Life in a Shoe: Homeschool regardless of your circumstances!

[Kelya]

Just another example of fundies not being able to see the forest for the trees.

From: Joede Fleming

First I want to say that I love the way you write. You always seem "real", not worrying about how other might perceive you. I love that, which is probably why I felt compelled to come to you instead of someone else.

I don't know many homeschoolers. We have a group in our "area" which is about a 50 mi radius, but they have dropped me as a member because I couldn't afford the $20 membership fee. Those that I did have contact with at one point were very tight lipped about how their days flowed and how I could help my children learn things they so hated.

I have 6 children, 1 graduates high school this year and hopefully will attend a community college next year to obtain a teachers aide certificate (I know I don't sound encouraging about this, she has Down syndrome and are hoping the college will grant her access to their classes), an 11yo son who wishes to go to public school much to my chagrin, and those I will homeschool (as of beginning of my official school year) are ages 7, 5, 3, 2.

My will be 7yo does not read yet, and is completely uninterested in anything work related.

This is my first full year schooling so I really need some help in how to teach my 5yo to read, as well as ways to encourage my 7yo.

I just feel lost honestly. We cannot afford to buy new curriculum, my hubby has been out of work for 2yrs and is unable to work due to back problems. I am however going to try and purchase Explode the code as I have heard it is wonderful and also Teaching your child to read in 100 lessons.

I do not have internet access and right now no computer as the video card has gone out.

What can I do to continue educating my children?

I have prayed about this and thought that I was being given signs to return my children to public school but have had nothing but utter anxiety about that thought, which is why I am convinced they need to be home.

Any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated. I hope I haven't made this seem like an overwhelming amount of pressure on you to give me the "right" or "best" answer,becasue those are all individual and I will use what you say as advice and not as what is right and concrete.

God Bless you! Your blog has encourage me, made me smile and given me hope when I needed them all!!

Joede

You're in a difficult and scary situation, but I applaud your determination to homeschool! Remember that your goal is to raise Christian adults, and for this you don't necessarily need a lot of curriculum or shiny electronics. The Robinson Curriculum is built almost entirely around good books. There's no need to buy the curriculum itself. With the booklist in hand and a good library, you could almost educate your children for free.

A good library will go a long, long way. Read to your children and with your children, both fiction and non-fiction. You can cover history, science and civics this way without spending a dime. Look for Five in a Row

at your library to get a taste of what you can do with a few good books, then try to expand the concept on your own. You may find that your children enjoy the approach far more than typical textbooks, too.

Read Bible with them every day. We like to gather round the breakfast table and divide up a chapter of Proverbs, with each of us reading a few verses aloud. Then we break up for more private reading.

Have them write something daily - a letter, a short story, a journal entry, a summary of a book they've recently finished, copy a poem or a passage of Scripture. Correct their work for spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Spectrum makes inexpensive math workbooks that we like for younger children, and I have even gotten several of these for free from Paperback Swap. Supplement with homemade flashcards.

Listen to Curriculum Advice, above. You'll be encouraged! You can do this, and God will bless your desire to please Him.

I know homeschooling doesn't have to be particularly elaborate or something only wealthy people do, but the tone of this letter and the response make me want to scream. If money is so tight you can't pay a twenty dollar fee (and I understand and have done that), then maybe send your kids to free public school so you can go work. Or have your husband, if his injury allows him, teach the kids while you work.

But nope. Fuck common sense, and continue to homeschool your kids despite having no income or materials. God will be pleased that you're screwing over your kids and letting yourself sink further into poverty

[keeperrox]

Am I wrong to think the OP to LIAS is a joke solely because her name is Joede? As in Jody?

[Koala]

I'm sorry, but that is absolutely ridiculous. If you can't afford to home educate your child, then put them in school.

[kb2]

Seriously. Public school could also come with cheap/reduced/free lunch and breakfast, which could help a lot with bills.

[liltwinstar]

Also, you *don't* get a great education by just reading. Yes, it's a fundamental requirement, of course. But there's so much more to education than just being well-read...you need to do math problems and work out science stuff and do experiments and learn languages on and on. If all you do is Read Books from Approved Sources, you end up with a very one-sided education, and you'll be 30 years old, realizing that all the stuff you were taught as "science" was, in fact, crap and you need to re-educate yourself (yes, this is the story of my life!).

[cjsmom]

Why is public school a place that sends her into anxiety at the thought? Wow. Hopefully the 11 year old will encourage the younger ones to ask for public school, as it looks like Joede (sp) is allowing one of the children to attend public school.

Off-topic: I am going to put in my professional growth plan to be more Satanic in my teaching practice next year...

[Witsec6]

WTF is her injured husband doing while he's not working and she's teaching four children who sound like they might have learning disabilities!?

Edit: Sorry, Kelya, should have read your comments.

