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Homeschool Quote

“Don’t wish away the season you are in.” ~Marilyn Boyer

Recently I attended ICHE’s mid-winter renewal at which Marilyn Boyer shared from her wisdom and experience from 30 years of homeschooling her 14 children.

She spoke of savoring the season you find yourself in. Whether it is a busy time with little ones, toddlers, and morning sickness, or the sometimes emotional teenage years, or maybe even a combination of the two, these years pass quickly and we need to find joy around us. She even shared about some of those heartbreaking times, like the loss of her teenage son to Leukemia. Even then, she found it important to not just “get by.”

For myself, I often find it easier to find joy in the seasons I already passed through, or I finding myself yearning for a certain phase to pass, I needed this reminder to look around me and enjoy what I have about me right now.

Her tips:

Recognize that God takes us through seasons of life,

Know that some seasons are just more enjoyable than others,

Trust Him through those difficult seasons.

As I considered this quote, I thought of ways to continue to build a joy and contentment in the present season:

  • Step back and look — I enjoy looking with my children through pictures (recent), look for growth in my kids, write down the funny things they say and do, remember who they are and the unique qualities they each bring to your home.
  • Laugh and smile — Yes, sometimes I need to choose to do these things. But, as I make that choice I find my emotions changing for the better as well.
  • Remember that time passes quickly — When I do look back to those baby days, I cannot believe how recent they seem, and yet over a decade has passed since our second child was born. The years ahead will just gain momentum. Whether full of joys or struggles, these days will soon be over.
  • Focus on the positive — Always two sides to the coin. No child, that I know of, is a challenge 24 hours a day. Find the good and choose to dwell on it.
  • Pray — Sometimes I just need a supernatural change of heart. I cannot be the mother I want to be on my own.

Whatever works to restore your joy in the present season you are in, jump on it, and don’t wish these days away.

Facebook fans and discussions

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Are you already a fan on Facebook? If you are, then thank you! Glad to have you along.

If not, and you have a Facebook account you will find us there. To become a fan you can click the widget on the sidebar of this page.

Also, the Facebook page offers a place for discussions. A couple questions are already posted there, so hop on over and see if you can offer some help or opinions. And, maybe you have a question of your own.

Homeschooling can be a difficult journey to travel without other homeschoolers to come alongside us as we learn and grow and teach our children. So, please take a few minutes to check out the discussions, contribute an answer or start your own.

Thank you all for stopping in here and on Facebook, and I truly hope this site is a help and encouragement to each one of you.

Also, if you have any suggestions as to how this site could be more useful to you or changed for greater ease of use, I would love to hear your ideas.

~Erin

Fermi lab open house coming next month

This is open to all families, but registration is required. Feel free to see their website for more information:

Fermilab Family Open House

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2009 Open House such a great success, by helping, getting the word out, or attending! The 2010 Open House will be held on Sunday, February 21 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM.

Every year we have the Fermilab Family Open House.

Register for the Open House (no charge)

This is a party for children who bring an adult with them to learn about the world of physics. (There’s plenty for the grown-ups, too.)

A tentative schedule of events includes:

The Open House will be most appropriate for children in grades 3 and up (tours restricted to adults and children age 10 and up). The event is free, but registration is required. Be sure to sign up for tours. You should pick up the tickets for the tours in the atrium on the day of the event.

Look at pictures from the 2007 (pdf) and 2008 Open Houses.

Fermilab Education Office

Homeschool-dad carpenter available for hire

If you are in the market for a carpenter and would like to patronize a fellow homeschooler, check out the information below, received from Arlene:

Hughes Carpentry and Home Remodeling

Jack Hughes, Owner and Proprietor

Office: 630-584-0925

Cell: 630-849-3801

Email: jhughesremodeling@att.net

Web: www.jackhughesremodeling.com [Note: Check out this website for more information as well. There are pictures of various projects, testimonials, and other details.]

