Christian Education Europe - Weekly Blog , Home Education

5 Ways to be at Peace with your Decision about Homeschooling

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 15:29:59 +0000

Deciding to home educate is a huge choice which, ultimately, will change the way that you and your children live. With this in mind, here are 5 things to do which will help with your peace of mind when making your decision.

1. Pray.

It seems obvious, but sometimes we forget.

Just like every other area in our lives, making the decision to home educate will benefit from some prayerful consideration.

Ultimately, God knows what is best for you and your family. He knows your future. He knows which path is right. Initiating your research into home education with a time of prayer will prepare your heart and bring you peace from the get-go.

Make space for the Holy Spirit to influence your thinking as you consider the right course of education for your children.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4: 6-7

2. Have a conversation with someone who has been there.

Talking to someone who has ‘been there, done that, and owns the t-shirt,’ is one of the best ways to find out the nitty-gritty of home education.

Often one of the main doubts about homeschooling is whether you are up to taking on the challenge. Speaking with someone who has been through the fire and made it out the other side can really help to quash those doubts.

We believe that having a conversation with someone who is experienced is really valuable; this is why we organise for all the families considering home educating with TEACH to have a call from our TEACH National Coordinator, Becky.

Becky has home educated both her daughters with ACE, from the early stages right through to graduation, and has great knowledge and advice for anyone who is looking into taking the same path.

Becky has also been hosting regular Zoom meetings for people to join where TEACH families and prospective TEACH families can chat together and share questions and knowledge. These meetings are not only fantastic for getting answers, but also for making connections.

If you want to have a chat with Becky or join one of the upcoming Zoom meetings, click the links below.

Request a Call from Becky

3. Research the curriculum. Would it work for your child?

The truth is ACE is not a one-size-fits-all curriculum. There are students who take to it more than others, and that is okay.

Each student is different and therefore needs different styles of learning. Before you invest in ACE, it’s important that you are confident that it will work well for you child.

Some things to know about ACE:

It is highly structured. ACE has a special format and unique procedures that are fantastic IF they are followed. Some families find this structure to be a blessing, because it means no planning is needed—it’s all there to follow. However, other families can find the format overwhelming or restricting.

It is Bible-based. What does Bible-based mean? It means there’s a lot of Biblical text and Christian principles layered throughout. Each PACE (workbook) has its own Bible verse to memorise and also focuses on one of the characteristics of Christ (for example, peaceful). The curriculum also teaches Biblical 6-day Creation as the ultimate explanation of the origins of life (however, all origin theories are presented to students in terms of academic content).

It does not cover EVERYTHING. ACE is a fantastic academic tool and definitely does cover a lot of ground, but there are still extracurricular subjects that you will need to supplement in your homeschool, such as practical studies like sports and the arts. For some, this can be a negative, but for others it means that they can adapt the learning outside of PACE-time to each child in a more personal way.

There are a few ways that we recommend you trying out ACE to see if it is the right fit for you:

Take the free online diagnostic test. This test will give the student a taste of what it is like to work on PACEs. It will give them an idea of how information is presented and what type of questions they will be asked. Having them take the test is a good initial way of seeing if the curriculum will work for the student.

Do a trial run. Set a month aside to trial ACE with your family. When you sign up with TEACH, you will receive the following things:

A Parent Training Course—This short course is provided with the intention of giving parents an initial understanding of the format of ACE and how to administrate it while home educating.

Diagnostic Prescription—We send parents details and instruction on the best way for the student to take the ACE diagnostic test, and once the results are through, we put together a prescription which recommends which workbooks each student needs to start at.

A trial run will give you access to these helpful TEACH services and start you off on a secure footing with ACE. If by the end of the month, you feel like ACE is not working for you, then you can just email us to cancel your membership—it’s that simple—and if it does work for you, fantastic!

Note: It can take some students time to adjust to a different approach to learning, so there are times where you may need to allow more than a month to see if the curriculum and style of the programme are a good fit.

4. Educate yourself about the Time and Financial Cost of Homeschooling with ACE.

There are two important practical elements to consider when looking into home educating.

Do you have the time to supervise your children?

Having time to supervise the students is essential to their education. The presence of a responsible adult while they are working will help them feel supported, take away any temptation to cheat, and give you as the parent a great insight into how they are managing.

