We all get to this level if we stick to it long enough! No need to have fear! We have many of our Take Root Writers that are actually homeschooling highschoolers right now or have already finished! We will all be posting encouragement, helpful information and links. Be sure to meet us over at our Community Area to talk and share even more!
By, Homeschooling Moms of Take Root and Write Category Posting with vary
"Read this one, please," Katie Beth's chubby hands held the book up to me. I adjusted Julianna who had finished nursing and was asleep on my lap. I opened the lovely Christmas picture book and began to read aloud. Katie Beth and I smiled at each other and the baby slept peacefully.
Fast forward 20 years. My baby is a grown up lady. Katie Beth and my third baby, Jenny Rose, are cuddled up on the couch reading Anne of Green Gables aloud. They have both read the book several times, but there is something wonderful about reading a good book together aloud.
This summer I went to visit my aunt with two of my daughters. The four of us enjoyed an Agatha Christie short story together. We took turns reading aloud. My aunt wrote me a note the next week about how much she had enjoyed that sweet time reading aloud together.
What is it about reading aloud that is so wonderful? Is it the story? Is it the sound of someone you love reading aloud? Or is it the sense of togetherness? There are several Christmas picture books out there. Which are the best for reading aloud?
Cranberry Christmas by Wende and Harry Devlin is a Christmas story set in Cranberry Port, New England where the winter is filled with snow, ice skating, and treats made with cranberries (like the cranberry cookie recipe on the back cover of the book). Meet Grandma and Maggie who help eccentric Mr. Whiskers prepare for a visit from his sister and fight to keep his property. A sweet Christmas tale and a great recipe! My children loved this book and there are great examples of kindness and friendship inside. Quaint pictures add to the delight of the book. I love the drawings of Mr. Whiskers!
One Wintry Night by Ruth Graham Bell shares the message of the Gospel. Lovely illustrations bring the story alive. Well, it is really two stories intertwined. We meet a mountain boy named Zeb who gets lost during a snowstorm. The kind lady, who takes him in and cares for him, tells him the story of Christmas, beginning with Creation. For two whole days while Zeb waits for the blizzard to end, he is immersed in the beautiful story of salvation. What a lovely book! This is a long one, though, and will require a long time to read it or two days of reading aloud.
"I want to make a clothspin angel," Hannah chirped.
"Wait, let's make the folded stars. They look cool," Mark pleaded with his mom.
"I'd rather make the snowflakes," Brad said quietly. The whole family remembered last Christmas when the family room was filled with paper snowflakes of different colors, provided by Brad.
"We are going to make a different project every day for the month of December," Mom began, patiently. The four of them were leafing through their new E-book.
Visual Manna's Christmas Holiday Arts and Crafts by Rich and Sharon Jeffus is a treat for homeschooling families. Visual Manna has long been supplying art curriculum for home educators with a wide variety of art and crafts.
I received this book free when I attended the Ultimate Homeschool Fall Expo online conference. What a blessing the entire conference was with its focus on keeping Christ in Christmas and making the holidays stress-free. Speaker after speaker challenged and equipped homeschooling families to keep Christmas Christ-centered.
Speaking of keeping Christmas Christ-centered, this e-book proved to be more than a little "thank you for coming" gift. Though the cover said Christmas in big letters, the book was filled with craft ideas for all the holidays from a Christian perspective.
In the introduction, celebrating Christmas with the arts is addressed. Art appreciation is a wide open field. There are many lovely paintings from different time periods, styles, and artists that display the nativity scene. Baby Jesus, his mother, Mary, and earthly father, Joseph, are depicted over and over in art. There is something so fragile and beautiful about the King of Glory laying aside His Splendor to become a man, a baby boy. Several paintings are mentioned, including The Nativity by Boticelli and The Presentation in the Temple by Rembrandt.
Have you ever wondered if children can build their own websites? Well, they can! With Web Design for KIDS (and Curious Grown-Ups), this DVD will not only teach your children how to research and gather information, but also build a website with confidence and ease.
Even though it took months for me to finally watch and review this DVD (because I felt so technologically-challenged), I wished I had watched it sooner. It was easy-to-understand and enjoyable to watch.
The host and web designer teacher, Brian Richardson was easy-going and personable. I couldn't help but like him. There are also two children in the video who help Brian with the teaching by asking questions and making comments. (I was thankful they asked questions, because they were the same ones on my mind too!)
The quality of the video is great. Captions flash across the screen when Brian makes important points. And when he explains how to do something on the computer screen, his screen fills the television so that we know exactly what he's describing. Brian shows where to point your mouse and when to click. It is so easy, you can't help but feel like he's speaking directly to you.
"But that's not what John Adams said in the Federalist Papers," my daughter interrupted my reading from a history textbook.
"No, it isn't," I agreed pulling off my reading glasses and looking her in the eyes.
Wealth of the Nations, The Federalist Papers, The Communist Manifesto, Plimouth Plantation, and The Prince are all quoted in textbooks. More, often than not they are attributed with content that is not really there. That is why, if we truly want to be educated, we must read original works, rather than rely on what history and science textbooks say about these works. So, where do we begin? What books and writings should we add to our homeschool curriculum?
Most of these books and writings can be obtained online for free. Because they are so old, they are public domain.
The Prince by Niccoli Machiavelli has been read by conquerors and leaders for centuries by those who rule kingdoms and by those who rule businesses. It is a guide to conquering and subduing nations written in the early 1500's. This book on political power was written in a time and place (Florence, an Italian City-State) of great political upheaval and unrest. It teaches a Prince how to obtain and maintain his rule and reign with a focus on the end justifying the means.
This book is a great way to understand why rulers that followed did what they did, as well as great insight into the Renaissance mindset. It is not difficult to read, but will shock you at times. It changed the way the world thinks, moving rulers away from a "duty to God and goodness" to pragmatism.
This is a great book to read in a Great Books Class or a World History Class during high school.
"There's a new government curriculum that I thought about using instead, but I just decided to stick with the one I've always used. I already have lesson plans to teach it," my friend, Katie shared.
I nodded my head, knowing how hard it is to make lesson plans for your own family and lesson plans for a coop as well. But my sniffer had perked up too. "Government curriculum?" I asked.
