Ministry-to-Children.com » Homeschooling

Homeschooling IS NOT for Me … Or is It?

Brandi Riddle — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:43:24 +0000

I never intended to homeschool. In fact, it was almost faux pas, like “only those weird people who want to shelter their kids from the real world” homeschool. And yet, here I am planning to homeschool my son starting in the fall.

We moved from a place with very little homeschooling to Louisville, Kentucky, where my eyes have been opened to the wide world of it! There are several different reasons why my husband and I chose to homeschool. One is simply the fact that we are not familiar with the school system here. The other is that we plan to go into international missions and know that we will probably be homeschooling him in the future.

Whatever the reasons we came up with, I ultimately know that God has planned this for us! Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” My plans were certainly not to homeschool; my plans didn’t even involve moving to Louisville, however, God’s plans did, and I understand now more than ever, that I am to be obedient to His plan for my life.

I am nervous and excited at the same time. As a former middle school & high school teacher, I am clueless as to how to even begin homeschooling a kindergartener. I have scoured the Internet for ideas, websites, and printed material. I have prayed non-stop, and asked for advice and help from others who are homeschooling. What I’ve discovered is that it is a learning process for both of us as we adjust and adapt to homeschooling and my son’s learning style. I may have to change the way I do everything once we start. I may have to start over several times. It’s a work in progress that will be ever changing and evolving as both of us learn how to do this!

I hope that I can share my ideas and insights, pros, cons, and such with you along the way of this journey! The only thing I know for sure is that I am being obedient to God!

Review: Cullen’s ABC’s Online Preschool Program

Wayne Stocks — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:04:39 +0000

What is Cullen’s ABC’s Online Preschool Program?

Cullen’s Online Preschool Program is a series of twelve complete preschool days that you can use with your own child(ren) or a group of children to offer them a complete preschool in the comfort of your own home.

Who is Cullen?

According to her website Cullen’s ABC’s, Cullen:

…has been working with young children since 1994; falling in love with her profession from the start. Her career began as a Day Care instructor and transitioned to Preschool, teaching three and four year olds. Cullen was soon named Preschool Director and successfully influenced the program’s direction for many years. However, she realized her true love and passion was teaching. So, now she has channeled her enthusiasm and experience back into teaching Preschool children.

I was familiar with come of Cullen’s other work from her YouTube channel, and I was excited to review her new online preschool program. While I did not previously know her background, I was not surprised to find out the she specializes in the education of young children. That background, and her love of kids, is evident in everything that she does.

How Does an Online Preschool Work?

Online preschool works just like any other preschool with one minor exception – the lead teacher (Cullen) interacts with the children exclusively through the use of online videos. With the help of a “Teacher’s Helper” (i.e., the grownup teaching the child), Cullen guides you through each preschool day. The kid(s) will spend part of the preschool day listening to Cullen and part of the day working through activities with you. The videos are very clear about when you should pause Cullen and engage with the kids as the Teacher’s Helper. The preschool day package includes detailed instructions/suggestions on how to prepare your “classroom” and on how to do each days activities. You determine which and how many days of the week you will do the preschool lessons.

How Does A Normal Day Work?

While each day varies in what the children are taught, the format and flow of the day is always the same. The structure is great for young children as it gives them benchmarks to know where they are in the progression of each day.

Each day starts with Circle Time, and of course the circle time song. Circle time starts with an introduction to that day’s themes and the “Hi There!” song. The next segment of Circle time involves selecting the “Special Helper” for the day. The process for doing this is explained in the introductory video. From there, each day moves into calendar time introduced by the “Day of the Week” song. I have to admit that by the second or third time I heard the song, even I was singing along. It’s then time for the Teacher’s Helper to pause the video and discuss the name of the month, day of the week and number of the day. Again, this process is explained in detail in the Circle Time introductory video. From calendar time, you move into weather time in which you discuss the types of weather and the “Teacher Helper” discusses what the weather is like today where you live.

From there, Ms. Cullen moves into a discussion of the theme and topic for the day. In the free demo day, the theme is weather and the topic is the four seasons. In her discussion of the seasons, Ms. Cullen along with her sidekick “Gator” shows pictures of the four seasons and shows pieces of clothing and encourages the kids to figure out what type of weather (and season) they would wear those clothes in. From there, the Teacher’s Helper leads the kids in singing a song. For the free demo day, the song is “Mr. Sun.” There is another video included of Ms. Cullen singing that song which you can use to either learn the song or to play for the children.

