Home School Support Network

By Hank and Sherry OsborneReligion & Spirituality Christianity Kids & Family Education for Kids

Home School Support Network episodes

January 19, 2012 Temperaments
Why temperaments? Understanding temperaments helps you better understand how God has wired you up. You can also better understand your child. When it comes time to choose a curriculum you can save money and unnecessary frustration. Some curriculum choices might be great for you in how the teaching process is managd but end up being a flop for your child. Some things will be a great match for one child and just will not work at all for another child in the same family. We believe that a basic understanding of your and your children’s temperaments can save money and frustration when selecting curriculum and teaching methods. We will reference this episode in many future episodes!
What are the four temperaments we will cover in this podcast episode?
Choleric (lion): task oriented-extrovert
Sanguine (otter): people oriented-extrovert
Melancholy (beaver): task oriented-introvert
Phlegmatic (golden retriever): people oriented- introvert
A version of this episode is also available on the Daddy Life podcast.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Spirit-Controlled Temperament by Tim LaHaye
Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself by Florence Littauer
The Treasure Tree: Helping Kids Understand Their Personality by Dr. John Trent and Gary Smalley
Wired That Way: An Easy-to-Use Questionnaire for Helping People Discover Their God-Given Personality Type
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48 min
January 05, 2012 South Carolina Home School Law
Our “Goal” for this episode of HSSN podcast is to provide some clarity of the Homeschool Laws in SC. It is very easy to home school in SC and we want to talk through what the law requires in layman’s terms. We have not found an audio explanation of the SC homeschooling options on the Internet.
SC has three options to choose from in terms of who you answer to from an accountability perspective. On the surface these options can seem to be very similar and that can create confusion for the homeschool parent when trying to choose an option. We will break down the differences and similarities of these three options in South Carolina. HSLDA “State Laws” map. This link is a great tool showing the level of states’ regulations at a glance. Individual states are listed at the bottom. Click on your state then click “Legal Analysis” to read what the law actually says for your state.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are our personal interpretation of the SC Homeschool law. We are not lawyers. You should review the law for yourself and/or seek legal advice.
South Carolina Home School Law Basics:
There are three options in terms of accountability in the State of SC. You can be accountable to:
Option I: The district board of trustees
Option II: South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS)
Option III: An association (of your choice) for home schools which has at least fifty members.
Options II and III seem very similar on the surface and we will explain the differences in more detail below. We will also provide some links to associations that meet the requirements for Options III.
Similarities of the Options:
Compulsory Attendance Ages: “five years of age before September first until … seventeenth birthday or graduates from high school.” Any parents whose child is “not six years of age on or before the first day of September of a particular school year may elect for their child” not to attend kindergarten, and then must sign a written document with the school district. S.C. Code § 59-65-10. The source for this quote is HSLDA’s legal analysis of SC law.
Basic Requirements:
1) A parent must have a high school diploma or GED
2) The school year must be at least 180 days
3) Subjects taught must include: Reading, writing, math, science, and social studies; composition and literature in grades 7-12.
Differences between the options:
Option I vs. Option II – Michael Farris said at one point, “South Carolina was the most active state in the nation in taking home schoolers to court.”
1992 – Option II – Law passed
1996 – Option III – law passed
Option II vs. III
The over arching difference between II and III is that with Option II you have a mandated accountability group (SCAIHS) vs. in Option III you can choose.
SCAIHS membership requirements are much more structured than most of the Option III accountability groups. (see their site for things like required testing for certain grade levels)
The Option III accountability groups’ membership fees are on average about 10% that of SCAIHS. However SCAIHS is much more organized and offers some benefits that none of the Option III accountability groups.
A list of accountability associations from State of SC: (CAUTION: Some track more data than the law requires.)
PACESC – $40 covers all family members
The South Carolina Homeschool Accountability Association (http://www.tschaa.com/) – $10 covers all family members (Not mentioned or linked on SCHEA web site or HSLDA)
The accountability groups in option III are required by SC state law. The law is focused on reporting and membership requirements. The law associated with Option III does not require these associations to provide support in terms of support group meetings, field trips, cooperative education services, etc. There are a number of support groups that you can choose to join regardless of the homeschool option you choose in SC. OPTION III is the least intrusive Homeschool Option for parents in the state of SC. You are not required to provide anything directly to your school district or the state as long as you follow the requirements of your OPTION III Home School Association as defined by SC §59-65-47.
