in the midst
of joy or sor row, and con-
cent rate less on products,
e s p e c i a l ly t h o s e t h a t a r e
rooted in the expectations
of others, and I believe you
will have discovered one of
the most important secrets of
all. M.H.
 Activa Art Is...
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 Stop! In the Name of Life
continued from page 65
can stop our relentless running
away from life so that we can be
present as much as possible for
both our own and our children’s
lives. Otherwise, when our chil-
dren become adults — or even
young adults — we might experi-
ence feelings of regret as we real-
ize that our children have grown
up and that we missed out on so
much of that growing up.
In his beautiful book The
Twenty-Two Gates to the Garden,
Steven Rosman presents a story
about a royal family living in a
world of mystical teachings. One
day, the queen decides that she
needs to find a teacher for her
children, who are homeschooled.
An Old Woman becomes the
children’s teacher, having im-
pressed both the queen and the
queen’s children during her inter-
Silpada Designs: A Sterling Opportunity for Homeschooling Moms
continued from page 45
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Why should you join Silpada
Designs? Choosing a Silpada
career requires no interview or
resume, and you don’t need to
worry about being laid off. You
can be your own boss and cre-
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for you and your family. You
decide what you want to invest
and how quickly you want to
earn it back; on average, Silpa-
view. Talking about her qualifica-
tions, the Old Woman had told
the queen, “There is only One
who knows all. I seek that One,
and I shall endeavor to share that
search with your children.” And
then she added: “Along the way,
perhaps we will discover together
the wisdom of the One whose
voice calls out even from the sim-
plest of thornbushes” (p. 93).
May your journeys with your
own children also be filled with
the joy of discovering life’s
miracles and mysteries, which
present themselves to us each
moment but which we can expe-
rience only if we stop and then
look deeply. As Thich Nhat Hanh
explains: “Touch the present mo-
ment as deeply as possible and
touch all the wonders of life that
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homeschooler living in California
where they sleep in r ustic 307.733.1313.
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eNchaNTmeNT
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toso noted that Teton Science
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leaviNg school
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page 13
lepperT page 10

and to think is the beginning

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Drive through Scottsdale and along
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dinner at the Grand Canyon. Elevation at
the South Rim averages 7,000 feet. BD
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Entire day to explore the breathtaking
beauty of the Grand Canyon, one of the
seven natural wonders of the world. Almost
280 miles long, the Grand Canyon varies
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pink limestone spirals. This afternoon
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This morning drive to Zion Park. See
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After breakfast at Zion Park Lodge,
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 Restoring the Homeschooling, Pop Culture
SAVE ON “Original Bible” and Creative Expression
K12 ONLINE Why this new Bible continued from page 10
COURSES. is making history! biggest musical accomplish-
ment was my ability to play
SPECIAL SAVINGS • Books follow original Yankee Doodle at agitating
DURING THE MONTH manuscript order speeds and with excessive
repetitions on my dad’s guitar.
OF MAY • Easy-to-read, faithfully
The extent that it annoyed my
reflects original texts
family may have been more
memorable than my musical
ability. At that point, I had no
notion of pursuing music pro-
fessionally -- I was planning to
run a horse ranch in Wyoming
Updated
when I grew up. While this
Expanded seems unlikely to my more re-
2nd cent acquaintances, my family
EDITION
accepted this with all serious-
ness. They not only believed
Visit K12.COM, International
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“HEARTILY in my desire, they supported
me in various ways as I spent
or call 866.609.9578. Collectors: RECOMMENDED!” my time riding and working as
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When, at the age of thirteen,
I saw my first classical guitar
concert and began to shift my
focus away from horses and
toward the world of classical
music, they shifted with me,
listening as intently about
differing inter pretations of
Augstin Barrios’ Julia Florida
as they had about horse confor-
mation and days at the stable.
For the next five years, my
h o m e s c h o ol e n v i r o n m e n t
allowed me to practice clas-
sical guitar for hours every
day. Living in the quiet town
of Crestone didn’t afford me
many distractions, and I was
able to focus on my musical
pursuits. In my mid-teens I
began looking into college
music programs, believing that
I wanted to pursue a career
in classical guitar. I looked at
countless conservatories, but
I wasn’t at the level to receive
any merit-based scholarship
or even be very sure of accep-
Page 110 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
tance to these schools. Instead
I began looking at the music
depar tments at liberal ar ts
schools, thinking I could pur-
sue my musical education in a
more forgiving environment.
I was accepted to Bennington
College in Vermont, which ap-
pealed to me as a liberal, self-
structured and open-minded
community.
I still remember my shock
when I talked to a woman in
admissions at Bennington and
discovered that I was “discour-
aged from taking more than one
or maybe two music classes the
first year”. It was at this point
that I realized just how alter-
native my view of education
really was -- I felt restricted
by the structure imposed by a
college advertising student-
directed education. I realized
that pursuing music full-time
was my top priority, but I was
beginning to question what di-
rection I wanted to take. After
studying classical guitar for
several years, I was beginning
to lose the enthusiasm that had
originally fueled me. I wasn’t
touching the artistic essence of
music; I was simply learning
by the book. Again, the support
of my family gave me the space
to redirect my priorities. This
prompted the next incarnation
of my musical journey -- a duo
with my sister Katherine, who
had also been studying solo
instrumental guitar for some
years previous.
It was at this point that my
lack of exposure to mainstream
media and pop culture resur-
faced, although in a slightly
less dramatic way than in the
opening story. I haven’t re-
ally changed from the twelve-

year-old girl who asked “Who
is Cher?”, although I have
learned in the nine years since
that memorable episode to be
more judicious about when and
how I expose my ignorance.
Nonetheless, my peers still find
me curiously unaware of much
of the information, images and
music that saturate their daily
lives. Old friends find this
lack of knowledge amusing,
and kindly attempt to keep me
somewhat informed, while my
“sheltered” view raises curios-
ity in new acquaintances. It
has also caused some minutes
of embarrassment in various
social situations, as the open-
ing story shows. However, the
inf luence it has had on my
creative process is the prover-
bial silver lining to these some-
times awkward moments.
When my sister and I started
writing songs, we didn’t have a
clue. We didn’t have a teacher
telling us how to write basic
chord progressions, rhyme
lyrics or establish a standard
groove. The music that we had
been exposed to ran the gamut
from reggae to Indian classical
but was curiously lacking in
most of what our peers were
listening to, or even what they
would consider well-known
“classic” recordings. There-
fore, we had very little knowl-
edge of conventions in song-
writing, even in an abstract
or unconscious sense of what
was standard and acceptable.
Instead, we experimented. We
had something to write about
and we did our best to set it
down on paper. We searched
for chords and rhythms that felt
right to us. In the beginning
we were almost too focused on
avoiding anything we deemed
“normal”, and perhaps we ne-
glected to appreciate that some
recognizable elements add to
7498 NUVHS LHS ad:Layout 1 2/2/09 11:26 AM Page 1
the universal appeal of music.
But we were working from our
own palette, oblivious to the
standard paint box known to
24/7 Online High School
school rock bands immortal.