Katie laughed, knowing my love for books and curriculum.
You see, I have a hard time finding a government curriculum that I like. I want something from a Christian perspective that isn't dry and boring. I want something that talks about the Founding Fathers and the dreams they had for our nation. But, I also want something that gives my kids a practical overview of how government works and how they can participate.
Do government textbooks have to be dry? Can they give us the facts and still be interesting. I have found a curriculum that I love. In fact, I enjoyed the book,The 5000 Year Leap so much that I asked my husband to read it. Now I can't get the book back from him. He is planning to teach a class for church using the curriculum. So in the Curtis household, this curriculum has made a hit!
"A teaching tape? Oh, Mom, I hate listening to teaching tapes. They are so boring," my son moaned when I told him our plan for history.
"You will like this one. . .it's Diana Waring. . .she is funny and enthusiastic. . .and interesting!" I responded, eager to sit down and listen to one of my favorite speakers.
Jimmy did not look like he believed me, but was determined to have a good attitude, avoiding a "talk" with Daddy later.
To his surprise, he loved listening to Diana.
"She's really cool!" was his assessment.
I discovered Diana Waring at a homeschool convention in the early 1990's, attending her workshop because I am a history buff. She satisfied my desire to learn more about history from a Christ-centered perspective, but she turned out to be one of my favorite speakers. She is so bubbly and enthusiastic in her love for history that you can't help smiling as you listen to her speak, in person or on CD.
Diana agrees with me that history starts at Creation (in 7 Days by our Loving Creator in Heaven) and ends with Jesus' Return. She believes that the Bible is true for all of life, including history. The research she uses to compile her teaching material is from solid historians who trust the Word of God and archeologists who have made discoveries that confirm that the Bible is true.
Diana loves the Lord and expresses wonder at the Sovereign Hand of God in history throughout all time. She not only teaches our family history, but encourages us to love and pursue God.
History Alive!
History Alive! is a complete history curriculum in unit study format. You can use it all or use her teaching CDs to supplement your own history studies. History is shared by Diana in the form of stories on her CDs. She offers What in the World is Going on Here, True Tales, and Digging Deeper series. Her curriculum and CDs are divided up chronologically into 3 time periods: Ancient Civilizations, Medieval to Early Modern, and Modern History. She is working on Modern Times. She offers teacher guides, elementary activity books (K-4), and Student Manuals (5-12) to go along with the CDs.
Sheri Graham is a busy homeschooling mom with a houseful of children. She also runs her own business and writes books. Somewhere in all that hard work, she manages to post a blog each day. I am encouraged and challenged by Sheri and her ministry.
To do all that she does, and to to it all so well, Sheri must be a very organized lady! So, when she sent me her Intentional Planner to review, I was eager to see it. I like to learn from other homeschooling moms who do all things well.
The Intentional Planner is an E-book that you can download the minute you purchase it on Graham Family Ministries online store. You can make as make copies as you need and put together as many planners as you need for your family. Before I tell you any more about it, though, I have to give you some really good news! The Intentional Planner only costs $5.00. Yes, that's right, only $5.00 for 247 pages of wisdom from Graham Family Ministries. I could not believe that you could spend so little and get so much!
With a desire to combine her planner, calendar, journal, and home management binder into one notebook, Sheri created the Intentional Planner. It is everything you need to manage your home and home school in one neat package. There are fields on the pages available to customize your planner too.
"The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner is finished!" Heidi wrote in her email. Attached was the The Old Schoolhouse magazine's homeschooling and home management planner. This planner has to be the most thorough planner I have ever seen. As always, I was eager to look through this 614 page planner.
The brand new edition is here! Heidi Stawser and Kris Price have done it again. The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner is an administrative delight to those who love organizing and for those who can't stand organization, but know they desperately need it! This contains everything you need to manage your home and school.
Planning sheets, charts, logs, articles, recipes, and more fill the 614 pages in the newest planner from the Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Available as an E-book, you can purchase the 2010 Schoolhouse Planner from The Old Schoolhouse Store for $39.00.
The planner is divided into monthly sections (211 pages). This is followed by calendars (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), monthly calendars, miscellaneous education information (~50 pages), and forms (~300 pages). Like all of TOS's publications, this planner is attractive, easy on the eyes, and pleasant to read through. There is so much neat stuff to read--I found myself completely distracted for hours!
"What movie are we watching?" Lance asks before we begin our history coop class.
"Oh, we're not watching a movie today," I reply, shuffling the papers I need to teach about the Great Depression.
"No movie?" Cody overhears, stops what he is doing, and puts in his two cents. "I know a lot of great movies about the Great Depression."
"Me too!" Lance chides, not bothering to hide his disappointment.
Years ago, I started adding movies to our study of history, geography, economics, and government. A good movie can make a time period or place come alive. I gravitate toward older movies because so many of the movies coming out of Hollywood in the last forty years have a strong political bias to them that I don't agree with. But, there are some good exceptions.
We study the historical time period by reading living books, textbooks, and historical fiction. Our studies also include research and writing assignments. We will often make a historical feast to snack on while we watch our history movies. For more ideas on teaching history, see Making History Come Alive!, Making History Come Alive II, and Making History Come Alive III.
"Hidden Art? What is hidden art?" I wondered as I glanced at the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Book Table. It was the 1980's and I was a college student, majoring in nursing. I didn't want to get married until I was REALLY old...like 30!
But, this book caught my eye. I had already read a few books by Francis Schaeffer, a Christian philosopher and this was his wife. I was curious to find out what she had to say about homemaking because I grew up wanting to be a homemaker when I finally settled down and got married.
The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer is a book I have read many times since I first bought it in my college days. When I was single, it helped me to make my dorm room a home. In later years, this book inspired me to create a home for my family.
Over the years, I have read many books on homemaking, but this is my favorite! Edith Schaeffer is my heroine. She devoted her life to creating a home to nurture her husband, children, and all the people they ministered to in their chalet in Switzerland. From freshly baked bread to lovely music playing, Edith decorated her house carefully, filling it with art, laughter, beauty, and good books.
