Curriculum.pdfHomeschooling for only a couple of months? Purchase a couple of grade level text-books...

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The Educating Parent

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Beverley PaineProlific home education writer and supporter since 1989, Beverley began home educating her three children in 1985, but like many families this really started with the birth of her first child in 1981. Being a parent profoundly changed Beverley’s views on education and parenting. She’s moved from a ‘layering on’ and ‘filling the pail’ view of both to one that works with and honours the nature of each individual child.

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Beverley Paine

March 2015: All

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Her educational experience includes a four year voluntary stint working in an alternative classroom with children aged 5-13 years, during which time her confidence in home education grew exponentially! She has organised a home education conferences and camps, run getting started with home education TAFE workshops and natural learning seminars. Her articles have been published in overseas national and state magazines and newsletters.

It is possible to homeschool with nothing but a library card…

…and the internet.

Most of us, however, don’t feel confident to educate our children without some guidance, especially at the

start of our home educating journey. © Beverley Paine March 2015 : www.theeducatingparent.com : not for reproduction

Finding the ‘right’ curriculum can be daunting, more so because we have a plethora of choices.

© Beverley Paine March 2015 : www.theeducatingparent.com : not for reproduction

Time isn’t always on our side either: we feel compelled to choose a curriculum to satisfy the regulatory authority, or perhaps to reassure our spouses and extended family, within days or weeks of making the decision to home educate.

Help overcome objections to homeschooling by family and friends with Beverley’s booklet available from www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au.


http://www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au/

No matter what the circumstances, the key to confidently choosing a homeschool curriculum is to be informed as well as flexible and open to experimenting.

It will take time to find the ‘right’ curriculum or resources for your family: in the meantime you need to be observant, reflective, flexible and adaptive.

As you become more experienced and confident as a home educator, you’ll discover effective teaching tools that work well with each of your children.


Budget will be a major consideration with that choice. Luckily home education can be as expensive or inexpensive as you desire!

Home education shouldn’t cost you any more than putting your child through school.

The internet has made sourcing suitable homeschool materials and curricula easy.

Search for and read reviews before deciding to buy. Buy second-hand to save money.


The information in this workshop has been prepared as a general guide, a starting place to launch your exploration of some of the many choices available to you.

How long will you be homeschooling?

What ages are your children?

How many children are you homeschooling?

What to consider: do your research

Popular homeschooling methods

More detailed information can be found in Beverley’s inexpensive Practical Homeschooling Series booklet Choosing Homeschool Curriculum, available from www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au


How long will you be homeschooling?

If you are only homeschooling for a short time:

Ask to borrow materials from the school your child currently attends.

Make contact with local homeschoolers

– valuable advice

– help you to complete any application forms

– loan suitable resources

– join in with group activities or excursions.

Many families ‘test the water’ with homeschooling

in this way and find that it isn’t as hard as it first looks.


Homeschooling for only a couple of months?

Purchase a couple of grade level text-books and student work-books to cover learning in the main subjects.

Use an activity based or unit study approach for the other curriculum areas. – quick– easy – cost effective– will save you a lot of work

However, if you are planning on homeschool for more than a few years, it pays to spend some time in preparation.


How old are your children?

The age of your children naturally determines the focus of the curriculum and learning programs.

Preschoolers…

need very little in the way of formal lessons

play and activity based

pre-reading and maths activities

educational games and puzzles

hands-on exploration and investigation

build on natural curiosity


Children…

Before adolescence, children need to have a good grasp of the basics:

how to communicate effectively – talking, listening, reading, writing, expressing oneself, participating

how to calculate accurately – numbers, measurement, space and volume , chance and probability

how to think scientifically – asking questions, testing theories, evaluating results

how to take care of oneself and one’s possessions

how to get along with others

This provides the scaffold for learning effectively through the teenage years and beyond.


Adolescents…

Teenagers may require a different approach than younger children, one which offers them greater responsibility for managing their time as well as some input to the content and direction of their activities.

