Celebrate Simple Goes to HERI Conference in Jacksonville

Just two weekends ago Celebrate Simple traveled to HERI Conference in Jacksonville. We shared workshops on using living books to teach history and science, teaching math concepts to little learners while cooking and working in the kitchen, raising a contagious reader, and sharing four essential lessons our young adult son learned while being home educated. Cheryl and Josh enjoyed presenting their workshop together to a full room. 

Between workshops we listened to parents share their experiences and helped them process their coming year. We answered questions about teaching measurement with tape measures and egg timers, how to keep high school records and everything in between. Our booth was outfitted with tools and treasures--simple items to teach profound truths and concepts--from coin stickers and paper money, to balance scales, living books, and one of our very favorites, the Magiscope. On our science table, little learners (and adults!) were invited to discover small wonders including an abandon wasp nest, a butterfly wing, and crystals.

What a treat to encourage parents of preschoolers through young adults that weekend! Our twenty-one year journey, from preschool to high school graduation several times over, has taught us parents as much as our children. 

Learning together, building family relationships, priceless. 

It is the simple things. Be sure to celebrate them!

Life and Learning Collide: Natural Spelling and Handwriting

Thank you notes, a great way to learn writing, practice penmanship and build relationships, naturally.

I don't intend to ruffle feathers. Schooling methods are as unique as the children who are being taught, in homes or schools. I am not disputing methods or means. I want to encourage moms, mom
s who are teaching without realizing the impact they are having, wondering if they are "doing enough".

Celebrating several birthdays lately, I am reminded of the great lessons and practice woven into writing a thank you note, and it is natural, engaging, important, with real-life benefit.

I am also reminded of the workbooks I experienced as a child. Prompts to which I could not relate; some so silly I felt as if my intelligence was being challenged!

Which would I rather write?

Of course, the one that mattered to me personally.

Reflecting on our twenty-one years of home education, I find the same has been true for my children.

They want to write what matters.

So, when a new ball cap was unwrapped for a birthday, a new writing opportunity presented:

Grandma gives you a baseball bat for your birthday. Write a thank you letter to Grandma.

Writing with purpose, an intrinsic desire. Not in response to a made up prompt.  

So moms, next time you child celebrates a birthday or holiday and wants to write a thank you out of gratitude, embrace the moment. Walk alongside your child in his or her natural response to life. Answer questions about spelling and punctuation. Write hard words on paper for them to copy onto their thank you card. Find an envelope and talk about how to write an address. The intrinsic motivation to thank a grandparent (or other significant person) will drive the learning. Why? It's important to the child. Couldn't ask for a more natural, productive lesson...and grandma will be thrilled!

Use life, what is natural to learn life skills.

Thank you and letter writing is not the only way to learn writing and spelling. Every child has an interest, a pathway on which learning become enjoyable, natural, essentially easier, hopefully without tears and frustration. Often these ideas are spontaneous and child-initiated. 

Not long ago one of our children asked if she could copy the text from a favorite animal book checked out from the library. We talked about plagiarism. She simply wanted to write the text so she could remember the words after she returned the book. Her thoughts reminded me of how writing, grammar, and spelling were learned by great leaders in history. Many of those leaders became extraordinary writers. My daughter copied the entire book. It later became part of a project she initiated. Writing, spelling, naturally. 

I am not saying we have never used repetitive writing of a word to learn its spelling. We have. The point is, we use whatever is appropriate for a particular child, at a particular time. 

One day celery prints took a twist and we decided to list "C" words. It was spontaneous and FUN!

Children with a creative bent can naturally integrate writing into their art. One of our children decided to make "fancy" thanksgiving cards with a creative greeting tucked inside. 

Taking learning outside, in a different environment is helpful for mom and children!

Writing and illustrating outside!

A "new" outside patio set makes a great place to write.

Once inside, tummies rumbling, cookies and crackers with letters give spelling a boost. 

Sometimes I make games for my children. Time consuming, yes. However, the results have been astounding for the child who needed that method. And, with the intrinsic interest and love for games, often the child will ask to pull the game out again for review. 

The spelling and writing I remember was tedious, rarely applicable to life. It was laborious, especially for me, a non-phonetic reader due to processing challenges. I was the child my third grade teacher said would never read. However, my parents (mom especially) incorporated learning into life: writing recipes, grocery lists, making "books", and playing restaurant. Most of all I remember my parents partnering with me, walking alongside to help and process my ideas. 

Moms, you can help your child learn writing, grammar and spelling, naturally, in ways that are fun. These activities also pack in the highest retention, meaning your children will remember what they learned. Ponder the happenings in your home. How many of the activities are you passing off as play or something that needs to get done (like an email) that actually teach great lessons in language arts? 

*The information in this blog post is not intended as legal or educational advice. It is simply a journal of what worked for us. Parents are responsible to oversee their child's home education. 

Natural Learning, Intentionally: High School- Part III- Cum Folders, Home Education Style

             Intentionality has paid off in the high school years. 

Thankfully, I realized early in my son's eighth grade year I would play the role of guidance counselor for my homeschooled high schooler. Meaning? I would be the liaison between school (us!) and college, the keeper of all things official. Yep, me, until the student was 18 (that is the topic of another intentional high school blog). No qualifications or degrees, "just" the mom who was overseeing the learning taking place in our home. If I didn't keep the records, no one would. The records I kept would influence my student's post secondary career (no pressure, right?)

Not much time was lost in regards to recovering the undocumented or potentially important information we needed to begin compiling a cum folder for our high schooler; not many tracks to retrace. And in the end, retracing was worth the effort. The folder became a gold mine, one of those things you tell people you would grab if the house were aflame.

Wow! Me, the keeper of the "cum folder", the folder about which school officials threaten and gloat, at least in the high school I attended. When things got serious students got the "that will go in your permanent cum folder" lecture; the file in which all things which hold the keys to the future reside.

When my son was in eighth grade I began researching the NCAA requirements. It became evident I would need specific documents for eligibility.

No one I knew had kept a cumulative folder of high school records so this was new territory for me. And, not a naturally organized person I was determined to start THAT DAY!  I purchased a 3 1/2 inch binder and some colored-tab separators to help me keep his paperwork organized. Armed with plastic protector sheets and a hole-punch, I sat down to begin compilation of the "cum folder". I started labeling tabs I knew we would need, and then added, trial-and-error, along our journey. Years later, as we began contacting colleges, I added tabs for copies of applications (yes, this was before they were online), scholarship applications, acceptance letters, and financial aid notifications.

At the end of four years, when writing the first edition of Celebrate High School, I decided to include the major section tabs we found helpful, knowing parents who read the book may find our tab titles helpful as they complied the cum folders for their students.

What tabs did we find helpful?

• Activities
• Awards
• Certificates and Certifications
• College Admissions Requirements
• College Applications
• College Major Requirements
• Community Service/Volunteer Hours
• Dual Enrollment Documents
• Financial Aid Applications
• Financial Aid Offers
• Grades
• Letters of Recommendation
• Medical Records
• NCAA Eligibility
• NCAA Home School Core Course Worksheets
• Scholarship Applications
• Scholarships Awarded
• Test Scores
• Transcripts
• Work Experience
• Writing Samples

*Note: These tab titles are our most recent (based on our experience with three unique high school students) and will be included in the revision of Celebrate High School. Not all tabs will be needed for every student. This list has been updated since the most recent edition of Celebrate High School and my blog post dated 07/29/2013.

Revised edition due out July 2015!

*The information in this blog post is not intended as legal or educational advice. It is simply a journal of what worked for us. Parents are responsible to oversee their child's home education.

Intentional High School Years- Part I- Transcripts

Intentionality has paid off in the high school years. 

Before I began the high school journey with my oldest, I was determined to start it off "right". I attended everything from panel discussions with home school grads and moms to transcript seminars with guidance and educational professionals...before my first son ever started checking off credits. I know, perhaps a bit intense.

There were many reasons for my jump start before the high school years. 

Perhaps the first reason was my interest and passion for all things education. Even with my confidence in what I knew about education there was, down inside my mind, a nagging voice: "you will mess up your first-born, home-educated guinea pig". Regardless the main reason for my jump start, the varied motivations (right or wrong) along the journey made me seek answers.

Empowerment: one of the greatest gifts I have given myself as a mama of high schoolers

This remains true today as I journey with my third high school young adult. Yes, some information remains relevant, however, legislation, college admission trends, unique interests of each student, change. So, even after two home graduates, I still seek answers.

Most of what I learned in 2003 when I began the high school journey (wow, has it really been 12 years on the high school journey?) about the layout and contents of transcripts has remained constant. I haven't had to adjust my approach to transcript design and development, thankfully. (Though I will admit, I changed layout a bit for the current student to highlight specific strengths.)

The challenge today, however, is not a lack of information or empowerment. 

Instead, I now fight full days and the looming end of a semester...and it's time to update my current high schooler's transcript! WHEW!