The next section for each day is called “Letters.” The points of this section is to teach kids about upper and lower case letters in the alphabet and the sounds that those letters make. In order to do this, Ms. Cullen uses food that starts with each letter of the alphabet. There is one rule for this part of the lesson – each child has to try each of the foods. I think this is an awesome idea for teaching kids not only the letters of the alphabet but exposing them to new foods. Each day comes with a “Prep Video” to get the teacher prepared for that day. For the demo day, the letter is “W.” The upper and lowercase version of the letters are shown, the sound of the letter is reviewed, and the foods selected to demonstrate the letter are Wheaties, Wheat Thins, and Water. In addition to learning the letter itself, this segment is also used to discuss colors, shapes, textures, temperature, and other descriptive words for food.

From Letter Time the day moves into Worship time which starts with a Bible verse. For the demo day, the verse is Numbers 10:29. Cullen reads the verse and then discusses it with the kids. She has them repeat the verse after her and then tells a story to the kids. For the demo day, the story is the story of Noah building the ark. The story includes various pictures for the kids to look at. After the story, worship time ends with prayer.

From Worship Time, the day moves into its final section – Arts and Science time. This portion of the day includes the kids doing some sort of hands on activity. There is an introductory video for each activity to show the Teacher’s Helper how the activity is done.

What Themes and Days are Available?

Right now, there are a total four different themes available with three days each for a total of twelve days. They are:

WEATHER THEME

Day 1 – Four Seasons, Day 2 – Clouds, Day 3 – Rainbows

SPACE THEME

Day 1 – Stars, Day 2 – Earth, Day 3 – Outer Space

BUGS THEME

Day 1 – Spiders, Day 2 – Butterflies, Day 3 – Lady Bugs

ANIMALS THEME

Day 1 – Sheep, Day 2 – Pigs, Day 3 – Bears

What is the price?

Individual days can be purchased for $4.99. You can also purchase the three days that make up an individual theme as a package for $14.99. If you would like to use the online preschool but can’t afford it, you can contact Cullen’s Online Preschool to inquire about their Cullen’s Compassion Offer. I think this program alone demonstrates Cullen’s love for children and the education of younger children. In the end, that is what she is really all about.

What is my recommendation?

I love this resource! As the father of four kids (three of whom have been through pre-school and another who starts next year), I have seen several different preschool programs. This one is as good as any of them. Obviously, a large part of how successful this program will be for you will depend on how involved you as a parent get in it as the Teacher’s Helper. This is not intended to be the type of thing where you turn on a video and sit your kids in front of the TV to learn from a talking head. This is meant to be an experience for you to enjoy along with your child, and an opportunity to participate in their education at a very formative time in their lives.

I would recommend this program to any parent of preschool age children. It would also be a great thing for grandparents to do with their grandkids. If you set up your online preschool to meet twice a week, this program will provide you with 6 full weeks worth of school for roughly $60. With some creativity, I think you will also find that you can use these days more than once. If you are looking for something you can do at home as your child’s only preschool experience, this is an awesome program. Even if your kids are already enrolled in a traditional preschool program, this Cullen’s Online Preschool will be an awesome supplement to that education. Regardless of your circumstances, this program offers an amazing and affordable opportunity for you and your children.

For more information, check out their website at http://online-preschool.cullensabcs.com/.

The #1 Blessing of Homeschooling

Tony Kummer — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:31:49 +0000

This article was written by Eric Carpenter, a homeschooling dad from Savannah, Georgia. You can find more of Eric’s articles on his website titled Hammer and Nail.

Educating our three children at home has been a great blessing for the past six-or-so years. I cannot even begin to think of all the privileges and thrills it has brought to our lives. However, if I had to choose the #1 blessing of homeschooling, it would be this: knowing that our children are receiving an integrated education that has Jesus Christ at the very center.

Different families break down the homeschooling responsibilities in different ways. I admit that my wife does most of the homeschooling for our family. My primary duty and privilege is leading our family in worship. This usually involves bible study, prayer, hymn singing, and catechism memorization. This is probably the high point of my day. Seeing my kids grow closer to God while learning more about who he is is absolutely amazing.

One great benefit for our children is the integration of their studies around Jesus Christ. In other words, as they are learning about math, they see that it is God who created math to be the way it is. As they study literature, they see what great gifts God has given to us to be able to read and write prose and poetry. As they study science, God’s hand in creation becomes more apparent to them. As they look at world history, they can see God’s providential care over his people and world. I could go on.