Kid’s Playhouse built in Algonquin by Hughes Carpentry and Home Remodeling

My husband, Jack Hughes, runs a business called Hughes Carpentry and Home Remodeling. He is a journeyman carpenter by trade and has thirty years experience in commercial and residential construction. His business, which focuses on residential remodeling, has been in operation for 6 years, and his services range from completing small handy-man projects to full scale remodeling of kitchens, bathrooms, and basements, the installation of interior/exterior trim, siding, and the building of decks, custom built-ins, and gazebo’s.

Unfortunately, due to economic factors, work has been slow, and my husband is presently in need of jobs.  He has been in construction all his adult life and is very good at what he does. If you have remodeling projects that you are ready to start or have started a project and need help, we would sincerely appreciate your consideration. My husband has garnered high customer satisfaction and can provide you with references. Please contact me for letters of recommendation, or call Jack directly either on his cell at 630-849-3801 or at 630-584-0925 to inquire of his services. Estimates are free. Receive 15% off for the referral of a friend, family member, or business colleague that commits to work.

For the Christmas season, Jack is available to take down Christmas decorations and holiday lights. Please call him to schedule a convenient time.

In addition, we have recently formed a partnership with Becky Dawson of BancGroup Mortgage in a venture called Home Benefit IQ. It gives you access to local mortgage information and discounts from national retailers. There is also a directory of area businesses known for their high quality work and customer service. If you would like to be part of this exclusive group, at no cost to you, please let Jack or me know. We will be happy to refer you to Becky. Becky is also able to help you with a refinance to pay for your home improvements. She has a special program specifically for home renovations.

Thank you,

Arlene Hughes


Encouragement from the Boyer Family

You may know the name Marilyn Boyer. A mother of 14, homeschooling veteran of 30 years (!), with a few more still ahead of her, a writer, and a speaker at homeschool conventions.

This past weekend I joined a couple hundred other women in Oak Brook to receive encouragement and vision from Marilyn. I took many notes and came away with lots of fresh ideas and enthusiasm for loving my children and taking full advantage of the relationship we build with them through homeschooling.

Even if you could not make it this weekend, she has a wonderful gift to share on her website.

Unfortunately, I cannot give you a simple link to get there, but I can give you some directions. Go to the Boyer website, The Learning Parent, and float over the “Categories” tab. From there click on “Boyer Products” or “Boyer Resources.” These should both take you to the same place. You will need to go to the second page of resources, looking for one entitled, “Educating for Eternity.”

You can purchase this resource on CD, or you can select the downloadable version for free. It does take a while to download, and as mine is currently downloading, I can’t yet tell you the wonderful information it contains. But, knowing Marilyn, this will be a great encouragement to listen to.

In this recording you will learn:

We all want our children to catch the vision for God and grow up to serve Him. But how do we begin? Rick and Marilyn Boyer, home education pioneers of thirty years, believe the Bible contains the best plan for the upbringing of wise and competent children. Seeking wisdom from God`s Word and applying it to their own lives, they have trained their fourteen sons and daughters, some of whom are now parents and passing on the vision to their own children.

In this session you will hear Rick and Marilyn- with five of their adult children- explain the scriptural method for passing on a vision of powerful Christian living from generation to generation through family discipleship!

She has such a wonderful heart and shares so sincerely about her journey as a homeschooling mom. I would encourage you to take the time to download this resource, and to check out some of the other resources they have available.

Some other resources that have caught my attention: For You The Signed (a new one that she mentioned this weekend, about the signers of the Declaration of Independence, you’ll find this on their home page), audio books by her husband “Uncle Rick,” and many other books and audio resources for the homeschooling family — Getting it all done, homeschooling with toddlers, etc.

Gymnastics classes in the Fox Valley area

Excel Gymnastics has long served homeschoolers in the Fox Valley area with a homeschool gymnastics class at their Batavia facility. This class meets on Thursdays from 11:00-12:00 for kids ages 6 and up.  They also have preschool classes (3-4 years) and a Kindergym (5 year olds) at the same time (the preschool class is 45 minutes long).  The class is at Excel Gymnastics in Batavia (2301 Main St., Batavia).

They have offered to recreate this class at their St. Charles facility if they can gather enough interest.

