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"Beginning the Journey"
July 31, 1995 Conference held on Compuserve's Christian Homeschool Forum Moderator: I think it is time to get started!! Okay, why don't we review the conference rules and get started! For the first part, Steve & Jane Lambert are going to be presenting and then we will open it up for questions and comments. To ask a question enter a ? or to make a comment enter a ! then wait until you are given the "Go Ahead" or GA. Are there any questions? Okay, let's turn over to Steve and Jane Lambert, homeschooling parents with 14 years of experiences and authors of the _Five In A Row_ curriculum! Jane Lambert: Thank you Kathy.... We'd like to welcome you all tonight... we're going to try to pack as much information as we possibly can into our short time together. and in order to do that we're going to give you all about 10 minutes or so of "lecture." (I still hate that word!!) In other words...we're going to load in some information that we've previoiusly entered based on the conferences and workshops we do "live" and then once all that background information is out on the table, you can ask questions about what we've discussed... or anything else and we'll give it our best go... if we can't answer your question...I already see SEVERAL others on line with LOTS of experience too. OK....here we go....just read along as the information scrolls and we'll get through a lot of background quickly...
My husband Steve and I have been homeschooling for 14 years. We have a
daughter who is currently a junior in an area college and another who is a
"freshman" in high school- still at home of course. We've had the
opportunity to teach every grade from pre-school through junior high school
at least once. And because of our involvement in the home school industry as
authors of "Five in a Row" we have the privilege of talking with
homeschoolers every year from coast to coast.
Our goal this evening is to provide a little help and a lot of hope for
those of you about to begin the marvelous journey of homeschooling. We
certainly don't have all the answers and we probably haven't even understood
all of the questions, but we do have an unshakable conviction that YOU can
succeed at homeschooling by God's grace. If He's invited you to homeschool
your children, He'll certainly provide you with everything you need to be
successful.
Tonight, we'd like to talk a little bit about the "trees"- that is, the
specifics of the hows and whats of homeschooling. But but before we do
that, we'd like to visit with you about the "forest"- the "whys"- the bigger
picture of home education. It's all too easy to become bogged down in the
mechanics of homeschooling. We want to help you focus a bit more on the
purpose and passion that will get you past the fear and over the hurdles
that come with any new adventure.
For me personally, the verse which the Lord has used as a lifetime
directive for homeschooling is Philippians 4:8- "Whatever things are true,
honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent or worthy of
praise... let your mind dwell on these things."
Take some time to ponder "why" you're home schooling. Hopefully, it's
because you feel a genuine conviction in your own heart. The only really
wrong reasons are "because your friend, neighbor, mother-in-law or pastor
told you to."
Even if you're a veteran home schooler, it's worth taking the time to
prayerfully consider this important question. There are no right or wrong
answers, but it IS important for you to know the answer. This planning time
will pay dividends as you begin the journey. Knowing why you're doing what
you're doing, will frequently help you make wise decisions about how to do
homeschooling!
Next, you need to examine your personal vision for each child. What do
you want to accomplish for each of them? What kind of learner is your child:
Visual? Audio? Kinesthetic (Hands on)? A Combination? How can you
personalize your instructional style to best accomodate each child? Which
ones are self-motivated and which ones need constant encouragement? Spend
some time thinking about varioius learning experiences you've already had
with each child. Good experiences. Bad experiences. Ask yourself "why were
the good experienes successful?" or "what made the bad experiences bad."
The answers to these questions can go a long way toward helping you
organize an educational vision for each child!
Begin to make a list of educational goals for your children. Be prepared
to revise it and add to it frequently. Some of my own goals for our children
include:
1. Create well-rounded individuals. I want our children to learn more
than just the "three R's." I want them to appreciate fine art, poetry, music
and architecture, etc. "Whatever things are excellent...." I want them to
experience the wide variety of ways in which men and women have expressed
and demonstrated the creativity of God through art.
2. I want our children to be analytical thinkers. I want them to be able
to find life applications in their daily school work. I want them to learn
how to read critically, carefully examining the material. I want them to be
able to do far more than simply memorize and regurgitate. I want them to be
able to synthesize separate thoughts and think analytically.
3. I want our children to cultivate their own creativity. Some children
are artistically creative while others are musically creative. Others are
creative in their practicality or in their problem solving. No two children
are alike and it's our job to learn about our students- individually!