Why do I love this book so much? The premise of the book is being an artist, bringing art, creativity, and originality to our homemaking. The book opens with a chapter on the First Artist, the Lord. The book shows how the Lord is an Artist, filling our lives and world with His beauty to communicate that He loves us. We are made in His image, artists who can create too. What joy we can experience as homemakers when we seek to imitate the FIrst Artist by bringing hidden art into all areas of homemaking.
I ran downstairs to shower and get dressed. My 15-year old son just got the okay from a young girl his age that she could go to a 4 o'clock movie. We checked pluggedin.com to check for appropriateness and once this was settled, I had less than an hour to get ready.
I could just taste the movie buttered popcorn and the yummy raisinets. I was trying to decide if I would have a coke or an icee. As you can tell, food is an important part of going to the movies for me.
My son and I headed toward the theater. We made it down one street when he announced to me that he didn't want me to actually go "in" the movie theater with him, because he felt it would be embarrassing. My heart sunk a little, and I felt a pout coming.
I asked about the young girl's mom to see if he knew what she felt about them going alone to the movie. He already knew that her mom was fine with them going together. So bummer, I got bumped out of going to an afternoon movie by some nice young girl that my son is not "dating."
I think I was sadder about missing out on the munchies than not seeing the movie or really having any concern about them needing a chaperon in the middle of the day at the movies. I can't help but think, "Well so much for all the "dating rules" my husband and I made when our children were toddlers."
I love meeting moms who have raised godly children and who are raising godly children. You see, I want to learn from women who have done it right and have good fruit to show for it. I also love meeting moms who are funny and spunky.
So, for me, reviewing this book was not like other reviews because I got to meet a happy, energetic mom who has run the race and is now enjoying her grandchildren. Her daughter is carrying on the principles her mother lived by and heartily endorsing them.
Secret Code Time is written by Paula and Sky, a mother/daughter team who believe in the relational principles of Secret Code Time and practice what they preach. Well written and engaging, the book is 142 pages long. Not a long book to get through. You will enjoy all the photographs through the pages of the authors and their family. The book itself looks lovely and would make a great gift for another homeschooling mom for birthday or Christmas.
"Bring back the good ole days," I find myself thinking sometimes as I pick up new-fangled, fancy curriculum that seems to have more bells and whistles than meat. But, honestly I had very little idea of where to find that curricula. In fact, I had little idea what these textbooks were actually like. That's all changed now because I got to review the Eclectic Education Series.
The Eclectic Education Series (EES) is a set of textbooks that were used in the latter part of the nineteenth century (1800's). Over 10,000 independent school boards across the nation chose to use these textbooks. Some of these textbooks will sound familiar to you, even after they have been out of use for 100 years: Ray's Arithmetics and McGuffey's Readers. All of these textbooks emphasize traditional values, patriotism, and the Bible.
My favorite books were the Thalheimer's Histories. In General History, the textbook opens with a discussion of the dispersal at Babel. It was so exciting to see Christ and the Bible honored in all the textbooks! I was so excited to receive the 3 volume set of Oliver Cromwell's speeches and letters. What a blessing! I love original documents and this is a lovely addition to my growing collection!
Good Morals and Gentle Manners was an amazing book. There were two chapters that delighted me: Duties to God from Scriptures and Duties to Man from Scriptures. Wow! That was in a public school textbook? This book gave so much wisdom on forming godly habits based on Scriptural principles. Also discussed were keeping one's word, guarding the heart, and avoiding evil influences. I think every Christian should read this book! It was awesome!
The Manual of Methods was a thorough guide on how to teach students to read, write, spell, and grasp the other subjects. Different methods of teaching were discussed and evaluated. I was impressed.
This collection of twaddle-free textbooks is huge! Here is a listing of ALL the textbooks available for your family. You can do an entire K-12 education using this curricula. Just keep in mind, there are no bells and whistles. Students are written to as if they are intelligent and attentive scholars. Yet, nothing seemed too difficult for children to understand. There are just no frills!
Ray's Arithmetic
Ray's Primary Arithmetic (95 pages)
Ray's Intellectual Arithmetic (141 pages)
Ray's New Elementary Arithmetic (192 pages)
Ray's Rudimentary Arithmetic (193 pages
Ray's New Practical Arithmetic (337 pages)
Ray's New Higher Arithmetic (409 pages)
Ray's New Elementary Algebra (241 pages)
Ray's New Higher Algebra 407 pages)
Ray's Treatise on Geometry and Trigonometry (421 pages)
Ray's Analytic Geometry (608 pages)
Ray's Differential and Integral Calculus (442 pages)
Histories
Thalheimer's Histories (Ancient History, General History, Medieval History, English History, United States History)
Oliver Cromwell's Histories & Letters (3 Volumes 1,434 pages total)
Cyclopedia of Social and Commercial Information (737 pages)
Andrews Constitution
American Poems
Rhetorical Reading
Good Morals and Gentle Manners
Science
Norton's Elements of Chemistry (331 pages)
Norton's Elements of Natural Philosophy (468 pages)
Norton's Elements of Physics (259 pages)
Norton's Elements of Astronomy (342 pages)
Ray's Surveying and Navigation (492 pages)
Complete Book Keeping (161 pages)
Schuyler's Principles of Logic (169 pages)
Introduction to Botany (372 pages)
Nature Study
First Year Science (505 pages for High School)
Political Economy (396 pages)
Simplified Industrial Mechanics (289)
Guide to Health
McGuffey's Readers Set
McGuffey's First Eclectic Read & McGuffey's Primer
McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader & McGuffey's Alternative Second Reader
McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader & McGuffey's Alternative Third Reader
McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader & McGuffey's Alternative Fourth Reader
McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader & McGuffey's Alternative Fifth Reader
McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader
McGuffey's New High School Reader
McGuffey's Word List
McGuffey's Juvenile Speaker
McGuffey's Eclectic Speller
McGuffey's Familiar Animals
McGuffey's Living Creatures
Heman's Reader for Female Schools
Grammar Set
Pinneo's Primary Grammar
Pinneo's Analytical Grammar
Pinneo's English Teacher
Pinneo's Composition
Pinneo's False Syntax
Harvey's Elementary Grammar
Harvey's First Lessons in Grammar
Harvey's English Grammar
Teacher's Books
Manual of Methods (261 pages)
Question Book (165 pages)
Successful Teaching in Rural Schools (294 pages)
Dollar Homeschool wants to make these classic textbooks available to homeschooling families who would like to use them. You can buy a complete set of curricula available on CD for $159.00. You can also purchase the collections separately on the Dollar Homeschool Website.
