Curry - Easy Homeschooling Techniques



	"Easy Homeschooling Techniques" by Lorraine Curry hosted by Joe Spataro

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	Quick Support Sign Up Christian Focus Group Buy the book now - click here Joe: Lorraine Curry started *EasyHomeschooling* her own children in 1989, and began writing about the method in 1994. She has written for Practical Homeschooling, Homeschooling Today and published Tips & Topics – The East Homeschooling Journal for four years. After graduating from the University of Hawaii at Maui with an associate degree in apparel design, she worked in the garment industry in Los Angeles and Hawaii. She, Andrew, Jessica, Zephi, Ezra and Eli sell vintage Exceptional! Books to other homeschoolers and use many in their own homeschool. In her interview here on the Zone, Lorraine will chat with us about the costs of homeschooling & how to save money, how working people can homeschool which she shares from her book, and the role of Christian teachings in homeschooling. Joe: Lorraine, thanks for stopping by today to chat with us. How did you get the idea to write this book and could you tell us how "Easy Homeschooling" is different from the many homeschooling techniques out there? Lorraine: I started writing EasyHomeschooling Techniques in 1994. I felt that others could benefit from the easy and inexpensive methods we had used in our own school. Between 1994 and 1999, I wrote papers, articles and published a newsletter. A friend encouraged me to finish the book, and it was published in late 1999. EasyHomeschooling is different because both time and money requirements are low. It is a self-contained method and once you know the basic techniques (all in the book), you really don't have to buy anything else, unless you choose. Is Homeschooling Expensive? Joe: Is homeschooling expensive? Could you give us a few tips? Lorraine: Homeschooling can be expensive but needn't be. To save money Use the library Do it yourself instead of thinking you must have a text or workbook for every course, Use free resources such as those available from government agencies. These include history newspapers and nature guides from your state government and art history videos from The National Gallery in Washington, DC. The book provides more ideas and techniques for saving both money and time. Christian Values Joe: Your book has a strong emphasis on Christian values. How do you see these values within the context of a complete learning experience for a young person? Lorraine: "...in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge." (1 Cor. 1:5) This means that being a Christian makes everything better. For instance, a Christian value is diligence. Diligence is necessary in study habits. Praying in faith (knowing the prayer will be answered), helps with difficulties in study. These are just two examples of how Christian values help in everything, including every learning experience. Joe: You started homeschooling in 1989. Could you tell us a bit about how your children have fared and what are they doing now? Lorraine: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." (3 John 1:4) This is my number one priority. God is not finished with them yet, but according to what we believe to be important, they are going in the right direction. Jessica just graduated in December, 2000 and has almost completed her first semester of Bible school in Columbus OH. She is interested in literature and writing, and has been published in various newsletters. In fact, we will have two of her reviews in our next eletter, or at our site around May 1. Zephi (16) will graduate on April 28th, 2001. We call her our "politician" because she loves to be in front of crowds, and will give a speech at her graduation. She taught herself to read at age 5, by sitting in on her older sister's class, and completed her schooling entirely on her own, covering both Calculus and Physics this last school year. Our boys, Ezra (15) and Eli (13) start their day on their own by doing math and other independent study. We still get together for Bible and reading aloud along with discussion and narration, or writing. We are reading Great Expectations by Dickens right now, and have recently done Hamlet and Macbeth. They love the outdoors--Eli caught a 20 inch catfish from a nearby river a few days ago! Thanks for the opportunity to share with the Zone's visitors, Joe! Joe: You’re welcome, Lorraine. I would also like to thank Lorraine for sharing a part of her book here on the Zone which addresses a challenge that many homeschooling families must face which is the trying to homeschool while working at a job. "Homeschooling while Working" Excerpted with permission of the author from "Easy Homeschooling Techniques" �2001 Lorraine Curry. All rights reserved. Buy the book now - click here Even if you work outside the home, you can homeschool. If you are working at a job or business 20 hours a week, another 20 would be only equivalent to a full time job. Some mothers work 40 hours a week at a job or business, along with teaching their children at home! Even if you homeschool by reading a few hours each night, your child�s skills would surpass those of public school students, whose parents have to spend the evenings re-teaching the things they haven�t learned at school. Those of you who have a seasonal business or just work certain months of the year, may schedule school for the months that your business is slower, or for the months that you are not working. A twelve-month schedule would be ideal for some. Spend about three hours each evening, and four or five on Saturday at homeschooling. You may spend even less time at school, depending on whether your child can do independent study, your state�s requirements, and how much informal learning you plan to do. The weekend would be ideal for hands-on type learning along with workbooks, reading and field trips. On the Sabbath you could study the Bible: read, dictate, memorize and recite to honor the Lord, learning language arts at the same time. Read creation science materials. Study church history. Workbooks and flash cards work well for math. You may wish to supplement your science reading with experiments. There are many books available on experiments that can be done with simple materials. See �Starting Up,� Chapter 