Letter From The Editors‌ This February, Heart of the Matter Online welcomes two new writers to the team: Jessica from Trivium Academy who will be writing about Classical Education and Sister Lisa from Apples of Gold who will teach young women how to explore God’s word as well as learn how to study scripture. We are excited that they will be joining us and we know that you will enjoy what they have to share. We would also like to see you get involved and share your wisdom and experience with us. We will present a question from one of our readers in each issue and we invite you to answer that question. We will then choose a few of the best and most thorough answers to publish in the following month's magazine! Be sure to check it out and send in your responses. A new feature this month is that the magazine is now in a downloadable .pdf file so that you can print it at home and read it anywhere! We will have new software available for next month so the quality will be much greater in March! As always, if you would like to submit articles, photos, printables, links, or projects, please email us at homeschoolinghearts@gmail.com. Please be sure to read our guidelines before submitting. Comments are moderated to insure that they meet the guidelines for posting on Heart of the Matter Online. In This Issue: Three Steps to Overcoming Homeschool Fears by Robin / Sowing Seeds (page 4) Robin addresses some common concerns that reek havoc in the minds of homeschool parents, stealing away the peace and joy. She will enlighten you on how to overcome them. Solids, Liquids, and Gases Amy S / Through the Microscope (page 6) Enjoy this lesson, complete with experiments, on molecules and the intricate design of H2O. Amy gives you lots of activities and scriptural references to enjoy this study at home. Are You A "Real" Homeschool Mom? by Amy B / Effective Education (page 8) In this humorous article revealing the truth about homeschool moms, Amy gives you a look inside the reality of what being a homeschool parent is about and why you should embrace it. Atten-HUT!! The Gouge On Homeschooling In A Military Family by Sallie (page 10) Are you a military homeschooling family? Be sure to check out this informative article about the benefits that are offered to you and how to overcome the struggles. Time With God by MandyMom / The Natural Noggin (page 12) In this article Mandy discusses the need for some scheduling even in an unschooling environment. Let her inspire and encourage you. "SO WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION?"...AND OTHER QUESTIONS! by Gina / Reaching High (page 13) You have absolutely heard this amusing little question before but how have you addressed it? In part one of this three part series Gina will tackle this issue head on. Finding Enough Time by Kristine / Ducks In A Row (page 15) Kristine begins this article with the question, "Do you ever feel like you don't have enough time in your day?" Ha! Who hasn't felt that way? This is a must read for everyone! The Mission Field of Home by Heather (Sprittibee) / Heartstrings for Homeschoolers (page 16) Have you ever considered your home a mission field? Are there not little people in that area that require you to reach out to them and show them the love of Christ? This is about the Godly pursuit to fulfill God's call on your life as a wife and mother. Balance Defined by Dianne / Blueprint for Balance (page 18) Do you cringe when you hear the word balance? Dianne can help! She will enlighten and encourage you in this article. Does This Sound Familiar To You? by Heather H / Practical Penny Pincher (page 19) Take a peek inside Heather's notebook and see how she manages her home and finances. Freedom Is Not A Gift; Fighting For Educational Liberty by Dana / Homeschool In the News (page 21) Dana is an in-depth reporter when it comes to home education and this article is no different. She will give you another perspective to consider when it comes to electing candidates that support or oppose homeschooling. Are You Listening? by Lori / Raise Your Hands (page 23) Who or what has your undivided attention? Where should it be? Let Lori encourage you as she shares about her walk through this revelation from God.
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Impossible Standards by Mandy Z / Knee High Homeschool (page 22) Does your child meet your expectations? Should they? Read as Mandy offers insight to this common problem. You will be encouraged! An Apple A Day by Sister Lisa / An Apple A Day (page 24) SisterLisa encompasses the tried and true techniques of a loving relationship with the Father in this article for targeted at young women. Classical Education for Free by Jessica / Trivum Tid-Bits (page 25) Have you ever considered classical education but thought you couldn't afford the price tag? Jessica is an amazing teacher who has done all the research and is making it yours for the taking. You can do it for little money and she will show you how. Vision Therapy: From Skeptic to Cheerleader by Darnelle / Fill In the Blanks (page 26) Your child's learning problems could be misdiagnosed. Darnelle discusses how treatable vision problems are often overlooked and can can lead to problems with learning and social behavior. Planning High School Courses by Lee / HomeScholar High School (page 28) Do you know what courses your child should take to prepare for college? Lee discusses what is and is not required and what is beneficial for preparation for college. Listening With Purpose by Christine / The Finer Things (page 30) Allow Christine to show you how to not only hear the music but to truly listen to it. The, you can teach your children to do the same. She offers an in-depth at classical music in this issue. Order and Structure by Sallie / A Square Peg (page 32) All children need the security of order and structure but especially children with certain learning challenges or disabilities. She offers timely insight on accomplishing this. Projects: Bottle Bird Feeder by Renae from Life Nurturing Education (page 17) Valentine's Day by Amy S (page 33) Reviews: Cooking and Science by Amy S (page 34 ) Calendars For All Ages by Sister Lisa (page 37) Some Successful Americans by Lori (page 35) Creativity Express by Mouse and Mom Reviews (page 36) Leap Frog Letter Factory by Rachel (page 35) Printables: (page 38) Artists Around the World Collection submitted by Angi from Peakmore Academy
Notebook Cover Africa Europe Asia South America USA
New Features at Heart of the Matter Online (page 38) IdeaBox - submit and answer questions for homeschooling mom just like you! Cover photo courtesy of Marsha from Our Homeschool & Other Such Happenings. Enjoy!
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Three Steps to Overcoming Homeschool Fears by Robin Sampson Are you constantly worried about your homeschooling? Do you fretfully ask questions such as "Am I doing enough?" "What about...?" "What if...?" God is sufficient for every situation we will ever encounter. Because of His abundant goodness, kindness, and love for us, we do not have to be anxious or worry. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-8) Fear comes from trusting in your own ability. God has called you to homeschool and He will direct your paths. Instead of trusting yourself your focus and dependence should be on God’s promises and ability. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith... (James 1:5-6) When you delight yourself in Him, He will direct your paths. God guarantees His Word and fulfills His promises. It is when we remind ourselves of all He has done, and recognize all He is doing in our lives, that our faith grows. Fear and faith cannot operate at the same time Fear and faith cannot operate at the same time—they are mutually exclusive. You cannot wait on God to direct your path and then sit around and worry that He won’t.
Three Steps to Building Homeschool Confidence
1. Believe God’s promise 2. Use sound strategy 3. Call on the Lord in prayer These three steps come from the book of Joshua, the story of how God led the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan. The lessons in Joshua explain how choosing obedience brings victory and blessing, and how disobedience brings defeat. Joshua was commanded to rid the land of the Canaanites. After the battle of Jericho, the Israelites defeated Ai. The news of Joshua’s victories reached the Gibeonites. In their fear, the Gibeonites came up with a plan. They pretended that they came from a far away place (outside of Canaan) and wanted to make peace with the children of Israel. Joshua and his men believed them because of the way they looked (walking by sight/in the flesh), and because they did not ask for God’s advice—two big mistakes. Joshua made a treaty with the Gibeonites and then had to keep his promise to not kill the Gibeonites (once an oath was taken, it could not be revoked). However, he made them slaves. Adonizedec, a Canaan king, heard that the Gibeonites had made peace with Joshua; so he sent word to the other kings and asked for help to kill the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites appealed to Joshua to deliver them from Adonizecec (Joshua 10:6–10). God reassured Joshua that He was with him and the Israelites would win (Joshua 10:7–8). When the battle began, God sent hail stones to fall on their enemies. He granted Joshua’s request, and the sun stood still until they had defeated their enemies!
Joshua’s Plan for Success
Three elements combined to give Joshua success in this battle in Joshua 10. 1.
Believing God’s promise (v. 8) 2. Using sound strategy (v. 9) 3. Calling on the Lord in prayer (vv. 10–15)
1. Believing God’s Promise The Israelites didn’t have to be afraid because God had already promised them victory—and you don’t have to fear either, because God has promised to direct your paths. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5–6). When we live by faith in God and in His promises, we can expect to receive God’s help. 2. Using Sound Strategy I’m not suggesting that you run your homeschool on a whim, but to create your plan with prayer and submission to God. Leaning on God does not negate selfdiscipline or forming good habits. God has always been working in your life, from before the time you were first formed in your mother’s womb. He has been preparing you, just as Joshua was prepared many years for what would belong to him. You will need to plan, but allow time for a variety of unplanned activities; keep some flexible time in your schedule to meet your children’s needs and delights; in other words, schedule by faith. I use the Heart of Wisdom plan that includes a framework and objectives with structure and flexibility. This four-year plan is a framework you can use as a guide as you schedule 4 your curriculum and time by faith.
There are other plans and frameworks available or you can create your own. Just remember the Lord wants us to be dependent upon Him not on a homeschool method or program. 3. Calling on the Lord in Prayer D. L. Moody said, “Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.” Prayer is your first step in planning and the first step in daily Bible study. Use Colossians 1:9–12 as a guide. Ask God: •
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To fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding; That you would bear fruit in every good work; That you would grow in the knowledge of God; That you would be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience; and That you would joyfully give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in
the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Faith begets more faith. Developing faith is much like developing muscles; our muscles grow stronger as we use them, and become weaker when we don’t use them. Faith comes from prayer and learning about God’s ways through studying and obeying His Word; it is through these exercises that we receive the confidence and peace that God gives when we trust Him. Faith is something we must practice continuously. It is a continuing cycle. The more you turn to God, the more your faith is strengthened. We’ll also know our dependence is on God when we trust He will bring us through difficult times with deeper intimacy and greater faith at the end.
Word should be priority over the things of this world. Give me strength according to Your glorious might so that I may have great endurance and patience. Help me be diligent and wise to teach these children Your Word as You command. Help me persevere in Your ways, Your love and presence. Make my life an example, an influence as I educate these children for you. Keep my eyes on You, on Your vision, Your plans, and Your purposes for our family.
Related Posts: • • •
Spiritual Mountain Climbing A Wisdom Parable What is Your Focus? Your Foundation?
Homeschool Prayer Father, give me wisdom and grace to be a teacher of my children. Fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding; fill my heart with Your love and Your Word. Help me daily teach by example that Your
Robin has been homeschooling for 20 years. She and her husband Ronnie are blessed with a “yours, mine, and ours” blended family of eleven children (ages 6 to 34) and thirteen grandchildren (ages 1 to 12). She is actively teaching the two youngest children still at home. Robin is also and author and business owner. Please visit her at Heart of Wisdom.
The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach: Bible-Based Homeschooling The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach is for all homeschoolers who want to make the Bible the center of their school day. This giant 500+ page book provides you with the methods, program, and resources for a course of study where students spend half the school day studying God's Word and the other half studying God's world (academics). Students study history chronologically and science in the order of the days of Creation. This book will encourage, motivate you and instruct you, step by step, how to give your child a Bible-focused, comprehensive education from preschool through high school; one that will train him or her to read, to study, to understand, to love to learn and, most importantly, to desire and seek true wisdom. This approach can be used for all grade levels. When homeschoolers are asked about this book, one word continues to come up over and over--Wow! Read the excerpt today to see what all the wow is about.
The Heart of Wisdom Four-Year Plan The Heart of Wisdom teaching approach is a four-year program consisting of several multi-level unit studies where each member of the family studies the same subject at the same time on their own individual level. This four-year rotation course gives each child three distinct exposures to each topic on their own level. Each unit study includes Bible, history, science, research, writing, and literature. • • •
History is studied chronologically. Science is studied in the order of Creation. Life-skills studies are added in middle and high school years
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Through the Microscope by Amy S "The more I study science the more I believe in God," ~Albert Einstein Solids, Liquids, and Gases Everything within God’s great creation is made of molecules. His first action in His divine plan of human creation was to give us a home. A nice solid planet. He filled our planet with this glorious liquid called water, and surrounded it with a clean and clear gas called oxygen. He is brilliant, isn’t He? Everything was planned out perfectly. How anyone can look at the intricacies of creation and deny the existence of God Almighty bewilders me. Regardless of the type of molecule, matter exists as either a solid, liquid, or gas. Yes, for this article, I am ignoring plasma, as young children have a hard time understanding its characteristics. Energy (like heat) causes these molecules to move faster and further apart. Very slow moving, compact molecules create a solid; while faster molecules flow more freely and take the shape of a liquid; and lastly, the really hyper molecules become gases. Ready for some experiments to teach your kids about the 3 states of matter?
Balloons Get 3 balloons. Fill with water and place in the freezer over night, fill one with regular water, and the last with air. Let the child play with all 3 and guess which form is in each balloon. He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries. Psalm 135:7 The Bible talks about three different heavens. The Earth's atmosphere, outer space, and the heaven where God resides. We know much about the first and second heavens. We know that our atmosphere is made of breathable gases while outer space is not. Many children have a hard time understand air simply because they cannot see it. Try this experiment to show them that air really does take up space. Dry Cotton Ball • •
Water makes up 3/4 of the Earth's surface and 2/3 of a human body. Although it is the most common thing on Earth, its properties are so unusual, making it oh so valuable. Water is the only known substance that can exist on Earth in all 3 phases of matter. These first two unbelievably simple experiments very effectively demonstrate the substance as ice, water, and vapor. Ice Cubes in a Pan Place a few ice cubes in a frying pan. Heat up the pan and allow them to melt into water. Watch as the water is vaporized.
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Fill up a container of water Tape a cotton ball onto the inside bottom of a clear plastic cup. Do not place the tape over the cotton ball, either use double sided tape or roll up a piece and place it under the cotton ball. Holding it upside down, submerge the cup all the way down into the water. Make sure you do not tilt the cup. The child will assume that the cotton ball has gotten wet and will be amazed when
they feel that it is still completely dry. Explain that the cup is filled with air. So there was no room for water to enter the cup. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein. Isaiah 42:5 Rock Candy What you need: • • • • • • • •
Hot water A clean paper clip 2 cups sugar Thread or string A heat-resistant glass Magnifying glass A spoon Food coloring (optional)
What to do: •
Half-fill the glass with very hot water. Add food coloring if you desire. Slowly mix as much sugar as possible in the water. The sugar will dissolve. Keep adding sugar until you have a thick syrup. • Hang a paper clip from a piece of thread or string and suspend it in the glass. Make sure the paper clip doesn't touch the bottom. • Leave the cup where it won't be disturbed and cover it to keep dust out. • After a week or so, crystals will begin forming around the paper clip and string. Use a magnifying glass to examine the crystals' shapes.
When sugar dissolves in hot water, it breaks up into pieces so small that you can no longer see them. As the sugar water cools and the water evaporates, the sugar reconcentrates out and forms crystals.