Why did the United States of America stop using these textbooks? Well, there was a professor named John Dewey who headed up the Teacher's College of Columbia University. As a humanist, socialist, atheist, and signer of the Humanist Manifesto, Dewey went on a campaign to replace these textbooks with others more in line with the current trend in public education. It would be a fun research project to compare the textbooks offered by Dollar Homeschool with the textbooks in your local public school. Please let me read it if you do!
If you are interested in twaddle-free textbook learning, consider this set of curricula. If you are interested in having a set of historic textbooks on your computer, this would be worth the price. I am so glad to have this wonderful set of books. Thank you, Dollar Homeschool for a big treat!
"Where is Four Musketeers?" Shine asked all of us. "I have looked everywhere."
"Did you look on the literature shelf?" I responded, almost chiding.
"It's not there, Mom. I've been looking for it," Rose backed Shine up.
"The Godfrey's have it," Jimmy announced, looking up from the book he was reading.
"Oh, golly," I fumed. "Did they use the check out list on the computer at the top of the stairs?"
"Sometimes they forget," Rose reminded me.
"There must be a better system to keep track of our stuff and get it back when we need it."
Lobster Network to the rescue! This website was created especially for me and all the people in my life who borrow stuff from me. Not really, but it felt like that when I was sent to the website to review Lobster Network. I was so happy to find this because I spend many hours each week trying to figure out where on earth a book has disappeared to, finally discovering that it is at a friend's house. I have tried keep files on the computer, but then I have to get on that particular computer--hard to do in a household of nine people.
Saving money is an elusive goal for many families. Debt reduction is a big deal right now with our country's economic woes. But, at all times, money is a big issue for any family. Often, as parents, we are in the situation of wishing that we had managed our own money better in the past. How we hope that our children will start out in their new homes better than we started in ours. But how do we train our children to be wise, frugal, and generous?
Family Mintis a free online training tool that aids in teaching children to manage their money wisely. It offers tools to help parents provide guidance for their children to manage money and cultivates the skills needed to do so.
Family Mint is an online system that is high-tech and fun! You, the parent, are the banker. You name your bank, create a profile, and let your kids create their own profiles as well. You determine the interest rates for each account and can set up matching deposits on important savings accounts such as the college fund. The parent/banker also sets up an automatic allowance deposit.
Guy sees
girl. Girl sees guy. Guy and girl talk, dance at a great distance, sit
on a bench. . .and, it feels good inside! The ride home in the 'courting' wagon can be
very eventful. . .hands move, heads turn, lips touch, oops! The buggy mirror
gets all steamy. (I just hate when that happens to my buggy!)
Blink. . .blink..oh,
I don't live in an Amish world. People don't have courting sofas in
the parlor anymore. Maybe that is it! If I would only have a courting
sofa made for my children when they have a 'friend' over.
Can't you see it? They can sit
on this special sofa to remind them that they are courting, not dating. Oh, my house doesn't have a parlor. Could the front porch
be as effective? So much pre-planning to be concerned about in a
courting world!
"Courting" is what many homeschool parents desire
for theirchildren. I will confess right away I was one of those homeschool parents, and might still be, to some degree. We want our children to believe courting is how a godly person finds a future spouse.
Some families don't even use the d-word (dating), hoping
their children never learn there is an alternative to courting. This means the family will be watching the weather channel and cable news, renting only G-rated movies and staying away from magazines in the grocery stores. And clearly, a church youth group is also on the 'not-to-do' list.
"Well, it didn't go quite as I had planned?' I answered my middle daughter, Jenny-Rose, a senior in high school.
"I'm so sorry," she replied empathetically. "What happened?"
"If you don't mind, I don't want to rehash it. Needless to say, there were several people who did not see eye to eye and the meeting had many awkward moments."
"Can I pray for you?"
"Yes, thank you, Rosie. Please!"
Yes, this is a real conversation that took place in our home. My Rosie is gentle and sweet, noticing when I need some encouragement. When she is discouraged, we talk and I pray for her. I have four daughters and we all pour our hearts out to one another. There is always one of us girls who needs to talk and another who is willing to listen.
I love having daughters who encourage my dreams and understand my
moods. But, my son and I talk too. Usually late at night. We discuss
his goals, plans, and dreams. Sometimes we talk about a girl that he
thinks is pretty or troubles he is having with a friend.
Mostly though, our family laughs and jokes around together. Strong relationships are built upon healthy communication. How can we improve communication with our teens?
I remember typing class in seventh grade. We had a big picture of the keyboard in the front of the room, but all the keys on our typewriters were blackened out. This forced us to look up while we typed. That developed a habit that I appreciate today because it allows me to type more quickly and efficiently.
I have often wondered, how on earth do you learn to type on a computer keyboard? Should I blacken the keys and put a big poster on the wall? My husband's disapproval has prevented me from trying this method of teaching my children.
Keyboarding for the Christian School by Leanne Beitel is a back-to-basics curriculum. It's nothing fancy; no bells and whistles. I like it!
This 107 page e-book contains 42 lessons that take you from the basics to formatting, footnotes, and addressing envelopes. The first 20 lessons help the student learn the location of the letters. Then the students become proficient at typing numbers. Here is a list of all the lessons.
"Are you going to turn out the light, Honey?" my husband barely murmured, while covering his head with a pillow.
"Just one more paragraph," I replied, not taking my eyes off the page I was reading.
"Honey, this is the third night in a row. Are you ever going to sleep again?"
I did not reply because I was too busy reading book 7 of The Zion Covenant series. I had given up cooking dinner, washing the dishes, and checking my facebook. I rationalized it by telling myself that I was just giving my daughters the opportunity to learn homemaking skills. Really, all I wanted to do was read these books.