This week, I need to pull up my boot straps and make room in my schedule for what I have learned-- and now advise others to do when I teach workshops or do individual consults. Sometimes it is hard to follow our own advice...ugh!

What have  I learned (and still intentionally apply) regarding keeping transcripts up-to-date? 

After my high schooler and I map out a four-year plan in pencil, I create a template for that young adult's transcript (a snapshot of the high school years) as soon as my student begins high school level classes, if possible. I add courses as they are started and fill in credits and grades as they are earned (or at least try to keep up as best I can- you never know who will ask for this important document)

With one of my high schoolers, due to the birth of a new baby, I got behind on recording, and oh my, it was hard to catch up. Catching up, however, is still easier than starting from square one when the local sports team or auto insurance company request a copy. YIKES! Been there, too!

As our first eighth grader enrolled in high school level courses, I began the process of researching transcript formats and contents. Once I had compiled a list of "transcript essentials" colleges were requiring, I typed anticipated courses into the document in progress. This intentional preparation was a great help as the semester and the year ticked on. I was tired and spring baseball season was in full force. The last thing I had time and energy to do was to sit, research, and create with a clear mind. After all, in the spring of that year I was already planning for the next school year.

When summer break arrived, I finished adding grades and credits to the document. As we discussed courses for the upcoming year, I added those anticipated courses to the document, later deleting and reformatting as the semester progressed. This was a valuable lesson for me to learn, especially when I had littles learning to read or middle schoolers who needed a paragraph edited. The little work up front paid dividends in the end. 

I have learned the transcript is gold when applying to colleges. It is typically the first document in the college application pile and sets the tone for the entire stack of paperwork. If admission officials like what they see, or are curious about those out-of-the box courses no other applying student has completed, the college application stands a better chance at a second read. With that weight of importance, my intentional efforts are worth the early start and purposeful additions each semester. 

Creating a professional, concise, clear snapshot of your young adult's high school years is worth the time and energy of research and document design. When I speak to parents about transcript creation, some of the least common questions relate to the intentional steps of keeping the document current. Most parents want to know the nuts and bolts of the "must haves" which we cover in my workshops. However, when time comes to sit in front of the computer and get it on paper, fear resurfaces and often causes procrastination. 

Empower yourself! Go to workshops. Search online for example templates. However, also be intentional to take time to add, delete, and making necessary, timely changes. This document deserves your attention, and you will be thankful for your intentional steps forward. You can develop a transcript of home learning that catches the attention of future college officials and employers. It is possible and you are able!

*The information in this blog post is not intended as legal or educational advice. It is simply a journal of what worked for us. Parents are responsible to oversee their child's home education. 

Natural Learning, Intentionally - Part II

Intentional. It is my mantra, whether teaching my littles (and bigs) or embracing life. Intentionality has served me (and my family) well. 

How can I be intentional this minute to make a difference in the minutes yet to come?

The word intentional means (back to definitions):

From the 1957 Webster's New 20th Century dictionary, intentional was defined as

• Having to do with intention or purpose
• Intended; designed; done with design or purpose; not accidental

According to Dictionary.com, intentional is defined as

• done with intention or on purpose
• of or relating to intention or purpose

What proceeded the afternoon (minutes, hours or years before) contributing to the fruit of the day featured in Part I?

These were all lessons in and of themselves.

• Art supplies were purchased, then organized and stored in a manner accessible to the children with the developmental ability to determine appropriate use for said items (don't want acrylics on my walls, unless it is first on a canvas).

• Prior expectations and boundaries were set as to where the acrylics could be used (easel, kitchen table).
• Prior instruction was given as to how the brushes and tools were to be cared for, cleaned, and stored (otherwise brush hairs would be haywire and my house would become a paint palette). 
• Painting was an intrinsic interest I observed and fostered, something that mattered to them with the ultimate goal of spending time with my Dad (who loves to paint with them) and entering arts and handcrafts into the local county fair. 
• A library visit was scheduled and carried out where children checked out books of interest.

• Prior to that visit, children were given a tour as to where their books of interest would be shelved. For one child instruction was "this is where you will find animal books". For another, "this is the biography section". 
• Years ago, we discussed choosing appropriate materials, library etiquette, and check-out procedures.

The end result of many intentional decisions: I scheduled appointments, two learners finished fair projects, and two learners created three entrees in their writing notebooks. 

So, though natural learning occurred last week, there was intentional thought and instruction that proceeded the fruitful afternoon.

Natural Learning, Intentionally Part III coming soon!