Are you impatient? Try these almost instant crystals Simply create a super saturated solution of baking soda and water. Pour the solution into a jar. Set a twisted pipe cleaner down into the jar. Place in a sunny window and within 30 minutes you will see “crystals” growing on the pipe cleaner. Online Games for Kids Science Materials Changing State Solids, Liquids, and Gases States of Matter More Solids, Liquids and Gases Solids and Liquids Activities
6 Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag What you need: • • • • •
Gallon ziplock bags (use a thick freezer bag) Quart ziplock freezer bags (use a thick freezer bag) Chocolate or strawberry milk Rock salt Ice
What to do: • • • •
In the quart bag put about 1 cup of milk. Zip it tight. In the gallon bag put some rock salt and ice, about 1 cup of each. Put quart bag into the gallon bag with the salt and ice. Zip tight. Let the kids knead or roll the bag and really work the milk. Within 20 minutes or so the milk turns into ice cream.
Want to really enjoy the ice cream? Read on… Chocolate Bowls Blow up a small balloon. Don’t make it too big or you’ll end up with a enormous bowl. Dip the balloon halfway into melted chocolate, turn it upside down and place in the freezer
for an hour or so. Carefully poke a hole in the balloon to sloooowly release the air. Carefully peel the balloon away from the chocolate. Fill your new bowl with ice cream. Or be responsible and fill with fresh fruit. Root Beer Floats I recently had the pleasure of reviewing a book called Cooking and Science from Castle Heights Press. One of the experiments included in this book is how to use root beer floats to demonstrate the phases of matter. Please feel free to download the experiment and worksheets HERE. Alka Seltzer Plop, plop, fizz fizz! Yeah, you might need this one after the homemade ice cream, chocolate bowls, and root beer floats! It begins as a solid tablet, bubbles as it lets off gas, and ends as part of the liquid. ...I saved my favorite for last. Please eople, if you have never made this crazy concoction, go and do it now. Well, after you finish the rest of the magazine articles, of course! Oobleck Mix 1 cup of corn starch with 1.5 cups of water and some food coloring for effect. Oobleck is fascinating because it isn’t quite sure what it wants to be. Scientists have labeled it a NonNewtonian fluid. Watch these amazing videos: Oobleck Non Newtonian Video Oobleck Amazing Oobleck
Amy is a Classical homeschooling mom to a five-year-old Superhero. In her column “Through the Microscope”, she writes about the beauty of science and finding God’s handprint through the miracle of everyday elements and processes. Be sure to visit her blog at Milk and Cookies.
Please visit my sponsor - Castle Heights Press! They are generously offering a 10% discount for ALL PRODUCTS to our readers until March 8th. Use the code HMB81
Are You A “Real” Homeschool Mom? By Amy B Are you a “real” homeschool mom or do you always put your best foot forward when you are in the presence of moms that you think have mastered the art of homeschooling? I have news for you. They aren’t perfect either! I always get so amused when I hear other moms talk about how they “love” to homeschool and how everything always works out so great for them. I often wonder what it would be like to visit their home on a week day. I mean we know that mom wouldn’t screech in horror because the house isn’t clean. She definitely wouldn’t send the kids off to their rooms because they are still in their pajamas. And she absolutely wouldn’t throw the textbooks in a cabinet to give the impression that school time had been completed hours earlier because we all know she gets up at the crack of dawn every day! No, siree, Not our homeschool moms. We all have our act together! Or do we? I can honestly say that if anyone thinks that we (the cabinet, book hiding, wake up at 9ish, send the kids to their room to get dressed so we look like a good homeschool family people) have it all together they are truly mistaken. Sure, I have heard the praise from many mothers who like to compliment me on how well mannered my boys are and how well they behave. What they don’t see is that I am holding their favorite toy hostage to insure their behavior so that mom and dad can have a stress free time. OK. OK. So my boys really are well mannered and I don’t hold toys hostage for good public behavior. This is actually one of their good points but don’t dare ask me about their room! Or the fact that the “baby” is wearing his brother’s clothes because he keeps putting his
clean clothes in the laundry room and I now refuse to wash them. And please, please, please don’t ask me about the moans and groans I get when I mention it is school time, which usually starts around 12:30 (no eye-rolling!) Now once we get started they are usually gung ho about science projects and civil war reenactments but that is only after I bribe them with M&Ms to complete their math work. I know, I know... BAD MOM! Jeepers. I guess I shouldn’t mention that I only actually cook breakfast once a week and the rest of the time they eat cereal. I assume I should also keep it a secret that my almost 7 year old hardly ever completes anything and I don’t try to make him. I cannot fathom that I am the only homeschooling mom out there who goes through this. Is it really all hunky dory? Should I be wearing a retro pattern and singing, “The fields are alive with the sound of music…”? Am I the only one who has actually considered enrolling the kids in public school just long enough to get the house clean and teach them just how good they have it at home? Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of homeschooling but on some days it’s the act of it that brings out the worst in me and my family.
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Romans 7:21-25
Be real with God, with yourself, and with each other. I have heard the term, “Don’t speak that!”, one too many times. How can God get the glory for mending something if you never admit that it is broken in the first place? Now I’m not saying run around speaking negatively. There is a difference between saying, “I can’t do it all” and saying “I’m no good at anything”. One is acknowledging the current status and one is self-hatred. One gives God the glory and one takes the focus off of God. You can tell the difference by discerning with your heart. Encourage each other.
These pieces of toast are a wonderful representation of how the days of our week can go at times, from perfect and savory absorbing every flavor to absolutely no good. Yeah, we have to scrape the “yuck” off to get to a small bit of good stuff on those days. Why? We are all human. We all make mistakes. We must all submit daily to do the right thing, the best thing for ourselves and our families.
Don’t jump back and say, “Ah!” with your hand over your mouth the next time you hear a child say they had McDonald’s for lunch and they didn’t have school yesterday. Instead look him in the eye and say, “well your mommy sure does know how to let you have fun doesn’t she?” and smile real big at him and then at her. And don’t wink like you just uncovered her dirty little secret. Showing love will do more for her than telling her she needs to switch curriculum to keep the kids more interested and her more motivated.
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Don’t compare yourself to other moms.
As long as you do what you do unto God then it will prevail.
Even if her kids are always polite, are mini Picassos, only eat whole wheat and like it, and knew how to sew before they could talk (which was at least 3 months earlier than your kids), just remember that they have some issues somewhere that they are hiding. We have been taught not to express our weaknesses for fear that others will not think as highly of us but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have them.
I have told you many of my dirty little secrets here today but I saved the best for last:
God gave your kids you as a mom. That means that He did not deem anyone else more qualified for the position. Take confidence in that. He knows what He is doing. After all He did create the universe and everything in it in only 6 days. I know because we have covered this more than 50 times in our various school textbooks! Give yourself permission to take a break. When you are a homeschooling mom you are not only the teacher for every pupil and for every subject but you are the PE coach, the guidance counselor, every lady in the lunch room, the secretary, the librarian, the PTA, the fundraiser chairperson, the hall monitor, the janitor, and the assistant principal. Whew! Sign me up for a vacation just for typing all of that but it really does put it into perspective doesn’t it?
My sweet, wonderful, friend (eh, um Darnelle, hmm) suggested that I give my children the CAT test to send in to the state for our yearly renewal instead of copying bulks of papers from each subject and submitting lesson plans. Oh how I love her for the confidence she had in me but let me tell you what a silly, sometimes absentminded little woman I am.,,, I give Gevan (11 year old) his test first. We actually only run into a few snags with division and punctuation. Aside from that the kid surprised me with how well he did. He was over three years behind when I pulled him out of school two years ago. Amidst all of the chaos he has actually learned and progressed more in these past two year than he had in any year prior. He still lacks in a couple of areas but he is doing well, very well. Here is his score:
Brennan does not like school. Math is stoooopid and reading is meeeeeean! He promises me every day that it is going to kill him. Yes, he actually says, “MOM, you’re just trying to kill me! I can’t do stoooopid math and reading is meeeean!” So he has school maybe twice a week. (remember - don’t “Ah!” me!) I can’t bear to wrestle him to the table any more than that but it’s funny how he seems to recall almost every fact that we discuss and can read even the most complicated words. In fact, his absent-minded mother accidentally gave him his brother’s 2nd grade CAT test and realized it only when she was getting Jacob ready for his test and thought it was funny that the 9-year-old was going to be tested on phonics and number recognition. Bren took Jake’s test. Yes, I did that. I admit it. I also admit that I wasn’t about to give Brennan another test all over again and I knew that Jacob would score high so I just let him take Brennan’s test and turned them in. Just breathe. The shock will wear off soon. Don’t tell the state, OK? I have to say I was beyond my embarrassment when I saw his score. Not bad for a 6-year-old, eh?
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Genesis 2:2
Wow! God loves me! I never would have imagined that he could do so well. I don’t put much stock in these tests but I have to admit that it is a good feeling to know that he and I accomplished in 1.5 years what his teachers couldn’t do in 4.
Take a nap. Take a hot bubble bath. Go lie on your bed and read a book. It’s OK! Your children will not become illiterate, the house will not fall apart, and no one will starve. However, I can’t guarantee that no one from church will just so happen to stop by for a visit. (Isn’t it funny how that happens?)
Then there is the nutty but more amazing part of this CAT test story. I decided to give Brennan (6 year old) the test next. I knew that Jacob (9 year old) would do well and blow through the test with no problem. He is just a fast learner. But, Brennan on the other hand, I knew I would have to duct tape him to the chair just so he could complete it.
So, if you get nothing else out of this article but a laugh or two at me then it was worth it. You are doing a wonderful job as a homeschooling mom and you deserve a pat on the back. You are awesome. You are wonderful. And we are going to make it through! I promise! Amy is the happy wife of an amazing man and she is a 3rd year homeschooling mom to 3 energetic boys. In her column “Effective Education”, she writes about the eclectic teachings that bring a glimmer of curiosity to the eyes of her sons and hope to other moms just like her. Be sure to visit her blog, In Pursuit of Proverbs 31
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Atten-HUT!! The Gouge On Homeschooling In A Military Family by Sallie As more and more families across the nation decide its's time for change and bring their children home for school, so goes the way of military families as well. There is no set number carved in stone but the numbers have risen substantially in the past few years. Many families are lost in a sea of Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) memoranda and can't tell heads or tales of the hoopla they are trying desperately to decode. I have been there and done that! Literally! We are a military family and have been in DoDEA base schools in the states, DoDDS base schools in Okinawa Japan, public schools, charter schools, and homeschool. I want to help you sort it all out as best as possible! Let's get on with a bit of the regulation info first, and then we can move to some information that will help with the everyday fun stuff rather than just the nuts and bolts of it all! The Constitution of the United States puts the responsibility of education squarely on the shoulders of the states. This includes dependent children of military members, too. Sometimes it gets confusing with home of record, state of residence, and so forth but simply put, you home educate your children according to the regulations to the actual state you live in. Here is a bit of what the DoDEA website says: It is DoDEA policy neither to encourage nor discourage DoD sponsors from home schooling their minor dependents. DoDEA recognizes that home schooling is a sponsor’s right and can be a legitimate alternative form of education for the sponsor’s dependents. A host nation, state, commonwealth, or territory where a DoD sponsor is stationed may impose legal requirements on home schooling practices. DoDEA encourages DoD sponsors who wish to home school their dependents to communicate their desire to their commanders to determine if there are any command
policies or other rules ensuring that home schooling practices meet host nation, state, commonwealth, or territory requirements. Sponsors are responsible for complying with applicable local requirements. DoDEA-run schools on bases within the United States are becoming a rather rare site in recent years due to the cost effectiveness of sending military dependents off base to the local community schools. As a matter of fact, there are only 7 states currently that have these schools within their bases. This may be confusing to many people as many bases still have schools aboard the installation but they are completely run by a local authority. This happens to be the case where I live here in Arizona. A local call to the school should clear the confusion right away if you aren't sure. If you happen to be assigned to a base that does still have a DoDEArun school, and live on installation in base housing, then you have options available to you that you may want to consider. You are allowed to use both auxiliary services as well as academic resources equal to what a child enrolled in the school would receive. Auxiliary services include access to the school library, after hours use of school facilities (comparative to what other enrolled students are allowed), and participation in music, sports, and other extracurricular and interscholastic activities. Academic resources include the loaning of textbooks, workbooks, library books, scheduled standardized tests, software, and so forth. DoDEA schools also offer a wide range of extracurricular activities which vary from school to school. Possible activities include drama, public speaking, Model United Nations, cheerleading, music, and Future Business Leaders of America. The military sponsor should contact their local school to obtain a current listing of what is available. It is not necessary to contact your base commander but it is an option if you should choose to. Do you live overseas? These same
options and more apply to you as well though they will greatly depend on where you live. Depending on your circumstances, you will probably have one of three choices available to you for homeschooling. The first is homeschooling as a parental preference and you pay for everything out of pocket as you more than likely do already. The second option is to utilize the DOD schools as stated above just like you would if you were stateside. This only pertains to you if you are a sponsored family. That means you are on the orders with your military member and fall under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). You can borrow textbooks from the school, participate in extra activities or sports, take standardized testing, and so forth.
Lastly I want to share with you a program called Worldwide IDEA. In the past this was a program funded through grants that allowed military homeschool families to be reimbursed for their school materials. Considered an e-school, with resources for record keeping and teacher sponsorship, as well as reimbursements for materials and internet service, this was a great option for many families. Unfortunately the grant funding has been cut and the reimbursements are no longer available. However, Worldwide IDEA has not given up the fight and is working to have the DOD recognize homeschooling as a viable, legal, GOOD choice for military families and are working with the folks in Washington to make that happen. There are still pay options available for families and the peace of mind makes it well worth it!
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How and what you qualify with for Worldwide IDEA will depend on several things. First, if there are DOD schools available at your base then you will have to pay for your children to be enrolled in the program as if it was a private school. However, if there are not any DOD schools available, then you qualify under the Non DoD School Program (NDSP) and can be reimbursed for your school costs if you are homeschooling your children. I encourage you to visit the Worldwide IDEA website at http://www.worldwideidea.org/index.html to find out your eligibility status if you are in an overseas location. So, now that we have the basic facts out of the way, let's move on to some fun ideas! Why not take advantage of the uniqueness of the place you live and work for everyday school learning? There are many opportunities for learning through field trips that others in your homeschool community might not have. For instance, one of our sons absolutely loves airplanes and helicopters. Dad, who just happens to be an "air-winger" worked it out through contacts on the flightline to have part of his birthday party be a tour of one of the birds. You just can't get better than that for "cool points" with a then 6 year old!
