(We have an in-house discount for these companies, which increases with the size of your order, and are happy to Price Match with other major new curriculum distributors.  We charge no tax and give you a break on the shipping over the price of buying direct from the publisher.  We love mail orders, and can accept payment by PayPal.)

v     Purchase—used:   H.O.M.E. School Books and Resources (HSBR); Support  groups book sales; and Arizona Book 
     Depository in Phoenix. Annual cost/student:  $50-100.  HSBR bookstore has frequent specials, such as "Bring your own 
     Bag and fill it for $5" sales.  We are getting in new materials all the time, and we will gladly give you a tax deductible 
     receipt for your donations of usable curriculum items.

v     Rental:  Covenant Home School Resource Center rental library. Student books: $2/semester,
     TE’s: $5 a semester.  Videos, parent helps, games, manipulatives are $1 per item per month.  We
     have a wide variety of materials, and keep bringing in some of the more popular publishers. (Rental with CHSRC is only 
     available in Arizona)

v     Design your own:  Public libraries and the internet are excellent sources.  Annual cost: 
     Almost nothing and up.

There are various philosophies regarding education, and an array of methods within each focus.  Since these ideas are reflected in the text books, understanding the differences can save a lot of time and stress.  The key beliefs about education and most common types of curricula are as follows:

v     There is a specific body of knowledge that should be mastered by each child in a certain grade.  Materials include: structured textbooks or workbooks, computer based programs or videos with factual questions on which the student is tested.  This is the primary style of institutional schooling.  Annual cost per child:  New--$300-$1000.  Examples include:  Alpha Omega, Bob Jones, A Beka and typical public school materials.

v     Children best learn by hands-on, experiential application of concepts.  This view fosters
      curiosity and structured play or projects as the key elements in learning.  Some texts may be
      used, but the emphasis is on manipulatives or real life situations.  Unit Studies and theme
      based projects are the main approaches.  Annual cost per child: New-- $200-$500.  Examples
      include:  Konos, Weaver, Sonlight, Learning Language Arts Through Literature, The Prairie Primer,
      Five in a Row and the Charlotte Mason approach.

v     Children are natural learners and will learn what is needed in their own time and
      manner.  This is known as unschooling or child directed learning and often does not have
      a designated set of teaching tools.  Real life experiences are emphasized with lots of hands-
      on opportunities to discover.  Annual cost:  Almost nothing to unlimited.

v     The best foundation is through the Greek and Roman educational system and classical
      literature.  The Classical approach or the Charlotte Mason method reflect this view which
      incorporates great literature, much discussion, discovery learning and skill mastery.  Students
      are gently led through various disciplines and challenged to develop critical thinking skills.  Cost:  May
      be very little if the library is the main resource, up to a few hundred per year.

v     Eclectic approach which tailors the curriculum to the family’s needs.  Some components
     of each method may be employed, or the approach may change over the years.  Cost:  Very little to as
     much as you would like to spend.

For a more detailed comparison, please see Overview of Curriculum Styles Chart.

 There is no right or wrong way to home school.  We are blessed in Arizona with the freedom to choose the methods and materials which fit our teaching preferences, our budget, or the students’ learning styles as we deem best.

 To find out more details about curriculum choices and available materials, please visit Covenant Home School Resource Center in Phoenix.  For more info:  602-277-3497, or email:  mailto:info@homeschoolresourcecenter.org.  We have a free
weekly Q and A meeting in which we can discuss the options in more detail, or focus on any other areas of need or concern.  

  Holly Craw is the Resource Coordinator for Covenant Home School Resource Center in Phoenix

Homeschool Chronicles:  Reflections of an Alumni Mom

THE SOCIALIZATION QUESTION

  “What about socialization?”    

By Holly Craw 

 I haven’t yet found a homeschooler who hasn’t been asked this question.  The asking of it implies that the only acceptable way for children to learn “proper behavior for group settings” is to be immersed in learning situations with 30 other age-mates.  It also assumes that teaching one’s children and being social recluses are the same thing. 

Being involved with other people (socializing) is one of the strengths of the home schoolers.   There are support group activities and classes to meet every kind of interest, plus scads of community programs and activities.  Most home school children are in an average of 4-5 outside activities (compared to 1-2 for public schoolers), and many moms find their time is divided between the instructional part and the driving of kids to activities.  You can be as involved as you want--scouts, sports, theater,  classes, music, hobby clubs, parks and recreation, church activities, voluntarism, being mentored by key people in similar areas of interest, inviting families to your home for meals or activities.

Socialization means being able to behave properly in all social situations. (i.e. with older or younger people, on the playground, at church or a formal event or wherever).  Properly for most of us includes:  treating others with respect, integrity, compassion; having a strong moral code, honesty, grace, ability to think for oneself  and not give in to peer pressure, to understand the needs of others, willingness to serve others, good manners, and religious and family values.

Because the family is the basis for interaction with  home schooling, the parents are able to see and work with character qualities and instruct the children in proper behavior.  They will relate to people of all ages, in many social settings, all under the eyes of the loving adults who are mature enough to model desirable attitudes and actions.  That modeling is unlikely to occur among a group of other children who also need to learn these things.

If you were new at a job, and needed to learn many new skills, are you likely to spend the bulk of your time trying to learn from the new recruits?  Or would you seek out the most experienced and wise person there and sit at his feet?  I know for myself, I would do the latter.  We learn and grow from interacting with those who are more mature than we are, who can give us their wisdom.  Children, especially, need elders, (not a room full of 30 peers who are at the same or lower social, emotional and intellectual level), to raise the caliber of their application of life principles.  In other words, we are most strongly influenced by those with whom we spend the most time.  We, as parents, have the wonderful privilege of importing into the lives of our children the qualities of character and godliness that we desire them to have.  Research demonstrates that children want this from their parents.  Research also shows that home schooled students are stronger in social skills of all types than the public school counterparts, due to the strong one-on-one training from family members.

Holly Craw is the Resource Coordinator at Covenant Home School Resource Center in Phoenix, where she teaches math classes, does home school PR work, and conducts home school workshops..  She lives with her husband, Lance, in Phoenix.  Their eldest, Charissa, is getting her BS in Sign Language Interpretation at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, and Naomi is traveling and doing Christian drama with Covenant Players in Asia.   

For more information on home education, please contact the Resource Center, 602-277-3497 or email Holly

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The Home Schooling Family and the AIMS Test--How do they relate?

By Holly Craw

The AIMS (Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards) test is the current instrument being used by the Arizona Department of Education to assess the learning of the public school students.  It has been developed over the past decade as Arizona examined its many populations and determined the best way to educate all of them.  The test is based on the Arizona Academic Standards, which are the benchmarks of knowledge the educators have determined that all students should master.  The high school class of 2006 will be the first to have this test used as a standard for graduating from high school.

When the AIMS was developed, homeschoolers were specifically exempted from the test.  We had previously taken the IOWA test annually, then every three years, and were finally exempted from needing state mandated assessment.  This was in part due to the outstanding scores of our students--averaging in the 70th-85th percentiles--regardless of parental factors such as education, income, profession.  No testing has been required of either home schooling students or parents for nearly a decade, although it is available through support groups and Covenant Home School Resource Center for those who desire to use it.

This spring, the county superintendent's office began offering the AIMS test free of charge to our families, since many parents had requested it.  Here are some talking points about the issue: