Archive for the ‘homeschooling’ Category
Interview with author CYNTHIA KOCIALSKI
Out of the Classroom Lessons in Success
How to Prosper Without Being at the Top of the Class
The theme of success beyond academics is evident throughout the book. Why is this so important?
I’ve worked with entrepreneurs and start-ups companies for more than 15 years. I look at everything as if it’s a new
product from an unknown start-up. Kids are a product of their education and experiences. In the end, they need to sell
their product – their skills – to employers and customers. A start-up company isn’t about the product. It’s about the
business of that product. What makes a start-up succeed or fail is what’s wrapped around the product. Let’s face it; a lot
of really dumb products have been successful in the marketplace. The most advanced technical product with the best
features doesn’t necessarily win. Kids are the same way. Success is more about those secondary skills and talents, then
the core skill. It’s more about what’s surrounds the core talent. Just like start-ups, most people neglect to develop those
other skills and the necessary perspective for success. They focus exclusively on the core talent.
How do I help my teen or child discover her inner talents?
First, you have to find your talent and that’s a matter of trying new things. Once you know what you want to do then it’s
a matter of figuring out how to get there. Every year in school, teachers ask children what they want to be when they
grow up. I’ve never encountered a teacher who followed up by asking, “Now, how do you plan on doing that”? The
simple answer given by most kids is to go to school for it, but that’s vague and wishful thinking is not a plan. You need to
figure how to develop your core talent, and then you need to figure out what secondary talents you need to package it
up. For many, this may mean getting help from an adult or parent because kids or teens don’t work well in an ambiguous
planning task. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to plan to the end goal, the best most can do is to go from step A to step C. Don’t
worry though, by the time you get to step C, you’ll be able to plan the next three steps. Unfortunately, we don’t teach
kids how to plan well.
What advice or encouragement can you give youth who are struggling in school?
School isn’t everything. School addresses one talent – academics. You need to have a basic level of education to function
in society, but not everyone is going to be Albert Einstein. There are many talents in this world. If your talent is art,
music, or sports, then you should develop that talent. Stop spending every waking minute studying, only to get B’s and
fall short. Your time is better spent developing your best talent then struggling to be mediocre at something that isn’t
your talent. What do you think would have become of Mozart if he were required to be a straight ‘A’ student before
practicing his music?
How does this book help youth?
It provides them with a different perspective on success. A lot of times we are told things as children that we just
accept and don’t challenge, only to find out later that they tricked us. One of my favorites is the saying, “It’s not
whether you win or lose that matters, it’s how you play the game”. No, really, winning matters. Who hires an attorney
who loses all his cases, or a doctor who never cures her patients? I encounter way too many entrepreneurs who believe
it’s all about effort – they’ve never learned how to compete. Instead of starting a business with the intent to win, they
start with the belief that they’ll give it the good, ole college try.
What are the changes going on in the world that make this approach more important to our youth today?
As the world’s economies become more interconnected and globalization continues, our children and young adults will
need to function in an increasing hyper competitive business environment. They need to go beyond what’s taught in
their formal school setting to find their path to success. What they need to do is to develop those skills that
differentiate them from everyone else, even those academically talented individuals need to develop those extra skills
and reframe their thinking about success. It’s no different than a product. If all you have to compete on is price – in this
case, wages – you will lose in a price war. Those developing countries have a lower cost of living and hence a lower
wage base. If all you have is the core skill taught in formal schooling, then it becomes a feature race and anyone can
copy features. Think about the iPhone. It was popular. What happened? Other manufacturers copied it, as new
features were added to new versions, everyone else copied them too. Curriculums and course work can be easily
copied. Our children and youths need to develop those not-so-obvious and intangible skills that mean a lot to the end
result, but are not easily copied.
Among the concepts that are included in Out of the Classroom Lessons in Success, readers will learn that
How can the average student be highly successful?
Can common beliefs you learn in school have a negative impact on your later success?
How does the game change once they hand you a diploma?
