Early in my homeschooling, I was blessed to hear Joyce Herzog say:
Our children are unlikely to be employed in their areas of weakness. Most likely they will be employed in their area of strength.
Yet we tend to focus an inordinate amount of teaching time on fixing weaknesses–not maximizing strengths.
But exactly how can we make a connection between our child’s strengths and future employment?
I had no idea until I met Jonathan Harris and read his book How to Discover and Develop Your Child’s First 100 Hours of Talent. I loved the idea of putting all the pieces of my child’s life together (his strengths, his interests, our family’s interests, and the resources available) and seeing what picture appeared. I did work through the exercises in the book and had some vague ideas of what skills my two oldest boys still at home should be focusing on. I even wrote about it here. But frankly, I put it on the back burner. More pressing matters took precedence until Jonathan contacted me and offered to do a consultation. I’m so glad he did.
I suspect that most homeschoolers are like I am–not overly concerned about our children’s future until it’s time to think about college or employment after graduation. And that’s a shame. We have so much more time to devote to developing our children’s talents than parents whose children are in traditional schools. I wasn’t taking advantage of the time and Jonathan motivated me.
Our Consultation
Jonathan and I spoke about both my sons–their strengths and their interests. Then I shared with him that our family has a passion for selling books. One of my sons had already helped my husband at a librarians’ conference and the next oldest would be doing so at the upcoming conference. I explained that my current passion was to write a language arts curriculum and start a homeschool publishing company that my kids could be a part of. Even as I spoke, I was starting to make some connections. And can I say what a joy it was to talk about my sons? What a rare opportunity it was to share with someone else the gifts I see in them and the hopes and dreams my husband and I have for their future. Jonathan gave me the assignment of completing the questions in his book again and determining what talent we might work on developing in the coming months.
Family Discussion
After finishing my homework, I talked with my husband and the boys. I originally thought that my younger son would love to help my husband in his business, but my husband didn’t feel he would have enough meaningful work to keep him busy. We decided that we wanted him to have a business education so we planned to have him work through Micro Business for Teens. I felt my older son, with a gift for grammar, would be well suited to helping me complete the curriculum I’m writing. We agreed to pay him a training wage while I was teaching him and then more as he was working independently.
I reported our plans to Jonathan, who thought we were on the right track. I thanked him profusely, because I hadn’t really thought how my son’s talent could be developed in a way that fit with our family goals, too.
Update
Jonathan asked me how things were going and I told him, but things have changed since my report.
I trained my older son to format the text I had written. Everything went well and he was meticulous, so I was pleased. But a problem came up. He began studying in earnest for the ACT and taking outside classes and doing more at church. I couldn’t get him to devote time to it, pay or no.
My younger son had a similar issue with new curriculum coming to my attention that I wanted him to use. The Micro Business books kept getting put on the back burner.
I still needed help formatting my books, so I started looking into hiring a foreign editor. The experience I’ve had hiring non-English speaking people for other work had me cringing at the thought of explaining what I wanted done. Then I realized that my younger son was completely capable of formatting text. I just hadn’t thought of him, because I was so focused on my older son’s English gift.
I sat down to train my younger son how to format the workbook material and he took to it immediately. Not only that, but he is much more motivated by money than his older brother (thus, we wanted him to learn about business). What I found is that my younger son’s enthusiasm motivated my older son. He is having to spend less ACT prep time, so will return to formatting the text for me. Meanwhile I am beyond thrilled with all the help. I will be able to publish the first volume sooner than I had expected. Meanwhile, I will be able to include my younger son in the business side of what I’m doing–invaluable hands-on learning. Our original plan is still intact (my younger son will work through Micro Business for Teens), but his experience helping me is the primary focus.
Second, contact Jonathan for a consultation. Yes, it’s a paid service, but it’s so worth it to get direction in helping to shape your child’s future. I appreciate so much that Jonathan shares my Christian values and recognizes the power of prayer in the process.
Third, engage your child and spouse in prayerful discussion. It’s exciting to grow beyond math and science and literature to life application. In this ever-changing economy, we have to do all we can to help our kids develop their talents in a way that makes them valuable employees or producers.
Fourth, begin training. You may not be the one who will teach your child the skills he needs to develop his talent, but you can arrange the teaching–whether that means purchasing materials or getting a tutor. If you are the primary teacher as I am, be sure to schedule time for training so it doesn’t get put on the back burner. (I’m speaking to myself here, too!)
Finally, keep evaluating how it’s going. My experience shows you that your first plan may not be the best one, but you will succeed with perseverance and prayer.