Because of that first experience of being up close and personal with a helicopter, our son was interested in furthering his learning by finding out what the call signs on a plane mean, what the different sounds are so that he can pick them out just by sound even if he can't see them, what the shapes are and more. This is everyday learning and most importantly, it is real life learning. Maybe you are doing a unit study on fruits and vegetables. The commissary is available for tours usually 30 minutes prior to opening. You just have to call the manager and set it up! Or maybe your child has an interest in film or journalism. Why not give the base paper, theatre, or public affairs office a call to set up an interview and tour of the process? These are all great opportunities for you to take advantage of so why not utilize them as part of your school routine?! And don't forget your base library has free internet access on top of all the books and videos you can check out. I love that!! I saw an advertisement for a piano video online, I went to the library to see if it was there and it was. Just consider it a try before you buy opportunity. Are you Navy or Marine Corps? How about taking a Tiger Cruise? These are space-available cruises from an outer port back to homeport for
certain age groups of your family when your service member is deployed aboard ship and returning home. Imagine the excitement for a 12 year old boy (or girl) to be aboard a real naval vessel and getting to watch the ins and outs of typical navy life. Just think of the essays you will get after an experience like that!! The opportunities for learning are all right there in front of you. You have to be willing to go search them out for your own base though. You probably aren't going to find a list of "things to do" for homeschoolers but that doesn't mean they don't exist. If you live overseas, learn the language, eat the food, shop in the stores, and collect the change for a coin collection. Just do stuff! I know once you realize the potential of what is there just waiting for you to reach out and grab hold of it, there will be no looking back. SMILE! ENJOY! LIVE! LEARN! Special Thanks goes to: Tonya Brewer at WorldWide IDEA and Lorna Dennison at Department of Defense Education Activity for their help with providing the most up to date information and navigation through their respective websites.
Sallie is an off-again, on-again homeschooling mom to her 4 children, ranging from elementary to high school. In her column "The Square Peg" she discusses the challenges of homeschooling a child with disabilities and offers insight to those who sometimes feel all alone in a round hole world.
What you will find at NotebookingPages.com: What's Inside? •
5.1: How We Began Notebooking
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5.2: Getting Started in Notebooking
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5.3: Types of Notebooking Pages
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5.4: Language Arts Notebook
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Time With God by MandyMom Always remember these commands I give you today. Teach them to your children, and talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. [Deuteronomy 6:6-7] One unschooling perception I dislike? Some unschooling parents feel you should never schedule time to teach your children. I disagree.
For the most part, we don’t have a particular curriculum to follow or a schedule by which we accomplish or complete things. However, there is one thing that we do plan, and that is time with God. I feel this is an important thing to teach your children so, when they get older they already have these habits in place. Over the last few months, I have started a new tradition of setting aside time in the morning to talk about Jesus. Through the course of the day, we talk about God in different ways. Currently, the children are interested in what God made and why he made it. My daughter and son love to stare at the moon just before darkness falls when you can see all the colors of the sky as the sun sets. She wonders why the shape of the moon changes day to day. Their curiosity in all things Godmade have led us into wonderful conversations about God’s blessings and the tools and materials He has created for us to use. Before meals, we take turns saying grace. My three-year-old’s prayer often goes something like this:
to them. Sometimes they pray for the sweetest things, and often they have a couple crazy requests.
God. Thank you for dis food. Thank you for dis food. Thank you fooooor….. Mommy and Daddy. Help us to being have (behave). Thank you for dis food. Thank you for my shoes. Thank you for my spoon. Amen. My nearly-five-year-old daughter gracefully closes her eyes, bows her head, and grasps the hands of her neighbors. "God. Thank you for this chicken with garlic and rice. Thank you for Nana and Poppa. Help me to feel better because I hurt my finger today. Thank you for my baby doll, and thank you for Jesus. Amen." Everyone loves to say a prayer before we eat, so our food is usually thoroughly blessed before we partake. I’m glad they love to pray. It warms my heart! In the evening, before bed, I cozy up to my munchkins on the couch and have a prayer time with them. I’m usually interrupted several times, but that’s okay. My middle child often mumbles his own little prayer while I talk. As we tuck the children in bed, we tell them, “Don’t forget to pray.” We kiss them goodnight, then stand outside their doors and listen to their sweet little voices as they whisper prayers heavenward. I love to listen
I wonder if that’s how God feels when I pray. I wonder if His heart is warmed when I pray for something He desires, or if He is amused when I ask for something silly and ridiculous. I can imagine Him thinking to Himself, “Daughter, if you only knew the plans I have for you.” God has shown me how important it is to set aside time for Him. He has asked me to show my children how to do the same, to build these habits so, when they are grown, they will not part from them. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. [Proverbs 22:6] We have a wonderful opportunity as home schooling parents to open God’s world to our children. In those moments, we can show them that God is in the little things, the big things, and all around us. We can point out His glory in the small blossoms or large oak trees. We can show them God’s grace as we show (by example) how to properly deal with emotions, forgive others, and reach out in love. And, while there are so many pop-up situations in which we can reveal a little of God, there are also those times we should purposefully set aside to listen to and learn about God. In closing, I want to encourage you to set aside time with your children for the LORD. No matter what method of home schooling you choose, this is one thing that should be first and foremost! Mandy is a former homeschooling student who has set out to unschool her three young munchkins. In her column The Natural Noggin: Adventures in Unschooling, she gives a glimpse into the curious minds of her children as they explore their natural instincts to explore the heights and depths of knowledge. She blogs at MandyMOM.com.
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SO WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION?"...AND OTHER QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING! by Gina Whenever we go out and someone asks my children where they go to school, or what grade they are in, I mentally cover my head, and wait for the "bomb to drop"! For some reason, when it comes to the subject of homeschooling, people feel they have the freedom to tell you what they think you should do, and what your children need... even if they are total strangers! If you have been homeschooling for any amount of time, you have more than likely faced some type of criticism or questioning. It seems to just come with the territory. Over the years, I have had more comments, questions, and criticism than I can count regarding our choice to home school. Family members, acquaintances, and even people I don't know. I'm not sure that I'll ever get to the point where this doesn't bother me, but I guess I just have gotten used to it. I've had questions like: "Do your children have FRIENDS?" "What about socialization?" "How do you teach them every subject? Do you know everything?" "How do you have the patience for that? I could NEVER do it!" "Well, don't your kids need to get out SOMETIME? "What if your kids want to play sports?" "Aren't we called to be "salt and light"? SO WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION???? So, what about socialization? What about all the other questions that people ask us? How can we face these issues that could be potential obstacles in our children's lives? I would like to offer some thoughts...although certainly not the "final word"...on some of the more common "arguments" that people have confronted me with
concerning homeschooling. ~"Do your children have FRIENDS?" ~"Well, don't your kids need to get out SOME TIME?! I have to be honest. There have been times when I have been asked these questions, and there is something within me that wants to blurt out something like, "No. We don't believe in having friends. We lock our children in a rubber room and shut all the curtains!" ...but that wouldn't be a very godly response! I am happy to report that I have never answered that way! But, it does seem a little bit like a "no brainer" that there ARE other ways to make friends other than in school! I grew up attending the public school system in my home town. That did not guarantee that I had a boatload of friends! I was a Christian, and I didn't party or do much of what most of the kids in school did in their spare time. As much as I tried to be friendly, and be a testimony in school, most of my friends...I mean
my 'companions'...were kids I met at church, or church-type organizations. I just didn't have much in common with the kids at school. Even though you may home school, your children CAN still have friends, and good ones at that. I think that friendships are important for our children in many ways, as long as they are kept in the right balance. It gives them opportunity to learn how to interact with others, work through conflicts, and to be an example (socialization!). Being involved with other children
can help them learn how to relate to others who are different than they are. Even though developing friendships can be a good thing for our children, when not done carefully and prayerfully (and with OUR guidance), they can turn into something that is very dishonoring to God. I recently spoke with a mother who had a teenage daughter. She was sharing that her daughter ignores her family and is completely consumed with her friends. She saw it as "normal teen behaviour"! I've seen that happen in a few families. It saddens me to see teens that are consumed with their friends to the point of being glued to the cell phone, computer, and always having to go somewhere. As I have observed this over the years, it has caused me to pray about how to avoid this with our children. It may be considered "normal teen behaviour", but I think it would be better labeled "self centered, sinful, teen behaviour"! As home schoolers, we may have to make an extra effort to make sure our children have time with their friends. It requires more from us, but it is worth it. We need to be willing to drive them to the special events that are offered, even if it means that we give up some of our own time. I have learned, from observing and listening to the wise counsel of my pastor's wife, that my door should always be open to my children's friends. I need to make our home the "happening place"!! I try to have a brownie mix, hot chocolate, or something like that in the house all the time. If my children have friends over for a meal, I often will ask the friend what their favorite meal is, and I'll make it for them. My daughter had her friend Kristy over, and her favorite breakfast was blueberry muffins. I made blueberry muffins, and renamed them "Kristy muffins"! She loved it. The whole time she was here, we told her we were having a "Kristy party'! I want my children's friends to know they are always welcome, and when
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they come, I make it a party! Not only does it give our children times with their friends, it helps to nurture MY relationship with my children. We need to invest a huge amount of ourselves in nurturing a relationship with our own children, and encouraging them so that they WANT to be home. As important as outside friendships may be for our children, I think that it is more important for them to have a good relationship with us. It is our job to pursue them. Be there. Go to every sporting event they are involved in. Go to their concerts. Be a volunteer coach of their team. Always be the involved parent. One of the potential benefits of homeschooling is the amount of time we have with our children to nurture a relationship, take the time to do that! Take breaks and make them a snack. Take the time to talk with them. Take them on dates. Show interest in their interests. We can create a bond with our children, so that there is more of a balance when it comes to them wanting to spend time with their friends, but we have to work to make that happen. PURSUE YOUR KIDS! You are the best friend they could ever have! Then...PURSUE THEIR FRIENDS! Let their friends know you love them and they are always welcome. It is worth the time, and effort...and even a few late nights of watching movies until 1:30! I believe that our children can enjoy friendships, and we can teach our children the importance of not "dumping" their family and becoming consumed with friends. We need to do both! When we see that happening in others lives, we can point it out to them and explain that is not the right way. We can be talking about all of these things with our children as we live with them through out the day. It will pay off in the end if we invest the time to talk with them, pursue them, and build our relationship with them and with their friends. This is my goal, and what I am praying for in our family.
~"What about socialization?" so·cial·i·za·tion . "The process of learning interpersonal and interactional skills that are in conformity with the values of one's society." As I look around our society there is no doubt in my mind that my goal is NOT to have my children conform to the values of their society, or learn to communicate with others in the way that we see as the norm now days! If you observe most children in the grocery store or teens in any group, you will not find many who hold a standard to look up to! And yet it seems that we are regularly asked the question about socialization. If our children don’t “fit in” with what is out there, they are seen as "weird" or “not socialized”. The Word of God should be the standard held up as to how our children should interact with others, not our society. Yes, they will be different, but that is what we are called to be. Having said all of that, it is important that they learn basic manners and communication skills and that they be given opportunities to use what they are learning in different environments, as God provides activities for them. We can’t keep them in the house and expect that they will be able to practice what we teach them, or learn to stand up against the pressures that are out there. I love what my friend Lori shared with me recently"Home schooling allows me to monitor socialization better than if they were absent from me for those 8 hours a day. My goal is not to 'shelter' them forever, just PREPARE their hearts for that REAL secular world that they are not prepared maturity wise yet....I hope that monitoring socialization will HELP them learn what is good and true, teaching them values that my husband and I hold HIGH, not what other kids their age have been led to believe....peer pressure will exist throughout their lives and its our hope to prepare them to handle those situations....and focus on God, education and not the latest
trend.....mine were in school for a time...socialization without control is NOT all its cracked up to be!" Finally, as homeschool parents we spend a lot of time building up and encouraging our children. That is a good thing. We spend every day with them, and in many cases that can be helpful in teaching children how to interact with adults very well. That is a good thing as well. But there is something I have observed over the years in many homeschooled children. Sometimes homeschoolers can come across as very self confident and prideful. I have interacted with multiple homeschooled young people who related to me like I was their peer, rather than an older person. I have also seen them interact with their parents in the same way. It is important that we remember to teach our children to relate to us and other adults in a respectful manner . Many homeschool organizations refer to their students, and home school families, as “the cream of the crop” or other terminologies that can cause us to be tempted towards pride in what we are doing and that can be passed down to our children. That does not glorify God, and that is not our calling. My prayer is that I would live out humility before my children, teach them what God’s Word says about what they really are in their heart of hearts, and teach them to interact with adults…and others…with respect and humility... ...and that we would seek out "socialization" to the glory of God! Join me next month for the second article in the series "What About Socialization? And other questions people ask about homeschooling!
Gina is the mom of two high schoolers, a freshman and a Senior. In her column "Reaching High," she shares the many lessons that God has taught her and her family, as they have sought Him through the years. Visit her at her blog, Chats with
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An Old Lady
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Finding Enough Time by Kristine Do you ever feel like you do not have enough time in your day? Does your clock seem to move in fast motion and the hours slip away? I am often asked how I manage with such a large family. How do I find the time to do all that needs to be done? After all there are only 24 hours in a day! "By the grace of God and day by day," I reply. I must remember that I have been called to do this and that God
wash. There were not as many dishes to clean and diapers to change. I could vacuum less often because there were not as many feet tracking in dirt. I could go on and on. It is very easy to get caught up in all of this to the point of neglecting the most important things, our time with the Lord and the training and enjoyment of our children. This is not glorifying to God and glorifying God is the reason we are here. The Westminster Catechism question #1 asks, What is the chief end of man?
first things first, in order of importance. Accomplish the primary before the secondary and see if things fall into place better than before. Trust in the Lord and His might. Last month I posed the question, "So, why do you do what you do?" This month I ask you, "What are your priorities?" Kristine is the wife of a pastor who is currently serving as a chaplain in the military. She is also the mother of eight wonderful children and schools them using the Classical Christian method. In her column, "Ducks in a Row," she writes about the challenges, joys, and logistics of homeschooling a large family. Visit her at her blog, Mama Archer.