The Zion Covenant is a series of books set during the time of Hitler's Nazi Germany and World War II. This set of nine books has captured my attention. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and I love the authors, Bodie and Brock Thoene.
A big history buff, I appreciated the historical accuracy. My mother, born in 1837, knew men and women who had personally experienced the horrors of World War II. She was always sharing information with me. Like many others, she wanted to make sure that history will never repeat itself. Facts and anecdotes I already knew about Hitler and World War II came alive for me in a brand new way, breaking my heart in two.
This is an emotional series of books, covering a heart-breaking portion of history. When you read of ships of German Jewish refugees sailing from port to port due to the rejection of nation after nation, including our own, you feel sad. When you read about individuals named Aaron and Rebekah with their five children aboard a refugee ship, you will weep as I did when the ship went down in a hurricane after the United States refused to let the ship ride out the storm in one of its harbors.
Christ-centered, these books tell the story of Christians who were brave, salvations, God's interventions, and miracles in the midst of dark evil.
We are studying American History this year. Five families have united to co-op every Tuesday in my living room, kitchen, backyard, and nearby park. We have listened to numerous books, read aloud, shot arrows from bows, worked on time lines, recited famous speeches, and created many hands-on projects. The fascinating thing to me about American History is the deep devotion to God that once lived in the hearts of men and women in this nation. Even those who rejected the Gospel, admitted that God had His hand in the formation of this great nation.
Once, faith in the Lord led to core values that helped to make our nation great: personal responsibility, integrity, and love for fellow man. My daddy always said, "You are responsible for your own actions. If everyone jumped off a bridge..." Your daddy probably said the same thing to you. Concern for the welfare of others led to charities and neighbors helping neighbors. People expected their politicians to be men and women of integrity and honor.
There also existed a great love of freedom so strong that people were willing to die to hold on to freedom. There was great pride in being a citizen of the United States of America. George Washington urged unity above political party affiliation. Patriotism, love of freedom, and a desire to move forward to make the world a better place for the next generation all united Americans.
While we cannot go back in time, we can pass on a Godly heritage to our children, reminding them of the providential blessing that has hovered over our nation. We can pass on the same values that led Daniel Boone across the wilderness, Teddy Roosevelt to storm San Juan Hill, and Lincoln to speak at Gettysburg.
The American Heritage Foundation is serious about teaching students the truth about the United States of America and current events. Historically, the United States of America is Modern History's first attempt at self-government. This adventure was bathed in prayer and led by men who feared the Lord and understood biblical principles.
This non-profit organization was formed to teach American history and to promote patriotism in young American lives. Though a non-religious organization, it promotes conservative, family-friendly values. Lesson plans have been created for use in public schools to fill in the gaps in public school history and government classes. Their lesson plans are offered free to homeschoolers too!
Our family will never be on a reality TV show for homeschooling; unless they did a series on homeschool horrors. Don't be alarmed! My children can read, write, and do their arithmetic. But...what we couldn't do were homeschooling unit studies, textbooks, charts, schedules, chores, singing hymns, lesson plans, read-a-loud classics, tests, handwriting, spelling, Latin, logic, and music theory. Besides that, we’ve had great success!
Fancy unit studies were not for us. I couldn’t convince my children to pretend we lived in a pioneer village for a few months. I, myself, struggled to get all the books, crafts, and real-life supplies gathered.
As for other popular methods...note-booking our learning experiences, making nature diaries, and writing creative journals barely got started, much less completed. I marvel at the wonderful notebook binders I have seen made by other families with drawings, photos of handmade items (like full-functioning cabins built with popsicle sticks), and those precious book reports that made parents squeal with delight at the learning accomplished while their kids simply played.
"We are just starting out," the young woman informed me with shining eyes. I thought that she was a high school homeschooler with her fresh smile and "girl-next-door" looks.
I smiled to myself as I remembered those days. Was I ever a young mom who didn't need to reach for her reading glasses to check a writing paper or look at the numbers to explain a math problem? How wonderful those early years were when we enjoyed making volcanoes of paper mache and going to the zoo for a field trip.
"I need all the wisdom I can get," my new young friend interrupted my thoughts.
"Well, have I got a book for you!"
Though I have read many books on homeschooling over the past twenty years, this was my first time reading The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell (sent to me by Apologia Press to review).
The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell is an honest look at educating children at home from a mom whose run the race with joy and success! Debra is honest and insightful. She doesn't sugarcoat homeschooling. Debra and her husband, Kermit, have four children who are all homeschool grads. Saved in college, Debra never envisioned herself teaching her children at home. However, she saw good fruit in the lives of home educated children in her church. This led her to pursue homeschooling for her own family.
Debra homeschooled her children and built friendships with other homeschooling families. She mentions the support group, co-op, and home educator friends in her book over and over. As she speaks about her family, you can tell that she values relationships. Her life, and the lives of her children, have been changed in these relationships.
In a race, it is more fun to run with others. Sometimes running together is the only way to finish. We may find ourselves knocked down and on the sidelines, watching the other runners pass us by. It's at those times we need another runner to stop, give us a hand, and help us get back into the race.
In Finish Well, Running the Race Together! we discussed how our relationships with our husbands and children help us finish the homeschooling race well. Today, let's talk about homeschooling with other families and our support system.
Homeschooling with Other Families
Most of us homeschoolers reject age segregation. Instead, we believe that life is best with all ages mixed together. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is not on the same page. Even at many churches, the family is divided up--teens to youth group, kids to Children's Church, and parents to the "Married with Kids Sunday School Class." Of course, the church is waking up and ridding itself of age segregation in some parts of the world. Maybe you belong to a church like mine that mixes every age together.
Homeschooling families long to connect with others who are on the same page when it comes to being together as families. Many parents want to be with other parents who not only like having their kids around, but also the children enjoy hanging out with their parents. What a wonderful thing to be friends with other homeschooling families, not just to co-op together, but to enjoy life and ministry together.
"How about if I just make the brochure and you just relax? I edited your course descriptions too. Could you check them and see what you think?" Cheryl asked me over the phone. We were talking about an upcoming conference that we were both speaking at. My Daddy had just died, so Cheryl took over the bulk of the administrative details. What a blessing she was and is in my life.