4. I want our children to enjoy an educational journey together WITH me.
We can each learn from one another. I have no interest in being the "expert"
on every subject. As many days as not I learn more than my children. When we
become mutually excited about a subject we learn together.
5. I want our children to become "educated individuals." This is a phrase
I often use in workshops. Classroom teachers often have to concentrate on
producing educated "classes." The ultimate goal is to present a graduating
class of high school seniors. But I'm interested in educating each child
individually- to be all that God created them to be.
6. I'm interested in teaching my children to fall in love with learning.
I'm convinced that if we teach children early on to love learning and to
enjoy books, their job AND ours just got MUCH, MUCH easier. Everything I do
is aimed at demonstrating that learning is a pleasurable experience.
7. Finally, I want my children to learn the life-changing truth that God
loves them and longs to be involved in their life in an intimate and
personal way. As someone once said, Christianity is caught as much as
taught and our children learn not only from what we tell them, but from HOW
we tell them and the ways in which we model Christ in our own life.
Let me talk for a few minutes about some specific ideas and areas and
then we'll take questions.
First, let's talk very briefly about the two approaches to learning and
teaching. Most of us were taught in classroom settings using textbooks and
workbooks. We learned to memorize information and regurgitate it on demand.
Suppose I were to give you all a quiz this evening and ask you to give me
the distributive property of numbers, the date the Spanish Armada sank and
the date of the signing of the Magna Carta. Very few of you could answer
all three questions. Why? Because you learned the information long enough to
pass the test- then you forgot it. But... if I asked each of you to share
something with the group about your life-long interest, such as collecting
antique quilts, downhill skiing, etc., each of you could talk for hours.
Why? Because you became interested in a subject and began asking questions
and gathering answers out of your own curiosity. You've learned so much
about your chosen subject and you remember so much of what you've read
about it.
Well... education for children works the same way. Suppose I had a 10
year old boy, for instance who hated mathematics and loved baseball. I can
choose to either teach him about long division to 3 decimal places, OR- I
can teach him to calculate batting averages. Obviously, it's the same
problem! Yet one seems relevant and the other seems cold, theoretical and
boring. Perhaps our greatest challenge as a teacher is to find ways to
present the material our children need to know in a way that's relevant and
interesting to them.
Educators often call this approach to teaching "unit study." In unit
study, a child and teacher select an area of interest and begin exploring
the subject. The great naturalist John Muir once said, "Pull on anything in
nature, and you'll find it's connected to everything else!" The same is true
of unit study. Begin with a student's interest and eventually you'll find
yourself learning about all kinds of subjects far afield from where you
began.
Last year, my 14 year old spent 1 semester learning about Australia and
the other semester learning about Ireland. Why? Because that's what
interested her! Now along the way, she learned about all the things most
8th graders learn about including; government, music, science, history, art,
etc. The difference was, we BEGAN where her interests were and TOGETHER we
explored outward.
A few final thoughts and then let's take questions. And feel free to ask
questions about anything we've talked about...and anything we haven't!
Take some time to become acquainted with the variety of services offered
by your local library. Library science is rapidly expanding and you may be
surprised to discover the availability of video and audio tapes and even
software. And by all means learn to use inter-library loans. Through
inter-library loan almost ANY book can become available to you.
Consider investing in a good reference library. Watch for books on sale,
used books and discount tables at large chains such as Borders or Barnes and
Noble. Be on the look out for a good atlas, dictionary, encyclopedia, nature
books, poetry books, etc. There's nothing quite like having your child
become interested in a topic, ask a question and being able to pull out a
book with good information to help them right on the spot. A private
Christian school may cost from up to $5000 in annual tuition, so don't be
afraid to invest a few hundred dollars annually in building a personal
reference library. It will pay dividends for years to come!
Finally, learn to relax. God is on our side. He has never once failed to
meet my needs with either of my daughters. He hasn't always answered
immediately, but he has ALWAYS answered!
Remember that children are like a sponge. They are born with a wonderful,
God-given curiosity that causes them to soak up learning so effectively.
They become excited about everything around them. Our job is to cooperate
with God and provide information for them to "soak up." Teaching children is
easy because God created them to be learners.
Remember that every home is different and what worked for your
sister-in-law or your neighbor or your pastor's wife may NOT work for you.
Find what's right for YOUR family. It's your HOME school!
Get to know your own children, their learning styles and your own
temperment. Learn about your teaching style. When you marry your teaching
style to your children's learning style great things will happen.
You have time on your side. Home schooling is a marathon- not a sprint!