It is SO important that there is someone to watch over students as they homeschool. A lack of adult supervision, support, and input is really damaging to students in the long run. If you are unable to be there to home educate your children during the day, we strongly recommend you look for a responsible and trusted adult who can supervise them, or have them attend a school. We understand that many parents need to work during the day and are not able to give time to home educating; it’s 100% okay in these cases to choose not to home educate.

If you are interested in ACE, but cannot home educate, there are ACE schools across the country that you may be able to look into. Click the link below for info on ACE Schools.

ACE Schools in the UK and Europe

2. The financial cost of ACE

Choosing ACE is essentially, choosing private education. In comparison with a lot of other private education options ACE is very reasonable, but it is still an extra financial investment towards education that you have to keep in mind.

On average a family home-educating with ACE will spend £500-£600 per year on curriculum per child. This can vary slightly from child to child as some of the resources can be passed down from older children to younger children.

To make the financial costs of ACE easier to manage the TEACH membership includes a 20% discount for members, and you can buy curriculum from the shop as you need it. (So you can purchase a months’ worth, or a terms worth if you are unable to pay for a years worth of curriculum at once). We also offer rental of the ABC’s kit, and the preschool kit can be purchased in quarters.

We hope that this info clarifies the costs for you, so that you are able to budget accordingly and have peace of mind if you decide to invest in ACE.

5. Make sure that there is a support network

Finally, seek out a support network as soon as you can. Home educating can be a lonely road, but encouragement and strength comes from finding like-minded individuals to take the journey with.

There are lots of home education groups out there to join with. In terms of TEACH, we have our own closed group on Facebook for members, and also we encourage you to partake in our events, which are online at the moment, but hopefully can be in person soon! Attending events gives you opportunity to connect with the larger TEACH community and find new friends and acquaintances along the way. If you become a TEACH member we can also look into connecting you with other TEACH families who live near you, so that you can have fellowship and discussion outside of events too!

TEACH itself is here to provide support for home educators who are using ACE, so you can always come to us for advice and practical help.

You can email us via teach@christian.education with any questions or concerns.

We hope that you are able to be at peace with whatever decision you make regarding homeschooling with ACE. We know that if you cover these 5 points you will be educated and ready to make a confident decision and please do contact us if you have any questions or need any clarifications along the way.

Check out the TEACH Website here

Starting a Home School: Things to Prioritise

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 15:00:36 +0000

How have your first few weeks of the new school term gone?

Have you started homeschooling, or are you still on the fence about it?

If your answer is the latter, we want to help direct you to information that will give you a clear picture of what we do.

Let us introduce you to TEACH (The European Academy for Christian Homeschooling).

TEACH looks after all the home educators who use the ACE curriculum and Christian Education resources. You can find out more about joining TEACH as a home educating family here.

If you would like to receive a TEACH Prospect pack, you can make a request for one right here.

If you have already decided to join TEACH, but want a bit more insight into what you have signed up for and some tips to help you out, the next bit of information is for you:

Introducing home education to the family life can be a mountain of a prospect, but TEACH is here to help you conquer that mountain! You don’t have to have all the information in your brain all at once, but we’ve highlighted some of the key things you should prioritise on as you take your journey through homeschooling.

1. THE REWARDS OF TRAINING:

ACE is a totally different curriculum to the national curriculum. It has a special structure and set procedures in order to optimise the learning experience for individual students. Because it is different, it is essential that parents understand how it works. The TEACH Parent Training is a set of booklets, comprised of the TEACH Handbook, Training PACE, and Score Key, which is posted to each household that signs up with TEACH (home educators outside the UK and Europe will receive digital versions of the Training Pack). When parents complete the training, they are more prepared to home educate with TEACH, more equipped to supervise their children, and to top it off, upon completion of the final quiz, the TEACH 20% discount is activated for any materials on the Christian Education shop!

2. DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY IS KEY:

If the student is new to ACE, have them take the ACE Diagnostic Test. Make sure that the student takes their time on the tests and fills in the answers as accurately as they can. The diagnostic test helps us to see where the student is placed within the ACE curriculum. If the student answers the questions lazily, or rushes through the test without thinking, the end report will not be accurate, and they could potentially end up with a incorrect diagnosis. It is in the best interest of the student that you make sure they take the test properly. Please note, the diagnostic test is not a pass/fail test. The student can finish the test when they no longer understand the questions that are being asked. You will receive a link with information about accessing the diagnostic test in your TEACH welcome email when you first sign up.

