teaching tips | The Wolfe Pack {Reviews~Support~Opinions for the Discerning Homeschool Mom}

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Choosing ANY homeschool curriculum can be a very difficult process. There are just so many choices. So. Many.

But choosing a FOREIGN LANGUAGE curriculum? That has been a special level of difficult. It has been almost painful.

I think, that if my son wanted to learn Spanish, with which I am at least a wee bit familiar after taking four years of it in high school, I might not feel so lost.

But, no, my kid wants to learn Chinese.

So, looking for the right program to teach him the Mandarin language has been a rather foreign process for me.

I mean, how do I even begin to assess whether a program is good or not? It’s NOT like I can read through it and get a feel for it myself. {I cannot read it!}

And, for some reason, FOREIGN LANGUAGE curriculum seems to be one of the more expensive subjects. So, though, I have been willing to shell out primo bucks for science and math, which my kid actually needs for his career goal of being a zoologist, I really didn’t want to spend a ton for this elective. And, I sure as heck didn’t want to spend hundreds on one program only to find it didn’t work for us and then have to buy another one.

And, probably the biggest challenge for me is the fact that this is one subject with which I cannot help my kid learn. I mean, we all know that homeschool moms can teach almost anything to our kids, and when we find ourselves outmatched by a subject, we can outsource {like I do for math and science at the high school level.} But, again, I’m not sure I want to spend the same type of serious money on him learning Chinese that we invest into live, on-line science classes or the time that we spend with what I like to call my private 1:1 math tutor, Nicole The Math Lady.

So, even after I have spent countless hours looking at options of how to teach a FOREIGN LANGUAGE, I have yet to decide which route we will take.

But, I sure have learned a lot about HOW and WHERE students can learn a FOREIGN LANGUAGE!

Hopefully, what I learned can help YOU make your FOREIGN LANGUAGE choice less difficult.

Other than the huge selection of boxed curriculum you can find in your homeschool catalogs or on the web, I found three other options for FOREIGN LANGUAGE instruction.

Three Out-of-the-Box Options for Teaching a Foreign Language

ONE: YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

This is a phenomenal option that could flat-out be FREE for your family. Obviously, different libraries will offer different options but it’s definitely worth looking into.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that our local library offers MANGO for free to all card-holders.

MANGO is a self-paced online resource that offers over 70 world languages and dialects through courses crafted using conversational methodology.

I know other libraries offer similar options including Duolingo and Babbel. We have not used any of these resources but considering it’s FREE, it sure seems like a great option! Even if we use it to simply “test-out” which language he might really want to pursue, it sure seems like a wise consideration.

So, be sure to check out what your local library has to offer in terms of FOREIGN LANGUAGE instruction.

TWO: DUAL ENROLLMENT

Now, this one won’t be free BUT, if your student plans on attending college like mine, then it could be considered an investment.

{If you are not familiar with the concept of Dual Enrollment, here is a great article that explains it clearly.}

The gist of Dual Enrollment is that your high school homeschooler can take classes at the college level that count as both a current high school class but also as college credit. It’s an excellent way to take schooling to the next level of rigor, expose your kid to the changes that college courses will bring while still under your roof, and accumulate college credits at a reduced cost.

Obviously, much depends on which college you are considering for dual enrollment, but while I was perusing the catalog for Columbia College in search of history and literature classes for my son’s 11th Grade year, I ran across several FOREIGN LANGUAGE options.

I did not look too closely {because I don’t think we’ll be interested in a college-level Chinese class, eeks!} but I did take note of it for future reference.

So, if you have a college-bound kid who would be interested in taking some serious FOREIGN LANGUAGE classes, Dual Enrollment would be a fantastic option for you to consider!

THREE: ONLINE OPTIONS

This option is, in some ways, the most obvious out-of-the-box option.

I’m sure you have seen ads for Outschool, which offers a bazillion different kinds of classes, including FOREIGN LANGUAGE.

And, if you are familiar with VIPKID {a popular money-making gig for moms to teach English to Chinese kids,} then you may have heard of their Chinese-English counterpart, Lingo Bus.

Or, if you are a fan of the Time4Learning app, there is also a Time4Langages add-on you can consider.

But, there are some other less-obvious online options as well. They might be smaller, but that does not mean they are not high quality.

For instance, if your student is interested in learning Spanish, Dale and Robin Gamache have a small “mom and pop” online company, La Clase Divertida, that comes highly recommended.

Or if your family is interested in learning Hebrew, a great option is Hebrew for Homeschoolers, which is the beautiful creation of a fellow homeschool mom, Ana Willis.

So, if your student is in need of a FOREIGN LANGUAGE, consider these

Three Out-of-the-Box Options:

ONE: YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

TWO: DUAL ENROLLMENT

THREE: ONLINE OPTIONS

October’s Giveaway Wednesday offers an opportunity to win one of these out-of-the-box FOREIGN LANGUAGE options for your family!

Hebrew for Homeschoolers will provide one reader a ten-week course designed for the entire family!

Ana is a homeschool mom of 3, the blogger behind They Call Me Blessed and the creator of Hebrew for Homeschoolers. She is passionate about Hebrew for so many reasons. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, which provides for about 70% of the entire Bible. Jesus and His disciples read the Holy Scriptures and prayed in Hebrew daily.

Hebrew is the best language to learn of all… no one can really understand Scripture without it.” – Martin Luther

Hebrew is the language of Moses, King David, and so many heroes of our faith. Learning Hebrew brings you into a much deeper understanding of the Bible and strengthens your faith.

Can you imagine you and your kids learning to read, write and speak the very language of Jesus and our heroes of the Bible spoke?

