Your Questions… Answered

by Dr. Mary Kay Clark | It is difficult for us moms to “let go” of our high school sons and daughters who are so terrific in helping with family and household chores. But in falling behind ...

by Dr. Mary Kay Clark | Sometimes a homeschooling group gets very enthusiastic about activities, such as plays, dances, and sports.

by Dr. Mary Kay Clark | There is something in the air, or should I say in the culture, which encourages an attitude which promotes self at the expense of others.

by Mary Kay Clark | Students like this tend to be overlooked in a classroom situation, and often fall seriously behind in the junior high grade levels.

by Dr. Mary Kay Clark | Any classroom school teacher will admit that there is nothing better than individualized instruction. Schooling by parents is the most individualized.

by Dr. Mary Kay Clark | Some people may not realize that schools today are nothing like the schools of past generations.

by Mary Kay Clark | First, throw away or give away everything you can. If you haven’t used something in the last ten years, what are the chances you will ever need it again?

by Mary Kay Clark | Before the school year starts, take a good week to look over all the courses, the textbooks, and tests. Take the time to become familiar with how it all should work.

by Mary Kay Clark | At Seton, we long ago made a decision to support families with children who have a learning disability...

by Mary Kay Clark | This can be a problem when a student is old enough to work on his own, but doesn’t really have sufficient supervision of his work.

by Mary Kay Clark | Consider asking your older children to start their schoolwork earlier in the day, for instance, at 7:30 a.m., so they can get at least one or two subjects done before the noise begins from the younger children. Since older children usually stay up later than younger ones, they might try doing some of their schoolwork after the little ones are in bed.

by Dr Mary Kay Clark | Try to understand why your husband is opposed, but have a conversation only if it can be without bitterness or argumentation. He may be opposed because he thinks you are not qualified to teach, or because the children are not being “socialized,” or because the children do not have opportunities for sports activities. Whatever the reason, try to become more informed about reasonable answers: you are using an accredited curriculum or you will have the children participate in activities with other homeschooled children.

by Dr Mary Kay Clark | Contact someone you know who is homeschooling, and see if there is a support group in your neighborhood. Contact people in your parish and tell them that you are looking for a Catholic homeschooling support group. Contact Cecilia at Seton

by Mary Kay Clark | The most important subject is religion. We are homeschooling because we want to teach Catholic values and the Catholic Faith to our children. Most homeschooling families in this country are Christian families who see that the public schools have completely eliminated religion from their classrooms.

How do I figure out the grade for my students for Section A on the quarter reports? I have an active wiggly little boy who does not want to sit still for his schoolwork. What do I do? Do I need to keep attendance records for my school district or for Seton?

What advice do you have for homeschooling several children at once? I have discovered that my son does not learn like my daughter did. Why can’t my son read any ...

8. Where can I find solid information about the Common Core standards? 7. This is my first year homeschooling. Where can I learn more about how to homeschool? 6. Should I look over the children’s tests before sending them to Seton? 5. How can I help them answer literature questions? 4. What advice can you give us for finishing the book reports?

Would it be possible for me to combine my children in some of the same academic subjects, such as science, history, and religion? Yes, many parents do that for children in adjacent grades. You need to be careful about there being too much of a difference in comprehension. In religion, you can certainly discuss the same subject, such as a particular sacrament, but when it comes to memory work or testing, unless they are close in abilities, you should use the test appropriate for each child’s grade level. For instance, you may teach two students with the same religion book if they are both in Baltimore Catechism No. 2, but you may have the younger child take the tests for the No. 1 book.

1. Why does Seton emphasize English while other schools, even Catholic ones, put much less emphasis on English? Catholic schools traditionally have been strong in English courses to promote thinking ...

1. We have not finished up the book analyses due for the high school English course. Can my child be excused from this assignment? We very rarely excuse a student ...