It has been two years since
the birth of Washer, our art/
folk /experimental duo, and
we are cur rently recording
our first EP. These days we
are experimenting with a few
of the basic conventions that
we passed by in the beginning
(think 1-4-5 chord progres-
sions), because we are curious
what will happen when we try
to do things the standard way, National University Virtual
but we are so steeped in our
own way of doing things that
High School offers a comprehensive online
we can’t help sounding like curriculum for students seeking to enhance their
ourselves. It continues to be academic experience.
an interesting journey as we
work with other musicians in
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Working off the secure founda-
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we know we won’t lose sight of
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© National University System 2009.
to express.
I wasn’t born musical, and
music hasn’t even come very
easily to me at certain points.
Given a conventional educa-
tion and learning environment,
I don’t know how my life would
have looked. Instead, I was al-
lowed and expected to discover
what I was most passionate Learn more. Contact NUVHS
about through many years of
trial and exploration. Given
at 1.866.366.8847
this freedom, and uninitiated or visit www.nuvhs.org today!
into the world of what was “in”
and what wasn’t, I had to de-
velop my own framework, and
outgrow my love of imitation
and repetition to find my cre-
ative voice. E.M. L An affiliate of the National University System
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 111
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omeschoolers deserve to
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continued on page 140
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Writing Strands
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continued on page 141

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Giant Campus High School: Helping Students Prepare for
A
is helping high school
st udents get on the
cutting-edge of technology with
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The school, Giant Campus
Academy, offers Digital Arts,
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Inspired by today’s youth—
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gain the leadership, technology
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The Elective Dilemma
As homeschool st udent s
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like Graphic Design or
Digital Video Production.
Pa re nt s m ay v iew t he se
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of reasons.  First, many online
schools don’t offer these types
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bulk course offerings. Second,
some parents aren’t comfort-
able having their child take a
course they are not (or cannot
quickly become) an expert in
themselves. Finally, some par-
ents don’t think these courses
are even an option because they
lack the appropriate equipment.
Si nce w it h hold i ng t hese
courses can have a negative im-
pact on a student’s learning ex-
perience and overall happiness,
a growing group of parents are
partnering with Giant Campus
to close this gap. Giant Campus
helps parents better nurture
these interests and begin cul-
tivating skills in high demand
career areas.
“A large number of high
school students don’t find that
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their college or future career
interests,” said James Peters,
Head of School, Giant Cam-
pus Academy. “Giant Campus
Academy is dedicated to filling
this gap by helping parents eas-
ily and confidently offer these
in-demand courses. We are
excited to team with parents to
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Giant Campus Academy pro-
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The Giant Campus Differ-
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Giant Campus Academy is
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On the other hand, parents
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their curriculum providers can
choose to partner with Giant
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requirements and electives).
And in specific states, like
Washington, these courses are
tuition-free.
“My school doesn’t have  an
Online Game Design  class,
and when I saw I could take
it for free from home and get
credit, I really wanted to sign
up,” said  Josh L., Giant Cam-
pus of Washington student. “It
interests me and it was cool to
finally learn more about Online
Game Design in an online class
setting. My instructor was re-
ally knowledgeable and helpful
too.”
Giant Campus offers more
than just rote learning, with a
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34 states.
Enrollment is now open for
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Digital Arts
- Computer Aided Drafting
(CAD)
- 3D Art I and II
- Digital Arts I and II
- Digital Photography and
Graphics
- Flash Animation
- Web Design I and II
- Digital Video Production
- Audio Engineering
Computer Science
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- Game Design 1
- Online Game Design
Business & Innovation
- Green Design and Technol-
ogy
- Introduction to Entrepre-
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- Introduction to Marketing I
and II
Nominated as Best Instruc-
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Giant Campus’  Online Game
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The curriculum helps students
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Giant Campus Academy is an
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Giant Campus curriculum is
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www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 117
 Dig It! Games’ Interactive Archeology

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found as well as their daily
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R
o m a n To w n b y D ig
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Page 118 www.homeschoolnewslink.com

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 Motor and Sensory Skills Boost Brain Development
By Cindy Roth Pahr, Education Specialist & Founder of EduCLIME, LLC
M
y experience with
tea ch i ng ch ild ren
over the past 29 years
has afforded me the opportunity
to see the importance of build-
ing motor and sensory skills
first hand. I am passionate about
helping those who teach, under-
stand how children learn and
giving them the resources to
help children move beyond their
stumbling blocks. Did you know
that learning and memory are
heavily influenced by our ability
to interpret sensory information
from our environment, under-
stand our body’s movements
and sense our body in space?
Brain connections are influ-
enced and strengthened through
movement and sensory stimula-
tion. Dr. Carla Hannaford as-
serts, in her book Smart Moves,
American School
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Page 124 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
that movement integrates and
anchors new information and
experience into our neural net-
works. As we move our muscles,
we build skills for learning.
Over the years, curricula
placed less emphasis on in-
corporating the fine and gross
motor activities that build skills,
including handwriting instruc-
tion. Handwriting has taken a
back seat to computers. What a
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for learning proper letterform
and having fluency in writing.
Research supports that learning
to handwrite properly and using
the handwritten word strength-
ens brain connections as well as
thinking.
In today’s society, we see an
increasing number of children
who struggle with learning;
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more diagnosed with learning
disabilities and more who ex-
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the Center for Disease Control
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sis, ADHD is over- reported.
Much of the perceived ADHD
behavior is really a motor skill
problem. It seems so fitting that
we address how to apply motor
skill activities in our instruc-
tion. Not only will it help train
the brain, it will make learning
easier and more fun! Fun learn-
ing makes interested students
with increased attention and
retention.
Early learning starts with
motion. It does not take place
by staring at a T.V. or computer
screen and watching “objects
go by”. Through the movement
of our bodies, particularly as
infants and young children, we
send vital information to our
brains helping them organize
and respond to the world around
us. Messages taken in through
touch (pressure), motion, sight
and sound are called sensory
information. The more sen-
sory experiences we provide our
children the stronger and more
organized the brain becomes.
Amazingly, sensory informa-
tion, interpreted correctly in the
brain, helps us to organize, learn
and respond appropriately!
Jean Ayers, an occupational
therapist and pioneer in the
area of sensory integration de-
termined that one of the most
critical times for developing
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3-7 years of age. Movement
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What Type of Learner Is
Your Child?
By Michael & Mary Leppert
F
inding out what type of
“learner” your child is
can mean treading on
foreign ground for most par-
ents. “Learning styles” might
be a relatively new, largely
uncharted territory for a parent
contemplating homeschooling.
“Learning styles” is a way of
viewing people – adults as well
as children -- that recognizes
that we all perceive and process
information in unique ways.
Discovering your own or your
child’s learning styles is time-
and energy-consuming—but
worthwhile.
The majority of schools and
teaching institutions are barely
starting to consider “learning
styles” as a meaningful way to
analyze how children learn, and
few have a clue how to use the
information. Given the limita-
tions of mass-schooling, school
systems that choose to analyze
and sort children by their learn-
ing styles may find it a logistic
impossibility to accommodate
all learners. Or perhaps it could
be done along the lines of the
magnet school method. For
instance, all students whose in-
telligence is predominantly lin-
guistic could attend one school,
those with primarily musical in-
telligence another, and so forth.