2, for details on what and how to teach. Be sure to use subject combining (Chapter 6) to save time. This is one of the most important techniques for busy working moms. Child Care You and your husband might be able to stagger your working hours. He works while you are home; you work while he teaches and cares for the children; or visa versa. If you have no one to care for your children while you are working, and are using the schools as a care giver, here are some suggestions: Time share care with a friend teaches one or two subjects to the children. While you are working, your older children could be either doing some of their schoolwork, or helping your friend with the younger children. Your older child could be working, possibly as an apprentice in a chosen field. Your older child could be babysitting and teaching your younger children. Your older child could be doing their school work and keeping up the house. Your younger children could be at a church day care or relative’s house. Your children are being taught life skills as well as academics so they will be a blessing not a burden to others. Is your child enrolled in a private school? Homeschooling could save you money. With EasyHomeschooling you can provide a high quality education for much less. With so many money saving helps and ideas, you may find that you can live without an extra income, and become a full-time homeschooling mom. Buy the book now - click here Meet the Authors David & Laurie Callihan "The Guidance manual for the Christian Homeschool" hosted by Joe Spataro Interview & how to get a diploma They have been homeschooling support group leaders and activists for more than 15 years. In their book, they help Christian homeschool parents gather all the information a high school counselor usually supplies: information on colleges, careers, the military, standardized testing, and future planning. In this interview, we discuss the advantages of a Christian based program, perspectives on unschooling, and what they are doing now as part of the homeschooling movement. As a bonus, they have graciously agreed to share with us a portion of their book on providing a diploma for your children. This is all very valuable information which I hope you get a chance to see. Also, they have agreed to answer some of your questions on our Christian support group. I hope everyone gets a chance to stop by and see the interview and perhaps ask a question. more interviews		Different People Envelope Puzzle This week's Craft of the Week is brought to us by the popular craft book author Kathy Ross. Her latest book Crafts to Celebrate God's Creations is a terrific collection of delightful crafts and activities to help children become more aware of God's amazing creations. Along with her new book Crafts to Celebrate God's Creation Kathy has written dozens of wonderful craft books spanning every category. Kathy's craft from Crafts to Celebrate God's Creation, Different People Envelope Puzzle, is a great way for children to learn and celebrate people's differences. Home Learning: Year by Year Home learning Sourcebook Meet the author Rebecca Rupp "The Truth About Curricula" more Curriculum Guides more homeschooling books Frequently Asked Questions The Beginners Guide to Homeschooling by Patrick Farenga A brief and useful guide to the essential information, resources, and guidance you need for starting homeschooling. Questions and answewrs about homeschooling, suggestions for creating or purchasing curricula and for record keeping and evaulation, history and research, as well as lists of state and national support groups, correspondence schools, and learning materials. Discover Your Child's Learning Style: Children Learn in Unique Ways--Here's the Key to Every Child's Learning Success by Mariaemma Willis, Victoria Kindle-Hodson also see: FAQ: Learning styles It has become widely accepted that not all children learn alike. Some grasp information best by reading, while others learn better through listening or discovering concepts in a hands-on fashion. Two longtime educators--Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle-Hodson--suggest in this guide that there are actually five aspects to a student's learning style beyond the simple modes of visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Their "learning style profile" takes into account a child's talents, interests, preferred learning environment, and disposition, as well as the three more familiar modes. Written as a workbook, with a series of do-it-yourself assessments, the guide offers parents a chance to diagnose their child's learning style in all five areas. A chart of activities accompanies each style. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann, Phyllis Haddox, Elaine Bruner also see: Reading Ed Center SRA's DISTAR is one of the most successful beginning reading programs available to schools. Research has proven that children taught by the DISTAR method outperform their peers. Now, this program has been adapted for use at home. In only 20 minutes a day, this remarkable step-by-step program teaches your child to read--with the love, care, and joy only a parent and child cane share. Get a FREE book by using the coupons Meet the Author Mary Leppert Co-author of "Homeschooling Almanac 2000-2001" Interview & FREE Excerpt She is a homeschool mom who along with her husband, Michael, have compiled a wonderful resource for homeschoolers. It is a resource guide for books, magazines, catalogs, prepackaged materials, cybersources, specific homeschooling methods, religious references and more. It also features over $1000 of FREE coupons which could easily pay for the purchase price. I have the opportunity to interview Mary and she took the time to share her views with us on the homeschooling movement and a bit about her personal life with her children. We are also featuring a very nice excerpt from her book which is entitled, What Kind of Learner is Your Child. I hope everyone gets a chance to look at closely and use this information to help you in your homeschool program. She is very frank and her answers and the excerpt are easy to read.

	Questions? Ideas? Comments? Excerpted with permission of the author from "Easy Homeschooling Techniques" �2001 Lorraine Curry. All rights reserved. You can visit Lorraine Curry at her website