Would Someone Please Help...Teach Me How to Teach My Child by National Black Home Educators

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Would Someone Please Help...

Teach Me How To Teach My Child A Manual for Re-owning Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Education

By Joyce Burges

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This book has been created for informational purposes only. Use your parental judgment as you peruse the materials. No part of this book may be reproduced (except for the worksheets), stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4343-0259-5 (sc)

To contact Joyce Burges please use the following: address: 13434 Plank Rd., PMB #110, Baker, LA 70714. Phone: 225-778-0169. E-mail: joyceburges@bellsouth.net. Disclaimer: I have done my best to create a useable handbook, but if you any comments or concerns please notify me at joyceburges@bellsouth.net.

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Dedication

While having lunch some years ago with a couple of friends, I happened to mention that I was teaching my children at home. One of the mothers asked: “Would you please teach me how to teach my child?” I answered with a strong “Yes!” Besides teaching my own children, I think it is one of the best things that I have ever done. From that day on I have been in the business of helping other parents with the education of their children. This book is for them.

I would like to thank God for trusting me with His purposes. I would like to thank my husband Eric for his unfailing love for me and my children for their encouragement and support. I would also like to thank my editors – Victoria Burges, Nancy Pyle, Elizabeth Smith, Marcy Clark, and Elizabeth Sumrall - and many other wonderful friends who have supported me in the creation of this book.

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Introduction: Reclaiming the Minds of Our Children for Learning

Are you interested in your child? Is the education of your child a top priority? Do you know what your child knows? One more… can the mind of your child be saved? These questions should stir the minds of parents. My parents used to speak about a good education. There were few things more important. I have always had a sense of learning and enjoyed going to school—but today it is different. I believe that there is a hunger for learning among our children, our national treasures. The school system has lost its zeal and can no longer come through for us. All children possess a natural yearning for learning, and it doesn’t just go away easily. It must be ripped from them. They have been badly labeled, their confidence bruised, and their image marred. It is evident that this problem is not just going to go away…something must be done. I have written this book for the family who wants a better way. It is my desire that each person would follow the road to enlightenment and firmly plant their feet on that path set before them. As you are set free of this “entrapment,” I hope that you find your wings and are lifted above this world.

Joyce Burges

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Table of Contents I. My Journey: What Got Me Started a. A Teenage Girl: When Reality Hits You in the Face……………………………………………5 b. A Mother: When Status Quo is Simply Not Enough……………………………..……………9 c. A Teacher: When Desperation Demands an Answer………………………………….……12

II. Setting the Stage: Home Education and Where It All Began a. The Problem: Over Time the System Began to Unravel……………………………………17 b. The Answer: One Day Parents Woke Up……………………………………………………….…18 c. The Vision: Now the Choice is Yours………………………………………………………………..20

III. Renewed Education: What It Looks Like When Parents Get Involved a. Gaining Inspiration: How to Make Home Education a Perfect Fit……………………23 b. Learning Discernment: The Seven Pillars of a Quality Education…………………….26 c.

Fighting Doubts: 50 Reasons Parents Should Get Involved in Their Child’s Education…………………………………………………………………………………………………………32

d. Raising Ladies and Gentlemen: Teaching Manners and Good Character…………35 e. Keeping it Running: Loving, Laughing, and Learning as a Family…………………….38

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IV. Stepping Stones: The Tools You Need To Teach Your Child a. Defining Your Purpose: Writing a Mission Statement…………………………………..…45 b. Making a Place: Creating In Home Learning Centers …………………………………..….46 c. Choosing Your Style: Designing a Curriculum……………………………………………..……47 d. Monitoring Progress: Giving Standardized Tests…………………………………………..…49 e. Managing Time: Constructing a Schedule…………………………………………………..……50 f. Preparing Your Child: Planning for College……………………………………………………...53 g. Making Friends: Learning Socialization……………………………………………………………54

V. Broadening Your Child’s Horizons: Teaching Your Children What They Need To Know………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………55 a. English – Building a Basic Foundation for Life.....................................................57 b. Mathematics – Taking it Step by Step………………………………………………………………65 c. Science – Understanding the World We Live In……………………………………………….69 d. History – Putting the Pieces of the Puzzle Together…………………………………………75 e. Literature – Letting Books Come Alive……………………………………………………………..87 f. Composition – Learning to Communicate Powerfully……………………………………109 g. Geography – Getting to Know our Neighbors………………………………………………..111 h. Art – Creating a Passion for Beauty……………………………………………………………….121 i. Music – Introducing a Wonderful World………………………………………………………..127

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MY JOURNEY – What Got Me Started

A TEENAGE GIRL: When Reality Hits You in the Face Once upon a time, there were three little girls in their junior year of high school having lots of fun just being girls. It was the ‘70s…the decade of Dazz Band, the Gap Band, and Earth, Wind, and Fire. This was the music of love. There was Anita Baker, The Emotions, and Minnie Riperton…ladies with a voice for crooning, and I was a crooner. But I was only seventeen years old. My cousins and I attended dances. We went on sneaky dates with our boyfriends. We talked on the telephone for hours, of course, without our parents’ knowledge. We thought we were living the life. But the music was not to last for long. The telephone calls and the dances would stop. The good times would end. During our senior year, it all started to unravel. All at once, one of my cousins stopped being around. I went to visit her. She was in her bedroom, lying down. She told me that she was pregnant and was leaving the state. Gone! My cousin was gone! I missed her very much. We were friends and running buddies. The next thing I heard about her was that she had given birth to a baby girl. My life seemed normal for a while. I was back into studying and enjoying the ‘70s once again. Then my other cousin quietly disappeared. I went to see her at her house, and she was also lying on her bed flipping through magazines. She said that she was pregnant and was going to get married right away. She began her wedding plans. She was very happy. The family members whispered that she was a good girl; at least she was marrying the father of her baby. Several months after her wedding, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Well, with one cousin gone and another married, I felt alone. I started to draw closer to my best friend and boyfriend. All at once…you guessed it…I was lying around on my bed, flipping through magazines. My mother walked into my bedroom and said, “You’re pregnant!” I was shocked because in many ways, I was still a child. I did not know what was happening to me. But my mother knew. Then everyone knew. A big family meeting took place. My grandparents, Eric’s parents, my parents, aunts, uncles, you name it, they huddled together to discuss “the problem.” They all knew and wanted to be in on the discussion. I had a glimmer of hope that maybe Eric and I would get married. When my other cousin married, all of our extended family members were relieved. So, I thought that Eric and I could bring back the 8|Page

carefree days we had before I was pregnant. But the relatives gave a resounding “no.” They also asked us to submit to their guidance from that point on. Sadly, but somewhat relieved, we agreed. At least we were not alone. When the news broke at my school that I was pregnant, and since I was an exceptional student, I was advised to have an abortion. I went home and told my mother that this was a way I could alleviate the pain that I had caused. My mother let me know in the strongest possible terms that I would not kill my baby. Kill my baby…was this what I was about to do? I didn’t even know the meaning of the word. But my mother knew. She told me that I would have this baby and take care of this child. Thank God for the tough love of a strong mother. Despite my parents’ love, there was a great deal of turmoil in my family during the time I was expecting my first son. I was tired of the fussing and fighting and I wanted to get away. With this kind of drama in my life, I needed an outlet. My parents thought I was going to school each day…but the truth is, I was not in school. Understand me now: There is no excuse for my rebellion and bad behavior. My parents’ own selfishness and immaturity was more important to them. I do not believe that this was intentional, but I do believe that as the adults, they should have considered what this was doing to their children. Their own heartaches and disappointments rose above their children’s pain and suffering. Children internalize a lot of pain, and as parents, we should minimize that as much as possible. I know that parents are not perfect, but they have been given a responsibility to take care of their children…their minds, hearts, bodies, and spirits. My life was unbearable, especially mixed with my strong desires for a life that was better than what I saw experienced in my family. Eric wanted to take me away from all the conflict. What pressure there was he took upon himself. He really wanted to help me. Sadly my parents were too wrapped up in hurting each other to see how it was affecting their children. These hardships taught me to strive for virtue, character, and a love for family. My parents did teach me essentials, though. I do not blame my parents. I know that they did the best that they could. As an adult now, my heart aches for them and what they went through. They did leave us with a legacy…how to stay with it through the bad times and how to get back up again. My mother was a strong woman, and she gave me a wonderful start to my own developing womanhood. My father taught me how to take calculated risk, and how to win…even though things could get challenging. He showed me how to create pathways to greatness and how to be an accomplished singer. So much of my life is a part of the good things that came from them. Now that I am a grown woman, I know that my parents loved each other and did the best that they could for their family. I do not regret being raised by them, for they were truly the best mom and dad for me.

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When I discovered I was pregnant, I felt alone, unloved, embarrassed, and guilty. These feelings caused me to dig deeper for acceptance. This led me to give my heart to Jesus Christ. He enabled me to believe that all things were possible, that there was nothing impossible for me. If I desired it and wanted to move forward with that desire, then He would take care of the rest. This brought peace to my heart and mind. When I saw how much pain I had caused my family, one of my aims was to ease some of their sorrows. In the meantime, Eric was going to school and I was gaining a lot of weight. I was only eighty-five pounds. Before I delivered, I was a whopping 127 pounds. But unlike my cousins before me, I gave birth to a baby boy. I named my son Eric, after his father. Eric was a kind man. He was a gentleman and a brilliant conversationalist. These were the qualities that I admired and adored in him. I have always been an old soul, and this seventeen-year old young man stole my heart. I wanted my son to be just like him. I valued this because I wanted a man who would be a good father. After my son’s birth, the counselor at the hospital made an appointment for me to go to the Family Planning Clinic. Perhaps today known as Planned Parenthood. I was told that these people If you do not let would help me to plan my family. How excited, but naïve, I was to your gifts and think that well-meaning people would help me plan my future. I abilities shine to was thrilled that someone would share my passion of raising make a difference children and caring for a family. Yeah, right! You see, I have in your world, then always wanted to be a mother. I knew that God had gifted me to you will only be led bear children, and I wanted to have as many as I was able to have. by others…JB I was in love, and Eric was my man. This is the reason I wanted to have a baby. This would soon become my delight and my pleasure. But the clinic didn’t think about children and family the way I did. They gave me free birth control pills and told me to stay on them. There was no talk of future children, and I got the message. I had values, but I soon adopted their values. They gave me lots of literature on family planning. For the next seven years, I lived my life as though there would be no more children for me. In future medical appointments, the question was always “What kind of contraceptives do you use?” I thought I did not have to think about babies and being pregnant anymore. Being asked this question reminded me of my desire for children. After Eric was born, I was told that it was time to get on welfare. During those days, that was the next step. So I did. I was instructed on how to “work the system.” There was a lady in the community who taught young girls what to say and how to get on welfare. I had to tell the 10 | P a g e

welfare people that I didn’t know where the father of my baby was. In truth, the baby’s father provided for all our needs. I knew I was telling a lie, but, hey, I was entitled to the “white man’s money,” right? This attitude was very damaging racially. There were people who wanted me to think of whites and blacks as “them versus me.” I was told that the welfare system was our ticket to “get from the white man.” I took welfare and kept going to school. I went to a secretarial school. My mother took care of the baby when I was in school. Eric took me to classes. I was still living with my parents. My baby was getting older, and my mother was raising my son. I did not want this. I wanted to rear my son with Eric as my husband. I wanted my own family. The vision would not leave my mind. I started thinking about finding my own place. I discussed this with Eric. We found a small duplex house in the downtown part of the city, close to my church, for me to live in. I moved into this small five-room house and made it a home for me and my son. It had an open front porch. I liked this! I found this a lovely place to rock Eric in the cool of the evening. After Eric finished his classes and left work for the day, he would join Eric, Jr. and me for dinner. This was great. My desire to make us a family was increasing more and more. On several evenings however, I noticed Eric bringing extra clothing. I thought this was fine, but then he started doing this a lot. Finally, I confronted him about this. You see, Eric was paying our bills and taking care of us. It was difficult for me to have this discussion with him, because he was so good to us. But I knew it had to be done. I chose a time after dinner. I knew that this would You don’t just love be right, because most men are calm after a good meal. I carefully someone when it is opened the conversation. I mentioned to him that I’d noticed him easy – real love is getting very comfortable. He replied to me, “I like things the way true love when it is they are,” and asked if he could stay each night. I was not very hard - JB strong, so I consented. However, this was not to last because of my new relationship with Christ. I wanted to please God. So I shared this with Eric. He understood but was reluctant to accept this. You see, Eric began to get very comfortable with this arrangement and I feared that my dream of marriage and family would slip away. So I prayed and God answered my prayers. Eric was a churchgoing man and had a respect for God, although he had not answered God’s call for his life. He wondered why things needed to change. He told me that he liked the situation as it was. I gave him an ultimatum: Either we get married now and give this baby a family or we could just end this “arrangement” right now. He was a smart man. We decided to get married. And we did. But before a wedding was to take place, I needed to graduate from accounting school and get a job. Eric was in school as well and working. After graduation, I landed a great job as a file clerk for a major insurance company, and life was looking up for the new family-tobe. We finally set the wedding date, and Eric asked my father for my hand in marriage. My 11 | P a g e

father, in his raw manner, told Eric that he already had the better of me, but he agreed. My dream was coming true…I was marrying the fellow of my dreams and beginning this family. I went to the welfare office to inform them that I no longer needed their services and would request immediate termination. I was growing up, and I wanted them to know that I could take care of myself. But they did not want me to leave. They began to tell me of their other great services, healthcare, daycare, housing, etc. I was firm. I told them again that I no longer needed their services and I wanted to provide my own way. I told them in strong language that I wanted to be sufficient in my own right. I finally left the social worker’s office. As I was leaving, she placed her hands on my shoulders, urging me to consider what I was doing. I did not need them any longer, but they wanted me to “hang around.” I thought maybe she needed a job and I was helping her to keep it. Anyway, this chapter was closed.

A MOTHER: When the Status Quo is Simply Not Enough With a new job and married to my high school sweetheart, I was on my way. This was my beginning….a beginning to a new life and a new way. I was enjoying the benefits of materialism. I had a job that was quite lucrative…cars, clothes, you name it…we were swept away with it. Carnality crept into our lives. We were living a fool’s paradise, The difference as were many families just like us. But something happened to our between a wise mother family and we were about to move toward the next level. Eric and an unwise began to search for a better way. He eventually received Christ in mother is that the his life, and our lives were about to change. Our eyes were wise one does not opened to see the ruins of the family. Abortion, no-fault divorce, sacrifice her children women leaving the home in search of satisfaction in a career and for her own money, and removing prayer from schools have been the most satisfaction - JB damaging forces to families. The architects of these ideas thought that they were helping the family. In truth, welfare dependency was becoming entrenched in the culture. Social engineers believed poverty could be wiped out if poor people, minority people, “defective” people stopped reproducing. This is why, in my opinion, family planning clinics are planted in the middle of poor neighborhoods. Could this plot have been the cause of the demise of the family? 12 | P a g e

The fact is that welfare keeps people poor, dependent, and removes any incentive for self-improvement. It creates a class of permanently humiliated people. I wanted to improve myself and be an example to my son. When I was a child, my parents took care of me and my four siblings. I remember their value system, and I wanted the same thing for my son. I begin to hear a rustling in the trees and a stirring in my spirit. Although I enjoyed my job with its perks and privileges, I was drawn to a higher calling and place. And I felt that my marriage would prosper more if I came home to be a housewife. So I informed Eric that I wanted to come home. And I did! I was expecting our third child. I knew I had a lot to learn. My mother taught me some things, but I needed to learn more if I was going to be successful with my choice to be a housewife. You see I wanted to be more…more than what I had seen in my predecessors. I wanted to be the best, and I knew deep inside that I could. I also wanted Eric to be pleased with our decision, and I did not want him to regret bringing me home and taking the honored position that God had designed for him. So we made our plans, but we knew changes had to be made. First, I learned to make most of our meals from scratch… breads, soups—as well as children’s clothes and other household needs. Then I begin to grow my own vegetables in a little garden patch that Eric prepared for me. I learned how to grow tomatoes, peppers, corn, potatoes, cucumbers, okra, and other seasonal produce. I learned how to keep a clean house and manage it well. I was determined to make this work and to be excellent in my new position. There were several of my other married friends who decided to come home as well. I thought that this would be great, because we could learn together. We would get together for dinners, and our children would play while we talked. Each of us shared how things were progressing or not progressing. One man said that his wife being at home was costing him more on gas than when she was working outside of the home. Of course, she finally went back to work. I missed our daily conversations, but we still managed to get together often. She even helped me to make it through a few of my tough times… We only had a washing machine, and I would take our clothes to her house to use her automatic dryer, especially when the day was too wet for me to hang our laundry on my outside clothesline. We would visit over a cup of coffee and some of her wonderful pound cake. I got her recipe and could hardly wait for the time when I could save up enough money to buy the expensive ingredients to make this delicious cake. I learned so much about the home life. I found it very interesting. I read books and visited moms who lived a life similar to what I was