Still, given the highly individual
nature of learning styles, it’s
unlikely that institutions like
public schools will ever use this
valuable tool.
Fortunately for the family who
chooses to homeschool, there
is no logistic problem. You can
read the excellent material avail-
able on learning styles, possibly
visit a counselor who specializes
in advising families about learn-
ing styles, and then implement
your own personalized teaching
plan for your child, based on
your findings.
Learning styles analysis can
also be used in the home to
understand the relationships
between family members. By
understanding ourselves and our
family, we can build a healthy
family of individuals with a
strong, unique self-image. They,
in turn, can go into the world
and work with other people
with different personalities and
learning styles and, in general,
be tolerant, understanding, and
happy.
How We Discovered Our
Child’s Learning Style
Before we knew anything
about learning styles, we real-
ized that certain ways of learn-
ing would make it possible for
our son to really learn—have
the knowledge at his fingertips
“forever,” the authority to dis-
cuss it, and the ability to use it
when necessary and repeat it
when desired. If his particular
learning way was not followed,
the “learning” would be like
writing in water—gone imme-
diately after he went through the
motions.
For example, the math book
we first used introduced skip-
counting (1, 3, 5 . . .) by each
number from 1 to 9 as pre-
paratory practice to learning
multiplication. The author said
that multiplying these simple
numbers is the same as fast
addition, and skip-counting
teaches that. So we began and
quickly realized that incorporat-
ing skip-counting into a game
would facilitate the learning. So
we began playing catch with a
beanbag, each one saying “his”
continued on page 139
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 125
 Teach Yourself The Five-to-Seven Year Shift
to Play By Dr. Marcie Zinn,
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Piaget tells us that children’s
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Page 126 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
consolidate earlier processes they
grow, but this happens across
many domains. Children do not
change their thinking across all
domains and competencies all
at once. During the time period
between 5 and 7, these processes
change quickly and drastically.
Theor y of M i nd ( ToM )
How do we all understand one
other? Like other processes, we
are rarely aware of our own ToM.
We all utilize intangible but neces-
sary entities such as intentions,
desires, beliefs, and knowledge
to make the behavior of other
understandable and predictable.
If you have ever been with an
autistic individual, one of the most
salient components of the problem
is the lack of a ToM. Theory of
mind is the ability to mentally
represent and interpret (make a
mental “model”) cognition and
emotion, regardless of reality. The
development of children’s ToM
is currently receiving a great deal
of study and focuses on mental
states, such as beliefs, knowledge,
desires, emotions, and intentions.
There have been many studies of
young children’s developing un-
derstanding of false beliefs. The-
ory of Mind (ToM) involves False
Belief Understanding (recognition
that others can have wrong be-
liefs), and interacts with the child’s
personal and social domains. The
ToM research exemplifies Devel-
opmental Psychology’s emphasis
on finding how higher cognitive
functions develop.
One such cognitive function is
making predictions about what
people will do in situations where
their desires conflict with rules: Is
desire more important than rules,
or are rules more important than
desire? Studies show that there
are no significant age differences
between 4 and 7 years in predict-
continued on page 128
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Mr. Everybody’s Musical Apartment
This mnemonic story device has the notes represented
by memorable characters who live in the apartment. This
book and Cd note reading method can be related to
playing recorder,piano, guitar,horns, or any treble clef
instrument. The Mr. E system is used in method
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The Five-to-Seven Year Shift
continued from page 126
ing that people would comply with
rules that intruded on the personal
domain (such as what to play with,
what clothes the child likes and
dislikes). However, in situations
involving moral rules, predictions
of compliance with those rules
significantly nearly doubles from
age 4 to 7. 7-year-olds are twice as
likely to follow rules for morally
essential situations than 4-year-
olds (a situation may be taking
a toy away from a child who is
threatening another child with that
toy). Another related finding is that
older (7 & older) children tend to
judge that the characters in the sto-
ries presented to them would com-
ply with rules significantly more
often for moral-essential than for
personal-essential trials.
Your children will have their
theories of mind, which will be ap-
parent to you in their descriptions
of everyday events involving other
people. As their theories of mind
grow, integrate it into reading
comprehension. Ask them about
what the characters in the stories
are thinking, feeling, etc. Be inter-
ested in these stories yourself. Talk
about the books they are reading at
the dinner table and in the car. As
their abilities come “on line,” you
will know it via how their concep-
tions change and become richer.
Children’s Reasoning About At-
tentional Focus
Attentional focus is an often-
discussed topic among most par-
ents and educators today. Many
parents I meet are worried that
their child does not have adequate
“focus” to do well in school. Look-
ing at attention from a child’s point
of view, research indicates that
children can believe that atten-
tional focus can be divided among
several tasks at once, while others
know that it is possible to focus on
only one thing at a time. Basically,
the division is within the 5-7 year
shift. Around age 4-5, children
have no idea that attention must
be focused, while 6-7 year olds
understand the concept of focus
and know how distractions disrupt
the focus. What a large body of
research tells us is that children
acquire a basic understanding of
attention during the late preschool
and early elementary school
years.
Attentional focus is largely me-
diated by the child’s neurological
abilities. The brain takes nearly
30 years to develop, so what is not
developed at age 5? Age 7? The
answer is, a lot. Attentional focus
is one excellent place to observe
brain development taking place.
How old does a child have to be to
respond to a parental command to
“Leave the cookies alone?” Most
parents know that they cannot rely
on their children to inhibit their
cookie-taking behavior. That is
a good example of immaturity
(an immature brain). Attentional
“focus” takes a lot of time, and in-
volves many sub-processes in the
brain. Here is a short list of some
facts that may help you.
The two brain sites that medi-
ate “focus” are not working at age
5. One of them begins to work
about age 7, and the other “joins
in” about age 10 or 11. However,
they are not fully developed for
many more years. Therefore, your
child will have a limited “attention
span.” Most parents have a hard
time accepting this fact, probably
because they fear the child has
“ADHD” or a related disorder. If
you want to help your child in-
crease his or her span to the limits
of her physical ability, use effective
reward systems. Explaining these
systems is beyond the scope of
this article, but know that rewards
and incentives not only work but,
if used correctly, result in a natural
continued on page 142
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 The Developmental Potential of Music
N
ot uncommonly, a Music Together
class will include a child who has an
obvious physical or mental disability.
Parents of young children with “special needs”
are often attracted to music classes as therapy,
with an eye to helping their children develop.
And while there may be controversy over
whether music will make you “smarter,” there
is no doubt that music and movement together
aid in child development.
Think of it this way: The brain feeds on
stimulation, and there are few, if any, activities
that provide stimulation to so many nerves at
once, as music. In addition to its most obvious
roles in encouraging appreciation of and pro-
ficiency in music, music instruction has been
shown to be influential in nearly all the ways
children develop. It facilitates language acqui-
sition, hones fine and gross motor skills, pro-
motes socialization, and encourages emotional
growth. Kenneth K. Guilmartin, the founder
and director of both Music Together and its
Lab School in Princeton, New Jersey, puts it
this way: “Music and movement classes are de-
velopmental for all young children, regardless
of whether we think of the child as “normal“ or
not, “talented“ or not.
