Mock Election

Mock Election

The Mock Election has ended.

The winner is 

Donald Trump/Mike Pence

Donald Trump/Mike Pence               58.8%
Hillary Clinton/Tim Kane                 15.8%
Jill Stein/Amaju Baraka                    2.6%
Darrell Castle/Scott Bradley              3.5%
Gary Johnson/Bill Weld                   12.3%
Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson          5.3%
Peter Skewes/Michael Lacy                1.8%

SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum

SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum

TSCHAA Feild Trip 2016

History was always a subject that I hated growing up. It was presented as an endless list of dates and names that I could never memorize. There was no story - just facts. It wasn't until I began homeschooling my daughters that history began to come alive and become enjoyable for me.

Most of the history my girls learn comes from living books and field trips. We have enjoyed visiting museums and historical sites over the years, and we recently discovered the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum in Columbia, SC. Because I felt the museum has so much to offer, I set up a tour for TSCHAA members.

Joe Long, Curator of Education

TSCHAA members were treated to a guided tour of the SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, and Joe Long, our tour guide, brought history to life through the stories he shared about SC's involvement in wars. He didn't just share facts; he shared stories. These stories are what history is all about. History is more than dates and names that you memorize. History is about the stories of real people from the past.

TSCHAA Member

What really stands out about the museum is that it is filled with real stories that give you a glimpse into the past. From the binoculars and Bible that saved the lives of two soldiers who were shot, to the quilt that was made for a soldier who was injured in the line of duty, you get a peek into the lives of the people who served our country and state. You can see the now threadbare flags that were once flown so proudly during past wars and even see uniforms and weapons that were once used by the brave men who fought in SC. You also get a taste of life on the homefront as you read stories of the women and families who lived in SC.

Founded in 1896, the museum was started by a group of women who wanted to preserve Civil War artifacts and provide a memorial to the men who died. Today, it houses artifacts from the Revolutionary War to current wars. It is located at 301 Gervais Street in Columbia and is housed inside the SC State Museum building.

If you are looking for a way to learn about South Carolina's involvement in wars, I highly recommend that you check out the SC Confederate Relic Room and History Museum. The museum offers free Homeschool Fridays each month that are geared to students of all ages. You can learn more about the museum by visiting their site at www.crr.sc.gov.

Happy Homeschooling!
Lara T Caldwell, TSCHAA Director

SC Scholarships and Grants

Paying for college can be a challenge for many families. Thankfully, South Carolina has some amazing scholarship and grant opportunities for SC residents.

You are matched up with many of the scholarships and grants when you fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Financial Student Aid) paperwork.

FAFSA started taking application on October 1st and will continue to accept applications through June 15th. Please be aware that money is available on a first come, first served basis, so the sooner you fill out your FAFSA, the better.

Scholarships and Grants available to SC residents:

(Please note that requirements and amounts can change. Always verify information with The Commission on Higher Education.)

**Students must have a graduation date on or before June 15th to qualify for SC scholarships. **

You are matched up through FAFSA or the College:

Life Scholarship -  You can get up to $5000.
Requirements:
2-year college - 3.0 SC UGP
4-year college - Earn 2 of  the following 3: 3.0 SC UGP, 1100 SAT/ 24 ACT, top 30 percent of graduating class
You can take a gap year before starting school. (The college matches you for this scholarship.)

Hope Scholarship - You can get up to $2800 at a 4-year college.
Requirements:
3.0 SC UGP
This scholarship allows a gap year before starting school. (The college matches you for this scholarship.)

Lottery Assistance - You can get $100 per credit hour (up to $1200) at  a 2-year college.

SC Needs Based Grants - You can get up to $2500 at a public college

Foster Care Youth Grant - up to $2500

College Transition Program- This is for intellectually disabled students seeking college certificates and is available at 5 SC colleges.

SC Tuition Grant - You can get up to $3200 at a private college.

Your association applies on your behalf:

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship

You can get up to $6700. There are 2 application times: Mid-October - December 15th (Early Award) or Mid-April - June 15th (Late Award).

If your association ranks, you can also qualify by scoring at least 1200 SAT/ 27 ACT , 3.50 SC UGP, and rank in the top six percent of the class.

If your association does not rank or you do not fall in the top six percent of your class, you must score a 1400 SAT/ 32 Act and have a 4.0 SC UGP.