South Carolina Virtual Charter Schools:
If you choose to enroll your child in SC Virtual Charter Schools you are not considered to be home schooling in the state of SC! This method of educating your child is simply providing public school education directed by a public school teacher in a separate geographic location from the other public school kids in your district. We have heard stories about parents and even state employees confusing virtual charter schools with homeschooling. The SCVCS web site is very well worded and should create no confusion in this area. The SCVCS program is a good option for families who want public education for their children but would rather not send their children into the public school classroom. A great example is when you have a child in your home that you are not allowed to choose the education method. It might be due to custody reasons. They might be foster children that the state or social worker will not allow to be homeschooled.
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44 min
December 15, 2011 Lapbooks
Podcast Episode 8 show notes:
We want to use this Christmas time to introduce the concept of Lapbooks as a “curriculum” or as a supplement teaching method to what you may already be using.
Simply put Lapbooks are a type of homemade fold out “book” created out of file folders that have been taped together. Included on the foldouts are mini books or folded pockets of things that have been learned about a thing, literature book, time period, or even math concept.
PROS:
Great for children who like to “create”. Makes learning fun!
Children are like authors creating their own books and take ownership in the learning process.
Allows children to guide their learning to subject areas of interest. NOTE: Not that our children get to avoid learning things that they don’t like – the basics are still necessary!
Many use “real” literature books.
Uses a “thematic” or “unit” approach which ties all subject areas to one topic or example.
Can be used to “skim” a subject or historical period (as in colonial period). Lapbooks can also be used as a very in depth study on something like trains for example. With a broad history of trains or study of a specific type of trains.
Very little cost. (more details below)
CONS:
Lapbooks often involve moderate to much handwriting depending on the level. However many have sections with tracing options.
This method may not be fun for some children.
Requires assembly, but you do have the benefit of deciding how many pages to include.
There may not be a Lapbook on the topic you/child wants to study which will require more labor and research.
MATERIALS
Library books can be used. You may need a computer with Internet access and a printer (preferably color). You will need file folders, sissors, glue/tape, colors, and possibly a map and/or a dictionary.
Laminating the folders before attaching all the mini books can help make them more durable but it does increase cost.
You can laminate over the pockets too, you just need a razor knife to cut them open afterwards.
One resource that is helpful to have especially if you are using this approach as a primary means of curriculum is the Enchanted Learning website subscription. The cost is $20 per year.
LAPBOOK RESOURCES
Homeschool Share – a great lapbook resource site. (free Lapbooks- just click and print!) Master Lapbook List
Enchanted Learning Some free lapbook resources. The yearly subscription to this site is a must if you use lapbooks often.
Christian Preschool Printables – We sometimes include these mini books by making a pocket out of construction paper & gluing/stapling to the Lapbook.
DLTK WEBSITE – a great minibook resource, but this site has a ton more to offer. We will mention it again I am sure.
CHRISTMAS LAPBOOKS
The Legend of the Candy Cane Lapbook Instructions – Full downloadable lapbook instructions from Homeschool Share.
Hands of a Child “Symbols of Christmas” Lapbook
Example of a finished product 12 page PDF preview of a finished product from Currclick. They have lapbook instructions for purchase for less than $10.
Video of how to create a basic lapbook that we found on YouTube:
26 min
December 05, 2011 Christmas Theme Homeschool Resources
These are show notes for the Home School Support Network podcast episode number 7. In this episode Sherry shares some great ideas to help you teach your children the real reason for the season. Below are the resources mentioned in this episode.
Advent
Waiting for Christmas – A great book to begin explaining what advent is all about.
Jotham’s Journey – We love this book as a read-aloud to the entire family right after dinner during the days of advent. The story has plenty of excitement and draws in the kids to help build their excitement about Christmas.
The Jesse Tree – Many churches once displayed the lineage of Jesus in their church during Christmas time. These churches used a Jesse Tree to accomplish this. This book helps you teach the history of people that were included in Jesus’ earthly family.
Jesse Tree Advent Activity Kit – An activity book to help you build your Jesse Tree. We found several links when searching for “printable jesse tree ornaments“.
Activities and Stories
ADVENTure of Christmas – A great resource book. You can read a story filled with history about one or more Christmas traditions or you can choose one of the many activities to do with your children.
The Legend of the Candy Cane – The is a great book that can be used to build a Lapbook. Stay tuned for next week’s episode to get more details on what a lapbook is and how Sherry uses this book as the subject for a lapbook during the Christmas season.
Mommy, Was Santa Claus Born on Christmas Too? – One of many books by this author. This book helps put the emphasis where it should be during CHRISTmas without spoiling the fun families have with Santa Claus. This book helps explain how we went from Saint Nicholas to the man in the red suit.
Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend – A historical account of saint Nicholas.
