Not Another Homeschool Blog

If you slack on homeschooling your kids, there could be a 5 page article in the Washington Post about you.   Josh Powell thrived under his mother’s instruction early on. At 4, he was already reading chapter books. Andrea Powell, a University of Virginia graduate who has managed most of her children’s education over the years, let her husband speak for the family. As the family grew, Josh Powell said, things deteriorated. He learned from a mishmash of textbooks his parents assembled, with more and more self-instruction because there were so many other children to raise and teach. As subjects got increasingly complex, he had more trouble figuring them out on his own. Josh Powell is clearly unhappy with his upbringing/ education and is terrified for his siblings.  As mentioned at Happy Elf Homeschooling ,  his parents probably didn't suck as much as he thinks. After all, he is a self starter, who was able to get himself into Georgetown University, even if it did t...

This video from TedX makes me want to start homeschooling all over again. I'd have to go find a new kid though.

A bunch of youtubers and I am working on a series of videos on homeschooling.  Here is my first video:  

As I have said before, I have been flabbergasted by my own reaction to the results of the Zimmerman trial.  I never expected to feel so deeply about something that I have pretty much felt relatively unattached to.  Sure, I began purchasing a different style of jacket/sweater for my son just over a year ago, but until the verdict was dropped, I felt pretty much removed from the issue. Today, I read an article entitled racially profiled in Palm Beach. It made me say "oooooh... that's my problem."  I guess you want me to explain. I have never felt inferior to anyone because of the color of my skin.  I may have been aware as a child that there were people who would judge me because of it, but it never bothered me.  I always told my self that I could educate and demonstrate my way out of any preconceived notion anyone could have about me.  That presumption was proven true when in college, my while classmates, and even some well meaning teachers would point o...

If you like reading the homeschool carnival, and you also enjoy Instagram, the here is a special treat for you. http://sprittibee.com/2013/07/carnival-of-homeschooling-random-instagram-edition-plus-mobile-photography-tips.html   Enjoy! 

With his little sister on her graduation day I probably won't blog much about him anymore, seeing that he's pretty grown up. He really is an amazing person.  I pray for him today and every day of his life for safety and success.  I know he will continue to amaze us. I am so glad I was able to homeschool him. A man and his dog. 

I am not actively homeschooling my own children this year because both of them will be in  ♫♪ COLLEGE ♫♪    However, I still spend a lot of time researching, talking about, and planning out curriculum with other parents.  My top 10 list still includes many of my old favorites from previous years, but my opinions have also changed about others.  With that said, here is my top 10 list for homeschool resources for 2013-14.  As it is very easy to find online resources for elementary students, most of my picks  are for high school students.  (All but number 1 is free) 10.  Let's face it.  Grammar is boring, boring, boring, so my pick for this subject spices it up a bit. Grammar Bytes! presents grammar in bite-size pieces with an urban flair that will attract teens to pay attention long enough to learn the concept.  You will find handouts, videos, and exercises to test knowledge. 9. Learning languages outside of a classroom or imme...

Things are strangely quiet around here.  There has been nothing on my mind but the Zimmerman trial, and I know that a great deal of my subscribers don't agree with me politically or socially... (but I love you nonetheless).  So that told me that they would certainly not agree with me on this trail. Another reason I have been so quiet is that I am still processing how I feel.  Stunned, blown away, confused... this does not even begin to touch on the depth of my feelings. I went head to head with an old friend who was defending why Zimmerman may have been so gun-shy  (realizing the pun) that night, and I really could just not see past my own pain.  Nor could I really communicate my pain. I just know that I keep looking at my wonderful son who I put so much effort into raising and homeschooling and I am still wondering how safe he really is. We made sure he was polite. We made sure he was smart. We made sure he was classy and classic. We made sure he was a...

Free Video Lectures http://www.learnerstv.com This site eliminates the need to search the entire internet for videos. It sit has compiled video lessons from all over the internet. You will find: every subject imaginable LearnersTV offers free learning resources for students on various subject categories. Following is the current list of subjects available as on Monday, August 22, 2011. We will be adding more subjects in future. Subject Categories Biology  |  Physics  |  Chemistry  |  Maths-Statistics  |  Computer-Science  |  Medical-Science  |  Dentistry  | Engineering  |  Accounting  |  Management   McGraw Hill Biology Mc Graw Hill Biology  has an website that can be used in conjunction with the textbook (7 edition).  You will  find an outline of each chapter, tests, labs, and other activities.  This can be used as an outline for teaching biology, ...

If you've ever wondered why the law only required 4 1/2 hours a day to homeschool, it is because that is pretty much how long it takes.  After homeschooling all the way through, my kids spent some days homeschooling for 8 hours, and other days not homeschooling at all, or going to outside classes.  They may have done more than an average of 4 hours a day, but they also accomplished a lot more than what is required of a typical student. This video is specifically about black homeschoolers in Louisiana turning to homeschooling, but one of the teachers/parents makes it clear how much can be accomplished in a short amount of time.

American History for Middle School and High School The Simple Homeschool Presents Raising Refounders "shovel ready history for the masses".  This online program  teachers all about the founding fathers of our country and has a full years American History Curriculum.  Government Curriculum, free with shipping  This is  Choosing Our President and history curriculum  is sponsored by Mike Huckabee.  It claims to teach history without bias. Learn Our History’s latest DVD, Election Day: Choosing Our President, is a great way to get your kids excited about the upcoming presidential election.  Your kids will join a group of time traveling history students who go back in time to meet past presidents and understand how the United States election process came to be.  History and more for Kids Kidipede , is a site that middle school homeschoolers will enjoy. It allows you to research to your hearts content form many subj...