No one knows what a profoundly disabled
child is actually hearing or whether she is
experiencing a song differently from the “nor-
mal” child next to her, but she can enjoy the ex-
perience just as much — and may be getting as
much, or more, from it. As Ken says, “Music
intelligence is one of many independent intel-
ligences human beings have. A child might be
at the low end of the bell curve in one type of
development — say, his ability to speak — and
be at the high end of the bell curve when it
comes to music-making.”
A powerful example of the developmental
potential of music-making is Harrison Ham-
mond of Plainsboro, New Jersey, who started
attending Music Together classes when he was
just six months old. Born very prematurely, he
had mild cerebral palsy at five years old, could
not walk unaided, and had difficulty with fine
motor control. In the mind of his mother, Joan
Hammond, the effect of exposing Harrison to
musical experiences can’t be overstated. She
credits constant musical stimulation with hav-
ing done everything from helping Harrison’s
Page 130 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
speech development to improving his social
skills. “Some of his first vocalizations were
in class,” she said, “where they do repetitive
music sounds, rhythms, and tonal patterns. All
of a sudden one day, when he was two-and-a-
half, Harrison was able to do that.”
Music therapists, in fact, have long drawn
on the power of music to aid in language de-
velopment. A common example is the way
they work with stroke victims who have lost
function in the brain’s language areas but not
in the areas which control music. “People who
have strokes can often remember lullabies and
early childhood melodies, so what you do in
working with them is to pull the words out
through rhythm and melody,” explained Janet
Campbell, a Music Together teacher in New
Jersey and a certified music therapist. “You
teach them to sing, ‘I want my razor’ or ‘I want
a drink of water.’ They can’t say it, but they can
sing it.”
The same theories are often applied by
music therapists when they work with young
children. A standard music therapy practice,
she said, is to couple lyrics about everyday
needs and home life with familiar tunes. Sing-
ing “this is the way we tie our shoe, tie our
shoe, tie our shoe” often helps teach children
to accomplish tasks that they are unable to do
otherwise, Janet said.
Another common technique of professional
music therapists is improvisation, which is
important for children’s growth. “It develops
the child’s sense of self, sense of control,”
explained Ashley Scott, a certified music
therapist and a Music Together teacher in
Virginia. In Music Together classes, she said,
improvisation happens often during the play-
alongs. “I can play the way they play. If they
are banging their cymbals on the floor, I can
bang my tambourine on the floor.” In this way
she meets each child at his level and affirms his
contribution by mirroring it. “My goals are to
develop children’s fine and gross motor skills,
to work on their speech and language develop-
ment, to develop socialization, and to work on
cognition, as in counting.”
Nor should the playfulness of music and its
ability to energize be overlooked as powerful
developmental tools. “Music facilitates move-
ment, which is so important to young chil-
dren,” Janet Campbell said. “Tapping a tam-
bourine requires eye-hand coordination and
enhances small, fine motor development,” she
explained. “Swinging in beat to the music and
waving scarves improves rhythmic coordina-
tion and other gross motor skills. Even simple
rocking sends incredible amounts of informa-
tion to the brain. When you shift your weight,
you are actually falling and recovering.”
An important developmental byproduct of
the Music Together curriculum, Janet said, is
that learning to enjoy and make music, often
gives a special-needs child “appropriate leisure
skills” that can help her function more fully
in society. “The music experience is often a
special-needs child’s first opportunity to be
able to participate fully as a member of a group
in a recreational way,” she said. “After all, a
function of music is to enrich life, which is
developmental in and of itself.”
As Joan Hammond explains it, music is vital
not only because it promotes Harrison’s devel-
opment directly, but also because it makes her
son happy. When he is upset, playing a cassette
tape calms him down. When he listens to a
song, his attention span increases noticeably,
thereby facilitating further development.
“I can’t say enough about how important
it is with a developmentally impaired child
to find what makes him tick,” Joan said. And
with Harrison, the spark that lights him up is
music. “When you find whatever makes him
tick, then you find the child,” she explained,
“and you bring out things in him that you never
thought possible.”
Music Together is an internationally-recog-
nized early childhood music and movement
curriculum for babies, toddlers, preschool-
ers, kindergarteners, and the adults who love
them. Originally offered to the public in 1987,
it pioneered the concept of a research-based,
developmentally appropriate early childhood
music curriculum that strongly emphasizes
and facilitates adult involvement.
Music Together classes are now offered in
more than 2,000 communities in over 30 coun-
tries around the world. Teacher trainings are
also available as are our award-winning CDs
and “Music Together® Family Favorites®
Songbook for Teachers.” For more information,
visit www.musictogether.com/TheLink.
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 The Keystone School and iQ Academy
– How Are They Different?
O
nline learning is an expanding market, with a plethora of
articles and advertising announcing its value. Hard to dis-
cern amongst all of the information and hype is how online
learning works, how it serves the homeschool market and how on-
line schools differ?
The majority of K-12 online school options fall into two catego-
ries:
Private online schools like The Keystone School or Virtual char-
ter schools like iQ Academy
A Day in the Life
A day in the life of an iQ Academy virtual charter student may
be very similar to that of a student attending a private online school
such as Keystone. Both types of schools give students the flexibility
to work from home, provide rigorous online courses and are com-
mitted to a quality educational experience from licensed teachers.
However, there are some significant differences in pace and flex-
ibility.
The Keystone School
The Keystone School is a private NAAS-accredited distance
learning school with more than 30 years of history, partnering with
homeschool families. Keystone has worked with more than
200,000 students in all 50 states and 70 countries. Keystone’s high
school graduates receive a diploma from the state of Pennsylvania
that is widely accepted at colleges and universities nationwide.
Keystone supports parents committed to homeschooling their
children with classes that prepare their students for college or ca-
reer. Keystone also provides continuity of homeschool learning by
offering both middle and high school courses to homeschoolers.
Parents have the flexibility to enroll their student in as many or as
few courses as they want or need at any time during the year. Some
parents choose to enroll their student in ‘harder to teach courses’
such as AP® Calculus while teaching other subjects themselves.
Unlike iQ Academy, students can enroll in Keystone anytime of
the year and are not bound by a traditional school schedule. This
means that Keystone students do not have to finish their courses by
the end of the semester. Students have a full calendar year to finish
their courses and many choose to focus on one or two subjects at a
time rather than five or six.
iQ Academy
Virtual charter schools like iQ Academy are publicly-funded
online schools that are typically governed by a group or organiza-
tion under a contract or charter with the state. Because of the public
funding they are tuition-free; whereas Keystone is a tuition-based
continued on page 141

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Reduce Teacher Grading.
Teachers can assign additional
practice sets online at Gram-
marlogues.com. There, students
can practice as frequently as they
wish and receive immediate,
automated scoring feedback that
continued on page 145
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 137
 Betty Lukens Felt Products
Love to learn. – Timeless Interactive Learning Toys
By Michael Leppert
Guaranteed.