Ordinary Baby, Extraordinary Gift – Amazing music and book authored by Gloria Gather. The music is absolutely beautiful.
From Answers In Genesis
Uncovering the Real Nativity – This small booklet is filled with facts about the Christmas story that are rarely heard. Most narratives describing the birth of Jesus are filled with details that have no scriptural basis. This pocket sized booklet will help you stick to the facts when telling the story of Jesus’ birth.
First Christmas (The), (by historian Diana Waring) – Most Christians hear the Luke 2 account of the birth of the Christ-child each year. But few of us have heard the full chronological retelling of the multi-Gospel account. In this very special audio presentation, the high-energy historian Diana Waring shares from detailed research and reveals the rich background of Mary, Joseph, the Roman occupation, the culture of the day, and much more.
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32 min
November 18, 2011 Teaching Textbooks Math Curriculum Review
This is our first review of curriculum on the Home School Support Network podcast. In the episode we provided a review of the popular homeschool math curriculum Teaching Textbooks. We provide an audio clip example from a lesson and explain how the curriculum works for the parent and the child. This math program allows your child to work independently so you have an opportunity to give your attention to other children or tasks in the home for a few minutes each day while providing your child math lessons taught the way your grandparents learned math. There are no fancy new age math teaching methods used. This program teaches math to your child in a common sense approach and with easy to follow methods.
We have no relationship with Teaching Textbooks other than by simply being a satisfied customer. We have not been asked to produce this review and are not being compensated for the review in any way. We do highly recommend Teaching Textbooks as your home school math curriculum.
In this episode we also mention Time4Learning.
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27 min
November 14, 2011Podcast Episode 5 – Home School Structure and Routine
These are show notes for the Home School Support Network podcast episode number 5.
Structure and Routine
Does every minute have to be scheduled?
How to recognize which one is best for you. “free spirit & people person?” vs. a “task oriented getter don type person?”
WARNING FLAG – don’t be a slave to your schedule
From Mom’s Notes “Structuring Your Children’s Day” part 1
“Many parents do not see how a routine can help bring peace to a home. Nor do they understand how an effective routine often eliminates need for discipline/correction. Think you don’t need a routine?
“Do you see your children getting into trouble more often each day?”
“Do you feel like a truck has run over you by the time your husband gets home each day?”
“Do you feel trapped being at home with your children?”

Why have a schedule or routine?
Brings order to my day by helping me manage the priorities I set.
Keeps me from starting many things only to go from one unfinished task to another without focus or direction-“wandering” then wondering where my time went.
Set your priorities and plan a time for each priority daily/weekly. Where’s your time with God?
Keep in mind that unless you yourself have structure in your day, it will not matter how structured your child’s day is because you won’t be able to adhere to their routine either.
Creates contentment
Children learn submission, humility, self control with a parent directed day. In contrast, without a routine children have too much authority, choice, and control.
It is amazing to me how many discipline issues are resolved through the consistent use of routine!
The child does have choices during the day within boundaries (free time). In short, if you don’t direct the day then THEY WILL and this will rarely lead to peace and an adequate learning enviro. Children don’t run the “classroom” and in homeschooling you are now the parent AND the teacher!
It helps mom be proactive and fosters peacefulness-a necessity with multiple children.
Set the senario: 4 boys free playing (loosely monitored) in the early evening hours, mom trying to cook….not good! Plan what to do with each child and expect some trial and error.
Carla Link states in “Structuring Your Child’s Day” Part 2 “Kids who live without structure can develop behavior problems. Frequent tantrums, whining, a disregard for rules, inappropriate or aggressive behavior, constant demands, and an inability to share are some of the signs that your child needs more structure.”
HOW DO I START?
Prayer Phil 4:6
Evaluate for a few days/week and write down your existing routine OR write down things as you do them on the appropriate day. *write down realistically how long each thing takes! Ie “Activity List”
INCLUDE:
self control training- sitting us a skill that must be trained, it does not come natural!
Chores training
Devotion/Bible story time with the kids
Sibling indiv playtime
Pack and play time/Room-time
Outside play/nature walk
Errands including driving time
Quiet time with books/Storytime
Structured playtime (coloring/art, puzzles, toys, etc)
Free play time at a toy box
Individual time with each child daily/every other day…15 min, 30 min, or more?
3. Do the same thing for your children’s activities
Get your spouse’s input
choose which route you want to go-schedule or routine. Either way, make meals, naps, & bedtimes as fixed as you can. If need be, create a M,W,F and T,Th routine.
Check show notes for samples of schedules & for a blank one to get yourself started. Start with the fixed activities and fill in from your Activities List. If your kids are not used to a routine, start with establishing consistent bed and wake times.