The answer is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. (1 Corinthians 6:20, 10:31, Revelation 4:11)
will not ask of me any more than I am capable. My capability however does not rest on my shoulders alone. In fact, my capability is not worth much at all but I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. We can accomplish so much more if we rely on God; his guidance, His strength, and His might. He provides the tools we need to accomplish the tasks He places before us. One of those tools is the ability to prioritize. We must not get caught in the trap of taking care of the urgent before the most important. This is a habit into which we can easily fall. For those with larger families this task of prioritizing can seem a more daunting task. This is not necessarily because we have more things to accomplish (though sometimes that is the case) it is usually because of the volume of those things is greatly multiplied. I can say this because I have been there. When our family was smaller we had fewer things to pick up and A LOT less laundry to
Prioritizing is the one of the best ways to address this problem. To prioritize simply means to assign priority to. Priority is, according to Webster, precedence in place or rank. We must, through prayer and discussion with our spouses, determine those things that are most important and those things that can be removed from our plate. We need to determine what all of those things are that we have to accomplish, or think we have to accomplish, and rank them. We often read about the picture perfect homeschooling families where the children excel in everything and have a dozen of extra curricular activities at which they also excel, but this is not what every homeschooling family looks like or even should look like. We are all different. Can we accept that we do not have to look like that perfect homeschool family? Can we face the fact that there is such a thing as being too busy and doing too much? You will find that 24 hours in a day is more than enough if priorities are set, unnecessary things are let go, and a good plan is implemented. If you find you do not have enough time in your day or you are meeting the urgent before the important, I would suggest reevaluating priorities. List them. See what can be let go. Do
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The Mission Field Of the Home by Heather (Sprittibee) Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed. ~ Robert H. Schuller
Valentines Day is a good time to focus on the heart. I'm not talking about lace doilies and construction paper with glitter. I mean the real heart - the one that hides our life's purposes, our King's message, and our hope for tomorrow. My heart has been heavy with a burden for the home this February... it seems the spring of my parenting journey has turned to summer... and the fall will come all too quick. My children both turned a year older recently... my oldest turned 11! They are nearing the stage in childhood when they will soon be waving elementary school good-bye. They are exceptional children... but I am feeling the great divide already - and with this reflection comes an evaluation of my performance that only I can assess. Have they been my priority? Have I used my time and talents wisely? Are their spiritual lives blossoming? Am I the best example I can be? Do they truly know that I love them? How can I improve? There's just no way to be an optimist when it comes to the knowledge that your children one day will be grown... the glass is just half-empty. My time is now half-gone. Her tiny pink fingers are now capable of typing 20 words per minute. His sweet baby voice can now read me a classical novel. Tugging on my heart lately has been a call to excellence: finding a way to maximize my impact in the family God placed me in. That's a tall order for a Valentine gift - not one you can bottle up and save for just one day a year, either. It needs to be an ongoing lifestyle - a lifelong quest
viewed through eyes that know how to fix themselves on the plumb line of Jesus. I want to leave a legacy of love that grounds my children in the Lord. I want God to teach me how to parent like He does. After all, is there any more loving an ideal in all creation than THE Father? I don't want to need reminders only once a year to make my kids cards, cookies and crafts. I don't want another moment to slip by when I am not acutely aware of the countdown until they are fully grown... and spreading their wings to fly! I want my children to be my ministry. I have heard it said before... but hearing it and putting that knowledge into practice each day... waking up with a burning fire to serve, honor, love, teach, help, and inspire... THAT is the kind of seriousness I want God to create in me. I want Him to remind me each day that I AM in the mission field... and that I AM affecting the hearts of my children with each word, each tone, each glance, each gesture... I want my feet to not stray or my mind to wander. I want strength, wisdom and patience... and to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is leading the way. I hope you will join me this Valentines in committing your hearts to the mission God has set before you. He made us perfectly broken and full of need... He gave us imperfect new little souls to lead by the hand and heart... He showed us the Way. If only we could see the mission field that lies within our home - the beautiful hearts of His children... our children. I'm praying we all have a true vision of our worth and purpose as mothers, teachers and wives. Not just for Valentines, but for all year; let us touch hearts for Christ.
From My Heart to Yours... Heather P.S. My children and I love this devotional about the heart of the home. I hope it blesses you as well. Have you brothers or sisters living anywhere in this great world? Have you allowed the friendship to grow cold or the ties to be forgotten? Have you permitted all intercourse to be broken off? Lose not a day till you have done the first thing, taken the first step, to gather up the shattered links and reunite them in a holy chain. If they are far away, write them in words of love. If they are within reach, go to them in person. If you are still living side by side in the old home, and if your life together has not been close, intimate, confiding and helpful, seek at once by all the wise arts of a loving heart to make it what it ought to be. Then, no matter how plain, simple or old-fashioned your home may be, the sacred friendships beneath its roof will transfigure it all. Poverty is a light cross if there is love at home. Toil, hardships, care, sacrifice, and even sorrow affection twines over them as cold, bare, rugged rocks are changed into beauty when the wild vines wreath them all from every crevice and fill every black nook and fissure. "Dear moss," said the thatch on an old ruin, "I am so worn, so patched, so ragged; really I am quite unsightly. I wish you would come and cheer me up a little; you will hide all my infirmities and defects, and through your loving sympathy, no finger of contempt or dislike will be pointed at me." "I come," said the moss; and it crept up and around and in and out, until every flaw was hidden and all was smooth and fair. Presently the sun shone out and the old thatch looked bright and fair, a picture of rare beauty in the golden rays. "How beautiful the thatch looks!" cried one who saw it. "How beautiful the thatch looks!" said another. "Ah!" said the old thatch, "rather let them say, 'How beautiful
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is the loving moss that spends itself in covering up all my faults, keeping the knowledge of them all to herself, and by her own grace making my age and poverty wear the garb of youth and luxuriance!'" Is your home plain and bare? Must you meet hardships and endure toil? Have you cares and privations? Do you sigh for something finer, more beautiful, less hard? Call up love to wreathe itself over all of your home-life. Cultivate home friendships. Bind up the broken home ties. Plant the flowers of affection in every corner. Then soon all will be transfigured. You will forget care, hardships and toil, for they will be all hidden under lovely garments of affection. Your eye will see no more the homeliness, the hardness, the anxieties, the toils, but will be charmed with the luxuriance of love that shall cover every blemish. - J. R. Miller ("Home-Making" - originally published in 1882, reprinted by the Vision Forum) Sprittibee (Heather) has been homeschooling for 6 years and has one crazy husband, 2 crazy kids (ages 9 and 11) and 2 crazy cats. When she isn't making Tex-Mex, learning web design, homeschooling, or rubbing her face on the cat's belly... she loves to blog. In her column Heartstrings for Homeschoolers," she reminds us to stop and smell the proverbial flowers on this journey we call homeschooling. Not every day will be a great one. She admonishes us to learn to focus on the beauty of the moments God has blessed us with - for better or for worse... because our hearts are shaped by the memories we are making.
Building a Bottle Bird Feeder by Jacob Deckard Building a Bottle Bird Feeder by Jacob Deckard age 9 One day my mom took out our wooden bird feeder. I thought I could make one out of a bottle! Here is a good way to make a bird feeder. 1. Gather supplies. You need: A plastic bottle with a cap Sharp scissors or knife A stick A rope 2. Our first feeder's seeds sprouted, because the moisture did not drain, so poke small holes in the bottom of the bottle. Be careful not to cut yourself. 3. About 1-2 inches from the bottom of the bottle, make holes for the perch. Insert stick and make holes bigger, if needed. 4. Cut holes above the perch for the birds to get the seeds. Holes should be slightly bigger than the seeds. 5. Tie teether or rope around the top of the bottle, where the cap is, and tie a loop for hanging. 6. Carefully fill the feeder with sunflower seeds using your hands as a funnel or get a real funnel. 7. Replace cap and hang in a high tree. 8. It may take three weeks for the birds to find it. Be patient. Happy bird feeding! Submitted by his mother, Renae at Life Nurturing Education
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Balance Defined by Dianne I have to laugh that the Lord has me writing a column about balance. I am the least-qualified person I know to do this. Yet isn’t that just like God? He uses the weak to show Himself strong. When it comes to a balanced life, I am certainly weak. I pray that He shows up big in your life through whatever He says through these words. What does it mean to live a balanced life? Too often, we have goals that aren’t clearly defined. As with many life issues, balanced living will vary for everyone, making it a bit vague to outline. Does a balanced life mean that you accomplish everything you wanted in a day? Does it mean that you give equal attention to all areas of your life? I cannot answer this question for you; it’s something that you’ll have to discover for yourself. It may not be a quick and easy answer. It may take you some time to work though your own personal meaning of balance. Things of value usually do require something of us. But I believe it will be time well spent. First, you need to assess how you spend your life right now. I’ve found that writing things down can bring greater clarity. On a piece of paper (real or computerized), jot down what you do each day. Think back over the past few days or the previous week. Upon what was your time spent? If that’s not a good sampling of time, begin to make note of what you do each day for the next few days. As you look through your list, identify the items of importance and value to you. Also indicate which items weren’t very meaningful, or occupied more of your time than they should. Is the majority of your time used for things of significance? Or do trivia and minutiae consume the bulk of your life? This is where you’ll discover your balance quotient. If
the trivial and unimportant matters of life occupy the greater portion of your time, your life will be out of balance. When your time is spent on the things that matter most, you’ll feel more balanced. As you work through the worth of your tasks and responsibilities, seek God’s input. Sometimes we think something matters more than He does. Sometimes it’s the other way around. If we want to find balance, our plans need to align with God’s.
Planning will help you do what is needed, but there must also be room for God to reach down and alter your “to do” list. It’s a tenuous relationship between plans and flexibility. “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” I like to create my task list for the day, then quietly raise that before God, asking Him to do as He desires with my day, trusting Him to do what is best. Once you have determined what a balanced life means to you, you can use that as a filter through which to view your choices. Is this task or responsibility one of value to you? Will it keep you focused upon your priorities, or will it take you away from them? With that framework, it will be easier to say “yes” or “no” to the opportunities that come your way. For me, a balanced day isn’t always the one where my day is perfectly delineated by times and check marks on a calendar or “to do” list. It’s one where my primary focus is my family. Homeschool, no, make
that learning, happens. The If the trivial boys really get and it – whatever “it” may be. unimportant The light matters of life comes on and occupy the they make connections to greater the subject at portion of hand. It might be getting past your time, your a difficult life will be math concept, out of or maybe it’s balance. grasping something new about Jesus’ love for them. Maybe it’s getting through a day of strife and conflict, and not losing my cool. Instead, I pray through the issue, responding in love, with kind and gentle words to the anger and frustration of one of my children. It’s not necessarily a lovely, fourcourse dinner, but a tasty and nutritious meal ready when my husband gets home. Will I have accomplished all I wanted? Not likely. Will I have done what matters? Most definitely. This can happen with a heart that’s flexible and willing to listen to the Lord’s direction.
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand, or whenever you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 Dianne is in the third year of homeschooling with her two middle school boys, ages 14 and 12. She's been joyfully married for 21+ years. She continually seeks to balance the many aspects of life in a way that glorifies the Lord. In her column "Blueprint for Balance," Dianne shares organizational strategies for the homeschooling journey.
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All Too Familiar? By Heather H. Does this sound familiar to you? • •
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Wake up early, hit the ground running Try and get kids to eat breakfast and stop 3 year old from feeding bagels to the dog Try and get a shower yourself while getting your daughter to stop teasing her brothers Get the kids dressed and the kitchen cleaned up so that you will be able to accomplish schoolwork Trip over toy trains while running laundry to washing machine Dinner???? Are you serious???? How on earth can I think about dinner now??? So, you just do the next best thing. You go out to eat, spending an average of $25 for a family of four.
A homeschooling parent has tons of planning to do. Plan schedules, lessons, curricula, field trips, play dates, bill paying, etc. You get the picture. And just when do I have time to fit another planning session into my day? Understand, dear one, you are not alone. Grocery planning and meal planning are essential to saving money. You can't expect to walk into the store and gaze up and down the aisles and buy whatever jumps out at you and still save money. You have to plan. Even a simple list will help you save. What I do is so easy and it's a lot of fun to get the kids involved. It takes about 3 hours a month for me to plan and buy food for the month. Here are the steps to what I do: 1.
Gather all your local supermarket ads (those of you with a Super Wal-Mart nearby will be more fortunate). If you can't find them (ads), most places will have an online version of their ad that you can look at. 2. Go through each one and write down the sale items
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that they are advertising and that you will need for your family. I list each one on a separate sheet of paper for each store, comparing sales. If milk is cheaper at Martin's, I list it there instead of Kroger's. Make a list of other things that you need that are NOT on sale. ie...paper products, cleaning supplies, pet food. Check your coupon box to see what you have coupons for on your list and put them in a separate envelope. If you have a Super Wal-mart they will match all competitor's ads for exact amount and like product. For example, if Martin's has their store brand (Spartan) of instant oatmeal on sale for $.99 a box, then Wal-mart will match that ad with their brand (Great Value). Write one list that has each store in a separate column with their sale prices. When you go to Wal-Mart, have the ads with you. You can also bring the printed out version from online if that is what you used. I also check WalMart's prices, since many times they are lower than the other store's sales. Be aware!
When you are finished with your list, separate all the price matched items by store for the cashier. It just makes it easier on them and you to verify a price. Then I place all other items at the end. If you are not able to go to a store where they will price match the lowest price then you could also just go to each individual store and buy just the loss leaders or sale items and finish your list at the cheapest store. In my area, Wal-Mart often has the lower prices on other items as well, but you will need to check. Knowing your prices takes a little time. I personally used this as a unit study for economics for my kids. We would go to the different stores, and write
down prices of each item that our family normally bought. I keep them all together in a notebook that is easy to access. This has helped save money for us, since I knew which store had the lowest regular price on macaroni and cheese. This is a sample of what you would find in my notebook:
If you have friends that are willing to save their grocery receipts for you then the job of knowing what prices are at each store becomes easier. Planning takes time and energy but the money saved in the long run makes it all worthwhile! What to do with all those groceries when you get home? Do some things just get pushed to the back of your pantry shelves, never to be heard from again? Is your freezer hiding little tempting morsels that are seemingly gone forever? Here's what I do to help prevent that: INVENTORY LIST.
I make another list with all the different places that I store food such as freezer, pantry shelves, and deep freezer. I usually don't have one for the fridge since that seems to change very rapidly. Every item is put on there, under the category where it is located. For example, I have 6 boxes of Hamburger Helper (on sale for
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$1.00 and I had a $.75 off coupon!) that are in the lower pantry shelf, right next to the 4 cans of Manwich sloppy joe mix. In the freezer, I have 10 lbs of hamburger. This way, I can plan meals easier. When you take an item out, simply update your list. It's a little more work in the beginning, but can make meal planning so much easier. Here's an idea of what mine looks like: As far as meal planning goes, I know of frugal moms that plan their days out, such as "meatloaf on Monday" and "tacos on Tuesday". That's fine, but with my personal schedule, how am I going to know that 5 days from now I will have time and energy to make that meatloaf? And what if the kids aren't "in the mood" for that on that day? Something to think about is to make up a menu list of meal ideas (based on what you have in your inventory list) and just pick from day to day. Each child gets to pick one day of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have them pick the whole day the night before so that if need be, I can pull something out of the freezer. In my house, this has avoided the "I don't know what to make" blues, as well as fighting off the urge to order pizza on those nights. The kids are more eager to eat different things since they know that it was their choice. All in all, planning makes the money go much farther. Now, if I can could just plan our history studies... Heather is a stay at home mother with 3 blessings to take everywhere with her. Teaching women to shop and save and get the most for your dollar are a vision that has been a long time in the making. She enjoys sharing her trials and triumphs at the local stores, as well as some good (and some not so good) recipes to help make those dollars stretch. Heather's column, "Practical Penny Pincher" is a must read for the thrifty homeschool mom.