Learning might be tailored to suit emerging interests or the beginnings of a career pathway.

Specialisation as well as a general education is possible, especially with homeschooling.

It is just as easy to home educate teenagers as it is any other age!


How many children are you homeschooling?

If you need to invest considerable time learning a particular teaching method you need to feel confident you can use that approach and the same materials for your other children.

Do the materials cover all ages and levels?

Will you be able to re-use them for siblings?

Do they cater for different learning styles?

Quality, durable learning materials hold their value . They encourage investigation, exploration, and hands-on learning. They include developmentally appropriate engaging activities, accurate answer keys, revision and self-test materials.


What to consider: do your research.Firstly, find out if there are any constraints on what you can legally teach where you live. In some states and territories, home education registration or exemption from attending school is dependent on meeting the minimum requirements of the local curriculum framework, guidelines or syllabus. Copies of these are

available on the internet.


However, in Australia you are free to choose the method or approach you use to help your children learn.

It can be different for each area of learning or developmental stage, and may include:

Hands-on activitiesInvestigation, exploration, experimentingLiterature-basedUsing work-books, online programsText-book basedPlay-based

What you choose will be based on your understanding of your children.


National Curriculum

The new national Australian Curriculum "sets out the core knowledge, understanding, skills and

general capabilities important for all Australian students" and when completed will be a great starting place for you

to check that what you are doing with your family matches the expectations of society.

As of August 2012, Maths, English, Science and History curriculum guidelines for years 1-10 were ready to use.

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/


http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Find out what the learning styles are of all members of your family.

It’s a fun thing to do and will give you an insight into what kinds of learning materials and activities you’ll need for your children.

Multiple Intelligences


Know your child: his interests, developmental stage, his personalityand temperament, likes and dislikes, and what motivates him.

Does he have any learning difficulties?

Are there any areas in which he shows innate talent or giftedness?

Also think about the values, life and character skills you would like to help him develop as he grows.

Knowledge and understanding of these attributes will help determine your choice of curriculum.


You will also need to do some personal reflection.

What type of home educator are you?

A teacher, mentor, co-learner, or facilitatorwho helps the child find her own resources?

Most of us tend to be a little bit of everything and a lot depends on the

nature and learning styles of the children.

Life is a wonderful educator and the world is full of

amazing resources.


Most parents new to homeschooling don’t realise they are able to create their own learning programs, expecting that they will need

to purchase a curriculum for their child to use.

Would you be more comfortable designing and using a flexible curriculum of your own,

working with the children in a hands-on way?


Both approaches are okay – whatever works for you and your family.

Others prefer to set and teach lessons, and find it reassuring to follow a scope and sequence

already worked out for them.


Find out as much as you can about the curriculum materials you are considering; for example, who wrote them.

Those written by homeschooling parents/teachers tend to be much easier to use.

Some are written for the parent or teacher.

Others are designed for the child to use.


On the practical level:

do the materials expect the student to work independently,

or is it designed to be taught?

Materials written for the school market suit classroom learning situations and may not translate well to the homeschool.

Some curricula require considerable understanding of both content and method by the parents teaching the child.

Do you have the time to spend preparing lessons as well as supervising them?


Just as important, consider if the curriculum reflects your family’s values and lifestyle choices.

Many homeschool curricula and resources are specifically Christian and were written over the last couple of decades to fill a gap in the home education market.

What works for other families might not sit well with you, even if it is an excellent educational resource.

If you aren’t comfortable with a particular curriculum or resource you won’t use it.


Understanding your core values and beliefs underpins the choices you make.

Work through any assumptions you have about the nature and purpose of education.

Personalise education for your family.

Talk about and write down your long and short term objectives.

How will you measure developmental and educational success?

This will help you pick the materials that will help you achieve your goals.


At this stage of planning you are ready to ask other homeschooling parents with similar aged children to your own what curriculum materials they use and if they worked for both the child and parent.