WARNING – *Do NOT try to copy someone else’s schedule! Instead use it for ideas and as a GUIDE.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Remember to leave “catch up time”. If you freq feel like you are rushing from one thing to another then you prob haven’t given yourself enough time for each activity.
Look for the most stressful time of the day- that is where you need more structure!
Have a stop time throughout the day at ___:00 and go to next activity no matter where they are at.
When you homeschool there will be days you don’t get anything done but heart training and that’s ok!
Implement “pieces” of your schedule at a time, either AM or PM
*DON’T CHUCK THE WHOLE SCHEDULE IF YOU GET OFF SOMEWHERE!!* Having a sch/routine helps you jump back in where ever you are at that time. Give example
Parting challenge- Have we engaged our children or overseen them all day? Take encouragement that a schedule will help with this.
HELPS FOR MOM’S DAY
Plan meals in advance!
Create a two week meal plan
Eliminates stress if figuring out what’s for dinner (or freezer meals not being thawed!)
Saves money and time with less grocery store stops (or fast food purchases)
Learn how to use a crockpot…find recipes.
Create a rotating chore plan.

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41 min
November 06, 2011Podcast Episode 4 – Foundation of Successful Homeschooling
These are show notes for the Home School Support Network podcast episode number 4.
How To Homeschool Basics “Basic Training”
Need to create a foundation before (successful) homeschooling can begin.
Need to frequently reevaluate/retrain these
We referred to some great material from Todd Wilson from Family Man Ministries and also referred to an HSLDA Home School Court Report article from the Sep/Oct issued by Michael Farris titled 10 Lessons I Learned from 30 Years of Home Schooling.
Keep your expectations in check
HSLDA Article point #4 from Michael Farris
Learn your husband’s non-negotiable for house cleanliness
How long do you expect them to sit while receiving instruction/teaching? still vs fidget?
What will school look like? Do you think mom needs to be standing at an easel or everyone around a table, etc.
HSDLA Article Point #5 Strive for mastery in just two areas (i.e., language and math)
Husbands Need to Help
Farris talks about this in the article point #7. Protect your wife from over commitment
– give your wife permission to throw you under the bus when people ask for help. (i.e. Wife can say, “I’ll have to check with my husband)
– Don’t be quilted into putting ministry support in front of the needs of your family.
Make sure your wife gets a break. Mom is also a wife and has friends. Refer to http://daddylife.net/session7 title Mommy is a Wife.
Dads need to off-load homeschooling academics and/or household upkeep. Do it yourself or hire a house keeper or tutor if you can afford it.
Husbands need to learn wife’s hot button issues and take care of those first.
From http://DaddyLife.net/firstthings“I will paraphrase what our good friend Gary Ezzo says in the Preparation for Parentingseries, “You will only be as good of a parent as you are a spouse.” Dads cannot forget how important their commitment is to the marriage relationship. Mr. Ezzo says in the Fathers Mandate from Chapter 4 of Growing Kids God’s Way by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, “If you really love your children, if you really love your children then give them the gift of confidence and security. Show them how much you love their mom.” Parents need to teach their kids what healthy relationships look like and there is no better place to begin than by demonstrating an unconditional love for each other.”There are many ways to demonstrate love towards your wife. You can certainly tell your wife that you love her, but little kids in particular tend to understand better by seeing than by hearing. So husbands should not wait until the kids are in bed to demonstrate your love toward their wife. Check of DaddyLife.net/session13 for more specific tips for dads in this area.
From the article point #6 we are reminded that Moms need to remember that your marriage is more important than your curriculum
Mom needs some energy left at the end of the day. Review the time and energy it takes to implement your curriculum.
How well do your children Submit to your authority?
First Time Obedience- Immediately, completely, without challenge or complaint
An example of us obeying God. We are His representatives. Why is the important in homeschooling specifically?
Not all learning will be “fun” or “easy”-cant spend hours fighting to get things done or you will burn out and put your kid into school
Self Control Training
Purpose: (1) Self control is a base virtue, (2) Helps a child sit, focus, and concentrate longer.
Howto: Practice self control by what we call “sit time” as learned in our parent training. The child sits for a few minutes. (Practicing what you would love to have them do in a bank or doctor’s office) Start with as many minutes as your child can handle and work up from there by increasing the length of time they sit each day to practice.
Training children to do chores
Why: Time with mom learning to do things that will eventually free mom up to do other things. It trains responsibility and they invest into the family and acquire a sense of ownership of the family unit.
