Unofficial Guide to
“Homeschool Speak”
by Lisa Nelson (reprinted in part from MACHE)
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When they say... “Are you going to the Convention?” |
They mean...
The statewide annual homeschool
convention sponsored by HOME at the Summit Conference
Center at Sunday River in Bethel, Maine. There will be speakers, workshops,
homeschool vendors, a
used book sale, new materials and lot of people. (It can be
a bit overwhelming at first, so go with a plan and a
budget!) It is a great chance to get a look at some of
those things you may have thought of buying to see if they
are what you need, get information from people who have “been
there,” and find the encouragement you may want to either
get started or to keep running that race with endurance!
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When they say... “Do you belong to HSLDA?” |
They mean...
Is your family a member of Home School Legal Defense
Association, a non-profit advocacy organization
established to defend and advance the constitutional right
of parents to direct the education of their children and to
protect family freedoms. (For more information see page 9.)
For a small yearly fee families may join the association
and become co-advocates with HSLDA. Those who subscribe to
The Heart of HOME receive a 15% discount from the yearly
HSLDA membership fee. Contact HOME for more information.
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When they say... “What curriculum do you use?” |
They mean...
This usually refers to a
curriculum package that covers all or most subjects and
includes lesson plans for you to follow. This may be the
route for you if you are just starting out and are unsure
of how to cover everything. (Some companies can send you
everything you need right down to the science experiment
equipment and record keeping materials.) A few of the well
known ones include: Alpha Omega, ABEKA, Bob Jones,
Christian Liberty and Sonlight. You may also order just a
few subject areas from these companies.
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When they say... “We don’t use curriculum.” |
They mean...
Instead of purchasing a complete
curriculum, they choose subject material from various
publishers and catalogs to create their own curriculum and
lesson plans. For example, they may use Bob Jones for
science, Saxon for math, Learning Language Arts Through
Literature for language arts, and take a literature
approach to history (reading biographies and historical
fiction and may keep a timeline.) This can be a very
individualized approach, and there is no shortage of
materials to choose from for your children! Look for such
catalogs as The Elijah Company, The Heart of HOME
Bookstore, Greenleaf Press, Whole Heart and Rainbow
Resources, among others on our Homeschooling
Resource page.
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When they say... “Unit studies” |
They mean...
Taking a theme or topic (a unit of
study) and delving deeply into it over a period of time.
For example, a child can do all his/her “subjects” by
studying about birds. Language Arts is studied by reading
and writing about birds, science and math by studying the
parts, functions, and life cycles of birds and perhaps even
the aerodynamics of flight. Social studies can be learned
by determining the migration paths, habitats, ecological
impact, etc. of birds, and drawing various birds becomes
fine art. There are unit study curricula available such as
Alta Vista, Konos, ATIA, Education PLUS... if you want to
develop your own unit studies check out books by Valerie
Bent How to Create Your Own Unit Studies (and others) or
Kathy Stout's Design-a-Study Guides and Homeschooling
Today magazine. More information about some of these
products will be found on our Homeschooling
Resources and The Heart of HOME
Bookstore pages.
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When they say... “Learning Styles” |
They mean...
The particular way a student best
accumulates information. Teaching in harmony with your
child’s learning style will make your teaching more
effective. All people will utilize three styles of
learning, but most have one style they prefer.
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Visual Learners: For these learners, seeing is believing: they prefer to use their eyes, reading and watching videos. Flow charts, notes on a board, and FAX machines are a joy to them. They use phrases as: “I see... let’s take a look at it... now I get the picture...” |
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Auditory Learners: These folks use their ears. They love lecture, cassette tapes, radios, recordings, and can remember a story long after it is told. Oral communication is a key to their learning. They tend to say such things as: “I hear you... or That sounds like...” |
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Kinesthetic
Learners: Every parent has one of
these, the child that needs to touch
everything! These people need to feel
and |
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When they say... “NAPS” |
They mean...
Non-Approved Private School. This
is an alternative statute allowing for home schools whereby
a homeschool may qualify as a non-approved private school
based upon a court decision in 1983. These types of
homeschools must have at least two unrelated students
enrolled in their schools and meet standards such as teach
175 days, keep attendance records, etc. See the Law Summary page or if you are a member of HSLDA
check out their Forms and Other Resources for Maine Members
page for more
information on the laws governing the non-approved private
school statute in Maine or contact HOME at (207)763-2880.