3. ONE POWERFUL RECORD-KEEPING TOOL!:

The Supervisors Progress Card, fondly known as the SPC, is a form you should get to know and love for a number of reasons. The purpose of the SPC is to record all the results from the PACE Tests that your children take. When you take the time to record results on the SPC, you are actually creating data that will be very useful for you in the future. One, you will be able to keep an eye on how the students are progressing, and which subjects they are thriving in (and which one’s they aren’t). Two, the SPC is a great reference. If local authorities contact you about your home school, you will be able to show them each child’s SPC so they can see the progress your children have been making in each subject. Three, here at TEACH we also require our members to send us a copy of their SPCs annually; this way we can create references or certificates of achievement should you need them. Four, the SPC is a great way of keeping stock. By keeping your SPCs up to date you will be able to see when you are running out of curriculum materials and always make sure you have new PACEs ready for your children to move onto. You can purchase SPCs in paper form on the online shop, but if you prefer an Excel version to keep records digitally, we can send one over to you (the excel version is free too!). If you want the Excel SPC, just email a request over to teach@christian.education with your TEACH account number.

4. PREVENT DISCOURAGEMENT WITH ACHIEVABLE GOALS:

When it is time for a student to set their goals, make sure they are setting ACHIEVABLE goals. There is nothing more discouraging than being unable to reach your goals. ACE students set their PACE goals on Goal Cards. Goal cards are available on our online shop here. These cards are a fantastic motivational tool for the student because they are a visual representation of what they can and will accomplish. Each student is different. Some may sail through Maths, and others may need to take more time; because of this we recommend that you encourage them to set goals they can achieve as individuals. In a nutshell: Make sure their goals are challenging, yet achievable. We generally recommend that a healthy set of goals comprises of 2-5 pages per subject every day (depending on age), but of course this can be adjusted for the educational needs of the child.

5. SCORING IS NOT BORING:

A unique element within the use of the ACE curriculum is the self-scoring method. Under supervision of a responsible adult, students mark their own PACE questions, correct any wrong answers, and then check them again, until they have mastered each and every question. Not only does this methodology help a student truly understand what they are learning, it’s a great life lesson -- even though mistakes are sure to happen, we can learn from them and then move forward, growing in knowledge and wisdom. Take time to make sure that students are scoring correctly and honestly. Don’t leave space for cheating or copying. In the long run, cheating only weakens the academic experience and can have debilitating outcomes.

Remember: Only the PACEs are self-scored by the students; the PACE Tests must be scored by the responsible adult. Both Score Keys and Test Keys (the answer books) must be kept in a secure place away from the students, and Score Keys must only be used by the student with permission from the parent.

These are 5 really important groundwork practices to focus on if you are just starting out (or need a refresher). Christian Education and TEACH are looking forward to supporting you and your family in 20/21 and hope you will find homeschooling to be a rewarding and blessed venture.

In the upcoming weeks we will be giving all our TEACH members the option to receive a TEACH Tips email. If you would like to sign up for this email, click the link below!

Sign-up for the TEACH Tips email here!

We also are happy to announce an upcoming webinar for all our new TEACH members, which will expand on the information in this blog post and more, so that you feel equipped and ready to get into the nitty gritty of homeschooling.

We are Christian Education, an organisation that provides the ACE curriculum and education resources for Christian Schools and Homeschools.

If you are reading this blog post, then you are currently looking at a page of our website.

If you are interested in Christian Schools, click here.

If you are interested in Home Education, click here h ere.

For information about the ACE Curriculum, click here.

Lockdown Schooling is Not Homeschooling!

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 10:38:59 +0000

Social media is littered with memes about ‘homeschooling during lockdown’—and most of them are not flattering! As one of these memes depicts, many parents may have started this lockdown period with the sweetness and positivity of Mary Poppins and ended up feeling like Cruella de Vil. And in the aftermath of these experiences, homeschooling is getting a bad rap.

But is ‘lockdown schooling’ a true reflection of traditional homeschooling? I think not!

Homeschooling is a choice!

For those who have made a conscious decision to home educate their children, the experience is both rewarding and a joy. This does not mean it is without its challenges (that would be a lie), but when you have chosen to do something, you are invested in that decision and therefore, usually, more motivated to persevere—and indeed thrive—in your homeschooling journey.

On the other hand, this lockdown (which is already an added stress in and of itself!) has forced many parents into something they would never have chosen to do—and they may feel trapped and ill-equipped. They push on and do the best they can, because they are concerned about their children’s education and feel they have no other choice, but it would seem (for the majority) that the opportunity holds no joy.

Preparation is key!

Perhaps the greatest stress in lockdown schooling is that parents have been ‘thrown into the deep end’, so to speak. With little notice and often minimal support, parents have become overnight educators. In addition to adjusting themselves to being confined to their homes, they are now juggling a host of new experiences—working from home, overseeing their children’s learning, lack of social interaction… the list goes on. Who wouldn’t find this stressful?

When choosing to home-educate, however, parents have time to prepare! Homeschooling should not be entered glibly but requires research and commitment. Parents are usually trained and equipped before starting their homeschooling journey and have access to regular support and events once they’ve started. Homeschooling is a focus rather than another item on the to-do list, and families find a rhythm that works for them—not one that is set by a school or teacher.

Each child is an individual!

During lockdown, teachers have been faithfully working to deliver education to their students as best they can, and they should be applauded for their efforts. However, parents should not confuse conventional school-based learning, with its generic deadlines and expectations that have been ‘translated’ into a home setting, with true homeschooling.

A significant benefit of homeschooling is the ability to adapt to each child’s needs. Children learn in different ways and at different paces; they have different strengths and weaknesses. Parents who have chosen to home educate have the advantage of choosing a structure and curriculum that fits their family’s ethos and suits their individual children. Children, therefore, flourish in their education, mastering their work and enjoying the process.

Have a network!

Another key to a successful home school is networking!

We’ve all been forced into isolation over the last few months, and the adjustment has been easier for some than others. We were not made to work in isolation but to be part of a body (1 Corinthians 12). The danger of these past months is that people could equate this forced isolation with typical homeschooling—but that’s just not the truth!

Homeschoolers are usually active in multiple clubs and social groups. Having this support network established prior to lockdown has benefitted many home-educated students, with clubs and activities switching to online platforms. And where activities can’t go on (e.g. swimming), parents have had the time (since they’re not driving around) to bring in other activities that can be done at home.

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Overall, parents have done their best to face the challenges of this lockdown period head-on and should be commended for it.

Some may have struggled through and be hoping they never have to do it again.

Others may have enjoyed the experience and may now be considering a permanent move to educating from home.

Whatever your stance, remember this… true homeschooling is a calling and a carefully considered choice that requires preparation and ongoing support so that you can provide the best possible education for your children.

Need help with homeschooling?

CONSTRUCTIVE ISOLATION

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 12:30:00 +0000

In the next few weeks you may be required to stay isolated at home for a period of time due to the viral pandemic currently sweeping the globe. Some may have even started their self-quarantine already.

Many of you who are reading this article will already have a firm grasp on home educating, an organised schedule, and a general idea of how your children take on academic work within the home. However, with the additional restrictions that may come into play, you may have to be more creative with how you fill the time outside of PACE work. If you are new to home educating, or are taking it up temporarily, the information below will be helpful.

We have put together some advice and ideas that you may want to use; also feel free to share your tips and tricks for keeping children and students occupied during this time in the comments.

Preparing to Home Educate

Preparation does not mean panic. In order to be able to manage educating at home, it's good to have a plan -- even more so in this current situation.

First, take a breath. Try and find a quiet moment to put your thoughts in order and get into the right head space.
Make a list of the practical things you will need to provide for students studying at home. e.g. workbooks, stationery.
Consider a space that they can use for their studies. If they have a desk, great! But if not, any kind of table will do the trick.
IMPORTANT! Create a schedule. Most children will be super excited about not having to go to school and will be thinking of all the recreational things they can do outside of the classroom. If you create a firm schedule and clearly define the time of day that is set aside for study, and the times they will be free to play, it will make all the difference in the success of the home-ed routine. Try and keep mornings for academics and the afternoon for other activities.
We recommend that you try and keep children to their current schedule. e.g. if they usually start school at 8:30, make sure they are up, dressed, and ready to work at that point.
Free yourself up the initial few days to be available to assist them, and help them settle into the new routine. They will probably be excited about the prospect of you being around as they study (depending on their age and personalities, of course) and will want to ask you a lot of questions and get you involved with what they are doing.
Remember, even if you don't have a structured curriculum with you at home, there are plenty of resources available online, and a lot of learning opportunities within the home (see 'keeping busy' section below).
If you are new to home-educating or feel overwhelmed and down about not being able to manage, don't worry and don't be harsh with yourself. Take baby steps; do as much as you are able. This is an out of the blue situation, and everyone is facing problems and having to take on new tasks. You are not alone.

