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Save time and simplify your homeschooling life... |
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Use this website with Beverley Paine's Getting Started with Home Schooling - Practical Considerations to help you develop your own educational curriculum to suit your family situation, beliefs and lifestyle.
The checklists can help you identify your children's current educational skill level in each subject area, as well as find any 'gaps' in their learning, plan what they need to cover or keep track of what has been learned. |
"Thank you... The information you supply is real and generous - fantastic reading. I am so inspired... Your honesty is rare. Most books do not really explain 'how' as well as you do." Tracy "I cannot seem to get enough of your writings on the whole home ed subject! You portray a lot of wisdom, knowledge and experience..." Marie
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"Every time I read your writing it feels like a pat on the shoulder, and that feels really good...Thanks!" Maaike
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© Beverley Paine June 2007
I grew up believing I couldn't sing even though my heart sang constantly. Mum always complained about 'tone deafness' and my confident singing voice wavered, then faltered and finally disappeared. For years, I often heard myself saying, "I can't carry a tune in a bucket". It's sad that my mother's sharp criticism stopped me from not only an enjoyable pastime but one that has incredible health physical, emotional and spiritual health benefits.
Next to our sense of smell, nothing has the power to evoke human emotion as much as song. Songs are packed with emotional memories of people, places and experiences in our lives: special songs mark milestones and stay with us forever.
Certain kinds of music can calm and soothe the soul. At the end of a tense day gentle uplifting melodies help us to relax and slow down the hectic pace. The act of softly singing lowers blood pressure and decreases our heart rate. Many homeschooling families are familiar with the beneficial effects to learning when baroque music is played quietly in the background. Children exposed to different styles of song and music tend to develop an eclectic taste in music. My children began to notice the connections between many different music styles at an early age.
Have you noticed how little children love to hum or sing nonsense songs? Not only do we work efficiently we enjoy what we're doing more when we're singing or listening to music we like. Singing reduces stress. It can also help to release anger: one of my favourite songs is Pink Floyd's 'Brick in the Wall' .
Singing alters our moods. Humming a happy, popular tune is infectious. We can help others feel better by singing. I especially like folk who don't mind my out-of-tune warbling and who join in to create a cheerful chorus. In no time at all our blues are forgotten.
Songs sell too. As homeschoolers we can take our cue from advertisers: My children learned their multiplication tables through skip-counting songs. Protest songs added an emotional dimension to learning about environmental issues and folk songs enlivened learning about Australian history.
Songs have the power to transform us. Over the years different songs became personal anthems to me: their words became mantras that framed my developing attitudes and beliefs. Particular songs bring me closer to the ones I love, remind me to stay true to myself, to value this wonderful world, and to continue to strive to reach my goals.
The act of singing allows our hearts and minds to soar, to vibrate with energy. It's a beautiful energy every homeschool needs.
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Home education is a legal alternative
to school education in Australia.
State governments are responsible
for regulating home education.
Different states have different
requirements, however
homeschooling families are able
to develop curriculum and learning
programs to suit the individual
needs of their children.
For more information:
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Copyright © 1999-2008
Beverley Paine.
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Please note:
The information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice.
Pioneering members of the home education movement in Australia, Beverley and Robin Paine are passionate advocates of true educational choice for families. They began homeschooling their children in 1986 and three years later started the South Australian Home Based Learners network.Beverley wrote several books and booklets on home education through her self-publishing business, Always Learning Books. Beverley balances spending time helping home educators with working in her garden and renovating her home, as well as continuing to build her collection of ebooks on a variety of homeschooling subjects. retired from actively supporting home education in July 2008 to allow her to spend time on her garden and writing projects. She maintains an extensive collection of websites as well as several Yahoo groups supporting families teaching their children at home. Beverley continues to support the Home Education Association of Australia as a committee member and helps to produce the HEA Newsletter, publications and annaul Resource Directory. If you'd like to keep in touch with what Beverley is up to her in her life, sign up for either the Always Learning Books mailing list or the Homeschool Australia Newsletter.