Amy is spearheading this effort and any questions or interest should travel through her (see email below). She shared some of her thoughts on her children’s experience in Excel’s homeschool gymnastics class:

We love these classes and the coaches (at the Batavia location) are fabulous.  We have done gymnastics classes through the park district and other locations and our experience at Excel far surpasses these other classes.  This is a great opportunity for exercise and I have even seen boosts in my kids self esteem since starting these classes.  They offer classes for preschoolers at the same time, which is very nice for families with younger kids as well.

New Class Possibility:  Suggested time is Wednesdays from 11:00-12:00 at the St. Charles location  (3N800 Peck Road, St. Charles).  Coach Tony said that there would be a preschool class (45 minutes) at the same time and that they could also combine 4 & 5 year olds for a Kindergym class as well.  The homeschool gymnastics class would be for kids ages 6 and up.

The new session starts next week, but they said they could start the new homeschool class anytime in case families were not ready to start next week.  They need only 4 kids to start the class! And, they have great sibling discounts available right now (25% off the second child’s class!)

Please email Amy (asebas0900@sbcglobal.net) as soon as possible if you would be interested in this class for one or more of your kids. You will need to let her know how many kids you would like to enroll, their ages, and which location (Batavia or St. Charles).  If they hear from enough interested students to get a new class going she will contact Coach Tony at Excel and let him know so that they can move forward with making these arrangements.

Thanks to Kris Besic of Positive Connections Homeschoolers for passing along this information.

Review: MathScore

Math is one of those core subjects that all students need to study. It is also one of those subjects that often elicits groans from its prisoners, I mean students.

Fortunately, there are many great resources for helping your child through math while reducing their discomfort and maximizing their benefit in the process.

MathScore provides students a place to learn their math, enhance their skills, attack their weak points, and build their mastery of basic math, computation, and applications of these skills.

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Product: MathScore.com
Details: A web based program that allows students to work on math skills online. The program awards them with points for building their math skills in both speed and mastery.
Price: $9.95 per month for first child (introductory rate, after two months this goes to $14.95), $5 for second, $3.95 for third. There are other discounts for ordering for multiple months.

What we loved . . .

  • Flexibility — You can choose and switch levels as you desire. You can decide which topics to work on. The kids don’t have to be stuck on something frustrating, or stay on a topic that bores them. They can do a little and return later. Or, if they like to do one topic and complete it, that is possible as well.
  • Tracking — I would receive a daily email automatically that would summarize the student’s work. This would let me know the topics they worked on, the level of mastery achieved, and how much time the worked (as well as how much time they spent idle in the program). I really like that I knew not just how much time they spent on it, but also how much time they spent engaged with the worksheets.
  • They encourage rewards — They don’t have any built in rewards (games, characters, etc.), but they do encourage you to recognize your child’s achievement. When they reach that 100 level saying they have mastered a topic, don’t let their hard work go unnoticed. They do earn “trophies” that are displayed on a page that shows their progress.
  • Variety of approaches — Your child can choose to either simply begin the “worksheet,” follow a mini-lesson, or try some sample problems depending on their level of comfort in a given topic.
  • Free resources as well — Their website has free math worksheet generators and lessons available to everyone.
  • Timed lessons — Some kids might not do well with these, although they start pretty generous, but for my daughter they really helped her stay on track and not let herself get distracted. If she ran out of time, she had to work on that level again.

Some considerations . . .

  • Might be difficult to use as a complete math program. They do present that as an option, but I prefer to use it as a supplementary program or as a break from the regular math book.
  • The scoring confused me a bit. To master a topic they must reach “100.” There were too many classifications of accomplishment for me to really grasp — rating, points, percents, etc. I wasn’t quite sure why they had so many different ways of presenting the same information. It was like reading a standardized test result.
  • If you have a particular goal for your child in math, you might need to spend more time with them. Since they do have a fair amount of free reign once logged in (they could choose grade 1 material if they feel like it), you will need to guide them and make your expectations clear if you want to make the most of their time on the computer.
  • No frills. This program does not come with a lot of extras. It gets the job done efficiently, but when my daughter first tried it out she said it was “boring.” Now, when I let her try it for a couple days in place of her regular math text it became “fun.” So, I guess it depends what you compare it to.

