Please reply asap! What do you look for in homeschooling programs (for example, at museums, etc.)

[cyndyinohio]

A friend who runs a museum (it is a museum about Johnny Appleseed in Ohio) is thinking about starting some homeschooling programs and wants to know from us homeschooling parents what we look for in programs. I told her I would ask other moms I know and get back to her.

 

So...what qualities do the homeschooling programs/classes you sign up for have? I'm thinking she might like to know things like days/times/length/how often/age ranges/costs/parent's involvement/hands-on/topics, and whatever else you can think of. Would you want the kids to leave with something (such as something they made) or have assignments they could do at home to further their study? Are there times in the year you really like to do classes/programs?

 

It's not often we get to have so much input into these things, so I'd love to be able to give her a lot of feedback.

 

Thanks!!!

 

Cyndy

[Harriet Vane]

I look for high educational value, and I do NOT want to waste my time. I have been to many museum programs in which we spent a lot of time waiting for the program to start or walking, with very little actual teaching. This is frustrating. If I am going to go to all the bother of leaving my house, rescheduling our normal work, and paying for a museum program, I want to know that the museum is not just prepared to teach, but over-prepared so that there is plenty to fill the time with.

 

As an example, my dd participated in a program at a small museum connected to a mill. We had done another program with the museum that went well, so we gladly signed up for a historical program that promised to let the students handle historical objects. As it turned out, my dd spent FOUR sessions interacting with ONE antique object. I sat in on the classes and was bored out of my mind. They hadn't planned enough, hadn't accounted for what was appropriate for the age of the kids.

 

At the high school level, we don't have time for much outside the home, especially on a weekday. If I were your friend I would focus on elementary and junior high age kids. I would also make the program BEEFY--chock full of great information.

 

Also, I look for programs to offer something I cannot. For example, I can explore feelings with my kids and I can walk them through the process of writing reports. I don't need outsiders to do that. A museum, however, offers access to things I cannot do at home. For example, the local mill museum has working grindstones and a waterwheel, and tons of antiques from 150 years ago related to mill production as well as spinning wool and textile production. I would gladly pay for the opportunity for my little girl to learn how to use some of those old-fashioned things.

[Rebel Yell]

A friend who runs a museum (it is a museum about Johnny Appleseed in Ohio) is thinking about starting some homeschooling programs and wants to know from us homeschooling parents what we look for in programs. I told her I would ask other moms I know and get back to her.

 

So...what qualities do the homeschooling programs/classes you sign up for have? I'm thinking she might like to know things like days Fridays can be good, but make sure there aren't majot co-ops on the day she chooses.

/times/ First thing in the mornign or just after lunch

lengthLong enough to learn something... 9am-3pm, or at least 2 hours- preferably 3- or 4.

/how often I prefer a 1-day thing. Otherwise, once/week. Unles sit;s all year, then once/month.

/age ranges/ANY! A good class for highschool age is rare. If it;s for K-8th, PLEASE separate the kids fro some thing, or else teach it to 6th-8th grade. I get kinda cranky when I pay for a class for my 8th grader that is taught to the 3yo tagalongs.

 

costs that can vary... family discounts are helpful. It really depends on what they're doing and how long.

 

/parent's involvement/ no more than drive, pay, and follow along making sure your own kids aren't being destructive or distracting.

hands-on/ YES! Anythign I can't easily do at home, or would be more fun/productive with a group.

topics, History. actual art or music.

and whatever else you can think of. Would you want the kids to leave with something (such as something they made NO FOAMIE CR@P! I don't mind art projects if they are relevant. Not just "glue this crud together because it;s in the shape of an apple" KWIM?) or have assignments they could do at home to further their study? A page of suggested resources (links online even better) or other pages for further studies would be great, but if itls a continuing class I really don't want to do anything in between besides pack a lunch. Are there times in the year you really like to do classes/programs? January/February seem to need a boost in interest. Also, May- public school kids are usually not out on field trips and we'd have the place to ourselves.

 

It's not often we get to have so much input into these things, so I'd love to be able to give her a lot of feedback.

 

Thanks!!!

 

Cyndy

 

[Farrar]

I would like museum educators and programmers everywhere to know that coloring a picture is not a "craft."

[Belacqua]

I'm always pleased to encounter a homeschool program that seems designed specifically for home-educated kids. Too often these programs are based heavily on public school models, so they have questions about school, classmates, etc., and they sometimes offer the kids ideas and handouts for "things to do when you get back to school" that involve group projects. None of those silly scavenger hunt worksheets I so frequently see for school field trips; the kids either ignore them or complete them with perfunctory resentment (or so it seems upon observation and memories of my own field trip days, anyway!).