It was at that time that I learned just how truly remarkable and administrative Cheryl is. I should have realized it before, seeing that she started a homeschool group and led it for nine years, while she was busy homeschooling and having lots of babies (6 total!). The longer I know Cheryl, the more I appreciate her many gifts and talents.
We speak together about homeschooling high school and I am always so thankful that she is there to answer all the administrative questions, not my greatest strength! Just how do you keep up with transcripts, SATs, visiting colleges, applying for colleges, and applying for Bright Futures and other scholarships? I thought that I was organized with all the high school stuff until I met Cheryl. She definitely has her homeschooling high school act together and she has written a book to help you do the same thing.
In the homeschooling high school race, it is in our best interest to finish well. How you finish sometimes depends on who you are running with and who is cheering you on.Now, don't get me wrong. I don't believe it takes a village to raise a child. I believe that it takes a family. One reason I think homeschooling is so effective is it puts raising and educating a child in the hands of the people who love him most: the parents!
With that said, we all require people in our lives to be effective and productive. God made us to need one another. This includes the area of homeschooling as well. Some of the most important people necessary to homeschool high school effectively are our husbands, children, other homeschooling families, and a support system.
Your Husband
In this day of single parent households, you are so blessed if you have the privilege of being married. Your husband is a gift from God. You can be thankful for his roles in the home as leader, protector, provider, and brother in the Lord. If he works hard all week so that you can stay home and homeschool your children, then be sure to appreciate all he does. Remind him often how grateful you are to have a hard-working husband. If he is a believer, you are even more blessed. Build him up as a brother in the Lord. Encourage him to be all God wants him to be according to I Peter 3 which says the following:
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives, (I Peter 3:1-2 NIV)
"Is this an exercise video? Is this a math video?" I wondered aloud when Exploramania Gymathtics arrived in the mail to be reviewed.
The answer to my question is YES! It is an exercise video and it is a math video.
What a fun, colorful, exciting video to watch! Our hostess, exercise leader, and math teacher is energetic and upbeat. She reminds me of my spinning teacher at the Y. Her name is Carrie and she is the creator of Exploramania. The exercise video is a high-energy aerobic workout with a twist. The twist is that you are always doing math while you move and sweat.
"Isn't exercise fun?" perky Carrie asks throughout the 30 minute workout.
"Yes, Carrie," I have to agree. "This is fun!"
Exploracise Gymathtics is a 30 minute exercise DVD. It is also a 30 minute math DVD. Let me explain. Carrie, an energetic mom, wanted to provide something educational for her high energy children. Would there be a way to help her children learn math and be physically active at the same time? I think that Carrie has her answer now because her motherly concern led to the birth of Exploramania, a company dedicated to learning in a high-energy, active way.
This brain and body workout promotes healthy living while reminding children of math concepts children need to hold on to so that they can be successful in school.
The workout, like all good workouts, starts with stretches. These stretches, however, are line, circle, and polygon stretches. With your arms, you make parallel lines and intersecting lines while you stretch. There is a side portion on the screen showing you parallel and intersecting lines, the way you would see them in a math book.
If our homeschooling journey is like a race, then high school is the final lap. We all want to run in a way that we can win the prize, crossing the finish line to the shouts of affirmation from Heaven. We long for kudos from our Heavenly Father, to realize that He is pleased with our hard work. We desire to see good fruit and success in our children's lives, to know that our labor has not been in vain.
Our children are the measure of success in our homeschooling endeavor. Are they godly men and women who love Jesus, serving Him with all their hearts or do their hearts wander to things of the world? Do they resist temptation or do they cave in to the devil's tricks and schemes? Are these ladies and gentlemen confident and courageous, or do they shrink back, afraid to live life to the fullest? Are people important priorities? Do they enjoy healthy relationships?
We can look at our children at graduation, ten years after graduation, and at their children to see the results of our homeschooling. But that is in the future. What about now. In the homeschooling high school race, how can we finish well?
First of all, we take homeschooling high school seriously, realizing that the results of our efforts will last a lifetime. Homeschooling is not a "part-time job," a hobby, or something to try out for a year or two. Homeschooling is a calling from God. He sets us apart for this ministry to raise up mighty men and women of God for Him!
Answer this call from God with an act of consecration. Dedicate yourself to him...Again! Yes, you may have done this before, but do it again. Tell the Lord that you are committed to follow His plan for your life, including His call to homeschool. Then pray and give yourself to the Lord fully for this mission. Get ready for God to do amazing things. He just waits for hearts to be fully consecrated to Him!
The 2009 holiday season flew by for me! Before I had finished baking cinnamon rolls, it was time to pack up for our Christmas Eve traveling dinner. There were cookies, soda cans, cheese balls, and crackers to pack in our cooler and picnic basket to mingle with our friends' offerings of baked ham, turkey, pita bread, fruit trays, and veggies with dip. All that yummy food combined with laughter, affection, and celebrating filled all our hearts.
The next thing I knew it was Christmas morning and we were trying out Katie Beth's new Belgian Waffle Maker while Jimmy made sausages. Dara fixed eggs, and Mike cheerfully tasted everything. But, most of all, we put candles in the cinnamon rolls and sang Happy Birthday to our beloved Savior! Christmas devotions are always my favorite; especially the millions of Christmas carols. Opening presents takes our family hours as we go around and around, each person opening one at a time. Soon friends arrived to join us in a big meal around the lace covered, china laden table. New games had to be tested out and kept us up until midnight.
Then, a wonderful surprise! Our dear friend, Steve, was called in for his new kidney! After two years of prayer and waiting while Steve endured dialysis, it was time to begin to live again. Dropping their two children off at my house for ten days, Mary hurried with her husband, Steve to the hospital to await the surgery that would prolong his life many years!
Soon it was New Year's Eve and we found ourselves at Maria and Gene's house ringing in the New Year! Laughter and silliness were interrupted by times of prayer for Steve, who was now recovering in ICU. Did I mention that there was more delicious food at the party? I ate 57 chicken wings. Did I mention that I'm still full from the holidays?
