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Do we have to follow and January-December Academic year?
Not at all. You are free to operate your academic year commencing and ending any month of your choice. Because most parents were not home-schooled themselves, they tend to emulate a model of education based on their own schooling experiences. We call this “a 12 year degree in how to do school”. From a South African schooling context point of view, we tend to think that if we don’t start on 10 January and finish on 4 December, our children will be mentally scarred for life! J Well, this is simply not the truth… you can operate your homeschool on any calendar you like.
How many hours a day do they spend with the work and how do the hours increase as they age. And do they have to spend everyday working?
When children are at a Grade 00 level, we recommend that to a large extent they be allowed in a sense to dictate their commitment and hours. In principle, they’re small and need to play! They do not need to be strapped to a desk somewhere churning out worksheets! J When one gets to our Grade 0 / Grade 1 and Core 0 offering, you would be home-schooling for approximately 3+ hours per day; and this will increase steadily to approx. 5 hours per day in upper primary/lower high school extending up to 7 hours per day in the Cambridge years (Upper High School – Grades 10 – 12). Please remember that there is little to no home-work and no “swatting” for tests and exams. Home-schooling for us is first and foremost the discipleship of our children to prepare them for life; and we would strongly urge you to always approach it with diligence, commitment and regularity.
To what extent does a student need to use a computer in this programme?
There is software prescribed at virtually every level up until Grade 8 for Maths and English (and Afrikaans Eerste Taal), as well as in the lower Cores for Biology, History and Geography. We generally pitch our software at one Grade level higher than the year of the child, because children love to play on the computer and this allows them to get a feel for aspects of the coming year. We have purposefully not over-crowded our Curriculum with software as we do not see a software-driven curriculum as being able to offer a living education in the same way that books can. If you do not have a PC at home, this will not preclude you from being able to home-school using Love2Learn Curriculum.
How much parental involvement is required with Love2Learn?
In the lower Grades and Cores there is a significant amount required; however, in keeping with what research studies have shown, there is a tendency for children to become more independent as they get older and they are thus able to a large extent, to home-school themselves. This is further assisted through our Engine Rooms (lesson plans) which come with most subjects from Grade 1 upwards; and these essentially guide a parent through virtually each page of each book for each subject for each lesson for each day for 36 schooling weeks of the year. If you consult our Price List, it will indicate by means of a key, which subjects incorporate an Engine Room as standard.
Where can Love2Learn CIE students write exams?
Love2Learn is officially linked with SSB Pre-University College in Johannesburg and students are able to write their IGCSE and As-level exams there. Alternatively students can contact Cambridge Centres in their area, or their nearest British Council in Jhb, Durban and Cape Town. (The St. Stithians A Level College which has been in existence for 18 years is a Cambridge University International Examinations Fellowship Centre and their relocation to the SSB Campus took place in January 2008.)
When a student registers with Love2Learn Curriculum for an IGCSE subject, not only do they receive all the study material (most of which is presented in full colour), but they are also allocated their own Cambridge IGCSE trained and qualified lecturer who is on hand to answer any questions they may have throughout the duration of their studies. We have a 24 hr to 48 hr response time to any question. In addition the student has a personal telephonic update with their tutor on a weekly basis. We assist the home-schooling family in grooming the student for the Cambridge final examination by offering a number of tests, assessments and mock exams across six selected subjects from our list. These exams are written in the comfort of the student’s home, (under exam conditions of course) and marked by our lecturers. Seventy two tests are written over two years, honing exam technique, and teaching students to present their answers the Cambridge way. (The Cambridge international examination requires that a student demonstrate a high degree of critical thinking skills.) We protect the autonomy and freedom of the home-school on the one hand, but offer every assistance and support to the student to succeed and achieve well in the examinations, on the other.
When is the latest date a learner can register to do a school leaving certificate through Love2Learn?
We do not have a cut-off date per se; however students need to be cognoscente that Cambridge offers two exam-sitting opportunities per year (May/June and Oct/Nov) for most of their subjects, so students will need to time their preparation accordingly.
What is your lead-time… if I order today, will I be able to start home-schooling using Love2Learn resources by next month?
Please remember that as adults, we all have a 12 year degree in how to do school and we imagine that if we don’t start on 10 January and finish our schooling year on 4 December, our children will be mentally scarred for life! The reality is that home-schooling is a different “animal” and we endeavour to encourage families to look upon home-schooling as first and foremost the discipleship of their children with a view to preparing them for life – that’s University and beyond. It is not so much about importing the classroom into the home, but rather more about putting the home back into their schooling, without compromising in terms of quality, diligence, regularity and commitment.