A home becomes a woman’s book…her work of art…a reflection of her soul - JB

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reaching for at the time. You see, my sights were set high for us. I studied and meditated daily. I rose at 4:00 am to meditate and pray. I spent as much time in quietness as I could. I was determined to create a world that was magnificent…to provide a sanctuary for my family…a haven of peace for my husband and me, and a place of rest for my children. I wanted Eric to know that he was respected and my children to have wonderful memories of what family could be. There is so much dysfunction nowadays, and I was raised in a Don’t think of family that was unhappy. But I still honor my parents for their raising children as courage. I don’t understand how they lived in so much sadness. Later, a chore…instead my mother shared with me how much she loved her family. This kind don’t think about it of negativity looms in our society. This is why it is hard to see God’s at all! You have the plan for family. I wanted to be used as a beacon of light. Somebody light of God in needed to say, “I will be a servant of God to show people a better you…He will shine way.” I was that someone, because God has been so good to me through your life during my young years, and I wanted to show Him how grateful I was JB for His kindness and favor. Eric and I knew that this was unpopular. We also knew that we were inseparable and that we could do anything as long as we possessed a shared vision. It is possible to achieve abundance. We believed this. We trusted our Creator to help us make it through this difficult time…little money, one car, many children, and let me not forget, medical expenses for me and the new baby. Eric took on several jobs in the evenings, and sometimes overnight. I missed him tremendously. I was determined to keep the light in the window to guide him home safely, though. There were times when I fed the children and put them to bed early so that we could have time together as a couple. This drew us closer and strengthened our love for each other. By 1988, we had had four children. We attended a little church, where I saw the pastor’s family of four boys behave extremely well. After getting to know this family, I found out that they homeschooled their boys. We were invited to dinner. After dinner, I walked around their house and saw many books that impressed me. The room was filled with worn, well-read books…on the tables and on shelves. The seeds of homeschooling were planted then. That evening at dinner, I was obsessed with the sense of togetherness I felt. I could feel the seeds taking root and soaking deep inside of my fertile heart. I was ready to meet the rustling I heard in the trees and to listen. The old wine was gone and the new wine was being poured into a new skin. This time was pivotal for me and I knew it. And from this moment on, I knew that this was a piece of the puzzle for my dream. 14 | P a g e

After that evening, family became more and more important to me. Our children were still in public school, and we were being tossed to and fro. They were rising early to catch the school bus and coming home late. We were spending more time in the evenings completing unexplained homework. I found myself arguing with my children. This was hectic and ugly. I did not want my young children going to bed with this pressure. I did not know that we were in a whirlwind of stress. But the stress was only to last a short time.

A TEACHER: When Desperation Demands an Answer It was a rainy afternoon. It was after two o’clock, and it was wet and cold outside. I was caring for my toddler and enjoying a cup of hot chamomile tea. To me, life couldn’t get any better than this. My husband was at his office and three of our children were in school, “getting a good education.” I was about to put another log on the fire when the telephone rang…it was from my oldest son’s school. The voice was professional and cold, almost as cold as it was outside. I was informed that my husband and I needed to come to the school the next day for a parent/teacher session. Unpleasant thoughts flooded my mind. But I was comforted by the fact that we were active in our children’s school life. You see, I was PTO president and chairman of the advisory board. So all was well…right? Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to hear. Being involved assured us, once again, of an excellent education. I was deceived. When we met with the school official, we were informed that our son was failing. When Eric entered high school, his grade-point average was 3.0, which was needed to attend this facility. We were told that his grade-point average had dropped to a 2.8. This was a blight for this school’s reputation. The school gave us two choices: we could place our son in a school way across town or if he remained he would have to repeat this grade next year. These two options left me feeling that there was no hope for our son. This was during the first semester of school. I pleaded and told them that we would work harder with him to raise the grade point. This would not do. Their deposition was firm and unmovable. As we were escorted out of the office, tears formed in my eyes. I could not look at my husband. I was embarrassed to think that maybe he was tearing as well. You see our hope was in the public schools. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave us all a dream. But what I have come to know is that as respected and great as Dr. King’s dream was and continues to be, it was HIS dream for black Americans. Having shared that dream for years, I knew that God was giving us a dream…one that would encompass Dr. King’s dream, but more 15 | P a g e

than anything, a dream that would rise and carry our family to a greater level. A dream that our children could own and realize. A dream that would reach into the generations of our family for eternity. When we got home that evening, we went into our bedroom to discuss this problem. At first there were no words to describe our pain. After I cried on my husband’s shoulder, sobbing and sniffing, something began to stir my heart: a vision of me keeping my children at home with me. You see, I was exhausted with the ripping and running anyway. I was exhausted with raising money for equipment when overburdened teachers were making copies of books for children in overstuffed classrooms. I was exhausted with rising early in the morning to whisk my children away from me for eight or more hours a day. I was tired of seeing my children come home late in the evening. There was more to this crying on my husband’s shoulders. I was crying for the death of what society wanted me to Homeschooling believe. I was crying because I was in a web of confusion, one that I thought had no solution. What I did not know was that I was very is not for deceived, like so many other parents. I was crying because this death everyone… would sprout new life…the life of a vision.

until it happens to you! JB

We decided to homeschool our children. I thought about Booker T. Washington’s educational plan. I would learn from him. We had many questions. The next day, we called a local church to inquire about homeschool families. They told us of a family, and we met them at church that evening. This family took us under their wing and the rest is history. Out of the desperation came my destiny—I was forced to rethink my children’s entire educational life. We were at a crossroads, our paths diverged, and we knew it. If my children were going to succeed educationally, if my children were ever going to become excellent learners, I had to rally my courage and start right now—right this moment. The emotional release I felt when I brought my children home was peaceful. I felt a sense of calm and quiet— another beginning for my family. The escape from the public system relieved the pressure I did not realize I had until I was set free of the educational “mess” my children were a part of. Home education gave me the opportunity to explore, to engage in a quest for fulfillment. It allowed us to discover and experience pure learning. We were on a path to enjoy the best life. When I revisit those nearly twenty years, I remembered that many folks thought that we were out of our minds. I have always marched to the beat of a different drummer, and this time was no different. Everyone thought that I was out of my mind. Friends and family did not 16 | P a g e

understand, so they did not support us. Only my mother told me that even though she did not understand, she would help me. Later my father came on board after listening to a talk show about homeschooling, and called me one morning to ask if this was what I was doing. When I answered him yes, he came along as a supporter. Thank God! Some never supported us. But once I was convinced that this was the best thing for my children, others’ opinions seemed to pale. Now they see the benefits and the success of our children and want to share in that success. I am happy for them, but not for the reason you think. I am happy because they can enjoy the company of great children with great minds. They now have a chance to better themselves and to be enlightened. Their compliments are meaningless to me, because it took a greater power to rise above human support, and that is what feeds my heart now. We did, however, join a local support group, and met new friends. Some were kind and gracious, others were Focus on what you unfriendly and wanted nothing to do with us, but we did not seek want, and not their support or their confirmation. We only wanted information, what you which they were willing to offer. We were determined to move don’t want forward and begin teaching our four children at home. We wanted our children to have the chance to stand with great people and yet know how to keep a common touch. Each of them has had their opportunity to be with wonderful people and they all can still enjoy the simple life, the most important part of being great. We tapped into our passion, although we knew the obstacles that lay before us. Neither of us is a college graduate, but we did not need to be. We learned right along with our children. Our children embraced this time, and now realize that learning has no age limits. We created a fine educational plan for our family that was unique, individual, and exciting. On a side note, many of my peers thought I needed to be with “more than one man”… not true. I only needed one man with whom I could build a life and share a vision. Years later, Eric and I had another daughter, Victoria, but before this event, our family went through a horrible time. My mother had a terrible stroke. This enemy left her speechless, unable to eat, and depressed. I also suffered a miscarriage, and after our daughter was born, five months later, an ectopic pregnancy. Disharmony seemed to be all around us. Our oldest son was now graduated from home school and in minister’s college. I was still homeschooling three children with a newborn baby. By this time, my father was dying after suffering from a 17 | P a g e

Raising children is like putting money in the bankâ&#x20AC;Śyou have a sure retirement - JB

stroke, and my dear mother was helpless. Life appeared to be dark. I now realized that God was closer to me than ever before. After the loss of both my parents and my two children, I was beginning to fall into deep darkness. I asked God to give me something to hold on to. He did. He taught me how to harness my thoughts and to think positively and to start from what I knew.

I put all of my energies into teaching my children strengthening the musical skills of my second son and the writing passion of my oldest daughter and teaching my second daughter to read. Two of my children graduated during the next couple of years, and went to college, pursuing degrees. I am still homeschooling one daughter. This I treasure. Time goes by very fast. Enjoy your time with your children and the years that God has blessed you to teach them. I do not have any regrets for the choice we madeâ&#x20AC;Śit was made for the good of our children and the greater good of building the family structure. We are now seeing the fruits of our laborâ&#x20AC;Śsecond generation homeschooling.

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SETTING THE STAGE: Home Education and Where it All Began

THE PROBLEM: Over Time the System Began to Unravel The public school system promised black families the hope of success in life. It was a worthy goal. During the early years, education was merely reading and writing—earning a living, beating the white man at his game—a fortified educational philosophy—targeting the mass of African Americans whose parents worked hard. By the 40’s and 50’s, black families were college graduates, teachers, doctors, nurses, etc., living noticeable lives—the focus was on how many blacks could graduate from colleges—volume. By the 60’s and 70’s, the attitude was to beat the white man at his own game—education that was partly empty and only produced mass African Americans to work on the white man’s job they had tried so hard to beat. This kind of education was weak and could not endure, but the extra electives gave it stability and compensated for the lack of pure and true education. This education was strategic and caused a lot of black Americans to be less creative. Other factors that influenced the deterioration of the public education system in the 1970’s included: the feminist movement, no-fault divorce, legal separation, easy welfare, and abortion. The schools fell right in line with these attacks on the family and even promoted them. For instance, the whole psychology of abortion makes us less human than we ought to be. The feminist movement convinced women that they were missing something by being housewives…staying home and raising children was a sucker’s role. The term “just a housewife” became an embarrassing title and children suffered. They suffered because innately, they knew they did not have first place in their parents’ hearts. When a parent’s heart is turned away from the child, the child knows and can feel this. Then their little hearts are turned away…it’s 20 | P a g e

automatic. Resentment for working parents is built up year after year as children see that their parents have more important things to do. They begin to compensate for this lack in other ways. So, by the time they reach high school, they have figured it out…..if no one else cares, then why should they? In most cases, rebellion in children is a backlash against rejection by their parents. A failing school system and dysfunctional families produced devastating effects on the educational level of our nation’s children. Reading scores plummeted, math scores and language scores languished. True education was neglected while the focus was placed on teaching Our children are tests rather than learning. Monitoring gun control and negative our national socialization created an institution devoid of creative learning and treasures…they interest. The members of the public school institutions became deserve a great exhausted and unconnected—ignoring the emotional needs of education - JB parents and children. Parents had trusted the school system, but now they found themselves to be the outsiders. Sadly, most parents continued to create childish outlets for themselves to compensate for the lack of a quality life. No one seemed to know how to challenge the system and address the many problems. Today, our public school system continues to operate on a dysfunctional level. Negative socialization, shooting on school campuses, drugs, and teenage sex are the misfortunes of most American schools. In my experience in talking with friends, family, and others who call me, I know that they are dissatisfied with the current educational system. In most cases, they do not know how to change their lives. The public schools are scrambling and searching for solutions. They are confused intellects. I never thought it was possible. I have seen so-called “smart educators” tongue-tied, befuddled, and discombobulated. This is pure laughter to me, because they thought they were the answer, and we fell right in line with their façade. But many families have found an answer – an answer outside of the public school system, an answer that is proven to work.

The ANSWER: One Day Parents Woke Up In the 1980’s a few courageous families begin to challenge the school system. They dared to think differently. They had to be innovative and inventive. Through their efforts, came freedom….the freedom of home education. Slowly, home education began to take shape as parents began to show a greater interest in exactly what their children were learning. The 21 | P a g e

old educational system for children was based on the need to teach them to read and write in order to simply make a living and do better than their parents. Statistics showed that the public education system was failing to meet even those minimum requirements. Driven to desperation, parents begin to search for other answers, and they realized that they had been settling for a very low standard of education. They began to call for a far greater vision – the vision of providing the opportunity for creative, individualized, and premium learning, of inspiring one-to-one entrepreneurship, and of ensuring that even the boldest and richest dreams came true. As with anything else, a number of reasons seeded this movement—the greater distance between schools and homes, specialized learning challenges, the need for one-to-one learning, low academic performance, religious reasons, more family togetherness, etc. Because parents were interested in customized learning, plans were created to test a child’s creative potential—this is what home education is all about—tailoring learning to fit the child. Parents were finally ready to break out of the structures of bureaucracy and into a new element of enlightenment. The blame game was over…no more siding with right or wrong—the die was cast.

Having lots of children learning together in one family is like counting your blessings - JB

More and more parents begin to join the home education movement. Its accomplishments were remarkable. The new educational revolution was here to stay this time. Sadly, there was a myth that indicated that homeschooling was a “white thing” because white families moved their children from schools where blacks were beginning to attend. But many black families were homeschooling incognito. Moreover, the home education model had been used during the slavery years and into the early l900s for black people. This was how our black ancestors learned. They knew that an education was essential to their freedom…freedom to learn and freedom to live well. When a black child went to school, it was incumbent upon that child to come home and teach the others, even the parents. This is why I believe in the principle of “children teaching children.” When children ten years and older learn a subject well, then they can teach other children. This principle reinforces, revives, and refreshes knowledge that’s already been taught. I have seen children teach other children in a way that simplifies learning and is productive. The richness of this movement is confirmed by such greats as George Washington Carver, Frederick Douglass, Phillis Wheatley, Daniel “Chappie” James, Daniel Williams (a doctor 22 | P a g e

who started the first hospital for poor people in the Chicago area), Paul Lawrence Dunbar, and Booker T. Washington. Black families want a good education for their children, one that is wellrounded and expansive. This truth has been criticized and even mocked by educators of today because they believe that parents are not qualified to teach their own children. For homeschool parents, however, this criticism has simply served to spur them on to greater consistency, dedication, and a commitment to work harder and more creatively with their children. When homeschooling became “legal” in the United States there were few parents teaching their own children. Since 1998, the homeschooling movement among black families alone has soared to a nearly ten percent increase. Homeschooling as a whole in the United States has grown nearly fifteen percent over the last several years and has become highly sophisticated. More striking than growth is the presence of curriculum, support groups, homeschool conferences, etc. The homeschooling movement has truly proven to be successful and self sustaining.

THE VISION: Now the Choice Is Yours In view of the amazing success of the home education model, I believe that it is desirable that the principles of parent directed education, which were rediscovered through the homeschooling movement, be taught to every parent. I believe that the home is the center for all learning and training. A passion for children is what is needed today in order to bring their tender hearts back home. Education in the home is an old-fashioned way of teaching and will continue to be around for a long time. It brings change with it and some wonderful advantages. As parents are involved in their children’s education, they are empowered. The minds of parents must be changed to see that education is truly their responsibility to their children. We need an educational renewal. No longer can we cluster our children in classrooms that place them in a one-size-fits-all category. It’s time to reverse the growth of government schools, which show signs of failure, and promote the fortunes of true education. Parents are to decide the important questions upon which the success of their children’s quality education will depend. As someone once asked me, I must also ask you: Do you want the government to raise your children? My answer was NO. Why would I want a fighting and bickering government to raise my children, with their packaged, regulated curriculum? I encourage parents to act worthy of themselves. You are empowered with authority, vision, and discipline to guide your children well.