[Deleted05]

http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/view/rc/s31p1000.htm

From Mr. Robinson himself. Multiculturalism is really just racism, so only teach about those illustrious whites. And make sure you keep it pre- all those nasty civil rights movements.

[clibbyjo]

The Christian thing to do would be let the lady remain a member for FREE.

We have some people on our group who have money problems and they have paid us in payments when we rented the building.(while my partner and I, who are not rich in any way pay the whole chunk and hope everyone pays us back.(they always did). We have also had a few rich members say they would pay anyone's bill who cannot afford it. We work with everyone.

Of course, we are just a bunch of secular homeschoolers, so of course the Christian's know better than us...:rolleyes

[Koala]

The Christian thing to do would be let the lady remain a member for FREE.

We have some people on our group who have money problems and they have paid us in payments when we rented the building.(while my partner and I, who are not rich in any way pay the whole chunk and hope everyone pays us back.(they always did). We have also had a few rich members say they would pay anyone's bill who cannot afford it. We work with everyone.

Of course, we are just a bunch of secular homeschoolers, so of course the Christian's know better than us...:rolleyes

Sounds like your kids are getting a great education Clibbyjo. I always love to read your homeschooling comments.

[Austin]

The Christian thing to do would be let the lady remain a member for FREE. We have some people on our group who have money problems and they have paid us in payments when we rented the building.(while my partner and I, who are not rich in any way pay the whole chunk and hope everyone pays us back.(they always did). We have also had a few rich members say they would pay anyone's bill who cannot afford it. We work with everyone.

Of course, we are just a bunch of secular homeschoolers, so of course the Christian's know better than us...:rolleyes

That is exactly what I was thinking, clibbyjo. If it was soooo important that they get their $20, could no one else honestly not pony that up for her?

And then they froze her out, too.

Nice ladies.

[marmalade]

The women who froze out the OP are stone cold bitches. However, her post to the blog was Exhibit A of why the uber isolated, homeschooling fundies will never take over the government, or much of anything else. These people are on the verge of being as educated as the Irish Travellers on the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding show.

If you haven't seen the show or don't know about these people, they typically pull their kids out of school around age 11, but they've moved around so much, for the most part, that they're essentially illiterate. The girls are pulled to cook and clean (constantly), once an older sister marries, or the mother's body just can't take it anymore (very few of these people live past 60). The boys are pulled out to begin the process of learning to steal, scam, brawl and drink.

Yet, they're devout Catholics who insist on virginal brides (who look like $5 hookers) and female subservience after marriage (typically around 16 or so...at 18, you're on the shelf).

Yup, that's where I see Jodey's [sp?] family in about 5 years; a used trailer to raise/homeschool their 6 kids once they've defaulted on their rent/mortgage sounds about right.

[JesusFightClub]

http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/view/rc/s31p1000.htm

From Mr. Robinson himself. Multiculturalism is really just racism, so only teach about those illustrious whites. And make sure you keep it pre- all those nasty civil rights movements.

Caelem, you are kidding me. Why would anyone trust teaching from someone that ignorant?

The "point" about Ebonics was particularly annoying. Not only did he not back up his assertion that it was nothing but "slang and poor grammar" this is not, actually, factually correct. African American speech in certain areas of the US has so many areas of variation from standard English and so much influence from African languages it is, essentially, a separate language.

I'm wondering if he would make the same argument about Scots, that it wasn't a language just slang and poor grammar? Probably not, since it's mostly white people who speak it.

[doggie]

didn't se say god was hinting aout public schools? and she ants to not follow what god says? it's good to take schooling advice from a mother who does not really do it anymore and lets her daughters teach each other.

[alphaeta08]

I was also surprised (well, more appalled) that her homeschool group would dump her over $20. I don't know how many families were in the group, but wouldn't it be like $5 each max to help her out? Geez. And the LIAS homeschool plan sounds... interesting. Yeah, doing tons of reading is great and can be fun, but it's not an entire education.

[Pearl]

I'm not entirely sure that I believe that the homeschool group froze her out over $20. It just doesn't make sense to me. I'm not saying the group is great - just that I don't know if I completely believe that they would do that over a $20 infraction. There's probably something else attached to it and the poster (wanting more sympathy) used the $20 thing as the excuse.

[BlackHawk]

No longer agreeing with Thomas Jefferson and our other founding fathers that all people are created equal and that each person should have an equal right before the law to life, liberty, property, and an opportunity to better himself by adopting the best examples set by other people, the state schools teach that all people should be forced to remain different so that their "cultures" will not change.

http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/view/rc/s31p1000.htm

Seriously? Our founding fathers did not agree that ALL people should be created equally, just the whites. Thomas Jefferson owned more than 100 slaves at any given moment in his adult life. It was Jefferson who began the Trail of Tears for the Native Peoples... Jefferson was a class A racist asshole, for fucks sakes.