Notwithstanding this, we fully appreciate the eagerness of families to obtain their books as soon as possible after order, and we certainly do strive to supply books in as short a time as possible. However, sometimes publishers are out of stock, books are in reprint and orders are unavoidably delayed. Please allow approximately 8 weeks from the time you pay for your order to delivery. (We will obviously do all we can to deliver in less time!) If your order is placed over Christmas/New Year please note that our International publishers generally close for up to five weeks during this period of time and this will result in further delays which are beyond our control. Consequently please factor this into your scheduling.
Once your order has been received and processed, Love2Learn will supply you with a 12-week Bridging Course. This course is supplied electronically via e-mail and is free-of-charge as a courtesy, to help to tide you over while your Love2Learn books arrive!
The material covered in the Bridging Course, while constituting valuable learning, is not the same as that covered in your Love2Learn Core Curriculum. It is not supplied with an Engine Room or teacher guidelines, but is designed as a scheme of work to be covered for each subject per week over a twelve week period. (You won’t have to use it that long – but the course spans this period of time anyway.) It requires you to obtain books from the library or information on the Internet and to develop your own lesson plans around this material, until such time as your Love2Learn Order is ready for collection/delivery. It does not replace or attempt to replace Love2Learn Curriculum. It is designed to be a tool to assist you in the transition period from “school” to “home-school” and to provide you with themes of study while you await the arrival of your Love2Learn Order.
How hard is it to teach using Love2Learn Curriculum?
In the lower Grades and Cores home-schooling in general requires a significant amount of input (in terms of time and attention) from a parent; however, in keeping with what research studies have shown, there is a tendency for children to become more independent as they get older and they are thus able to a large extent, to home-school themselves. This is further assisted through what we at Love2Learn call our Engine Rooms (lesson plans). An Engine Room has been designed for virtually every subject from Grade 1 and Core 1 upwards. In addition, three subjects in Core 0, viz. History, Geography and Science also come standard with Engine Rooms. The Engine Room essentially guides you through each page of each book for each subject for each lesson for each day for 36 schooling weeks of the year (180 schooling days). In addition, it includes guidelines and suggestions for activities that cater to the needs of Auditory, Visual and Kinaesthetic learners for every day (not that you do all of them ever together of course!) The Department of Education requires that you complete 200 days per year. We have left 20 days in the year for you to go on outings, excursions etc. If you consult our Price List on our Website, it indicates which subjects incorporate an Engine Room. We supply you with all the resources, all you need to add is working paper, pens, pencils, kokis, crayons, tea, coffee and LOTS OF LOVE!
How do I teach Grade 1, 2 and 3 children the same material all at the same time?
Firstly, in order to promote a one-room schoolhouse where you don't have to rush off to three different curriculum files for three different grades, we prescribe one set of material for three levels.
The difference between each level rests upon two factors:
a) How much the child absorbs and understands the material
b) How much the child is able to DO with the information learned: (e.g.: Analysis, Synthesis, Comparison, Short Essay Writing etc) See details below:
The Grade 1 child will interact with the material at his/her Grade 1 level, the Grade 2 will absorb more of it and the Grade 3 will be able to absorb it, draw parallels, analyse it and re-synthesize the material in his own mind and own words. Secondly, the output expected from a Grade 1 is much simpler than that required from a Grade 3. A Grade 1 should simply draw a picture of what they have learned. (Half way through the Grade 1 year they can begin writing a suitable heading for his picture, using the phonics learned).
The Grade 2 child will write a heading for the picture right from the beginning of the year and will begin labelling the drawing... (e.g. parts of a plant, or...the apparatus required for a science experiment...etc). The Grade 2 will work up to writing three to four sentences about their piece of work, by mid year.
The Grade 3 child will begin writing one or two sentences at the beginning of the year (this is if they are new to Love2Learn and not accustomed to writing three to four sentences.) By the end of the first term of Grade 3 the child should write at least two sentences if not more. By mid-year they should work up to four sentences, and by the end of Grade 3, they should be very comfortable writing at least half a page of their own notes. (Not dictated by you! It is a written version of Narration).
Would my children need a computer, or would one home computer be sufficient?
Love2Learn does incorporate software in most of the Grades and some of the Cores, but this is certainly not the focus. A computer per child is certainly not essential – they can get along quite fine if they need to share.
Is it a problem if we live outside of South Africa, or could I home-school anywhere in the world using Love2Learn?
Not at all. We currently have clients in 19 countries across the globe. The one thing that you do need to be cognoscente of though, is then setting aside a sizeable budget for courier costs. It will be ideal if you have family or business colleagues who can bring the resources across to you when they visit; alternatively if you plan your order with sufficient lead-time, you can sea-freight is across, which is MUCH more affordable.
