Math is money

To borrow from Food Network celebrity Guy Fieri, math is money, as you'll discover when you calculate simple interest:

Interest = principal x rate x time or I = prt

If you haven’t already done so, now is a great time to open a savings account for your child. Use this to highlight studies of calculating interest. Compare interest accrued by keeping money in a regular savings account versus a certificate of deposit. As a result of this exercise, Allegra decided to move money from her passbook savings into a 48-month CD. The difference in interest earned at the end of four years is about $100 at current rates.

This is also a good time to explain how credit cards and loans work. You might develop some exercises demonstrating how much more something costs when interest is factored in. The 100+ Series Standards-Based Math book for grades 7-8 by Harold Torrance offers great exercises in calculating interest, along with other exercises related to national math content standards.
Our main math text is School Specialty Publishing’s Spectrum Math. This text offers brief explanations of mathematical concepts and provides problems for students to solve. Unit tests and answer keys are included. For a more in-depth explanation of math concepts and for historical background on, say, algebra or the Pythagorean theorem, consult Torrance’s 100+ Series Standards-Based Math. These texts will get you through middle school math.

I also love Sue O’Connell’s Math the Write Way, which asks students to verbalize math concepts. O’Connell provides fun exercises requiring students to think, talk and write about math: explaining how they arrive at their answers, justifying their thinking and describing math terms and processes. Good for any student, this approach is especially beneficial to students who believe they are stronger in Language Arts than in math.

Another great book is Creative Problem Solving: Multiple Strategies for the Same Answer by Cindy Barden. As a student, I often arrived at a solution via a different route than the teacher. Unfortunately, most of my teachers seemed to think only one way existed for arriving at a mathematical answer. Consequently, I hated math, even though my ability placed me in the top math classes. And now, déjà vu all over again, as Yogi Berra would say, my daughter began experiencing the same problem in public school. I chalk this up to teachers who don't fully grasp math concepts but who are adept at following formulae and problem-solving strategies outlined in teaching manuals. Fortunately, at our homeschool have the added benefit of tapping into the amazing mathematical abilities of my husband, the engineer, who can see every side of a problem. He enjoys Creative Problem Solving. With fun puzzles and brain teasers, this book demonstrates that while there may be only one answer to a problem, there are multiple ways to find it.

Allegra's take: I find our main math text, Spectrum Math, to be rather dull. Its lessons are almost invariably made up of bare-bones equations and conversions, with the occasional page of word problems thrown in. It usually provides only one formula for finding the answer.

I much prefer Creative Problem Solving: Multiple Strategies for the Same Answer. It has fun activities, often presented in “math story” format, that allow students to explore different strategies and find their own personal strengths. The brainteasers offer an entertaining challenge.

Math the Write Way is well thought out and gives a good opportunity to blend subjects. It is very challenging and really makes you think, a quality that most mainstream math texts lack.

Sun studies

Allegra writes: Last week, during the public school spring break, I attended a four-day science workshop on solar energy. This supplemented our home studies in Science & Technology and provided a much-needed break from in-home school.

This program innovatively blended science, art and humanities to create a very well-rounded experience. We discussed how the sun was formed and its importance to Earth, the mythology of the sun, and how we can use the sun in ways other than just collecting its energy through solar panels. We supplemented all of this with hands-on activities, including building and using a solar oven, making “photographs” with shadow-capture paper, and building a spectrograph that reveals the spectrum of colors when pointed at white light.

Workshops such as these can count as both science and art studies. If you take advantage of public school breaks by attending educational programs, you can make homeschooling easier and more meaningful, and maybe even shorten the school year.

Vacations

Christ Church, Oxford, UK

The ability to travel outside of school-vacation weeks is one of the benefits of homeschooling. Take advantage of off-peak travel deals, if you can. Then, during school holidays, consider enrolling your child in one of the many enrichment programs offered by local museums, libraries and other organizations. This week, for example, Allegra is attending a solar-energy workshop for middle-school students, while I am catching up on household chores (and enjoying long coffee breaks). In February, Allegra attended a marine science program. These programs not only enhance your child’s education, but also offer a much-needed change of pace for you and your child.

Allegra's take: We all need a break and a change of scenery once in a while, and vacations and enrichment programs are the perfect way to do it. The programs can also give a chance to see other students your age and end the isolation brought on by homeschooling.

Assessment: How is my child progressing?

Every homeschool parent wonders if his or her child is “keeping up” with peers in formal school settings. How do you know if your child is learning what society expects of children at a particular grade level? Many of the educational materials mentioned in previous posts are based on national standards and include tests with answer keys. These will provide you with some measure of your child’s progress. However, the only way to know how your child is stacking up against other students in your state is by administering the state’s standardized test. By law, homeschoolers cannot take these tests during regular test administration because the exams are supposed to serve as a measure of a public school’s performance, not the child’s performance. But, let’s face it, if the child fares well on the state’s standardized test, he or she has obviously mastered what needs to be learned for the grade level. In Massachusetts, copies of the previous year’s tests, along with answer keys, are available on the state Department of Education website. The state even provides copies of actual student-written test essays and shows how they were scored.

Allegra's take: Taking the standardized tests put my mind at ease when I was worrying that I wasn’t keeping up with those in public school. Taking the tests provided in books aligned to standards was handy too.

Learning styles

Visual, auditory, hands-on? What kind of learner is your child?

The types of educational materials you choose and the way in which you coach your child through the learning process will depend on his or her learning style. Is your child a visual (seeing), auditory (hearing) or tactile (touching) learner--or a combination? Ask your child to take a fun test to find out. For ’tweens and teens, I like the downloadable version at http://www.learnmoreindiana.org/. You’ll find it by clicking the “Need to Know” tab and then “Learning Styles.”

Most people are not auditory learners, yet many teachers in secondary education stand in front of the class and lecture, or do “chalk and talk.” With this approach, at least half the class is likely to tune out. Elementary classrooms are generally more successful because they are kinetic. Elementary teachers are adept at accommodating shorter attention spans.

Allegra's take: The “chalk and talk” approach is quite popular in middle schools. While attending public school last year, I would often drift off daydreaming as the teacher stood up and talked. Eventually, I learned to take notes and follow along in the textbook, as I am a visual/tactile learner.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to discover and use your own personal learning style. The quiz linked to earlier in this article was easy and fun, and helped me learn how to better absorb material both while homeschooling and in public schools. I highly recommend the test to all middle and high school students.

Finding materials

You can homeschool inexpensively, but probably not “absolutely free,” as some websites claim. The question arises: Do you want to spend most of your time searching for free stuff, or do you want to homeschool your child efficiently and effectively?

My goal has been to find basic, inexpensive teaching materials that adhere to national educational standards. I have found them online at School Specialty Publishing, which is now part of Carson-Dellosa. I supplement these materials with books from the local public library, online materials from reputable sources, inexpensive books and activity kits from Dover Publications, educational television programs and field trips. Dover is a great resource for inexpensive paperback classics--handy for highlighting and writing in the margins. Oriental Trading offers inexpensive visual aids (bulletin board displays) for teaching parts of speech and basic math and science concepts.

Allegra writes: You don’t need to buy hefty, official-looking textbooks to have an excellent homeschooling experience. All of the resources mentioned above are effective and, yes, even fun! We also keep an eye out for articles related to our studies in newspapers and magazines to keep things up to date.

Designing a curriculum

By far, the most daunting part of homeschooling is designing a course of studies based on your state’s curriculum frameworks. For those who don’t want to create their own, curricula are available for purchase online. Complete online education is also available. These options cost hundreds--or even thousands--of dollars. You can save money by devising your own curriculum.
Here is our middle school curriculum, based on the Massachusetts frameworks:

ARTS*
Dance: Jazz & Tap, Musical Theatre
Music: piano & music theory, World Music survey
Theatre: Basic Acting and Improvisation, playwriting or other
Visual Arts: two-dimensional and three-dimensional art
Field trips: attend a theatrical performance, attend a concert and visit an art museum
*courses taken as available through local organizations

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Origins of Modern English
Etymology: Greek and Latin roots
Dictionary use
Grammar
Texts: Words on the Vine: Thirty-six Vocabulary Units on Root Words by Claudia Vurnakes
The 100+ Series Grammar by Mark Dressel, Grades 7-8
Using the Standards: Building Grammar & Writing Skills, Grades 7-8

Composition
Narrative, argument, comparison/contrast, process analysis (how to)
Test essays
Researched report with proper documentation
Poems
Script (see ART above for playwriting)
(All composition instruction will include discussion of grammar, usage, mechanics, research, spelling and vocabulary.)
Texts: Notebook Writer’s Guide by American Educational Publishing
Using the Media: Fact, Fiction and Opinion, Milestone

Study skills
Note-taking and outlining

Literature
Greek and Roman mythology, epic tales, drama; other myths, fables and fairy tales
Poetry
Short stories
Analysis of language styles in literary works using selections outlined in the Massachusetts English Language Arts Curriculum Framework, page 102
Discussion of genre
Texts: Bulfinch’s Greek and Roman Mythology (or other)
Story Elements for Middle School Students, Milestone