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Freedom Is Not A Gift; Fighting For Educational Liberty by Dana While the nation focuses on the campaign trail leading up to who will be our next president, it is important to take some time to get to know the candidates who will be running for state offices. Whether they are local legislators, judges or candidates for the state Board of Education, these are the men and women who will have far greater effect on the liberties of homeschoolers than the next president. While bills introduced in the House and Senate do indicate that we are headed toward a national curriculum and a decreased ability for states to direct their own education systems, there has been very little that would directly effect home schools in the near future. At the local level, however, home schooling liberties continue to be challenged. In Washington, D.C., for example, the decomposing bodies of four children were found when an eviction notice was served to their mother, Banita Jacks. D.C. has very liberal homeschooling laws, requiring only a letter of intent to withdraw a child from school. Jacks did not even do that much and fell through the cracks of the social services system despite multiple reports. The New York Times did not look at the failings of the social services system, nor at Jacks herself to assess blame for the deaths of these children. Instead, it noted the lack of supervision of home schools. The lack of supervision of the homeschooling process, some experts say, may have made it easier last year for Ms. Jacks to withdraw her children from school and the prying eyes of teachers, social workers and other professionals who otherwise might have detected signs of abuse and neglect of the girls. New York Times While everyone who ever looked at Jacks' file in D.C. is now at risk of losing his or her job, Mayor Adrian Fenty has also turned a regulatory eye on homeschooling.
He also vowed to establish a system to track children who are homeschooled or who move from school to school. After Jacks’s daughters were withdrawn from D.C. charter schools, she sent word through a school employee that she would homeschool the girls. The Washington Post This fear of what could happen in a
family that is "outside the public eye" is not unique to the nation's capital, nor does it appear only in the wake of horrific abuse cases. Here in my home state of Nebraska, we are fighting restrictive legislation which would require the Commissioner of Education to "approve" our homeschool curriculum while homeschoolers submit to a choice of testing or turning in our lesson plans and student work to ensure that we are meeting state standards and our children remain on grade level. If this is not achieved, children would be required to attend an accredited school. Senator Schimek, who introduced the bill, asks:
How do we know what’s happening in home schools? Lincoln Journal Star
A more important question to ask is this: Why do we so readily accept that the state has a right...a responsibility even...to oversee what happens in the family? As Senator Fulton said in a letter to a homeschool family, parents have the primary obligation and responsibility for the education of their children - NOT the State. This bill smacks of arrogance and makes an erroneous presumption that the State is of higher authority than the parent. Mississippi homeschoolers are fighting similar legislation with Senate Bill 2271, requiring the establishment of "student testing proficiency standards for promotion to grade levels for students in home instruction programs which are equivalent to requirements applicable to public school students." Life on the Planet, a Mississippi homeschooler, has reported that the bill was killed in committee. And this comes a little less than a year after the defeat of another measure introduced in Mississippi to further regulate homeschoolers, marking the importance of staying informed about what is happening in local affairs. Even bills which do not appear to directly relate to homeschooling can have an effect. In Wisconsin, virtual charters are suffering due to a lack of distinction from homeschooling. Back in December, an appeals court ordered the state to stop funding the state's largest virtual charter. The court found parents were the primary educators -- a violation of a state law requiring public school teachers to be licensed. And districts who operate schools cannot receive taxpayer money for students
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who do not attend school within their boundaries under current law, the court said. TMJ4 Legislation is being drafted to save the virtual charters, and keep this option open to the citizens of Wisconsin. However, this debate is not without its consequences for homeschoolers. The Wisconsin Parents Association is keeping a close watch on the debate, and the National Charter School Watch Blog also shares thoughts on the importance of maintaining a distinction between government school at home programs and homeschooling. While homeschooling enjoys broader acceptance and the support of many legislators at the national and local level, some of the most powerful voices in education remain opposed to this educational option. The general public also is increasingly accepting of homeschooling, but remains suspicious of the possibility of children not being educated properly outside of state oversight. The most important battles for education freedom will likely not be fought on a national level, but on a very local one, through public dialog and remaining aware of the stances of our local politicians. "Freedom is not a gift received from the State or leader, but a possession to be won every day by the effort of each and the union of all." --Albert Camus, Resistance, Rebellion and Death, 1961 Dana is a fourth year homeschooling mom to three girls and a boy. In her column, "Homeschool, In the News," she will be taking a look at homeschoolers who have affected the news and news that affects homeschoolers. Visit her blog, Principled Discovery.
Impossible Standards by Mandy Z I’m the type of person who is extremely hard on myself. When we first started homeschooling, I was convinced that my son wasn’t learning anything from me because he never would repeat back what I tried to teach him. I know. Are you laughing yet? I would see these super cute 2 year olds that could spit out songs, their ABC’s, colors, and everything else, but not my son. Something was wrong. I wasn’t cut out for this. So what did I do to remedy the
situation? I’m afraid I became annoying. Of course, my child couldn’t tell me this. I finally figured it out for myself. When he wasn’t catching on as fast as I thought he should, I began to turn everything we did into a learning experience. I talked incessantly. I explained everything we did. While that in itself may not be such a bad thing, I finally started annoying myself. I felt like a big mouth that never stopped talking. One day I was finally exhausted and so I stopped over-explaining the world to him. I did slip up every now and then, but I quickly caught myself and tried to relax. Months went by and my son would say a new word or master a new skill and it excited me. He always had the uncanny way of showing me his new skills when I least expected it.
identify his colors, partially sing his ABC’s, and count to 10. He will be three in 6 days. I’m pretty sure he’s right on target, and while being able to recite these things is not the end all and be all to his learning, I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t exciting. I’m also well aware that his developmental milestones are not mine alone to take credit for. He learns from the world around him, his grandparents, his friends, and countless others. Everyday he is taking in new information and processing it. I think I’m able to enjoy this so much more because it’s not a forced expectation on my part. If you are homeschooling a preschooler, my hope for you is that you can approach homeschooling in a more relaxed manner than I first did. I hope you won’t compare your child to others. I hope you can drink in every last drop of precious time you spend homeschooling your preschooler. As I sit here planning a third birthday party, it reminds me all too well of just how fast it all goes. Mandy is a preschool homeschooling mom to her two year old son. In her column "Knee High Homeschoolers," she writes about the joys of homeschooling a preschooler and shares helpful links and practical information gained from experience. Visit her blog, Inching Along.
In the past month, we have had a real boom in language. My son can now
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Are You Listening? by Lori "Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand." ~unknown~ As a home school mom, I talk.....a lot. I can often be heard asking in one form or another, "are you listening?" or "did you hear me?" "Be quick to listen and slow to speak." James 1:19 I spent some time recently on a bike ride with my youngest child. There were no siblings to distract us, no household chores beckoning me, he rode and I walked and I had a chance not just to "hear" him, but really "LISTEN." As home schoolers, we are with our children 7 days a week we HEAR them all day long. We hear the joy when the "light bulb" goes off and a concept is mastered, we hear the disappointment when the "light bulb" doesn't go off" and frustration sets in. We hear the chatter among siblings, (the good, the bad and the ugly). They hear us too. They hear the tone that we use when the day is flowing along wonderfully, and they hear the tone when the train wrecks! As that afternoon with Hayden unfolded, I was reminded by a gentle nudge from God to not only hear, but L~I~S~T~E~N. We can easily fall into the trap that just because we hear, we listen and I speak from experience, that is not always so.
I HEAR my children ask me "can I have a piece of candy?" while I'm working on the computer, but I'm not really listening. They know it, that's why they ask! They often ask me to sit with them alone in my room to read or work on a writing assignment, and I sense it's because they know they have my complete attention....they know I will listen to what they have to say. We HEAR all day long, but are we listening? Listening to the voice of God is where we need to begin. I know that on that bike ride, I heard God in the voice of my child, reminding me that these days are fleeting and the relationships that we build today will last us a lifetime. It's a noisy world, and we won't be able to LISTEN to those in our lives who need to be heard if we are not in a place of peace. We must learn to tune out those noises that try and invade our spirits and distract us. The source of peace, turning first to God and finding the time to LISTEN to Him will help us hear others, and it is when we truly HEAR the people in our lives, that we can respond like Christ. Most of us live to some degree as Modern Day Martha's. Moving from one thing to the next, and yet we often ignore what we are told in Luke, "And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and was listening to His teaching." Luke 10:39
It's not just hearing that we are called to do as disciples, as moms and wives.... We are challenged to listen, really listen...As the quote above suggests it is in listening, truly listening to the Word of God and then to those in our lives, we are helping them "unfold and expand." Without listening to the Word of God, we find ourselves at a standstill, it is only in listening that God can move through us and create and expand who HE is in us. It's a very NOISY world out there....a lot of things to hear, and only a FEW worth really listening to. As We Raise Our Hands, Father, I come to you seeking stillness in a very noisy world. My days are filled with chatter, distractions and joyful noise. I ask Father that you guide me to not simply "hear" but to "listen." Help me to find YOUR VOICE amidst the noise. Help me to hear you guide me through my days. Help me Father, to hear those that you have blessed me to serve, listen and respond to their needs in the way your son Jesus would. I want to be still and hear you. I want to listen to my children and my husband, hear their hearts speak to me, hear them as you do. I can not do this alone. It is only with your help that I can be what you created me to be. Father, help me not only to hear, I humbly ask you to help me to listen with the ears of Christ. ~amen~
Lori is a 4 year homeschool mom to 3. Currently a 7th grader, a 5th grader and a 3rd grader. Lori insists that when she was wrestling with the decision to home school, a gentle voice guided her with the words, "you know what you should do." Never looking back, accepting the challenges and rewards and CONSTANTLY clinging to THE ROCK..."No Storm can shake my inmost calm when to this ROCK I'm clinging." "Raise Your Hands" is an inspirational column while, as the Beatles so eloquently put it, we walk "this long and winding road," together. Hoping to impart peace and inspiration amidst the daily chaos.
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An Apple A Day by Sister Lisa 2. Talk to Jesus. In this day and age we have all sorts of communication from cell phones, iphones, pagers, and e-mail. I never do like getting a busy signal or voice mail and yet with God, He is always listening and we will never get a buys signal.
Proverbs 25:11, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Every year when autumn approaches I am reminded of the sweet aroma of apple pies, apple scented candles, and delicious apple fritters. We travel to Apple Hill, California to enjoy the festivity of apples; everything from apple cider to apple salsa with loads of apple recipes to share with friends and family. If you slice the apple horizontally you may see five seeds forming a five pointed star. God is wonderfully perfect in his design as everything we see can remind us of Him. We hear that old adage, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ Eating apples is a healthy part of our daily nutritional needs, packed full of vitamin C we reap the benefits of keeping a healthy body to serve the Lord. Each day we are admonished to spend time with the Lord. Just as eating ‘an apple a day’ can keep us physically healthy; having our daily apple from God can do the same for our souls. I see the five seeds as five steps to our daily spiritual vitamins. 1. Read your Bible. The Bible is God’s love letter to us. He loves us so much that he gave his only begotten Son so that we may live in heaven for ever by His side. He preserved His Word through the ages for us to learn about His love.
3. Share your faith. If you’ve ever received a Valentine you know how exciting that is and the first thing you want to do is tell someone. How exciting it is to be able to tell your best friend that someone cares enough to send you a Valentine. Maybe you have received something that makes your heart tingle, like an invitation to dinner from a young gentleman you know from church.
We will explore God’s word as well as learn how to study scripture and write about the daily nutrition He provides for us. Writing about how the Lord is speaking to your heart is a great way to share your faith with others. Join us each month as we reap this bountiful harvest together. Sisterlisa is an eclectic homeschooling mom of three daughters, one son, and a wife to a missionary. She has a passion for encouraging women to build their faith in the Lord and convince them that God is still in the miracle working business. She has an eye for photography and a passion for graphic design. Each day is a joyous adventure in training her children to love the Lord and prepare for their future serving the Savior. She is also the publisher and editor at Growing in Grace, an online magazine for girls, where her two oldest daughters also write with her. You can read her women’s devotions at Apples of Gold Ministries.
He buys you a corsage and your parents accompany you and this young man to a special dinner where he asks for permission to enter into courtship with you. I know the first thing you’ll do when you get home is call all of your friends to share the good news! How much more exciting is it that Jesus himself came to earth and gave himself so that you could have eternal life? Sharing our faith is so contagious and someone in this world is waiting to hear how much Jesus loves them. 4. Attend church faithfully. One day you may be a married young woman with a wonderful husband. How would you feel if he stopped coming home? The church is God’s house here on earth and he beckons you to come hear about His love for you. This is also a wonderful way to share your faith, by inviting a friend to come with you. 5. Ask for forgiveness. The Bible clearly explains that there is none righteous, no not one. We each make mistakes everyday, but praise the Lord for his mercy and grace. He already knows we’re not perfect, yet He loves us regardless. As you may know when a friend makes a mistake it tends to hurt. Receiving an apology from them helps to rebuild the relationship and further strengthen it as well. Let’s keep our hearts close to His by taking our 'daily apple'.
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Classical Education for Free by Jessica I want to begin this column by sharing elements of classical education anyone can use for free in any homeschool setting. Outside of reading classic literature, this involves copywork, narration, dictation and memorization. One of the most basic and beneficial elements of a classical education is memorization. It builds mental discipline, retention, confidence, and allows a parent to build a foundation in any subject for later studies. Young children, as soon as they can speak can memorize. How many toddler songs does your child know? Can you think of anything they have memorized? The way home from a store you frequent, or something you said two months ago that you must be reminded of? From kindergarten through about 6th grade, children are sponges, this reflects the grammar stage of the trivium. The trivium is the backbone of classical education which organizes educational focus to the natural learning cycles of a child’s development. The Grammar years would be from first to fourth grade, Logic years would be fifth to eighth grade and Rhetoric would be ninth to twelfth grade, these grade level are a little different amongst the classical community but I'll use this one as an example. Sometime around 6th they want to know the why and how of everything, they want to start arguing. This is natural; the absorption of the world around them prepares them to be able to argue when they are older. Memorization is just a way to direct this energy toward items worth remembering. Before I share with you how to do memorization with your children, let me share the benefits. Memorization sharpens the mind, increases retention, and allows for a foundation to be built within the mind. If you have your child
memorize scriptures, your child will draw from God’s word when in a moment of need. If you have him memorize the basics of mathematics such as addition and multiplication facts, it will aid in his higher math studies. If you have your child memorize the basics of every subject, they will have a foundation to draw from in all their higher studies. You’ve heard that starting a foreign language when children are younger is beneficial, right? The reason for that is a child’s natural ability to memorize. If a child memorizes a foreign language’s vocabulary when they are young, they will be able to tackle grammar and writing much sooner than high school. Let’s talk about how to do it. The simplest method of memorizing is to repeat the selection three times daily until memorized and then reviewed. There are many timelines for memorization that you can follow; personally my daughter (7) has review every two weeks of all items previously memorized. Successful memorization is more than just memorizing the selection the first time, which is only half of the exercise, which is why repetition and review is crucial for long term memorization success. There are plenty of resources to help organize memorization materials but by far Simply Charlotte Mason has the most practical and easy to implement memorization organization / scheduled review techniques. Truly, you can use any method for memorization but since 65% of the population is visual learners, it helps to show your child what you are asking them to memorize. Here’s our method: First day I read aloud while showing the child the selection to be memorized 1 time.