My daughter, Elaina, loves the two girls around her age, Carlota and Blanca, but there’s just one problem. Their English far surpasses my daughter’s Spanish.
Foreign Language Curriculum Needs
The answer was obviously to have Elaina study Spanish. But I had another problem. I needed a curriculum that was:
self-directed (I can’t fit in any more one-on-one teaching time with my five children)
easy (I also don’t have time to help my daughter if it gets difficult, because I’m trying to learn Spanish myself)
fun (I knew my daughter would stay motivated to learn if the lessons were presented in a variety of formats and aided conversation)
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try Middlebury’s Elementary Spanish curriculum with my daughter. I was interested to see if it would be a good fit for the rest of my children as well. The video made me think it would be.
Our Results
The curriculum met our criteria and then some! Elaina was able to do Spanish on her own and found it easy!
I loved hearing truly conversational Spanish lessons being taught, rather than isolated words. The bonus for me was that I could see how Elaina was progressing through the lessons with the clear parent/teacher dashboard.
The final criterion for success for me was that the curriculum be affordable. Middlebury is offering homeschoolers a 10% discount on their initial order with code: HomeschoolFirst10.
Even better, Middlebury is giving away 10 one-semester courses (the level of your choice, AP excluded, value $119). Be sure to enter to win below and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
I started using Life of Fred when my oldest (now beginning his first year of college) was a fifth grader. I had read a review of Life of Fred and thought it sounded perfect for my son who was a voracious reader. Rather than present basic formulas with lots of mathematical equations to solve, Life of Fred read like a story about a kid named Fred. Fred encountered many funny situations that required math. The author would speak directly to the student and would offer not pages of problems, but a “turn to play.”
Life of Fred with Advanced Learners
My oldest, an advanced learner, loved it! I often found him chuckling while doing math. I found him motivated to get at least 9 of 10 problems correct so he could pass the “bridge” and not have to do a different set of ten problems. As a psychologist, I thought this approach was genius. Why should a homeschooled student want to complete a page of problems when he would just be faced with another?
My son sailed through the books until Algebra. I should say that he used Beginning Algebra before the curriculum was revised. Then it sat there untouched. I explained to him that he could be doing college-level math while in high school if he would complete the books quickly. That motivated him as did the fact that his private-schooled friends had completed algebra ahead of him (he’s a little competitive). He then flew through beginning and advanced algebra, geometry, and trigonometry and was so enamored with it that he wanted to major in math in college. Then he took Calculus BC AP through Pennsylvania Homeschoolers. He did well, but told me that college math wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as Life of Fred. My oldest didn’t use any other math curriculum in conjunction with Life of Fred and scored very well in math on the ACT.
Life of Fred with Different Learning Styles
After my oldest son’s success with Life of Fred, I assumed that all my children would use it. Then I presented it to my second oldest son (two years younger). He hated it. I was stunned! He also liked to read. What was the difference? My second oldest is a detail-oriented young man of few words, so he couldn’t really explain why he didn’t like it. I had him using traditional curriculum instead until last year. Because he is meticulous, it was taking him a very long time to get through traditional math texts with oh-so-many problems. And he wasn’t happy about not doing them all. You know the type, right? I finally convinced him to give Life of Fred another try and he is happy as a high school junior, for nothing else than he doesn’t have too many problems to solve.
I also have a freshman in high school, a third grader, and a fifth grader using Life of Fred without any difficulty this year. They don’t complain about math and that makes me happy! But I have a son who has had some challenges you should know about. My 7th grader just wants to get the work done. I bet you know that type, too! He is using Pre-Algebra with Biology and will tell me that he hasn’t been given the information he needs to solve the problems. It’s nowhere in the book, he says. To be fair, he does this with other subjects, too. But I have since realized that this is a concern for kids who want to see a mathematical example of what to do at the top of the page. If you have a child who has trouble maintaining focus or comprehending what he is reading, this may not be the best curriculum for you. However, I will say that I am so glad this curriculum has pointed out the problem with skimming material to my son. He can’t rely on the little cheat for how to do the problem that he is used to from using Mastering Essential Math Skills last year. He has to remember what he is learning. The bridges are super motivating for him, too.
Other Issues
My children haven’t started with the elementary books because they weren’t available when I invested in Life of Fred. I sought out other options. I have read critiques that there is not enough focus on memorizing math facts in elementary math. I haven’t verified that, but I do recommend doing everything possible to ingrain math facts in your children’s heads. I have talked about using Learn Math Fast for this purpose. I love its 30-second and one-minute tests that have to be passed before students can continue. I am also enjoying using the free online flashcards from Fact Monster. Nothing motivates my kids to commit facts to memory more than a treat of some kind. Hint, hint.