 

I like the idea of assignments the kids can do after the program (better than some kind of craft; except for the youngest children, that doesn't sound especially valuable). Maybe I'm fantasizing, but how great would it be if the kids got some kind of research assignment and they could send their work to the program's teacher for evaluation? That would probably take more time than a museum might be willing to commit, but it's worth asking.

[Farrar]

I'm always pleased to encounter a homeschool program that seems designed specifically for home-educated kids. Too often these programs are based heavily on public school models, so they have questions about school, classmates, etc., and they sometimes offer the kids ideas and handouts for "things to do when you get back to school" that involve group projects. None of those silly scavenger hunt worksheets I so frequently see for school field trips; the kids either ignore them or complete them with perfunctory resentment (or so it seems upon observation and memories of my own field trip days, anyway!).

 

I like the idea of assignments the kids can do after the program (better than some kind of craft; except for the youngest children, that doesn't sound especially valuable). Maybe I'm fantasizing, but how great would it be if the kids got some kind of research assignment and they could send their work to the program's teacher for evaluation? That would probably take more time than a museum might be willing to commit, but it's worth asking.

 

Oh yeah. I can't count the number of programs we've been to that are school programs done for homeschoolers. That's fine, except some docents or museum educators seem to have all their questions reliant on homework, teachers, PE class, etc. And they can't figure out how to adjust it. What's worse is when it's a one time program and they're so used to school kids that they can't conceive that the kids in the homeschool group they've just gotten don't know each other. I had a museum docent get really mad at the kids once for not knowing the names of the other kids they had met when the program started just minutes before. She just couldn't step outside her worldview that this was a "class."

 

I'm not so keen on homework, but I do like when things are sent home that are materials to extend the experience or the learning. And real things - not nonsense like "research the topic!" That's not a lesson plan or an activity, it's a random dictate.

[Shawna in North CA]

Agree wholehearted with what has been said. I want depth. It seems that man museum programs are dumbed down, and anticipate students who arent' interested. Also, I need opportunties that allow for mixed ages. With parent of course. I find that my youngers can hold their own with the olders, if given the chance.

[Alice]

As someone with a preschooler and who recently had a toddler I appreciate knowing what the expectations are for the younger kids. Is there a program for them? is it ok for me to leave my older kids in the tour and wait in another room nearby. Is it ok to tag along with the preschooler as long as she’s not disruptive? I’m ok with doing whatever but I hate it when I feel like I’m doing one thing and people expect another. Or when I get the clear feeling that I should have left her at home. That’s not really feasible for me but I don’t have a problem with a program that clearly states upfront that preschoolers or younger kids are not allowed. I do have a problem when I show up and it’s clearly not ok for her to be there but I’m kind of stuck. Anyone who does a homeschooler program really needs to realize that homeschoolers generally come as a family and that needs to be addressed somehow.

 

I also agree that I want something I can’t do at home. I want expertise. I can walk around the museum on my own and buy a good general book on Johnny Appleseed but I want someone who is going to expand our knowledge or experience in a way I couldn’t have done on my own.

 

I generally do not like it when we get sent home with crafts and such. I don’t save much of that kind of stuff and so it’s just more junk to deal with. There are exceptions but in general it’s just coloring sheets or other busywork kind of pages.

[OrdinaryTime]

I really like programs that have several classes going on at once for different age groups (a 3-5 year class, a 6-9 class, a 10-13 class) because my "class" has a wide range of ages. Lumping preschoolers and pre-teens together is generally horrible because no one learns much or enjoys it, but at the same time, I don't want to take all of us somewhere just so one or two kids can participate.

[Kyr]

Day of the week depends on what day you have other stuff going on in your area. You don't want to compete with something else that will draw a large number of kids such as a Co-Op etc.

 

If it is mornings you will get a younger crowd, early afternoon tends to be nap time but better for older students who need to get academics done in the AM as they seem to have no attention span for serious work after lunch. Either first thing in the AM or 1st thing after lunch tends to be easiest to schedule around though.

 

re length, ITA, if this is a regular thing 90 min works well, less than that tends to feel rushed, longer and you start losing kids, especially the younger ones. Plus that is long enough for me to justify the trip, but not so long I am losing the whole day. For a one time thing or short series of sessions you can go longer but then it needs to be broken up with moving around, different activities, a break etc.