W
ith the plethora of
electronic toys avail-
able today, it is some-
what surprising to realize that the
term “interactive toy” does not
strictly refer to one that is com-
puter-based. A toy that requires
the child to become involved
and active, rather than passively
playing with the game or merely
reacting to it, is interactive. The
felt products – character figures
and play backgrounds -- of Betty
Lukens Inc’s Felt provide an ex-
cellent example.
Betty Lukens’ Felt Products
are most well known for their
Through the Bible in Felt Sets.
These sets make the Bible
come alive, with over six hun-
dred figures and objects in felt
and a variety of backgrounds
for them to act upon. These
brilliantly-colored felt figures
capture the attention of even the
most active children as Bible
stories are brought vividly to life.
• Protect your investment with our automatic
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GOOD BEGINNINGS to GOOD
Sonlight customer Ariana H.
and her daughters. Spring, TX. ENDINGS for HANDWRITING
continued from page 73
are top-to-bottom. Then they
Let us share a favorite book with you!
Order a free catalog and receive are introduced to conventional
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ters change shape. This transition
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Page 138 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
ment.
Other interactive felt prod-
ucts available by Betty Lukens
include felt play boards with
pre-cut felt figures and interac-
tive, soft story books. Play sets
include themes such as Animal
Park, Days of the Dinosaurs,
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also includes a variety of differ-
ent dress-up dolls with accesso-
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hand.
Others have handwriting prob-
lems. However, it is not difficult
to take the print-script letters,
and develop the flow of BFH into
them. The characters are not that
different. Rhythm exercises are
a big help, and adults, as well as
children benefit from occasion-
ally writing patterns and letters
with their eyes closed.
What Type of Learner Is Your Child?
continued from page 125
number aloud as we threw the
bag back and forth. We could
practice all nine sets of numbers
every day without breaking a
sweat—speeding up, slowing
down, throwing behind our
backs, between our legs, fooling
around with the game within the
game. Our son would often beg
to do them again and again!
Later, we tried having him
sit and do multiplication work-
sheets of larger numbers. It was
like dragging a heavy stone
through the desert—nothing
could have been less fun or more
unproductive! We wanted him
to practice the material and to
prove that he knew it (as every
program advised), and when
you begin multiplying two-digit
numbers by two-digit numbers,
skip-counting cannot be used.
After struggling with the
worksheet method, we finally
took to using a lecture ap-
proach. Michael would stand at
a dry-erase board where Lennon
(lounging on his bed, possibly
holding one of his cats) could
easily see him write, for in-
stance, a two-digit number times
a three-digit one. Then Michael
would say, “Okay, now walk me
through this problem.” Lennon
would tell him what to do at each
step, instructing Michael exactly
what to do before he’d write any-
thing down. This activity has
an immediate cause-and-effect
dynamic, to which Lennon re-
sponded very well. He had to tell
Michael to “put down the 0 and
carry the 1” before anything was
written down; therefore, Lennon
had to know what to do. This
method allowed him to use his
knowledge in a functional way
in a comfortable atmosphere,
and we could also teach him
new concepts and skills at the
board just as effectively. We re-
ceived tremendous satisfaction
from actually teaching him and
seeing him learn from us!
We used this dry-erase/lecture
method for English grammar
and vocabulary, too. At any
given time, we spent over an
hour telling him about the his-
tory of the English language,
the wars and fortunes of it, or
explaining why pronunciation
and spelling are not standard-
ized. He listened raptly without
being distracted until he had a
question. We would often hear
him repeat this information to
someone else days later, show-
ing that it “stuck” with him. This
gave us all such satisfaction that
we looked forward to working
the next day, and often, when
we had to stop after 20 minutes,
Lennon would groan and moan,
“Do we really have to stop so
soon?” He never groaned about
not doing a worksheet!
Since Lennon hated to sit and
write problems out, the lecture
method was about the only way
that worked for us. Had he been
in school all day, the teacher
would have definitely been tell-
ing us he had “problems.”
Here is another anecdote il-
lustrating that you can realize
great profits by catering to your
child’s learning style: While
Michael was still working his
day job, Mary was doing most of
the homeschooling. At the time,
we were using a boxed curricu-
lum and following the teacher’s
manual fastidiously. Then Mary
started The Link, and soon, due
to lack of time, started home-
schooling in a different manner.
For example, while she was do-
ing the bulk mailings, she would
open the spelling book and ask
then-seven-year-old Lennon a
word. If he spelled it correctly,
she “let” him do two laps around
the inside of the house. He
would run laughing through the
den/kitchen/living room twice, SAVE ON
thinking it was great fun! He
would work on spelling for hours K12 ONLINE
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enthusiasm multiplied with the OF MAY
running/spelling method.
For all children, there is at
least one “right” way (the most
productive one) and a few
“wrong” ways (those that are
unproductive and merely drudg-
ery). Finding out your child’s
learning style can be easiest
when you know what he or she
likes (within learning) and dis-
likes. Dislikes are often simply
Visit K12.COM,
a matter of different learning
styles.
Copyright 2010 by Michael or call 866.609.9578.
& Mary Leppert. All rights re-
served.
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www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 139
 Turn Knowledge into College Credit
continued from page 113 The Power of the Transcript surance that these exams evaluate what the student has studied and
A Spanish exam is set to launch One of the biggest challenges a thorough understanding of the how well he or she understood the
later in 2010. Homeschool students with traditional credit-by-exami- subject matter that is worthy of material.
can create a customized advanced nation programs is that once stu- college-level credit. Succeeding on UExcel exams
high school curriculum by simply dents have taken a test, they just “Excelsior’s decades of experi- can actually do much more for
choosing the exams they are most get a score. It’s up to individual ence and reputation in examina- your student than validate his
interested in and studying at their institutions to review that score tion development and online or her education. It can help to
own pace without having to take a and interpret it as college credit education combined with ACE demonstrate their motivation and
correspondence or Internet course. or a substitute for a college-level evaluation provides colleges and dedication to higher education and
To guide a student’s effort, UExcel class. But when students pass a universities with assurance that become an extra point in their fa-
provides free downloadable con- UExcel exam, they receive a letter the credit awarded is an accurate vor in the admissions process, put-
tent guides, a list of recommended grade and credit from Excelsior measure of expected college-level ting them ahead of students with
textbooks and inexpensive prac- College, a regionally-accredited learning,” said Dr. Patrick Jones, similar profiles. Better yet, once
tice tests (around $18 each). Each institution, on an official Excelsior dean of assessment at Excelsior the UExcel exams help a student
exam is two hours long and most College transcript. College. “The cost benefit to stu- get into college, it will put them
are in a multiple-choice format. With this transcript in hand, dents taking UExcel examinations ahead of the game by saving both
Calculate the Cost Savings homeschool students can submit it can be significant.” time and money on their college
What about the cost? More than for transfer credit to their desired Getting ahead of the Game in education.
