Comments for HomeschoolDaddy

Comment on About the author by Allen P.

Allen P. — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:05:51 +0000

Nia, even as a dad in a two parent home, I can confidently say that I believe every family can homeschool, even single parents. In my Classical Conversations group in which I tutor weekly, there are at least two single moms that not only homeschool, they tutor and help support other families. Of course every situation is different, so I would encourage you to look up a local or state homeschool association and connect with some parents that know all the things you need to consider before making such an important decision. I’d be glad to ask the single moms I work with if they would be open to conversing with you via e-mail about how they do it.

Comment on About the author by Nia

Nia — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 05:37:58 +0000

Sounds like a lot. Would you suggest it for a single mother? I was considering to take my daughter out of public schools. Shes very smart scored an 88 out of 90% on pbs gifted testing. But her behavior in the class room is defiant and stubborn often. At home I keep her occupied, she likes to write and read and arts and crafts. she does not play with others her age group well. She just turned 7. And reads better than my 5th grade son. What you think?

Comment on About the author by Allen P.

Allen P. — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 03:39:09 +0000

Hi and so sorry it took so long for me to respond! We started homeschooling as a leap of faith as well as a respond to problems we saw in our son. I left public school teaching and found all the resources I could online, joined a support group, read books on homeschooling and read articles from magazines about homeschooling. Most important was making sure my family was on board for the journey, and that this was more than a educational decision, it was a lifestyle decision.

Comment on About the author by Homeschooldaddy

Homeschooldaddy — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:15:45 +0000

Hello and sorry for the delay in responding! Thanks so much for the compliment. We’ve been using Classical Conversations for the last year and I’ve really grown to appreciate the concept. There’s really no program doing exactly what Classical Conversations (aka CC) is doing by combining community based support with rigorous academic standards. Feel free to email me to discuss more about the program. (homeschooldaddy@yahoo.com)

Comment on About the author by The Education Vigilante

The Education Vigilante — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:03:10 +0000

Like your site and content. How long have you been using Classical Conversations? I just discovered it this morning and very interested in the approach. Peace!

Comment on About the author by Nia

Nia — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:05:11 +0000

How did you start off homeschooling? What did it take and what resources did you find that benefit you and your family.

Comment on Blimp or Helicopter? by Homeschooldaddy

Homeschooldaddy — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:58:36 +0000

“On a roll”….You are altogether too funny cuz. Thanks for always encouraging me. It’s a constant balancing act but I think every child needs a different amount of hovering vs. soaring. You’ve obviously got a good mix going from the evidence I see in your family’s postings.

Comment on Blimp or Helicopter? by simplybelinda

simplybelinda — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:50:59 +0000

I absolutely love this imagery: ‘My blimp soars too high when all I can see are specks of activity on the educational roads my kids travel, when in fact there may be a pile-up on the expressway that needs an immediate infusion of intense interaction…’ I like to think that I’m not as low as the helicopter, but then again, I may just have more pile-ups! Lord, save them from the person who’s always trying to save them!

2 posts in 2 months–you’re on a roll, cousin, you’re on a roll!!

Comment on Blimp or Helicopter? by Homeschooldaddy

Homeschooldaddy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:23:58 +0000

Thanks so much for checking out this post…We’ve employed a variety of strategies so that the kids know how they are doing, not the least of which has been some ‘old fashioned testing’. We’ve used standardized testing every other year as part of the state’s required yearly evaluation as homeschoolers. However, what’s been more important to me is their understanding of WHY they need certain fundamental skills, and that has everything to to with activating their natural curiosity. A child that is interested in rainbows will quickly realize that a knowledge of weather, evaporation, characteristics of light, and other topics will be her only hope of fully understanding her interest. In our earlier unit studies, we used anything relating to the topic to help them realize that all the subjects were interconnected. So instead of a preset list of skills, they naturally began to seek out and master the skills necessary to master whatever topic they needed to learn. Although we, like most parents, would worry that there were ‘gaps’ in that basic knowledge, we usually found our fears were unwarranted. Now that we’ve moved to a more classical model, we focus on teaching the children how to ask the right questions about the world, then seeking out those fundamental skills that will allow them to learn anything, at any time.

The “substantial direction and monitoring’ you mentioned is seen differently by many homeschoolers. Some are extremely detailed and data driven, others subscribe to an entirely interest based and ‘unschooled’ approach. What’s most important is the feedback we receive from our kids as their minds and souls are nurtured in this environment of family learning. I freely admitted in my writing, perhaps to my detriment, that my monitoring is sometimes suspect. But I’m heartened by the fact that the kids have a internal drive to understand the world around them, and I’m pretty sure that self-motivation is the most valuable learning tool I could ever give them.

Comment on Blimp or Helicopter? by Linette Coleman (retired elementary principal)

Linette Coleman (retired elementary principal) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:42:12 +0000

Are the children able to make substantive decisions based on data in regard to their education? Students tend to want to study and research what is of interest to them which often results in a limited perspective on new and necessary learning based on a hierarchy of fundamentals..

Clearly, I believe in some interest based learning with substantial direction and monitoring at an appropriate pace to keep the child on target for learning milestone events