"Let Me Do It!"

Toddlers are industrious! They can accomplish much in a short time. Unloading cabinets. Emptying bags of flour for "snow". Unwinding tape rolls. But there is more...

Given a task, an important one, one they care about, they will accomplish much and feel incredibly empowered, eager for the next "job". Last night was one of those moments.

Mr. Red, the fish we inherited from great-grandma when she passed, needed a clean bowl. The water had become a science culture, I am sure, though I didn't test it. Poor Mr. Red! Sick children needed care. Mr. Red had to wait. I moved the fish bowl to the kitchen counter, near the sink, grabbed an extra large coffee cup from the cabinet, scooped Mr. Red into the cup, and within seconds was joined by our toddler who "wanted to help".

"Let me do it, too!"

What toddler doesn't like to play in water!

Mr. Red was swimming happily in the coffee cup I placed out of reach. I dumped the yucky water and poured the rocks and stones into water to be washed. Chair pushed to the sink, smiling toddler turned on water and began cleaning rocks.

Thirty minutes later, the toddler had cleaned every rock and placed all of them back in the bowl. She was so proud to contribute, to care for our beloved Mr. Red. She knew she could be a productive, contributing member of the family, accomplishing tasks of importance. Her smile spanned ear to ear, dimples dotting each corner.

My toddler is like me. She wants to contribute. She wants to serve, to care. In doing so, she catches a glimpse of the much bigger picture, one much bigger than herself. What started as "let me do it!" ended with "I like being a part of a family!"

How can your child contribute? How can he or she make a difference and catch a glimpse of a greater community? Imagine the possibilities!

• help organize the pantry, cylinder cans on one shelf, rectangular boxes on another. 
• water the plants, inside or out, with a pump spray bottle (great for fine motor skills)
• fold washcloths in half and half again
• match socks
• sort laundry
• organize the plastic container cabinet
• sort coins- pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters
• roll coins (get paper rolls at the bank)
• make sandwiches (spreading is a great skill)
• empty bathroom trash cans into the larger garbage can
• carry hampers to the laundry room
• make cookies (with supervision and help)
• help put seeds in seed beds
• help wash the car (and clean out the inside)
• put library books in the bag to go to the library

Learning Not Measured by Paper

"What if there is no paper trail to our learning? What do I write on my log? How do I show progress?" This is a great, three-prong question, one I have been asked for years.

According to statute in our state (in regards to our portfolio of records- click on link for more details regarding other portions of the statute):

(b) The parent shall maintain a portfolio of records and materials. The portfolio shall consist of the following:

1. A log of educational activities that is made contemporaneously with the instruction and that designates by title any reading materials used.

2. Samples of any writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials used or developed by the student.

This parent understood what records she was required to keep according to statute and she knew educational progress was being made. As she and her children played Pizza Fraction Fun, one child figured out two halves made a whole pizza. Another discovered two quarters was equal to one half. But how would she log the learning?

The activity was the playing of the game and the game was the "material used". The mom could simply write "Pizza Fraction Fun game" (in the math column if her log is broken down as such) or just write "Pizza Fraction Fun game" under the date of the week it occurred. Her children could draw picture representations of the fractions they learned or which fraction combinations could be created (adding fractions) to make a whole pizza (drawing a visual representation is an essential part of expressing math).  Photographs could be taken as the "samples" or "creative materials" if the mom wanted to include so in her portfolio of work samples. These are only suggestions of ways the learning could be noted. There are others, I am sure.

Another parent, a parent of a high schooler, inquired:

"We spent two hours researching bank accounts for high schoolers. We compared what banks offered, discussed minimum balance, ATM draws, debit cards, and interest. I know we learned valuable information, but how do I log what we learned."

Parents have many options. There are no specific ways regarded to log. A simple sentence could be written. If notes are kept during the research, those could be added to the portfolio. The major points of discussion (bank account discussion- minimum balance, ATM draws, debit cards, and interest) could be noted under an appropriate course- life skills, personal finance. A photo of the teen holding her first deposit slip. Something that denotes the discussion taking place. Remember, if the high schooler had to explain what they learned, they would be able (due to the intrinsic nature of the lesson) to recount what was discussed and subsequent actions taken, if there were any.

Logs and samples, and how those items contribute to progress, will vary from family to family. Embrace what you are learning alongside your children. When learning cannot be measured in paper, be creative (but honest!) Tape the parts you dissected from a flower to construction paper. Photocopy a handwritten letter to grandma to show composition, grammar, spelling, and handwriting abilities. Take a picture of the geography puzzle siblings worked together to solve. Ask your children how they could document what they learned. They sometimes have amazing ideas, perhaps recounting something you did not realize they learned. Do not limit learning to only those activities which can be measured in paper. So much more learning potential awaits our children.


