While homeschool parents know that placing students in the correct grade is an important first step to successful homeschooling, sometimes it’s hard to know whether you’re making the right choice. That’s why we offers FREE Placement Tests for LIFEPAC and Horizons, as well as an affordable Placement Test for Switched-On-Schoolhouse (only $17.95).

Designed to help parents choose a curriculum that suits individual learning needs, placement tests are perfect for newbies transitioning from a traditional school, rookies starting from scratch with their oldest child, or veterans hoping to start this homeschool year with a clean slate. They are intended to help families avoid learning gaps, which occur because concepts are presented at different times within different curriculum.

Placement tests also help parents determine whether a child is taking on too much or needs more challenging material in a given subject. For example, your 6th grader may be on par in most subjects and ready for 7th grade English, but still need to master 5th grade math. If you take the tests and realize that’s the case, you can buy the correct curriculum to meet your child's needs.

So, whether you’re new to homeschooling or a seasoned pro, Placement Tests can help your family find the curriculum that suits your children best this school year.

LIFEPAC Math and Language Arts Diagnostic Tests

Placement Tests are provided for 1st through 8th grade as well as 7th through 12th grade. Instructions for scoring and evaluation of test results are provided in the answer key pages. Your child should be able to complete the tests for this Christian homeschool curriculum on his own as long as he understands the activity directions.

• Download the free LIFEPAC Language Arts Diagnostic Test for 1st-8th Grades
  
• Download the free LIFEPAC Language Arts Diagnostic Test for 7-12th Grades
  
• Download the free LIFEPAC Math Diagnostic Test for 1st-8th Grades
  
• Download the free LIFEPAC Math Diagnostic Test for 7-12th Grades
  

HORIZONS Math Readiness Evaluations

Not sure which grade level to use when starting your homeschooler in Horizons Math? Alpha Omega Publications offers free diagnostic and placement resources for this Christian homeschool curriculum.

The Horizons Math Readiness Evaluation provides tests for 1st through 6th grade, and each test takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes to complete. The 1st grade test is taken orally with special instructions for scoring and remediation of weaknesses. For 2nd through 6th grade, instructions for scoring and evaluation of test results are provided in the answer key pages.

The Horizons Pre-Algebra Readiness Evaluation and the Horizons Algebra I Readiness Evaluation help parents determine if their child is ready to begin studying upper-level math. Each of these tests takes 45-60 minutes and includes instructions for scoring and evaluation of test results.

For all Horizons Math Readiness Evaluations, your child should be able to complete the placement tests on their own, as long as they understand the directions.

• Download the free Horizons Math Readiness Evaluation
  
• Download the free Horizons Pre-Algebra Readiness Evaluation
  
• Download the free Horizons Algebra I Readiness Evaluation
  

For some families, homeschooling works best within a well-structured, goal-oriented routine. For others, spontaneity, flexibility, and experiential learning are key components to more successful homeschooling. Still others find a combination of methods to be their best approach. Whichever method or philosophy you choose, it will better direct you in purchasing the right curriculum for your homeschool family, matching your teaching preference and your child's unique learning style.

What are the most popular homeschooling methods?

Computer-based Homeschool Method

Making use of the latest technology, this method of student-directed homeschooling is becoming more popular with today's generation of computer-savvy homeschool families. Whether learning with online curriculum or installable CD-ROMs, electronic-based homeschooling allows more flexibility, freedom, and opportunities for a dynamic, fun-filled education.

The computer-based homeschool method is best for homeschool parents who:

• Want to teach using a set scope and sequence
• Value modern technology that educates with multimedia content and games
• Prefer a child to work on assignments at his own pace
• Like handy teaching tools to customize curriculum, prepare lesson plans, and automatically grade school work
• Want less involvement in the day-to-day teaching process

Did you know...

According to a 2009 meta study from the Department of Education, "Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction."

Workbook-based/Traditional Homeschool Method

Basing its model on the traditional idea found in a public or private school, this homeschooling method incorporates the use of workbooks or worktexts. A clear scope and sequence is usually followed to minimize any potential learning gaps, along with the use of quizzes and tests to evaluate what the child has learned.