How: Have them work along side you until they show enough understanding to be allowed to do the task on their own. Then use a timer to help them stay on task. What Every Child Should Know Along the Way will help parents understand what chores are appropriate for a particular age of child. The book is available in the GFI.org Store.
Structure and routine
All of the above is much more likely to be accomplished if you have established structure and routine.
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39 min
October 28, 2011Podcast Episode 3 – Homeschool Myths
We are going to touch on two areas.
The Myths about Home School
Reasons commonly given for NOT homeschooling
Myths about Homeschooling?
Socialization – The more traditional meaning is that kids need to mingle and learn with other kids so that they are better prepared to go out into the world. Who will do a better job? Your kids along with a group of their peers who are just as inexperienced as your kids? Do your kid’s teachers have time to train in how to deal with the world?
Per Dictionary.com:
so·cial·i·za·tion
[soh-shuh-luh-zey-shuhn] Show IPA
noun
1. a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior,and social skills appropriate to his or her social position.
The question that all parents should be asking is, “Whose values and behavior standards are they using?”
No Degree or parents thinking they are not smart enough or trained well enough
• degree taught Sherry classroom management & exposed her to resources/books more than anything. Utopia!
Costly – We consider this one to be a myth because cost is relative. If you are homeschooling in place of a $4,000 per year private school then home schooling is not costly. There are other factors that com into play depending on what curriculum(s) you choose and how often you switch. You can also increase home school if you get involved in co-ops that charge a fee to participate or if you frequently take expensive field trips.
Why NOT home school?
We want to acknowledge that some people simply could not home school there children even if they wanted to because of circumstances out of their control.
Single Parents
Financial Situations
An unsupportive spouse
Even with that said don’t give up if you believe God is calling you to homeschool. He will not give you a task that He is not willing to equip you to accomplish.
Can sacrifices be made?
Our past financial mistakes here with NOT adjusting lifestyle. Don’t forget the cost of daycare and children’s programs that you will be saving money on by having mom at home.
Creative scheduling? If you can’t do without Mom’s extra income for now then how about alternate or flex schedules. Don forget that homeschool is not required to be an exact replica of a public school classroom. You can school on the weekends or in the evenings for a season.
Curriculum choices can be as hands on OR as hands off as you desire. We will get to this in future episodes, but your choice of curriculum can aid you in dealing with scheduling issues because many programs are self paced and require less supervision.
40 min
October 13, 2011Podcast Episode 2 – Why Home School?
What is Home School? – A method of educating your children at home as a replacement for public or private school.
U.S. Department of Education Survey on Homeschooling
Why We Home School?
Preschool training – Bible stories, self control, respect for authority, responsibility, manners.
Insulate our kids – Have greater influence over who their peers are.
Character Training – Sherry’s experience as a teacher in the best district in the State of SC
Authority of Scripture: To be able to teach the Bible as infallible, authoritative, and the literal word of God.
Ability to tailor teaching to the individual needs of each child (Phonics, more hands on, more field trips)
Less time spent on academics equals more family time
Teaching a special needs child without the labels (Heart Protection)
Educating outside the box. (Telling time – State standards for his age only required him to tell time to the hour.)
Ability to travel
37 min
October 07, 2011 Podcast Episode 1 – Welcome and Introductions
The Home School Support podcast is your online homeschooling support group. Are you struggling to find the best curriculum or methods to teach your child? The Home School Support Network is here to help by providing curriculum and resource reviews, time management tips, as well as experiences with teaching methods.
Introductions: Hank and Sherry Osborne
Our Kids: (at the time of this recording)
Riley (9 in a few days)
Caden (7 in a few weeks) – Caden’s Page
Josiah (aka JJ is 4)
Levi 16 months
Our Web Site Address: homeschoolsupport.net
Why are we here?
What is this podcast and web site going to cover?
– Online support for home schooling parents
– Weekly home school support podcast
– Evaluating if home schooling is the right choice for your child (each child)
– Curriculum choices – How to decide and when to change.
– Book reviews
– Reviews of other resources (homeschool teaching aids, games, videos, and more)
– Schedule management – Schooling multiple children of different ages
– Home schooling special needs kids
Are you considering Home School?
– Start researching now
– Hang out with some HS families (invite them over for dinner or a Sat lunch)
– Ask a Homeschooling friend to take you to a local support group meeting
– Read other’s thoughts
Craig over at Daddy by Default posted a guest article by Jamie McMillin. She has homeschooled her three kids for the past 15 years, and is the author of Legendary Learning: The Famous Homeschoolers’ Guide to Self-Directed Excellence, to be published in October 2011.
Favorite Site of the Week: Home School Legal Defense Association

34 min

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