Podcast: Am I Doing Enough? Part 1

Brave Writer Podcast

A question that often comes up repeatedly in the minds of many homeschooling parents is: “Am I doing enough?” We know how stressful it can be — we’ve all been there.

Today on the Brave Writer podcast, we’re going to explore three key aspects to help you navigate the world of “enoughness” in homeschooling:

  • what constitutes enough preparation and training for parents,
  • determining enough mastery of subject areas for different age groups,
  • and understanding how much daily activity is needed in each subject area.

So, let’s dive in and address these concerns together, making homeschooling a more enjoyable and fulfilling journey for both you and your children. This is a two part episode so be sure to come back next time!

Show Notes

Preparation & Training

There are two types of preparation: homeschool philosophy research and homeschool practice. Philosophy research helps us understand the “why” of homeschooling, while practice is focused on the “how” – the actual implementation of education at home.

Balancing these two aspects is crucial for a successful homeschooling experience. It’s easy to get stuck in one area, such as obsessing over homeschooling philosophies or getting overwhelmed with the practical side of things. To create momentum, we need to keep both philosophy and practice in mind, like two pedals on a bicycle.

Research and learning are ongoing processes, and our questions will evolve as our children grow and their needs change. Pay attention to your child’s engagement and progress, as this will guide you toward new resources and ideas.

One approach to balance philosophy and practice is to spend a few weeks:

  • researching and making decisions about curriculum,
  • interacting with other homeschoolers,
  • and reading articles.

Then, live with your choices for a few months before allowing yourself to revisit them. Also, be open to change – it’s not a sign of failure but a way to inject new energy and enthusiasm into the learning process.

Staying curious and observant is key. Notice when your child seems disinterested or restless and be prepared to make adjustments. By maintaining a balance between philosophy and practice, you’ll create a more fulfilling and successful homeschooling journey for both you and your child.

Recognizing Subject Mastery

The journey of determining mastery for various age groups can be broken down into three stages: Pre-K and Kindergarten, first through sixth grade, and the transition to reading.

Pre-K and Kindergarten

For Pre-K and Kindergarten age kids, the focus should be on engaging and entertaining activities. The best curriculum for these little learners includes:

  • reading,
  • playing games together,
  • nature walks,
  • and creative activities like finger painting or drawing.

Rotate your book collection to provide variety while allowing your child to enjoy their favorites repeatedly. Mastery at this stage comes from practice and repetition, so don’t worry about always introducing new activities.

First through Sixth Grade

The transition to first through sixth grade can feel daunting as the foundation of learning is reading. It’s essential to recognize that the process of learning to read varies for each child. While some may begin reading at a young age, others may take longer. As a parent, your role is to be a detective in understanding your child’s unique needs and providing support accordingly.

Incorporate a range of strategies to expose your child to reading. For instance:

  • use phonics-based programs,
  • watch TV with captions,
  • and read aloud to them.

If your child is struggling, don’t merely switch from one program to another. Instead, take the time to understand the underlying issue and address it accordingly.

Transition to Self-Led Reading

The goal by the sixth grade is for reading to become a useful tool in your child’s life. This doesn’t mean they have to love reading, but they should be able to use it as a means for self-education. Continue to read aloud to your child, even if they are reading independently, and encourage a family reading habit.

Create opportunities for your child to connect with books, such as designated quiet reading times or a cozy book nook. Remember that the process of learning to read is not just about mastering a subject but also about experiencing the pleasure and benefits that reading offers.

Determining mastery for different age groups and different subjects involves understanding each child’s unique needs and providing support accordingly. Be patient, as every child’s learning journey is different, and focus on creating a nurturing and engaging environment for your child to develop and enjoy reading.

Listen to next week’s episode for more.

There’s still lots to discuss on this topic! We’re going to continue with middle school and high school benchmarks, and then move into how much time to spend on each subject. This is a two part episode so be sure to come back next time!

Resources

Connect with Julie

Brave Writer Podcast

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Be Who You Are

Brave Writer

If I had one gift I could give to every home educator, it’s the freedom to simply be the homeschooler you are.

It needs to be said, even though it should be obvious.

We spend so much time searching for clues to know how to be the best parents and educators we can be for our children. The fact is, we are who we are. If you’re a loosey-goosey type person, so will your homeschool be. If you’re a ship-shape, ducks-in-a-row person, so too your parenting style.

The trick to it all is not wishing away your flaws. It’s embracing the strengths of who you are! As you lean into the personality that makes you lovable, you’ll gain new appreciation for the differences your children exhibit—how they express their lovable splendidness differently than you. Some intersection between your unique way of being and theirs creates the utterly true-to-you family and homeschool that works.

Give Yourself Grace

The reason we sometimes feel unhappy with ourselves is that we imagine once we find that sweet spot, it will sustain itself indefinitely without hiccups or misfires. Remember: we’re human beings, living a human life. Give yourself a little grace for the undulations.

I was with my daughter-in-law the other day. Like so many daughters-in-law, she saw me arrive and began tidying. I said immediately: “My house was exactly like this when Noah was a child. EXACTLY. We got it all done in the middle of the muddle and mess.”

When I look back, my chief memories are of the learning that took place, not the tidiness I achieved (however short-lived). What my kids remember are the teatimes and projects, the backyard birds and the performances of Shakespeare scenes on our back deck. Even my kids’ dad can’t remember the mess and he cared the most about tidiness!