Find out about Home Educating with TEACH Here

Keeping Busy at Home

Academics aside, there will be a lot of time to fill when you have to be at home for an extended period. Obviously, if there is someone who is ill among you, time must be spent making sure that person has the care they need. However, if you are self-isolating to avoid contamination, or because of the possibility of spreading illness, there may be a lot of energy that needs to be directed in a creative and purposeful way. Here are some suggestions that will help you bring learning into everyday life:

Housework - Anyone who has ever had to do housework KNOWS how much energy it takes. It's basically a workout. You can use quarantine as an opportunity to teach your children all about the skill of managing a house -- when clothes should be washed, or how to use detergents and cleaning products safely, even how to make a budget for the week. Many skills learned in the house are directly transferred to adult life. Learning about the responsibilities of housekeeping will be a help towards them owning their responsibilities in the future. This doesn't have to be made into a chore; make an event of it. Stick some music on, watch a cartoon when you have a break, and enjoy a clean and tidy house together.
Cooking - Cooking is a combination of organisation, chemistry, maths, care, and creativity. Why not rustle up some ingredients from the back of the cupboard and choose a recipe together? Explain the importance of the right ratio of ingredients to get the most delicious results. You could even make a lesson out of it. Find a chef or baker on YouTube, watch their video and recreate their recipes. You never know, you may find that your children have a passion for culinary arts!
Architecture - well, sort of. Why not build an indoor den with chairs, blankets, and pillows? Dens make ordinary things seem exciting. To read a book or draw a picture in a den is a lot more fun than just sitting at a table. Mini obstacle courses are also very diverting and can be done inside and outside.
Go outside - Whist we are being encouraged to socially isolate, it is important that fresh air is still a part of daily life. If you have an enclosed garden, try and make the most of it during this time. If you don't have a garden, try and get out for a walk in an area that isn't busy and crowded. The great thing about being outdoors is that things can get messy. Some options are: make footprint paintings on big pieces of paper, have a bug hunt, make a vegetable patch, or wash the car!
Exercise - Having a workout is scientifically proven to benefit both mind and body. Exercise releases endorphins in the body. Endorphins are chemicals that work to elevate a person's mood and are also natural painkillers. Other hormones released during exercise are dopamine and serotonin, both of which help regulate your mood. Chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol are reduced in your body during exercise, which in turn helps reduce stress levels. Being in a quarantine situation is the opposite of relaxing, and worries and tension may come from it. Exercising will help alleviate those negative feelings. Why not find a workout online that will be fun for everyone and exercise together? Create competition to see who can hold the longest plank or who can do the most sit-ups. Explain the benefits of exercise, and remember to keep hydrated!
Art & Creativity - Pinterest is a fountain of creative ideas that you can do with your family. Even if you don't have many crafting materials, you can make things out of stuff around the house. Upcycle some old socks and make sock puppets, draw and colour in a favourite animal, write a script and make movies with a phone. Write a 'quarantine journal', poem, song, or story about the experience (or about anything else). There is literally an endlessness to delving into the creative arts, and it is such a satisfying enterprise because there is always a tangible, and enjoyable, result (most of the time).
Rest - Whilst it is wise to incorporate learning into the time that you have at home, it is equally as important to make that definition between time to work and allow time to rest. Don't feel bad if your children have a day or so in front of the TV or with their video games. Don't feel bad if you decide to get a pizza delivered instead of having a home cooking class. Rest is necessary if you want to be at your best form when it counts. Being burnt out doesn't help anyone. When it's time for holidays, have a holiday; when it's the weekend, have a weekend; and when you've had a time of work, have a time of rest.

Be Encouraged

It's easy to be discouraged and have negative thoughts in times of uncertainty. As believers we can be secure because of our trust that God has a higher plan in all things and that He can take a bad situation and change it for the good.

A time of isolation can have a negative impact, but we can choose to think of the positive elements.

We can use this time at home to meditate more through reading the Bible and prayer.
We can spend more time together as a family.
We can take an opportunity to disconnect from the fast, furious, and exhausting way modern society works.
We can find opportunities to show kindness and respect to those who have the bigger need.
We can have a time of collective prayer for the world we share.

So, even though we are not together, we can be together in listening to the Holy Spirit and sharing the benefits of Christian values in times like these:

But the fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;

against such things, there is no law.

Galatians 5: 22-23