ever, people are trying to save institution. Thousands of colleges College Encourage Effort, Reward
money or find smart ways to make and universities accept credit-by- For homeschooled children, Achievement
their dollars work harder. Each examination, but credit is always getting into a good college can You’ve chosen homeschool-
UExcel exam, for example, ing for a reason: You want
costs only $85, which trans- Source of Credit Cost Per Credit what’s best for your child. As
lates to $14-$28 per credit, you evaluate the next steps
depending on the UExcel UExcel Exam ($85 flat fee) $14 - $28 depending on exam taken in higher education plan-
exam taken. That’s a huge Community College $80 average ning, consider the colleges
savings when you consider and universities that will re-
Public University $220 average
the average community col- ward your homeschooler for
Private University $820 average all of her or his hard work.
lege cost per credit is $80,
the average public univer- The credit-by-examination
sity cost per credit is $220 and the awarded on a case-by-case basis. sometimes be challenging. These option may be just what you need
average private university cost per Having letter grades on a tran- students have the intelligence and to accelerate your homeschooler’s
credit is $820, based on an average script may smooth the way for knowledge to do well in college, post-secondary education and
course load of 32 credits per year receiving transfer credit from their but some universities have diffi- save money in the process.
(www.collegeboard.com). Taking preferred university. Students will culty determining just how much Learn More Now
and passing several UExcel exams need to ask their college if they students have learned. Let’s face it, Websites for credit-by-examina-
can potentially save students and can receive transfer credit, waive many schools of higher education tion programs offer guidance on
parents thousands of dollars while lower-level courses or fulfill ad- lack confidence in the transcripts which college and universities ac-
advancing the pace of the student’s mission requirements using their provided by homeschooled fami- cept credit-by-examination. They
academic career. transcript. lies, causing students to be wait- also offer complete information on
“Students and parents around Credit Recognition Promotes listed or denied admission. That’s registering for tests, plus practice
the world are struggling to pay Excellence where the UExcel exams can help test links, downloadable content
for a semester’s worth of college Like other credit-by-examina- because they provide a measur- guides and lists of recommended
tuition, let alone an entire two- or tion programs, UExcel exams have able and credible way for home- textbooks to help students prepare
four-year education,” said Randy been evaluated by the American schooled students to demonstrate for exams.
Trask, vice president of market Council on Education’s College their learning. Having real college UExcel www.UExcelTest.com
development, Pearson VUE. “The Credit Recommendation Service credit on an official transcript CLEP www.collegeboard.
UExcel program is designed to (ACE CREDIT) for the award of from an accredited institution, like com/student/testing/clep/about.
help home school students quickly college credit. To receive formal Excelsior College, proves your html
and affordably earn college credit recognition by ACE, the UExcel student is ready for college-level DSST www.getcollegecredit.
for knowledge they already have, program had to undergo a rigorous coursework. A transcript provides com
or are willing to obtain through evaluation of test methodologies. the college admissions officer an Excelsior College Examina-
self study.” The ACE CREDIT approval is as- objective point of reference for tions www.excelsior.edu/exams

Page 140 www.homeschoolnewslink.com

The Keystone School and iQ Academy
– How Are They Different?
continued from page 133
private school. At virtual charter
schools, students are required to
follow the school-year calendar
which makes their schedules
less flexible and means that a
strong adherence to the school-
year pacing is needed. Students
can enroll on a full-time or part-
time basis.
Virtual charter school stu-
dents, like those at iQ Academy,
are often required to take state
tests and can graduate with a lo-
cal district diploma. Graduation
rates are comparable to other
high schools and meet college
admission standards. Like The
Keystone School, iQ Academy
graduates are regularly accepted
at leading colleges and universi-
ties throughout the country.
iQ Academy offers more than
30 years of distance learning
experience and every iQ Acad-
emy student is matched with a
dedicated student advisor and a
Writing Strands
continued from page 114
memorizing rules of grammar.
Your texts use that philosophy. I
was unable to teach my 8th grade
son how to write. We tried abso-
lutely everything. Thank God I
discovered your books. You are a
genius. And I believe that genius
lies in you being able to speak to
kids on their level. What you say
makes sense to kids. What you
say has meaning for kids, other-
wise they would not be motivated
to complete the assignments.”
“We received our new writing
program yesterday afternoon,
and I am sitting here early this
morning while still in bed de-
vouring it.  This is EXACTLY
what I had hoped to find, a clear,
professional counselor, for per-
sonalized consultation and sup-
port. Students must keep pace
with the school calendar and the
iQ Academy team is dedicated
to helping them do so.
Homeschool Students
Being independent and dis-
ciplined learners, homeschool
students are known to be top
performers in an online school
setting. Is your middle school
student ready for Algebra 1?
Does your high school student
want to start earning college
credit with an AP course or
become conversational in Man-
darin or Japanese? Do you want
to continue homeschooling but
give up some of the planning
that comes with it? Keystone
or iQ Academy can help with
wide catalogs of course offer-
ings. Check them out online at
keystoneschoolonline.com and
iqacademy.org. ♦
concise, easy to understand
path towards writing excellence
for our children.  Additionally,
the humor injected within each
assignment is wonderful and
reflects our own family’s quirky
sense of humor.  I can well imag-
ine the chuckles coming from
my kids as they work their way
through it. . . . You have cre-
ated a simplified yet not “dumbed
down” program for developing
writing skills in a systematic
process. . . . I intend to order the
entire set of books, and know
that by the end of my children’s
school careers they will take with
them the skills I have longed to
help them develop.  Thank you
for this wonderful curriculum,
we will use it with great joy.”
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 141
 The Five-to-Seven Year Shift
It’s all continued from page 128
about your love of the thing the child is being
rewarded for.
students … The younger the child, the less
ability that child has to filter out
environmental happenings. Im-
mature brains do not accommodate
well. Accommodation is the brain’s
Agriculture Curriculum ability to filter out irrelevant stimuli.
Online 24/7 This process takes time, and is not
fully operational until the indi-
Daily ag news
vidual’s late 20’s. Attentional focus
1,200 lessons
is affected greatly by other children
Includes puzzles in the environment, the T.V. go-
& PowerPoints ing, extraneous noise, etc. Create
Prescreened affordable, unique curricula a noise-free work environment for
Internet resources Visit Our Website for: your child, and give your child mul-
Ask about our •Natural Speller
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processes all working in concert.
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www.designastudy.com lighting. A comfortable work envi-
ronment evokes positive emotions.
All of these things are important.
Memory in 5-7 Year Old Chil-
dren
Parents typically are in awe of
their young child’s memory. Most
parents believe their young pre-
school children have better memo-
ries than they do. The error that
parents are making (understand-
ably) is that they are not looking at
all aspects of the child’s memory.
They are only viewing the portion
that they witness when a child re-
calls something that happened long
ago. Memory is not one entity, but
many different processes. Many of
those processes are developmental
in nature.
Generally, preschoolers generally
overestimate their own and other
people’s mental abilities and fail
to identify their and others’ limita-
tions. With regards to memory
itself, preschoolers regularly over-
estimate their memory span, which
appears to be part of a general in-
Page 142 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
sensitivity to cognitive limitations.