*This blog post is not intended to be legal counsel. As home educators, parents hold the responsibility as to the education of their children.

Step Up Books Save A Want-to-be-Reader

The want-to-be-reader in my daughter disappeared, somewhere between simple short vowel words and complex sentences. Just like that, gone. In desperation (if you know us you know we love books) I went to the home library shelf. There before my eyes appeared, George Washington. The title invited me in- Meet George Washington.

I pulled the book off the shelf and thumbed through the pages. PERFECT! Large type. Pictures on every other page. All nestled in chapters between two hard covers. THIS book had the look and  feel of a book an "older" child would read. I beckoned my want-to-be-reader and proposed we sit together as I read. That is all she needed. A book that felt like a "real" book. Not just some story printed in a graded reader, but a real book. Motivation returned.

So often want-to-be-readers are lost when fluency and practice are needed to feed the reading process. Reading can be just plain hard for some. Lots of practice. Lots of encouragement. Lots of interesting "real books" needed to make it through that tough time when a young child is building vocabulary and fluency to become an proficient reader.

We started together. I read to her. The content was intriguing, interesting, something she wanted to know more about. I read the entire book. She listened. She wanted another. I had no idea where I had gotten the only one we owned. Where to look? The library? No, not there. Google saved the day. Within a short time, I was able to locate another, then another. I read a page. Then she read a page. Soon, she read a chapter, then I read a chapter. Dad was invited to read. Before long (maybe 2 months) she was reading, independently on her own with enthusiasm. The want-to-be-reader had been transformed to the I-gotta-read reader. Currently, she wants to read every book in the series. In fact, the now fluent reader won't move to another series until she reads them all (or at least the ones we can find). Step Up books are that interesting to her. Interest is the prime motivator. It's internal. It's powerful.

A map for reference while reading. Yes! Geography and Reading!

In the process of finding other books in the series, we have acquired "extras" of some of the titles (because we had to buy them in lots). If you have a want-to-be-reader who has gotten lost between simple words and complex sentences, perhaps these high interest books will motivate your child as they have ours. If so, let us know. We know how you can add them to your library.

Reviewing for the CPT

Swimming in Algebra. Dancing through sentence skills. Celebrating reading skills. A joyful attitude goes miles when studying the same material for what seems like weeks. Why all the test prep?

We've been practicing away for the CPT (Computerized Placement Test), the college placement exam our high school student will take this week. The test results will determine which classes can be taken.

Colleges across the nation use adaptive tests which are computer generated, choosing subsequent questions based on the student's answer to the previous question. Students answer the multiple choice questions as they are given. These tests are untimed (a great option for students who do not perform well on timed tests). Subjects include mathematics, reading, language, and writing.

For more information on Accuplacer and the adaptive testing, visit http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/accuplacer/how-works.html

Specific information regarding subject matter and test format is posted at
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/accuplacer/accuplacer-tests.html

Test taking tips can be found at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/accuplacer/accuplacer-tips.html

Practice tests and sample questions are available at the following sites
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/accuplacer/preparation-sample.html
http://www.pbcc.edu/documents/Prep_Math_LW/0020_Comprehensive_Review.pdf
http://www.seminolestate.edu/testing/cpt/cpt_practice.php
http://www.chipola.edu/instruct/testing/cptguide.pdf
http://www.valenciacc.edu/assessments/cpt/cptprep.cfm

Now you know why we're swimming, dancing, and celebrating with a joy-filled attitude. We're trying to enjoy the process of preparing for a test. We'll let you know how it all turns out.

Occupying Preschoolers

Over the past sixteen years of homeschooling, I have had to occupy my share of preschoolers. In fact, it remains a daily joy! (I typed "challenge" and realized though I might feel challenged at times, I love my preschoolers and am savoring the very few years I have left- unless God has other plans. I am counting it all JOY!) With a three year old, and another who is five, I am often pulling ideas from my mental file to engage (not just busy) my younger ones while I finish proofing a high school essay or grade a Geometry lesson.

Knowing many of you are in the same boat, I wanted to share a link to an article I wrote for Homeschooling Today. It originally printed in the July/August 2009 issue.
http://www.homeschooltoday.com/news/172/30/Creative-Ways-to-Occupy-Preschoolers/