Child reads aloud 1 time. We read it together aloud 1 time. Second day I read aloud while showing the selection 1 time Child reads aloud the selection 2 times all the way through. Child reads first section (1 lines, 2 lines, or stanza) 3 times. We read it together aloud 1 time to end. This goes on until you’ve worked through the selection and the child has it memorized. It is important for the child to be able to SEE, HEAR, and SAY the selection to be memorized. If you have a hands-on child, allow them to illustrate the selection, we have done this with poetry and it has been very successful. Laura Berquist of The Harp & Laurel Wreath suggests memorizing two lines of poetry at a time of course, your child will dictate the speed of the memorization progress. There is no end to items to memorize, especially younger children but it is best to remember that only the most worthwhile things are worth your time. A fabulous resource that we use to help trim the vast amount of items to memorize is a homeschooling mom’s grammar stage memorization file which is free to download at Lulu.com. In the next column, I’ll share about narrations. Jessica is a Classical homeschooling mom to her 3 and 7 year old children. In her column “Trivium Tidbits”, she offers resources, aids and support for those who wish to homeschool their children using the Classical approach. Be sure to visit her blog at Trivium Academy.
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Vision Therapy - From Skeptic to Cheerleader by Darnelle HEY! Get Back Here! I know what you're thinking . . . "Vision Therapy? Why in the world would I care about THAT?" WAIT! Let me ask you not to move on just yet. I understand that the topic of "Vision Therapy" sounds remote and weird and totally unrelated to any home school problems you may be having. I understand, because 8 years ago I said the very same thing (only with a know-it-all, condescending little attitude.) And, because I DIDN'T look into it as soon as I could have, I very nearly paid a price that no parent wants to pay. So, humor me, for just a minute and stick around. First, let me say that the main purpose of this column, Fill In The Blanks, is to encourage and equip parents who are trying to teach a child who is struggling to make academic progress. As most parents and teachers know, these struggles can be caused by a long list of situations such as: • •
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Simple Immaturity - they're just not ready Mom (I had a child like this.) Limited Attention Span boys ages 4-9 are stunningly famous for this (I had a child like this, too.) Dietary Situations - for example: SUGAR (Dear Lord did I ever have one like this!) Specific, Tightly Defined and maybe undiscovered learning style - (5 kids, 5 learning styles)
So whether you are dealing with a third grader who can't spell, a fourth grader who can't read, a fifth grader with comprehension issues, or a junior high student with abstract math problems, the root cause or causes can be, and probably are, varied and inter-related. In future articles, we are going to tackle these issues and more - in great detail. However, I would not be able to sleep
at night if I didn't first address a situation that (if present in your child) will most certainly undermine your every attempt to help them, regardless of what academic "symptoms" they are displaying. Let me explain. When my daughter started first grade, she made some progress some. I had enough experience to know that she probably just needed more time to mature. Time did not help. By the time she was 8 1/2, she was no further along in school than she had been two years prior. Her 6 year old sister could read circles around her. No matter what I tried nothing. One minute she could read a word, the next it was as if she'd never seen it. One day she could add two digit numbers, the next day, she was all over the page. Her writing was crammed together without any hint of spaces between words. She understood and even remembered letter sounds and phonics rules, and could explain them to me, but could not apply them to written words. By this time, she cried every time she thought it was time for school. Her personality changed, she withdrew. She began to cry if I walked two feet away from her at dance class. She wanted to play on the softball team, but would fold into tears during games in confusion. And she couldn't explain any of it to me. Because my background is in special education/remediation, I tested her up one side and down the other, and I can tell you that 2 + 2 never came close to being 4. Nothing that was going on with her made any sense at all and I had done everything I knew to do. Having her tested by "experts" in the school system would only get a label for her and would not solve the problem. Then I remembered an article I'd read by a local optometrist about something she called - Learning Related Vision Problems. The article stated that children with certain "vision" problems would struggle in school in various ways and she listed these "ways". My daughter displayed 19 out of 20 of the symptoms! But, I reasoned, that because she already wore glasses (since the age of 4) that her problems
could not possibly be visual. Now, skip to me, months later in that very doctor's office, forking out good money for my daughter to be "evaluated". In my heart of hearts I believed this was a complete waste of time. The kid wore glasses already, for Pete's sake! How could all of her issues be related to vision? But I had run out of options, and I needed to feel like I was doing something! As I sat in the waiting room - for two hours - I became even more confused when I began to read the "Testimonials" book compiled by parents whose children had experienced 'vision therapy'. On page after page, parent after parent, went on and on about how "vision therapy" changed their child's life. They spoke of children "coming out of their shells", and excelling in school, and enjoying studying and reading. They spoke of being desperate to help their children, who by all accounts, were crashing and burning just like my daughter had been. "How in the world" I asked my self, "is any of this possible? She's not blind - she wears glasses! This is all
too weird." I wanted to leave, but I really had no where else to look. Days later, back in the doctor's office, I received a diagnosis. They found her to be a "Level 2" therapy needs patient. She had double vision at 18 inches, (from her eyes) and also at several yards away. To be able to see a single image, she had to strain her eyes at a level she couldn't maintain for more than a few seconds (much like if you or I would "cross" our eyes and try to hold it - ouch!) She had little control over being able to change focus from near to far and vice versa. She was unable to track objects (or words!) in any direction for more than a few seconds. In short, she had very little control of the muscles controlling her eyes.
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Then the doctor told me how this diagnosis "looked" from my daughter's point of view. When she looked at written work (books, letters, word cards, mom's handwriting, etc.) all she saw was a jumble of squiggles. Because her eyes did not work together, each eye saw its own image - double vision. She never saw individual letters, much less words on a page, much less spaces between words, much less punctuation! Trying to focus, for seconds at a time, made her dizzy, nauseous, and full of dread concerning anything related to school. In a crowd, her double vision at a distance, magnified the crowd, and she would lose sight of me as soon as I stepped away. In dance class, with mirrored walls, it was even worse. On the softball field, sometimes she saw one ball coming toward her, sometimes she saw two. Though she "understood" everything that had ever been taught/told to her, what she "saw" never matched what she heard - she wasn't seeing what the world saw. Confusion reigned supreme in her little mind and she had no way to explain it. So she withdrew, and cried and displayed strange behavior and had meltdowns. I don't remember how long I cried after the doctor explained it all to us. I just remember promising God that if He would heal her heart of all of the confusion that we would do our part and commit to the months of therapy. He did, and we did. Within the first two months of therapy, she began to change. As her double vision changed, for the first time, to single vision, she began to be able to explain the changes that were happening. I cried. At times her therapist would shed some light on how and why my sweet daughter said and did things that made no sense. As therapy continued, all - ALL of those problems and behaviors vanished. Today she is a 15 year old high school student who would rather read than eat. She is reading The Chronicles of Narnia for the 100th time, she draws, knits hats and scarves, plays guitar and makes A's and B's in Algebra - without crying. And if she
loses me in a crowd these days, trust me, it's because she's trying to. I want to say that never once, as a small child, did she ever run into walls, or stumble a lot, or anything else that would lead us to even imagine that she had any vision problems that were not solved by her glasses. She learned to walk at 9 months, talked early and hit every milestone a parent would expect. There were simply no clues until her academics demanded visual attention that she couldn't give. As a former special education teacher, I can tell you, that NO ONE would have known what to do with her, because this type of vision screening is not normally done. An optometrist can not find these problems by looking into a child's eyes with his/her equipment. They must be specifically evaluated using techniques that are unique to an optometrist trained in diagnosing such situations. Remember, my daughter, and many others like her, had been professionally, medically treated for their "vision" problems. This means that they are given glasses to accommodate for the inability of the muscles controlling the lenses of the eye. This corrected the "blurriness" of what she saw, but didn't change the fact that she saw two of everything - something caused by a totally different set of eye muscles. Anywho, years later, I went through the training myself, and worked as a vision therapist for the very same doctor. I just can't tell you how many times I sat with crying parents who were just discovering that their precious child had been struggling in school for years with an undetected, weirdo eye problem. And then, months later, we always were the best of friends as they perceived that I had worked some miracle in their child's life. I've seen it happen so many times, but it NEVER got old! So, you can see that, no matter how brilliant a teacher I may have been
(very funny, I know), no matter how much effort I might have exerted, no matter how many methods I could have experimented with, my little girl would still be struggling to this day, had her vision not been properly taken care of. She'd still have double vision, little success in school, unexplainable fears, and probably a few nice "labels" like, dyslexic, ADD, learning disabled and a host of other things dragging her down and trying to convince her that she was dumb and unable to become all that God had planned for her. No, Thank You. I will leave you with links to a couple of awesome web sites that are good starting places for anyone with more questions. Advanced Eye Center Vision Therapy Stories Take some time and really look around these sites. They are filled with lots of information along with many, many success stories. And, if it turns out that you never have these particular needs in your family, then, just keep this information in your back pocket for someone else. But, trust me, if you ever find yourself in my situation, and some of you will, you'll be thanking God for this "longwinded article you read way-backwhen in that home school magazine." Most of all - and I can't stress this enough - pray, pray, pray! Our creator, the One who knows how many hairs are on your head, knows exactly what is going on with that child of yours - in detail - and He's talking! Ask Him. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all . . . , and it will be given to him." James 1:5 Finally, don't forget to write me so we can cry together - and then do the happy dance! Darnelle is a wife and a mother to 5 children. She has experience teaching in public, private, parochial and special schools but her favorite . . . is home school! Her certification is in the areas of special education and remediation. In her column, "Fill in the Blanks", Darnelle aims at assisting parents in finding and then correcting trouble spots that often cause academic problems and struggles.
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Planning High School Courses by Lee Binz Homeschooling parents know how to best educate their children. Use what you know about your students and their learning styles and consider the subjects that colleges want to see. Homeschooling in high school is very efficient and there is plenty time in the day to give your children an education that has breadth and depth in a way that is meaningful to the student. Here is a list of the courses that colleges look for in their applicants. As you read it, think about how you can incorporate these subjects into your homeschool. English Colleges like to see four years of English. You can meet this requirement in a variety of ways. Your student could study literature and composition through a prepared curriculum, or you could simply have them read and write a lot every year. You might want to consider having a speech class as an alternative. One year, one of my sons wanted to do Sonlight Language Arts but the other wanted to use "Learn to Write the Novel Way." I wanted to please everyone so we ended up doing EVERYTHING! This is a strategy I do NOT recommend! Unless, of course, you actually enjoyed the pain of childbirth…. Try to keep in mind what really matters about this area called “English.” You want to end up with young men and women who enjoy reading, communicate in writing, and know how to learn. As long as they are getting those values, and are growing in their ability, you are succeeding at your job! Math Colleges will generally tell you that they want three years of high school math. They will also say they want to see math in the student’s senior year, while it’s still fresh. In my mind, math is such a cornerstone for so many other subjects, careers, and college majors that I believe it's important to have four years of math. It's less important what LEVEL of math they do each year. Colleges like to see kids moving forward in their math studies, so just teach your student consistently at their level. It's great to complete geometry before the PSAT test, and better still if they can complete Algebra 2 or Pre-calculus before taking the SAT test. It would be great to complete pre-calculus or trigonometry before college, so that if they need calculus they will be ready to take it at a university. But really, as long as you "do the next thing," working on math at their level, you can't lose. Social Studies Colleges like to see three to four years of social studies. Often colleges will further specify what social studies areas they particularly want to see. Usually that will mean world history, American history, American
government, and economics. Remember that you aren't confined to choosing the "expected classes" for social studies, either. In our family, one son took a course in Russian History and the other chose Psychology. Now is a good time to mention that not all classes have to involve tests. Sometimes you can just "audit" a course like they do in college. That is how we used the Teaching Company lectures, our favorite supplement for social studies. They are college level lectures on audio or video recording. My kids loved them, and enjoyed being taught as an adult. Science Three years of science is expected for college preparation, with at least one of those classes including a lab. We used Apologia Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, which all had a lab component. Each area of science is so different that a child may really hate one but really love the other, so it's helpful to try to expose them to each one. You can also branch out into different subjects: geology, astronomy, etc. Colleges love to see unique courses, so don’t be afraid to delve into another area of science if your son or daughter is interested. Foreign Language Many colleges require a foreign language for admission, so try to be prepared. If they require a foreign language, they will usually say they want two or three years of a single foreign language. They don’t want to see a month long exposure to a lot of languages; they want to see the student become reasonably fluent. The best advice I have about foreign language is to do a little bit every day. A daily 15 minute study period is a much more effective way to study than once a week for an hour. I suggest using a foreign language curriculum that was designed for homeschoolers. That way you aren’t expected to already know the language. This is a great strategy to remember for other classes as well. You really don't have to know a subject to teach it - for goodness sake, just look at our public schools! You only have to find a good curriculum, let the student learn independently, and check on their progress now and then. Physical Education Some kids find it very easy to get the required two credits of PE. They get their PE credits from soccer team, summer swim league, or community running clubs. Other kids, however, really balk at physical exercise! Some unique ways to obtain physical education credits are yoga or weight lifting at a YMCA. Your kids could also take CPR or a health course at a community center. Some kids who "hate" PE will love to go swing-dancing, or downhill skiing, and will think it’s just fun, not educational. Any physical activity that
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breaks a sweat counts! Fine Arts Colleges like to see some fine arts in the transcript, but they often just suggest they only want one credit. Not being an artistic family, we had to look up "fine arts" in the dictionary. I learned that the fine arts are music, art, theater and dance. Who knew? There is a wide array of opportunities to find those credits. Some choose music or art lessons, but there are also budget-conscious ways to get the credits. My children didn't like hands on projects, so we studied the fine arts through history, using lots of library books. We studied music history by checking out CDs and biographical books on different composers and styles of music. Electives Colleges like to see a total of 22-24 high school credits or more. Electives are the credits that don’t fit under the other categories. Some of the most valuable electives to include are driver's education, typing, logic, and computer skills. These are skills adults need every day. I’ve found that all adults either have these skills or wish they did! Make sure your student has the time to pursue their passion. A little known secret is that passion IS an elective! The things your student does for fun can be the electives that are included on your homeschool transcript. I have one student that loved chess and studied it for hours each week. One year in high school, we called those hours "critical thinking." The next year, when he began teaching chess classes, we called it "public speaking." The following year he had multiple chess jobs, and we called the course "occupational education." Each year, his passion for chess was an elective. I know students that have specialized in ornithology (birds), fungus, economics, and musicology. Specialization is one of the benefits of homeschooling, so seize this opportunity! How can you do it? So how do two normal parents with only a tenuous grasp of algebra, and a casual relationship with grammar, teach children upper math and Latin? The answer, my friend, is cheat. Not really cheat in a bad way! I mean that we can use people who are much smarter than us to help get through the rough spots. For example, there are many of great video tutorials for every level in math - some of them even demonstrate the solution to every problem in the book. You can find lots of resources at a homeschool convention or curriculum fair, where you can compare different choices side-by-side. Bring your teens to the homeschool convention if you can. Sometimes, the best thing to do for the "hard-to-please" teen is to give them ownership of the curriculum decision. Our oldest son shocked us all by choosing Saxon math for high school calculus. Mom and Dad - who grew up thinking a math book had to have pretty pictures to be effective - were dismayed. But it seemed to work for him. Kids today! So give them curriculum choices when you can. I do encourage you to shop for curriculum meant for homeschoolers, so that you
don’t have to know the subject yourself. Encourage your teens to learn the way adults do; by teaching themselves. Lee Binz is a veteran homeschool mother of two and the owner of The HomeScholar. Her goal is "Helping parents homeschool through high school." You can sign up for her free email newsletter, The HomeScholar Record and get your daily dose of wisdom via e-mail from her blog, The HomeScholar Helper. Click here to return to The HomeScholar Article Archives.
