This study was brought to my attention today which suggests that students following a structured homeschool curriculum perform better than their public school peers, even adjusting for income levels and other demographic considerations.  The kicker was that students who were identified as unschoolers (by their parents) scored significantly lower than both other groups.

  I hesitate to share because the subject tends to stir up strong feelings.  Granted, if you are an unschooler you may have no interest in test scores either today or in the future.  You may well have other valid yardsticks for success.  If you live or may live in a state which requires testing, if your child may re-enter a traditional school at some point, or if college is in the grand plan then studies like this one are worth investigating.

 Tests are inevitable in mainstream education and are good to measure very specific academic skills. (as opposed to overall intelligence)   Truth is, many families we know have experienced these same results in their own homes.  The kids who had more structure and traditional curriculum usually scored better than when those same families were more loosely schooling.  Contrary to the opinions voiced time and again, most students who have been in that boat will tell you it is not easy to make up in 3 or 4 months the content required to do really well on the SAT. 

There are a lot of ways to do this well and some years, some students, and some circumstances demand different approaches.   The words 'structure', 'success', 'perform', and 'curricula' are emotionally charged and highly subjective. So, no tomatoes please.  Just some interesting reading on a chilly fall day here. 

1.  Accept the Good

We watched Things We Lost in the Fire not long ago and I really liked it.  (caveat: adult themes involved, not everyone will love it)  There was something very engaging about Benicio Del Toro.  His great line in the movie was Accept the Good, because you are most certainly going to have to accept the bad.  That part is a given.  Into every life some rain shall fall etc.  The truth is pain and fear can make it nearly impossible to accept the beauty that is still there. It is all encompassing.  Some times in our lives it is a struggle to accept the good things still with us.  I disagree with some Christians who consider this ingratitude.  I think it is more like trying to hear a whisper in a snowstorm. It is a great skill, a great grace.  Sometimes it comes easily.  Sometimes it requires heroic effort.  

2.  Anne Rockwell

I smiled as I dropped Anne Rockwell books into the library bag this week.  I have been reading them to my children since the very beginning.  The simple retro-style  illustrations and honest, conversational text are endearing.  If you haven't picked one up in a while and you have some little ones at home, do.  

At the Supermarket

Show and Tell Day

Apples and Pumpkins

3. Adventures in Grocery Shopping

True story.  Happened as the bagger followed me to the car the other night:

Bagger (surveying my purchases): So, you guys havin' a party? 

Me: Uh no.  Just…. dinner.  We have 9 people in the house.

Bagger: Wow!  So, you have, like, 6 kids?  

Me: ?   (I explained we have 10 and 7 are here.  He still didn't catch his math.) 

Bagger: So how old is the oldest? 

Me: 25

Bagger: Wow, so, like, my age!  

Me: sigh : P <g>

4. And Southwest Asia

A better story. Brendan and Tess were discussing his catechism lesson.  Did God make all things?  Yes.  Because as Brendan explained God is King of the World.  Tess piped in that He was king of "Gern-a-mee" too. And Colorado.  Then they brainstormed some other places they could think of.  After which B chimes in… "and Southwest Asia!"  Yes, dear, and Southwest Asia.  He might possibly be a homeschooler. <g>

5. Thrift Finds

We scoped out a new thrift store this week.  Mostly a fact finding trip but I rarely leave empty handed.  Found some more salt glazed pottery, a large (18in) old crucifix and some kitschy painted pieces. 

When I came home from aforementioned grocery shopping husband had found places for each piece.  It's nice to have an thrifting enabler. <g>

6. Home Interiors

I found this site which hosts images of country style homes.  Some are too cute for my taste but I love the old pieces.  And I love that these are not professionally staged.  They are real homes.  

7.  Fence Friday

Not to be confused with the Munich Octoberfest, this one is local and comprised of some 50,000 pumpkins made into the likeness of fairy tale characters.  Sorta like the Rose Parade – but with squash.  Are you feelin' this yet? 

It was a great day all around as you can see if you make it to the bottom of the post. The park has an enormous two story slide which everyone but me scaled many, many times.  They even got Dad up there.  Abbie did a run with Dad but then decided looking at gourds was safer. 

Every Tuesday morning Julie and I sit in my schoolroom while her daughter takes her piano lesson with Alannah upstairs.  She knits, we talk, the littles play.

Last week she brought me a set of her newly printed and packaged multiplication game. We don't have a lot of math games.  I wasn't sure how well this would go over either.  But after playing daily all week, and the kids' enthusiasm continuing to grow, I think she really is onto something. 

There is a video at her site which shows the game in action.  Basically you have a set of cards with the multiples 2-9 of a given "Speed" illustrated like strings of beads. (Actually it struck me much like the Montessori golden beads)  The cards truly would be painfully tedious to try to replicate on your own.  You play the game sort of like War, laying down cards which are one step above or below the card on the table.  So if a 9 is laid down you can play a 6 or a 12 for instance.  The first player to play all his cards wins. Check out the video for clearer instruction. 

The premise is that the child becomes very familiar with all the multiples through playing the fast paced game.  This really does work. The more you play, the more familiar you are.  The better you know those "steps" the better you play. 