 

re how often, I prefer monthly because that lets the teacher/docent get to know the kids and helps get a more indepth, directed experience but we have done 3 weekly classes or such. Weekly is harder to fit into the schedule. We've also done one time classes on specific topics but they tend to be the worst for fluff IMO.

 

age range - right around 3rd grade/9 years old there seems to be a big jump in the kids average ability. The bigger the age range, the harder it is to make it work. The classes I have seen that have a 10plus/9 and under or pre-k through 3rd, 4th and up seem to do better than the ones that try to lump all the kids together. When they are lumped together you end up with either the olders being bored because it is taught to the youngers or the youngest being lost because is is being taught to the oldest. Ideally I would prefer even more age splits but that is not always possible do to their resources.

 

Generally the age groups are kept soft so sibling groups can stay together and parents have leeway to shift where they think is most appropriate for their child. Many younger are ok in the older group, especially if they have older siblings. If in doubt, always teach towards the older end of the age group. I am always happy to follow up with my child afterwards and would far rather explain something that they missed than have them bored because it was too easy.

 

Unless there is signifigant cost to the organization providing the class, most parents around here are not willing to pay more than $5 per student per session. They prefer to pay at the door or as close to the class as possible for in case something comes up and they are unable to make it. If you need payment earlier offering discounts for pre-payment or adding a nominal door fee helps. Family or season discounts are always welcome too especially in larger families where even a $5 fee can add up very quickly and become prohibitive.

 

Hand on is popular here but more being able to interact with stuff than making junk. Experience type hands on or hands on that demonstrates something.

 

I would also add opportunities for the students to interact and ask questions. I've been to too many of those things where the kids are facinated and want to learn more but they get shut down because it is not part of the planned lecture or such.

 

We do not like busywork homework assignments such as crosswords, but do really appreciate when the teacher or docent takes the time to make a one page sheet with a summary of what was taught including terms that might be new, interesting facts, maybe a little bibliography so the kids know where to find more info.

 

Topicwise, absolutely agree re something we can not duplicate at home. What is something they are in a unique position to share with the students? What is a further level of depth that the average source does not get to? What are details that you might not get to on a survey of the topic at home?

 

My children stopped doing these type programs around 5th/6th grade. While I appreciated then when the kids were younger, as they got older they wanted more meat. The programs were no longer really teaching them anything. I noticed many others dropping out between 5th and 8th grade. In my area the peak student age for these programs is 2nd/3rd grade. Also, as others have said, the older they get, the more time their academics take and it is harder to justify taking the time for something "fun" especially when they have other ways they would prefer to spend their precious free time.

[zenjenn]

We've attended a lot of these. Some we return to, some we don't. What I look for:

 

- an opportunity or experience using equipment I normally don't have access to. For example, we have a historical museum place where the kids might do something like spin thread of a big old-fashioned spinning wheel, weave on a loom, or churn butter. I am not going to be buying a spinning wheel, loom, or butter churn any time soon.

 

- an opportunity to try something that would be a much more expensive, messy, or annoying thing for me to do at home. For example, the science center has homeschool classes where the kids do experiments and projects using materials they have there in bulk. They have the materials to run the experiment for 4 classes worth of homeschool kids (plus their other educational programs, scouts and such), and they charge me $8. To buy all the junk to do the same thing with my 2 kids, would probably cost me $20 at least for my 2 kids, and would be a much bigger hassle. Plus, the science center usually has some big installed exhibit topical to the project they can visit afterwards - I don't.

 

- the opportunity to sign up for something cooperative that needs a lot of kids. Homeschool P.E. class and homeschool acting class are both classes my kids have attended. Also just activities - for example the history center did an Underground Railroad scenario activity where kids took on different roles and acted out a slave escape attempt - the kind of thing you can ONLY do in a group.

[cyndyinohio]

Wow! You guys are awesome! I can't wait to show her all of your helpful responses!

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I should write an open letter to museum directors from homeschoolers and post it on the internet. :)

[Photo Ninja]

It has to be something I can't teach at home, either because I don't have the knowledge or because I don't have the equipment or access to the needed items.

 

It needs to be content-heavy. It can be fun, but it needs to have content to make it worth our time and money.

 

it needs to be a good value for the money/time investment. That doesn't always mean it needs to be cheap. It needs to be a good value. Sometimes a class/activity needs to cost more because of the nature of the class. (Ex., I once planned a Challenger Shuttle Simulation for a group of 5th-8th graders at a local observatory. It cost $50 per student, but was well worth the money for the learning that occurred, and it filled quickly and had a waiting list.) But usually it will need to cost less unless it is a very unique class.