Join a local support group.

Search for online support groups.

Ask if they have a homeschool library.

Attend a trade fair or conference.

Don’t forget to ask what didn’t work and why.

Sometimes life gets in the way of a good learning program!


It pays to start slowly and gradually build up a collection of learning

resources.

Purchasing a packaged curriculum may answer your immediate concerns but unless

you’ve matched it carefully to your family’s needs, it can lock you into a style of education that

isn’t working at all well, or end up as an expensive unused pile of books on the bookshelf.


popular methods

Home educators enjoy a variety of different approaches to helping their children learn at

home and in the community.

These range from the ‘do-it-yourself ’ personalised curriculum tailored to

suit your child to a purchased‘school-at-home’ complete curriculum.

Many homeschoolers blend two or more approaches, selecting different resources to suit individual children’s

learning needs and styles.

http://seilerclan.info/types.html


Find out as much as you can about the different homeschooling approaches and styles: you’ll need to find one that works well with your learning and teaching style and also suits your children.

How we end up home educating is rarely the same as at the start.

It is okay to change or make adaptations once you are underway: most of us do!


‘School-at-home’ includes:Part-time enrolmentdistance educationDIY curriculumusing curriculum guidespackaged curriculaonline educationunit studieslearning centreshomeschool cooperatives

A traditional approach to education is commonly known as ‘school-at-home’.

This is what we are most familiar with and will generally emulate in one form or another in the early months and years of homeschooling.


Most homeschooling parents start here, emulating how the child learned at school, or copying how they were taught as a child. You can write your own curriculum or buy one.

This method works well with children who respond positively to order and structure.

The homeschooling day is set up using a regular time table, progress is charted using check-lists and curriculum texts are used in each of the nationally accredited subject areas.

This approach usually includes grading and testing, as well as adherence to daily schedules and school terms.


School-at-home suits parents who:

lack confidence and need guidance; or

don’t have time to prepare activities and lessons

are comfortable and work well with routines and schedules

feel the need to plan to ensure what needs to happen does

need to keep track of what is happening

prefer a laid-out scope and sequence in each subject area

usually prefer one style of teaching


Buying a complete curriculum

Is it value for money? Ask other homeschoolers, find reviews online. If it includes access to a tutor then it will be more expensive than a self-guided curriculum, but it may save you considerable teaching time.

Is it comprehensive or will you need to purchasesupplementary materials or develop other activities?

Does it include a suitable method of recording educational outcomes?

Does it include sufficient review of the material before moving on to the next topic or concept?

Does it suit the learning style of your child? Will he or she be happy using it?


Create your own ‘DIY – do-it-yourself’ – curriculum; a personalised homeschool curriculum based on your

children’s learning needs and family values.

Benefits include:

tailoring activities and lessons to individual children’s learning styles and needs

encourages motivation to learn

adaptable and responsive to needs,

children learn at their own pace

flexible, can accommodate children’s interests, take advantage of community events, homeschooling group activities, etc

works to suit the family, rather than family working to suit the curriculum

reflects family values, philosophy and lifestyle

The information in this workshop is, of necessity, brief and short on detail. Getting Started with Homeschooling is the Australian homeschooling manual

with over 130 pages of information on how to write and evaluate your personalised learning programs for each of your children.



Five Easy Steps DIY Homeschool Learning Program

1. Start by writing a ‘mission’ or ‘philosophy’ statement’. Define what education means to you and your family. Use this as a basis.

2. Add long term goals – these describe the type of person your child will be in early adult life, character attributes and skills. Write down a list of short-term objects, things you want your children to learn and experience over the next year.

3. Elaborate on how you are going to achieve your short term goals – this is known as your ‘methodology’.

4. Write down how you will monitor your children’s progress – this is called ‘evaluation’. Devise a way of keeping records.

5. And lastly, list the resources you intend to use.

That’s all! Keep this a handy folder so that you can add to it, as well as review it from time to time.

