| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
< BACK TO ARCHIVE |
| Date: From: Subject: | 12/17/2009 10:11:34 AM Home School Legal Defense Association HSLDA's Homeschooling Thru the Early Years Newsletter--December 2009 |
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------- HSLDA's Homeschooling Thru the Early Years Newsletter December 2009--Making the Most of the Middle School Years ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Friend, If you homeschooled your child through the primary grades, you may find that you initially experienced moments of self-doubt, but you managed through the first year (or two or three) and gained confidence to educate your child at home...until now! It is not uncommon for parents to second-guess themselves all over again as their children approach the early teen years, and the parents feel inadequate to prepare their children for high school. And if you are just beginning to homeschool at the middle-school level (usually grades 6-8*), you may be jumping in already at the second-guessing stage. Take heart--you can do this! The subject matter will be more complicated as he enters junior high school, but remember that it is not your job to teach your child everything there is to learn; it is your job to: 1. Teach him how to learn; 2. Reinforce basic knowledge and basic tools of learning; 3. Instill in him good character; 4. Encourage him in the way he is to go; and 5. Provide materials and opportunities for further learning. Know Your Strengths and Limitations Evaluate your own skills and knowledge, and be willing to utilize other resources as needed to meet your student's higher academic needs. Some options include: > Textbooks designed specifically for homeschoolers, written to the student in a conversational tone with all explanatory material included, or written with scripted teaching material for the parent > "Living" books > Tutors (including relatives or parent trade-offs) > CDs > Videos > Supplemental classes (either local or online) > Tutorials > Co-ops > Hands-on experiences or internships Strengthen the Basics I call these the 4 Rs: Reading, (w)Riting, 'Rithmetic, and Responsibility! > At this stage, you'll want to review and strengthen his arithmetic skills and computation speed so he has a solid foundation for algebra and geometry in high school. > Composition will be transitioning from the report-writing stage to the essay-and-analysis stage, so this is a good time to reinforce his reading comprehension, grammar, and basic composition skills. If you don't feel comfortable evaluating his writing at this level, you may know of a friend or tutor who would be willing to help in this area. The constructive criticism of a writing club http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7350 can be positive motivation for some students at this age level. > Your goal as a parent is to eventually work yourself out of a job! Life skills and time management training will serve your student well in the future, both immediate and long-term. Young people at this age are usually able to be given increasing control over their schedules as well as some input into subject matter choices. This may take a bit of patience on your part--and training in diligence and thoroughness on your student's part--but it will eventually be worth it. Let Him Explore His Passions One benefit of homeschooling is the flexibility to incorporate opportunities for your child to pursue his passions, interests, and talents. Many students dabble in entrepreneurship and develop talents or hobbies that could blossom into future ventures. Look Ahead to High School While some students use these years to solidify earlier concepts, others are ready to move into some high-school-level work during junior high years. Many families will begin high school studies in the 8th grade, giving the student an extra year for in-depth studies. Wherever he falls on the timeline, you'll want to check out HSLDA's Homeschooling thru High School webpages (http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7351), bookmarking your favorite pages from our high school coordinators! Keep the Lines of Communication Open This may be a time of great transition http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7352 for your young person--physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It can be a challenging age, but she needs your affection, communication, and understanding even more than ever. It is not uncommon for students in this developmental stage to have spiritual questions; don't take them personally but do take them seriously. What a wonderful opportunity http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7353 to mentor and disciple your child! Whether you find yourself partway through your first year or simply need some encouragement as you continue on a homeschool journey of many years, be "confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ...." (Philippians 1:6 KJV). You are not just equipping your child with knowledge and skills--you are nurturing his lifelong relationships with you and with God! May you have a blessed Christmas and a new year filled with the joy of the Lord, Vicki Bentley HSLDA Early Years coordinator http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7204 *The term middle school is often used interchangeably with junior high school and usually denotes grades 6-8, depending on the school district. Adapted from the Home School Legal Defense Association Early Years website http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7354 Word of Encouragement Homeschool graduate Rachel Ramey, in See, I Told Me So! (http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7355; edited by Tammy Cardwell), encourages parents of middle schoolers: "[Before homeschooling,] my family did not have my heart; my friends did. Though I had a better-than-average relationship with my parents, I had been in government school for six years, spending more time with my friends than my family. I had become peer-dependent ... Homeschooling--and all the family time that came with it--allowed my mom to change that .... [My parents] persevered. Mom could have put me back in school, deciding it was much too wearying to fight with me everyday. She could have given in to the friends and family who insisted that she was too hard on us, that we weren't going to be 'socialized' enough, and that one needs a teaching degree in order to teach effectively.... But if she had given up, she would never have drawn my heart back .... Don't give up. Do not 'grow weary while doing good, for in due season [you] shall reap if [you] do not lose heart.' (Galatians 6:9 NKJV)" For more middle school resources, see http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7356 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> What do you look like when you get out of bed? It's hard to look our best all the time. HSLDA works to present homeschooling in an engaging, dynamic, and informative light to the public news media. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1104 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. Box 3000 Purcellville, Virginia 20134 Phone: (540) 338-5600 Fax: (540) 338-2733 Email: info@hslda.org Web: http://www.hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How To Subscribe: - Subscribe to the HSLDA E-lert Service at our website: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe - Or send an email with name and complete mailing address to: subscribe@hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscription Information: - You subscribed to the HSLDA E-lert Service as: ##ToAddress## - To unsubscribe from the HSLDA E-lert Service send an email from the email address you want to unsubscribe to: unsubscribe@hslda.org - To change your email address or make other changes to your subscription, visit the HSLDA E-lert Service account web page at: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTMASTERS: This message is being sent to the most recent address we have for our subscribers. If this is an invalid email address or you have other problems, please reply to webmaster@hslda.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: This is considered a private and confidential message from HSLDA to its bonafide HSLDA E-lert Service subscribers. HSLDA cannot attest to the authenticity of copies posted, forwarded, or sent by any party other than HSLDA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Please do not reply or otherwise use this email address; hslda@hslda.org is for broadcast purposes only and is not intended to receive incoming messages. We cannot reply to any email sent to this address. If you have comments or questions, please send email to info@hslda.org or call HSLDA at 540-338-5600. HSLDA members can also email staff directly through the Members website at http://members.hslda.org/contact.asp. Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