You must start school the fall after graduating; you cannot take a gap year.

Other Useful Links:

Academic Common Market - You can get in-state tuition at out of state colleges if SC does not have a major you are wanting to pursue.

Other Financial Aid Opportunities 

www.sccango.org - South Carolina Can Go to College!

www.che.sc.gov - Commission on Higher Education

FAFSA - Free Application for Financial Student Aid


As you can see, SC has some wonderful scholarships and grants available for you!

Happy Homeschooling!
Lara T Caldwell, TSCHAA Director

Teaching Math

"You may think that your child will never grasp a math concept, but I challenge you to step back and give him/her time."

Before homeschooling my daughters, I taught middle school math in the Upstate of SC. My first year teaching, I taught 7th grade math. As we covered topics throughout the year, my inexperienced self assumed it was the first time the students had encountered most of the math concepts because the students acted like they had never seen the information before.

Imagine my surprise when I taught 6th-grade math the following year and discovered that a majority of the topics were EXACTLY the same! Yet, many of the students had not grasped the concepts, and they did not even remember learning the concepts the previous year nor could they apply those concepts beyond drill and practice during the current school year.

Math curriculums can be very repetitive throughout the years, especially in 4th - 7th grade. Math will often slowly build on each skill, but each year the skills are often taught as if the student has never seen them before and each concept is only taken a little farther. This repetitiveness can help math-inclined students build a strong foundation in math, but for students who struggle in math, this can cause math anxiety and a hatred for the subject. A student gifted in math can easily become bored because they are not learning new topics or challenged.

However, imagine if you covered math at your child's individual pace? A student with strong math skills can move ahead as needed, and a student with weaker math skills can take it slow or take a break from a formal curriculum until they are ready.

Many students need time for their brains to mature and the need to be realized to learn math. As homeschoolers, we have the awesome privilege to teach math at our children's individual pace. Maybe your child does not understand fractions until middle school. As a Third Option homeschooler, that's OK!

Maybe your child needs to spend time "playing" with numbers and building a foundation that they can later base more technical math concepts on. Don't underestimate the power of board games, real life, living books, and pretend play to build math skills.

"...a child could learn math - all of it grades K through 12 - in eight weeks. "

I recently read an interesting book excerpt that commented that "the Sudbury Valley School- a democratically managed, child-directed learning environment that has been around for almost 40 years - has demonstrated repeatedly that a child could learn math - all of it grades K through 12 - in eight weeks. Average (if there is such a thing), normal (never met one), healthy children, hundreds of them, learned it all, leading to admissions to some of the leading colleges and universities in the nation." (Have Fun, Learn Stuff, Grow by David Albert)

I am by no means suggesting that you wait until high school and teach your child math in 8 weeks. As a Third Option homeschooler, you are required to teach math each year. However, how you teach math concepts and what concepts you teach  each year are up to you. Perhaps your child would benefit from hands-on, playful learning in elementary school, and then in high school or middle school dive more into the nuts and bolts of math.

Perhaps struggling through fractions year after year is not the answer. What if you gave your child's mathematical mind time to mature? Then, you can cover fractions without any struggle at all.

"Many students completed as many as 4 math courses in one semester!"

Columbus State Community College discovered that they could offer math courses that allowed the students to learn math at their own pace. Many students completed as many as 4 math courses in one semester! Many of these students who had struggled in math in high school were finally getting it and moving quickly through math concepts. (Learning math at one's own pace)

Harvey Bluedorn from The Trivium Pursuit suggests waiting until age 10 before beginning formal textbook or workbook instruction because "it is about age 10 that the developmental light bulb comes on, and the child becomes capable of a great deal more mental and physical skill...Once all the developmental parts are there, most children can learn - in a few weeks - everything which they might have spent six years learning." (Research on Teaching Math)

"...most children can learn - in a few weeks - everything which they might have spent six years learning."

Our goal as homeschoolers should be to build a love of learning in our children. Because we are not tied to a specific timetable, we can allow our children to discover and learn math in their own time. If we are drilling students year after year in a concept that they aren't ready to comprehend, we are creating students that not only hate learning but also ones that are unable to apply anything they learn.

You may think that your child will never grasp a math concept, but I challenge you to step back and give him/her time. Provide real-world opportunities that build skills, and one day, you will look back and be amazed at how far your child has come!