How is it you believe you can teach home-schoolers?

Why am I so confident I can teach most subjects?  Great question!  I’m a science teach, certified in high school Biology and Chemistry.  I have National Board Certification in Chemistry.  I’ve taught in private and public schools.  Before I retired, my home-school Co-op classes were allowed to meet in my lab at the public school where I taught.  After I retired I taught in a small Christian school and worked with our church’s Co-op.  My husband and I moved three years ago to help with our grandson.  His daddy is the custodial parent; we watch him after school, vacations, sick days, etc.

When I first taught in a small, private, prep school, I taught French, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physical Science, Junior Literature,  AP Biology, and AP Chemistry.  Additionally, I’ve taught Human Biology and AP Environmental Science.  I’m not afraid of a challenge.  I’m good at languages, composition, and grammar.  I know where to draw the line.  I’ll teach Physical Science or Active Physics, not college level Physics.

I know that I have to work along with Lacie and do the same readings and exercises.  My husband, Rob, is good at math.  He was a math major before he switched to Accounting.  When Imrun in to an issue, he can help.

Experience has taught me how to tackle new topics.  The first time I teach a new topic, I stick to the textbook.  I may add a few assignments, such as timelines, mapping exercises, etc.  The first time, I go step by step through the book or follow the syllabus.  I haven’t had Latin since high school; I studied French in France and took upper level classes conducted in French at University for fun.  I took Spanish for fun, too.  We selected Latin because it helps with Science: we are Catholic!  Our church has a Latin Mass.  Latin is useful!  I can teach French—not Spanish.  My Spanish has a French accent.  Latin requires a great deal of grammar—I love grammar!

You can teach your child, too.  Enroll in a program such as Seton Home Study School, Mother of Divine Grace School, Kolbe Academy, or one of the Protestant programs, such as Liberty University   Homeschool, or Bob Jones University Homeschool.  Follow the syllabus doggedly the first year—even if it means teaching through the summer months.  I recommend starting in August, keeping a schedule (9-Noon, five days a week), and making the basics the priority: Faith, Literature, Composition, Grammar, History, and Science.  Add piano lessons, soccer teams, Scouts, etc. after you and your family is comfortable home-schooling.  Are you on track to complete each of the textbooks by June or July?  Are you having class five days a week?  Are you completing the syllabus for each subject?  Are you including regular writing assignments such as paragraphs, book reports, and compositions with writing prompts?  You can join a sport after your family has a schedule.

We’re on this journey together.  I’ll keep you posted.

New Homeschool Start

Hi!  I’m back!  This year I’m working with a young woman, entering ninth grade.  I taught Human Biology over the summer with four kids.  For several years, I’ve worked with Co-ops teaching Chemistry, Biology, and Physical Science, along with teaching in a public school, and a small Christian school after I retired.  Usually, I teach Biology or Chemistry.  This fall it’s Chemistry.

Lacie is enrolled in Kolbe Academy.  Today, we started her curriculum.  Our Co-op starts right after Labor Day.  I thought it would be good to get started early.  First, we made sure Lacie has all of the textbooks and study guides.  She is taking British Literature, Western Civilization, Algebra 1, Theology, Latin 1, Chemistry, and Guitar as a Fine Arts Credit.  Next, Lacie took this Saxon Math Algebra 1 pre-assessment.  She missed two questions which we corrected.  We went over her assignments and my husband, Rob, gave her a guitar lesson.  Lacie is working on the Periodic Table Cards, the summer assignment.

Kolbe provides syllabi and study guides.  Lacie’s family and I bought or borrowed her books from Amazon and eBay.  I set up Google Classrooms for each subject.  We are combining Literature and Language Arts.  I set up an assignment book and wrote her assignments into a document posted on Google Classroom.  I’m going to post our progress here in the blog.  The Chemistry blog is here. 

Over the next three weeks, I want Lacie to get ahead reading Oliver Twist, her History textbook, A Light to the Nations, and Theology, which uses the Bible, Catechism, and Fr. John Laux’s History of the Bible.  After Labor Day, we’ll add Chemistry, Algebra 1, Latin 1, and more Language Arts.  She is going to need to do some composition and vocabulary.  Once, we start Latin, we’ll start grammar concurrently.  How will that work?  The Co-op classes meet Tuesday and Friday.  Chemistry and my husband’s Statistics meet from 10:00-11:15.  My husband, Rob, is teaching Physics from 11:30-12:30 or so.  Labs may run later.  This year, our classes meet in our basement.  Right after Chemistry, Lacie, Gen, and I are heading upstairs to work on Chemistry immediately.  We might quiz on the Periodic Table, do over data, etc.

After lunch on Tuesdays and Fridays, we’ll review all of her assignments.  Then we’ll tackle Latin, and Algebra.  Once, we lay a foundation for math and Latin, we’ll add composition assignments with some literary analysis.  Yes, I want to use the questions from Kolbe’s syllabus.  But, I have some exercises in Literary Criticism I want to add as we study Oliver Twist, Pride and Prejudice, etc.

