We love homeschooling because we have the freedom to not only teach those subjects that the public schools deem necessary, but we also have the choice of being able to pursue areas of interest to our children. Living on a farm, and with our kids loving animals, we spend a lot of time on animal science.

We are free to do so many more field trips than the public schools. With all the state budget cuts, our local schools are down to 1, maybe 2 field trips a year. Last year, we went on more than a dozen educational field trips.

You will only get out of homeschooling what you are willing to put into it. Personally, we know our children's education - which will affect their future - is at stake. We are not an "unschooling" family. While the unschooling approach might work for some families, we think our kids need structure, rules, and books. We are not "religious fanatics" keeping our kids sequestered from the world. We do take our faith very seriously, though, and we do incorporate our beliefs and moral standards into our homeschooling experience. We obviously are not "holding school" like the public schools do, but we are investing more time and possibly more money into our children's educations. So, the next time you want to look down on us for homeschooling, or you give us "you're messing up your kid's life" comments, consider coming and spending a day with us in our homeschooling experience. The fact is, that you have absolutely no idea how our schooling is done. Rest assured that we are working overtime, literally, to provide our children with an education not only as well as the public school can offer, but we are going above and beyond what they can offer. Not because we think we are perfect. Not because we think we are smarter than all those "certified educational professionals". Not because we don't want our children hanging out with your kids (although we must admit there are a lot of habits out there that some parents totally ignore that we do not want our children picking up). But because we love our children and we like spending time with them. From the beginning of time, parents were their children's teachers. We think this is a good thing.

So, as we close our first week of our homeschooling experience with our kindergartener (4 year old) and our 1st grader (6 year old), we want you to know that we are very happy with the way our schooling experience is working out. And we are looking forward to a very productive year.

How many 4 & 6 year olds do you know that are regularly involved in community service projects? Ours are. They also have lots of friends, lots of play dates, lots of inter-generational relationships, and attend/host social events. They are active in their church. They are earning higher ranking belts in Tae Kwon Do and learning about respect and gaining confidence as they do. We do messy experiments. We watch newborn calves being born. We take the classroom outside. We do lots of crafts. We attend many "outside" classes offered in the surrounding area, classes deemed age-appropriate for our little ones. We have Bible study and are teaching our children to develop a personal relationship with God. We have 3 sit-down family meals together each day. We are learning math, science, language arts, social studies, and computer. We also have music and P.E. - something many schools have cut from their programs (sorry, I don't think recess should count as P.E.). We are learning Spanish...we want to begin American Sign Language. We are doing the same type things the public schools are doing, and more. We just choose to do these things together in a family setting rather than in an overcrowded, disruptive classroom.

So please. Before you bad mouth or look down on us as "those crazy people", think again. Because we are convinced that most parents, if they really thought about it, would like to be homeschooling their kids, too. Some of us were just more willing to "jump in" and "take a chance", sacrificing two paychecks to take care and educate the children we chose to have. Haven't you told your children the, "If all the kids were jumping off the bridge, would you?" Homeschooling is like that very question. Just because someone we never met decided that it was better for our kids to go to a public school, does not mean it's true. We are just one of the few who acted on that sentiment.

If you have never homeschooled, you should not knock it. If you ever decide to "grab the golden ring" and try it, we think you'll love it.

Here at Sisney H.O.U.S,E. (Home Oriented Unique Schooling Experience), we love it. We enjoy it. We cherish the time together. We are the Sisney family. We ARE a homeschooling family.

Are You A Lone Homeschooling Family At Your Church?

Do you attend a church where your family are the only homeschoolers to be found? This article offers some good advice...and a couple of points I'm not sure I agree with. What do you think?


http://www.home-school.com/Articles/win-over-your-church.php

Fun With Saxon Math

When we began our original homeschooling journey, back when Alayna and Afton were starting their 6th & 4th grades, I had spent 7 months researching homeschooling. I drove our librarian crazy chasing down over 50 books for me, I spent hours on the internet, and talked to anyone I could find that was doing homeschooling. Once we made the decision to go for it, I began round 2 of research into the world of endless curriculum choices. We decided we definitely wanted to take an eclectic approach (which simply means we wanted to use materials, ideas, etc. from a broad and diverse range of sources). I talked to teachers from different school districts, asking for recommendations.

