In This Issue:

Three Steps To Finish Your School Year
(with Checklists Included)

         Step  1.  Record
         Step 2.  Evaluate
         Step 3.  Celebrate

Recommended Resources
• Oxford Tutorials: Classic Christian College Prep Online
• Vida Nueva Ministries: Books in Spanish
• Doctors Network & Associates


Greetings,

     As the end of your school year draws near, don't just fade away, perhaps in discouragement over perceived failure to reach all your goals.

     If you are not finished with the studies you had planned to do this school year, you are not alone! (Even most school teachers do not finish all their plans.)

     So do not panic, feel guilty, or envy those who did finish on schedule.

     Talk to the Lord and your husband and consider continuing a few selected studies at a more relaxed pace during the summer.

     We hope that you will be able to focus on the progress you did make this year and the many good times your family has had together.

     Don't forget to thank the Lord for the opportunity and freedom to home school, and for the guidance, wisdom, and strength He provides.

     May the Lord bless you and your family for His glory.

Cordially,
The Pat Welch Family, Publishers
Pat, Sue, Heather, Holly, and Brian

The Teaching Home is a home-school, family-run business operated in our home since 1980.

Study the Classics Online! Weekly Tutorials with a Ph.D. Classic Christian Worldview College Prep for High School      Oxford Tutorials offers college preparation classes over the Internet in Latin, Great Books, Shakespeare, Classic Literature, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Logic, and Rhetoric. • Follows a classical, Christian worldview and approach. • Teaches the history of ideas which shaped our culture.    425-402-9624   www.oxfordtutorials.com ____________________________________________ Step 1: Record Your Accomplishments      Set aside a day or more to do the necessary task of gathering, filing, and recording the year's schoolwork. The rewards will be that:  •  You can find your records easily.  •  Your children have meaningful memorabilia.  •  You get more space for more books and materials.  •  You might even be able to sell books you don't need anymore for some extra cash to (you guessed it) buy more books!      Gather up all your schoolwork for the year, then sort and dispose of everything appropriately. Schoolwork  •  Select samples of work for each child in each area of their studies to put in their permanent files.  •  Send some samples to grandparents (with the clear understanding that they are free to toss them after enjoying them for awhile).  •  Give each child a certain amount of space in which to keep what he wants.  •  Throw out the rest. Books  •  Store some books for younger siblings.  •  Shelve some books for reference.  •  Give some away (to a family who needs them, your support group's library, or a thrift store).  •  Trade some with another family.  •  Sell some at a local used curriculum sale. Records      You might need to keep a record or a portfolio of your children's studies to comply with your state's laws or an umbrella organization, as well as for your own benefit.      Choose any or all of the following options. Depending on their ages, your children may be able to help you with some. Record the date and student's name after he finishes each concept on your scope and sequence chart or list of educational goals.  •  A Beka Scope and Sequence  •  The Typical Course of Study by World Book  •  Standards and Testing by State Use lesson plans as records, checking off and dating each assignment or objective as it is done.  •  See record keeping supplies at ATCO online. Keep track of hours spent by subject if you are required to do so by your state law or wish to for your own information (e.g., for a high school transcript).  •  Homeschool Transcripts carries many resources to help you produce professional high-school transcripts. Copy records of family projects, unit studies, field trips, etc. for each child's individual file as applicable. Keep a journal for each day of a unit study, briefly listing books read or activities done. List all books read by the family or individual students, including the title, author, and publisher. (A brief description of contents and your personal evaluation will make this list more valuable to you and your children in the future.) Place artwork and writing assignments in a notebook or file. Take photos of art, craft, and science projects and activities such as plays, costumes, and field trips. You can use a computer scanner or digital camera to create a CD containing these photos as well as pages of school work, compositions, etc. Put your records in a labeled box for the year or for each child. Yearbook      Create a yearbook by placing photos, sample work, and other memorabilia in a scrapbook.  •  See Creative Memories' idea center.  •  Make a family photo album or scrapbook albums!  •  Slides or digital photos can be composed into a digital photo album or put onto a CD and copied for each of your children and other relatives. Sound Record      Tape record some of your family's answers to the evaluation questions below (especially the positive ones!) as a sound recording of your school year. ____________________________________________ Reach Out to Your Spanish-Speaking Friends and Neighbors with Books for To Help Them Build Christian Families      Missionaries in Mexico, Mike and Pam Richardson, also provide home-school information and support to Spanish-speaking families through Vida Nueva Ministries at www.elhogareducador.org. Now you are able to order a fine selection of books (such as To Train Up a Child, shown above) that you can use to minister to Spanish-speaking families at elhogareducador.myshopify.com. ____________________________________________ Step 2: Evaluate Your School Year      Use this checklist or make your own to see what went right and what went wrong this year so that you can adjust for next year.      This needs to be done now, while things are fresh in your mind!      You might want to discuss these items as a family and/or do a private interview with each member to get a complete picture.      