Go on a dig or a hunt!

  For years, my family rented a cottage on the Chesapeake Bay, near Calvert Cliffs, which are loaded with  fossils.  You can visit Calvert Cliffs State Park.  All of the nearby beaches have shark’s teeth.  Here is a field guide to those fossils.  There are places all over the world country where you can dig, gather, hunt or mine: Crater Diamonds State Park, Fossil Parks, Pan for Gold, Dig for Gemstones, Find Silver, or Rock Hounding.  Whenever I’m at a beach along the coast of Florida, I hunt for shark’s teeth, too.  Here are four U.S. locations.  Warning!  Hunting, panning, or digging are addictive!  I cannot walk a beach without hunting for fossils.  What do you do with them?  We made clay casts.  You could make jewelry, too.  Fall is ideal for fun home-school fieldtrips.  Why not plan a hunt?

Good Will Finds

 I love Good Will—both online and offline.  One interesting listing is for a set of Seeing Stars.  Here is more information.  From what I can understand, it looks as though it’s part of an intervention program for dyslexia.  Students should take a Barton Screening, with this link.  In any case there are several interesting listings on the Good Will site, including several LEGO Mindstorm kits.

Make sub plans!

 Have you ever had a week which was one crisis or another?  Plan ahead and make sub lessons.  I used Chemmatters and their teacher guides with questions as emergency sub plans when I taught in private and public schools.  Look at Ötzi and the teacher guides with questions, as an example.  The guides have answers to the questions.  Print a few articles with question guides.  You can do the same for literature.  Put aside a book and have literature questions.  For example, here or here are reading questions for Sarah, Plain and Tall and Heidi.  Make up an art kit with a Dick Blick lesson. Yes, you can tell your kiddo to work ahead in math or history.  But, why not have  a bin of free choices ready before you’re puking in the bathroom?

Add a little art to your curriculum.

 One easy way to add a little art to your home-school curriculum is to visit museums.  Find out when the museum has a home-school day or free day to visit.  Visit the gift shop after your tour and let the kids select a few postcards. I buy simple black or white frames from Walmart for about one dollar.  Sometimes, we print photos from trips on Snapfish to use as art, too.  The price of postcards does vary at museums; I don’t think I’ve paid more than $2 for a postcard.  The kids will learn about artists they like and have souvenirs which won’t cost a fortune.  Right now, I’m admiring Maud Lewis’s art from a museum in Halifax, Canada.  Your kids will be able to tell other kids about the artist and the museum collections.

Stobaugh American Literature: Pilgrims and Puritans

 My Co-op American literature class began last week.  The class meets once a week on Wednesdays for 90 minutes.  We’re following the book and did ‘Of Plymouth Plantation’ by William Bradford.  Last week our focus was on the significance of Bradford’s chronicles.  Our approach is to read, analyze, and then summarize in a paragraph.  This week we finished editing the paragraphs. We made a jump because a friend is going to teach Lesson 2, World Views.

This week, we jumped to Lesson 3 and read Upon the Burning of our House by Anne Bradstreet.  Dr. Stobaugh suggests comparing the poem to the Beatles’s song, Eleanor Rigsby.  I added Jars of Clay’s version of It is Well with My Soul.  We read the poem and listened to both ‘It is Well with My Soul’ and ‘Eleanor Rigsby’.  I added the verse from Job 1:21.  I explained the back story behind the hymn.  We did all of this before we made a comparison chart.  Next week, we’ll write a comparison paper—read paragraph.  All my teens are reluctant writers.  We spent last year just writing.  Now we need to learn how to analyze and distill the work into cogent paragraphs.  I’ll keep you updated about this class.

Let’s minimize AI!

