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Hands-On Homeschool Newsletter - May 12, 2006 Vol. II Issue 9
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In this issue:

> 1. From the Editor's Desk
> 2. Article - Budget Homeschooling
> 3. Letters to the Editor - (none this week)
> 4. Say What? Absurd Homeschool Comments
> 5. Feature Article - A Year's Worth of Character Training...
> 6. Homeschool Curriculum Idea of the Week - Family Values Plan
> 7. Free Homeschool Resources

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1. From the Editor's Desk
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Welcome!

Wow! What a week, no; month I'm having!

Can't complain though... we had our first "especially-for-homeschoolers" art class today and it was a great success. We decided to take advantage of the spring winds and build beautiful Dutch kites. The girls (no boys today) used brightly colored markers to create symmetrical designs on 8 1/2 X 11 sheets of paper. Then, with a few folds, a glue stick, two tiny lengths of broom straw, and some string, they had kites that really flew! Find the directions on our Art Center website, at:

http://blackfootartcenter.blogspot.com/2006/05/lets-go-make-and-fly-kite.html.

(You'll find more kite-related links in Free Homeschool Resources, below.)

I'm finding that it's quite a challenge to run a new business, especially on that involves teaching. It requires both planning and teaching time while keeping up with my website and newsletter. I love doing both, however, so the only changes I foresee are possibly a bit less structure in my newsletter publication schedule. In other words, you'll receive your copy of the Hands-On Homeschool Newsletter regularly, but I can't guarantee it will be every other Friday. However, I'll do my best, I promise!

In the meantime, check both of our blogs for great ongoing homeschooling ideas (be sure to look at the archived posts too):

http://homeschoolinghelper.blogspot.com

http://blackfootartcenter.blogspot.com

In this issue you'll find tips on how NOT to spend more than you can afford to homeschool your children. Our feature article focuses on character development (I can hear you now -- my child already is a character!) including one character trait to focus on for each week of the year. Try creating a customized Family Values Plan together with your children, to get started.

Enjoy this issue!

Sandra B.
Editor

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2. Article
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Budget Home Schooling
By Michael Russell

Home schooling can be a rewarding experience for the entire family. However, it can also be hard on your pocketbook. Frugal home schooling is becoming a popular term among most families living on limited income or for those wanting to cut back on expenses.

The Internet is a valuable source that most families can't live without. From researching essay papers to curriculum, anything you need to search for is available online for free and right in the convenience of your own home. Online auctions are a great way to purchase used curriculum programs and books. A trip to your local library will probably fit most of your needs. Not only do you get to borrow books for free but it makes a fun family outing. Before heading off, make a list of the books and topics you need to borrow so you don't forget what's needed.

If you are a member of a home school group, suggest starting a swap meet or book sale of used curriculum and other teaching aids. This is a great way to buy good material for reasonable prices as well as selling some material you no longer use. Do you know someone that has a book or program you would like to use? If they're not using it, then ask them if they wouldn't mind you borrowing it. If you have a book or program that they could use, consider either trading or just borrowing from each other for a short time.

Look in your local paper for garage sales and yard sales that have books and craft supplies. Be creative while looking around, something you may not normally think about using could be perfect for a certain craft or science project.

Field trips can be a great change of pace when home school gets repetitive. Often museums are free or cost a minimal amount to tour. Some of your local businesses may be willing for a small group to tour their premises. This is a great way for children to see first hand how certain businesses are operated. Be sure to call them first to make arrangements.

Curriculum will be your most expensive part of home schooling and one of the most important. Before purchasing your curriculum consider the following: Does it fit your religious beliefs and your family's moral standards? Does it fit your teaching style as well as your children's learning style? Is the program designed to be used with multiple children or upcoming children? Will additional material need to be purchased for it to work with more then one child? Will it be become outdated in a year or two or will it last numerous years? Could you buy it used or substitute it with a similar but less expensive program? Is the program truly needed or could you get by without it?** Check out curriculum review websites to see what works for other home school families. By finding out why or why not certain programs work for other families, it may help you decide if the program is right for your family.

Home schooling can be budget friendly by taking the time to research programs and by buying only what programs your family actually needs.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Home School

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

** Note: Although this article discusses at length the purchase of a pre-developed curriculum, it is not at all necessary to do so. Many families, including my own, have found that an eclectic curriculum, or one that is collected and developed for each child from the variety of resources that are readily available, is by far the most cost-effective (often free!). Best of all, an eclectic curriculum can be tailored to each individual child.