Be sure to include your husband and each child for their individual perspectives. You will need to adapt the questions for each one (e.g., Dad: Do you know what our children learned this year? What would you have liked them to learn that they did not learn?).      Please do not let this evaluation discourage you! Rejoice and thank the Lord for what went well and learn from weak areas so that you do even better next year. General What did you like best about our home school this year? What did you like least about our home school this year? What did you learn? What did you not learn that you would have liked to? Academics Were basic foundational skills of reading, language, and math improved, mastered, reviewed, and practiced enough? Were specific facts connected to the big picture of overall knowledge through the use of a globe, maps, timelines, charts, and related information? Did we use a variety of teaching methods and materials, (e.g., textbooks, workbooks, unit studies, hands-on activities, computer software, library or supervised Internet research, field trips, oral and written reports)? Were thinking skills taught and encouraged by the types of discussions we had (e.g., comprehension, knowledge, analysis, synthesis, application, and evaluation)?  •  See Newsletters 23, 25-26, and 28-30. Were various educational resources available and their use encouraged and modeled (e.g., reference books, videos, audio tapes, educational games, software, and supervised Internet use)? Was there enough good supplemental reading done as a family or independently? Were there time, resources, and encouragement available to pursue individual interests? Spiritual Did your family read God's Word and pray together daily? Were Bible knowledge and Bible study skills increased? Were Bible reading and memorization given at least as much importance as academic studies? Were subjects taught from a Christian worldview? Character Development Was character development an important part of our school (e.g., honor and obedience to mother and father as teachers and parents; kindness to siblings; diligence; truthfulness; and attention to details in studies)? Was child discipline maintained in a simple, straightforward, and kind manner? Were the rules and consequences clear and consistently carried out? Were there enough positive motivations and negative consequences? Life Skills Were life skills included in our training and related to academic subjects (e.g., budgeting, cooking, shopping, driving, cleaning, organizing, scheduling, repairing, maintaining a house, yard, and car, voting, finding information by phone, letter, or supervised Internet use)? Logistics Was the schedule realistic and easy to keep? Too strict or too lax? Was doing schoolwork a regular, daily habit (along with chores and personal grooming)? Did we have a good balance between group and independent study? Were the classes we did as a group interesting, and did they allow each student to learn? Was mother available for individual help when needed? Was there a need for alternative activities or procedures when she was busy with another child? Did we care for our toddlers and babies in the best way for them and for our studies? Were the settings for our studies appropriate and conducive to learning (e.g., dining room table, couch, individual desks)? Did we have enough, not enough, or too much independent study? Were there enough time, space, supervision, and help available for these studies? What got bogged down that could have gone more quickly? Were there enough organization and planning for space, materials, schedule, and chores? Were there enough varied experiences or too many outside activities? Were our supplemental and outside activities worth the time and effort? Was the atmosphere of our home warm, loving, and supportive? Bottom Line What do you want to do the same or differently next year? Use Your Evaluation To Plan Your Next Year      Use your evaluation outcomes to make general, broad plans for next year and for your summer studies. You can do specific and detailed planning later; this is just to be sure you include the valuable input from this year's evaluation.      Make quick notes beside certain answers on your evaluation forms. Then set dates for your comprehensive planning for next year, allowing time to purchase and become familiar with any new curriculum. ____________________________________________ Doctors Network & Associates Wanting To Hire Stay-at-Home, Part-Time Search Specialist • 2 hours per day, 5 days per week; $15 - $20 per hour + Bonus; 90% Telephone Work, 10% Computer Skills. • Pleasant phone voice, up-beat personality; Independent, good work ethic, dependable. Minimum word processing skills required, sales acumen desired. Disc test required/provided. • Send Resume to jwt.dna@mindspring.com or FAX to 1-800-804-8203 • Contact JW Taylor, President, or Lynn Kaiser, Assistant to the President at 1-800-933-1884 ____________________________________________ Step 3: Celebrate and Share      A celebration gives a nice closure to this section of your studies and ends the school year on a positive note which will help propel you forward into your next scheduled studies or activities. 1. Praise the Lord!      As a family, thank the Lord for your family, for the opportunity and freedom to home school, and for the guidance, wisdom, and strength He provided this year. 2. Plan an Event  •  Invite neighbors, friends, or relatives to an open house. This can be combined with another family if desired.     •  Show displays of schoolwork, projects, and art.     •  Give oral, musical, or dramatic presentations.     •  Serve refreshments.  •  Have a party, dinner, or picnic with another home-school family or families.  •  Take an educational field trip or an outing just for fun with your family or others. 3. Find someone else that you can encourage and help.      Reach out to another family that is home schooling or is considering home schooling. Point them to the Lord to find the guidance, wisdom, and strength that they need. Offer moral support and practical help.

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