The point is that not only are our children receiving a Christian education, but they also are seeing how Christ relates to all of their academic subjects. He is quite purposely the absolute center of what they are learning. We base this intentional focus upon God on this and this.

When our kids finish school at home and go on to college, they will know what they believe. They will not be confused by a secular education that conflicts with what they are taught in church. Their worldview will be secure.

Of course, all this rests in the sovereignty and providence of God. We thank him for his grace and mercy in making up for where we fail as homeschooling parents.

California and Homeschooling Rights

Tony Kummer — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:07:13 +0000

In April 2008, a California Court of Appeal decided that homeschooling is illegal in California unless a parent is a certified teacher. This ruling grossly overreached the case in question and now threatens the rights of over 160,000 homeschoolers in that state. Many are calling this a reckless abuse of judicial power.

This post is now outdated and the crisis has been resolved.

I was disturbed when I saw this news on Albert Mohler’s blog. At first, I thought it was an overreaction. Then I kept reading and found out this was as bad as it looked. When any government starts taking these positions, we should all be very concerned.

You can get involved by signing the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) Petition. You can sign for yourself and your spouse.

Learn More

Update: Schwarzenegger Vows To Protect Homeschooling in California

“Every California child deserves a quality education, and parents should have the right to decide what’s best for their children. . . Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children’s education. . . This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts, and if the courts don’t protect parents’ rights then, as elected officials, we will.”

“Governor vows to protect homeschooling” – by Jill Tucker and Bob Egelko (San Francisco Chronicle)

Thanks to Denny Burk for the link.

Do You Homeschool?

Tony Kummer — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:01:39 +0000

I recently wrote an article about Christian homeschooling. Watch this video clip of Dr. Voddie Baucham, author of the new book “Family Driven Faith,” talking about home education. I’ve also started researching home school curriculum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHAb5Eqk60Q

No related posts.

Is Christian Homeschooling The Answer?

Tony Kummer — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 03:21:05 +0000

Is homeschooling right for my son? For our family, the answer was not as simple as you might think. My oldest son starts first grade next week. I am a full time Children’s pastor – and get to hear plenty of strong opinions on both sides of the issue. Many of our friends want us to join the Christian homeschooling movement. But I need to know what is right for my son?

To help decide, I’ve made this list of pros and cons. This is my homeshcooling verses public schooling list. In our town, we have an excellent public school system, a new Christian school and a strong homeschooling community. I’ve ruled out the private Christian school because of its price. I’d love to hear what you think about this list. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Christian Homeschooling Pros

Christian Homeschooling Curriculum: The whole homeschooling program facilitates learning. It seems like Christian homeschooling can provide an excellent education. There is so much supporting material on the internet. Crosswalk.com provides online homeschooling resources. You might also like LifeWay’s homeschool resource page. I’ve started a list of home school curriculum
Homeschooling would give us more family time. Kids spend so much time in public schools that they become strangers to their parents. Christian homeschooling would allow us to spend time with our son during these short years.
Christian values are a part of Christian homeschooling curriculum. All parents must teach the Bible to their children. But homeschooling curriculum would add a whole new level of religious education.
Christian homeschooling provides a high level of safety. Public schools can be dangerous both physically and emotionally for children. Peer interaction often tends toward bullying. Homeschooling would clearly protect my son.

Christian Homeschooling Cons

Homeschooling would reduce my son’s opportunities to make friends outside of our church. He is a pastor’s kid and spends almost too much time with other Christian children.
My son loves his school. After kindergarten, he couldn’t wait to go back for more. I’m sure he would love homeschooling but he definitely is a social guy.
Christian homeschooling would reduce my contacts with unbelievers. As a Children’s pastor it seems like all I do is talk to other Christian parents. Getting involved in public school means getting involved with unchurched families.
Homeschooling would not give my son experience dealing with with ‘worldly people.’ Dealing with mean people is a skill that kids must learn. Christian homeschooling would protect my son from these people. But only for a little while.

Is Christian Homeschooling The Answer?

After serious consideration, we think public school is right for our son. I know some of you will disagree with me. But several our Christian friends teach at our school. We also get involved. So, this will be a year-by-year decision. I’m sure we’ll be having these same talks next year.

What about you? Are you involved in Christian homeschooling?