Lacie is getting a big head start in her Humanity subjects over the next three weeks.  Her syllabi, guides, and textbooks have all finally arrived.  Over the next three weeks, I’m going to read Oliver Twist and map out Latin and Algebra.  Thankfully, Chemistry isn’t a challenge; I’ve taught it for 25 years.  I help my husband organize Statistics and Physics.  He’s taught Physics twice.  We sit down and determine the labs together and pull the equipment before class.  Neither of us has taught Statistics.  The first week, we’re combining classes to introduce the graphing calculator his Statistics kids will use all year.  My Chemistry class uses it infrequently; I like for the kids to have exposure to the graphing calculator before college.

Here’s hoping for a great year!  It’s going to be a challenge!

Number Lines

Yesterday, at a party, one of my favorite seven year olds explained she failed a test in subtraction.  Last night, I thought about this issue and remembered number lines.  I think we forget how abstract math can be for younger children. Teachers used to tape number lines on to desks.  You can use a ruler or yard stick to show kids how to add or subtract.  Once the child understands the concept she won’t need it.  But what a boost for a child struggling.

Science Help

My passion is teaching Chemistry.  My husband and I are teaching Chemistry for high school and Apologia’s Young Explorers’ Chemistry and Physics for the elementary siblings concurrently.  The blog is https://mrsstevenschemistryclasses.blogspot.com/. The Young Explorers series are all excellent.  The labs are easy to understand and replicate.  The lab notebook journal has the syllabus.  We just started the Young Explorers class.  Many families are intimidated by science instruction.  Check out the blog!

Open Court Phonics

Once upon a Time, schools used Open Court Phonics to teach kids how to read.  The program used Phonics Cue Cards and stories, such as Millie and the Cowboy, to teach vowels and constants.  This program’s resources are here.  If you want more background on Open Court basal readers, try Let’s Kill Dick and Jane.  I recommend using the older Open Court basal readers for primary students, such as The Headway Program.  (Scroll down through the testimonials for a list of titles in the series with tables of contents and titles.). These books contain a variety of fiction, fables, poems, etc.  Fabulous!  I’m old enough to remember reading all of the stories in my readers—probably when I should have been paying more attention to math!

NSTA Review: 'Who Made My Lunch?'

Librarians, looking for a series to support National School Lunch week?  'Who Made My Lunch?' by Bridget Heos and illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman is ideal.  This six book series includes all the components of a typical child's lunch: peanut butter, jelly, wheat bread, cheese, ice cream, and chocolate.  The six titles are 'From Milk to Ice Cream', 'From Milk to Cheese', 'From Cocoa Beans to Chocolate', 'From Grapes to Jelly', 'From Peanuts to Peanut Butter', and 'From Wheat to Bread'.  Few children grow up on farms.  Instead children are disconnected from the origins of the food from the grocery store.  What offers more appeal than chocolate bars and ice cream or a classic PB& J sandwich?  The series is intended for the early elementary grades, K-3.  The text is clear without condescension.  For example, in 'From Wheat to Bread', the authors explains, " The wheat sprouts quickly.  But this is winter wheat.  During the cold months, it goes dormant.  That's sort of like taking a nap."  (p.6).  In 'From Peanuts to Peanut Butter', Heos includes interesting details, "At the peanut butter factory, you'll roast the peanuts in a hot oven.  The tray moves up and down so that the peanuts shake while they bake.  This way, they cook evenly." (p.15). At the end of each title is a map displaying where the grapes, peanuts, cocoa beans, etc is grown.  (p.23). On the last page (p.24) are brief glossaries, websites, and bibliographies.  The websites, while brief, are germane.  In the Chocolate book is a link to Fair Trade information and Peanuts includes a site about peanut and tree nut allergies.  The Grapes, Wheat,and Peanuts books could serve as springboards for class discussions about plant growth and cultivation before a science lesson planting seeds.  Any of these titles dovetail with nutrition lessons.  I'm confident children will find these books engaging.  The 'Who Made My Lunch?' Series would make an excellent addition to any library or classroom.

Chemistry at home...

This fall my husband and I are teaching a home-school Co-op at the local library.  The librarian mentioned she is friends on social media with a young man in Sri Lanka.  Really.  He doesn't have many resources--but has a strong interest in science.  He followed us last year when we taught Physics.  So I'm working on resources to learn Chemistry at home.
1. Home Science Tools has great ideas for Chemistry projects.
2.  Typical home chemistry projects, like slime.
3.   Shakashiri hosts 'Science is Fun'.  He does annual Christmas science demos.
4.   Instructables Home Chemistry Lab has tips for scrounging materials to create lab equipment.  Great ideas--but this is about creating a full scale lab in the garage.
5.  Kid Chemistry has bath bombs. Yes!