  There have several news articles and opinion articles about the impact of AI on student brains.  Have you read the MIT article?    As a result of this evidence, I’m doing everything I can to minimize use of AI. ( I don’t encourage the use of AI, with the exception of  Grammarly AI , and only for  kids with profound learning differences.) How?  Kids are hand-writing their lab reports, homework, and tests.  We’re collecting data on paper and later creating spreadsheets.  I think we should resume using textbooks whenever possible.  Yes, I’m still using tech, such as slide decks.  But going forward I’m evaluating each assignment in light of these studies about cognitive decline and AI.

American Literature: Stobaugh

 Have you heard of James Stobaugh’s Literature courses?  I think they are terrific.  This year, I’m teaching American Literature with the local Co-op, in order.  (The same kids are taking American History.) The format is to read aloud and write paragraphs each week.  The teens all need help writing.  Literature is daunting.  So, we’re spending 90 minutes a week doing a survey course.  (Any grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure instruction is free.)  BTW, I am a big believer in combining the literature and history periods.  There will be overlap which reinforces both classes.  For example, we did a bit of history about early pilgrims before we read ‘Of Plymouth Plantation’.  I’ll keep you posted about the class.

Build a trip around a book!

 We just stopped at Green Gables in Prince Edward Island.  Yes, they do serve raspberry cordial.  There were many excited little girls.  Why not base a trip around a book, a character, a short story, or a famous person?  One example is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Visit the village.  Read Longfellow’s poem about The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere and visit his house in Boston.  Have you read any of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books?  Her family lived in several house.  Look at this blog post about the author’s vacation to three of those houses.  Here are places with connections to Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Okay, you get the idea.  What is your child’s favorite book?  Where did the author live?  Where do the characters in the book live?  Take a trip!  Think how much more meaningful the book will be.

Teach by subject.

 Does this seem obvious?  Guess what?  It isn’t.  Too many literature, history, and science textbooks are a hodge-podge of topics—many disparate.  Don’t get me started on state learning standards and objectives—especially in Social Studies.  Instead, pick a subject: Early American History, Fables, or  Human Anatomy.  Apologia’s Science Curriculum has dedicated science subjects.  Look at Cathy Duffy’s History & Geography page on her website. I am partial to the Catholic Textbook Project’s History Series.  Kolbe Academy has Primary Literature and Elementary Literature guides with questions and vocabulary for classic literature.  Once your child hits fifth grade, consider Sadler Vocabulary Workshop.  This series goes from A (Grade Six) to H.  See what I’m saying?   Build your curriculum around subjects to create a robust program.

You should teach a Co-op class.

 Do you have a four-year degree?  You should teach a class.  It will stretch your talents.  It will provide experience if you need to work full-time in the future. Your Co-op needs more variety and more instructors.  Most of all, it’s fun.  

I hear you telling me that you aren’t certified to teach.  Yes, I have certifications; I’m not convinced they help.  Many teachers in private schools do not have any educational credentials—just a bachelor’s degree.  Right now desperate public schools are waiving requirements and slapping provisional accreditation on to people with a four-year degree to fill slots.

But, the best teachers care about kids and love their subject.  They get excited about teaching strategies and want to do a good job.  Sometimes they have professional experience they want to share.  But, I’ve seen many newbies with a passion and no experience do a great job.  You have the motivation.  Chances are your kid will be in the class.  You’ll learn a lot teaching the subject.

Here are a few tips.  Pick a class you like.  My friend, Jen, a former kindergarten teacher, is teaching American History for the high school Co-op.  She likes history.  You’ll be more enthusiastic about a subject you like.  At least the first time, follow the textbook.  Go ahead and supplement—but stick to the modules.  Stay one chapter or module ahead.  Tell the kids, ‘I don’t know’ when you don’t.  Go ahead and look up a question right there with the kids.  This still happens to me.  I give the kid my best guess as an answer and tell the child, ‘I’m not 100% certain.  Let me check.’  Don’t try to fake it.  What happens when a lesson is just terrible?  Start over.  Every so often, a lab or activity just bombs.  Start again the next class and move on.  Tell the kids that the lab, project, time-line, etc. was an unmitigated disaster which we won’t repeat.  We’ll go on and make new mistakes.  In other words, be fearless.  Expect both victories and defeats.  Teaching  is probably outside your comfort area.  Good!  This will be an adventure!

