Where Is Cursive Writings Place In The Common Core World?

That is my question for the who country or maybe the world.

I sit here trying to help my kids.  

Learn something that seems to just like a forgotten language.

In the public school systems today or at least in about 41 of the public school systems today. 

I never thought I would say that or that it was possible to feel like its been forgotten.

When cursive writing has been such a huge part of our history.

I loved learning cursive though I will admit my signature really needs work.

I loved feeling as if I was linked to those amazing people who were in our past.

George Washington

John Adams

Charles Carroll of  Carrollton

Thomas Jefferson

and so many others.

I believe that there are some things that we should pass down to the next generation and some that simply shouldn't be passed down. Though so many harmful things get passed from one generation to the next.

I have spoken before about the effects that the  No Child Left Behind program has caused out children. How it has pushed the things that those in charge do not care about to the side to make way for the future. To make sure that the change would be so slight that not many people would notice it. 

That those who are hurt by it have no way out not way to deal with the matter at hand. 

That program lead to what is now  Common Core State Standards. 

 A standard that has taken away cursive writing and everything good about school. 

The push us to turn our kids in robots and take away pieces of history that our children should be learning today. 

I personally teach my children cursive writing and about why its so important for them to learn it even if " they dont need it ." I understand that now days everyone write text and emails. No one ever  seems to write hand written letters anymore you dont even need to know how to sign your name ( again something that is done in CURSIVE WRITING! ) because soon there will be only electronic signatures done. 

The history of Cursive writing stems back to the time before our country was even founded. To a time that people seem to forget made each and every one who we are today. The good bad and ugly parts of us that we might not love or be proud of but your personal past made you who you are. Just like history made us all who we all are today. It changed the world and even those who once couldnt afford to go to school, and learn to read and write dreamed of there children. One day having the free to learn to read and write. To one day be able to sign their own name on to a paper or contract or what ever it might be. 

We are giving up so easily for the rights that those who came before us fought and died for. What is next? What rights that had been earned are going to be flushed down the drain because we feel its not useful to us anymore? Cause we feel like its not whats right for our children to learn or maybe just maybe because we dont pay enough. Attention to know what is really going on in the schools that some many of our children attend. 

It breaks my heart that so many people are okay with stepping aside and allowing other people to take away some of the best parts of education. Striping it down to the bone so that they can build it back up to be what they want it to be. 

Some people might be willing to stand aside and allow this to happen or ignore it as if that will make it go away. I and the large group of ladies I know around me am not willing to allow 

anyone to take away Cursive writing. To remove it as if it never shaped this country.

Are you willing to sit aside and let it fade into the back ground?

The Begaining .... Where to start Homeschooling

First off  Do Your Home Work! On How To Start or Where To Start

•  The very first thing we did as a family was to of course register as a Non Accredited Private  School in the state we live in . ( Kansas )
• Then we wanted to look up the National Standards For Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools. ( Here is the link for the English down load of the National Standards please email me for the Spanish down load or anything else you might need. )  http://www.catholicschoolstandards.org/the-standards/2014-07-13-13-36-30/download-the-standards

• Every state is different and has a different set of rules. For some it is very structured and others are very open. To allowing you the freedom to teach your children with little interference from the state. 
• We had to figure out what our resources were as a Catholic Homeschooling / Private Schooling family. ( here are some of the links we found very helpful.  listed below )  

                                                          Links

• http://www.catholicmom.com/catholicmom_com_links_homeschool_resources.htm
• http://www.homeschoolingcatholic.com/links/curriculum/
• www.hslda.org    <~ THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LINK I COULD EVER SHARE. EVERYONE NEEDS TO HAVE LEGAL COVERAGE. 

•                                          My Favorite Blogs

• http://www.catholicallyear.com/
• http://totustuusfamily.blogspot.com/
• http://raisinglittlesaints.blogspot.com/
• http://hsjoy.blogspot.com/

                         Most Importantly Read the Bible! and Home School                       Blogs. They will help you figure out whats best for you

                Family. Try different ways of teaching what ever works 

                for your family! 

Truth Of The Struggle

       The truth behind the " No Child Left Behind ."  In North Carolina this " program " is to ensure that children don't get left behind. The North Carolina Public schools failed my children, Especially my son. The truth behind this program is IT DOESN'T HELP THE KIDS! I was held back in first grade for failure to learn how to read, my husband was held back in first grade for issues reading. We survived being held back and for the most part went on to have no problems reading. We both needed more time to learn, more one on one attention. The " No Children Left Behind " act/program fails the kids who truly need to be left behind. The kids who for what ever reason never learned what they should in whatever grade. Leaving a child behind is not a bad thing in fact I know it's a good thing. Whatever happened to doing what's best for the kids? When did learning become about statics and making the school look good?

