HIGH SCHOOL EDITION #16
By Heather Idoni
Added Monday, December 14, 2009
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The Homeschooler's Notebook
***SPECIAL SERIES - High School Homeschooling***
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Vol. 10 No 90 December 14, 2009
ISSN: 1536-2035
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Copyright (c) 2009 - Heather Idoni, FamilyClassroom.net
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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Notes from Heather
-- My Famous Cousins
Helpful Tip for High School
-- Apprenticeship Opportunity
Answers to Reader Question
-- Independence for My Son
Additional Notes
-- Newsletter Archives
-- Sponsorship Information
-- Reprint Information
-- Subscriber Information
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Notes from Heather
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[My great-grandfather's grandmother was Sarah Wright Harris.
She was the only sister to Orville and Wilbur Wright's father,
Milton. My great-great grandmother was Laura Harris, Sarah's
daughter -- a first cousin to Wilbur and Orville. That makes
me a first cousin four times removed*!]
Encouragement from My Cousins, the Wright Brothers
---
From an early age, Wilbur and Orville Wright both demonstrated
inventive mechanical abilities beyond average boyhood curiosity,
leading to the establishment of a successful bicycle manufacturing
and repair business before becoming famous for their aeronautic
endeavors. Although their formal education ended with high school,
and neither received a diploma, within a few short years they had
become self-taught engineers and well-known for their unique
observations in diverse scientific concepts.
Their mother, Susan Koerner Wright, was the daughter of a carriage
maker and she spent hour after hour at her father's shop developing
a finely tuned mechanical aptitude. She went to college, studied
literature and science, and was actually the top mathematician in
her class. As an adult, she would build home appliances for herself
as well as toys for her children. And who do you think the boys
went to when they needed mechanical advice or help on a project?
When the Wright brothers had achieved a certain amount of notoriety,
their father was asked to share about the childhood of each of his
famous sons. Here are excerpts from the newspaper article:
Bishop Milton Wright regarding Wilbur...
"Up to his nineteenth year, he was distinguished for health, strength
and activity. He excelled in skating, making and flying kites, and
in gymnastic exercises on a turning pole. He did not attend school
till he was about eight years old, and had already been taught by
his father to read. But from the first, he had facility in learning,
and close application, and as these in later years did not forsake
him, he ever excelled as a student. He pursued more than a full
course in high school, and closed at Dayton, Ohio, but could not
graduate there because three of his years in high school course had
been pursued elsewhere (Richmond, Indiana). His parents thought
of sending him to Yale college, but in playing a game on skates,
at the Soldier's Home, the bat of a young man flew out of his hand
and struck Wilbur, and some two or three weeks later palpitation
of the heart developed, and for some years he was unable to pursue
a student's life, though his much reading and study in that time
perhaps nearly equaled the advantages of a classical education.
His mother being a declining, rather than a suffering invalid, he
devoted himself to caring for her, watching and serving her with a
faithfulness and tenderness that can not but shed happiness on him
in life, and comfort him in his last moments. Such devotion of a
son has been rarely equaled. And the mother and son were fully
able to appreciate each other. Her life was probably lengthened
at least two years by his skill and assiduity. He, all these years
used his spare time to read and study, and his knowledge of ancient
and modern history, of current events and literature, of ethics and
science was only limited by the capacity of his mind and his extra-
ordinary memory. He became a clear writer, and a ready extempore
speaker, almost wholly without practice in the latter."
And about Orville...
"His education was closed in Dayton, Ohio, where he pursued three
years in the high school, and then, at about seventeen years of age
ran into a job printing and publishing a little advertising paper,
in which Wilbur joined him some years later. He began typesetting
earlier on a small scale in a kitchen, with a very small outfit, and
worked on till, untaught, he became a rapid and correct compositor,
an accurate proof-reader, and a fine printer. He always worked for
himself, and in his earlier printing, his presses were invented and
made by Wilbur, who was a natural workman in wood, iron, or any
other material. Orville in later years fully equaled his brother
in invention and workmanship."
---
Here is a story that has been passed down in my family over the
years that I think you might enjoy.
It seems one summer Milton paid his sister Sarah a visit. Sarah
recalled in later years how funny it was that almost the entire
duration of his visit he was concerned about the welfare of two
of his sons, namely Orville and Wilbur.
He expressed his distress to his sister, perhaps looking for some
advice to help get his adult sons on a proper career track.
"All those boys do is tinker around in that bicycle shop!", he is
quoted as saying.
So, let that be a bit of a comfort for those of us who can't see
a 'future' for a particular child... or can't quite envision where
their unusual interests could possibly take them in life.