I cannot stand people like this! Ugh.

[Austin]

http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/view/rc/s31p1000.htm

Seriously? Our founding fathers did not agree that ALL people should be created equally, just the whites. Thomas Jefferson owned more than 100 slaves at any given moment in his adult life. It was Jefferson who began the Trail of Tears for the Native Peoples...

The facts are sooooo pesky! ;)

[starfish]

Wouldn't it have been great if Kim from LIAS had the courage to tell the lady that it would be okay to check out the local public schools and not to be afraid? Dougie Poo probably monitors her blog, however, and would fire the dad and ostrasize the entire family if the evil public schools are mentioned as a possible option.

I feel incredibly sorry for the child that wants to attend school but his parents won't let him. I'm sorry, but those kids aren't learning ANYTHING except misery and poverty. Dad can't work, they have all those kids some of whom have learning disorders. How do they possibly live?

[Hane]

The "point" about Ebonics was particularly annoying. Not only did he not back up his assertion that it was nothing but "slang and poor grammar" this is not, actually, factually correct. African American speech in certain areas of the US has so many areas of variation from standard English and so much influence from African languages it is, essentially, a separate language.

Slightly OT: I saw a brilliant piece about "Ebonics" on a public TV documentary. It showed a black teacher giving a grammar lesson to his class of mostly black fifth graders. The point of the lesson was learning the difference between African-American colloquial English and standard American English. He'd read a phrase and ask the students to determine which form of English was being used. I loved it because it did not demonize "Ebonics," did not glorify standard American English, gave the kids credit for having brains, and helped them strengthen their analytical powers. The kids were definitely getting into it, and learning when different forms of speech patterns would be appropriate in different situations.

[Guest Anonymous]

http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/view/rc/s31p1000.htm

Seriously? Our founding fathers did not agree that ALL people should be created equally, just the whites. Thomas Jefferson owned more than 100 slaves at any given moment in his adult life. It was Jefferson who began the Trail of Tears for the Native Peoples... Jefferson was a class A racist asshole, for fucks sakes.

I cannot stand people like this! Ugh.

Although Jefferson was an entitled asshole, blame for the Trail of Tears doesn't belong at his door. It was Andrew Jackson who initiated the Trail of Tears, starting in the early 1830s. The Indian Removal Act was signed into law in 1835 and Jackson forcibly removed the Cherokees starting in 1838. They were force-marched over 1000 miles to Oklahoma. Over 4000 Cherokees died during the trek.

Among the few people opposing the act were Davy Crockett, Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. His stance cost Crockett his Congressional seat as Jackson retaliated against him by withdrawing support, even though Davy Crockett belonged to his own party.

[Feberin]

I also think it was more then the fee that caused them to get kicked out. I would think other parents must have been concerned about the lack of education those kids are getting and may have said something to the mother.

Also wanted to add that she makes me think of people who come to my library programs and expect a once a month program on science to include everything the kid needs to know on the topic and then complain that I am not covering enough material.

[maybeizfundie]

I did notice that as much as she doesn't like it, apparently she is sending her 11 yo to public school because that's where he wants to be.

It is a shame that she would be excluded from a hs group over $20. So sad. :(

[BlackHawk]

Although Jefferson was an entitled asshole, blame for the Trail of Tears doesn't belong at his door. It was Andrew Jackson who initiated the Trail of Tears, starting in the early 1830s. The Indian Removal Act was signed into law in 1835 and Jackson forcibly removed the Cherokees starting in 1838. They were force-marched over 1000 miles to Oklahoma. Over 4000 Cherokees died during the trek.

Among the few people opposing the act were Davy Crockett, Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. His stance cost Crockett his Congressional seat as Jackson retaliated against him by withdrawing support, even though Davy Crockett belonged to his own party.

The start of the idea of trail of tears, my apologies for not making that distinction. Jefferson had the idea of forced removal of the Native Peoples with recorded data back to 1801 in personal letters. From there he was the first to decide that, despite treaties, the Native Peoples were to assimilate or die. He made the plan with Georgia that if they would release their legal claims to discovery of the west to the United States the Military would help force the Native Peoples from Georgia. This was the first steps to make Jackson's Trail of Tears a reality despite the treaties.

The Indian Removal Act was actually signed in 1830. 1835 was the beginning of the second Seminole war, which ended in 1842.

So while, you are correct, Jefferson does not get full credit for the trail of tears, he was the first President to begin a long history of ignoring the treaties the government created to allow the Native Peoples the rights to their land.

[Childless]

I find that most of the founding fathers were racist assholes. It seems typical for the people of that era. I'm saddened that they fail to teach this in schools. They treat these men, not only as heroes, but almost as gods. They were, however, human just like the rest of us and prone to failings. Most of their ideas would not be acceptable in today's society. I think that's something children should learn so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated in the future.