Oct

29

Obama and McCain: Views on Homeschooling

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

October 29, 2008 | 1 Comment

About a year ago, many Homeschool families were enthusiastic about Mike Huckabee.  Remember him?  Republican Governor of Arkansas and rock n’ roll legend from his 1996 band, Capitol Offense:

Yep, that’s Huckabee with the guitar.  Who would have thunk it!  Anyway, Huckabee is a strong advocate for a parent’s choice to homeschool their children.  But for [...]

Oct

28

“The Way We Work” by David Macaulay

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

October 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Are you familiar with this series?   David Macaulay is the author and illustrator of “The Way Things Work,” a popular text among kids and adults.  In the original book, Macaulay explains the inner workings of hydraulic dams, trains, engines, pulleys, and just about anything mechanical.

In his latest intellectual adventure, “The Way We Work,” he [...]

Oct

24

“How Should I Reward My Child?”

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

October 24, 2008 | 1 Comment

Over the years, I have met a lot of children (and young adults) who received money for good grades.  Some students earned something quite simple: Five dollars for every A.
Some kids received much more lucrative rewards.  In fact, several years ago, I had a college student who took my lower level English class, not because [...]

Oct

19

The Good Ol’ Days? (A Visit to the Old Sacramento Schoolhouse)

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

October 19, 2008 | 1 Comment

Last weekend, my wife and kids (along with other adventurous homeschool families) visited Sutter’s Mill and experienced the lifestyle of early California gold-miners.  After a few days of panning for gold-flakes, they packed up their gear and explored Old Town Sacramento.  The girls’ favorite stop was the Schoolhouse Museum.  Here are a few photos:

Check out [...]

Oct

16

Listening to Your Children’s Dreams

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

October 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment

No, I’m not talking about eavesdropping while your kids mumble in their sleep.  (Although that can be quite entertaining.)  I’m talking about listening to the hopes and goals of you child.
Now, every good parent already does this, whether or not they homeschool.  But homeschool parents are in a very special position — because they can [...]

Oct

12

Panning for Nuggets of Gold (and a Bit of History Too!)

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

October 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

My kids are so excited right now!  They spent their Sunday morning knee deep in icy river water, panning for gold.  And guess what, they discovered some!  Just some gold dust, really.  But it was enough to get them very excited, and enough to give them a glimpse of what it must have been like [...]

Oct

8

Good Old Fashioned Flash Cards

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

October 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I’m endlessly fascinated by the vast contrasts between my two children.  They are both good-natured, witty, energetic, and usually kind to one another.  However, their learning styles are becoming increasingly different.  We tried using flash cards with my older daughter when my wife and I began teaching the multiplication tables.  We soon discovered that our [...]

Oct

6

Are Online Video Games Educational?

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

October 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I loved playing Super Mario Brothers on my old Nintendo when I was a teen.  I learned how to jump on mushroom people and shoot bouncing fireballs.  But I don’t believe I learned anything useful.
As a college professor, I meet lots of students who tell me about their “mind-numbing” experience with multi-player games such as [...]

Oct

3

TV Or Not TV — That Is the Question!

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

October 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment

When I was a kidm I would trudge my way through a full day of public school, and once I returned home I would emotionally inject four hours of television-opium into my system.  There were days when I actually lied to my parents about my homework just so I could watch my G. I. Joe [...]

Oct

1

Say Yes to Chess!

Posted by Homeschool_Dad

October 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Chess is an elegant game, don’t you think?  I’ve admired it since I was a boy.  And to be honest, I sort of assumed it was primarily a boy’s game.  Turns out I was quite wrong.
About two years ago, I got the old chess board down from the game shelf.  The kids had just learned [...]