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My duty is to give all families a generous invitation to experience excellence. I want to infuse them with inspiration and courage. Learning should be exciting and alive. My aim is to awaken American parents to the renewed educational philosophy. Education must be rewritten in the minds and hearts of parents and children. It must once again come to hold a reputation of excellence and progress in our nation. Home education represents more than academics and test scores. It’s an opportunity to rebuild families…strong families for a stronger nation. I love this country, and when I see our children being sacrificed to a system that will not come through for them, I am alarmed. What it offered to us during the early years, no longer fits the needs of our children. Home education or parent-directed education reclaims family togetherness—moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, etc. It gives us all a second chance to live again—to return to the home life and ultimately to the best life. This is what I am all about, rescuing children from failing schools and placing them in a Learning is a wonderful thing loving environment of one-to-one instruction where their abilities and talents can flourish according to their individual learning styles—an as it fills environment where parents can interact with their children and once children with again become advocates of their children’s education. joy - JB Consider the great eagle which represents America, where under God, all men are created equal. She watches over her young with a sharp eye until she’s ready to stir the nest. Then she frees her young as she gazes over their launch. The soaring eagle reminds me of freedom. In America, there are many options for education. Yet, for years, there has been an educational option that has been without a voice. But we will be silent no longer. Homeschooling gives families freedom, and it is legal in all states. I believe that parents should explore the option of homeschooling. As the public system proves that it can no longer come through for us, most of us realize that we as parents are our children’s only hope. Our children are subjected to drugs, illicit sex, violence, etc. As parents, we discover that we are truly the defenders of the traditional values, and that we do want the absolute best for our children and ourselves. I will say it again…home education is in the best interest of the child. The public schools reneged on their ability to perform, and home education has presented itself as a viable option. Home education and parental stability are in the best interest of the children. A loving and godly family is in the best interest of the children. While I am hardly suggesting that homeschooling prevents all problems, I am suggesting that as parents we can become directly involved in our children’s lives. We should know what interests them and we should listen to their needs. Our lives should be centered on the home 24 | P a g e

where we can all be renewed emotionally, physically, educationally, and spiritually. Now is the time to “fess up,” to see that something is missing. Let’s start with our hearts—turning them homeward and letting the balm of comfort cure us. Our hearts need healing, and through prayer and meditation, this can be achieved. Let’s create sanctuaries of peace in our lives. I have found that the surroundings of a loving home dismantle many of the emotional torments children face. We cannot hide any longer from the truth that has been peering through the front door for years. Our homes are our reality—good or bad. I was committed to offering only the best quality education to my children. I educated my children with traditional methods, which helped to preserve our values and to protect certain rights for the family. Home-directed or parent-directed education is defined as education without the intrusion of regulated government requirements, immoral values, and social ills that confuse our children’s minds about what a quality education is. Our children are our national treasures and should be guarded. The authenticity of a family’s character is verified through and confirmed by the many positive activities in and out of the home. As we spend time with our children, we cultivate positive relationships. Parents must return to the old paths for No matter how the longevity of our race. We all must work together for the good of all intense learning gets of our children. We must be appropriately accessible and touchable so for my children, my that they can have access to our private lives. There is no more behindaim is to leave them the-veil living…the good life is available to all, and those of us who hungry for more - JB embrace this “good life” must be willing to extend ourselves to make a visible difference. As black families, we must preserve our family values taught by our fore parents. We are hanging on by a thread as a people group and must teach our children to prosper in every way. We need more home-centered wives, doctors, lawyers, store owners, corporate executives, etc. Black American families must rise to the challenge. Do you want your people group to still be around in the year 2050? Then please take seriously this challenge to re-own your child’s education.

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RENEWED EDUCATION – What it Looks Like When Parents Get Involved

GAINING INSPIRATION: How to Make Home Education a Perfect Fit My aim is twofold: first, to give you a framework within which to create your own thoughts about your children and your learning space, and second to empower you to allow your talents and abilities to flourish. I would like to introduce you to my philosophy of learning. I call it Renewed Education, because it requires parents to be the number-one players in their child’s life…tailoring the education for the child. Renewed Education involves three elements: discipline, focus, and accuracy. It requires premier players with an adventurous and bold attitude. This kind of education will require parental expertise (what you know you can teach your children) for an exciting and enthusiastic educational experience. This “quality of education” will prove to be fascinating. It will stir the parent’s and the child’s imaginations to bigger hopes. It will allow them both to dream magnanimously. Renewed Education is aggressive—its focus is on character and everyday manners. When children build walls because they can’t read, Renewed Education breaks through those barriers to begin the healing process to start learning. Renewed Education is more organized, and it is parent-friendly. Renewed Education has the ability to attract parents because it meets the parents where they are. They are the chief performers in their children’s lives. It also forces the parents to leave underperforming institutions and pursue quality education for their children. This educational process empowers parents and gives them a format that does not include unnecessary test scores or labeling. The education that many of us grew up with is prepackaged, one-size-fits-all, and impractical. While the public schools remain, they are still unwilling to teach to the heart of the child. Today’s educational plan or homecentered education is more like a customized home…personalization is key and excellence 26 | P a g e

reigns. Home-centered education is here to stay. It’s easy and it fits any lifestyle. Renewed education is better for the children. This education reflects the values and lifestyles of the family. Parents want an array of quality educational wares. Learning should be comprehensive, expansive, and all-encompassing. Parents want to feed good information to their children, unlike the public system that teaches to labels. Parents aspire to higher living and superior learning. Parents are exhausted with being enmeshed in an educational controversy. They no longer wish to be partners with an institution that does not deliver. The system’s presentation resembles a confused pile of gestures that only frustrate the parents. Renewed Education enhances learning, rather than confusing it. It trains parents to be master teachers. It equips their parental skill set. I want to help you find your personal style of teaching. Furthermore, I want to help you find ways to specialize the education of your children. Many parents are going to tutoring services, hiring additional teachers, buying workbooks, computers, and tools…hands-on assistants to aid their children. This is good, but you can do the work too. Education can once again become excellent in our country. This means paying close attention to our children and looking for better ways to involve them directly in their own education. They are more than machines to be fed into, and should be Immerse given an opportunity to reach out and grab their own learning. American yourself in children should be interested in a worldwide education—to go outside of what you the classroom. Education is universal and it should be taught in that manner. It is important, though, to create a lifestyle of excellent learning enjoy - JB habits, using every opportunity that arises to instill these—when the child rises, as he dresses, walks around his home, goes out, makes visits, listens to appropriate and good music, etc. The things in the child’s world provide him with ways to express himself. By bringing all these things together, a child can see his world as an atmosphere of learning. I want to show you how to educate with style. Education with style is a one-to-one learning experience that’s creative, powerful, and impacting, which goes beyond the publicschool model. Educating with style wields learning in a challenging and effective way for children, because it enhances their potential to appreciate learning for a lifetime. Educating with style enables parents to create learning genres that concentrate on the child’s individuality and eliminate cookie-cutter or packaging methods to teach with. You will know that you are educating with style when your child shows that spark to want more…when that something in his brain clicks at an early age and the brightness in his eyes guides you to give him more. And 27 | P a g e

you will want to give him more because he’s ready to receive. Education has become palatable for him. There are seasons of fruitfulness during a child’s younger years, as well as a mother’s learning years, and this is the absolute best time to engage society for a different lifestyle…to show that bringing it all home is still the best choice. Education is a family business—dads and moms, fathers and sons, moms and daughters. We must transform our homes from the average home to a center for creative learning. Enough of the status quo and on to excellence! Each home sings its own song, and each note chimes its own richness and complexity. I see a new vision, one that creates a new and better way to learn, and I am determined to assist as many parents as I can. First you will need a clear vision to make education great. Secondly, you will need to create or revise a curriculum that’s easy to use. And lastly, you will need to create learning tools that are outstanding, imaginative, electrifying, and support your vision. This is the cornerstone of our vision for a new education. Each child has his own unique personhood, and the character of that child must be defined for good and profitable use— education promotes great character. I believe that the American family will want to learn together and be willing to sacrifice for it. We did!

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LEARNING DISCERNMENT: The Seven Pillars of a Quality Education

Through my years of homeschooling, I realized that as parents we are the only ones with a vested interest in our children’s future. The Bible encourages us to be wise for ourselves. We acquire quite a bit of material and information for our families, however, we must be wise to “cut out” from among all of the data what is true, just, and especially what will give our children a good foundation for a successful life as an adult. Of all the things we give our children, time is the most valuable. So, whatever we teach them through workbooks, living books, video, etc., we must remember as our children grow up to lay certain foundations and set strong pillars for their lives. Proverbs 9:1 says: “Wisdom hath built her house; she hath hewn out her seven pillars.” An educational experience must begin with a simple desire, a desperate cry for help, and total dependency on our God to show us the path of wisdom. I would like to share with you from my experience about seven “pillars” that I came to see as essential for my children. Teach Your Children That You are a Guide I have come to instruct you and then to leave you…but not alone…for the Spirit of God says come..let us lead you to your desired haven…jburges The Spirit of God is our guide, truth, and our true vine. As parents we are to abide in the vine and bear fruit. It is our duty to keep the standards and to walk in a greater love for the sake of our children. We are to lead them into learning, revealing the absolute good to them and teaching them to refuse evil. When choosing a curriculum, decide which one offers the same values you have and upholds your family’s convictions, remembering that curriculum should build a relationship with you and your child. Guiding your children through their educational process requires patience and wisdom. Be kind and maintain a sense of cheerfulness as you learn to work with your child’s learning style. Avoid anger and consider patience as you direct your child’s learning. Lead them into learning by being sensitive to their progress and their success. Remember, each of your children is different…so adapt, adjust, and be flexible to their needs. Work with your children to bring out their individuality and find what best suits each child’s learning style and draws from them their creative interests.

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Teach Your Children to Hear Wise Instruction Give me your hearts…lend me your ears…listen to my cry…my loves, my dears …jburges David said that the heroes of his home will be the people of God. In our society there are many voices that try to invade our private lives. Teach your children to discern loving instruction and wicked instruction. This is done by drawing them to ourselves. Because we love them the most and have the deepest concern for them, we should seek to be the ones who influence them more than anyone else. Listening is a great part of learning. Hearing what parents have to say is vital to a child. This kind of teaching will instruct the child even when he’s alone. We must have confidence in God’s blessing on us as parents, and in the wisdom and ability He has given us to rear our children. Begin by telling your children that God’s word is the truth and nothing compares to its standards and meanings. By your example, encourage them that reading the Book of Proverbs is a part of their daily pleasure. Gain the heart of your children by asking them to give you their heart. Your words should be carefully given so that they can sense the gravity of this time in their lives, educating them to become productive citizens. Remember, a word fitly spoken in due season is like apples of gold. Be assured of your teaching. Ask your children to attend to your instruction and not to forsake it because the doctrine is very good.

Teach Your Children How To Think Think my children wild and free, a glorious future alas you’ll see…summer, autumn, winter and spring, all wrapped up in one sure thing…love for God, love for father and abounding, endless love for me… jburges When I was about three months into my home education experience, an older gentlemen was observing my pedagogy and said to me, “Joyce, whatever you do, teach your children how to think.” At first this was strange to me. But now I know what he meant. He encouraged me to allow them to make choices, when appropriate, for themselves. Teaching them the art of thinking gave me the confidence to believe that they would choose the wise and refuse the unwise (and if they did choose the unwise, they would know how to seek help). I remember one of my children in particular who, when she was younger, would ask, “Mama, what am I going to wear today?” It would have been easy to make the choice for her; nonetheless, I wanted her to begin the process of choosing. I would offer her two outfits and taught her to take into consideration the weather as well as the thought of our staying in the home the entire day. Based upon those recommendations, an appropriate answer was given…the child had to choose for herself. This is a simple example, yet one that benefited this 30 | P a g e

same child later during her college years. It was suggested by her college advisors to select certain subjects for the next semester. This young lady, now a little wiser, was able to critically think through the situation with good reasoning and logic. “Do I really need this particular course, or would it really add to my credit, or how much study time will I have to give to this course in view of my other more important courses?” After a long pause, she chose for herself and did not end up taking the well meaning suggestions of the college advisor. Many students have graduated from college with courses that were not necessarily important for their completion. This was one way this child learned to think independently of her peers. As parents we feed the mind and spirit of each of our children. And we have a short time to make lasting impressions upon their hearts. We should not waste that time. As my children have graduated from our homeschool, I have seen more and more clearly how very fast time goes by.

Teach Your Children That Education Is Their “Own” Work Teach them to reach, teach them to see, teach them to say, “Lord give us this day”… jburges Engaging your child’s mind is hard work. Most children need enlightenment to preserve them, instruction to keep them, and direction to lead them. The first and most important object of education is to tell the child that no one can do this work for him; that he must do it himself. Nothing in this world will benefit them more that disciplining their mind to make it fit for the Master’s use. The child who can do this has mastered many future problems. To teach them that education is their own work, a parent must exhibit certain qualities in their own lives…self-control, unconditional love, and long-suffering. Self-control – the parent must be able to control his/herself in order to teach the lasting virtues. The goal is not to create super-beings, but to take the mind of a child and form it for the purpose of life. To reach deep inside the spirit of the child so that they can see more clearly and understand the truth of God as it pertains to their life, tailoring all educational skills to meet the specific needs of a child. Unconditional Love – All parents know that without love you can do nothing; however, with unconditional love all things are possible. Loving labor is essential to the success of your children. Diligence consists in doing things well, and doing them in the most excellent manner. We must inquire into their hearts and grasps the opportunity of the moment – the sharpness, the quick memory, the joy of learning something different and new…they must see that we love what we do. 31 | P a g e

Long Suffering – Longsuffering is the sister to patience and the cousin to endurance. Children should learn for themselves. The world will judge them harshly so they must be impeccable. Encourage them to form good habits and good manners now while they are young. Teach them character. Teach them to begin a regiment of good discipline and hard work, which, in the coming years will serve them well. There is no other way to knowledge except by wisdom. A parent must go deep down into the innermost part of the child’s spirit to draw out the understanding that is within. Remember, that the wise counsel of a loving and patient parent will someday be the strength and the confidence of the adult.

Teach Your Children That Learning Is an Atmosphere It was a cool autumn morn, the children’s heart were gay…the trees swaying, the leaves falling, what a mellow, joyous day … jburges Each family should find the quiet center of their life. Our family wanted a life that was simpler, more purposeful…and sometimes private. I love learning. My husband is an artist and has a great mechanical mind. He is perhaps, in my humble opinion, one of the most eloquent speakers that I know. I love reading, music, language, writing, and singing. The affectionate focus of the family should be its loving atmosphere and its joy to keep learning alive. Children should learn proper skills useful for everyday life. The cultivation of beautiful, practical learning is an art. One of the treasures in our family-life is reading good books…books that create in your mind an endless sea of words to stimulate your imagination. Fill your home with books and good music. Create a place or a corner in your home that is comfortable for reading. Learning should be adventurous and your children should get the most out of their lives as they delight in this pleasure.

Teach Your Children That Learning Is a Process Go all the way my child…embracing every mile…jburges Much of learning is a basic process, however, we add to our learning daily (for good or for bad). Learning is meant to be incremental; a process that is increased by a series of changes. Children are like sponges soaking in everything. Make sure you watch what you place before them. You begin to recognize this around the age of two. So, beware, that you teach them the good things and fix limited boundaries…the wise and unwise, the reality and imagination, the truth and a lie. Parents can begin creating these boundaries by paying close attention to 32 | P a g e

television, electronics games, group activities, certain magazines, etc. An older woman once told me to guard my children’s hearts and minds. She also urged me to take time to read to my children and have them read to me. I enjoy working hand to hand with my children whether it’s cooking a simple meal or work on a craft. Learning is a process… let’s delight ourselves as we see our children tasting of this pleasure.

Teach Your Children That Learning Is a Life-Long Experience Work while it is day…for when night comes no man can work…jburges Education is work, but work that is meant to last a lifetime. When we are guiding our children through the educational process, we must remember to pay close attention to ourselves. Someone once said, “Someday the illiterates of this society will not be those who cannot read, but those who have lost the love for learning.” Through all of my teaching moments, I would like to think that I have displayed to my children my passion for learning and life. Even when I was cooking, cleaning house, or doing laundry, I was reading a novel, listening to good music, writing, or watching a great video in hopes of being inspired to create a new project. My children know that anything that catches my passion ends up in a book or my personal journals. They know that I enjoy writing and most of the time they will write it down before I do and later give it to me to put in my journal. When the season of learning comes over us it is our time to fill our minds with good things; to investigate the hidden treasures buried deep inside of us as well as our children. The light of the Spirit of God will lead us to new ideas and enchanting moments. Share this with your children and watch their hearts take flight. We learn each and every day of our lives. Let’s keep it good…let’s keep it fresh.

Conclusion I’ve learned to love this traditional way…the family structure. I have discovered many unexpected blessings in yielding my life to a better way. Once you start living a “good thing” you begin to experience the riches of a “good thing.” I’ve desired my own family since I was a little girl and I saw my mother living within this wonderful way as best as she could. This was her sacrifice for me. I would like to think that I have done far greater things because she prepared me to live my life to exceed hers. Now, I have an opportunity to honor her legacy 33 | P a g e

through my own children. There is no point in having something rich in your life and not sharing it with others. In this protective design, which is our greatest defense against the enemy, it is our charge to stand guard, to preserve this blessing, and to protect this good life for future generations. It is the most wonderful design ever! It works and it cannot be replaced. The challenge is: will we continue this design or will we let it become extinct? I am determined to carry this mantle and see this vision come to pass in its full manifestation. Although there are some foes that wield seemingly skilled weapons of war, I know that this design is the pivotal point for the salvation of our children. The family is the foundation of our city, state, and our nation. This unit will not be destroyed. It may appear that the opposition is greater, but the original design will never die or be defeatedâ&#x20AC;ŚIt will live forever!