Christmas is a great time to prepare your teens for life! Yes, they can learn to decorate the tree, to bake the family's favorite dishes, write and send the annual Christmas letter, and make handmade Christmas gifts. But, there is more to the Christmas season for than homemaking skills. We hope to create a picture perfect Christmas, but the reality is that Christmas season is sometimes full of disappointments and problems that need to be solved. One thing that we can teach our teens at Christmas time is the life skills that need to be present to turn every problem into a possibility, every disaster into a happy ending. This is the essence of life, living victoriously in a fallen world!
What are some life skills that you can impart to your children this time of year?
Problem Solving
It is just Murphy's Law that if you are trying to plan a "picture perfect" anything, there is bound to be some kind of complication changing our "picture perfect plans" into a problem that needs to be solved. Challenges are not a disaster, but rather an opportunity to exercise problem solving skills.
One Christmas, half of the family had the flu. We opened presents while holding buckets in our laps and rushing periodically to the bathroom to vomit. Our friends, who were bringing half of the meal, wisely canceled joining us for dinner. So, we had a very different Christmas, but we adapted and adjusted our expectations, but definitely an unusual Christmas.
When something goes wrong, let your teen in on the problem solving process. Explain the problem to your teen and brainstorm together ways to turn the challenge into something positive. Look at different options and choose one to work with.
Stretching Money
There never seems to be quite enough money at Christmas time, something that many encounter at least a few times in their lives. Teach your teenager the art of stretching money. Look for bargains together at stores and in sales flyers in the paper. What is the wisest buy? When you find a bargain, share it with your teen and how much money that you have saved. I went to Kohl's last week with "Kohl's cash" from the day after Thanksgiving shopping and hit an amazing sale. I also brought a card that had come in the mail that took 15% off the entire bill. With all my "savings," I ended up spending $75.00 and saving $183.00. I was so excited. I took the time to share all the details with my teens so that they will save money in the future and on their own Christmas spending now.
"Where is that book I got in the mail to review?" I asked no one in particular.
No one admitted to taking it, so I began searching through the house. I finally found it next to a cup of hot chocolate and some cookies. It was dog-eared near the end of the book.
I picked the once perfect copy of the book up and examined it closely. There was now a stain on the front cover! The book was worn, that worn look that comes from aggressive reading! What happened to my brand new book? Where was the fresh-off-the-press copy that was neat and clean? What had caused this well-loved look to come over our new book, MY new book!
"Oh, sorry!" Shine admitted sheepishly, walking into the room that I was currently searching, "I borrowed your book and read it!"
My annoyance subsided. After all, how can you get mad at children for reading books?
"Did you like it?" I queried.
"I love it!" she replied with gusto.
Ah, I have a reader to interview for the review. So, here is the opinion of a thirteen year old girl who loves Jesus and reading with all of her heart.
Meredith: Shine, you read Bertie's War by Barbara Tifft Blakey. What did you think of the book?
Shine: I really like it! It was interesting and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. Sorry I borrowed it without asking
Meredith:I forgive you!Who are the main characters in the book?
Shine: Bertie, Aaron (younger brother), Tamara (older sister), and Bertie's parents. They are a Christian family who really love the Lord.
Meredith:Are they a happy family?
Shine: Yes, they seem to be really happy and her parents had rules and made sure their kids obeyed them. These rules came from the Bible. They lived by the Bible. When her siblings do something bad, they go to the woodshed and Bertie doesn't know what happens there because she always tries to be good.
Meredith:What happens in the story?
Shine: Bertie is afraid of everything, especially her father. She doesn't want to disappoint him or disobey him. So, she tries her hardest to always be good so she doesn't disappoint him. She can never stand up to anyone. She is always trying to earn the "nod of approval" from her dad, but when she does try, she always messes everything up. She is also always playing make-believe. All kinds of things happen in Bertie's life! I won't give you all the details. People will have to read the book and find out!
Christmas is a great time to learn new homemaking skills! So many life skills come into play at Christmas from budgeting to sewing, from interior decorating to baking. Why not make Christmas preparation a homemaking class this year with the goal to teach your teens how to "Do Christmas."
One of the great joys of being a mother/homemaker is preparing holiday dinners and carrying out the family traditions. A dad has a big role in Christmas festivities too. A great tradition for a family to have would be a special craft or dish or baked good that Dad makes with the children (without burning the house down!). You could teach your son the skills he needs to someday be that dad!
Make a list of the family events, traditions, and activities that you already do each year. The list might look something like this (I have added "subject/assignment categories" next to each activity):
Christmas caroling (music/homemaking)
Church Christmas pageant (drama/arts)
Christmas cards/family letter (writing)
Cookie Baking (homemaking)
Candy Making (homemaking)
Making Gifts/Baking (homemaking)
Making Gifts/Crafts/Sewing (homemaking/art)
Christmas Shopping/Gift Wrapping (homemaking)
Planning menus for holiday meals/parties (homemaking)
Preparation for out-of-town Company (homemaking/life skills)
Family Devotions (Bible)
Hospitality (Character/homemaking)
Making & Sticking to a Budget for the Holidays (homemaking/life skills)
Scheduling to Fit in all Family & Church Events (homemaking/life skills)
Now, go over this list with your child and explain that he/she will be managing Christmas this year for school credit. You will be helping them each step of the way, but with the goal of teaching them to "do Christmas." Is there anything else your teen would enjoy doing over the holidays for school. Here are some additional Christmas activity suggestions:
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus," (I Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and it just seems like the perfect time for children to thank Mom and Dad for investing in their lives by homeschooling them.
"I am thankful that my mom and dad homeschool me because...