        It breaks my heart my son's reading level is a 1.5 ( 1st grade in the 5th month of the year. ) If Jay ( my son ) were in public school he would be ending his 2nd grade year. He would be going into 3rd grade with a reading level of 1.5 and to the public school system that is okay. This fact is a huge reason why we decided to year round homeschool. ( or as its known in Kansas we placed our children in a year round private school ) My son struggles with reading and the basic stuff that he should have learned by now. So we start at the beginning and have been teaching Jay nouns, verbs. The basics of reading spelling and writing. His struggle breaks my heart. Noun work with his sister seems to really help him. He adores her and she loves to help him. It's a different approach to learning but it seems to work very well for our kids. My kids have not been " left behind " we just decided to redo their 2nd grade and 3rd grade year to help them. Learn what they didn't learn from the 1st and 2nd grades ( for Jay ) and 2nd and 3rd grades. ( For Hayley ) It is needed for their success in school in the future. Luckly I have kids who have gained a love for school and a passion for never giving up. 

It breaks my heart to think so many kids in the public school system are pushed onto a grade. That they shouldn't be going to yet, thst they aren't getting the help they need. Due to the failure of the teachers , system and honestly by the parents. In the end it is the parents that need to start standing up for their children's education. You can help your kids succeed in school you just have to stand up for them. 

"  What is right is not always popular but what is popular is not always right. " Albert Einstein 

Jay working on learning nouns on our white board. 

Hayley helping teach the Jay about nouns

Why we decided to year round homeschool

     

     Catching Our Kids Up! 

   Deciding to Year Round Homeschool is not for the faint of heart! .... There are MANY reasons we knew it was right for us.

What it means to our family might not be what it means to other. Homeschooling this is for us is about catching our kids up. They had a very rockie past with being "homeschooled" by a former step mother. Do to their experience with her they are very behind there with school. We have tested both kids with Sylvan Learning Center and the results well they were not good. Jay is on a 1.5 grade level when in a public school he would be going into 3rd grade. Hayley is on a 2nd grade almost the beginning of 3rd grade level. When she should be going into  4th grade. It breaks my heart to see how far behind they are due to someone elses failure. That is one of the largest reasons why we not only decided to year round homeschool. It is also the reason we have to year round homeschool. If we didn't then they would never catch up. They need alot of extra attention. One on one help to build the skills they should know by now. It's  alot of work day in and day out but it. Will be worth it to know my kids are on the grade levels that they should be.

   The kids Enjoy Picking Their Days Off

        It means long days and for us , it means that we can't take breaks the way alot of people do. We have to home school 6 days a week on most weeks. We have to do everything at each kids own speed. There are some days that we get done at 3pm and some days we go right up until 5pm. But at the end of each day we are all happy and the kids are proud of how far they have come. They are proud of the things they have learned. They get to pick days off. They get to have fun learning. It's hard work but there is nothing in this world that would change our minds about year round home schooling.

   We Prayed About It, let their faith grow

        We prayed about year round homeschooling for about 6 months before deciding to go ahead with it. We as a family believe that God should be the foundation for education. Our Catholic faith is a huge part of our life. We want our kids to learn every day the joys of our faith and to grow there love for God snd the Holy Mother. We sat down and talked as a family to our kids and asked what they want. How they want to homeschool and what subjects they want to learn. They get the freedom to pick fun classes, to pick what class work they do each day. ( luckly we have kids,who know the basic subjects must be done every day then they get to do the ones they want to do. )

   Give The kids Freedom To Pick What They Learn!

They get to help design activities and lessons every day so to them even on the subjects they struggle in are made fun.We believe in structure and that just because we are on school and we must do class work. That doesn't mean we can't have fun, do field trips, explore the world around us. Discover history as its meant to be learned. Learn the fun of science and grow there imaginations.


                 

Freedom To Let The Kids Learn Their Own Way!

         We wanted the freedom for our kids to be able to learn the way they want in the time frame that is best for them. Every child is different and learns at their own speed and own way. We believe our kids need to be able to learn the way they learn the best not the way the school teach. We are against common core and don't think it's right to attempt to make children learn one way of doing everything. There are many ways to learn. Just because one child gets the right answer one way doesn't mean a nother will get the right answer that way.

Our Believes About What Shouldn't Be!

     As a family we wanted to be able to spend time together. With traditional public school it seemed my kids were not being given the one on one attention. They need and they were moving to slow in some subjects and to fast in others. The kids bringing guns to school. The schools going on " lock down " every other week due to strangers attempts to enter the school. It was just all too much. Too much worry too much stress and too many fears. Not to count the teachers being caught for sexual relations and the fact that we don't feel our children need to learn " sex education." Until they are personally ready for it and I'm sorry but my children will not be ready for a long time. We wanted the freedom to not have to pull our children out of school due to a PCS. Our kids get to know other kids , build relationships and bonds. They get to play sports , they get to just be kids and not robots!

We don't believe in long school breaks for the kids. They get to pick a few days every month they want to have with no school. They get a say in their school year and they absolutely love it. Children deserve say in their schooling. We believe they want to learn when they get more say in their education.

Though our reasons might seem strange to some they mean alot to our family!