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FIGHTING DOUBTS: 50 Reasons Parents SHOULD Get Involved in Their Child’s Education The path of home education is not an easy one. As you begin this journey, there will be many unique challenges that will face you. Don’t make the mistake of starting out and assuming that all will be well. Instead prepare yourself for the fight. Remind yourself that the end goal is worth the difficulties. Doubts will assail you: Am I doing the right thing? Will this work? Am I ruining my child? When that happens all you can do is to feed truth to your mind. I made a list of fifty reasons why you as a parent should be investing meaningfully in your child’s life. When you start to doubt that, just pull out your list and start reading…see how far you can get before the vision suddenly clicks back in place.

1. You have a vested interest in your child’s future 2. You love your child 3. You are respected by your child 4. You have the most influence in your child’s life 5. You are committed to your child 6. You can give sincere praise to your child 7. You can speak positively about your child’s life 8. You can challenge your child in positive ways 9. You can teach your child the truth about God 10.You can be there for your child’s formative years 11.You can introduce the world to your child 12.You can help your child learn about their surroundings 13.You can teach your child character 35 | P a g e

14.You can teach your child about their role in the home 15.You can teach your child to be happy and lively 16.You can provide structure for your child 17.You can help your child set limits 18.You can discipline your child 19.You can keep your child safe and protected 20.You can help your child go to bed early 21.You can insure that your child eats properly 22.You can turn off the TV, Xbox , cell phones, etc 23.You can play with your child 24.You can have family game night 25.You can teach your child to play and get along with others 26.You can build your child’s confidence 27.You can help discover your child’s unique abilities and talents 28.You can help your child focus on preparing academically for higher learning 29.You can teach your child to see education as a priority and a legacy for the family 30.You can teach your child to be excellent 31.You can encourage your child to read by reading at home 32.You are your child’s best coach and mentor 33.You are your child’s bridge to success 36 | P a g e

34.You can be attentive to your child 35.You can ask the deep questions that may concern your child 36.You can get to know your child’s friends 37.You can help your child learn to deal with peer pressure 38.You can become your child’s best friend 39.You can prepare your child for life 40.You can help your child towards self- responsibility 41.You can foster your child’s healthy independence 42.You can lead your child on the path of success 43.Your child needs you… 44.Your child needs your love 45.Your child needs to talk to you 46.Your child needs you to listen 47.Your child needs your time 48.Your child needs your support 49.Your child needs your advice about choices 50.Your child needs you to be an engaged parent

Never forget for a moment that you are the single most important factor in your child’s development outside of God’s sovereign hand. When the going gets hard, remind yourself that there is no one else who can fill your position. Your child’s life is being shaped by your involvement.

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RAISING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: Teaching Manners and Good Character When I first started my journey, I studied books on education, child rearing, home life, and learning in general. Experience taught me to trust God and His spirit inside of me, and as I did, my passion and creative teaching ability expanded in many new directions. My thinking moved beyond home schooling as I developed a broader perspective about my children’s needs. I started to think of learning in terms of the whole child and not just his academic needs. I came to understand that home education is just a part of the overall development of my children, and that they could be enhanced and inspired to reach a standard of excellence for their entire life. The whole-child methodology was quite successful for me, and before I knew it, I was being asked to assist other moms. I started teaching moms and setting up learning centers in homes. Since then, I have worked with countless families to help them homeschool their children. I want families to know that they can have a better life. God used homeschooling as a tool to affect our whole lifestyle. It started with the education of our children…training them, spending quality time, and yes, quantity time with them. With five children in our family, we were seven, and being seven we had forty-nine different relationships in our family. There was my relationship with God, then my relationship with my husband, my son, my second son, my first daughter, etc. So developing positive relationships was crucial, and I wanted it to be good. I knew that homeschooling was right for our family because this form of education was in the best interest of our children. I tell women nowadays not to put off building strong and lasting Children are like oysters, relationships with their children. There will be time to get a you cannot tell how degree, work outside of the home, have fun (if this is your obedient they are until aim)… but do it later. Do not put off the time that you have with they are placed in an your family for what may be greener on the other side. It is not. uncomfortable position Of course, there are some circumstances beyond our control, JB and strong families should harbor these families; however, there is still work and sacrifices to be made…why not make them in good ground? The time spent will be worth it in the end. My aim is to inform parents that they can lead their children to be educationally responsible, which includes ownership, discipline, habit, and ultimately success. As we teach them to focus and to pay attention, our children become owners of their education by recognizing that it’s their own work. We taught our children how to discipline themselves to stick to the tasks before them and to work hard. I didn’t want my children to think that they 38 | P a g e

could get something for nothing. We wanted them to know how to go out into this great world and get what they wanted for themselves in a way that made them shine. I wanted my children to have presence, even before they opened their mouths. We wanted them to know how to look folks straight in the eye. My Obedient husband taught my sons how to extend a strong handshake and not offer children add their hand to a lady unless her hand was extended first. I taught my pleasure to our daughters not to be eager to extend their hand. I wanted them to be lives - JB polished young ladies. Our young boys need to reach for something and to make themselves right for the prize. I feel that young girls make it too easy for young boys. This should stop. Eric taught our sons to open the car door for their mother and to hold her seat at the dinner table. All these things were modeled before our children so that they would know the best things in life. You see, society always shows the worst, and this leaves children without options. We wanted to present our children with options, excellent options, so that they could choose the good and refuse the bad. I knew their success was imminent because moral excellence is still attainable. When we were training our children, my husband and I had one-to-one conversations with them daily. We took them to lunch. We had dinner with them. We gave them each one-to-one time. They became our Thank yous are like company-keepers and we loved it. I would have tea time with my girls and sometimes with the boys when they wanted to. Eric took eating homemade the boys to carpentry classes and built home projects with them. vanilla ice Now that our sons are adults, they cherish this time even more, cream…pure because it gives them a point of contact with their father. Our satisfaction - JB daughters learned to cooked complete meals by the time they were thirteen years old, and to set a festive table and create a lovely atmosphere for family togetherness. Now they are culinary artists with style. During our times together, they could share whatever was on their minds. We wanted to know how we could teach them better. As they grew older, we asked the questions…and they gave us the answers. We found ways to hone in on their creative potential and create a learning style for their specific needs. Because our son, Lawrence, was interested in piano as a young child, we let him listen to classical music, gospel music, folk music, any music that was excellent. Johann Sebastian Bach said (and I paraphrase), “The goal and final end of all music should be none other than the refreshment of the soul.” How important is education to you? It has to be emotionally important. When a certain mother pulled her son out of the public schools, she was her child’s only hope. She also rescued his other siblings to give them an everlasting educational experience. Parents can’t be fooled 39 | P a g e

anymore with meaningless meetings and non-innovative lessons. They want connections and interactive educational resources. And you can create them with the help of other successful parent-teachers. As a parent, I wanted a customized, creative educational plan for my children. I wanted to monitor my children’s education and take ownership of it. I wanted to be a master parent at orchestrating a learning plan for my children. I wanted to be the main influencer in developing my children’s lives, reaching them with my values. A child’s education is as much about connecting with his or her parents as it is about learning something new. If you are unsure about how to train your children or why you are a parent, do what George Washington Carver did: Ask. After many questions to his Creator, Mr. Carver finally asked the Creator why the peanut was made. He wanted to know what he could create with the peanut. The Creator taught him how to take the peanut apart and put it together again. Your Creator will teach you how to rear your children, what to teach them, how to talk to them, and lastly, how to bring out the best in them. But you must seek for the answer. A friend of mine says, “Ask God the questions. He wants to help you.”

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KEEPING IT RUNNING: Loving, Laughing, and Learning as a Family

Loving: Lessons for Life Words can’t describe my love for you… you fill me with joys along the way…grace, mercy, and truth you say…It’s all yours…a timeless stay… jburges While perusing a certain magazine I came across an interesting term, “grand cru.” A French concept that means, “highest potential for greatness.” I thought about this for a long time regarding my work with children. Being actively involved in my own children’s learning gave me a chance to experience grand cru. I have found that in-home learning and a comfortable domestic atmosphere constitute the ideal surroundings to deliver a world class education. A designated place to gain knowledge goes hand and hand with a great learning experience. Parents should not fear being a parent. We have been given a wonderful opportunity to train, teach, and care for young lives. As parents, we are qualified to nurture our children. Simply being their parent and wanting the very best for them qualifies us. We have a vested interested in our children’s future.

Think about this: loving, laughing, and learning…some things are better with God - JB

Giving time to a worthwhile endeavor always requires patience. In- home learning is no different. This effort entails commitment, dedication, and loving sacrifice. However, the longterm seeds of influence that we are sowing into the minds of our children will prove a good investment for the generations to come. We are giving one-to-one attention, which requires an engaging face to face connection. The most beautiful characteristic of parents is their passion for their children. Passionate parents want to bring out the best in their children…their talents, their abilities, and most of

all their creativity. Above all else, parents want to give their children a love for God. That is why we speak biblical words into their minds so that they can become all they were created to be. Parents have a vision for their children as it pertains to Godly values. We want our sons to be sons of 41 | P a g e

God…fit and equipped for purposeful living…men of valor and character. We want our daughters to become polished young women of grace and strength. 15 Ways to Nurture Your Children 1. Stay Connected – talk to your children daily about your dreams for them and their dreams for themselves 2. Touch – remember to kiss or hug your child daily. Hold hands when taking a walk or sitting together 3. Be Flexible – be teachable – sometimes children can teach you more than anyone else 4. Smile – possess a cheerful look and a radiant countenance 5. Celebrate – be creative, have a party, enjoy the little moment, as well as the big moments 6. Show – a genuine interest in what concerns your child 7. Talk – plan special moments just to talk 8. Listen – attentively 9. Affirm – tell them often of your love 10. Praise – enthusiastically 11. Be Firm – lovingly nurturing your children 12. Say – I care 13. Remember – Birthdays, keepsakes, etc. 14. Help – with a project 15. Encourage– to always strive for excellence

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Laughing: Effortless Education Let’s start a crusade…a long one, wild and violent … to bring back laughter. Seemingly, it has left our lives. My husband, Eric, is the comedian in our family. He knows me well. I have heard that if a man can make a woman laugh he can make her do anything. That’s one for him. He makes me laugh hilariously. I am bowed over with joy when he puts on one of his stand-up comedy shows. Here is a funny story that Eric will tell when we have visitors over for dinner. We love to entertain. One evening we invited several guest to meet our friend from Africa. During our dinner the subject of gardening came up. Our guest from Africa was telling us that the soil in some parts of his country was so fertile that you could till the soil with your barefeet. As he was illustrating this method of gardening, Eric was watching my expressions. Actually, I was thinking, “Hum…since he will be here sometime, and Eric has not begun to till the soil for our garden, perhaps I can get him to do it.” My husband found our guest’s story interesting because he knew what I was thinking. He tried to divert the gentlemen, but to no avail. Our other guests were fascinated as well, and this prodded our friend to tell more. To make a long story more exciting, the next morning when we all rose to begin our day, Eric said goodbye (with a wink) and was gone. I was waiting for our guest to finish breakfast so that I could ask him more about his story. You see, I wanted him to begin the arduous task of “digging” our garden. He excitedly agreed to perform the chore. I asked him if he needed garden tools and told him that the ground may be hard this time of year. But, he assured me that he could do it and responded, “No, no, no, I can do this with my feet.” It was a hot June morning and it had not rained in weeks. I went back into the house to finished the breakfast dishes, fix the beds, and get the children ready for the day’s lessons. When I came downstairs to check on my guest, he was sitting on the back patio. I opened the door and ask if he was alright. He was sweating and perspiring. He was breathing hard and sweat was dripping from his forehead. I ran into the house to get some water for him. As he was drinking the water I ventured out to the backyard to see the progress. I saw a small piece of ground broken. I turned and asked my guest what was this…he responded, “Sister, the dirt is hard here…I can’t break it with my feet…I tried with my hands…your dirt is too hard!” I suggested he go into the house and lie down…he did. Now, Eric dramatizes this story everywhere using the dialect of our beloved guest.

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I don’t have bad days…I imagine them away as good vacation moments in England - JB

The Good Book compares laughter with medicine. Do you believe it? We should laugh hardily every day as we teach our children. It can be exciting. Here is a suggested list of fun activities: Road trips – singing as a family, watching Andy Griffith shows, I Love Lucy, (or whatever you think is funny), telling funny jokes and riddles Field trips- visiting the Zoo and watching the animals before

feeding time Cooking - As a family and listening to the Wee Songs or Amos and Andy, as well as cooking foods from other countries and listening to the music of these countries as you dance around the kitchen. Have you ever danced with your child? Movies - Watching a family- friendly, comedy movie together Building a project – I remember when my husband and sons were building a fence in our backyard. My son was being quite the “boy.” He wanted to nail as many boards as his older brother. So he decided to raise his hammer high to nail the last board for the day. He said, “Hey daddy, watch this…watch me nail my board so that the nail doesn’t bend in the wood.” As he came down with the hammer, it hit his hand so hard that he screamed and fell off the ladder. After my husband and son saw that he was fine, they laughed hysterically. Today, when the men of my family gather this is one of the stories they talk happily about. Let’s laugh more. It heals relationships and offers an opportunity for a relaxed environment in the home where everyone can feel at ease. There are many lessons that can be taught for fun. Whether you are facing good times or facing bad times, learning can be enjoyable for families. Get ready to celebrate the moments in life.

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Learning: The Light of the Leader On Sunday evenings we gathered for hymn singing, reading, and …the conversation moment. During this time we interacted in a more meaningful way. The children were invited to ask any question that was on their minds and hearts. Sometimes a child‘s concerns lay dormant until parents provide a loving atmosphere. As parents we should make moments like this happen…moments that are purposeful and definite. When this occurs, an alliance between the child and the parent is created. It’s a time to teach them to respect each other, a time for us to treat them with respect and dignity, and a time to share the timeless lessons of long ago. It is also a time to snuggle up and share family stories and traditions.

Press your children towards godliness for the good of your family - JB

Parents must be careful to teach their children about their relationship with God. We must teach them about the Heavenly Father because it will enable them to know their role in the home. We are the leaders of our homes, and it is our light that will lead them to greatness. May I suggest five things to add to your teaching tips repertoire:

Train them to be focused – Train them to know your heart and to be focused– create your family values (prayer, integrity, honesty, purity, excellence, courage, steadfastness) and instill them in your children, so that they will have a vision and a mission to defend. Training children to be focused keeps them centered. Train them to think for themselves – there are many voices in society and training children to think for themselves is crucial. Knowing their own hearts and minds requires direction from parents and others who support the family values. Train them to know discipline –Discipline strengthens children…it is good for the parents, it’s good for the child’s mind, and their bodies. It keeps children steady and centered. It brings with it an unmovable pose that young children need more of in this generation so that they can carry the torch.

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Train them to be joyful – these days joy must be taught. It must be embraced. It must be a priority. Many negative thoughts flood our children’s minds. However, lasting joy must be shared from a biblical prospective. Children should be inspired to do some tasks joyfully and without complaining. They will enjoy the benefits of joy…strength, endurance, and happiness. Our children must realize that as they listen and respect the counsel of their parents, until their maturity clicks, they will experience joie de vivre…the highest joy.

Love more Stay close Pray often JB

Train them to be honorable - tell them that sharp and quick obedience is a deposit for their future. Impress upon their hearts that goodwill and long life are synonymous to obedience, and that honor belongs to them for doing well.

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STEPPING STONES: The Tools You Need to Teach Your Child

DEFINING YOUR PURPOSE: Writing a Mission Statement Before you begin your journey of home education, I recommend that you compose a mission statement. For example: “This home is a center for learning that promotes the creative ability in children for excellence through hard work and leaves nothing undone.” Make it real for your children by modeling this as you go about your daily chores and activities. Let them see by your example that you make learning a part of your everyday life. Families need a clear vision for educating their children. Focus gives them a chance to be centered on a common goal You can go further by creating a mission statement that defines your family vision. You may want to pick a scripture verse that provides a basis for your vision. One family we know chose Isaiah 32: 2-4 “And each will be like a refuge from the wind and a harbor from the storm” with the I will not die until desire in mind that their home would become a harbor. Read everything God has your mission statement on a regular basis to help keep the big inside of me comes picture in view.

out for his purposes in my life - JB

Use color and visual displays to help the mission statement make a lasting impression on your child. You may want to even come up with a fun logo. You can put the logo up in your school room, use it to create family “stationery”, paint your logo on tshirts for the family, etc. Keep the mission statement as your motto by which you can “check” your progress. Is your family achieving the overarching goal that you set for yourself?

