Homeschooling, or School-at-Home? – MBFLP 265-1

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Is this “homeschooling” or is it “school-at-home”? Is there a difference? 

Many families have experienced public school from a remote location this year — and some districts are calling it “homeschooling.” But most homeschooling veterans will tell you there is a world of difference between independent, parent-led education, and taking public school classes with public school curriculum, online. Hint: The location – obviously enough – is not the distinction!

In two episodes, Hal and Melanie talk about the substantial differences between the two concepts, how they operate differently on a day-to-day basis, and why that’s crucially important for your family. 

NEWS OF INTEREST

“New state figures released Thursday show North Carolina’s estimated home-school population grew by more than 30,000 children during the 2020-21 school year — a 20.6% increase from the prior year. … ”

T. Keung Hui, “Enrollment soars in NC homeschools, private schools, and charter schools amid pandemic”
Raleigh, N.C. News & Observer – 3 Jul 2021

Quarantine School – It gets better from here! – MBFLP 247

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.


Schools are still out and so’s the jury – could this be a glimpse of your future? To be honest, few people could have dreamed that millions of kids would start learning from home this spring, and nobody consulted the parents whether they felt like giving homeschooling a whirl. The good news is, if you pivot to intentional homeschooling for the fall, you may find it’s much less stress and a lot more interesting. This episode, we’re talking about some of the differences between emergency-level school-at-home and the more routine experience of parent-led home education.



Choosing Curriculum That Works For You

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Choosing Curriculum imgChoosing Curriculum That Works For You

Episode 4

Curriculum!! ahhhhhhhh …. Choosing a curriculum is probably one of, if not the biggest fear of new homeschoolers. In this podcast, we walk you through choosing curriculum that works for your family. Tips and advice on selecting the right homeschool curriculum. Move past the fear of selecting curriculum with help from FPEA.

 

We have compiled a list of good curriculum resources below for you to explore. Not every curriculum works for every family or every student. What might work for some students, won’t be a good fit for other students.

Concerning homeschool curriculum, the good news is there are many choices and sources. The challenge is there are hundreds and hundreds of materials from which to choose. Florida does not require any specific curricula or even specific credits for high school; you are free to select the materials and the courses best suited for your children. It is important to know why you have chosen to homeschool and to be somewhat familiar with the different educational philosophies — traditional, unit studies, classical, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, etc. The approach you take usually drives curriculum choices. Attending an FPEA-sponsored homeschool orientation will help you understand the factors to consider in making informed choices. It is also advisable to consider the learning style and the successful/unsuccessful education experiences of each individual child. Some curricula are better suited to a specific learning style or a particular subject.

The Guide to Homeschooling in Florida includes a full directory of “tried and true” home education teaching materials. Please contact those companies to access their catalogs so you can begin to search for the materials that interest you. Long-time favorite catalog companies are R.O.C.K. Solid (www.rocksolidinc.com), Timberdoodle (www.timberdoodle.com), CBD (www.christianbook.com) and Sonlight (www.sonlight.com). The best catalog companies are owned by homeschool parents, have great descriptions of their products, and offer a wide selection of some of the best materials. In the Orlando area, A.C.C.E.S. (www.acces-inc.com) offers a variety of homeschool curricula and has a public warehouse where you can preview them.

Most libraries and bookstores have homeschool magazines that contain reviews of different teaching materials and encouraging articles. Your library may also carry 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy, a highly recommended resource. If you choose to homeschool with a particular philosophy (classical, unit studies, traditional, etc.), specific books recommend curricula based on it. In addition, many local libraries host FPEA-sponsored homeschool orientations.

Some good curriculum resources

 Abeka

Answers in Genesis
Apologia

Beautiful Feet Books

BJU Press/HomeWorks by Precept

BookShark

Classical Academic Press

Common Sense Press

Cornerstone Curriculum

Creating a Masterpiece

Demme Learning/Math U See

Doorposts

Fun-Schooling with The Thinking Tree

GeoMatters
Good Steward Books, LLC

Great Leaps Reading and Math

Institute for Excellence in Writing

Jim Hodges Audio Books

La Clase Divertida( The FUN Class!)
Lamplighter Publishing

Landi English

Logic of English

Memoria Press

Mr D Math

Nature’s Workshop Plus

Pandia Press

Rainbow Resources

RightStart Mathematics by Activities for Learning,
Rod & Staff by Bible Way Books
Rosetta Stone Homeschool

ShillerLearning: Montessori at Home
Simply Charlotte Mason

Sonlight Curriculum
Souns for Literacy

Teaching Textbooks

Usborne Books & More

 

Join us this September in Sanibel Island for both fun and learning. Make a staycation of of this FPEA STEM Conference. Sanibel is a beautiful area with lots to explore.

Sanibel STEM

Teaching Multiple Grades at Home

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Teaching Multiple Grades at Home

Israel and Brook discuss tips and ideas for juggling homeschooling several grades at once. They offer ideas for using family-integrated studies, one-on-one teaching, and what to do with a slacker. If you are home educating your own children, you won’t want to miss this episode!

www.FamilyRenewal.org

 

Tune into the Family Renewal podcast as Israel and Brook Wayne talk about teaching history in your homeschool.  For additional podcasts by Brook & Israel Wayne, visit their podcast page.


Learn more in the new book, Education: Does God Have an Opinion? A Biblical Apologetic for Christian Education & Homeschooling

 


Israel Wayne is the author of the books:

Questions God Asks: Unlocking the Wisdom of Eternity (New Leaf Press, 2014)

Questions Jesus Asks: Where Divinity Meets Humanity (New Leaf Press, 2015)

Co-Author of Pitchin’ A Fit! Overcoming Angry & Stressed-Out Parenting  (New Leaf Press, 2016)

Education: Does God Have an Opinion? A Biblical Apologetic for Christian Education & Homeschooling (Master Books, 2017)

Answers for Homeschooling: Top 25 Questions Critics Ask  (Master Books, 2018)

Raising Them Up – Parenting for Christians (New Leaf Press, 2020)

Homeschool Answers Book Bundle

The decision to homeschool is difficult. There is so much to learn, and there are often radical changes that take place in your family. Unfortunately, not everyone will be supportive.

Well-meaning friends and relatives may believe you are going to “ruin your child.” How can you make sure that you have laid a good foundation for your child’s future? How can you respectfully defend your choice to those who disagree with you?

Many studies indicate that Christian youth are leaving the Church, and anti-Christian education has been linked as a major factor in this equation. The Bible is full of instructions on how God desires His children to be educated. IF GOD has a definite opinion about the issue of education, wouldn’t you desire to find out what it is and how best to implement HIS WISDOM? Order your copy here.

Homeschooling: An Interview w/ Brook Wayne

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Israel Wayne’s wife, Brook, was homeschooled since 1983. She discusses her family’s journey into home education and discusses homeschooling her own eight children.

www.FamilyRenewal.org

Show Host Spotlight – Pat Wesolowski

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

UltimateHomeschoolRadioShow_ButtonIn this episode the spotlight is on Pat Wesolowski, veteran homeschooler and curriculum creator and author.

Pat is the host of the bi-monthly show – “Better Together – Co-Ops” and she is a firm believer that co-ops are a wonderful addition to any homeschool.