The workbook-based/traditional homeschool method is best for homeschool parents who:

• Want to simulate an educational experience as found in a traditional classroom
• Have predetermined ideas about what to teach, and it matches the curriculum they select
• Prefer the security of a complete curriculum that includes print-based materials
• Enjoy a more structured homeschool schedule with set study periods for each subject
• Desire documentation of completed lessons for recordkeeping and reporting

Commonly known as school-at-home or school-in-a-box, traditional homeschooling gives parents the security of an established routine and teaching method.

Unit Study Homeschool Method

Sometimes called cross-learning, thematic, or integrated homeschooling, unit studies give parents the ability to combine multiple subject areas into one curriculum centered around a particular theme. The approach is to take a selected topic of interest and study it in-depth, covering every element as it relates to science, math, literature, history, geography, language, and other disciplines. Children in the family participate in learning the topic by using materials and doing activities geared specifically for their grade level.

The unit study homeschool method is best for homeschool parents who:

• Need a cost-effective approach for teaching multiple children in different grade levels
• Want an integrated learning method that provides a broader understanding on a topic
• Desire a more hands-on homeschooling experience to increase learning retention
• Prefer a natural way of learning with time to think, experiment, and discover a topic
• Want to keep their child engaged and eager to learn

Content is more easily learned and retained if taught through interdisciplinary units.

The Charlotte Mason Method

A homeschooler herself, Charlotte Mason was a British educator who lived in the late 1800s. She promoted a gentle, flexible learning approach and was zealous about teaching with "Living Books" (books written by one author with a passion for that particular subject). Charlotte's method focused on core subjects, the development of good behavior and character habits, and the study of fine arts, nature, classic literature and music, and poetry. She also encouraged observation, interaction, and an appreciation for nature by the use of "Nature Diaries."

The Charlotte Mason method is best for homeschool parents who:

• Want a less rigid schedule
• Desire a learning environment that encourages exploration and appreciation of nature
• Prefer evaluating a child's learning other than with formal, written tests
• Like reading lots of books and want to offer a well-rounded education
• Want to be directly involved with their child's education

“Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life."
— Charlotte Mason

The Montessori Method

Emerging from the discoveries of Dr. Maria Montessori during the early 1900s in Rome, Italy, the Montessori method is a natural, self-directed process that follows certain fundamental laws of nature. Preparing an environment that facilitated learning, Dr. Montessori observed that children have acute sensitive periods in which they have intense concentration, causing them to repeat an activity until they gain a measure of self-satisfaction. The Montessori method calls this repetition process "normalization".

The Montessori method is best for homeschool parents who:

• Prefer their child to learn in hands-on, concrete ways
• Want to let their child learn at his own pace to allow optimal growth to take place
• Desire a child to learn through his own errors vs. having to point out the mistake
• Can create a child-centered learning environment that promotes the sense of discovery
• Want less of a teaching role to allow a child to develop through self-motivation

"Education is a natural process carried out by the human individual and is acquired not by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment."
— Dr. Maria Montessori

The Classical Method

Homeschool parents who educate their children using this method believe that a child's brain develops in three fundamental stages: grammar, logic, and rhetoric (a critical thinking learning pattern better known as the Trivium.) Emphasizing how to learn rather than teaching everything a child needs to learn, the Trivium seeks to custom fit the curriculum subject matter to a child's cognitive development. In grade school, it emphasizes concrete thinking and memorization of facts. Then in middle school, it encourages analytical thinking until in high school, it presents abstract thinking and articulation of subjects.

The classical method is best for homeschool parents who:

• Like structure and want to evaluate their child's learning on academic standards
• Value education based on the written word, both reading and writing
• Desire to teach critical thinking and philosophy with the classics of Western literature
• Have an academically minded child who enjoys learning subjects like Latin and/or Greek languages
• Want direct involvement in teaching by discussing books, giving dictation, and encouraging academic goals

"To read the Latin and Greek authors in their original is a sublime luxury...I thank on my knees him who directed my early education for having in my possession this rich source of delight."
— Thomas Jefferson

Additional Homeschool Methods

The above list of homeschooling philosophies and methods only begins to scratch the surface. Other options include literature-based, Robinson, and Waldorf homeschooling, as well as unschooling, notebooking, and any combination of the above mentioned methods. Each has its own set of pros and cons, but you can distinguish them from each other simply by the following differences:

• How do you look at education?
• How involved do you want to be in teaching?
• What type of structure do you desire?
• What do you want your child to learn?
• How do you plan to evaluate your child's performance?