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MAKING A PLACE: Creating In Home Learning Centers One of the first things that I encourage every family to do is to create a center of learning in the home. This can be a separate room or as simple as a corner in the room. Creating a “family center” is our focus. You definitely don’t need to replicate the classroom. Create a space or an area out of your den, kitchen table, living room, or an extra room. You will need a few objects to get started; these items will create in both parent and child a high participation rate and direct involvement. Fill your area with unconventional learning tools…colors, plain paper, dictionary, thesaurus, globe, maps, flashcards, etc. Place books—all sorts—on an open table or shelves in eye-catching areas. Extend a gracious “let’s learn together” by placing a beautiful basket or bowl filled with colorful pencils, markers, rulers, scissors, etc. Find opportunities to place learnables in every area of your home. Hang photos or artwork of family members on the walls. Bring personal touches into your learning atmosphere. Your home center for learning should reflect We are at our best your love for beauty and your family. Also, in this center, you should have a table, excellent lighting, bookcases, and of course a chair for Mom (or Dad or both). This set up will enable parents to pursue home education with a greater sense of learning with their children. Creating an atmosphere in which to learn produces children with brilliant and bright minds, and it empowers parents.

when we are creating - JB

Learning together encourages harmony. When learning materials are custom-designed for simplicity, it radiates an appetite for learning. Also, an organized learning system is as crucial to educational success as creating the right learning environment. Let your children write love notes to each other and to you. For example, I wanted our family to send notes to each other about anything and everything. In our laundry room, I placed shoeboxes as mailboxes on a shelf, visible, so that we could write to each other or place love items in the boxes. This seemed like a good idea for me. So, on Sunday evenings, after dinner, we concentrated on our “mailboxes.” Each child decorated his or her box creatively, carefully putting their name of their box. They enjoyed this because it gave them an opportunity to express themselves privately. You want your children to see learning as a lifestyle, not simply a boring chore. When you provide a welcoming learning center within your home, you encourage your child to see learning as an integrated part of family life, rather than divorced from real life.

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CHOOSING YOUR STYLE: Designing a Curriculum You cannot go very far before making some determinations on what methods you will be using to teach your child. The rule of thumb in designing a curriculum is that it should create a relationship between the parent and child. The more interactive it is the more you get to know your child and vice-versa. When choosing a curriculum consider the difference between a good teacher and a great teacher. A good teacher follows the guidelines exactly and checks the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lessons to be sure of accuracy according to the teacher keys. A great teacher is guided by her heart and the connection with the child. She develops a course of study suitable for that particular child, tailoring the education to the specific needs of the child. Traditional textbooks approach employs textbooks and tests from publishers Work texts combine textbook information with exercises in consumable, write-in workbooks. Classical Approach emphasizes that children progress from memorization of facts and development of learning skills to advanced logical reasoning and expressive use of language. Critical thinking and analysis are involved in this process as well. A study of Shakespeare, classical books such as the Jane Austen series, the works of C.S. Lewis, and narrative studies of Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth may be incorporated with this method. Unit Studies use theme-centered modules that integrate information from several subjects. Unit Studies usually integrate social studies, language arts, creative writing, and literature. Books and Life Experiences can be rich sources of training materials. Other than the basic teaching, much learning comes through reading good literature and nonfiction books. (The above terms were adapted from my experience using the Christian Liberty Academy curriculum.)

Develop a Course of Study/Lessons Plans â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in your planning consider the ages of children, the subject matter being taught, the number of children that you are teaching, the learning styles your children find most effective, and the varying abilities or special needs of your growing children. Following is a list of core subjects which should be included in your learning program. Start with the most fundamental subjects, then add on as you are able.

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o English

o Poetry

o Science

o Music

o History

o Foreign Languages

o Mathematics

o Speech

o Reading

o Memorization Skills

o Spelling

o Computer Information

o Vocabulary

o Sports

o Biographies

o Business

o Reading Comprehension Skills

o Art/Sketching

o Writing

o Physical Education/Health o Volunteer service

o Literature

Other Resources: Family and Friends â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Family and friends are great resources. Our family often invited friends over to give our children a demonstration of their expertise. This gave our children the opportunity to learn something new. This also allowed our relatives and friends to have the chance to peek inside our homeschool environment. Hire Special Tutors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tutors can be valuable resources. There may come a time when you have to engage a tutor for some subjects such as math, music, science, foreign language, etc. This can be a good thing because you are still the primary educator. You are simply overseeing/monitoring another person as they come alongside and help you. Note: It is my opinion that young children should not be given a rigorous academic program until they reach seven years of age. Readiness is a major factor in evaluating curriculum for these children. There is an emphasis on phonics. Hands-on materials for mathematics like dominos, Math Wraps, and Math Mouse games are used to present math in concrete terms. Reading aloud to your young children is essential to the daily acts of your household. 51 | P a g e

MONITORING PROGRESS: Giving Standardized Tests Checking the progress of your child and your course of study assures that you are on target academically. Remember that you are the best evaluator of what your child has learned. Any test will only confirm your findings. However, you may wish to perform some of the following: Standardized Tests – Recommended annually. There are many testing options and many considerations to make when choosing a test. Should I choose someone else to administer my child’s test, should I give the test myself, which test should I administer, will it mirror my curriculum? Testing options include: CAT, Iowa, and Stanford. Weekly Spelling Tests – The four keys to accurate spelling are look at the word say the word spell the word say the word Daily Timed Reading Tests – Test for accuracy, fluency, comprehension, etc. Daily Timed Math Sheets – Test for accuracy and speed Daily Writing Sheets – Model writing for your child by writing thank-you cards and letters. Have your child narrate what he/she reads and encourage journal writing. As a part of my course training, my children had weekly math, spelling, language, and reading comprehension tests. We also tested them annually using a standardized test such as the CAT or the SAT. I wanted to know how they were doing aside from my basic educational program, and standardized testing provided an outlet for me. My children’s learning summary was not based on these tests, though. This act was basically for me. I wanted to know how they performed with another educational format.

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MANAGING TIME: Constructing a Schedule Everyone needs a schedule. Without a framework from which to operate, home education cannot be productive. Of course, the schedule must be held loosely – flexibility is a very important part of homeschooling. But flexibility with no set goals will end in chaos! Another crucial reason for having a schedule is discipline. Children need discipline – it strengthens them. In a naturally controlled atmosphere, children learn best because of the rigorous academic/behavior training that parents provide. It creates an environment for orderly conduct, and children welcome this as a part of their education. A schedule is determined based upon a consideration of the uniqueness of the teacher and the child(ren). Core learning is best introduced during the morning hours so that the afternoons are free to pursue creative interests. My schedule was quite early, but it allowed time to enjoy a full day: As a note: for children between the ages of three and five, I recommend one hour a day for disciplined study time (this is even suggested for children who are in public school), unless you decide to bring them home altogether, and then I recommend no more than four hours daily/four days weekly of instruction (depending on the age of the child). Here is a very basic outline of a schedule: 8:00 am – 12:30 pm – Core learning 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm – Lunch 1:00 pm – 3:00pm – Quiet Time (listening to music, reading a quiet book, sleeping, enjoying a quiet craft…alone) 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Dinner Preparation/Chore time 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Dinner time/clean-up 6:30 pm – Evening family time, early bed time, reading

Training your children to appreciate the “quiet time” hours will be challenging, but stick with it. The time you spend teaching your children to value this time will prove a worthwhile endeavor. 53 | P a g e

You may wish to limit the time that you participate in field trips. Usually, families schedule field trips on Fridays. Monday through Thursday can be designed for studying and home-life time. Field trips should supplement your course of study or relate to the interest of your children. In addition to your regular places of socializing such as libraries, church, neighborhoods, recreational activities, and music, dance, sports, etc., field trips should offer positive socialization for both you and the children.

Here is a more detailed breakdown of the “core learning” time: 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM 8:00 AM – 8:15 AM Mozart Breakfast Café I usually play Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on my CD/ tape player in the background. You can play music that is excellent and music that will produce creativity. Sometimes providing a small roll or biscuit is a good thing. Math Expert/Drill Sheets Memorization Handwriting Sheets Practice/Penmanship Sheets 8:15 AM – 9:00 AM Mathematics 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM Spelling/Vocabulary 9:30 AM – 10:05 AM Language 10:05 AM – 10:15 AM Break (suggestive break moments – walking outside in a safe environment; reading quietly; working a puzzle, etc.) 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM History and Science Biographies

11:00 AM – 11:15 AM Schubert’s Brunch Café Franz Schubert was a great composer. His music was quiet and imaginative. It will create in children the breeding ground for creativity. Children will become great thinkers and producers when they hear the music of this remarkable man. A quarter of an apple (any small finger vegetable or fruit) for the children to eat is helpful during this study session.

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Practice/Blank United States Map (locating and labeling the states and capitals) Reading Comprehension Sheets and answering questions 11:15 AM – 12:30 PM Music, Science, Art

After their main school is completed, your children should be responsible for some chores around the house. Here are some suggestions: 

sweep floor or porches



freshen powder room/small bathroom



prepare small lunch



clean all tabletops



empty wastebaskets in learning center and powder room/bathroom



clean inside windows



other learning center room chores

Other after school suggestions include: sports, music, crafts, dance, sewing, 4H groups, naptime. A well balanced schedule will include plenty of time for core subject areas, while providing your children with a substantial amount of free time. Note however, that this “free time” should not mean time to simply watch TV, or play video games. Free time is for constructive play. Encourage your children to go outside, to build projects, to read good books. Encourage them to pursue hobbies. Allow them to be creative and foster their ingenuity. Your schedule must also be workable for you as the teacher. You need to make time to spend with each student. Of course, you must also leave time in the afternoon during “quiet time” for planning and grading. Don’t allow the schedule to overwhelm you. If you find that your schedule is too demanding, stop and take the time to rearrange things. Don’t let your schedule control you. Follow the guidelines your have set, but learn to enjoy the flexibility you can have at home!

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PREPARING YOUR CHILD: Planning for College When my children entered college at the age of sixteen, they were prepared for the detailed and daily assignments from the college professors. I started them in a small college environment (junior college) to slowly adjust them to a lifestyle that would be different from what they were used to. Also, I wanted the professors to know them, and witness their excellent behavior as homeschool students, so that future homeschool students would have equal footing.

Teaching is like the ocean…it is an endless job - JB

You should be seriously thinking about college by the time your child gets to be twelve years old. You should be investigating the ACT, SAT, and PSAT. I say this very carefully…you may want to take a look at the requirements for high school graduation in your state. You should talk to your child about what they would like to study so that you can gear your student’s high school studies towards a focus for what they will study for college. You should tour the different options for college. You may also want to look into having your child test out of certain subjects – they can take CLEP and AP tests. However, you must check with the college your child will be attending to see what tests are accepted. Help your child to be prepared for the future.

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MAKING FRIENDS: What About Socialization? The question you will invariably hear when you mention homeschooling is: “What about socialization?” Good question! When my children were away from our home for eight hours a day, I wondered about the company that surrounded them. What were they learning? What habits were they catching from others? When they came home for the evening, my questions were answered. They were bickering, lazy, overeating, back-talking, etc. This was unacceptable to me. But we went along because we felt we did not have a choice. When we started to teach them at home, this behavior left, but it was a slow process. Other positive attributes took precedence. Socialization must be positive…it’s got to be! How do you feel about being socialized in a negative atmosphere? Do you want this for your children? We thrive on the positive moments in our lives, and so will our children. Our children were quite active in our local church. We also participated in community and sports events, as well as neighborhood activities. They participated in music and dance groups. I had to limit the running around, though. It almost weeded out academics. I knew that I had to find a balance. I was only one person, and I knew that I had to pace myself. I did not want to face being burned out, because I was in this for the long haul. In the end, socialization is not about having your children constantly around other children their own age, but rather it is about equipping your children to interact positively with everyone from adults, to peers, to little siblings. Socialization is much better-rounded than many people give it credit for.

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BROADENING YOUR CHILD’s HORIZONS: Teaching Your Children What They Need to Know Every child deserves a first class education…jburges

There are core elements to every child’s education, basic building blocks which ensure that they will be successful. It is a good idea for every parent to make sure that their child has a good understanding of the fundamentals of education. I have created a series of simple studies and worksheets designed to help you target certain important areas of study and to help you stretch your child’s knowledge about different people and their positive culture. There is a parent instruction page for each area of study. Then following there are student worksheet pages divided into three age groups: 6 -10, 10 -14, and 14-18. Please feel free to remove the pages and make copies - please make copies for your family only (remember the honor system please). Whether your child is in public or private school or you have chosen to homeschool, you can use these worksheets to help round out their education. On the one hand, these resources can serve as a supplement to simply give you the assurance of knowing that your child is mastering the basic subjects. You can give your children a few sheets to work on in the car, on a long trip, over the summer vacation, or work with them for 30 minutes in the evening. On the other hand, these studies can be expanded to comprise an entire core curriculum for your students. It is up to you how you use these resources in a way that will best complement your learning program! Always remember to monitor internet safety. Enjoy the moment!

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Broadening Your Child’s Horizons ENGLISH— Building a Basic Foundation for Life Use in conjunction with the English worksheets

One of the most basic skills that your child will be able to utilize throughout their life is a working knowledge of the English language! Broadly speaking, the study of English consists of: grammar/usage, dictionary and thesaurus usage, spelling, composition, creative writing, speech/public speaking, literature, as well as reading. We will deal with most of these subjects in a separate chapter. This chapter will simply be devoted to the nuts and bolts of English mechanics and usage. One necessary part of language skills is a study of sentence structure and a mastery of the rules for capitalization and punctuation. An excellent tool for teaching children proper capitalization and punctuation is the practice of dictation. Every day, or several times a week, dictate a paragraph to your child on their reading level. Have them write the paragraph as you dictate it slowly. Afterwards, go through it with them and correct all mistakes with a red pen. This practice will fix proper rules into your child’s mind through observation. Don’t worry…this can be a fun...try dictating passages from an exciting story book! Every child should also have a basic knowledge of the parts of speech. The Parts of Speech Worksheets are designed to serve either as a review, or as a jumpstart for your child to begin to differentiate between the parts of speech. You may have your child look up the definitions in the dictionary, or online, or you may need to provide a grammar handbook. If your child is not familiar with these terms, you should give them extra practice. Drill them on the parts of speech. Ask them to write a list of adverbs, verbs, etc. Have them read a paragraph and mark each part of speech—underline verbs with blue, nouns with red, adverbs with yellow, adjectives with green, etc. A third very important part of mastering the English language is vocabulary and spelling. Reading aloud to your children is one of the best ways to build vocabulary. Encourage them to ask you whenever you do not know the meaning of a word. When they do ask, do not simply provide the definition, rather require them to look the word up in the dictionary. Each of my children had their own dictionary and thesaurus. They knew how important it was to “look things up.” Spelling includes phonics, learning by sounding and separating syllables of words, mastering prefixes and suffixes, and studying rules for plurals and possessives. Spelling also includes antonyms, synonyms, homonyms, learning the origins of words, etc. The dictionary becomes a child’s cousin for everyday use. . Our children have shoeboxes of words written on 60 | P a g e

index cards. Whenever we were watching a show or riding in the car, this box was brought for added study. You can increase your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vocabulary with weekly spelling lists. You may want to keep a list of words your child misspells in their writing, as well as other age appropriate spelling words. Another excellent source is the list of 100 most commonly misspelled words (easily found online.) Have a list of spelling words that your child is expected to master each week. Use the Spelling Words Worksheet for effective ideas on how to help your child master his/her spelling words. Mastery of the English language is an essential part of providing our children with a first class education. We need to ensure that amidst the rest of their studies, we do not allow them to fall short of excellence in the areas of grammar and spelling!

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English Worksheetâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Parts of Speech

Ages 8-11

The following eight parts of speech help to define how words are used to form sentences in the English language. Please fill out the following worksheet and complete the story on the back. Noun Definition: List some nouns: Write a sample sentence (underline the noun):

Pronoun Definition: List some pronouns: Write a sample sentence (underline the pronoun):

Adjective Definition: List some adjectives: Write a sample sentence (underline the adjective):

Verb Definition: List some verbs: Write a sample sentence (underline the verb):

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Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Ages 8-11

List some adverbs: Write a sample sentence (underline the adverb):

Preposition Definition: List some prepositions: Write a sample sentence (underline the preposition):

Conjunction Definition: List some conjunctions: Write a sample sentence (underline the conjunction):

Interjection Definition: List some interjections: Write a sample sentence (underline the interjection):

Write a very short story. Use and underline an example of each of the eight parts of speech. Use a separate sheet if you need to.