MATH
Number sense and operations
Patterns, relations and algebra
Geometry
Measurement
Data analysis, statistics and probability
Texts: The 100+ Series Standards-Based Math, Grades 7-8 by Harold Torrance
The 100+ Series Mixed Skills in Math, Grades 7-8, by Marge Lindskog
Spectrum Math, Grade 7
Spectrum Math, Grade 8
Is the Answer Reasonable?: the Test Connection, Grade 7
Math the Write Way: Thinking and Writing about Math, Grades 6-7
Creative Problem Solving: Multiple Strategies for the Same Answer, Grade 7, Milestone

SCIENCE
Scientific Method (including experiments with lab reports)
Physical Science
Life Science
Earth and Space Science
Science and Technology
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
History and Nature of Science
Texts: Spectrum Science Grade 7
Spectrum Science Grade 8
Science Up to Standards, Grades 5-8, by Pam Walker and Elaine Wood
Inexpensive Science Experiments, Grades 5-8, by Pam Walker and Elaine Wood
50 Terrific Science Experiments, Grades 5-8, by Pam Walker and Elaine Wood

SOCIAL STUDIES
Geography
Early civilizations
Ancient and Classical Civilizations
Introduction to World History to 1500
Texts: Teaching the Five Themes of Geography by Bonnie Dill (teacher resource)
Art and Civilization Ancient Rome, McGraw-Hill
Art and Civilization Ancient Greece, McGraw-Hill
The Complete Book of World History, Grades 4-8, American Education Publishing
Children’s World Atlas, Igloo

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: FRENCH
Stage 1: simple communicative tasks, common phrases and expressions
Texts and tools: The Everything Kids’ Learning French Book, by Dawn-Michelle Baude, Ph.D.
The 100+ Series French: Middle/High School, Frank Schaffer Publications
Lingua Fun! French audio CD and cards
Mango Languages online

HEALTH
Human life cycle and body functions
Genes and heredity
Diet and nutrition, nutrition labels, safe food handling, eating disorders
Sexual education
Sexual discrimination and harassment
Feelings and self-esteem
Peer pressure and relationships
Hygiene
CPR
Addictive behaviors
Environmental and ecological health
Public health and safety
Text: Instructional Fair’s Health and Safety Curriculum, Intermediate

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Tennis, swimming, golf, dance or other instruction as available

Writing the letter: informing the district

In most states, a parent needs notify the local public school district of the intention to homeschool, usually well before the academic year begins. In states with oversight, like Massachusetts, the local school district is responsible for overseeing the child’s independent studies. Before you write the letter, you might wish to call the district’s administration office to learn the requirements of your individual school district.

Our school district accepts homeschool requests in June. In the letter to the district, the homeschool parent is required to list the child’s name, age, birth date and last grade completed, as well as the number of instructional hours the parent intends to provide (plug in your state’s requirements), the curriculum to be followed and methods of assessing the child’s progress.

Here is a copy of our letter, made generic for your use:

[Your address]

[Date]

[Name]
Director of Learning and Teaching
[Name] School District
[Street address]
[City, State, Postal Code]

Dear Mr./Ms. [Name]:

This letter is to inform you of my intention to homeschool my child, [Name], beginning September 20XX. [Name of child] is XX years old. His/her birth date is XX/XX/XXXX. He/she has just completed [number] grade at [name of school]. It is my goal to provide his/her [kindergarten/elementary/middle/high school] instruction at home. I understand I must submit my homeschool application each year.

As a certified teacher, I will be responsible for day-to-day instruction. My husband, who is a licensed professional civil/environmental engineer, will contribute to instruction in math, science, engineering and technology.* We intend to follow the guidelines set forth by the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, which we have in our possession.

We will provide 990 hours of instruction, as required by state law. Please refer to the enclosed packet. It contains a rough schedule of instruction, as well as a curriculum outline.

Regarding assessment, I plan to use a variety of methods, including written and oral reports, hands-on projects and objective tests. I intend to administer comprehensive assessment sample tests at the beginning and end of each academic year to ensure that [child’s name] is meeting state standards. At your suggestion, I will provide a portfolio of my child’s work at the end of the academic year. Please know that I am willing to comply with any progress evaluation set forth by the school district. My objective is to provide my child with the best possible education in an environment that meets his/her needs.


Sincerely,

[Your name]

*Unless you live in a state that requires this, you do not have to list credentials. You are simply required to name who will be primarily responsible for providing your child’s instruction.

If you would like to see our instructional schedule, please refer to our first blog post. Stay tuned for a curriculum outline.