In the end, the way you answer each of these questions is the key to discovering a homeschooling method that works best for your family.

Digging Deeper

• Research homeschooling's contemporary founding fathers, including Dr. Raymond Moore, John Holt, and others.
• Read The Big Book of Home Learning by Mary Pride or How to Homeschool, A Practical Approach by Gayle Graham.

I am so excited to be adding “new” vintage books to our collection! These books offer foundational learning to our youth. From Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities to Rudyard Kipling’s Collection of Verses (author of The Jungle Book), these books have inspired so many over the years.

Yes, new is good. But let us not forget the classics. Let us not forget to build our foundations.

I would love to hear from you!  Let us know what YOUR favorite classics are.... we'll keep an eye out for them!!

So, as I had mentioned before, one of my prized possessions from my search for used books to sell is a complete set of Compton’s 1955 Pictured Encyclopedia and Fact index. It takes you back into a whole different world. In thumbing through the pages of volume 8, I came across the above title: Leisure, a Gift of Modern Living. I want to share a little of this with you. Hope you enjoy!

The problem of leisure is new. During the centuries that led up to recent times, men were expected to work to the limit of their bodily strength. Men worked from can to can’t.

Today, the average worker in a store, an office, or a factory spends about 40 hours a week at his job. Dividing his whole week of 168 hours into 40 for work, 56 for sleep, 28 (four each day) for eating and personal care, he has 44 hours a week left for leisure time. [of course, this is pre-fast food restaurants!&91;

The wise use of leisure time is an important problem for everyone, young or old. We do not work to get leisure and the pleasures leisure brings us; rather we use leisure wisely so that work itself can become rewarding and enjoyable.

Recreation… is the kind of leisure activity that brings “re-creation” or refreshment of strength and spirit. Whatever the particular choice of recreation may be, its function is to keep a person fit for his daily work.

Children need guidance in their recreation as much as they do in schoolwork or in developing good personal habits.

In leisure activities, children should seldom be set in direct competition with one another. The aim of leisure is self-improvement, not winning. A child may “win” by accident or luck, or he may win because his competitor is not a fair match for him. In either case, “victory” is hollow and can only give a false sense of superiority, not a rebirth of spirit.

Reading should be a part of everyone’s leisure program. Increase your reading speed, and you will find that both the enjoyment and comprehension will be increased.

Collection hobbies need not be expensive and can be a great leisure activity.

Every year the American people spend about one ninth of their total income on leisure-time activities. In other words, they spend about nearly six weeks’ income out of 52 weeks on play, amusements and other leisure-time pursuits. (Remember, this was in 1955)

Today, we spend far more than that on leisure-time actibities. . According to Budgeting.thenest.com (http://budgeting.thenest.com/percent-takehome-pay-should-discretionary-income-26839.html), the norm to set aside for discretionary spending today is 30% of our income, with a goal of 50% discretionary funds to be available for leisure. Hmmm…. The birth of the credit card revolution has certainly helped us to reach that 50% goal, and beyond.

So how do we spend those “discretionary” funds? According to Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/18/mastercard-household-spending-entrepreneurs-finance-budget_slide_4.html), the current amount spent on leisure activities (2008) amounts to the following:

Air Travel accounted for 4.3% of discretionary spending

Lodging accounted for 5.8% if discretionary spending

Auto Parts and Service accounted for 16.2% of discretionary spending

Clothes shopping accounted for 8.9% of discretionary spending

Luxury (spas, etc) accounted for 1.1% of discretionary spending

Restaurants accounted for 40.2% of discretionary spending

So… I hope you have found this enlightening. There are some things here that I can actually glean from and perhaps go back to a simpler, wiser time. Yet, there are other areas where I see the blessing of improvements and progress. Most of all, there are some items here that give us each a good chuckle as we spend a little leisure time reading blogs. J

May your recreation be filled with re-creation this week!