When it came to a math program, all the teachers I talked with had nothing but praise for Saxon. When I asked why, if it was so great, were some of the schools no longer using it, I was told that it was because Saxon was also more expensive. Yet, as I looked into the Saxon Homeschool Program Kits, I was genuinely impressed.

Of all the subjects to be taught, math - especially at high school levels - had me worried. I am not a big math fan. Oh, I loved accounting in high school and can keep business books with ease. But Algebra was not a favorite, and I absolutely hated geometry. If it weren't for a couple of good friends, I would not have passed geometry. The fact that I didn't like the teacher, the subject, or the "encouragement" that the teacher gave me when he told me that he had barely passed geometry with a "D" in college, did not help my situation at all.

So, we chose to go with the higher priced (quite expensive in the upper grade levels, actually) Saxon with the thought floating in the backs of our minds that, if we didn't like it, we would find something else for the next year. The fact that we had younger children coming to also use the curriculum helped ease the price tag shock. But I must say, we not only liked it...we LOVE Saxon Math! With Alayna and Afton, we used the homeschool kits from grades 5 through their senior years.

Last year, we began a new leg of our homeschooling experience when Maddy started kindergarten. The very first subject "finalized" for use was Saxon Kindergarten and we also ordered the K-3 Math Manipulatives Kit. This year, Maddy is also using Saxon Math 1.

I not only recommend Saxon, I also highly suggest ordering the manipulatives, too. Maddy and Kenna both have taken to math with open arms. They love the "hands-on" approach of using the pattern pieces, linking cubes, counting bears, etc. There's also a balance scale and a teaching clock, along with many other things. 

I don't "endorse" too many things. If someone asks, I willingly share what materials we use, but Saxon is the one company product that I speak out loudly for. Easy to teach, easy for the kids to understand, a step-by-step approach that builds from the basic concept on to the next. Yes, a lot of review, but depending on fast your children learn it, the faster they can work along

 The book/grade title were not originally meant to be used as a "grade-level" title, but the schools themselves kind of established that way of thinking. Saxon explains their original intent in this link:  http://www.usingsaxon.com/newsletterpage-2012.php#0412

Stone Soup & More

Just some of the materials we are using as our curriculum...

Stone Soup by Ann McGovern - A folk fairy tale about making soup from a stone. We have a special polished stone that we plop into the soup pot on occasion! Whomever gets the stone in their soup bowl gets (could be a prize, could be to do dishes, etc.). Puts a little fun into a bowl of soup.

Since we are dealing with a 4 & 6 year old, we do our Bible study time out of the NIV Adventure Bible published by Zonderkidz.It recommended for ages 9 - 12, but my girls don't have any trouble understanding it. This kid's Bible is set up in a jungle theme. It includes sections on "Life in Bible Times", "People in Bible Times", "Words to Treasure", and "Did You Know?". It also features book introductions for each Book, a dictionary/concordance, and color maps. This Bible leads your children on a fun, exciting journey through God's Word.

1st Grade Technology: 32 Lessons Every 1st Grader Can Accomplish On a Computer (we also use the Kindergarten edition). It's part of a 9-volume series. An "all-in-one" type lesson plans for your homeschool computer lab. Each book includes step-by-step directions to teach and prepare. Full of project samples, reproducibles, rubrics, and more. There are websites tied into the units. Also has wall posters for your classroom. It covers Common Core state standards and ISTE national standards. I liked the Kindergarten edition last year, which Kenna will be using this year, and Maddy has moved into the 1st Grade edition.

While looking for a good language arts curriculum, I run across a 1st Grade Language Arts Success book by Sylvan Learning. We all see the commercials about using Sylvan to give your child individualized tutoring services to help them "catch up, keep up, and get ahead". In all our years of homeschooling, I'd never seen where you could purchase just a Sylvan book. Thought we'd give it a try. This language arts book is actually 3 of Sylvan's techniques combined:  Reading Skills Builder (teaching kids to become detectives when reading), Spelling Games & Activities (including "Alphabet Soup"), and Vocabulary Puzzles. This book is full of activities, exercises, and tips.

Today, while Kenna was getting acquainted with the linking cubes during math, Maddy was using them to "measure" items. Here, Maddy was measuring the length of her pencil. It turned out to be 9 linking cubes long.