Types of Co-ops

  Co-ops vary enormously.  Our Co-op originally met Fridays at space rented from a local church.  The space had enough rooms for several classes, including a nursery.  The Co-op families met after Mass, at 10 am; classes were held until around 2 pm.  Moms taught different subjects based on demand.  This model worked well for kiddos 6-12 years old.  Older teens in the same Co-op met Tuesdays and Thursdays at the library.  Subjects taught varies from Economics to Chemistry.

Another friend attends Classical Conversations, which meets for 24 weeks, one day a week.  (This program can run over $1000.  Other Co-ops divide insurance and lease fees among the members.) Another example is Classical Cottage, a consortium.  This group runs more like a private school, but is oriented to home-school families.   Locally, the scope for each Co-op varies.  Younger groups might run play dates, LEGO clubs, or park days.  Other groups focus almost exclusively on field trips.  

Different Co-ops even teach the same subjects differently.  For example, I teach science classes twice a week.  Class is 1 1/2 hours and includes instruction, labs, projects,  and activities.  Tests and reading are done at home.  Another local instructor teaches using only the textbook.  Still another Co-op nearby meets once a week to do the labs, exclusively. All of the instruction, questions, and tests are completed apart from Co-op.

Ask some questions before you join a Co-op.  What does the Co-op offer? Classes?  Field trips? Performing arts?  Debate?   How often does the group meet? Where do they meet?   What are the parent responsibilities?  What are the fees?  How does your family hope to benefit from a Co-op?  Ask all manner of questions before you join.

The order matters!

  I just finished a summer marathon: VBS, Science Camp, and two weeks of Faith Camp.  Now I’m trying to rough in lessons for the anatomy class this fall.  Do you know what is important when planning lessons, whether it is for a camp or class?   One key aspect is to determine the order of topics, labs, or activities.  We played suitcase relay the last day of Faith Camp—not the first!  We smashed open geodes outside the last day of Science Camp—not the first day my husband suggested.  Why?  When you do something that fun, you have to top it.  Instead, build a crescendo.  The same goes for class.  Many families teach math first thing in the morning.  One, the kiddos are fresh; two, math is hard.  After you get math out of the way, the other subjects aren’t as daunting. 

 Rule one is to do the worst first.  I start class with a review or introduction, usually for about ten minutes.  After we launch into activities, the labs or projects are tiered from least fun to most fun.  We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I’m more likely to schedule lab on Thursday to get kids to finish work on Tuesday before starting lab.  

Rule two is to combine tedious assignments.   For example, viewing and sketching slides is dull.  We stack a few sections together and get it out of the way.  Let your kiddo do a week’s worth of geography on Monday.  Make Tuesday spelling and vocabulary day.

Rule Three is to inject a fun or novel event as a motivator.  At VBS we paint with tape on Friday.  I used tiny peg dolls mini kits as motivation for Faith Camp.  (We bring sharpies and hot glue guns to elevate Camp.  They paint and Modge-Podge, too.) Let the kiddos know that Friday they’re making ice-cream in a bag or in our case, edible aquifers.  Do I use candy labs?  Absolutely!  Cutting up gummy bears to learn anatomical positions and directions gives kids a little lift.  Remember to do the fun lab, craft, or activity last!

History: Free Tours

 Many home-school Co-ops take field trips.  My friend, Jen, is teaching American History for the local Co-op. She is planning field trips.  The Quantico area and Washington D.C. both are treasure troves for history instruction.  But don’t overlook smaller sites.  We are only about two hours from Winchester, VA, where our family lived for years.  It is loaded with history.  It is also very walkable and loaded with free resources, especially downtown. It’s nothing like trekking around the Mall in D.C. 

 The first stop in Winchester is the Visitor’s Center.  Winchester has both guided and self-guided tours with brochures, such as Walking Washington’s Winchester.  George Washington had a surveyor’s office in Winchester.  Winchester changed hands over 70 times during the Civil War; here is the Civil War Years walking tour.  Check out the History and Architecture brochure, too.  Small Town Love and Trip Advisor have some great photos of the downtown area.  Another stop is the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.  Admission for individuals and families is free on Wednesdays, from 10 am to 4 pm. The biggest local battlefield is Cedar Creek.  What about your hometown or a neighboring city?  

Immersive Approach to History

 Three of us in from our Co-op were talking after Mass about my friend, Jen’s American History class.  We all agree on an immersive approach.  Jen suggested little games.  The kids might try playing games from the history period they are studying.  My friend, Christine, offered loads of graphic nonfiction and comics for American History.  We talked about field trips to Civil War sites; we live in Virginia where history abounds.  Lastly, there are loads of museums within two hours of home: Marine Corps Museum, Mt.Vernon, Ferry Farm, to name a few.  Have you heard about borrowing education or traveling trunks?  How about making crafts specific to the period?  How did people worship?  

You can replicate this approach, too.  Jen is using Stobaugh’s AmericanHistory textbook as an outline.  She is collecting materials enhance her class: posters, comics, videos, and Drive Through History.  Take inspiration from the hands-on history book below. Now saturate your program with loads and loads of fun to round out your program and bring history to life!

What does our Co-op space look like?

 In case you were wondering, I don’t have a polished or staged Co-op space.  This fall, four of us will use my basement classroom.  Here is an unvarnished view of our space.

Where can you teach Co-op classes?

 Right now, my husband, Rob, and I teach Co-op classes in our basement.  This fall, two friends, both moms, are teaching science and history classes in our basement, too.  Before we landed in the basement, the Co-op held classes at the local library twice a week for upper school students.  The Co-op also held classes on Fridays at an Episcopal church’s Religious Ed (RE) classrooms for younger kiddos.  (Our church doesn’t have extra space.  There is a pre-K-8 school which doubles as RE classes.) 

I have taught Co-op classes in my house before.  I had Chemistry and Physical Science, with labs in the garage.  I’ve taught Co-op at our former church’s RE classrooms before we moved near Quantico.  When I taught in a public school, the home-school kids were allowed to come after school for classes, which is very unusual.  In another life, I did some consulting and training.  I learned that you can make just about any space work: school, church, hotel, college, or office space.  I’ve done dissections outside the library and at a local park.

What do you need?  You need a table and chairs.  If you do labs, bring jugs of water and plastic table cloths to protect any surfaces.  Be judicious as you select labs or demos.  While a whiteboard or chalk board is nice, you can bring a small white board for notes, diagrams, or problem sets.

Since I teach mainly science classes, I have a bunch of equipment, posters, microscopes, etc.  Ideally, there is some space at the facility to store a few items.  But, I have had to make do and sort materials into crates and bins, which I kept in the garage and hauled back and forth.   The amount of space will determine the number of kids you can accommodate and is the biggest constraint.  As long as there are four walls, tables, and chairs, you can make things work.  

Host a Camp: Fun!

 Whenever I host a camp I add some fun.  Sing  Camp Classic Chants and Songs: Greasy, Grimy, Gopher Guts, Herman the Worm, Chick-a-boom, Pizza Hut, and Tom the Toad.  Sing clapping songs.  Let the kids come up with team cheers and team names.  (One memorable group dubbed themselves Bubble Monkeys.  I can’t make this up.). Look for temporary tattoos, stickers, mini-skeletons, even syringes pens.  I usually buy bags for their stuff.  They’re kids; they love a little swag.  I try to do themed snacks, such as Oreo Moon Phases.  Go outside and chalk dead bodies or test paper airplanes.  We once accidentally released a solar balloon the kids were certain would be shot down by the local Air Guard.  Look for a few activities which are a little silly and just for fun. I bought leather blanks or wrist bands for the kids to stamp.  What a hit!