My story

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Ages 12â&#x20AC;&#x201D;15

English Worksheetâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Parts of Speech The following six basic parts of speech can be broken down into more specific categories. Please fill out the following worksheet by writing a simple definition, then listing two to three examples. Nouns Common noun:

Proper noun:

Collective noun:

Compound noun:

Pronouns Define antecedent: Personal pronoun:

List first person personal pronouns:

List second person personal pronouns:

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Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Ages 12-15 List third person personal pronouns:

Pronouns Cont. Demonstrative pronoun:

Relative pronoun:

Interrogative pronoun:

Indefinite pronoun:

Adjectives Proper adjective:

Compound adjective:

Verbs Action verb:

Visible action verb:

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Mental action verb:

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Ages 12-15

Transitive verb:

Verbs Cont. Intransitive verb:

Linking verb:

Helping verb:

Preposition Compound preposition:

Conjunction Coordinating conjunction:

Correlative conjunction:

Subordinating conjunction:

Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011 66 | P a g e

All ages

Spelling Words Guidelines Using your spelling book, make a list of your spelling words for the week in your notebook, or use the list your parent has created for you Be sure to complete all of the following activities in your notebook Monday – Write all of your spelling words three times each in your notebook Tuesday – Look each spelling word in a dictionary, choose a meaning you understand, and write a definition for each word in your notebook

Wednesday – (1) Write a sentence for each of your spelling words, be sure to underline the word (2) write a paragraph using 5 of your spelling words (older children may use 10 words)

Thursday – Rewrite each of your words. Write the word, then look at it carefully, say it out loud, spell it out loud, then say it again. Do this for each word.

Friday—Spelling Test. Ask your mother, father, sibling or friend, to call your words out to you as you spell them. Make sure to note which words you spelled correctly, and which you did not. For those that you missed, add them on to the next week’s spelling list. Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011 67 | P a g e

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons MATHEMATICS – Taking it Step by Step When I was a student, mathematics made no sense to me. I didn’t like it and I didn’t want to like it. My first horrible experience was with long division. I was working this problem; it seemed as though I was about to come to an end. Then, you guessed it… there was another zero to be added. The problem went on and on. My paper tore and my work was messy because of too much erasing. I was depressed. My mind was closed and it did not open again until I started homeschooling my own children. Actually, this could have been a deterrent to my choice to teach my children, but their needs superseded my own inadequacies. Math is a very important part of a child’s world. In fact, a child’s future may depend on it. A consistent foundation in early mathematics builds a strong and quality path for mathematical concepts, computations, problems, etc. An excellent mathematics background should be incrementally established…line upon line, precept upon precept. Children should understand early how the concepts/disciplines of mathematics relate to each other. Vocabulary is very important in this subject. Children must know that until they learn a concept/discipline, and learn it very well, they will not move to the next one. This reassures a child’s confidence and it works. That’s why early involvement is essential. Mastery is key! At a very early age, involve your children (when appropriate) in your household work (sewing, building crafts, cooking, etc). An excellent mathematics textbook is necessary. I tried two different textbooks before I chose one. When you and your child learn an author’s presentation style, it adds to the child’s understanding of the subject. Children must see mathematics as a friend. Practice sheets should be given once a child learns a concept well (see www.saxonpublishers.com). These expert sheets reinforce your child’s memory of the discipline taught. Use these sheets when sitting, riding in the car, before bedtime, etc. Also time your children using Expert Sheets. They will like the chance to compete and improve their own performance. Following is a list of mathematical terms that your child should be familiar with. Take the time to work through the list making sure your child understands and can successfully perform each operation. As you equip your child with math make an honest effort to work alongside your child. This learning experience will serve as a successful tool for you and your child. 68 | P a g e

Ages 8-11

Math Terms Basic equations:

Give your child lots of practice with basic equations. Allow them to use simple math to solve practical problems around the house. Set up situations where they can put their knowledge into use. One idea is to set up a pretend “store” and have your children take turns serving as the cashier and adding up the “customer’s” bill. This is also a great time to teach your children about money. Also, have your children create a numbers chart. Make a multiplication and division chart and hang them on the wall for regular drilling. The best way to master basic equations is practice, practice, practice. Addition

Subtrahend

Dividend

Addend

Multiplication

Exchanging

Sum

Factor

Borrowing

Subtraction

Product

Regrouping

Difference

Division

Minuend

Quotient

Geometry: Teach your children to recognize shapes. Help to reinforce these terms by having your children draw and cut out shapes. Teach them to measure perimeter, area, and volume with real objects. Polygons

Hexagon

Obtuse angle

Triangle

Octagon

Parallel lines

Quadrilateral

Right angle

Perpendicular lines

Pentagon

Acute angle

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Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Ages 8-11

Measurements:

Teach your children all about measurements. Encourage them to use them on a regular basis. Make sure they know how to convert from metric to the English standard system. Meter

Kilometer

Area

Centimeter

Perimeter

Volume

Millimeter

Circumference

Additional terms: Make sure your child has a working knowledge of the following. Practice fractions in particular. Digits

Exact numbers

Denominator

Numerals

Decimal point

Numerator

Number line

Place value

Mixed numbers

Even numbers

Sequence

Whole numbers

Odd numbers

Fraction

Algorithm

Rounding numbers

Improper fraction

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Broadening Your Child’s Horizons SCIENCE—Understanding the World We Live In use in conjunction with the Fields of Science worksheets

The essence of all science is to know the Creator and to ask the questions concerning our contribution to make science practical... jburges Science is an important part of understanding the world we live in. Science presents a wide array of topics such as nutrition, biology, chemistry, astronomy, and botany. Children are encouraged to select subjects that they find thought-provoking. Biographies of great scientists complement science lessons with an emphasis on positive role models and character qualities. A study of great men and women like Bessie Coleman, George Washington Carver, Charles Drew, and Ben Carson can be rewarding for all children. Most children have a natural fascination with nature and how it operates. It is very important to keep their instinctive curiosity alive and to encourage them to dig deeper. I encouraged my children to do backyard science…insect research, planting a garden/flowers, and simply observing their surroundings. I also used this Fields of Science Worksheet as a very simple tool to encourage my children to take the next step towards engaging with science. Have your children complete a Fields of Science Worksheet for the list of fields of science (next page). It is a good idea to have them do a worksheet on each of the fields, and then encourage them to do a more in depth study about their favorite field of science. Encourage them to pull their information from a variety of resources including the dictionary, encyclopedia, internet, science books, etc. If the student is more advanced, ask them to list their resources for the worksheet. The Fields of Science Worksheet includes a line to identify a famous scientist in that particular field. This is a good place from which to jump start a more in depth study of the history of science. Encourage your children to study such figures as: Benjamin Banneker—Astronomy, Charles Drew—Medicine, Charles Henry Turner—Entomology, Edward Alexander Bouchet— Chemistry, Ernst Everett Just—Zoology, George Washington Carver—Botany, Philip Emeagwali— Mechanics, Tuskegee Airmen—Aeronautics, and many others. Get biographies of these great scientists and enjoy a family read aloud, or allow your children to read on their own at their own grade level.

Don’t forget that this is a great opportunity to do some kitchen science experiments and to take a few fieldtrips. Every child loves the chance to conduct an experiment! Get a hands on science book from the library, find something that applies to the particular field of science you are on, and get started! 72 | P a g e

Fields of Science to Research: Aeronautics

Geology

Agronomy

Ichthyology

Archeology

Mechanics

Astronomy

Medicine

Biology

Meteorology

Botany

Microbiology

Chemistry

Mineralogy

Ecology

Oceanography

Embryology

Petrology

Entomology

Physics

Environmental Science

Psychology

Geography

Zoology

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Fields of Science Worksheet

Suggested ages: 6-10

Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

SCIENCE FIELD:___________________________________________ What do scientists study in this field? Draw a picture illustrating what is studied in this field:

Name one famous scientist who worked in this field:

Do you think it would be interesting to be scientist in this field? If so, why? If not, why?

Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

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Fields of Science Worksheet

Suggested ages: 10-14

Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

SCIENCE FIELD:___________________________________________ Definition:

Explanation (please write a short paragraph describing this field of science):

List one or two interesting or important developments/discoveries made in this field: 1.

What do you find most intriguing about this field of science?

Famous Scientist in the Field:

Briefly describe the accomplishments of this scientist in his field:

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Suggested ages: 14-18

Fields of Science Worksheet Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

SCIENCE FIELD:___________________________________________ Definition:

Explanation (please write a short paragraph describing this field of science):

Explain what scientists laid the groundwork for this area of science and how it developed into a particular branch of science:

Describe the most recent developments made in this field:

Why is this field of science important?

Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011 76 | P a g e

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Broadening Your Child’s Horizons HISTORY – Putting the Pieces of the Puzzle Together

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Use in conjunction with the Influential People worksheets

Many have made this country great, Many will strive to keep in great…jburges History is an exciting subject! It is exciting because it can come alive. History is an adventure… it is about discovering the past and about putting together the pieces of a ginormous puzzle. Sadly, the way history is taught in most schools makes it appear to be just the opposite…a boring list of facts. Yet history is so much more than dates and dead people…it is a great story that helps us to make sense of the world we live in. It creates a backdrop for every other subject: art, music, science, even mathematics. History is therefore, not only one of the most fun subjects to teach, but also one of the most important ones. My son grew up loving history. He assumed the character of most of his historical heroes. He also created stories and asked friends and family about significant moments. This made history come alive! Our approach to history was simple. We studied who and what we found interesting. We created a timeline to teach black history, and integrated white history. This helped us to remember important dates. We also visited historical places and sites. Because we traveled often, we would pre-study the place, write the tourist department for information (some states sent special incentives), or call family and friends who lived in the areas to offer ideas. History was a part of our family. I think history should be taught like the Bible: Tell the good, the bad, and the ugly. In other words, tell the whole truth and tell it fairly. You can’t really teach about Abraham Lincoln and not teach about Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and others. They were all instrumental, used by God to shape that part of history. Their stories relate to each other. When I read about Frederick Douglass and his visits to see President Lincoln, I now understand the grave intimacy of their conversations regarding the enlistment and compensation to black soldiers who fought in the Civil War. I know the importance of Harriet Tubman leading the Underground Railroad, along with the courageous Quakers, who placed a light in their windows to signify safety. Through our studies we strove to highlight the remarkable achievements of African Americans. We also studied heroes like Sojourner Truth, Patrick Henry, Phyllis Wheatley, George Washington, William Lloyd Garrison, Thomas Jefferson, Susan King Taylor, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others. We sought to find examples of good relationships between 78 | P a g e

some African Americans and Europeans. We also wanted to know about the bad. We learned about the horrors of slavery, how evil it was for one human being to own another. We studied explorers, dates, and certain wars. We sought to get the big picture on what was going on and how all of the pieces fit together. You do not have to be a historical expert in order to help your children learn history. All you need are a few guidelines and some good books! I have created a very simple American Historical Figures timeline which highlight major players in some of the main periods of American history. You can use this list as a starting place. Choose a biography of one of these people that you can do as a family read aloud, or have your children read a biography on their own. Then have them complete an Influential People in History worksheet for each person. Your family will enjoy getting to know some of the great people in history! One particular person that I have highlighted in my course of study is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I created a questionnaire specifically about him. I encourage you to have your children complete the questionnaire. One other resource that I have created is the president profile. I suggest that you help your children get to know the history of our great country through learning about each of our presidents. This exercise is recommended for children ages 10-14. Have them work their way through the U.S. presidents, creating a worksheet for each one. In the end they will have created a very useful resource – a complete president’s notebook! History is a subject with great potential! Don’t settle for the traditional dates and facts approach…let history come alive! Allow your children to study the lives of the great people of the past. Let them delve into it enjoying such activities as dressing up, creating plays, doing projects. The possibilities are endless…be creative and enjoy creating your own history puzzle!

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American Historical Figures of Note This is an abbreviated list of some of the notable figures in the history of our country. The list is by no means extensive, but it is a simple starting place. Have your child complete a worksheet for the following people: American Revolutionary Era:

Civil War Era:

Abigail Adams

Abraham Lincoln

Benjamin Banneker

Frederick Douglass

Civil Rights Era:

Crispus Attucks

Harriet Beecher Stowe

John F. Kennedy

George Washington

Harriet Tubman

Malcolm X

James Forten

Robert E. Lee

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

John Adams

Susan King Taylor

Meager Evers

Napoleon Bonaparte

Ulysses S. Grant

Rosa Parks

Patrick Henry

William Lloyd Garrison

Ruby Bridges

Phyllis Wheatley

Jackie Robinson

Wilma Rudolph

Salem Poor

Progressive Era:

Sojourner Truth

Booker T. Washington

Thomas Jefferson

George Washington Carver

Modern Era:

Toussaint Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oveture

Robert Elliot Brown

Bill Cosby

Teddy Roosevelt

Collin Powell

Pioneer Era:

Condoleezza Rice

John and Charles Wesley

WWII Era:

Duke Ellington

Johnny Appleseed

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Joyce Carol Thomas

Richard Allen

Eleanor Roosevelt

Ronald Regan

Franklin D. Roosevelt Tuskegee Airmen

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Suggested ages: 6-10

Influential People in History Worksheet

Historical Person: ________________________________________ Born: ____________________Died:______________________ How many people did this person have in their family? Please list them.

What is one thing that this person liked to do as a child?

Name one interesting fact about this person:

What is one important thing that this person did in history?

Do you like this person? Why or why not?

Please use the space on the back to draw or paste a picture of this person

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Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Cont’d Suggested ages: 6-10

Influential People in History Worksheet Please draw or paste a picture of this influential person

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Suggested ages: 10-14

Influential People in History Worksheet Historical Person: ____________________________ Born: _____________________Died:__________________________ Birthplace:

Name one or two interesting facts about this person’s childhood:

List three to four character traits that could be used to describe this person:

What was going on in the world during this person’s lifetime?

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Cont’d Suggested ages: 10-14

Influential People in History Worksheet Why is this person a notable figure in history?

Overall did this person make a positive or negative contribution to history?

What is one lesson that you can learn from this person’s life?

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Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Suggested ages: 14-18

Influential People in History Worksheet Historical Person: _____________________________________ Dates: Birthplace:

Name one or two meaningful experiences that happened during this person’s childhood and explain how these experiences affected the rest of their life:

Name two to three of this person’s contemporaries:

What kind of education did this person have/how long did they spend in school?

What was this person’s worldview/belief system?

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Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Cont’d Suggested ages: 14-18

Influential People in History Worksheet What gifts or talents did this person have? How did this person make use of their gifts or talents?

Overall did this person use their abilities for their own glory, or to serve others?

How would history be different if this person had not been born?

What is one principle you believe you can learn from this person’s life?

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Suggested ages: 14-18

Questionnaire on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When was Martin Luther King born?

Where was Martin Luther King born?

What was the name of the famous speech of Martin Luther King?

Write one of your favorite lines from that speech:

When was Martin Luther King assassinated?

Who assassinated Martin Luther King?

How was Martin Luther King assassinated?

Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Continued on the back 87 | P a g e

Suggested ages: 14-18

Questionnaire on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d How did Martin Luther King make the world better for all Americans?

What have you learned from Martin Luther King and how can you be more like him?

Martin Luther King believed in being non-violent while fighting for the rights of Black Americans. How can you fight for your rights and still be non-violent, like Martin Luther King Jr.?

Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

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Suggested ages: 10-14

President Profile President: _______________________________________ Born: ____________________Died:______________________ Dates of Presidency: _______________________________ Party Affiliation: _________________________________ Vice President: ___________________________________ First Lady: _______________________________________ Name one important thing this president did:

List four (4) interesting facts about this president: Draw or print and paste a picture of this president

Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011 89 | P a g e

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons LITERATURE—Letting Literature Come Alive Use in conjunction with the Literary Study worksheets

In addition to the essentials of life, reading is the next best thing…j Burges The world of literature is a world just waiting to be explored. It is a world that has hills small enough for the youngest child to surmount and mountains great enough to challenge your most brilliant student. Literature has the ability to engage the mind on so many levels. It is a simple way to bring the family together, to build memories, and family inside jokes! Books that promote admirable family values can build character in your children and inspire them to live upright lives. It is important to feed your children a healthy diet of wholesome books. Someone has said, and I paraphrase, when a child enjoys a book, its ideas must make that sudden, delightful impact upon their mind, and it must cause that intellectual stir which marks inception of an idea. Children are starving for ideas that relate to their reality. Our children, as well as parents, must think on things that are lovely, honest, and of a good report. Great reading materials, qualitative and quantitative, are a natural way to feed our children’s minds. Here are some hints that will help your child to become a skilled reader. Let the child read to an adult. Have the child read along with a skilled reader. Have the child read to him/herself. Listen to quality books on tape, as well as record yourself reading to your child. Let your child see you reading. Reading comprehension skills will be learned and the child will find pleasure in his or her ability to read effectively. Reading was a normal routine in our home. During meal preparations, bath time, travel, and many other times, we took every opportunity to read. We stayed with it because we wanted to know the deep pleasure of reading great books. Someone has said, “when you read ten great books you have ten great teachers”. You will not regret spending time with your children and sharing the goodness of books. When reading a book out-loud, I asked the questions…who was the main character? Or how does the story end? Is the book interesting or not? We also taught them to understand the essential parts of the book…the characters, the plot, the setting, etc. We also researched the author. We wanted to know what could have inspired this book. Create a small library in your child’s room or centralized place in the home. The Parent Read Aloud Question worksheet is designed to give you simple questions that you can use to engage your children in dialogue about the books you read. Asking questions makes sure that they are getting the point, helps to reinforce what was heard, it also 90 | P a g e

build comprehensions skills. The more difficult questions encourage your children to interact with what they are reading and learn to integrate information in their brains. They encourage you to start discussions about meaningful topics. Another thing we required of our children, was that they write book reports. They were asked to include the following in their report: the identity of the book, the genre of the book, the setting, the plot, and an evaluationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;what they liked about the book and how it compared to other books. The literary study worksheets provide a great resource for helping your child develop an understanding of the different elements of literature. The worksheet is a simple place to start; you can build on it for longer assignments such as book reports or book reviews. On a side, note, I also required my children to write movie reports when we watched a particularly great movie. I have included the movie report worksheets at the end of this section. Of course the most essential element of great reading is great books! I want to help get you started with a few helpful suggestions. I have provided a list of some of my most beloved age appropriate books. I want to encourage you to not just introduce great books to your children, but to introduce the best books. Open up the world of classic literature to them.

Memorization and Speaking I wanted to mention the importance of memorization and speaking exercises for a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development. We gave our children weekly exercises to encourage diction and articulation, vocal expression, poise, and memorization. We used selective writings from historical documents such as the Preamble to the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, and George W. Carverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Duty for Children, and plays and poetry to instill character training. It is an excellent idea to have your children to memorize a passage from a famous book. After they have memorized it, let them present it to the family. This is an excellent way to develop poise and confidence. Critical Thinking Let me also make a note about the importance of critical thinking. Sometimes we question the wisdom of reading books to our children that present opinion/beliefs that are different from our own. However, as our children grow older, it becomes increasingly necessary for us to give them an understanding of different views and teach them how to evaluate them from a balanced perspective. We want to train our children in the art of critical thinking. We want to encourage them to not simply accept what they hear as fact, but to evaluate it and make judgments based on the truth. We wanted our children to know exactly what they believed and how to defend their beliefs. The most important thing is not what you read, but how you help your child to work through and evaluate it. 91 | P a g e

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons POETRY Poetry is a beautiful form of expression. Too often children do not grow up appreciating poetry. Often that is because we do not take the time to read enough of it to them! Let this list of some of my favorite poets and poems serve as an inspiration to start enjoying poetry with your children. Recommended Poetry: Alfred Lord Tennyson Alfred Noyes - “The Highway Man” (you may want to watch Anne of Green Gables to see her presentation of this poem) Ann Spencer Langston Hughes Maya Angelou - “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” Paul Lawrence Dunbar Phillis Wheatley Sir Walter Scott – “Lochinvar” Sojourner Truth - “Ain’t I A Woman” Here is a list of literary terms that every child should be familiar with at some point! Literary Terms: Conflict Dialect Metaphor Mood Personification Prose Quatrain Simile Sonnet Stanza Theme Tone 92 | P a g e

Literary Recommendations

All ages

Beginner Readers (Level One Reading Selections (Toddler-Kindergarten) 1) Frannie’s Flower by Ida DeLage 2) My Doll Keisha by Eloise Greenfield

Early Readers (Level Two Reading Selections (Ages 5-7) 1) A Bus of Our Own – Freddi Williams Evans 2) Abigail is a Big Girl! Are You a Big Girl Too? – Don Hoffman 3) Beatrix Potter – All Books – “Peter Rabbit” 4) Books by Janice May Udry: a) What Mary Jo Shared – Janice May Udry b) What Mary Jo Wanted c)Mary Jo’s Grandmother 5) Books by Misty Taggart: a) The Angel Academy: Runaway Angel – Misty Taggart b) Sister Stay Out c) The Razzleberry Rescue 6) Brown Angels (Poems) – Walter Dean Myers 7) Flossie and the Fox – Patricia McKissack 8) Ma Dear’s Apron – Patricia McKissack 9) Psalm Twenty-Three – Tim Ladwig 10) The Drinking Gourd - A Story off the Underground Railroad – F.N. Monjo 11) Wagon Wheels – Barbara Brenner

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Middle Readers (Level Three Reading Selections (Ages 7 – 9) 1) American Girl Short Stories – Connie Porter a) Addy Studies Freedom b) Addy’s Little Brother c) Addy’s Wedding Quilt d) High Hopes for Addy

2) Crispus Attuckus - Boy of Valor – Dharathula H. Millender 3) Mahalia Jackson – Young Gospel Singer – Montrew Dunbar

Intermediate Readers (Level Four Reading Selections (Ages 9 – 11) 1) Books by Mildred Taylor: a) Mississippi Bridge (N) b) The Friendship c) The Gold Cadillac 2) Famous Figures of the Civil War Era – Norma Jean Lutz a) Sojourner Truth – Abolitionist, Suffragist, and Preacher b) Frederick Douglass - Abolitionist and Author c) Harriet Tubman – Leader of the Underground Railroad 3) Sister Anne’s Hands – Marybeth Loubiecki 4) Trailblazer Series – Dave and Neta Jackson a) Defeat of the Ghost Riders b) The Runaway’s Revenge c) Journey to the End of the Earth

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Difficult Readers (Level Five Reading Selections (suggested ages 11 – 13) 1) Cynthia G. Williams (author) a) Enid and the Dangerous Discovery b) Enid and the Church Fire c) Enid and the Great Idea d) Enid and the Homecoming 2) Words by Heart – Ouida Sebestyan 3) Miles’ Song – Alice McGill 4) Night John – Gary Paulsen 5) Walking the Road to Freedom – A Story About Sojourner Truth – Jeri Ferris 6) Go Free or Die – Jeri Ferris 7) Adventures in the Caribbean 8) Papa’s Mark – Gwendolyn Battle-LaVert 9) American Girl History Mysteries – Evelyn Coleman a) Mystery of the Dark Tower b) Circle of Fire

Advanced Readers (Level Six Reading Selections (suggested ages 13 – 15) 1)

Dear America Series – Patricia McKissack a) The Diary of Clotee – A Slave Girl b) Color Me Dark c) The Journal of Joshua Loper – A Black Cowboy

2) Sounder – William H. Armstrong 3) Heroes of History Series – Janet and Geoff Benge a) Harriet Tubman – Freedombound 95 | P a g e

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

b) George Washington Carver – From Slave to Scientist 4) Courage to Run – A story based on the life of Harriet Tubman – Wendy Lawton

5) At Her Majesty’s Request: An African American Princess in Victorian England – Walter Dean Myers 6) The Slave Dancer – Paula Fox 7) Vision of Beauty – The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker – Kathryn Lascky 8) A Voice of Her Own – Phillis Wheatley – Kathryn Lascky

Mature Readers (Level Seven Reading Selections (suggested ages 15-18) 1) A Raisin in the Sun - Lorraine Hansberry 2) Everyday Use - Alice Walker 3) Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (and all other works by Jane Austen) 4) Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert (parental preview) 5) The Bouquet - Charles W. Chestnut 6) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare 7) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas 8) The Man Who Saw the Flood by Richard White 9) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (parental preview)

Biographies 1) Annie T. Malone – Story of Pride, Power, and Uplift – J.L. Wilkerson 2) Fannie Lou Hamer – Susan Kling 3) Frederick Douglass – Rachel Phillips 4) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass – Frederick Douglass 96 | P a g e

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

5) Harriet Tubman – Conductor on the Underground Railroad – Ann Petry 6) J.C. Watts – Norma Jean Lutz 7) M.C. Higgins – The Great - Virginia Hamilton 8) Mary Mcleod Bethune - Catherine Owens Peare 9) Matthew Henson – Arctic Hero – Sheldon N. Ripley 10) Paul Lawrence Dunbar – Black Poet Laureate – Pearl Henriksen Schultz 11) Samuel Morris – Lindley Baldwin 12) Sojourner Truth – Ain’t I A Woman? – Patrician and Frederick McKissack 13) Sojourner Truth – Peter and Connie Roop 14) The Slave Who Freed Haiti – Toussaint L’Ouverture – Katherine Scherman 15) The Story of Phillis Wheatley – Shirley Graham 16) Then Darkness Fled – The Liberating Freedom of Booker T. Washington – Stephen Mansfield 17) Up From Slavery – Booker T. Washington

Additional Resources

Literature figures to highlight: Alice Dunbar Nelson Booker T. Washington Eloise Greenfield Ida B. Wells-Barnett James Weldon Johnson (Lift Every Voice) W.E.B. Dubois

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Read Aloud Questions

All ages

Describe the setting of this story/or of this chapter. Would you like to live in that setting? What time period does the story take place in? What are some differences you can notice between that time period and the time we live in? Who are the main characters in this story? What good character qualities do the characters exhibit? What bad character qualities do the characters exhibit? How do the characters relate to each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;do they have good or bad relationships? Which character is your favorite? Why is that character your favorite? Is the story told in first person or in third person? Do the characters speak with an accent? What just happened in the story? Why did that happen? What do you think will happen next? What is your favorite part of the story so far? What worldview/belief system do you believe the author is writing from? What lessons do you believe the author is trying to communicate? What lessons can you learn from this story?

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Suggested ages: 6-10

Literary Study Fill in the questions below. Refer to the definitions on the back.

Name of the Work:___________________________________________ Year Published: Author: Describe the setting of the story:

Name the main characters in the story:

Who is the protagonist in the story?

Which character was your favorite and why?

List two to three traits that can be used to describe your favorite character.

Who was the antagonist in the story?

What was the conflict/problem in the story?

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What was the resolution?

Cont’d Suggested ages: 6-10

What is one thing you learned from this story?

__________________________________________________________________ Definitions: Picture a story as a play: there is a stage, actors, and the actions which take place. Setting: The setting is like the stage in a play. The setting is when and where the story takes place. Is it on a farm, in the city, on a boat, or in a house? Is the story set in America or in Russia? Did the story take place during the time of the kings and queens, or in modern times? The setting for Charlotte’s Web for example, is a barnyard in the country. Characters: The characters are like the actors in a play. They are the ones who perform the action in the story. Characters can be people or animals, or sometimes even plants or inanimate objects. Whoever is doing the talking in the story is always an actor. Some of the characters in Charlotte’s Web include Wilbur the pig, Charlotte the spider, Templeton the rat, and Fern, the girl. Protagonist: In a story there is usually one main character that the story focuses on—this character is called the protagonist. The action of the story revolves around this character. This character is usually good, or if he does not start out as good, he usually improves as the story continues. The protagonist in Charlotte’s Web is Wilbur the pig. Antagonist: In a story, the protagonist always faces a difficulty. This challenge is known as the antagonist. Usually the antagonist is a mean person who is working against the protagonist. Sometimes however, the protagonist is not struggling against another person, but rather may be fighting against disease, or bad weather, or bad circumstances. In Charlotte’s Web the antagonist is not a person or animal,. Wilbur is fighting for life, fighting against being killed as food. Plot: The plot is the action of the story. It is a basic summary of what happens in the story—what the story is all about. The plot of Charlotte’s Web is that a young pig is raised by a girl. When he finds out that he will one day be killed for food, he attempts to find a way to save his life. He is helped by a spider and with her aid is eventually able to save his life. Conflict: In the plot there is always a problem to be solved by the protagonist, The problem is known as the conflict. In the case of Charlotte’s web, the problem is how to keep Wilbur from being killed. Resolution: In a story, the resolution is the means by which the conflict is solved. How did the protagonist solve the problem that faced him? In Charlotte’s web, the resolution is that Charlotte the spider works to make Wilbur famous, and when he becomes famous, Zuckerman agrees to allow him to live. 100 | P a g e

Suggested ages: 10-14

Literary Study Fill in the questions below. Refer to the definitions on the back.

Name of the Work:___________________________________________ Year Published: Author:

Describe the setting of the story:

List the main characters in the story, and give a brief description of each, identify the antagonist and the protagonist (if there is one).

Give a detailed characterization of the protagonist:

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Cont’d Suggested ages: 10-14 Identify the perspective from which the story is told:

Name one theme of the book:

__________________________________________________________________ Definitions: First person point of view: the story is written from the perspective of one of the characters. The narrator of the story says such things as I and we. Third person point of view; the story is written from the perspective of someone outside of the plot. The narrator refers to the characters in the story as he, she, and they, never I or we. Third person objective point of view: the narrator tells the story from an objective point of view giving only the visible facts without adding the commentary of the characters’ thoughts and feelings. Third person limited point of view: the narrator tells the story, and includes the feelings and thoughts of one particular character, thus the story is told from the perspective of one of the characters. Third person omniscient point of view: The narrator tells the story from outside of the plot, the narrator knows and can convey all of the characters’ thoughts and feelings. Theme: A theme is an idea that is woven throughout a story. It may be a lesson the author is clearly trying to convey—such as loving others, or valuing your roots. It may be a feeling that continues to surface—loneliness, rejection, ambition. At the end of the day, it is the impression that the author wishes for you to take away.

Use the following definitions to complete the final worksheet: Rising Action: The rising action is the action which takes place prior to the climax and builds up to the climax. Climax: The climax is the point in the story when the conflict reaches the most agitated point and from there begins to progress towards a resolution. The climax marks a turning point in the story where everything goes from being unsettled and slowly things begin to come together. Once you begin to reach the solution, you know you have gone too far, and the climax is just before. Dénouement: [denuˈm ] denouement is a French word that means untie or undo, it denotes the action that takes place after the climax of a story. The denouement includes the events that lead to the resolution of the conflict. 102 | P a g e

Cont’d Suggested ages: 10-14

Literary Study

Dénouement

Falling Action

Climax

Rising Action

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Please complete this plot diagram, by writing a brief description of the events of the story and arranging them along this diagram. Write along vertical lines as shown above.

Suggested ages: 14-18

Literary Study Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

Name of the Work:_____________________________________________________ Year Published: Author:

Describe the historical setting for the story:

Identify the protagonist:

List the good and bad character traits exhibited by the protagonist.

Describe the conflict facing the protagonist.

What lessons does the protagonist learn throughout the book?

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Cont’d Suggested ages: 14-18

Literary Study What worldview does the author promote/give credence to through the story?

How does the author’s work reflect the prevalent worldview and philosophy of his day?

What events from the author’s life/childhood had an impact on his writing?

What is the main take home point that you believe the author wishes to convey through this story?

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Suggested ages: 6-10

Movie Report Name of the Movie:___________________________________________ Producer:

Describe the setting of the movie:

Name the main characters in the movie:

Which character was your favorite and why?

List two to three traits that can be used to describe your favorite character.

Write a description of your favorite scene in the movie:

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Suggested ages: 10-14

Movie Report Name of the Movie:___________________________________________ Producer:

Describe the setting of the movie:

Name the main characters in the movie and give a brief description of each:

Give a detailed characterization of the protagonist

Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011 107 | P a g e

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Suggested ages: 10-14

Movie Report

Summarize the plot of the movie:

Identify and explain at least one theme in the movie:

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Suggested ages: 14-18

Movie Report Name of the Movie:___________________________________________ Producer:

Briefly describe the historical/cultural setting of the movie:

Identify the protagonist:

Describe the way in which the protagonist is portrayedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is he seen as a hero or an underdog? How does his role in the plot emerge?

Summarize the plot of the movie in three sentences or less:

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Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Suggested ages: 14-18

Movie Report Identify and explain at least one moral/theme that you believe the producer wanted to convey:

Was there any element in the movie that you believe promoted an incorrect worldview? Please explain:

How was family portrayed in the movie?

