Hello:

Just a quick post to introduce myself and my family.  I am a first year homeschooling mom of 4.  We found Time4learning after most of our curriculum for this year was already purchased so we are using it as a supplement for this year.  I have one DD in 7th grade, who is going on 25 and another in 3rd grade who is going on 18….. I also have a DS in 5th grade and a toddler who rules the roost!!! 

The kids , and mom, love time4learning and I look forward to meeting and fellow-shipping with all of you.  Just wanted to share a little story.  Last week we were on a fall break of sorts and my DD 3rd grade got up and turned her computer on.  My husband asked her what she was doing and she said that she was doing her Time4learning.  He reminded her that she was on break and she said that she knew but it was fun and she wanted to do it anyway.   Yippie !!!!!

Momto4

I suppose this question should be directed at Terie, hope that’s ok. )

Terie,  if you don’t mind, I would love to hear how you feel Time4Learning compares to the curriculum that is being used for Natalie in public school.  I rarely have an opportunity to talk to many public schoolers about the curriculum they use, and never to public schoolers that use Time4Learning. )

Do you feel like Time4Learning covers everything that her teachers are covering?  Do you have an opinion of whether or not T4L excels in the core subjects, or do you feel like areas are lacking?  Do you think that T4L meets the same standards that are set forth on the school system? Just so you know…I am not looking for vindication in my decision to homeschool, nor am I looking to “down” public schools.  I am not a general public school basher. )  Unfortunately I do have very strong, negative opinions regarding my own very rural school system, but I realize that there are excellent school districts in this country and for some kids, public school could really be the best option.

Again, I hope that you don’t mind me asking you these things directly.  I am truly interested in hearing from you, as a mom that has a child in public school.  As a homeschooler, I generally only talk about “school” with other homeschoolers.  I think it’s wonderful to hear how Natalie is progressing both in school and at home with you and Time4Learning. )

Thanks!  )

Oh – I am not yet familiar with everyone posting on this blog…if there are other parents who have children in public school and are using Time4Learning, it would be fantastic to hear from you as well!  )

Since those of us on this blog use Time4Learning in one way or another, we are all using the internet for education.  But how else does everyone use the Internet at home?

Our homeschooling experience would not be the same if it weren’t for Time4Learning.  Our family is a computer family.  Serious techies. )  My husband and I each have a laptop, which we take everywhere with us.  My 8 yr old has a desktop of his own and my 3 year old is going to get one as soon as we have a place to put another PC.

Education is done primarily online.  And not just with Time4Learning.  We have areas where Bailey does spelling and math drills online, and we are considering starting him in a online art program…we’re waiting a little while on that though.  My 3yr old, Braeden, also does some preschool work online.  Not yet with Time4Learning, but with an excellent program called Starfall (www.starfall.com).  One day we may even sign the boys up for music appreciation online.

While we still like to have the boys look up information in books, Bailey has discovered Google.  This opens up avenues for him to explore and learn, in a way that he just simply would not have if he ONLY had books.  At least in my opinion.  When he searches, depending on what he is looking for, he is parentally guided.  As much as we are Internet junkies, I still struggle with him having access to some areas online. He has seen a few (very few at this point) videos on You Tube that we have let him watch, things like a homeschool student’s speech and a couple of music videos.  He also watches videos on United Streaming (www.unitedstreaming.com) which is run by Discovery Education.  This is a remarkable service provided by Discovery!  I think they have something like 20 or 30,000 educational videos in pretty much any catagory you can think of.  In my state, Georgia, I went through Georgia Public Broadcasting to gain free access to this site.

Other ways that the Internet has changed us…not just how we educate, but honestly our day to day lives…is how we communicate with others.  Is letter writing an important skill to possess?  I think that everyone should know how to write a letter if the need arises.  However, with email, Bailey (all of us really) is able to talk with family and friends in a way that he wouldn’t have if he had to wait on regular mail.  And email is cheaper than the phone…Bailey’s grandmother lives in California.  So besides the cost of the call, we have to work on a 3 hour time difference.  Email is just easier on a daily basis.  Through forums and groups, I am able to get and give advice to and from other moms.  And Bailey likes knowing that he can email and chat with friends that use Time4Learning just like he does.