Recently I read a blog that shared a wonderful idea – read a book each day in December until Christmas. This is certainly more healthy and educational than the chocolate filled advent calendars and it doesn’t need to cost a lot either. You could visit the library to pick out some special books for each week. Then each night, pick one of the books to read. You can re-use the books from last year, just pull them out each year and they will seem like a new discovery, or a favourite tradition. You can find many great books at thrift stores that have lots of reads left in them too!
Here are some ideas of books you might enjoy on your reading advent(ure)
December 1 -The Animals’ Winter Sleep by Lynda Graham-Barber and Nancy Carol Willis
December 2 – Here Comes Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara
December 3 – The Snow Queen (Usborne Young Reading) by G Harvey
December 4 – The Snow Tree by Caroline Repchuk
December 5 – Flat Stanley – Stanley’s Christmas Adventure by Jeff Brown
December 6 – A Visit with St. Nicholas (or The Night Before Christmas) – this is St. Nicholas day in the Netherlands!
December 7 – Christmas in the Trenches (the story of Silent Night) by John McCutcheon and Henri Sorensen
December 8 -The Christmas Tree Ship by Jeanette Winter
December 9 – Babar and Father Christmas by Jean de Brunhoff
December 10 -Usborne Book of Christmas Poems
December 11 – Christmas Around the World by Mary D. Lankford
December 12 – Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola
December 13 – Hanna’s Christmas by Melissa Peterson and Melissa Iwai
December 14 – Blue Dog Christmas by George Rodrigue
December 15 – Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg and James Bernardin
December 16 – I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by John Rox and Bruce Whatley
December 17 – 12 Hidden Days of Christmas by Macky Pamintuan
December 18 – I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Toot and Puddle) by Holly Hobbie
December 19 – Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
December 20 – Jingle the Christmas Clown by Tomie dePaola
December 21 – Happy Hanukkah Corduroy by Don Freeman and Lisa McCue
December 22 -The Magic Dreidels: A Hanukkah Story by Eric A. Kimmel and Katya Krenina
December 23 -The Last Straw by Fredrick H. Thury and Vlasta van Kampen
December 24 -A Night in Santa’s Great Big Bag by Kristin Kladstrup
December 25 -Pippi’s After-Christmas Party by Astrid Lingren
December 26 – Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington and Shane W. Evans
Also remember when you give the gift of a book you give the gift of learning! Shop for books and more in our online educational thrift store!
“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning…They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.” ~ Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood)
Play is a large part of the day for preschool and kindergarten children. Concepts are learned and encouraged through various forms of play, various types of toys and games as well as crafts and activities. But usually, the play stops there.
But play is important in the higher grades as well. With play a child can develop social skills, physical skills, language, literacy and conversation skills, exercise their imagination and master life situations. By taking playtime away from older students, we limit them from growing to their full potential.
Certain toys and games are great playthings to enhance learning. Many educational games are also meant for older children. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have them do a sit down game. There are various group games that can be played to allow students to learn about money, trade, social situations, survival skills an more. Games like Pictionary or Scattegories are also great fun with educational value. You can even modify the games to fit into a certain subject of study or even modify them in difficulty. My kids loved Constructionary which was like Pictionary but instead of drawing the clue, you build it from Lego! Think of the creativity that could flourish from games like this.
Bingo is another game that can be modified for different subjects or degree of difficulty. For younger children it is more of a matching game, but for older students it can be more of a challenge if you use words to match rather than pictures, or words in a different language. Math bingo can include addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Step outside of the box when instilling play into education. Tossing a ball around can evoke some great imaginative storytelling. One person starts the story then the ball is tossed to someone else who then adds on to the story, then tosses the ball again and so on. Older children enjoy dress-up as well so acting out a story or situation has some great play value. Sometimes, being someone else (in costume) allows them to say things they may not have said and therefore help bring them out of their shell. Living museums help tell the story of their time period through costumed interpreters. Students can learn history through costume as well. Challenge them to make their own costume then allow them to do a presentation about their time period.
Science is a great subject to allow play in. I was teaching the Scouts about Newton’s Three Laws of Motion one night. We used a slingshot flying monkey, some wind up cars and some paper airplanes. It was amazing how well they picked up the concepts! What sinks and what floats can be a messy but fun lesson as can various chemistry experiments that are simple and fun.