Part-Time School / Homeschool

Some families are able to negotiate part time attendance at school for a variety of reasons.

Not officially available in all states, especially in state/public schools.

Private schools may charge a fee. Some schools or programs offer classes in individual subjects.

Families cite the negative socialisation aspects of school life as a disadvantage as well as the loss of some homeschooling autonomy.

Advantages include an increased sense of belonging and participation in the social life of the community, particularly in small rural towns.


Distance EducationOnce available only to remote students through the state school system, distance education is available through private correspondence schools, usually offering a Christian based curriculum.

Strict criteria applies for enrolment in public distance education schools. Enrolled students learn via correspondence or over the Internet in a traditional ‘school-at-home’ way, with parents usually marking work which is then sent to be recorded on the student’s portfolio.


This approach is often expensive, highly structured and restrictive, requiring families to adhere to a rigid timetable. Certificates are awarded at the completion of school studies.

Many families consider this approach during the teenage years as it suits independent self-motivated learners who enjoy goal-setting and are capable of managing their own time.


Online Curriculum

Range from whole curriculum guides (e.g. AmblesideOnline) to single subjects (e.g. Mathletics).

There are many free programs and discount is available for others through homeschool groups.

Portable (car, garden, etc).

Time spent in front of screen needs to be balanced with adequate physical activity daily.


Autonomous Life Learning: a Different Approach to Education

Includes:

Natural Learning

Informal Learning

Unschooling and Radical Unschooling

Self-education

Life Learning

centred on individual learning and

developmental needs

holistic, not fragmented

community, family and child focused rather than

curriculum focused;

‘make-it-up as you go along’ with emphasis on character

building and long-term rather than short-term objectives;

develops interests and talents;

play, hobbies, chores, life…


A natural learning or unschooling approach suits parents who:

Need learning to be immediately meaningful and purposeful and incontext with the child’s and family life;

Enjoy and celebrate spontaneity;

Need a high degree of autonomy and freedom in their lives;

Want their children to have choice and input into the direction and content of their education;

Enjoy learning alongside their children; see themselves as learners rather than teachers;

Recognise learning as something that happens all the time;

Believe that the process of learning is more important than the products of learning;

Trust that their children will learn what they need to, and will naturally attract the tools and materials needed to learn without intervention;

Think that education is more than developing skills and knowledge as a pathway to employment, that people are life-long learners.


Unit StudiesUnit studies begin with a democratically chosen topic or theme, around which a collection of educational activities is built which touch upon learning in all curriculum areas. Often the topic chosen is of high interest to the child.


Unit studies can be tailored to suit the needs of different age or ability children in the family, with everyone studying the same topic, but different elements and at different levels at the same time. A unit study continues until interest wanes, or projects and activities are completed.

Families who use unit studies as their main approach often complete ‘lap books’ or web sites as permanent records of the study.

Classical EducationThe three-part classical method is intended to literally ‘train a child’s mind’. This approach teaches children to think, rather than teaching ‘subjects’.

At its core is the ‘Trivium’, an educational process that recognises that children learn differently at different ages.

It begins by teaching children basic facts across all subjects, then encourages the development of independent or abstract thought, before finally producing adolescents who can reason and use language to communicate eloquently.

It is a rigorous and structured approach.


Charlotte Mason ApproachCharlotte Mason, a 19th century educational reformer and devout Christian, believed in promoting the value of good habits, nature study and insisted that children learn from quality literature –“living books”. education.


Narration – the retelling of what has been read or learned – is used to demonstrate learning and comprehension.

Copy-work reinforces thoughts and ideas while simultaneously teaching handwriting.

A sense of the ‘big picture’ of human history is taught through the use of a “century book”.

Combines practical life skills with a sound literature based education.

Waldorf (Steiner) Education Holistic in nature, Steiner education educates the whole child with its motto of “head, heart and hands”.

Younger children focus on arts and crafts, music and movement, and nature in a strict progression and structured way.

Reading is taught from age seven.