Host a Camp: First Steps

 What are the first steps in planning to host a camp?  

1. Location: Where are you going to host camp?  In your basement?  At a school?  In your church hall?  The location will determine the number of kiddos you can accommodate.  We just did a science camp in our basement with nine kiddos ages six-ten.  We had extra teens and adults.  Our basement space is about 1000 square feet.  Twelve kiddos would be about the maximum.  (Our Co-op classes might have 14-15 teens. But camp and younger kiddos are more active.)

2. Theme: Pick a theme.  It is so much easier to create a camp when you have a theme.  Is it more educational?  Creative?  Bookish?  Here are some Science Camp themes: Maker space, Chemistry, Anatomy Academy, Weather, Earth, Forensics, Coding, Forestry or Nature, Water, etc.  

3. Enlist help around your theme.  For example, if you are doing Forensics or Anatomy, contact the police, local nurse, and Rescue Squad for volunteers.  Could they bring an ambulance and do a demo?  Could the nurse teach kids how to take pulse and blood pressure?  Try to schedule different volunteers for different days.

4. Select activities which go along with your theme.  Anatomy could include mini first aid kits, paper skeletons, brain hats, spine, skin, and eyeball models.  Print out Human Body bingo, too.  Have a themed bingo available.  It is a good tool to calm down at the end of the morning.

5. Plan a themed snack.  We made edible aquifers and moon phase snacks.  Have a few little trinkets: tiny skeletons, nature stickers or tattoos, syringe pens, and magnifying glasses are all big hits for kiddos.

Host a Camp: Background Information

First, I bet you are asking what I know about hosting a camp.  Before teaching with the local Co-op, I taught in both private and public schools.  Private schools often encourage teachers to host summer camps.  At the public school where I taught, I took high school students to the local kindergarten and ran science stations one morning in the spring for around 100 students.  The private school, summer camps helped me refine my program.  The families were very wealthy and the children entitled.  I made decent money; however the parents were often demanding.  My home-school friends asked me to host a science camp at our church.  Our pastor agreed.  For several years, our church held VBS and followed up with a week of Science Camp.

You’ll need money and help.  Our church in WV did not charge a fee for either VBS or Science Camp.  We begged, posted lists of materials, saved recycled materials, and held fundraisers.  Our most successful fundraiser was a media and toy sale. We scheduled the sales before the church yard sale to have a place to unload leftovers.  Families from church donated all of the goods which we sold after church services for two or three Sundays.  People gave us cash, too.  I also begged for help.  Our church had a dozen teens who volunteered both weeks.  It was harder to recruit adult volunteers for Science Camp.   So, I relied heavily on teens and looked for volunteers at outside agencies.  For example, I brought in free water quality experts and a forester.  I asked doctors and nurses to give lessons for Anatomy Academy.  The Rescue Squad brought an ambulance.  The police sent an officer to talk about forensics.  

Does Camp take a Herculean effort?  Yes, it does. I’ll post more about how to organize a camp.  No, it won’t be a professional series with links to a TPT site.  Instead I’ll give you some hints I have found to work.  

Disney Home-schoolers

 Wow.  What a concept. (Full disclosure: Our family has visited Disney World, but we aren’t Disney fans.)  WSJ has an article, Meet the Moms Who Home School at Disney World.  What a concept.  I had no idea Florida families living near Disney bought annual passes and home-schooled at Disney World.  But, if your amity is planning a trip to Disney World, there are all kinds of home school lessons.  Look at Lessons from a Magical Disney Vacation for project based learning inspiration.  Military families can start with Disney World for Military Travelers to see how to create a plan and budget with Shades of Green Resort.  While I’m not wild about Disney, I am enthusiastic about books.  What about doing a book study based on a few classics?  Use the Golden Classics for inspiration.  Here is a Peter Pan unit study.  I’m sure Disney fans will have loads of ideas for lessons.