The idea is that education is more than just what you read in a book. It is what you experience, what you create and how you interpret it. By adding play into the equation a student can get a more in-depth feel for the subject. They will also get more enjoyment out of learning and be inspired to learn some more!
Sandra Wilson
owner and operator of
Home Education Resource Emporium where Education + Fun = #1
Recently I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Although it is a classic it was the first time that I read it. There are several books that I am reading as part of my research for a unit study that I am writing. Not only did this book fit in with the topic I am writing about, but gave me a wonderful feeling and some great inspiration.
The character of Dickon was my main inspiration. He seems to be one with the Earth, a friend to plants and animals alike. He appreciates life to its fullest. He “goes out on rainy days just as on sunny days…he sees things on rainy days as doesn’t show when it’s fair weather”. He inspires anyone to be present in their life, to understand that there is something special in what seems to be good days, or bad days because it is all in the perspective of how you look at them. What a great lesson! How we look at something, how we react to something is a big part of how good something really is.
Children are great mimics and watch what we do and say very carefully. What if our perspective on a rainy day is clouding their imagination and wonder of the same day. Muttering about the bad weather makes them less likely to want to get out in it and explore the puddles, the worms and the rainbows. It is important for kids to discover what they like or don’t like on their own, without the influences of our perspective’s, especially when our views are more negative.
Another quote from the book can sum this up nicely. “thoughts – just mere thoughts – are as powerful as electric batteries – as good for one as sunlight or as bad for one as poison. To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ into your body.”
We need to protect the minds, and imaginations of our children by allowing them to discover the wonders of life like Dickon does!
As a homeschooler, a Scouter and a mom I have learned over the years a very important lesson. We should learn from them. By that I mean the kids. We need to listen to their wisdom and follow their examples because they can provide something wonderful to us all.
Research shows that in an average day a child laughs 400 times, an adult, just 18. We should learn from them.
After researching for his Cub World Religions Badge my son said “I don’t know what all the fighting is about, they pretty much all believe the same things.” – We should learn from them.
On the Kids Are Heroes website there are a number of children who share their talents, compassion and their dreams of something better. We should learn from them
A young boy decides that he has too many toys and so should donate them to children in need. His idea blossomed into a charity of care. We should learn from them.
A crafty girl crusades against breast cancer with spiders, another makes blankets to bundle babies and still another designs t-shirts to sell as a fund-raiser for her charity. These kids are all putting their talents towards helping others. We should learn from them.
From shoes to songs, books to blankets and more kids are helping others, their communities and their environment. We should learn from them.
Take some time today to listen to a child, watch what they do, learn what they dream about because we can learn from them.
We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher
My second son wasn’t big on reading. At first he didn’t feel a need to learn to read because his book loving big brother would always read to him. Finally, we got him to start reading and although he would be proud to show his skill to his uncle or grandma, he didn’t spend a lot of time with books. We struggled with finding just the right amount of reading for him during his school lessons and even then there was no other reading outside of what was required in school. For a time, the only thing that worked was comics. We would offer him Garfield, Charlie Brown and then Foxtrot. The smaller amount of text was just enough to keep him reading on the sidelines.
One day he discovered the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. This series is about a clan of cats, in the wild, and their many adventures with each other, and with humans. Suddenly he was hooked! In no time he devoured the first 6 books of the series, and then went on to the next ones. I wasn’t sure what the draw was but of course I was not going to complain when he would ask me if he could take time to read, or if I could buy him another book!
Recently, I was emailing with a friend who was looking for some books. Her daughter, a reluctant reader, was finally reading, and she wanted to keep the flow of books coming. She asked if I had any of the Warriors series by Erin Hunter! Isn’t that interesting that two reluctant readers found the joy of reading with the same books! Kudos to Erin Hunter an obviously awesome writer.
So I set to work to find the series for my friend – but was not allowed to take them from my son’s shelf, because even now at the age of 17, he is still fond of the series.
Here is the Amazon link to Erin Hunter’s great books Warriors
If you are looking for a specific book you can contact our request department, or browse our online educational thrift store.