Just to make things clear…our family is a family of AVID readers.  What my husband and I consider “quality time” together, is each of us curled up in a recliner with our own good book.  ) Our boys have the same love of reading (right now they love it conditionally…it can’t be too educational, lol)  We have weekly trips to the library and Bailey knows how to look up information in the Dictionary and in the Encyclopedias.  We also do crafts, activities, cub scouts, field trips and more together, so we don’t JUST sit in front our computers all day.  Well, most days we don’t anyway. )

I would like to know how other families use the Internet.  Not just homeschooling families, although since I am a homeschooler, I would probably compare my family most to those that do homeschool. )  Are there any websites that you use for education, besides Time4Learning?  Any places that your kids like to go online that you feel helps them learn?

Two weeks ago the boys had their first boys scout camp out.  Kat’s family and our family joined to get some projects done and to camp.  My dad helped the boys with all their flag requirements and with their tool assignments. (my father is a master craftsman)  I had printed out the tools that they boys had to learn and given it to my father in advance.  I thought that he would pull out all the tools and have them lined up but I was wrong.  He made a game out of it and had them each read a tool and then the boys had to “find” the tool in his shop. (he has multiple tools, in multiple sizes in his very disorganized shop).  It was kind of neat to watch them “hunt” for the tool and each time they found the one on the list they would cross it off and then learn how to use it properly.

It was then time for them to build their bookends and my dad pulled tools down one by one and asked “Do you know what this is?”  You know, for the most part it was pretty easy, screw gun, screw driver, nails, hammer. etc.  Then he pulled down a shiny silver clamp and asked “Do you know what this is?”  Kat’s son shouted out “It’s a Caliper!”  My dad laughed and said “No, it is a clamp and this is how it works”.

I don’t know if Kat knew what a caliper was but she gave her son the funniest look.  I knew what a caliper was because I was (pre-children) an Inventory Control Specialist and occasionally I would have to measure parts in the field.  Everything went fine and we never re-visited the caliper thing and I don’t even know if Kat remembers the conversation.

It was not until earlier this week that the whole thing came back to me.  Zach was having some issues on T4L so I told him to skip the lesson and I would help him with it when I was done doing what I was in the middle of.  Later that morning when I went through the lesson with him I was surprised to see that part of the lesson was dealing with measurement and a Caliper is not only explained but it is one of the questions they ask in the lesson.  To my surprise the photo on the lesson looked JUST like the clamp that my father had pulled down. I now knew where Kat’s son had heard the word and he really thought that the clamp was the caliper that he had learned about in his T4L lesson!

Here are the 3 boys in their tool lesson.. the little head you see is  Kat’s youngest who joined right in “learning about tools”

I just had to share this story. It is TOO cute! As some of you may gather from our posts and comments, another author Tracy and myself are close friends. So are our families. Our families are very similar and her 2 boys and my 2 boys all interact well and get along famously. Her 2 boys (I will refer to them as Q and Z) are 9 (Q) and 6(Z) and my boys are 8 (Bailey) and 3 (Braeden). The three older boys are in cub scouts together.

Well this weekend we got together to let the boys work on some things that they needed to work on. We did several activities over the course of the weekend. The boys all did really well. In one particular activity, they were working with tools and building some bookends. They were very encouraging to one another. At one point, while Q was working with his bookends, Z said “Good Job.” A few moments later Z, again being very encouraging, said to Q “perfect!” Q looked at him and said “you are being time4learning.” My son Bailey laughed and I looked at the boys with what I’m sure was a goofy expression on my face. I said “Huh? He’s being time4learning? What does that mean?” Q answered back with “well, those are things that time4learning tells us. You know, when we are working. So…he’s being time4learning.” Z and Bailey both nodded and looked at me like …well, like…”DUH!” )

So Tracy and I learned something this weekend. Not only has Time4Learning changed and improved on both of our families’ homeschooling experiences, but it has also taught our kids to be encouraging and uplifting to others. Way to go T4L!!! )