Conclusion
Life of Fred math is a superb curriculum for advanced learners, for students who prefer to learn math by reading, and students who are motivated to mastery by getting out of work. Students who prefer to focus on numbers or who struggle with reading comprehension, may not like it. Check out the sample pages on Life of Fred.com and these additional reviews:
If you’re anything like me, you love to find out what other homeschoolers are using for curriculum. These are my favorite picks for the year, but don’t stop here. Check out the iHomeschool Not Back to School Blog Hop for more great lists!
#1 God’s Design for Science
We use Apologia for junior and senior high, but I couldn’t be more thrilled with God’s Design for Science. Last year we did the chemistry set. This year we are using the biology set. I had an excellent science education and I am learning right along with my children. The lessons are short and fascinating. The experiments are straightforward. As I’m using this curriculum with my younger kids and a friend’s, I need to keep things simple. Looking forward to dissecting a starfish this year!
#2 Life of Fred Math
My oldest used Life of Fred Fractions in elementary school and I still have the older series of books. All of the kids will be using Life of Fred for the first time this year. I think they will all enjoy following Fred’s antics. I have an interview with the author of Life of Fred, Stanley Schmidt, coming up later this month on The Homeschool Sanity Show. You won’t want to miss it!
#3 Mystery of History
We originally used Konos for history and I missed the chronological view. When a friend told me about Mystery of History, I fell in love with it. I went all the way through graduate school without ever taking a world history course, so it’s been a gift. We are on our second time through the series, using volume II again this year. I’m looking forward to having my freshman in high school do extra reading plus the quizzes this year to take it up a notch.
#4 Teaching the Classics
This is the second time I will be using IEW’s Teaching the Classics with my own and a friend’s kids. Each of the children chose a classic title and another title they would like to read, so it should be interesting. I recently bought the younger kids a kindle to use for reading and plan to have them listen to the books via Audible as well. That’s how I plan to fit all my reading in anyway! I’m excited to have the kids do a presentation on their favorite book we read at the end of the year.
#5 Movies as Literature
This year we have a mix of students in our high school co-op. We’ll have two juniors, three freshman, and an eighth grader. It was hard to come up with a class that the olders haven’t taken that wouldn’t be too challenging for our eighth and ninth graders. Movies as Literature to the rescue. The other moms in our co-op are excited and will be sharing the teaching responsibilities. I am looking forward to having an excuse to watch a number of classic movies.
As we get ready for a new school year, the Build Your Own Bundle sale is a great opportunity to pick up a wide range of digital books, curriculum, and homeschooling helps at an amazing price. There is something here for everyone! I love the option of choosing what you need so much that I signed up as an affiliate for this sale. Some of the options that stand out to me are:
Math Mammoth materials (we’ve used them and loved them)
Homeschool scheduling forms
Writing Through the Bible (a great idea)
Christian Keyboarding (I need to make sure my kids aren’t hunting and pecking like their dad!) 🙂
Notebooking resources (there are so many topics to choose from)
We Choose Virtues materials (a great way of helping kids understand and implement character traits).
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Our “Build Your Own” bundles offer you the opportunity to select a certain number of products with a retail price of $19.99 or less for up to 80% off! We have MANY items to choose from, including Cathy Duffy Top 100 Picks! When you purchase a combination of any 2 “Build Your Own” bundles, you will get the 3rd one at 50% off!
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I shared my enthusiasm for using Classical Conversations Foundations materials independently in my post entitled, Why Classical Conversations Should Be a Part of Your Curriculum. My enthusiasm and my readership have grown since I wrote that review. I have discovered a vast array of fabulous ideas for enriching Classical Conversations learning whether you are studying at home like I am or you’re part of a community. Because I am easily overwhelmed, I wanted to simplify by compiling a list for myself of the best resources available. I thought it might help my readers, too.
I have grouped the resources into the following categories: general information, organization & memory helps, cycle-specific, and subject-specific (which includes Challenge and Essentials). I hope these resources will help make a great curriculum even more of a blessing for you.
General Information
Company Resources. The best place to go for general information about Classical Conversations (which I will refer to as CC throughout the post) is the primary website. There you will find a store where you can purchase materials, help locating a CC community in your area, CC Connected (a forum where CC users share ideas), and much more. This video shares more information about what a CC community is all about. Even more beneficial would be attending a local meeting in your area. CC has their own Pinterest account which you can follow to find new products and more. The founder of CC, Leigh Bortins, has also recorded many podcasts relating to CC that you can enjoy in the archives.