MathScore meets a definite need in developing a child’s mastery in mathematics. It makes it easy for the parent to track progress, and provides tools for helping a child learn and excel at a variety of levels. I think it is reasonably priced, especially for families with multiple children. This might be a great tool if you are looking for something to supplement your current math curriculum or to help students retain knowledge during those longer breaks from school.

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This web based program was provided to me free of charge from MathScore.com as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

Homeschool Conferences

Did you know that we have four different homeschool conventions or conferences coming to the Chicagoland area this year?

The first one takes place in just a couple months. The InHome Conference (This is a non-religious based group):

March 18 – 20, 2010
Pheasant Run Resort and Spa
4051 East Main St.
St. Charles, Illinois

A little background on this conference taken from their website:

During the 90s, Illinois HOUSE planned and produced conferences for Illinois homeschooling families which grew in size and frequency until it made sense to incorporate them as a separate activity. In 1998, the Home Educators Conference Fund (HECF) was formed as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation and a section 501(c)3 tax-exempt charity. In both its volunteer base and its governance, HECF has drawn from a wide selection of committed and talented homeschoolers. Our presenters and volunteers are current or former homeschoolers from all over Illinois, and elsewhere in the US where homeschooling has flourished. HECF’s “InHome” event is a forum for grassroots insights; we enjoy sharing our experiences and recognizing the expertise within our own communities.

Then, in June, the Illinois Christian Home Educators have their annual convention:

June 3-5, 2010
Calvary Church
Naperville,IL

More details yet to come on this convention.

In August, the Chicago Homeschool Expo returns for a second year:

August 5-7, 2010
The Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center
1551 N. Thoreau Dr.
Schaumburg, Illinois 60173

From their website:

The Homeschool Expo is a “don’t miss” whole family two day event with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of products where parents can review and purchase the latest curriculum, hear great speakers who give practical encouragement, and receive personalized help and answers to any question. Our workshops especially emphasize the practical aspects of working with children in ways that will promote their educational, social and emotional growth.

And, finally, Apologia Live is coming in October:

October 8-9, 2010, in Chicago, IL
Westin NW in Schaumburg, IL

Their website has this to say about this event:

These will be exciting, spiritually refreshing events specifically designed for homeschool moms and those thinking of homeschooling. We have planned these retreats with you in mind. Fellowship with like-minded women will encourage you and foster renewal. All of the speakers are veteran homeschool moms who know the pitfalls, the pressures, and the panicked-times of homeschooling. Yet they also know the joys, blessings, and eternal benefits of homeschooling. All of the messages will focus on different aspects of Standing Strong in Christ.

Plan now to attend one (or more) of these events to help keep your homeschool growing and meeting your family’s needs.



Top 100 sites selected by Homeschool.com users

The following came in an email from Homeschool.com. They have compiled lots of popular and helpful links for homeschoolers and the cream of the crop come in their top 100 of the year:


Every year, Homeschool.com compiles a list of some of our favorite educational websites for you to enjoy in a convenient list you can keep handy. You can even share this list with your friends, family and support group. We asked our 8,500 Product Testers to send us a list of their favorite educational websites that they use most often. We had so many suggestions pour in that we’ve included over 100 sites this year. Many sites that made it on last year’s list are mentioned again this year. The top five sites for 2010 include:

The Top Sites
www.starfall.com
www.exploratorium.edu
www.enchantedlearning.com
www.brainpop.com
www.pbs.org

Note: Normally we would not include commercial sites on this list. However, so many people nominated a number of commercial websites, it seemed unfair to leave them off the list and they have been included.

So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and peruse through the list at your leisure. Click on a site and explore it for awhile, then come back to view even more great sites. A few new aspects of our list include the category of Music, as well as a variety of relevant and fun math and science sites.

For the other 95 sites, check out their article on the top 100 sites.