Here is what Hebrew for Homeschoolers for Beginners will teach you:

The Alef-Bet (Hebrew alphabet)
Numbers
Colors
Shapes
Greetings
Basic vocabulary
Biblical vocabulary
Hebrew songs

In only 10 weeks you and your children will be able to read, write and speak basic Hebrew!

There are no other courses like Hebrew for Homeschoolers!

Classes are self-paced and last about 60 minutes.
This course is geared to the whole family, from the youngest to the oldest in the family.
You will have lifetime access to the course.
And join our Facebook community for extra learning.

Enter below for your chance to win {Giveaway closes 10/25!}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It is your responsibility to read the terms and conditions upon entering. By entering, all entrants understand that they are subject to being added to each of the participating blogger’s email lists.

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Long before I was a homeschool mom, I was a classroom teacher and one of the biggest challenges I experienced every year was figuring out ways to push through the academic curriculum while wading through the holiday season filled with parties, programs and plays. It was NOT An easy balance to find. Sway one way too much and my First Graders wouldn’t be able to read/write or add/subtract. Sway too far the other way and parents complained about “missing out on all the fun parts of school.” {I do not miss that type of pressure at all!}

I never dreamed that it would be just as hard as a HOMESCHOOL MOM to ensure that academics did not totally fly out the window as soon as mid-October hit.

Between the amazing array of field trips that seem to abound every fall {apple picking, pumpkin patches, picnics in the park…} and parties to celebrate the various holidays {Caramel Apple Decorating, Thanksgiving Feasts, Gingerbread House Building…} having a full week of schooling at home seems impossible. Throw in at least one play, program or musical and it’s a wonder we get any teaching done at all from October through December.

And, before you utter, “but learning happens all the time, no matter where you are and what you are doing” let me remind you that, while that is true, it’s not THAT simple. I agree that learning CAN happen anywhere. I believe that learning CAN occur at anytime. BUT unless your kids are going to grow up to be professional Pilgrims or toy-making elves {no offense to those professions, ha ha,} they will need to know how to read and write. If they want to survive in the world of shopping and eating out, they will need to be able to multiply and divide. If they want to go to college, they will need to know how to formulate a scientific hypothesis and write clearly structured essays. And those things cannot be taught if we stop focusing on academics for the last 10 weeks of every single calendar year.

So, how can we continue to teach academics during this busy holiday season?

TIP ONE: Plan Ahead!

Wrap up 25 Christmas books, start on December 1st and read one book per day until Christmas.

Assign copywork of the lines your kid needs to know for the Christmas play.

Take paper and pencils to the store when shopping for gifts and ask your kids to find the total before you go to the register.

Search TpT for lessons on holiday symbols and traditions or the true story of Christmas.

Choose crafts that teach skills your kids actually need and not just because they are cute.

Create an Advent activity for the month of December that is both meaningful and academic.

If your family does the Elf on the Shelf, be an Elfover-achiever and make at least some of the elf’s daily antics centered around academics.

Take the time not only to go Christmas caroling, but also learn the words of and the meaning behind classic carols before you go! {Click here for a FREE 40 page Hymn Study Pack on Angels We Have Heard on High.}

None of that advanced planning takes away from the fun and joyful experiences of the holidays. But they do make the activities more meaningful and purposeful and they keep your kids focused on their academics while still having fun.

TIP TWO: Get creative!

Ask your kids to group the ornaments into types {shapes, sizes, colors, etc} and graph them before you put them on the tree.

{Or, later in the season, have them count the number of pine needles that have fallen off before they vacuum, ha ha.}

Rewrite the math assignment to include word problems about gifts, stockings and candy canes.

Say “we will practice fractions while baking cookies today” and make your younger kids reduce those fractions while the older kids need to find equivalent choices.

Replace the spelling words in your kid’s workbook with words including “sleigh, tradition, mistletoe”.

Teach formal letter-writing by having your kids write “thank you” letters.

Switch out your lunch-time read aloud book for something holiday related. {For a great historical fiction Christmas chapter book appropriate for all ages, check out the Imagination Station’s Danger on a Silent Night.} {And then take your fun new read aloud to the next level and get a resource to accompany it here. This Novel Study Pack is filled with vocab studies, puzzles and more!}

Explore the chemistry of instant hot-cocoa.

Define the laws of physics that allow graham crackers to be held up in a vertical position with icing while building gingerbread houses.

Yes, it will take longer to be creative. Yes, it will feel more like work than if you simply hope they’ll learn through osmosis while baking cookies, decorating trees and building gingerbread houses. But, the extra time and effort will be worth it. They’ll be doing actual academics while enjoying a variety of fun activities!

TIP THREE: Be Diligent!

Acknowledge that your kids’ academics fall solely on you. Yes, that’s a lot of pressure but it’s what we signed up for when we decided to homeschool. So, remain diligent during the holiday season.

Be diligent about your time.

It’s okay to miss out on a field trip or two.

It’s okay to say “no” to the choir director at church.

It’s okay to turn down the opportunity to organize the co-op Christmas party.

Be diligent about goals for your homeschool.

Stick to your daily routines.

Stick to your lesson plans.

Stick to your curriculum.

Do not put that carefully-chosen curriculum on the shelf “until January when things settle down.”

Be diligent by acknowledging that in January, you will be hit with Valentine’s Day, Easter and end-of-the-year craziness.

Be diligent in continuing to educate your kids during this busy holiday season.

Be diligent now so you are not caught off-guard in May and then decide to scrap the last 10 chapters of math.

I know this sounds difficult and time-consuming but, if you PLAN AHEAD and BE CREATIVE, it’ll be easy to BE DILIGENT!

And if you do all three, you can easily slip in loads of fun activities and memory-making!

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Three Out-of-the-Box Options