The HomeScholar ~~ Services (Click on each link for more information) High School Transcripts Your student's homeschool experience, organized by subject and by year. Basic homeschool documentation required of all high school graduates. Comprehensive High School Record Provides additional documentation for your homeschool high school, including course descriptions, texts used, and a grading criteria for each class. College Scholarship Plan Extensive internet search for scholarship opportunities; includes an in-depth telephone interview with the student to assess interests. Assignment Schedule Your homeschool resources, books and educational materials put into a weekly assignment schedule. Either order as a template (you fill in daily assignments) or as a comprehensive schedule with daily assignment tailored to your preferences, for each week you plan on homeschooling that year. HomeScholar Consulting Telephone or one-on-one, we can talk about anything that is wearing you down. Strap on your auxiliary brain--The HomeScholar! Deluxe Super-Supportive Non-Judgmental Handholding Service Receive a helping hand from a homeschool veteran. This service includes up to one hour of one-on-one phone consultation for each month, and priority email response to any and all of your questions. "Preparing to Homeschool High School" Crash Course A three-hour personal consultation to talk about the issues involved in beginning high school. Meet with The HomeScholar over the phone or over a cup of coffee or tea for this individualized crash course. "Preparing for College" Crash Course A three-hour personal consultation to show you how to prepare your child for college admissions. Like the "High School" Crash Course, there will be plenty of time for questions throughout the session. Public Speaking The HomeScholar is available to speak to your support group or homeschool co-op. My calendar is filling quickly, so plan ahead.
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Listening With Purpose Part I by Christine A lot of us...allow music to be a background to what we do and because of that we forget that listening is an active challenge to the brain. There's so much auditory material in the background of our lives and it has made us lazy.
Some important areas to focus on while teaching your children (and yourselves!) to listen to classical music are instrumentation, pitch and rhythm, style and mood, and form. In this article I will focus on the first two topics. Instrumentation: •
Graham Sheffield, chairman, Royal Philharmonic Society Classical music is everywhere. Not just in elevators as the phrase suggests, but in restaurants, buses, supermarkets, and commercials. We are taught, by the sheer fact that our everyday life is saturated with it to ignore it. We are conditioned to let music in general and classical music especially, take the role of background noise. What then are we missing in the process? Helping our children listen with purpose requires our own ears to first be opened. Chances are that it has been a long time since you have listened to a piece of classical music with a critical and focused ear. How many instruments can you pick out? What's the main melody and who has it first? How does the tempo (speed of the beat) affect you? What mood is being conveyed? Is the piece primarily legato (smooth) or marcato (marked and accented)? Lots of questions? Yes, there's a lot to learn! Even the youngest of children can attain aural discrimination with little effort and time. Of course, this means that classical music must be in their environment. The car is a perfect place to play listening games. Everyone is in the same place by necessity, and usually everyone can hear equally well. A bit of prep work will go a long way to making car trips fun and educational. After all, what homeschool mom or dad doesn't appreciate logging in some school hours on the way to and from their many activities?
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When you have a bit of time to explore, visit the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's instrument page and choose one or two instruments from each family. Listen to each example and come up with adjectives to describe the sound. Flutes might sound smooth and "hooty"; harpsichords sound sharp and bouncy; cellos sound mellow and flexible. Don't make value judgments on your children's choice of adjective, just get them thinking. Very few words are meant to just describe sound, so music borrows terms from visual (bright and dark) or physical properties (light and heavy, big and small). Allow them to use whatever analogies fit for them.
Once you have explored a number of instruments, find music that isolates different families of instruments. Giovanni Gabrieli wrote wonderful brass music in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Mendelssohn's Octet for strings is an accessible and fun piece for all ages and has a lovely melody that is easy to remember. Chanticleer is an excellent choral group that has dozens of CDs to their credit. African music often has isolated percussion sections.
After listening to music for each family, listen to symphonic works with all of the instruments playing simultaneously (Some good ones to start with are Rimsky-Korsakov's Russian Easter Overture or Beethoven's Eroica Symphony and you can easily find some history to go with both of these pieces to round out their lesson). Make up bingo cards with pictures of all of the instruments you've studied and see who can identify all of them first. Have them pantomime the way to play each instrument in a game of Musical Charades. Before long, your children will surprise you in the grocery store by shouting out, "Mom! I hear an oboe!" Pitch and Rhythm:
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Pitch refers to the frequency of vibration of the sounds you hear, the relative high or low of the notes, and rhythm refers to the orderly (or sometimes disorderly) structure and organization of the sounds in relation to time. These concepts are a bit more intimidating, but with some time can prove to be rewarding ones to study.
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The best way to begin pitch experimentation with your children is by getting them to sing themselves. Young children (up to 2nd grade or so) have very limited ranges, especially on the lower end of the spectrum. Visit this online piano and after clicking on the word "scales" at the top right side, click the play button for the C scale. (Just in case you're wondering what a scale is, watch this.) The C scale, beginning with
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middle C on a piano, is the main range for a young child. There are exceptions, but you will find that most children will not be able to match pitch much below or above those pitches. Adults have much lower ranges so what's comfortable for you probably will not be comfortable for your children. Try out some recordings of children's choirs to get an idea of the range your children can use.
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Purposeful listening for pitch can include the high and low of the music, the concept that smaller instruments make higher sounds (tie in some science and acoustics while you're at it!) and larger instruments make lower sounds, the contour/shape of the melody (I like to have my children "paint" the line in the air with a paintbrush, or even their finger- up when the notes go up and down when they fall), and the consonance or dissonance of a piece (whether the notes sound like they blend well, or grate on each other).
The best way to begin teaching rhythm is to find the beat. Whenever you hear music anywhere, tap the beat on your children, or have them tap it themselves if they are older. I used to tap when I held the babies in the snugli, or bounce with them and dance around the room. March with them to the beat, have them jump, give them pencils to use as drumsticks. Does it get faster or slower, or stay the same? Kids naturally feel the structure in music and you'd be hard pressed to have them not respond physically. As long as they're not in danger of wrecking your furniture (or harming a sibling!), let them!
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To further work on rhythm, have them divide the beat. Tap the main beat of any piece that you hear, then break that in half and tap double the speed. Can you triple it? Quadruple it? The key is to help focus your children to stay even and steady with their beat. Give them a pencil and ask them to conduct. (Have them watch this to see what a conductor does.) With concentration, they can learn to feel it rather than hear it. That is when the music really gets into their gut.
Some classical selections that are wonderful for the study of pitch are Mozart or Rossini arias from their operas. The melody lines are beautiful and have interesting contour. For easier pitch matching, choose more women singers than men but be sure to use a variety overall. Mozart's Requiem also has a wonderful piece called the "Confutatis" that has juxtaposed sections of rhythmic, low parts sung by men against high, legato (smooth) lines sung by women. Copland's Appalachian Spring has wonderful melodies and solo lines for different instruments. Any music can be analyzed for pitch study and you will be surprised by what your children notice when you ask them to really listen.
Likewise, any piece can be used for finding the beat, or talking about rhythm. Try Mussorgsky's A Night on Bald Mountain or Pictures at an Exhibition. Stravinsky's Rite of Spring is rhythmically exciting, while Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is rhythmically simple and fluid.
Once you begin practicing focused listening, you won't be able to stop. Every piece of music you hear will have nuggets of beauty that stand out and those jewels you find will go with you throughout your life. Sharing this gift with your children will give them lifelong appreciation for The Finer Things.
Christine is a homeschooling mom of four, three boys and a girl ranging in age from infant to 7 years. A musician by trade, she desires to help other homeschoolers find the beauty and simplicity in teaching the arts to their children in her column, "The Finer Things". Visit her at her blog, Fruit in Season.
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Order & Structure by Sallie Children who have disabilities or learning challenges typically need structure and organization. I was reminded of that on Christmas morning while looking at the mess once called our living room. Yet, there in one small corner was an organized structure of unwrapped items. The wrapping paper had been neatly scrunched into a ball and Caleb had lined up all of his gifts. Even the spoils of his stocking were organized. The tootsie rolls were stacked next to the smarties which were lined neatly in a row. The jumbo candy cane log lay down the side and everything else was neatly in tow. There was no question about it: this was Caleb's area! I should mention that Caleb takes after his dad in this area of neatness. I once walked into Mike's office at work and he had warned me about the "mess" at his desk. The office had recently been restructured and so I walked in and sat down at the messiest desk. Boy was I surprised when a Marine other than my husband came over and said "Can I help you ma'am?" I told him I was just waiting for my husband and he confusedly pointed to another desk and said "Uh, that ONE is Gunny's desk!" This desk was as perfectly arranged as if it was in an office furniture showroom display. Everything down to the stapler and tape dispenser were arranged perfectly and in order. No, Caleb did NOT get that from me! I hate organization. I am one of those people who knows where everything is in my chaos and if you move it to straighten it up then I am L.O.S.T.. Really, I would lose my head if it wasn't screwed on! So, how do I manage to keep things organized and straight when I am obviously not wired that way and my autistic child would die without said organization?! Well, the God's honest truth is that most days I don't. I tell myself as I look around at "my style
of organized chaos" that I'm teaching Caleb a good thing because we live in an imperfect chaotic world. That doesn't mean I let everything go to pot but God has shown me that sometimes autistics can be trained by learning to cope with what we neurotypical people (NT) call everyday life. We all work at it as a family and somehow the end result works. Compromise is where we all exist in a happy medium. There are important battles which Caleb needs to win -ones we all need him to win. One of those would be having his clothes neatly arranged in his drawers and closet in a manner that he likes. If I don't help him do that then I run the chance of smelling the results of it two weeks later when he finally asks if he could PLEASE have a new pair of socks because there aren't any in his dresser. Where the other children would just go to the "yet to be matched" jumble of socks in the laundry basket, this thought never passes into Caleb's mind. He knows he has to wear socks. Therefore, if he looks in the drawer and there aren't any there, then he just puts on the ones he wore the day before, and the day before, and the day before...Eewwww! We've worked together to train ourselves to put laundry away as soon as possible. We don't always succeed. For instance, my bed is currently laden with clean clothes that I sorted through this morning for putting away. The weekend roared through our lives like a busy lion and I wasn't able to complete my jobs in a timely manner. The stacks of laundry coming out of the laundry room Saturday evening after everyone went to bed landed on my living room sofa. Yesterday they were quickly stacked in a corner of my bedroom, when on short notice, we had company come for dinner after morning church. We'll pick back up this morning on laundry "perfection" and get all those socks and tees and so forth put neatly away like Caleb (and really me, too) likes.
Another compromise we work on is school. The psychologist fussed at me about my square box thinking about neat writing with an hour of this subject and an hour of that subject. He told me to "get over it already" because that was "normal" school and hadn't I pulled Caleb out of that environment so he wouldn't have to try and fit it anyway?! He told me to stop making Caleb do busy work but to organize and have a list. I listened and this past year spent two VERY FULL days completely organizing a schedule for all four of my children for EVERY DAY for the WHOLE year. No one has any questions about what their work for the day is and everyone is enjoying school now. I still have days like any other home school family where the schedule will get thrown off but again we compromise and we make it work. We pick up where we left off on our list and we keep going. Without this schedule for school, not only would my children falter in their work, but so would I. I may dislike organization but this schedule keeps me accountable and our one day of taking a break doesn't turn into an unplanned two week vacation. Schooling most likely will always present challenges for our special needs children. When we, as parents, learn what it is that our child needs the most to succeed, and make changes or compromise to accommodate those needs, our children will grown and thrive in ways that awe and inspire us. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Homeschooling your child with disabilities is a season of your life and a season of their life. Work with your child to make it the best season for both of you! Sallie is an off-again, on-again homeschooling mom to her 4 children, ranging from elementary to high school. In her column "The Square Peg," she discusses the challenges of homeschooling a child with disabilities and offers insight to those who sometimes feel all alone in a round hole world.
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Valentine’s Day! by Amy S Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love’s Check List Review 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 with your children. Share examples with each other of ways you have shown Godly love to each other. For example, “it keeps no record of wrongs,” talk about times you have forgiven someone for hurting your feelings. Talk about examples in the Bible where God forgives. Treasure Hunt Make or purchase some goodies for each child. Wrap them up in wrapping paper, cellophane, or place them in ziplock baggies. Hide all the goodies around the house, making up clue cards as you go. To start the hunt, give the child a card with a clue that leads them to a goodie hidden, for example, under the child’s bed. Along with that goodie would the second clue card leading them to the second goodie in, for example, their sock drawer. Scavenger Hunt Create a list of items around the house for the children to find and check off. Examples could be: Chocolate bar, red heart, a stuffed animal, candy hearts, a red flower, a Valentine’s card Don’t forget that in addition to being a homeschooling parent, you are also a spouse. Get creative and create an adult-themed treasure hunt or scavenger hunt for after the kids are in bed. Coupon Books Print some homemade coupons for your child to redeem when he/she needs some extra loving attention. Examples could be: a date with mom or dad, a trip to the park, a favorite meal, an extra story at bedtime, etc.