Host a camp!

 First, this post has pix from the home-school science camp.  I’ll post more details after I recover.

Make a Prime Day list!

 There are so many summer sales.  Make a Prime Day list.  Be sure to do a deep dive when you compare prices with Walmart, Dollar Tree, Five Below, and Temu.  I teach Co-op, lead Faith and Science camps, and help with religious education.  I use loads of card stock, craft sticks, coffee stir sticks, polymer clay, etc for loads of projects from clay, anatomy models to catapults.  Look at consumables like glue, glue sticks, and markers.  Let’s see if we can save a few dollars this year!

High School Portfolio Evaluations

  In another life I taught in both private schools, public schools, and adjuncted at a local college.  Additionally, I did some educational consulting with the AP Board.  I have evaluated portfolios for over ten years.  What do I look for in high school portfolios? Does this seem exhaustive?  I hope so.  I try hard to fairly evaluate families and the work they do home-schooling.  Here goes.

Science: Did the family use a textbook?  Did they complete at least 2/3 of the textbook?  Did the family assign tests?  What does the family do in lieu of tests?   Every family addresses tests differently: some do every test from the publisher.  Other families do not test at all.  Advise the families to administer four to six tests annually.  Research projects are fine as alternative assessments. Does the family do labs?  My advice is to do at least one lab or experiment for each chapter or module.  Encourage the family to set a goal of twelve labs minimum.  My own Co-op, science classes do four formal lab reports; additionally, we collect and analyze data in a spreadsheet for other labs.  Sometimes the kids build models as part of a lab. My Co-op has regular lab assessments—but only four, formal lab reports.  Has the family considered participating in a science fair?  Do they do big projects?  

English: High school English courses include Composition, American Literature, English Literature, and World Literature. Ideally, students complete four courses.  Literature courses assign both paragraphs, letters, and essays.  Some programs require a research project or literary analysis.  The number of books assigned varies enormously.  A minimum of four books is fine, especially if the class includes a number of short stories, poems, and fables. Four essays are also reasonable minimums for literature courses.   Does the course have a syllabus?  Did the family complete 2/3 of the syllabus?  I use Stobaugh for literature classes I teach because I like the reading lists.  However, I used a syllabus from Kolbe with an individual teen I home-schooled.  The programs were very different.  Be sure to look at the syllabus as you evaluate the course.

History: High school History includes World History, American History, European History, Civics, and Government.   History courses vary as much as do different literature courses.  I used middle school, History textbooks in high school for two years, with the teen I home-schooled.  She was a reluctant reader and responded better to the middle school series.  I used the Catholic Textbook Project’s Light to the Nations I and II. Did the family complete at least 2/3 of the textbook?  How was material tested?  You will see a great deal of variety.  Does the History program have Geography?  Happily, most families use a textbook.  I think every teen should take Civics and Government. They should understand the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and how a bill becomes a law.  

Math: At the high school level, math includes Algebra I and II, Geometry, Precalculus, Statistics, and Calculus. Ideally, kids take four years of math.  Our Co-op offers a Consumer Math for teens who have completed Algebra I and Geometry.  (We have some kids who just can’t tackle Algebra II.) Because our Consumer Math class has so many practical topics, many families enroll their kids as an elective.  Again, did the family complete 2/3 of the textbook?  Do they test every chapter or module?  Is testing quarterly or by semester? Are there any cumulative tests?  My husband, Rob, teaches math for the Co-op.  He tests every chapter, but seldom assigns quizzes.  The kids do lessons, practice, finish the study guide, and test. I work off Rob’s model when I evaluate.  Most families test regularly in math.