 Julie worked as an engineer before becoming a homeschool mom to three children.  Those same creative problem solving skills necessary in her career field have served her well at home.  She came up with a really novel idea.  If you want to play at home you can pick up a set at Amazon.  You will be supporting a truly home-grown family business. 

more here

It's been a month now since Alannah's birthday but we never wrote about it. Since she is in the States this week and I miss her, I decided now would be a good time.  She celebrated with her close friends who spent the day doing very Alannah things.  They baked cupcakes, make an ice cream cake, and sewed sock creatures with Tess from the book  Rebecca sent us. (we love it!)

The evening involved the zip line, eye shadow, a good deal of German candy, and movies.  No complaints here. Couldn't ask for a nicer bunch of girls. 

Alannah wants me to mention the cake was awesome. She makes her own since the making of them is as much fun for her as the eating of them. So I can tell you what I saw. : )  She made two cake layers and froze them.  In the same size pan we froze (I got to do this part!) a layer of mint chocolate chip ice cream.  She added green coloring and mint extract to buttercream frosting. 

Am going to have to have her remind me now because I see powdered sugar in the bowl but I see a tub of frosting on the table later.  We may have made some for the cake and doctored up some for the cupcakes.  It escapes me now. 

We are about to begin formal lessons again and what strikes me most this year is how this last season of mothering little ones looks so very much like the first season (and many in betweens).  We are enrolled with the same program our oldest boys used when they began gradeschool.  For my littlest learners I have dusted off the Hainstock and Gettman books.  I am putting together file folder games like these to replace those played to bits over the years and gathering Montessori tray materials.  I may need to replace my current edition of 100 Easy Lessons because it is now in two sections having broken completely in half from teaching eight children to read.  It looks a lot like home around here and I love that.  

A quick perusing of the internet for preschool printables really amazed me.  It's like the curriculum world has supersized itself in past several years.  I say to my young homeschool mom friends, "Do you realize we literally had these handful of books when we started?  Literally!  Do you realize you could not buy a Catholic reader set? There were none in print. Do you realize that the homeschool 'vendor hall' fit nicely inside the church basement and it took you maybe a half hour to read the title of every single item stacked up there?" It's different now. 

Looking around me though, I realize the old standby's have served us so very well.  Perhaps what has served us even better is that annual determination these past several years to stay off the curricular inspiration merry go round.  Are we missing new and exciting ideas and materials?  Very likely.  Are we actually "missing" them?  Probably not.  Sewing, walking, feeding the dog, and learning to play checkers still trump a brand spankin' new program.  

So what do I have to say this year about Back to School?  Nothing new and nothing you can't live without hearing. : )   That is the big news.  Staying the course has blessed us.  Success – in this area (there are ALWAYS areas for growth and improvement however, and most especially in my life) – has inspired me more than continual change could. Since some other bloggers have been reposting some old links from here this past week I figured I would grab a few myself.

Hope your new school year is full of hope and promise, wherever your children are attending.  

Fwiw:

On Blogging (mine)

Is blogging like porn for women?  thoughtful post to remember before opening your Reader

On homeschool books, internet gurus, and who the real experts are  – the reason why I believe this blog must remain descriptive and not prescriptive

Homeschool Overload - "You see, there IS a very real price for the multitude of  "free" homeschool 

It is the cost of your time, mental energy and focus. 

 YOU ARE PAYING MORE DEARLY FOR THAT RESOURCE THAN YOU REALIZE. "

Perseverance or why we aren't unschoolers and the very important Part 2

Our Binders and here

FAQ's

Reading Ahead - an advantage to using the same material with succesive students

 There is a new print up at the shop along with a big sale.  Images starting as low as $13.  Check it out. : )  With the eventual opening of the Etsy store I am lowering prices at the gallery since those orders are automatically filled and much easier for me. 
Enjoy!

If you travel with us you should have a sense of humor. We do our share of cathedrals and places of awe and majesty.  But kids get a little maxed out with awe and majesty after a while.  And since their mother is a bit of a crack up always trying to insert levity into the day you might find us….

striking a pose….

do you see what I have to work with here, people?

maybe an impromptu game of foosball?  Can't explain this table cemented into the sidewalk. 

We admire the ingenuity of the locals….

and try to mingle with the crowd.  You're supposed to do that you know. 

We try not to pass judgement on things we can't exactly understand.  Like this…

It probably takes half the time to clean anyway. ; D 

We are always, always on our very best behavior.  The height of propriety at all times….

We chuckle at signs….

We make faces back at gargoyles..

We brake for gelato.

(spaghetti style is a fave)

and as the saying goes we…

But be advised that sometimes that is more challenging than others…

For instance, we never did figure out the automated, self-cleaning potty (though I really wish I had one at home!) which resulted in a high speed run to McDonald's where we slowed down long enough to allow for a certain passenger to fly out of the vehicle in the nick of time.  (You should also know that in this country restrooms are sorta optional, and it is a good idea to guard your eyes when passing open fields on the roadsides… Yeah.  Not for us.) 

Anyway, I was laughing may way through editing and thought I'd share. Have a fabulous weekend! 

Please hop over to the Snapshots Around the World blog.  This week's theme is Read. We would love to see you there!