You never know -- you might be raising a Wright brother! :-)
"We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there
was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual
interests; to investigate whatever aroused curiosity. In a
different kind of environment, our curiosity might have been
nipped long before it could have borne fruit." -- Orville Wright
---
[*Confused by relational terms like "once removed"? Read all
about it here: http://www.genealogy.com/16_cousn.html ]
Do you have comments to share? Please do!
Send your emails to: mailto:heather@familyclassroom.net
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Helpful Tip
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Trades Skills Apprenticeship Opportunities
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"My husband and I have a business in SE Missouri called Koinania.
We are Christians and have homeschooled our children -- and our
grandchildren are now being homeschooled as well. We offer family
themed nature-based vacation lodging for people wanting to get
away from it all. We are near many state parks and we have our
own small fishing lake and riverfront area on 110 acres surrounded
by Mark Twain National Forest as well.
We are always building, expanding, remodeling, fixing fences and
landscaping. My husband is very good with training young men in
the trades. He is a certified HVAC mechanic as well as an auto
mechanic -- and blessed with skills in electrical, plumbing, etc.
All that to say this... we sometimes have young men ages 15-24
come to our place and live for weeks or months at a time learning
new skills. We have even had father and son teams come for weekends
to help us build while they are learning skills.
Right now we have openings for our Winter schedule which begins
approximately January 15th. We need both weekend folks (families)
and boys who can come for a week or 2 at a time. We always pray
and ask God to send us who He thinks will most benefit from an
experience here at Koinania. We have a Boy Scout group planning
to come in March to build trails. If there are other scouting type
groups who would like to come and do projects to earn patches and
gain experience we are open to that also." -- Mary
Duane and Mary Wiltberger
Koinania Cottages and Cabins
1231 County Road 66
Black, MO
573-269-4544
---
Do you have an idea, experience, or tip to share? Please write!
Send to: mailto:HN-ideas@familyclassroom.net
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High School Question
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"We have two children, a son who is 14, and a daughter who is 12.
We've been homeschooling for 5 years and although I'll never regret
the decision, I seem to be having more trouble with our son when it
comes to completing lessons on his own. I'll admit, I probably
helped a little too much for the first couple of years, but after
we got the hang of homeschooling, I've been having them to do more
things themselves. My daughter has no trouble whatsoever working
on her own; she's always been the independent type. But my son
seems to have a lack of confidence in himself to be able to complete
his work without me checking every problem/sentence, etc. I've
repeatedly told him he CAN do it, he's smart! And he has the
ability to find the right answers - but to no avail. It seems we
can have a few really great days, then something sets him back and
I have to constantly look over his shoulder, at his request. I know
that confidence is something you can instill in your child, but you
can only take it so far and they have to do the rest. How do I get
him to realize his potential? How do I give him the self-assurance
he needs to possess in order to have the confidence to complete
tasks on his own? Thanks in advance for any advice." -- Tammie
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Reader Responses
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"I hate to be this way, but I think it's a guy thing. I have the
same problem with my son and husband. If they already know how
to do something they are good. If not, they are stuck.
To motivate my son, I'll help him with a few problems, then just
sit back and let him do the next on his own, only helping if he is
really stuck. If he progresses on his own, I'll tell him to look
for me if he needs help and do something else near by. I point
out when he does things independently and compliment him. We do
fluctuate between independent work and needing help, but overall
I think he is becoming more independent." -- Anne
---
"Hi Tammie -- You enable him to develop confidence by giving him all
the support he needs. To withdraw it or compare him to his sister
is disastrous. This is when you choose what's more important --
time for yourself or the time and effort your son needs right now.
If you make the investment in him now (and maybe even for the next
year or two), the time will come when it will pay off and you'll
see him become a confident and self-directed learner." -- Diana
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New Reader Question for Next Regular Issue
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"We used to have a nice routine that paralleled 'typical' public
school hours while Dad was at work. Recently my husband was
promoted to a position with second shift hours. Since Dad is
now home during our normal school hours, the kids want to spend
much of that time with him. By the time he goes off to work, no
one is looking forward to starting the school day in earnest.
(Especially me, since my best thinking/teaching time is much
earlier in the day!)
I know that one of the perks of home educating is flexibility. I
would love it if my husband would consistently take this opportunity
to lead daily morning devotions and maybe even help with schoolwork,
but I don't want to nag him about it. Can anyone provide advice on
the best way to transition into a new schedule that would include
Dad's presence? Thanks!" -- Elsie
---
Do you have the miracle solution Elsie is hoping for? :-)
Please send your answer to: mailto:HN-answers@familyclassroom.net
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Ask YOUR Question
=====================
Do you have a question about homeschooling high school?
Send it to mailto:HN-questions@familyclassroom.net and we'll see
if we can help you out in a future issue!
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