Languages:  Many teens take a language: Latin, French, German, or Spanish.  Did the teen complete 2/3 of the course?  Was the program graded?  How often?  Was the focus on vocabulary or grammar?  I learned the hard way some online schools evaluate foreign language credit based on an independent assessment.  I looked over the assessment; it was entirely grammar!  I spent six frantic weeks scrambling to cram in enough grammar for three of the  students to earn enough points to get credit for French I.   In another case, a friend’s son has been working with me once a week for the last three years to learn Latin.  We are still working in Henle’s Latin I book.  Here, we are studying Latin; we may or may not finish two years by the time he completes high school.

Electives: I usually mention electives in my evaluations.  However, the local school board may disregard them.  Electives may or may not be graded.  If you add electives, be sure to include private art or music lessons, Driver’s Ed, First-Aid/ CPR certification, Dave Ramsay’s course, job shadowing, or Civil Air Patrol or Rescue Squad qualifications.  

Portfolio Evaluations

  Every year, I do a bunch of portfolio evaluations.  I just banged out a bunch.  I have permanent certification in West Virginia; my master’s degree allows me to evaluate portfolios in Virginia, despite the expiration of my Virginia certification.  I have a few tips for those of you doing portfolio evaluations.

1. Include your resume and certifications with the evaluation letter.  I attained National Board Certification  in Chemistry, too. All of my certificates and my resume goes in the packet (or attached digitally) to the local school boarde.  Why?  I want to ensure the bloated recognizes that I’m qualified to evaluate portfolios.

2.  First, consider the law.  In Virginia, the Home Educators Association in Virginia ( HEAV) have this guidance for Virginia evaluators.  The Christian Home Educators of West Virginia (CHEWV) have these guidelines.  The law varies by state.  Be sure to research your state’s rulings.  Check the deadlines, too!

3. What should be in the portfolio?  If this is your first year, arrange a meeting with the family.  Encourage the family to create a digital portfolio.  Review the curriculum.  I work with families enrolled in online school who use a defined curriculum.  Some families have created their own curriculum.  Be sure to look all of the textbooks, workbooks, and syllabi, if available.  Ask about a reading log.  I encourage every family to keep a reading log.  Next, look at work samples for every, core subject: Math, Science, Reading, Hand-writing, Spelling, Vocabulary, History, and Geography.  Some families may have Phonics, Composition, Latin, etc.  Request work samples.  Look over grades quizzes and tests.  Teaching Textbook and Rosetta Stone  provide grade summaries.  Make note of the averages.  Read any essays, too.  I try not to put too many details into the letter for the school board.  But these details are useful.

4. Write two letters: one for the school board and one for the family.  I like to make suggestions for the family.  I’m looking to see whether the family is teaching the core subjects: Math, English, History, and Science.  I want to learn if the family teaches for two-three hours (minimum) each day with a period set aside for daily reading.  Are there several work samples for each course?  Does science include labs?  Are there formal quizzes and tests?  Is the child working on grade level?  Does the family home-school from September until May?  If the family schools year-round, are they teaching around 30-32 weeks of the year?  Tailor suggestions to the family.  For example, an elementary aged student may not do any science; I recommend doing one weekly experiment of lab.  I also recommend Apologia Young Explorers and Apologia Science for Middle School and High School grades.

5.  Make a list of specific suggestions or challenges for the family.  Does the family take field trips?  Suggest local, free sites, such as the Marine Corps Museum or battlefield sites. I recommend summer, enrichment camps or seminars.  Do a multi-sport camp, join Mathnasium for two weeks, take part in a summer reading program at the library.  Encourage the family to report any extras in their portfolio.

6. What if the child has special needs?  All bets are off.  I’m working with several families who have children with special needs.  In one case, the child has a host of medical issues, too.  What is the family doing to help the child to continue to progress and develop?  Doe the child have therapies, such as speech, occupational therapy, vision therapy, physical therapy, music therapy?  What activities does the child do as a result?  Is she chalking outside to learn the motions to write?  Is she learning sign language to communicate?  The more profound the learning differences, the more important it is to understand what the family is doing to help their child grow.  In other cases, especially for elementary-aged students with learning differences, the family may spend most of their time working on math and reading.  History and Science take a back seat while they work on getting the child up to speed in reading.  I work with several families in that position.  I agree wholeheartedly that reading and math must take precedent over everything else.  I still recommend some History, Geography, and Science. Reading logs may include books read as a family and audio books—not just those books read independently.