--Sandra B.

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3. Letters to the Editor
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None this week.

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Editor's note: Do you have a question or a comment about an article or feature in this newsletter, or homeschooling in general? We would love to hear from you! Please email your comments to: sandrabynum@allthingshomeschool.com

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4. Say What? This Week's Absurd Homeschool Comments
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Mike Farris, the co-founder of HSDLA, recently asked readers of his column to submit "dumb statements" people have made regarding homeschooling. (I've heard quite a few whoppers myself over the years; haven't we all?) Just for fun, we'll feature a few of these silly comments in this and future issues.

From Susan Shay:
"Won't they miss out on learning a lot of important stuff? I mean, how will they ever learn to stand in line?"
Mike: Thank goodness for the rigorous standards of Goals 2000.

From "Ozchick":
A friend asked me what we were going to do during a public school snow day. I replied that we were going ahead with school. The friend replied, "That's silly. Why make your kids work since no one will be around to grade their papers?" Not to be outdone, that same friend
heard me describe how I was teaching my children baking from the Colonial period. A recent project was making a cake from scratch. She replied, "Where can I buy a box of scratch, I've never heard of it?"

From Dana Estes:
A friend said, "I could NEVER homeschool my children. I can't imagine spending that much time with them." She is a public school teacher.

* * * * *

Note: Send the most ridiculous comment(s) you've heard about homeschooling to us at submissions@allthingshomeschool.com and we'll publish them in "Say What?"

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5. Feature Article
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(Although written for parents of schooled children, this article presents weekly character development ideas that could easily be integrated into a homeschooler's basic curriculum.)

A Year's Worth of Character Training to Last a Lifetime
by Kate Hufstetler

Ever wonder why some kids are the way they are? Ever wonder why some kids seem to lack the basics in true inner character? Well, just exactly how did we think children would ever get character – without being taught character? Long gone are the days when whole communities worship weekly. Long gone are the days when everyone in our small societal circles subscribes to the same exacting morals and principles to guide life and living.

I remember when my son was young we made a move to a new state. We left behind a community within a community. We left behind a large group of people (friends and neighbors) that subscribed to similar ethics and standards of behavior. Everyone we knew, predominantly, up-held the same guiding principles that our family lived by. Then that ever fateful day. It was during the first week at his new preschool & playing with his new neighborhood friends in our new state. My son walked in the house and I made a simple statement “because that is how we do it.” To which my son replied “Well, Mike’s family doesn’t do it that way and they don’t even care about that stuff.” UGH ! We had come to another milestone in parenting: awareness of diversity within family styles and values.

The reality is that kids DO learn through osmosis; meaning, they will assimilate and become what they see around them. However, what is it that they see around them? Aside from home-schooled children (or those that attend private academies) children today are away from their families up to 12 hours a day in some cases including before and after school care. Being gone either 8 hours or 12 hours a day leaves precious little time for a family to model all the appropriate qualities they wish to instill within their children. Not to mention, these hours are relegated to EARLY morning hours (barely awake time) and late evening before bed hours (barely coherent time again).

Over a lifetime our children will spend the majority of their time away from us. They will be witnesses to their friends, their friend’s families, movies, worship communities, television shows, video games, scouting troops, music, sports teams, camps & conferences, etc. There will be an excess of information coming into your child’s awareness and all of it leading to who your child becomes.

There are many many places your child will observe character, some of it good and some of it not good. Besides what type of character-- which attributes will your child randomly be exposed to? And will your child be able to identify them, understand them, and discern how to incorporate them in such a way to be a wonderful adult?

Here is a list of 52 qualities of internal character. You can take one item a week to fill up a year’s worth of character training within your own home. You can design the curriculum, buy the curriculum, or hire someone to work with your family to tailor content that reflects the lessons you’d like your child to learn along the way in life. As I said before, long gone are the days when parents can just trust that throughout the day their child is taking in the right information to become a responsible, highly functional, & happy member of society. Take the list. Tweak it to fit your lifestyle and preferences. Have fun with it. And enjoy knowing you are not leaving your child’s character up to chance.