Older children learn self-awareness and reasoning skills.

Children do not use text books in the early years; instead they create their own books and understanding.

Television and computers are deemed deleterious to creativity. There is an emphasis on natural materials and spiritual development.


Montessori EducationIn a controlled learning environment made up of ‘learning centres’stocked with Montessori learning materials, children learn at their own pace by freely selecting highly structured activities developed to teach innately those things the child is developmentally ready to learn.


Montessori materials are generally made from natural materials and there is an emphasis on learning life and practical skills.

Many families find they are able to make their own Montessori materials following instructions found on the internet.

Eclectic ApproachMany homeschooling families relax into an ‘eclectic’ approach, selecting the best teaching strategies from various sources, including the different homeschooling approaches.

This approach generally builds on individual children’s learning styles and needs as well as the needs of the homeschooling family.


It is highly flexible to changes in circumstances and can easily capitalise on learning opportunities as they arise.

Independent Cooperative HomeschoolsAs the number of homeschooling families increasesupport groups grow to serve their social and educational needs. In some metropolitan areas informal ‘learning cooperatives’ evolve over time or are formally begun.

These typically offer classes for groups of children in a range of subject areas, to suit the needs of the homeschooling community. Fees are paid to the cooperative or to the individual offering tutorage.

As in a school setting, there are rules to be followed as well as timetables and schedules. Homeschool cooperatives usually require parents to supervise their own children at all times whist participating in lessons or group activities.

Parents are usually required to become involved in the cooperative in a direct way.

More common that homeschool cooperatives are local support groups that offer regular social get-togethers for parents and children in an informal setting, either in a park or playground, or at each others’ homes.

Individuals and groups organise educational excursions to places of interest or work.



Locating resources

Remember – it’s not your job to teach your child everything there is to know!

We draw on the entire environment and community as resources.

Don’t forget people are resources too… community or special interest groups tutors, classes, clubs. Get involved in your local community celebrations and activities.

Excursions = motivation! Think museums, work places, parks, shops, etc.

Use things you already have in your home: books, toys, games, kitchen, garage, garden, computer.

Recycle – and if you find a good resource, share that information with other home educators!


Curriculum Suppliers

Children progress through planned lessons much faster than their schooled peers and generally need less programmed time to do academic work. In the homeschool there is no difference between ‘life’ and education: children are learning all the time.

Text and student work books are available from home education suppliers (run by families who have homeschooled their children).

Or from quality bookstores: ask your local homeschool contact or group for information.

Free lesson plans can be found on the internet, but take time to source.

Library and internet are great for unit studies and projects.

Second-hand materials, available online or through local groups.

Enrolment in distance education schools (criteria to be met).

Curriculum guidelines for all states are published on the internet.

Visit the Home Education Association’s online Resource Directory.

Summary

The curriculum you choose will depend on the following factors:

your values and lifestyle choices;

how involved you want to be in the day-to-day teaching of the children;

your personal understanding of education and its role in your lives;

and what and how you want your children to learn.

Have realistic expectations: no homeschool curriculum will cover everything your child needs to know or wants to learn. You will always be reviewing and adding to your library of materials and tweaking what you are doing to suit the changing needs of your family. And that’s okay.



This presentation is available from Always Learning Bookshttp://alwayslearningbooks.com.au

Please consider joining one of Beverley’s popular online support groups. Have your questions quickly answered by experienced home educating parents.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheEducatingParentshttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomeschoolAustraliaFAQ

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/learningnaturally

Beverley is also available to answer questions through her Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/TheEducatingParent

or by email [email protected]

Wishing you all the best on yourhome educating adventure!

http://alwayslearningbooks.com.au/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomeschoolAustraliaFAQ/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomeschoolAustraliaFAQ

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/learningnaturally

https://www.facebook.com/TheEducatingParent

mailto:[email protected]

Curriculum.pdfHomeschooling for only a couple of months? Purchase a couple of grade level text-books...

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