Your children don't have to have every answer the first week of school.
They have years to learn and the most important lesson you can teach them as
you begin is to fall in love with the learning process. Give them small
bites and let them enjoy each new flavor as they chew up and digest
information a little at a time.
With those basic goals in mind, I have absolutely no doubt that you will
succeed. The very fact that you're here, this evening, interested in
learning how to teach your children tells me that you won't fail! The only
homeschoolers I've ever know to truly "fail" weren't interested in the
journey. They made no attempt to learn how to teach. With God's faithful
help, you're GOING to succeed... every one of you!
Now then... You've been VERY patient. How about some questions? Whew!!
Question: Hi Jane And Steve! Thanks for all this great food for thought! My question is this: Of all the fun things and adventures that you've had in your homeschooling times, have there been any favorites in terms of topics? Or is the mix very broad? Jane/Steve Lambert: Good question. This past year that I mentioned earlier where we did Australia and Ireland was very fun... We listened to the shortwave radio every morning... (You haven't lived til you've gotten the latest cricket scores from the big match against Sri Lanka overnight!) We read foreign newspapers, got foreign cookbooks and cooked their foods, studied their government, etc., etc., etc... We really became immersed in the entire process of Australia and Ireland and along the way.. we learned about all the things you'd expect to study... we compared their goverment form to ours... their explorers to ours.. their music and art to ours..etc. Question: Do you recommend any particular books... for identifying learning style? Jane/Steve Lambert:Jane/Steve Lambert | No...really we don't. We recommend that you observe and ask questions and pay attention to each child...but perhaps others here have some suggestions. Anyone else have a recommendation? Comment: Cathy Duffy's curriculum manual has excellent information both the one for elementary and Jr./Sr. High Jane/Steve Lambert: Good...excellent resource. Cathy Duffy's guide is perhaps the foremost guide in the homeschool industry and she's known as a real "straight shooter" in her review styles. Comment: "In Their Own Way" by Dr. Thomas Armstrong Also... Isn't there one available thru Focus on the Family? by Cynthia Tobias, I think. Comment: The Way They Learn, by Cynthia Tobias Doesn't Robin Scarlata have a book out now all about learning styles? Jane/Steve Lambert: Good....lots of good ideas here (Taking notes ourselves) Comment: Robin Scarlata's book is very intense with a long questionaire to pinpoint the different styles. Question: I have a 3-year-old and must send him to preschool while I go to work -- no choice right now. How can I start preparing myself and him for homeschooling -- once Dad says it's okay? Jane/Steve Lambert: Well...it may sound a little self-serving, but at least one way is to use our curriculum...Five in a Row. In it's simplest form, Five in a Row is nothing more than finding delightful picture books from the library, reading them to your young ones and then simply talking with them about the story, illustrations, etc. It begins the process of using books, thinking about what you've read and asking questions..which, after all , is the basis of real learning. Comment: I'll second your suggestion of Five in a Row... and add that you'll find that you're already teaching your son in many ways already naturally, as a parent! Comment: Home Grown Kids by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore is what got me started 14 yrs. ago! I still recommend it! Comment: I think it is also a good time for you to educate yourself about homeschooling. Reading books on it, asking your husband to .. read the books you felt would speak to him. And of course, pray about it. The Lord will answer! Question: He won't read -- he got mad when I suggested it. The idea of one income is not a good one for him. I'm praying now. In the meantime, I'll do the learning styles stuff and check out Five in a Row and Home Grown Kids. I'm looking for conferences too. Should I stick only to Christian ones, or attend secular ones too? Jane/Steve Lambert: Hard question. There are lots of materials available in secular conferences, but as a Christian you will need to turn your "discernment meter" up a bit... Anyone else have an opinion on that? Comment: God takes us where we're at and then moves in our hearts... Home Grown Kids is not "Christian" but applies... to all, and would not offend a non-Chr. Jane/Steve Lambert: One of our convictions... is that if you're a Christian and you homeschool... then you're a Christian Homeschooler. It's intrinsic by the nature of the One who dwells in you. Question: My husband and I are trying to decide when to start. At what age do we begin hsing? Jane/Steve Lambert: Well... you begin informally with them as a toddler... you're involved in the process of cultivating their God-given curiosity, reading to them etc.... but as for formal "schooling" I'm more of the later is better school... and encourage mom's not to get in too big a hurry. Cultivate and enjoy those precious "wonder years" when your children's eyes are so wide.. and