Life Lessons from the Wizard of Oz
A true friend will help you on your life’s journey and get you through all the problems-big and small-that may arise.
Dorothy had true friends in the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion. Originally, they joined the journey for there own benefit but as time went on, they wanted as much to help Dorothy as themselves. In fact, they were ready to risk their lives, and their wishes to help Dorothy.
Think about the friends in your life, what have they helped you through? What have you helped them through?
Discover your own path in life-what you want to be, where you want to go, how you want to live–and be sure to sing and skip throughout the journey.
Dorothy’s task was to follow the yellow-brick road to the Emerald City in order to seek the Wizard’s advice. As it turned out the Wizard was not a magical man that could help Dorothy, but, the journey to the Wizard allowed Dorothy to learn about herself which ultimately got her home. Even in the scary woods, the friends held each other, skipped and sang and got through okay (well almost).
What path are you on? Did you find it yourself or were you guided by someone else – is it really the right path?
Don’t try to be something you’re not, because the people who matter in this life will love you no matter what.
The Wizard tried to be great and powerful, which may have worked with the residents of the Emerald City but failed with Dorothy and her friends. Yet, the Wizard became an important person to them, an even likable person and friend. Which proves that great and powerful isn’t necessary when you have great friends.
Who are you really? Is that what you show the world?
Home means more than just your house or apartment. It’s wherever the people you love-and who love you-are found. You can have many different “homes,” and even if you haven’t visited in a while, you can always go back.
Dorothy learned that she didn’t have to look further than her own back yard to find happiness and home. Sometimes, we need to get away in order to appreciate it though.
How many homes do you have? Make sure you return to each one.
When in doubt, look within for the answer. You’re more powerful than you think.
It is interesting to see that what each character felt they were lacking was inside them after all. The Scarecrow made many of the decisions along the way proving he had a brain after all. The Tin Man was very sensitive (which caused him to rust) and was often the one to protect his friends showing he really did have a heart. And the lion did what he had to, even if he didn’t like it, which is a true sign of courage.
The power lies within yourself – give yourself a chance.
Allow yourself to take a moment from your busy life to look over the rainbow and visualize future possibilities.
Near the beginning of the movie Dorothy sings Over the Rainbow as she wishes for something more than what she has. One of the most powerful lines of the songs says “why oh why can’t I?” – Exactly – you can!
When someone tries to make you do something you know in your heart isn’t right, stand firm and stay true to yourself.
What do you see over the rainbow? How are you trying to get there?
Being positive and believing in good will make it easier for good things to happen in your life.
Good vs bad is a main theme throughout the movie. There is the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch and the lessons inspired from both. In the end good wins but another lesson is learned. The Winkies, the witches guards, were only bad because they were under the witches power (same with the flying monkeys but that is only made clear in the book). So sometimes, a person’s behaviour does not specifically label them appropriately, it is important to search deeper to find the truth about them.
Doing something good for somebody each day will not only help them, but it will help you too!
Kids Are Heroes
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
Martin Luther King Jr
As parents and teachers we all have hopes and dreams of greatness for our children and the children around us. With inspiration, encouragement and empowerment, children can make a difference in this world.
Kids Are Heroes is a non-profit organization that helps bring this belief to reality. By showcasing and supporting children who are making a difference, they inspire others to encourage, support and lead.
Children want to make a difference with the environment, poverty and other major problems facing the world today. And as Kids Are Heroes shows us, children ARE making a difference.
Read about kids helping other kids face bullies. Find out about kids who accept donations in lieu of birthday gifts then donate to worthy causes. Share these remarkable stories with your kids and help inspire them on a path of making a difference.
The Kids are Heroes website notes that all kids can make a difference – check them out and see why!
“Stand up for what you believe in, even if you are standing alone.”
Evolution of a home schooled child
When my son was a toddler we spent a lot of time together playing and learning. By the time he reached the age of four he was ready to learn to read, in fact he asked me to teach him to read. By the time he was ready for kindergarten he could read, write, knew all his colours, numbers, letters and more. So began my dilemma – do I send him to school where he may be bored, and lose his joy of learning? Do I just opt out of kindergarten and then send him for Grade 1? Am I capable of teaching him? Is homeschooling accepted by society? My son was a very shy boy and I wondered if school would be a hindrance to him because of that. We weighed the pros, and the cons and then opted to keep him home and school him there.