 

Hands-on or interactive components, not just lectures. If it is a course that lasts for several weeks, then no hands-on work at home. Follow up research at home is fine, but not building something that requires parental help.

 

An understanding that hsers don't fit into neat little boxes. Some 8 yos can participate fully in a class with 11 yos. Don't group courses by individual grade levels, but allow a reasonable range of ages/grades.

 

Offer several courses/classes for different ages at the same time so that a family with a 6 yo and a 12 yo can have both students in classes at the same time, further optimizing the effort to travel there weekly for the class.

 

Classes taught by people who are experts in their fields, who enjoy teaching and children. Many people who are knowledgeable simply don't know how to teach children. Class content should not be shallow. The students should all be learning new material, even if traditionally schooled students would not like the same content. Expectations should be high for teacher and students.

[UrbanSue]

There have been great responses here so let me just highlight a couple of the most important things, to my mind:

 

1) Expectations for siblings and parents need to be very clear. Most homeschooling families have more than one child and since homeschooling is most common in the early years, the kids are most often young. I'm just never going to get a babysitter for an enrichment program so if it isn't a drop-off program, siblings need to be welcome. I do totally agree that the class should be taught to the advertised age, though. I see it as my responsibility to corral my younger kids in an appropriate and non-disruptive way.

 

2) Pointless crafts are, well, pointless. Making something truly beautiful or useful . . .maybe. But, again, I could make most crafts at home. It seems like a waste of time to do crafts in a large group setting to the exclusion of really digging in to what the museum has to offer.

 

3) I hope this doesn't sound snobby at all, but I think homeschool kids in these kinds of programs are probably going to be--or at least come across as--more advanced than their ps peers. This is for two reasons: a) homeschooled kids are less likely to end up at an enrichment program that doesn't interest them. I'm certainly not going to schlep my kids to a museum and pay money unless most of them are going to be pretty engaged and B) I think most homeschool kids are more used to an education environment where there is time to ask lots of questions and go down rabbit trails. I know my kids have a hard time with the "go-go-go" pace that we get when we go to museums with certain friends. And when we see school groups at places like that it's a very fast, very superficial presentation, it seems. So, I'd say, deeper rather than wider might be a good bet for homeschool programs.

[Ellie]

I would not take my dc to a program that was scheduled in the morning. That's when I actually teach my dc. :-)

 

I would not want "homework."

 

I would want as much hands-on as possible.

[cyndyinohio]

So helpful! Any other input?

[Dmmetler]

I'd also add- a variety or rotation of programs. The homeschoolers who come when they have a K and 3rd grader aren't going to want to come back for the same program for a 1st and 4th grader. Next year, I'm not sure there will BE a good homeschool program in DD's age-range in town that she hasn't already done the units they offer, but she's really not socially/emotionally ready for a drop-off program where most of the kids are middle school age. I know some homeschool moms don't mind doing the same set of monthly classes each year, but I'm not willing to pay for the same class twice, and my DD doesn't handle repetition well.

 

Another thing to consider-allergy concerns. These don't just affect food. Having kids make their own egg tempera may be a great activity-but not for the kids with egg allergies!

[Dana]

Another thing to consider-allergy concerns. These don't just affect food. Having kids make their own egg tempera may be a great activity-but not for the kids with egg allergies!

 

 

YES, YES, YES!!!

My son had a cut in his hand when he cracked an egg recently while cooking. It swelled up about 1 cm just from the contact. Drat, drat, drat. He's also got severe dairy & nut allergies. It really helps me to know in advance what dangers for us may be in the course.

 

I don't want "homework", but I've really been enjoying a zoo class that sends out information in advance so we can do additional reading or research first. If a book list were also supplied with recommended reading or website addresses for more information, I'd love that!

 

I prefer morning classes over afternoon.

 

I want the website to make information easy for me to find. Let me know who to contact with email addresses. Let me know dates/times/locations/topics. Make online registration EASY (I've been having a frustrating time with art classes lately and their online registration system).

 

If another family is disruptive during the program, please ask them to be quiet or leave. I understand multiple ages, but if people are being rude, kick them out.

We were at a recent program where some children were just too young for the program. I was very pleased that their mother took them out while leaving her other kids with the program. I've been at others where disruptive families just stayed. I'd like the facilitator to speak up at that point.