the world around them is soooooo big! There'll be time enough for "schooling" formally when they're 5 and beyond. Comment: There is so much to teach children about Just walking out the front door opens up an amazing world for them with birds, trees, insects, etc. And I haven't even mentioned all you can do with them inside! Academics can wait at that young age. Question: Okay more specifically when to begin to ask about their abc's do you suggest teaching phonics or the old fashion abc/s around 3years? Jane/Steve Lambert: Personally...we'd suggest NEITHER at 3! We've taught our children with a mixture of methods..but unless your 3 year old is jumping up and down and DETERMINED to learn right now..we'd suggest waiting at least 1 more year...maybe 2! Comment: May I say that you'll probably be able to tell when your child is ready, he will be asking yhou things as you're reading aloud to him, etc. WHat is that "A", Mom? You can tell, and you can informally teach him all sorts of things... without having to have a single formal lesson. You can do it as you do the laundry. Comment: I'm not a homeschool parent, I'm a graduate. I started after learning to read, but my brother was only two. My mom was determined to hold off formal education for my brother until he was eight, following Dr. Raymond Moore's plan, but he begged to do schoolwork with me and taught himself to read when he was four years old. My cousin on the other hand didn't learn until he was nine. Every child is different! Jane/Steve Lambert: There you go! There are always some like that. We've seen frustrated mothers and frustrated children when mom has an "agenda" before the little one is ready. Each child is different. Thank you Lisa! Comment: I have found Dr Beechick's 3 R's *very* helpful ! Jane/Steve Lambert: Yes...one of my favorite authors!! Question: Can you please explain the concept of co-oping -- and is it a good idea? How's it work? Jane/Steve Lambert: Homeschool co-ops can be effective. I've done it both ways over the years... but I've usually come back around to "home school" where we've done it together as a family. I'm personally more comfortable with utilizing others as a resource FROM TIME TO TIME as you need them...but done right..with a small group... it can be a way to draw from one another's strengths...just make sure you're "like minded" and not teaching at cross purposes with one another. Who else has had experience with home school co-ops....good or bad? Comment: I'll put in a plug for 5 In A Row AGAIN, Jane & Steve! We started _The Wild Horses of SweetBriar_ today ... and I just can't say enough how much both my children enjoy doing your studies!! We are reading _Misty of Chincoteague_ as a coincidence! Comment: ME too -- we are sure having fun with the summer book !! Comment: Add me to the ever-growing list of satisfied users! We just picked up _Warm as Wool_ it is BEAUTIFUL and I can hardly wait to start it! Question: Do you have any sources that you recommend for buying the books used in your series? Jane/Steve Lambert: You're all very kind. And let me add... with regard to Kathy's comment on the "coincidence"...how OFTEN God seems to work those things out. As to sources.... No...we don't have any resources for buying them used....you're on your own... as for new...there are several suppliers..although one, The Bookies in Denver tries to stock them all (those in print on any given day)... and they sell them at a 15% discount I believe... You can reach them at 303-759-1117. Comment: Kathy, I enjoyed your description of 5 in a Row. Before I read that I wasn't sure what it was all about. Now I'm anxious to try it too. That post should be u/l to the library! Question: I'm just curious about your daughter who is in college... How did you get her enrolled? Did you have any trouble? Jane/Steve Lambert: Honestly....it was very easy. Colleges are interested in 2 things: Smart students and their Parents Money! Becky enrolled in college at 16 and she's had a 3.8 GPA ever since.....she's never had a problem and they didn't seem at all concerned about her background... on the contrary.. many of her professors and department heads have been very curious about her homeschool background... inviting her to share her story with classmates. I think you'll find colleges very agreeable to homeschool students! Comment: William and I watched on TV as a Christian college president... encouraged homeschoolers to apply! He said that at their school, they'd discovered... that HSers had a much better grade point average and were... well rounded and they wanted MORE of them! Jane/Steve Lambert: That's been OUR experience as well! Comment: They interviewed many of the HSers on the show. Jane/Steve Lambert: HS children have so many unique qualities... their character..their ability to get along with others... their ability to think creatively... their self-motivation.. these are things that colleges are looking for.. and so are businesses! Moderator: Jane & Steve, why don't we open it up now! You all have done a wonderful job and we appreciate you coming tonight!!! Thanks!! APPLAUSE!!! Jane/Steve Lambert: Good Kathy...thank you all so much. We'll be here to learn from the rest of you and answer any final questions privately. Thanks again. |
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