What about actual measures of
how 5-year-olds remember? Re-
search indicates that young children
use free recall for recall; they do not
engage in memory strategies, such
as mnemonics or categorization.
They do not recognize categories
and do not use categorical under-
standing even when category are
pointed out to them; 7-year-olds
recognize and use categories. The
findings show that the young chil-
dren’s knowledge base is largely
made up of scripts for familiar
events, especially when memories
are about scenes, events and other
items presented to them for remem-
bering. Children through age 5 also
do not utilize metamemory (know
that they know).
It appears that the changes in
memory functioning between 5-7
is mediated by several functions.
One such function is the increased
use of language. Language makes
it possible to gain a large knowl-
edge fund. This fund goes to create
schema (overlearned beliefs, etc.),
which then allows the individual to
integrate greater and greater sourc-
es of information. Metamemory
requires reflection, which relies on
a child’s growing ability to benefit
from direction from others.
Memory exemplifies a new level
of thinking present in 7-year-olds
that was not present in 5- year-olds.
Until about age 5, language and
memory merely represent concrete
happenings in the environment and
largely exist as tools of communi-
cation only. However, after age 5,
the child quickly learns to organize
learned material that is not immedi-
ately present, and by manipulating
those representations, language, at
age 7, is now a tool of cognition.
Knowing how memory func-
tions is crucial for parents. As an
example, piano instruction is large-
ly done by rote (rote memorization
of notes), which children, starting
about age 6, are quite adept at do-
ing. By age 7, their rote memory
skills are superior. However, when
taught by rote, the child does not de-
velop understanding, which means
the child will either never develop
higher cognitive functions or the
child will have to somehow figure
it out on his own & teach himself,
or find someone who recognizes it.
Rote memorization, while tempt-
ing, is a really bad idea. Beginning
at age 5, children are able to rec-
ognize categories (concepts) and
organize their thinking in these
categories. By learning “how to”
as much as possible, children then
can go beyond what their lessons
have taught them, applying what
they know to related problems and
instances.
Self-Understand-
i ng  i n the 5 -7-year- sh i f t
There are definite qualitative differ-
ences in terms of viewing the ‘self’
between children just before age
5 and children older than 7. This
difference can be seen in noticing
the difference in self-attributes be-
tween the two age groups. Younger
(before 5) children have concrete
descriptions of behaviors; they
tend to define themselves by what
they do (“I can climb to the top
of the monkey bars!” or “I can
count to 100!—listen!” (then re-
cites alphabet). In addition to these
concrete behavioral descriptions,
young children define themselves
and reading, but dumb in social
studies.” The cognition behind
these beliefs comes from a combi-
nation of many experiences, not just
one point in time (like the younger
children). The older the children be-
Sam’s Ride
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ference is opposite attributes and
feelings. Small children cannot say
that they have two feelings or two
attributes at once. They will say Early chapter
they are either happy or scared, but books for beginning
cannot be both at once. Older chil-
dren acknowledge the ability to be readers ages 7-9
in both states at once. t u
Of course, their cognition af-
fects the development of the self, Each book contains
self-esteem and understanding of
individual differences. During the
15 black-and-white
five-to-seven year shift, develop- illustrations
ment is fragmented and uneven;
t u
one day a child may demonstrate
an advanced ToM (for example), Now 44 books in
while the next day the very same
child may have abandoned that the series
viewpoint and returned to earlier
years. Around age 7 the attributes
of an older child appear to be more
set and less amenable to stress and Resource Guide
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peanut butter), and possessions (I Understanding and using the New!

have a green bicycle). These repre-
sentations of the self are all about
behavior, not higher order concepts
as in older children.
Beginning around age 7, children
tend to describe themselves in terms
of higher concepts, such as being
smart with some things, dumb with
others, popular at school. They now
compare themselves to other chil-
dren; their speech bears out these
comparisons; “I am smart in math
understanding during contact with
children at this age-range is crucial
for any educator. Knowing ‘what
to do when’ is the key to education
of children in the late preschool
and early school years. Parents can
learn to spot the differences in their
own children if they understand
what to look for. M.Z.
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Grammar: The New Black Dress
continued from page 137
is logged into an online grade
book. Students can then quickly
see and track their own improve-
ment, while teachers can assess
individual and class progress.
Grammarlogues.com automates
the drudgery of grading to allow
teachers to focus on the interplay
of form and content both in the lit-
erature their students are reading
and the paragraphs their students
are writing.
Change the Dialogue. Gram-
mar has often been taught as a
stand-alone subject from which
students memorize rules and re-
gurgitate them back for testing.
Grammarlogues® was designed
on the premise that information
only becomes knowledge when
it can be applied. As a result,
Grammarlogues® urges students
to think critically about a given
piece of writing and ask questions
Notes on the Charlotte Mason Method
continued from page 67
tries on when the leaves first fell
or the fruit tree in your yard first
ripened for the year. Children
should know the leaves of their
neighborhood. For example they
can begin to notice that some
leaves are heart shaped, some are
divided, and some fall off in the
winter. With time they will be
able to distinguish between petal,
sepal, and other flower parts.
They will see on their own that
some creatures have backbones
and some do not. Give them a
pocket compass and possibly a
microscope. We like using the
magnifying glass better. Buy the
best one you can afford and check
it at the store -- they seem to vary
in how they focus. Charlotte says
to teach children to notice winds
and tell them the wind is named
by what direction it comes from;
about the effectiveness and intent
of each grammatical element.
Understanding grammar is
essential to speaking clearly, ar-
ticulating cogently, and writing
powerfully. Grammarlogues®
isn’t about red pens and memo-
rization; it’s about thinking criti-
cally, building a solid grammar
foundation, and applying each
grammar concept to communi-
cate more effectively. In fact, this
is the underlying philosophy of
Grammarlogues®. We believe—
and we have found that students
wholeheartedly agree—that when
grammar becomes a conversa-
tion that is laced with real-world
examples, it is instantly imbued
with a life and vibrancy that is
contagious. Suddenly, grammar
concepts that students formerly
despised and reluctantly learned
only for assessment, now become
ideas that literally transform the
for example, yourself being an
American because you are born
in America -- you do not become
a Canadian when you go to
Canada. Have them walk a dis-
tance and then measure how far
they’ve walked.
City children can try to feed
and observe city birds such as
sparrows. They can place a cat-
erpillar in a box with a netting
over it and watch it spin. Keeping
an ant farm is suggested, and we
had a good one this past winter.
Have them go to the pond, gather
some frogs’ eggs, and place them
in a large glass jar. After the
tadpoles begin to form legs, take
them back and release them at the
pond. It was suggested children
keep silkworms but I have no
personal experience with that.
The point is, even in the city,
they should get their knowledge
Chase Away the
way they read and write. Students
develop the confidence necessary Winter Blues!
to wrestle successfully with the
complexities of our language.
Grammarlogues ® comes in
three different versions: An indi-
vidual version, a homeschool ver-
sion, and a school version. Each
version of Grammarlogues® is
tailor-made for its audience, chal-
lenging users to apply what they Expand your child’s
are learning at every grammatical
character through life
turn.