Name one thing about the movie that particularly stood out to you:

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Broadening Your Child’s Horizons COMPOSITION—Learning to Communicate Powerfully

If we want our children to be able to impact the world they live in, we must equip them in the art of powerful composition. The written word is one of the most effective means of communication. The most successful techniques for teaching writing is quite simply to have your children write! Require them to write something at least once a week. The writing assignment can be simple: a thank you card, a journal entry, copy work, or a book report on a library book. Or for your older children, it can be more involved. You may have them work on a lengthy research paper that is due over a number of months. Our older children were expected to complete two research papers each year. They also completed one biography a month; completing outlines, essays, narration, journalizing, and storytelling were also expected. Encourage your older children to learn how to create a properly annotated bibliography. They can easily look up the rules for creating a bibliography online. Encourage them to make use of quotations and references in their papers...this will be great practice for college. Don’t forget to include a healthy mix of creative writing. Every child needs an outlet for their endless creative ideas. Let your little ones make “books” and illustrate them. Encourage your older children to do longer pieces. A great idea is to have them write stories for their younger siblings! Introduce your child to all different forms of writing and assist them in discovering the means by which they can communicate most effectively! Composition Checklist: Make sure that your child has completed at least one assignment in each of the following categories 

Book Report



Persuasive Essay



Creative Story



Interview



Essay



Research Report

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Broadening Your Child’s Horizons GEOGRAPHYVenezuela – Getting to Know our Neighbors Use in conjunction with the Country Profile worksheets

Our world is home to the most amazing display of diversity. Every single one of the 196 countries in the world has its own unique culture expressed in its food, architecture, music, holidays, traditional costume, and so much more. It is important that we teach our children to understand and appreciate the beauty and richness of the cultures of the world. The Country Profile Worksheet is a simple tool that can be effectively used to broaden your child’s understanding of the world. It gives them an opportunity to learn a few important facts about each country and to draw the country’s flag. Please see the following starting list of major countries in the world. If you are interested, please also see the complete list of the countries in the world. Though you may choose to allow your children to work through the list of countries on their own, it is also a great idea to make this a family project. Get books from the library that have pictures of the country. Make a big flag for each country you study. Try a recipe or make a traditional costume. Celebrate a national holiday! Learn a few words in the native language. Have a “Mozambique day”, an “Egyptian day”, a “Spanish day,” etc. where you celebrate a certain country. Another excellent idea is to ask your children to use their Country Profile Worksheet to give a brief report at the dinner table. This will give them opportunity to learn to speak and share and will also serve to cement the information in their minds. The possibilities are endless and your children will find great fun in learning about our wonderful world!

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Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Countries to Study Starter List

Use in conjunction with the Country Profile worksheets

Afghanistan Algeria Angola Argentina Australia Austria Botswana Brazil Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Columbia Congo, Democratic Republic Cote dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ivoire Cuba Djibouti Ecuador Egypt Ethiopia Finland France Gabon Germany Ghana Greece Guam Guinea Haiti Honduras Hong Kong

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Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Japan Kazakhstan Kenya Korea, North/South Liberia Libya Malaysia Mali Mauritania Mexico Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Nigeria Pakistan Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia

Senegal Sierra Leone Singapore Somalia South Africa Spain Sudan Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Turkey Uganda Ukraine United Kingdom United States Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zimbabwe

7 Continents North America South America Europe Asia Australia Africa Antarctica

Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Countries to Study Complete List

Use in conjunction with the Country Profile worksheets

Costa Rica

Afghanistan Akrotiri

Botswana

Cote d'Ivoire

Albania

Bouvet Island

Croatia

Algeria

Brazil

Cuba

American Samoa

British Indian Ocean Territory

Cyprus

Andorra

British Virgin Islands

Czech Republic

Angola

Brunei

Denmark

Anguilla

Bulgaria

Dhekelia

Antarctica

Burkina Faso

Djibouti

Antigua and Barbuda

Burma

Dominica

Argentina

Burundi

Dominican Republic

Armenia

Cambodia

Ecuador

Aruba

Cameroon

Egypt

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Canada

El Salvador

Australia

Cape Verde

Equatorial Guinea

Austria

Cayman Islands

Eritrea

Azerbaijan

Central African Republic

Estonia

Bahamas, The

Chad

Ethiopia

Bahrain

Chile

Europa Island

Bangladesh

China

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Barbados

Christmas Island

Faroe Islands

Bassas da India

Clipperton Island

Fiji

Belarus

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Finland

Belgium

Colombia

France

Belize

Comoros

French Guiana

Benin

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

French Polynesia

Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Congo, Republic of the

French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Cook Islands

Gabon

Coral Sea Islands

Gambia, The

Gaza Strip

Jordan

Montserrat

Georgia

Juan de Nova Island

Morocco

Germany

Kazakhstan

Mozambique

Ghana

Kenya

Namibia

Gibraltar

Kiribati

Nauru

Glorioso Islands

Korea, North

Navassa Island

Greece

Korea, South

Nepal

Greenland

Kuwait

Netherlands

Grenada

Kyrgyzstan

Netherlands Antilles

Guadeloupe

Laos

New Caledonia

Guam

Latvia

New Zealand

Guatemala

Lebanon

Nicaragua

Guernsey

Lesotho

Niger

Guinea

Liberia

Nigeria

Guinea-Bissau

Libya

Niue

Guyana

Liechtenstein

Norfolk Island

Haiti

Lithuania

Northern Mariana Islands

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Luxembourg

Norway

Macau

Oman

Holy See (Vatican City)

Macedonia

Pakistan

Honduras

Madagascar

Palau

Hong Kong

Malawi

Panama

Hungary

Malaysia

Papua New Guinea

Iceland

Maldives

Paracel Islands

India

Mali

Paraguay

Indonesia

Malta

Peru

Iran

Marshall Islands

Philippines

Iraq

Martinique

Pitcairn Islands

Ireland

Mauritania

Poland

Isle of Man

Mauritius

Portugal

Israel

Mayotte

Puerto Rico

Italy

Mexico

Qatar

Jamaica

Micronesia, Federated States of

Reunion

Jan Mayen

Moldova

Romania

Japan

Monaco

Russia

Jersey

Mongolia

Rwanda

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Saint Helena

Swaziland

Venezuela

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Sweden

Vietnam

Saint Lucia

Switzerland

Virgin Islands

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Syria

Wake Island

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Taiwan

Wallis and Futuna

Tajikistan

West Bank

Samoa

Tanzania

Western Sahara

San Marino

Thailand

Yemen

Sao Tome and Principe

Timor-Leste

Zambia

Saudi Arabia

Togo

Zimbabwe

Senegal

Tokelau

Serbia and Montenegro

Tonga

Seychelles

Trinidad and Tobago

Sierra Leone

Tromelin Island

Singapore

Tunisia

Slovakia

Turkey

Slovenia

Turkmenistan

Solomon Islands

Turks and Caicos Islands

Somalia

Tuvalu

Australia

South Africa

Uganda

Africa

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Ukraine

Spain Spratly Islands Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard

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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu

7 Continents North America South America Europe Asia

Antarctica

Suggested ages: 6-10

Country Profile Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

COUNTRY NAME:___________________________________________

Continent:

Capital:

Weather/Climate:

National/Exotic Food:

Name one interesting fact about this country:

Draw a picture of this country’s flag in the box below

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Country Profile

Suggested ages: 10-14

Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

COUNTRY NAME:___________________________________________ Continent: Capital: Official Language: Population: Currency (Money): National Holiday (if there is one): National/Exotic Food:

List four interesting facts about this country: 1.

2. Draw a picture of the country’s flag in the box

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Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Country Profile

Suggested ages: 10-14

Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

COUNTRY NAME:___________________________________________ Continent: Capital: Official Language: Dominant Religion: Currency (Money): National Government (describe the type of government that is in place):

The current leader of this country:

When did this country become a country?

Describe one to two important factors that have influenced the development of this country:

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Cont’d Suggested ages: 14-18

Country Profile Describe one to two distinctive cultural characteristics of the people of this country: (habits, mannerisms, living styles, character traits, etc.):

Draw a picture of this country’s flag in the box below

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Broadening Your Child’s Horizons ART - Creating a Passion for Beauty Use in conjunction with the Art Profile worksheets

Art adds a color and richness to our everyday experience of the world. The artist has the ability to see things from a different perspective … to recognize the beauty in the ordinary mundane things of life. This unique perspective on life is also one which children share. Children see the world as beautiful and catch the wonder of things that we as grownups simply take for granted. Encouraging your child to study art will help them to continue to engage them in seeing the poetry in the world around them. Art is important not only as a part of our lives, but as a part of history. The history of art is a fascinating study. Understanding the major artists of the past and their crowning works will equip your child to have a better understanding of our culture. The Art Profile is designed as a basic tool to use either at home or during a tour of museum. It is a great fieldtrip idea to take your students to an art museum and allow them to fill out an Art Profile on two or three of the most important or interesting paintings in the museum. However, you don’t have to visit a museum to use this tool. You can also get a book of famous paintings and allow your children to study the pictures and complete the profile sheets from there. You may want to also set a focus on a particular artist. Choose from the list of some of the great African American artists below. Have your child complete a profile sheet on a number of the artists main works and see how the elements, themes, and feelings run throughout. Don’t forget to encourage your child to make their own art. Have them create a painting or drawing in the style of the artist. Encourage them to hand their pictures up in their rooms, or to give them away as gifts. Famous African American Artists: Augusta Savage Edmonia Lewis Edward Bannister Henry Ossawa Tanner 124 | P a g e

Jacob Lawrence Palmer Hayden Robert Duncanson Sam Gilliam

Suggested ages: 6â&#x20AC;&#x201D;10

Art Profile Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

Name of the Painting:___________________________________________ Artist: What do you see in this painting? Do you see any people in this painting? Do you see any animals in this painting? Do you see any buildings in this painting? What colors are in this painting? What do you like about this painting?

Draw what you see in the painting

Broadening Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Suggested ages: 10—14

Art Profile

Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

Name of the Painting:___________________________________________ Artist: What do you see in this painting?

What is the main focus of the painting? If people are in the painting, what are they doing? Close your eyes—describe as many details of the painting as you can from memory How does the artist use light/dark in his work?

What feeling does the artist create?

What would you describe as the artist’s style? Make your own simple sketch of the painting (you can draw on the back if you wish)

Create a list of words that describe this painting:

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Art Profile

Suggested ages: 14—18

Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

Name of the Painting:___________________________________________ Artist: Year the painting was completed: What do you see in this painting—list some of the main features

What are the dominating characteristics?

What is the main focus of the painting?

What draws the viewer into the painting?

Describe the scenery of the painting:

Notice the position of the objects. How does it affect what you see in the picture?

Close your eyes—describe as many details of the painting as you can from memory

How does the artist use light/dark in his work?

How does the artist use color in his work?

What feeling does the artist create?

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Cont’d Suggested ages: 14-18

Art Profile continued Digging Deeper: How would you describe the artist’s style ?

Can you think of another painting by a different author that reminds you of this one?

What artistic style does this painting reflect, is it characteristic of the time period?

What is your overall impression of this painting?

Make your own simple sketch of the painting

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons MUSIC – Introducing a Wonderful World Use in conjunction with the Musician Profile worksheets

“Truly there would be no reason to go mad if it were not for music” Tchaikovsky

When my husband and I began to oversee the education of our children, one of the subjects that we wanted them to learn was music. I come from a musical background. My father was a gospel singer and the old hymns he sang were continually wafting through the house. That atmosphere of music had a huge influence on me. I knew from the time I was very young that I wanted to be a singer. From my experience in gaining a passion from my father, I knew as a mother I wanted to share this gift with my children. Music is a very broad discipline and can be considered on three different levels. First of all: the level of recognition and admiration. Every child should be given an appreciation of the dynamic beauty and expression of classical music. It is very important that we pass onto our children the value of the timeless genres of music such as the deep negro spirituals, the old hymns, and jazz. If our children do not glean from the richness of real music, they will live in the shallowness of what the pop culture has to offer. In addition, it is critical that we teach our children about the important contributions made to music by black composers and performers. It is our job to ensure that their influence is not forgotten or overlooked. It is with these goals in mind - providing your children with an appreciation of classical music and of the black heritage in music - that we have created our Musician Profile Worksheets and our lists of great composers. This is a great way to introduce your child to the amazing world of classical music. The second level of music is the level of basic musical training. Music is a very powerful tool that enhances brain development. Many studies have proven that having your child listen to classical music while they are doing school can enhance their performance. Giving your child basic training in music including rhythm, tempo, and tones can also assist them in developing in other mental areas. It is advisable for each of your children to take at least two years of some sort of music lessons to gain this basic understanding of music. You can start them out with a teaching tape from a local library.

The third and final level of music is the level of developing the musical artist in your child. If your child proves to have a musical talent, it is wise to encourage and support this gift. Let me offer you a few tips to encourage your developing musical child with. Encourage them to: 1. Recognize that they have been given a gift 2. Recognize that this gift was handed down from a great God who trusts them 3. Recognize that this gift creates a platform for them to serve those around them 4. Recognize that as an artist, they have the ability to use their music to convey a message to

othersâ&#x20AC;Śto strike an meaningful emotional chord within them 5. Recognize that they should deepen their experience by being open to a wide range of musical

genres while maintaining musical integrity 6. Recognize that through confidence and hard work with purpose they can be a great artist for the

glory of God

Music is a powerful and amazing tool for broadening your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s horizons. Giving your child an introduction to music is as simple as going to the library, picking up a few cds of classical music, and taking them home to play. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let your child miss out on the wonderful world of music!

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons African American Composers and Musicians Use in conjunction with the musician profile

This list is adapted from the list: Composers of African Descent found on africlassical.com Please check their website for more information on.

Composers: Adolphus C.Hailstork Akin Euba Alain Pierre Pradel Amadeo Roldan Arthur Cunningham Charles Lucien, Sr.Lambert Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson

R. Nathaniel Dett Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Samuel Ekpe Akpabot Scott Joplin Tania Leon Ulysses Simpson Kay William Grant Still William Levi Dawson

Edmond Dede Edward K. "Duke"Ellington Eleanor Alberga

Musicians: Aaron Paul Dworkin

Fela Sowande

Celso Machado

Florence Beatrice Smith Price

Francis "Frank" Johnson

George Theophilus Walker

George AP Bridgetower

H. Leslie Adams

Girma Yifrashewa

Hale Smith

James DePreist

Henry Thacker Burleigh

John Blanke

Ignatius Sancho

Nokuthula Ngwenyama

Irene Britton Smith

Paul Freeman

James Price Johnson

William H. Chapman Nyaho

José Mauricio Nunes Garcia José Silvestre White Julio Racine Julius Penson Williams Justin Elie Justin Holland

Opera Singers: Denise Graves Jessye Norman Kathleen Battle Leontyne Price

Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges Leo Brouwer

Spiritual Performers:

Lucien-Leon G., Jr. Lambert

Mahalia Jackson

Ludovic Lamothe

Marian Anderson

Margaret Allison Bonds Michael Mosoeu Moerane Mzilikazi Khumalo

Jazz Performers: Louis Armstrong

Occide Jeanty

Scott Joplin

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Suggested ages: 6-10

Musician Profile Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

Name of the Musician/Composer:__________________________________________ Dates of Musician’s Life:

Where did this musician live?

When did this musician began to write or perform music? (at a young age, or later in life?)

Name one song composed or performed by this person: Draw or print and paste a picture of this musician Listen to music written or performed by this musician. Describe what it sounds like to you:

Do you like this musician’s music? Why or why not?

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Musician Profile

Suggested ages: 10-14

Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

Name of the Musician/Composer:__________________________________________ Dates of Musician’s Life: Birthplace: What was this musician’s childhood like?

How did this musician start his career?

Draw or print and paste a picture of this musician Was this musician famous during his lifetime?

Name some of the musician’s greatest works:

What is your favorite piece composed or performed by this musician and why?

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Musician Profile

Suggested ages: 14-18

Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

Name of the Musician/Composer:__________________________________________ Dates of Musician’s Life: Birthplace:

What was going on in the world during this musician’s lifetime? How did those event affect his music?

What motivated this musician?

What musical era is this musician considered to be a part of: (classical, baroque, etc.) ?

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

Cont’d Suggested ages: 14-18

Musician Profile Fill in the questions below. Use a blank sheet if you need more space.

What is one of this musician’s most famous pieces? Was this piece acclaimed during his lifetime, or only after his death?

Describe some of the distinctive characteristics of this musician’s music:

Draw or print and paste a picture of this musician

What lasting impact did this musician leave on the musical world?

Broadening Your Child’s Horizons Copyright by Joyce Burges Updated June 6th, 2011

CONCLUSION

Give children a vision of your family. As parents we need the proper tools in order to win our children’s hearts. They will be tested, how long we do not know, only God knows. So they must be secure in their identity knowing they are made in the image of God. Then they must know that God’s legacy is serious business and that their role in God’s legacy is crucial. Remember the curriculum tools must mirror God’s values and teachings. Discipline, focus, and accuracy are key. But you must be deliberate in your choices of curriculum to win. We’ve got to teach them with proper tools. In my opinion we have sixteen good years to sow into our children’s hearts a love for God, family and kingdom business. Do not rush…consistency and persistency will surely win. Do not let fear be your guide. With repetition (which is second nature to children) of daily prayer over and over again we will succeed. When raising a family take your time and take sufficient care. Be calm and remember that you are God’s chosen parents. We all must consider the good of the children. We want to train them from the womb to the world, from diapers to dedicated citizens, from children to mature adults, to be the best that they can be.