Story-Time included me reading Pinkalicious: The Pinkarific Slumber Party to the girls. Maddy read 7 pages of "Too Many Puppies" to me and Kenna. Then I read them the 2nd chapter of a book from the Unicorn Chronicles that Alayna had loaned them.

Science had us studying chemical reactions as we made homemade fabric softener: 1/2 cup Purex Crystals dissolved in 1 cup hot water. In separate large bowl, add 6 cups distilled vinegar then slowly add 1 cup baking soda to the vinegar; stir till dissolved. Add the dissolved crystals to the vinegar mixture and stir well. You can add essential oil if you'd like to, but we like the scent just the way it is. Pour into a jar or jug and cap loosely to avoid the lid from "exploding" off because of the vinegar and baking soda reaction. I actually let the vinegar and baking soda sit a few minutes after the "fizzing" has stopped, stirring often to help the solution "calm". I've not had any trouble with exploding lids. This makes about 1/2 gallon of fabric softener. Use 1/2 cup per load.

Today's lunch menu:  ham rolls (slice of ham spread with Laughing Cow wedges in Chipotle and Swiss flavors, rolled up, cut into bite-size pieces, eaten with toothpick), pickles, carrot sticks.

September "Mini Mission"

The Kellogg's Mini Wheats "Mini Mission" for September is: "Outdoor Explorer". The challenge is to rally your family to get out and explore the great outdoors.

You can earn 2 free books from Scholastic Books by completing the mission!

We completed last month's mission and received this certificate and our free books will be waiting to be chosen.

Would show off our Mission Completed certificate IF I could figure out how to get this computer to save a PDF file as a regular picture!

Was Just Stubborness

Today, our first day of homeschooling for the new year, had me a little worried when it came time for writing. Kenna, who has all summer insisted she had forgotten how to write her name or any of her letters and would only scribble when pushed, today did a very neatly done assignment that included writing her name 3 times and a whole row of both upper case and lower case "A"s. I knew she could do it. Just stubborn at times. But she likes school and I guess she thought asking her during "vacation" was just asking too much.

So, the question of the day is, how do you deal with a child when their stubborn streak arises during your schooling experience?

First Day of School

Here at Sisney H.O.U.S.E., we begin school on the day after Labor Day. Since we don't take off all the smaller holidays, but opt to hold school and learn about those holidays, we get our full year in and still finish our school year by the end of May.

This year's school year began today, Sept. 3rd and we will have 176 days of school in on May 30th. This includes taking off two days at Thanksgiving, from Dec. 24th - Jan. 1st for the Christmas season, and a week off for a spring break at Easter time.

Scheduled activities that fill our calendar at the moment are going to a reading club at our local library once a week, going to a missions class once a week, Tae Kwon Do class two times per week, attending a Fun Understanding Nature (F.U.N.) event each month, and going to science classes hosted by a Science Center fairly near to us.

We are active in our church, and enjoy serving our Lord through many classes, groups, and participating in church-sponsored events and activities.

As our homeschooling experience continues, we will be going on lots of field trips and community events.

I think it is important to teach our children about reaching out and helping others. So, we not only donate to several causes close to our heart, but we also volunteer at our local food pantry once a month. Yes, even the girls help...they help stock the shelves. Even 4 year old Kenna, whom is just learning to read, can match food labels on the cans (or will ask to be sure) to make sure she's putting the donated food in the correct places.

Last year, Maddy was in Kindergarten, and it was a sheer pleasure to teach this child. This year I was a little concerned about teaching both a Kindergartener and a 1st grader. Especially since Kenna won't be 5 for another month. Last year she joined Maddy for class during at least half our subjects, so Alan and I talked it over and decided if she was going to do the work, she may as well be getting the credit for it. And because we don't begin school until September rather than mid-August, it put her even closer to her 5th birthday. Thought we'd give it a try and it she wasn't ready, not a big deal and she could wait until next year.

Today went very smoothly! They shared, they took turns, they waited - or joined in - while I was helping the other with their different grade-level lessons. I think Kenna is going to do just fine this year.

Each morning, during our "Morning Meeting", we do attendance and calendar, say the American Pledge, say the Christian Pledge, say the Bible Pledge, have prayer,  log the weather in on our weather chart, and do a "Where's Dad" on our U.S. map.

Moving the arrow around to "Sunny" on our Weather/Season chart. It's been a beautiful day!

 

Today in math, we used Pattern Pieces and learned about Tangrams.