History Study the history of Valentine’s Day. Here are a few links: http://www.history.com/minisites/valentine/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day http://wilstar.com/holidays/valentn.htm http://www.theholidayspot.com/valentine/history_of_vale ntine.htm http://www.howstuffworks.com/valentine1.htm More Games and Crafts DLTK and Enchanted Learning have an amazing selection of games, crafts, and printables. http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/games.htm http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/valentine/ “I Love you” Learn to say I love you in different languages. Chinese: Moi oiy neya Dutch: Ik hou van jou Egyptian: Ana bahebek French: Je t'aime Gaelic: Ta gra agam ort German: Ich liebe Dich Greek: S'agapo Hawaiian: Aloha Wau Ia 'Oe Hebrew: Ani ohevet otcha Italian: Ti voglio bene Japanese: Aishiteru Korean: Saranghae Russian: Ya vas liubliu Spanish: Te amo Swedish: Jag alskar dig
Again, don’t forget about your spouse! Christ’s Love Pick one person and brainstorm ways to show Christ’s love to him or her. It could be a grandparents, neighbor, friend, or anyone! Select a few of your favorite ideas and do them! Christ was a servant to His people and it would honor Him for us to develop a servant heart. Valentine’s Cards Instead of buying cards, make your own! Try making an “I love you because…” card and have the child list a few reasons he or she thinks the recipient of the card is simply the best! Valentine’s Tree After Christmas you can find probably find a very inexpensive 1-2 foot artificial pine tree. Or make your own with large sticks and a piece of Styrofoam placed inside a pot. Hang I love you notes and pictures all over the tree.
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Cooking and Science Review by Amy S Cooking and Science with Elementary Students By Kathleen Hooper Julicher and Kelly Rose Julicher As the mommy of a young wanna-be scientist, this book quickly became invaluable. What better place to teach science to our young children than in the hub of our home‌the kitchen! The mother and daughter-in-law team of Kathleen and Kelly Julicher created a book filled with fun and delicious ways to teach kids about the fundamentals of science. Most kids won't even realize they are "doing school." The book is well organized and easy to follow. It contains clear, simple instructions, and explanations written for the 5 to 10 year old child. The authors even included clean-up reminders! Incorporated among every experiment are large font worksheets which are perfect for the early reader. The worksheets contain plenty of space to write and children are encouraged to draw pictures of their observations. Some of the 17 experiments include: Three-in-One Pudding, the effect of density; Hot Chocolate, a lesson in insulation; Freezing Vegetables, observing changes made in the freezing process; and Pancakes: a study of baking powder. Please visit my February article for a free download of Root Beer Floats: States of Matter. The book is rounded out with an answer key and recipe cards to clip and save. The authors thought of everything. I only wish more science books were this family-friendly. Integrating science with food, especially sweets, is a very effective way to teach children that science is EVERYWHERE. I would definitely recommend this book for a novice homeschooling parent or even a parent like me who is up to her eyeballs in daily experiments. Castle Heights Press publishes another book tailored for the high school age student. Stay tuned for a review of this publication by another one of our columnists. To purchase Cooking and Science with Elementary Students in either print or electronic versions, please visit Castle Heights Press. They are generously offering a 10% discount for ALL PRODUCTS to our readers until March 8th. Use the code HMB81. Review by Amy S
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Reviews SOME SUCCESSFUL AMERICANS by Sherman Williams I anxiously dove into this recently formatted e-book by Sherman Williams! I was intrigued, it was written in 1904 for a particular audience. Mr. Williams in his opening pages begins, “As superintendent of schools I frequently talked with boys who were in doubt as to what they should do in life, and who felt that there were very few opportunities in the business world of to-day for those without money and influence.” Mr. Williams was a Superintendent of Schools in Glen Falls, N.Y. at the time. What I wondered was, if what he was saying in 1904 still could apply to our boys AND girls in 2008. The book was electronically reprinted in 2006. What I found surprised me! There were names that I knew, such as Abraham Lincoln, Louisa M. Alcott, Eli Whitney and Benjamin Franklin and others that I had only casually or never heard of, such as Leland Stanford, Francis Willard and Mary Lyon. In all there are biographies on 14 Americans, who all qualify as successful. The reading is targeted to an older elementary, middle or high school audience, since some of the biographies are quite lengthy (the electronic book is 108 pages). The biographies are AMAZING! The recurring theme was that hard work and determination and a faith in God lead to success, then and NOW…. In a modern world, this book would serve to reinforce timeless values that can be seen through the success of these Amazing people. Students will find out facts that are not often found in biographies, for example: Of Lincoln he wrote; In 1816 the Lincolns moved to Spencer, Indiana, where for nearly a year they lived in a “half-faced camp,” a rude cabin enclosed on three sides, the fourth being partly screened by the skins of animals. In one corner was a rough fireplace made of sticks and clay, also a chimney of the same material. The furniture of the house was of the rudest description and of home manufacture. The cabin which later took the place of the “half-faced camp” had no floor, door, nor window. Abraham slept on a bed of leaves in the loft. There was no stairway, but in its place were wooden pegs driven into the wall. Lincoln was now in his eighth year. His dress consisted of a shirt of linsey-woolsey, a homespun stuff made from a mixture of cotton and wool, colored, if at all, with dyes obtained from roots and bark. He wore cowhide boots or moccasins, deerskin leggings, a hunting shirt of the same
material, and a “coon-skin” cap. He never wore stockings until he was a man. Now that he was strong enough to work he was put to such tasks as bringing tools, carrying water, dropping seeds, and picking berries.” On its own or as mini-unit studies, this book is truly timeless! You will notice occasional misspellings, as it was in the original text. Each of these Americans began life with less than desirable circumstances and rose above adversity to become great Americans who contributed greatly to our nation, in one way or another. I will be using these biographies in my own home school with my own children. I recommend this book as a supplement to any American History course or Life Prep class. It’s wonderful to have this gem published in electronic format for this generation. Some Successful Americans can be purchased from CJ Press. Reviewed by Lori
Letter Factory By LeapFrog I have said it before, and I will say it again teaching my children how to read scares me! I have this fear that I will totally mess it up and not know what to do or say that will cause the "light bulb moment" to happen. But, wouldn't you know, in the midst of all this worry, my girls have been learning! I knew before this week that Jordan (who turned 3 on Thanksgiving) knew all of her letters by sight and most of the sounds, but they didn't exactly just flow off the tongue (she had to think about them and did have mistakes). And I thought that Cali (who is two years old TODAY) knew a few of the letters by sight, but they just AMAZED me today and it is all thanks to Leap Frog's Letter Factory! I had read on several blogs by fellow homeschool mommies that Letter Factory by Leap Frog was the bomb and after having it recommended to me again this past weekend, we decided to get it. We started watching it on Saturday evening, watched it once the following day, and then watched it again this morning on the way to the grocery store (gotta love built in DVD players! How did people go anywhere with kids before?!?). When we got home from the store, we went outside to play and they immediately ran for the swings. As I was pushing them, Jordan just started rattling off EVERY SINGLE letter sound, as quickly as if she were singing her ABC's! Cali even started jumping in to say "B says buh" and "D"!!
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Letter Factory is geared for children ages 2-5, but I think children younger and older will enjoy this video. It runs 35 minutes long, but it is so full of catchy songs, silly antics and beautiful animation, that the time flies! The story involves a fun journey through the Letter Factory with the popular characters from the Leap Frog family: Leap, Lily and Tad. Professor Quigley, the same zany voice from the Leap Frog Fridge Phonics and Word Wammer toys, takes Tad on a tour of the factory to help him learn his letters and sounds. The way he teaches new letters, Tad, and your children, is so memorable and fun! F's are flying, K's are kicking, and my personal favorite, E, who is an old grandfather rocking saying "Eh?" TOO CUTE! We also love the fun learning games that are included on the DVD menu. After watching the video, my girls find it a special treat to play along, guessing the letter that makes the sound heard. Of course Professor Quigly cheers your child along for guessing the correct answer, which just adds to the enjoyment. The only thing I can see missing form this video is the feature for "Repeat Play" like Baby Einstein videos have, as my girls are constantly saying "Let's watch Tad again!" This feature would definitely be a plus! I completely recommend this video, and the rest in the series, to all parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who want to help that special child in their life really grasp the foundations of phonics. Sure, they can learn this information by other means, but this was effortless for me as the teacher, and it allowed me to sit and have fun with the girls....and let's face it, I learned right alongside them! Before, when I would try to teach them the sounds, I would always add an "ah" to the end of the sounds. For example, it teaches Z says "Zzzzz" but before Letter Factory, I would always say "Z says 'Zah.' " See the very important difference? Thank goodness for this video! Letter Factory can be purchased online or in any store. We purchased ours from Target at right under $12. This is such a value for this quality product, and that statement does not come easily from me as finances are a bit tight right now. In fact, after witnessing our children's knowledge, and the excitement they had about that knowledge, my husband asked if we could get anymore of Leap Frog's videos! That is a glowing recommendation if I ever heard one!! Review by Rachel
Creativity Express Welcome to Mouse and Mom Reviews, where my nine year old daughter and I each provide our perspectives on a product or service. If you have any questions for either Mouse or me, feel free to leave a comment and one of us will respond. Creativity Express is an art computer game. It teaches you about art in a cool way. Furnace, Tickles and Ruby are your art guides and are the characters that teach you about art. They are really funny. Tickles has inventions that don’t work, like her time machine. Furnace makes paint and Tickles eats it. Ruby does most of the teaching. Mouse Says... My favorite part is when they let you make paint. I learned that grape skins will react with copper and then it forms a green crust. If you grind it, it will turn into a fine green powder. If you mix that with egg yolk, it will make a tempera paint. If you mix it with oil, it will turn into an oil paint. This paint may turn black if mixed with other colors. I think this art program is very good for elementary aged children. Mom Says... When madcaplogic contacted me to see if I would be interested in accepting a copy of Creativity Express, I was both excited and apprehensive. From the trailer, it looked like everything my children enjoy in computer games: interactive, colorful, interesting characters and lots to do with the newfound information. And it teaches about art, one of my daughter’s favorite subjects. Her eyes lit up after watching the trailer
and I knew that I would be doing a review one way or another. On the other hand, it looked to me like yet another addition to the growing trend of “edutainment” which left me less than enthusiastic. In its introduction, the program differentiates itself from other art programs: Most textbooks teach art as 14 elements and principles. Let’s look at it a different way… It reminded me of Veggie Tales, which is fine for Saturday morning, but I imagined the same treatment of art subjects: fun, but lacking of any real substance. When we received the software, however, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the art guides are cartoon characters, but they do carry the student through the fourteen elements and principles in an engaging and informative way. The program teaches art as a “language,” with each component a valuable tool in expressing an idea. Each segment presents a small lesson about some aspect of art, teaching through the example of historic artists and their works. Children are encouraged to take a close look at the art work, both in its parts and as a whole. Then they have an opportunity to try out the techniques they have learned or quiz themselves on the knowledge they have gained. My daughter has been instructing me on the use of value, enjoying her broadened vocabulary and ability to practice using it with her own art set. While mixing tempera paints for our lesson on Georges Seurat and pointilism, she
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narrated the process of making these same colors the “oldfashioned way.” Two points: 1. In the introduction, two types of artists are discussed. The kind who plans everything beforehand, and the kind who “explores” the art, seeing what it turns into as he creates. Preferential treatment seems to be given to the latter. 2. While Furnace is making paint, Tickles tastes it. Discovering it is paint, she spits it out all over Furnace. When he moves his paws and spoons out of the way, the green paint makes a bikini outline for an instant. The scene is included in the trailer if you have concerns. Overall, the software does a nice job accomplishing what it sets out to do. My daughter is standing here impatiently, hoping to work on it some more once this entry is published. My four year old has already scooted a chair up to watch. Both of them are more familiar with basic art principles and are beginning to recognize their usage when they see them in real works of art.
month he learns 30-31 days in a row. Gina is also learning calendars so I created a blank calendar for her to fill in for practice. Each month she’ll be able to create her own calendar and we have a wonderful collection of rubber stamps and ink pads for her to decorate them with. If you’d like to have this blank calendar, just click here. When you get there you might see a magnifying glass where your cursor is. Simply click that to see it full size and right click to save. Gina also enjoys the calendar activities at Starfall.com and there are more activities that Monica enjoyed at InstructorWeb.com Jessica researched the history of the calendar and was excited to find the Latin names for the months of the calendar and she was able to incorporate that into her Latin lessons.What a blessing to find different age level calendar activities all in one week for my family! I hope you’ll enjoy them as well! Review by Sister Lisa
If you have used this software and have any comments, please feel free to leave your thoughts or link to your own review on your blog! Disclosure: This product, which retails at $29.95, was received in exchange for this review. While we certainly appreciate the company’s generosity, we feel we have given an honest assessment of the product in the interest of helping readers determine whether they would be interested in purchasing it. Reviewed by Dana
Calendar for All Ages I always love how perfect the timing is on some of my children’s curriculum. Each of my children have been learning about calendars and we have had so much fun that I wanted to share it with you. Timmy is 5 and we found this fun calendar from Wal-Mart. It’s made by My Active Minds , but I wasn’t able to find it on line. I hope you can find it at a local store, because it’s FUN! This is a magnetic calendar board complete with all the month names and numbers. It also has some fun smaller magnets of symbols for various appointments such as doctor, dentist, birthdays, and holidays. Each of my girl’s takes turns teaching Timmy his calendar every week. Every day Timmy gets a number out to place it on the calendar. One of his sisters helps him with his counting and they start at ‘one’ every day. By the end of the
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The Idea Box We recently received a most delightful email from one of our readers...Rebecca, a self-confessed homeschooling novice in her very first year of home education. I really love the Heart of the Matter and have found great encouragement there. I don't know if you take suggestions, but I thought I ought to try and email you something I would LOVE to see at Heart of the Matter. I would love to see questions answered for the novice. It could be weekly, it could be monthly...I am sure there would be no lack of questions. So our dear readers...welcome to our new monthly feature The Ideabox. Every month we will post a question that will benefit the newbie, as well as the more seasoned homeschooler. Please send us your answers, suggestions, and ideas. We will select the best answers that we believe will benefit our readers and publish them in the following month's magazine. If you have questions that you would like answers to, please send them in! Here is what Rebecca would like to know...
Planning maps out success...so how does everyone plan? Do you plan your schooling tasks each week, perhaps at the beginning of every month? Maybe you make yourself a yearly plan and review it as necessary or maybe you fly by the seat of your pants and get an idea of what you are going to do about an hour before the kids wake up... Let's hear how everyone gets their homeschooling plans done... So, drop us an email and let us know what works for you! Stop by and visit Rebecca at her blog and thank her for the question of the month idea!
Printables This month’s printables are courtesy of Angi from Peakmore Academy . She has lots of relative and useful information on her site as well as more printables. Be sure to go by her blog and thank her for this month’s contribution. Artists Around the World Collection • • • • • •
Notebook Cover Africa Europe Asia South America USA
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