He loved to learn! He loved to read and really enjoyed doing projects. We enrolled him in Scouting so he could socialize with other kids. And once he reached Cubs, his badge work became part of his school work. Scouter Gerry loved to test his badge work because it was really a project! We incorporated schooling in all aspects of my son’s life. Trips to the store, field trips to museums, drawing lessons at the park – every where we went we had a learning experience. We didn’t work at specific grade levels because he was more advanced in some subjects (like English) than others (like Math). Basically, we taught at his level of learning for each subject. We often taught about subjects he had an interest in rather than just the basic curriculum requirements. At one point in time he would right his stories in Viking runic language!
Since I was not skilled at any instrument, we enrolled my son in music lessons through the Ontario Conservatory of Music. At first he studied organ, just like his Dad, but later he moved to piano. He enjoyed playing and would often compete in competitions, and now, he teaches little ones to play piano.
Once he reached the age for high school we gave him the choice as to whether he wanted to stay being home schooled or enter into the public school system for high school. He elected to stay at home and at first we tried to follow the accredited high school programs. These programs became a struggle for us because it fractured the homeschooling atmosphere we had created and made it so he no longer enjoyed learning. So, we changed our focus back to subjects of interest to him, taught in a way he could better learn.
At some point in his studies my son became more of a self-taught student. I would plan the lessons but then he would just follow them himself, research topics of interest further and decide what angle to follow next. I strongly believe that the best lesson to teach a child is how to find the information for themselves. That way, they can always have the answers they need!
My son’s homeschooling days came to an end when he reached the age of 19 and enrolled in a career college to study computer network engineering. He holds a 90 average there now which is a credit to him and gratifying to me to know that our homeschooling did well for him. It was a wonderful journey, filled with a little bit of apprehension and a lot of gratification. I am sad that the journey had to end but excited to see what the future holds for him!
Find out more about homeschooling at www.educationfun1.com
My unit studies are a way to combine education plus fun. They start with an interesting topic, then as the child learns more about the topic they will also learn aspects of English, Art, Math, Geography, Science and more. The idea is to get kids interested in learning by making learning fun.
I started writing unit studies when homeschooling my youngest son. He was not the type of child who like to sit and read. It was a bit more of a challenge teaching him as his attention span was not long. So at first I created a unit study about Pirates. He was thrilled to learn about pirates, to read about Blackbeard, figure out weights according to cannon ball size, draw a wanted poster and even learn map and compass skills. And so, we continued with Soldiers Through Time which was a seven module unit study that ranged in history from Ancient Roman Soldiers to Soldiers of World War II.
After helping my son get interested in learning I thought maybe the unit studies could help others enjoy learning too! And so came a unit study on Spies, one on Cowboys and Superheroes as well as a three part unit study on Forts Across Canada. These unit studies became known as Education with a Bang series to help add excitement to education, specifically for boys.
Fashion Through Textiles, a four part unit study featuring wool, silk, cotton and linen as well as the unit study on Herbolgy are part of the new line of unit studies which would be more appealing to girls but equally combine fun with education.
I continue to create unit studies and have many ideas in my head for new ones but sometimes I am not sure which one to start next. Constellations and the Mythology behind them sounds very interesting. What about the History of Pets and how they became domesticated? Or what about Biomimicry – technology inspired by nature?
I just love to research the various topics and put them into a fun and interesting unit study that will help inspire children to learn. One 11 year-old boy who was reviewing Science Inspired by Superheroes was blown away by the fact that you could learn science from superheroes and chose to do the unit study instead of play on the Wii! What a great reward!
And so I continue, finding interesting topics to put into fun and educational unit studies – always on the look out for new ideas!
Sandra Wilson is an experience home educator that is dedicated to putting the fun back into education!
You can view the full list of completed unit studies at http://www.homeeducationresourceemporium.com/unit-studies!