1    Accountability
2    Caring
3    Character
4    Charity
5    Compassion
6    Credibility
7    Desire
8    Determination
9    Diversity Awareness
10 Diversity Respect
11 Duty / Responsibility
12 Empathy
13 Excellence
14 Fairness
15 Flexibility
16 Following directions
17 Friendliness
18 Frugal
19 Fun
20 Generosity
21 Gentleness
22 Giving
23 Global awareness
24 Happiness
25 Helpfulness
26 Honesty
27 Honor
28 Hope
29 Humility
30 Imagination
31 Integrity
32 Judgment / reason
33 Knowledge / education
34 Logic
35 Loyalty
36 Obedience
37 Openness / privacy
38 Patience
39 Peace
40 Perseverance
41 Politeness
42 Respect
43 Self-control
44 Sharing
45 Sportsmanship
46 Strength (internal)
47 Team player
48 Tenderness
49 Tolerance
50 Trust
51 Trust-worthiness
52 Uniqueness

Kate Hufstetler is a well established personal life coach and spiritual facilitator who has helped many individuals like yourself. Her clients come from both the United States and overseas. She offers coaching services via email and phone consultations Her specialty is to cut through delusions that keep people living a mediocre unsatisfying life, to get them to engage reality, initiate changes in order to propel them to the life they truly desire. http://www.comedreamwithme.com

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6. Homeschool Curriculum Idea of the Week
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The "Family Values Plan"

By Sandra Bynum

Here's a tried & true character training project that allows you define your family values - make a "Family Values Plan" and live by it.

My five children got along quite well, especially after we started homeschooling. However, there were times when someone didn't quite tell the truth, or someone didn't want to do their chores, or someone was less than kind, which resulted in someone else's hurt feelings. My oldest son was a teaser, even a bully at times. Not wanting to be a policeman, it occurred to me one day that the children probably knew how to behave well and treat each other in general. However, in the name of peace and harmony, maybe they needed specific guidelines as to exactly what was expected of them.

If we could devise a plan based on our family's values, it could provide specific guidelines to better behavior. Everyone in the family could contribute their "guideline" ideas to be included in the plan, and the completed Family Values Plan could be created, framed, posted prominently, and gently referred to when necessary.

So, this was our project. The children all had ideas as to how they should be treated by everyone else, which led to ideas about how we should treat others. I was amazed at how many of their suggested guidelines came straight from their Sunday School lessons! Some of our ideas were difficult for my oldest son to acknowledge (we should not only be nice, but we should also SERVE one another???). However, he personally contributed additional guidelines that I knew would challenge him more than anyone else. Our only rule was that guidelines would be positive* in nature; indicating what we should do, not so much what we shouldn't do. After everyone contributed and all agreed on the final guidelines, the children each took turns writing their contributions in different colors on a large piece of paper, which we then framed and posted in our living room. With the "rules" in place, it was amazing to see the positive changes in my children's behavior towards one another.

Here is our Family Values Plan:

Always be honest.
Count your blessings.
Bear each other's burdens.
Forgive and forget.
Be kind and tender-hearted.
Comfort one another.
Keep your promises.
Be proud of each other.
Be true to each other.
Treat each other better than your friends.
Pray every day.
Serve one another.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

* In spite of the "positive statement" rule, two more guidelines were later added to the list by anonymous contributors:

Never lye (sic.)
No head butting (I had to smile!)

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7. Free Online Homeschooling Resources
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I am thoroughly addicted to kites... I love to build them, I love to fly them. Every year around this time I think "kites" and I pull a few out of my collection and I get out into the wind. (And I'm a grandma!) Here are a few sites that are sure to get you thinking "kites" too!

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/spring/kites/introduction.htm
This is a boy-site. It features all sorts of traditional boy-activities from times past, especially kite building (most of these are old fashioned kites with traditional drawings). Also Scouting resources, and information about things like marbles, stilts, frogs, and fish bait. Like I said, boy-stuff! (However, your girls might like it too... I would have!)

http://members.tripod.com/~TKOGunn1/kiteplans.htm
This is the most thorough collection of kite-making webpages there is, I'm sure of it! You and your children can't possible NOT find a terrific kite to make right here!

http://www.creativekidsathome.com/summerkidsactivities2.html
Kids Summer Crafts and Children's Activities - These free ideas for Summer Activities encourage children to work with a wide variety of materials. One of the best things about summer projects is that they can be done outside. Less mess to clean up!

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/
Kids' games and activities for math, reading, language arts, social studies, and more. Includes challenging brain teasers, web word finds, lots of fun games; and no advertising!

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