I could tell you how much I fear for my son's safety. I could tell you that in spite of the stellar efforts into his upbringing, and in spite of his strength of character, at a glance or on a dark rainy night, he would be perceived as dangerous. But I won't tell you anymore. This post from an inner city school teacher about her student in a similar situation is much more powerful, and no matter how much I have sheltered my son  he is no different than Trayvon.

It's my baby's birthday. It's weird how birthdays work.  You know they are coming, but when you wake up on your child's birthday, it's like you've been hit by a rock... especially when you realize they are pretty much all grown up. But when I look at her, I still see this.

I'm all for school dress codes.... if in fact you decide to use traditional schools, but they need to be more careful about dictating hairstyles.   READ MORE HERE: http://www.bubblews.com/news/765838-this-is-how-my-hair-grows-from-my-head-i-should-be-able-to-wear-it-this-way

Master Math Master Math  teaches middle school math from grade six through Algebra 1.  It is a full, stand alone curriculum great for homeschooling, but I have found that it is also a great supplement for whatever curriculum you may already be using. It it's core it is a free program but the creator of these math videos and accompanying program also does online tutoring should you need it and you can purchase more practice problems as well. CK12 free open source algebra Whether you are homeschooling, or if your kids just need help with Algebra, check out this  open source algebra book.    If that is not Awesome enough Khan Academy has recorded instructional videos to coordinate with this book.  Yay!  Here is the first page of the  Khan Academy playlis t.   This set of videos is currently at the very bottom of the Khan Academy playlist page. Virtual Math Lab from West Texas A&M College Algebra by West Texas A&M has full online...

Here is a video of Frederick Douglass' "Fourth of July Speech". I promise you that Frederick Douglass took great pains to measure each and every word from his mouth.  He did not rely on slang and self-denigrating words to get his message across.  He used formal and intelligent speech and was still able to deliver a shocking and forceful address to his audience. This speech and his representations of his race in many speeches helped to move mountains and changed the mindset of the intelligence of the black man in the minds of many doubters.    I dare say that if today's young people would write and speak as intelligently, they would make an even stronger statement - deliver as much shock, as the most swear-word laden rant ever could.   Measure your words. ... and take delight in vocabulary.  Happy Fourth of July. 

Free Video Lectures for Middle School, Highschool, AP and College Level FreeVideoLectures.com  has compiled college lectures from numerous colleges on different subjects There is almost too much to list, but I'll give it a shot: Math: Arithmetic,  Singapore Math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Geometry, Trignonometry, Calculus, college math, linear algebra, university calculus, and more Science: high school and college biology, Anatomy, physics, public health, and more Literature lectures such as Holocaust in Film and Literature, Nobel Prize Winners, The American Novel since 1945 Social Studies subjects such as Political Science, African American studies, Economic Geography Free Video Lectures  at  http://www.learnerstv.com This site eliminates the need to search the entire internet for videos. It sit has compiled video lessons from all over the internet. You will find: every subject imaginable LearnersTV offers free learning resources for students on v...

Here's a recent and true meme I discovered about moms:  Replace the words "my children" with the word "homeschooling", and you will have a true statement about homeschooling moms.   But why are homeschooling moms so mean, as found in the comment section of my article about the homeschooling war on about.com ,  homeschoolers, in the main, are mean spirited, have little regard for credentials (perhaps because of their lack of credentials) and are so set on their own narratives that they disregard everyone else's. They have resorted mostly to the old "if you don't have a valid point, call names."   Ummmm... Yeah.  That's what WE do.   In all effort to keep this positive, I will stop now, and I will continue to urge homeschooling moms to play nicer, but how do you deal with people who want to call you names but can't take the heat?   ... anyway... 

ACT Website has review materials If you are preparing to take the ACT,  the ACT website  has practice questions and writing prompts: Review these practice questions to help familiarize yourself with the ACT® test. For each question, click on your answer to see if you are correct. Five sets of questions are available for English and Mathematics; four sets are available for Reading; and seven are available for Science. To prepare for the Writing Test portion of the ACT Plus Writing, see a sample writing prompt and responses. The website also allows you to schedule exams, view your ACT scores, and to change your registration if necessary. Why take the ACT? ACT scores are accepted at all 4 year universities in the United States. The questions are curriculum based, not aptitude or IQ based, meaning students should not be at a disadvantage.  ACT Test Prep-Science on YouTube Super Magnet Man on YouTube has a set of 8 videos that will help you to prep...

I stumbled upon a homeschool war on About.com, which seems a bit uncharacteristic for the site, to begin with.  The "debate" between Jerry Webster and Kathy Ceceri  (who unceremoniously replaced Beverly Hernandez some months ago), pits special education against homeschooling, which is a real shame because many families have found relief and safety for their special-ed children in homeschooling. But perhaps, that is Mr. Webster's problem.  Maybe he feels disregarded by homeschoolers, a group that doesn't hang onto every word of his expertise.  Perhaps people who could take or leave his advice as it suits them are a bit full of themselves and need to be put in their place.  But it is not my place to try to see into the brain of Mr. Webster.  It is also not his place to try to peer into our brains and motivations either. You can go ahead and read the blogs if you wish, but he has made it clear, that he has said his peice, and now wants us homeschoolers to ...