Trust the who-you-areness of who you are to lead you. Your kids, your partner (if you have one), your friends think you’re FANTASTIC! So do I.

Lean in, learn together, and know that some days just suck. But many of them will be better than you think, particularly when you look back fondly.

This post is originally from Instagram and @juliebravewriter is my account there
so come follow along for more conversations like this one!

Brave Learner Home

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Friday Freewrite: Obstacle Course

Friday Freewrite

Design an obstacle course. Make it as hard or easy as you’d like!

New to freewriting? Check out our online guide.

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Podcast: Bingo! Planned Spontaneity in Homeschooling

Brave Writer Podcast

I am recording some of my Tea with Julie emails for the podcast for those of you who prefer to listen. These are brief messages of support for parents and educators. If you’d like to receive the weekly emails, they are free. Sign up at bravewriter.com/tea

Do you wish you were more spontaneous? Or do you think you should “stick to a schedule”?

On today’s Brave Writer podcast, I share an experience I had learning the hard way that planning works best when our kids are included in the process, as well as a novel solution for bridging the gap between planning and spontaneity.

Show Notes

The original Tea with Julie notes can be found HERE.

Including Your Kids in the Plan

A lot of times we assume that our kids don’t think they need math, science, history, writing or reading. But deep down, they do know that they need those things. They also know that their lives are happier when they can look forward to something on the schedule. When every day isn’t just drudgery created by a parent.

When we include our kids then, we’re not only asking them what they want to do. We can also ask them what they feel they need to work on, what aspects of education are lacking for them. What would they like to improve? That’s one way to frame it. Because if you just ask them what are the things you want to do, you may only end up with a list of their passions. And of course, we do feel responsible to help them grow in mathematics in an understanding of history, fluency in reading and writing. These matter.

The Bingo Card Method

One way to help you get used to this idea of flexibility — if you’re not quite ready to let go of the schedule — is to introduce something I call the bingo card. Now, we have a template for this available inside our membership community called the Brave Learner Home. But I’m going to include a link to it here in the show notes so that you can use it right now.

This bingo card looks something like a calendar month template, but it doesn’t have days of the week and it doesn’t have any calendar dates. It is just a set of empty boxes. And what you can do with your kids is sit down and collaborate on all the things they’d like to do over the next month or two, and all the things they feel they need to work on.

Items you might see on this bingo card that your kids might contribute would be:

  • having a poetry tea time,
  • gaming on the computer,
  • playing with dolls,
  • learning to sew,
  • taking nature walks,
  • watching birds at the bird feeder and tracking them,
  • learning how to do computer programming or coding.

But it could also include things like:

  • mastering the multiplication tables,
  • learning cursive,
  • reading aloud to a parent twice a week.

In other words, whatever you feel and your kids feel should go on this bingo card, just stick it on there.

Hang the bingo card where it can be looked at every day, a bulletin board, a magnet on the refrigerator, and on those days where you’re bored or you need a change in routine. Or your kids simply have a desire, look at the card and pick something to do. Maybe it’s a visit to the zoo, maybe it is dissecting a flower, maybe it’s finally breaking out the microscope you purchased six months ago and learning how to use it.

The bingo card acts as both a planning tool and a tool for spontaneity. It ensures what Liam was worried about that the things he loves wouldn’t get overlooked because we forget about them. And it also helps your kids notice and visibly see that you are doing a lot of activities that they enjoy as well as activities related to education.

As your kids check off these activities, if you get a bingo, that’s a time for a celebration. Maybe you all make smoothies to celebrate. Maybe that afternoon you play a board game. Maybe that’s a day you decide to just watch your favorite Disney movie instead of doing your usual routine.

Give yourself permission to both plan and honor spontaneity. The Bingo card is a way to plan for spontaneity if you need that little support in learning how to do both.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Brave Writer Podcast

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Learning How to Think

Raising Critical Thinkers

Knowing what to think is not the same as knowing how to think.

What parent doesn’t want to give their kids a shortcut to a safe, meaningful, values-driven life?

I do!

The biggest temptation we face is what I call the “Parental Propaganda Program.” We have the belief that we’ve figured out how to live correctly. All we have to do is teach our kids what to think.

We tell them “sleeping eight hours makes you less cranky” and “eating vegetables matters” and “standing for this belief is essential.”

Teaching kids what to think short-circuits their ability to think well for themselves. They learn that someone else has the answers for them and to trust an authority figure more than their own research.

You may feel good about being that source of authority in your child’s life. After all, you’re that figure…for now. What about when they’re teens? Who will they select to tell them the one right path/answer? I’m here to tell you—many of them choose a slightly older teenager!

Learning How to Think

What happens if we put learning “how to think” first? It means taking a child’s dissent (or challenges) seriously. It means setting aside your preconceptions.

“I hate vegetables” becomes an opportunity. You support your child doing their own research, to honor their experiences.

Kids discover that their experiences drive meaningful questions that deserve to be asked (not automatically answered).

The choice to hold back our “better answers” is challenging for us!

And yet, parents often parrot information they’ve learned from an authority without thinking it through themselves.

I might ask myself:

  • Why do I assume vegetables are important?
  • What ways did people get nourished before supermarkets and year-round produce?
  • What else can I learn with my child about this subject?

Learning how to think protects a child from cults, peer pressure, and bullying others.

Raising Critical Thinkers

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