7. Here is a generic portfolio review for a family.  Here is a basic letter.  My suggestions vary; each family’s situation is different.  I do recommend reading a book each week and writing a book report.  I read about this suggestion in Dr. Mary Kay Clark’s book, Catholic Homeschooling.  She explains that this is an insurance policy for a bad week.  I agree!  Are there any gaps?  Are high school, science classes lab based?  Does English include reading, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, phonics, and composition?  Be aware that by high school, kids may be taking harder courses, such as British Literature, which include reading several books and writing several essays.  I do look for four, formal lab reports for each science classes, as a minimum.  I think a literature class should include at least four novels and essays.  Only four as a minimum?  I just spent a school year dragging my composition class through four novels and essays.  All but one child has learning differences.  Let me tell you, it took a Herculean effort to just finish four books.  (Yes, we did a bunch of different writing exercises.) Hopefully, this will help you craft an evaluation.

What skills should a child know?

  I’m in the middle of portfolio season—evaluating portfolios for home-school families.  One aspect I’ve  had to consider long and hard is what does a child need to know, what skills, and at what age.  When I taught in private and public schools, I mainly taught Chemistry, with some Biology and Physical Science.  What do you use for standards?  Common Core? State Standards?  For the most part, at least in the sciences, teachers agree on the topics.  The topics, modules, or chapters are similar across different science textbooks.  But what about other subjects, like math?  Too often individuals drive change on a national level.  I’m not sure all the changes are good.   What should you do?  Let’s take a common sense approach.  I’ve been looking for skill based checklists.  I found a few.  Once you go down this rabbit hole, you’ll once again appreciate the value of a good, home-school curriculum.

1. Early Math Skills Check List looks good for early grades, kiddos 4-7, probably intended for kids 5-6. (We all know children develop at different rates.)  Here is an intermediate math skills check list, which looks appropriate for students 8-11, likely intended for kids 8-9. 

2. Scroll down to the Math paragraph here for skill-based, math checklists for K-5, based on Common Core Standards.  (I think the standards are fine; I’m not wild about how the standards have been implemented.) 

3. The American River Charter School’s “I Can” statements are checklists for core subjects: math, science, social studies, and language arts, for grades K-8. Take a look at these lists, which all seem reasonable.  

4. New York State has maintained high standards.  Look at this  English checklist, organized by a NY educator.

5. Home School Den has a History Checklist.  Believe me, Social Studies is a rat’s nest, which varies enormously by state. Although many districts focus on state history in fourth or fifth grades.   Often some sociology and geography is tossed into Social Studies.

 6.  National Geographic’s Geography Skills Handbook has a good outline for the overall scope of geography, based on National Geography Standards, based on teacher consensus.  (I recommend Evan-Moor’s Daily Geography Workbooks, which have a host of map skills.)

7. I’ve found Khan Academy to be reliable.  

Just add candy!

I teach for the local, home-school Co-op.  One thing we all love is candy!  Add some candy to your science labs: Edible Aquifer, Oreo Mitosis, Gummy Bear Dissection, and Candy DNA Model.  Now if I could come up with candy ideas for literature or history.

Assorted Math and Science

  Yes, I feel it is a public service to highlight interesting items at Good Will.  Be sure to check the shipping costs before you bid!  Yes, I did bid on the Identiflyer.  (I didn’t know Identiflyer had frog calls, too! We have a pond in our backyard, full of frogs.  I took an amphibian course one time.  Just like birds, frog call recordings can be used for identification.)  The glassware available is useful for Chemistry experiments, especially beakers.  Scientific glassware is typically borosilicate or Pyrex.  Take a look!