Reviews. You may be interested in reading reviews of CC after you’ve visited the website. I’ve already shared the link to my review, but I also recommend an interview on The Homeschool Sanity Show I did with a parent and tutor involved with CC. Mary Prather of Homegrown Learners, one of my guests, shares her own review here. Several users share mixed reviews on The Homeschool Mom. Nurturing Learning shares what she likes and what she doesn’t. The best place to get reviews is your local support group if you are thinking of joining a community.
Weekly Ideas. Beth at Classical Conversations at Home gives weekly suggestions (that correspond with the CC community schedule) for supplements to your CC memory work that you can use at home. Teaching Boys and Half a Hundred Acre Wood share how they organize curriculum and schedules around what is taught in community.
Planning. Using the following posts as guides, you can organize all the great ideas you get for each week of CC. Melody at And Here We Go, Mama shares an organizing tutorial with CC newbies. Her approach is very comprehensive and includes putting relevant folders in a hanging file organizer on the wall. Not Consumed also recommends weekly files for teachers and parents alike and includes a weekly memory printable in this post. She shares how she organizes her review and timeline cards here. Nurturing Learning gives instructions for setting up a memory box. Half a Hundred Acre Wood shares free weekly planning pages for CC to use instead of (or in addition to) folders.
Organizing a Notebook. I haven’t been using a notebook or CC notebooking with my kids, but I want to. The following links will help you join me. Not Consumed offers suggestions for setting up CC notebooks, with the most important one being to print forms well ahead of time! Half a Hundred Acre Wood offers a plethora of free printables for your kids’ notebooks in every subject. (Make sure you have plenty of printer ink!)
Displaying Memory Work. The memorization of key information is what I love best about CC. There are memory work printables linked in the last section for student notebooks, but what is out of sight can be out of mind. These are some great ideas for keeping memory work on display. Not Consumed and Half a Hundred Acre Wood share how they use a tri-fold display board to showcase memory work. Monilynlu shares a smaller memory board perfect for small spaces. My Child I Love You shows off this gorgeous display of framed memory work. Half a Hundred Acre Wood shares the option of using a large dry erase board with the week’s timeline cards incorporated. Taylor West set up an impressive timeline wall with all her cards.
General Memory Helps. And Here We Go Mama created a mini book of memory work that can go mobile. Not Consumed uses this door hanger to help track the memory work that’s been done. J K Dewey shares this fun Jeopardy game idea for review. Try this Pictionary Review Game from A Nurse’s Wildflowers. (She has the kids draw the timeline cards as they go). Quizlet has flash cards for CC cycles.
Although CC has been studying Cycle 2 during the 2013-2014 school year, using CC independently means you may be interested in Cycle 1 resources any time. If you’re studying with a community, you can refer to this list during the appropriate year.
Grammar. This video reviews helping verbs covered in Cycle 1. Jaki Glenn shares this cute idea for using hand cut-outs to remember the weekly helping verbs on Pinterest.
Geography. A girl points out each area for Cycle 1 memory work in this video. And Here We Go Mama shares her cute geography review book for Cycle 1. CCing it One Day at a Time shares her picture flash cards for geography.
Fine Arts. Nurturing Learning shares lesson plans for use with Drawing with Children for weeks 1-6.
Science. And Here We Go Mama recommends this science curriculum as it corresponds to the latter weeks’ science memory work of Cycle 1.
Geography. This 4D U.S. puzzle would be a great addition to Cycle 3 geography.
Latin. This Latin video goes with Cycle 3 Latin work.
Science. The My Body science book dovetails nicely with Cycle 3 science. This body puzzle would be an excellent adjunct to your lessons. This video covers the first few weeks of science.
Math. Nicole Lopez has a Pinterest Board for CC Math.
Geography. CC Happy Mom has produced geography song videos that will help the kids memorize their geography faster. Kid World Citizen has a thorough guide to map vocabulary that will enrich your geography studies. Triumphant Learning sells a geography field guide that also works well for Challenge A.
Essentials. This video gives an overview of the Essentials program. This video on irregular verbs is an Essentials resource. Allison2524 shares a video playlist for use with Essentials. Michelle B explains how to set up an Essentials notebook in this video.
I’m a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. My life can be a little crazy, so I look for sanity-saving ideas to use and share. I hope you’ll read my About page to learn more.