So walk into your closet, push changing devotionals,
aside the knock-off mink coat fictional tales, and
and outdated one-piece polka-dot relationship building
jumpsuit, and grab the real thing bible studies
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marlogues.com.)
of nature first hand and get into
SAVE ON
the habit of being in touch with K12 ONLINE
nature. C.L.
COURSES.
This article is excerpted and
modified from A Charlotte SPECIAL SAVINGS
Mason Education, by Catherine DURING THE MONTH
Levison. Ms. Levison is a long- OF MAY
time homeschooling parent with
over 15 years’ experience. She
is the mother of five children, a
popular conference speaker and
the author of the popular book,
A Charlotte Mason Education
-- A How-To Manual and its
sequel, More Charlotte Mason
Education. Both are available
by writing Catherine at cath-
erinelevison@yahoo.com and
please visit her website, www.
charlottemasoneducation.com/ Visit K12.COM,
contact.html for many more re- or call 866.609.9578.
sources and interesting material.
www.homeschoolnewslink.com Page 145
 Ad Index
ABC Read............................ 101
Accelerated Achievement.... 12
Accelerated Christian
Education (ACE)................... 17
Accordions International..126
ACT Advantage.................... 33
Activa Art............................100
Active Minds...................20, 50
ADAM Education.............. 121
AgEd Net............................. 142
ALEKS................................. 116
Alger Learning Center.........50
Amazing Magnets................80
American Academy........20,96
American Cap & Gown....... 19
American Heritage............... 89
American School......... 118,124
A merica n School of Pia no
Tuning..................................126
Apologia Press.............. 99, 116
Applied Grammar.................. 8
Art Instruction Schools....... 25
Artistic Pursuits................... 32
At Home Martial Arts......... 16
Atelier Art.............................40
Attainment Center for
Neuroeducation.................. 127
Barbour Publishing............123
Barb’s People Builder.108, 119
Barchowsky Fluent
Handwriting................. 51, 135
Bechtel Books........................ 35
Better Way Imports............ 137
Betty Lukens Felt.................. 47
BJU......................................... 79
Blending at the Beginning.. 31
Brain Noodles................57, 117
Brave Writer........................ 105
Calvert School..................... 106
Caravan Tours.................... 107
CDE Debate...........................50
Center on Congress..............44
Christian Book.....................43
Chronicle Books................... 87
College Goals........................28
College Plus...........................28
College Prep Genius............ 29
Columbia College................. 29
Continental Academy........ 108
Cottey College......................84
Page 146 www.homeschoolnewslink.com
Creekbed Technologies........40
Curricu lum Design for
Excellence..............................99
Design-a-Study................... 142
Diamond Propane
Refrigeration......................... 81
Dig-It Games....................... 113
Dishwasher Art..................... 82
DJ Inkers.............................. 142
Doulton Water Filters........ 147
Dr. Loyd’s Fraction Kit.22, 139
Dr. Whimbey........................ 39
Drive Thru History............ 115
Educlime..............................125
eHarvey Online School.......86
Elim Bible Institute.............. 35
Empower Writer.................122
Encore Ink............................. 39
Excel lence in Educat ion
(EIE).....................................120
Exclusive Education.............24
FACE......................................30
Fashion Patterns by
Coni................................ 38, 114
Frederick Harris Music......... 9
Glee Gum............................ 137
Gre at Website s for
Homeschoolers...................104
Greek N’ Stuff....................... 78
Griggs Institute.....................45
Harris Communications... 109
Hearthsong........................... 21
Heirloom Acre Seeds......... 114
Herbal Healer........................ 13
Hewitt Homeschooling.15, 20
Homeschool Diploma.com.39
Homeschool Mania..............24
Homeschool Solutions......... 47
iD Tech Camps..................... 83
Independent Study in Idaho.48
Instant Publisher..................98
Interactive Learning............88
IQ Academy........................ 132
JAX Games............................56
K-12.............30, 40, 47, 92, 110,
134, 139, 145
Keystone School................. 132
Kid Scoop...........................6,90
K i ne t ic B o ok s A l ge br a &
Physics.................................... 41
Kits for Kids..........................23
Landmark Freedom Baptist
Church...................................48
Language Tune-up Kit....... 105
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Musuem................................. 53
Learning by Grace...............2,3
Learning Props...............58, 62
Literacy Unlimited............. 103
Little Passenger Seats......... 114
Lyra House Music
Publications.........................129
Macaroni Kids...................... 16
Mama’s Minerals.................. 38
Marva Collins.......................49
Math Mammoth...................48
Math on the Level................96
Memory Book......................... 8
Montessor i Educat iona l
Software................................. 31
Moonjar.................................92
Morningstar Academy......... 93
Motherboard Books.............84
Music Ed Marketplace....... 118
Music Goals.........................129
Music Together................... 131
My Father’s World.............. 148
Myles Music Corp..............128
National University Virtual
High School......................... 111
Nature Friend Magazine..... 32
Needak Rebounders...... 14 , 59,
61, 64, 67, 68, 71
New Society Publishers....... 27
Northern Arizona University
Spanish Course................... 141
Oak Meadow . ...................... 55
Oa k Park Independent
Study.................................... 119
Orca Books.......................... 143
Our Land of Liberty............. 85
Paradigm Accelerated
Curriculum .......................... 16
Parent Child Press................94
Pattern Press........................... 6
Piano for Life......................129
Pleasant Hill Grain
Company........................ 96,110
P re s c r ipt ion for
Adventure..................... 101,137
Pumpkin Seed Press.......... 145
Rainbow Resource Center.133
R a ndom Hou s e L i s t en i ng
Library................................. 112
Ray’s Arithmetic................. 147
Ready Made Resources........ 78
Rhymes Tables......................92
RightStart Math.................. 137
Rod & Staff............................46
Rosetta Stone........................... 7
Sandcastle Publishing Acting
Books......................................42
Say It Right............................22
Schola Publications..............54
Schoolmaster Science........... 35
Science Works....................... 87
Small Farm Journal............ 142
Sonlight Curriculum......... 138
Stanford University EPGY .144
Starline Press....................... 102
Stick To It Charts - Money
Management.........................54
Supercamp . ........................ 118
Sylvan Dell Publishing..38, 78
Talking Fingers.....................97
Tamanu Sunwear..................96
Teton Science........................22
Thames & Kosmos Science.32
T he Bi ble i n it s O r i g i n a l
Order.................................... 110
The Drake Institute.............. 19
The Institute for Achievement
of Human Potential.............. 85
Theory in a Box...................126
Tooties.................................... 52
Travel Buddies........................ 8
Treasure Box Toys................ 31
Usborne Books..................... 10
Veritas Press.......................... 18
Wallwords....36, 37, 60, 63, 65,
66, 69, 70, 72-77
Wilding Wallbeds................24
Wolverine Sports.................. 87
Woodshop for Kids Project.91
Wordsmiths...........................34
World’s Finest Chocolate.... 11
Writing Strands..................136
Wylie Leather Works...........30

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