Making the decision: some advice for students

Allegra writes: Homeschooling seems like a very appealing alternative to public school. You don’t have to deal with the teachers, the class bully or the school lunches. You’re being taught by a parent who knows you and your learning style. That’s all very well, but, as a student, before you opt for homeschooling, you need to stop and think.

Being homeschooled is no small undertaking. You need to be able to work alone and be self-motivated. There won’t be the daily social interaction you get with public school, so you need to be able to deal with the isolation. If you aren’t this type of person, homeschooling isn’t for you.

On the plus side, you can work at your own pace, and if you are particularly interested in a subject, you can really delve into it. You won’t have to worry about being called a “geek” or a “goody-goody” by classmates if you are really interested in a subject or turn in work that is beyond expectations. You can feel free to ask questions and answer them.

These are just some of the pros and cons to think about. This isn’t a decision to be rushed. Homeschooling can be a great experience, but it isn’t for everyone.

Laurie's take: I don’t know many teen-agers who want to spend THAT much time with their parents--and vice versa! We thought about this decision for eight months before filing the intention to homeschool.

Getting started

Your local school district may or may not be helpful in your efforts to teach your child at home. When we decided to homeschool, I received a form letter from our local district which appeared to be helpful per se but contained lists of websites that were no longer active. Being familiar with your state’s educational requirements and devising an educational plan fall squarely on your shoulders. By law, if you come up with a sound educational plan that meets curriculum requirements, your local school district must approve your request to homeschool. In most states, you do not need to be a certified teacher to homeschool your child.

First, obtain a copy of your state’s curriculum frameworks. These documents should be available online at your state’s Department of Education website. You may review the documents online or download them at no charge. For roughly $50, I purchased hard copies of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, which includes guidelines for all subjects, grades K through 12. I’m glad I did. I refer to these documents often.

My educational plan is based on the Massachusetts frameworks, some of the highest educational standards in the nation. If you follow the Massachusetts frameworks, you will provide your child with a solid education in the classical tradition.

Being familiar with your state’s curriculum frameworks makes you a better judge of an individual school’s curriculum. You might be surprised by how well or how poorly your child’s school adheres to the frameworks. In sixth grade, Allegra’s Language Arts class studied none of the literary classics outlined in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, opting instead to spend class time on four works by contemporary authors, two of whom aren’t even suggested by the frameworks. When she asked if she could read Howard Pyle’s The Story of King Arthur and His Knights for her individualized reading requirement, her teacher said it was not “on the list” and advised her to choose another work from the list, such as Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. Pyle’s version of the King Arthur legend is, in fact, on the list provided in the state curriculum frameworks, so we are studying it this year.

Allegra's take: When I first saw the Massachussetts Curriculum Frameworks in September 2009, I was shocked at how little my former middle school had covered of the frameworks the previous year. My class had not done any of the required reading and had covered little of the mandatory history, geography and science concepts mentioned.

Taking inventory: our first year

Daily schedule, alternating weeks

As my 13-year-old daughter and I wrap up our first homeschool year, we are taking inventory of all we have accomplished vis-à-vis the state curriculum frameworks--and I am amazed. Starting last September, we comfortably met all the academic requirements by April 1. In December, Allegra passed a seventh-grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test with only three incorrect responses. She’ll be taking another standardized test in June. Meanwhile, we have moved on to eighth-grade materials. We follow a schedule, but we don’t adhere to it strictly. The alternating two-week lineup is shown above.

The four-hour morning block is more fluid than it appears on the schedule: sometimes we spend more time on Language Arts, other times more on World History and often the two meld. The same applies to math and science. We’re flexible about taking field trips and attending programs of interest. Some homeschoolers eschew a schedule, but I find it keeps us organized and on task. The beauty of homeschooling is that your child can work at his or her own pace, while exploring his or her particular interests. The downside is lack of student interaction. Homeschooling can be isolating.

Allegra's take: It’s true that homeschooling is isolating; lack of interaction with peers is really the only major limitation homeschooling has. Although a few of my extracurricular activities are taken with other children my age, the fact remains that it is only my mother and I in the “classroom” all day.

The variety of the schedule is good and keeps things new: one week we have more English and history, the next week we focus more on math and science. As I have been in public school all of my life before this year, at the beginning of homeschooling I found the fact that we didn’t study all major subjects every day disconcerting. I have gradually become accustomed to the new way of doing things and am now quite content with it.

The schedule also gives us the chance to meld our classes into one. For example, when we were studying the ancient Greeks and Romans, we learned the history of the people, the literature of the time, and Greek and Latin root words all morning, combining English and history into one long class. On math and science days, we discussed contributions the Greeks and Romans made to the sciences and mathematics. This type of learning, which is often not available in public schools, prevents much confusion and puts concepts into context.