"... I learn more about God, I have less temptation form the world. At school they called me names and now I have new friends that love me, I get up later, and my dad is reading to us." (Christina, 13, Oviedo, FL)
"...I am able to cultivate relationships with Christ, my family, and my church, in a way I couldn't do otherwise! It's given me a firm foundation on biblical truth that I will carry into the rest of my life." (Jennifer, 17, Lake Mary, FL)
"... I don't have to get up at 6:00 a.m., I can stay home and do my work, and I don't have to go to school all day and come home to do MORE work!" (Nicholas, 15, Oviedo, FL)
"...it provides a positive and biblical atmosphere. It also provides a flexible schedule that allows for sleeping in and spontaneous field trips." (Cody, 17, Sanford, FL)
"... I like my math book work, get to cuddle with Mummy while she reads me books and I play fight with my brothers!" (Declan, 6, Australia)
"... I get to draw pictures, be with my baby brother, and build Legos with my big brother. I can get a hug from my Mum anytime I want. I don't think that kids who go to school get that. (Kairon, 4, Australia)
"...She does everything nicely and she's able to teach me. And she teaches me from a Christian perspective." (Mae, 11, Sanford, FL)
"...She teaches me about math and I get to do it better. She gives me a good education." (Saxon, 9, Sanford, FL)
"...I can combine my studies and interests together." (David John, 13, Abu Dhabi)
"...I learn more skills like cooking and sewing. I also can read, read, read to my heart's delight." (Deborah John, 10, Abu Dhabi)
"...The atmosphere isn't as secular. When I was in public school, I was taught unbiblical principles and untrue information about the world and the things of the world. Now, I'm being taught biblical principles and things that are true about the world through biblical references and people." (Josh, 14, Sanford, FL)
"It is more Christian Based than secular, like when I was in public school. I can work at my own pace." (Lance, 14, Sanford, FL)
"...It keeps me away from the public school system, in which I've had bad experiences in the past. My mom keeps me working on task and to the best of my abilities." (David, 16, Sanford, FL)
"...I'm in a place where I'm not surrounded by unbelievers to be tempted. My mom's an awesome teacher!" (Jim, 11, Lake Mary, FL)
"...I get more freedom in what I learn. It brings me closer to my mother." (Phoebe, 14, Sanford, FL)
"...I get a better education. I don't have to be around bad influences. (Joshua, 13, Sanford, FL)
Here are a couple of homeschool grads to answer a similar question. "I am so thankful my mom homeschooled me because...
"...of the responsibility that was instilled in me. Also, the morals and values that my mom taught me. It's caused me to stand firm in college." (Marla, 20, Student at Stetson University, Deland, FL)
"...It allowed me to get firmly grounded in the beliefs and principles I hold to now. It allowed for a more personalized education." (Zack, 19, Sanford, FL)
"...I received a rigorous, well-grounded academic education and personal spiritual discipleship. And because I built close family relationships, that caused me to value people and the Lord above the values of the world." (Katherine, 23, Lake Mary, FL)
"...it has equipped me to minister to all kinds of people in order to extend the Kingdom of God by force, as a forceful woman of God." (Julianna, 20, Lake Mary, FL)
It is a good and joyful thing to give thanks. It is good for our children to appreciate the sacrifice and time we invest in homeschooling them. What a glorious heritage we are giving our children each day as they receive an education that is priceless. So, before you give in to discouragement again, sit back and realize what a great impact you are making on the young lives entrusted to you. And stop and give thanks for the freedom and opportunity to homeschool your precious little children.
Have a Thankful Thanksgiving and be Blessed in all You Do Today!
"I'm fasting all healthy food," I declared to my family as I popped a bad cholesterol-building cookie in my mouth. "Can someone pick me up some eggnog?"
I know, I know, at my age, 47, healthy food choices are important. Oh, how I wish I had been a healthier eater when I was younger. I knew something about nutrition, but obviously not enough because my heart leans to white chocolate Resee Cups, M & Ms, Moose Tracks Ice Cream, and Whoppers.
Maybe this review isn't about sharing information with you, but learning and cleaning up my own nutritional life.
This book is meant to be worked through together as a family. Neat! The idea of the book is to learn together and CHANGE together! The goal is to become healthy eaters in 448 pages. The authors recommend that the family using this curriculum together...
Get rid of junk food
Make a list of healthy food each family member likes
Each family member eats the healthy foods they do like
Thank the Lord for each food and involve His help in changing
Try at least one new thing at each meal
Find healthy alternatives to those old favorites
The book is divided into 6 units, each unit containing 4 chapters. Every chapter has discussion questions, activities, additional resources, and recipes. One of my favorite things is all the "Fun Facts" scattered throughout each chapter. Here are the units:
A large tubular package arrived and I have to admit I was excited! Was it a painting? Was it a poster for my son's room? Hopefully, it would be a sports poster, if it was a poster. Jimmy loves sports posters.
It turned out to be something better. Now, if you are not a homeschooling mom, you may think I'm crazy because it was a timeline. Yes, better than a painting or poster, a timeline is one of my very favorite teaching tools. I love to use glossy professional timelines and I love to have my children make their own timelines by rolling a roll of newsprint down the center of my house from the front door to the back wall of the family room!
One more timeline? Oh, no, not just one more timeline. This timeline is different than all the others in my house. All my timeline are long, long, long strips of cardstock, often laminated, and sometimes folded up into a large book-like container. The Amazing Bible World History Timeline is a large (36" x 48") and sturdy poster that can be spread out on your table or hung on your wall.
While I do prefer timelines to be laid out straight, the circular effect was neat. And it is wonderful to be able to see everything at once when you are looking at a timeline.
There were some concerns with this particular timeline, though, that I must share. First of all, there are references to the Book of Morman (Church of the Latter-Day Saints) which concerned me. There is even a Latter Day Saints Book of Morman Timeline available. You can get to know more about the publishers of the timeline, Bill and Margaret, on their website page, About Us. They produce two timelines, one for "Latter Day Saints" and a "generic one. Here is their explanation of why there are two different timelines.
Okay, here is my feeling about this timeline. It is lovely to look at and would be helpful to use. However, because of the link to the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, which does not adhere to Orthodox Christian beliefs, I cannot recommend this timeline. If you do want to purchase it for your family, the cost is $29.97 on their website, The Amazing Bible World History Timeline. If you do purchase this timeline, I recommend reading The God Makers: A Shocking Expose of What the Mormon Church Really Believes by Ed Decker and Dave Hunt.
At this point, I must be wary of the scholarship of the timeline because of the link to the Mormon church.
Dear friends and fellow homeschooling moms, be very careful about the books, curriculum, and materials you purchase and use in your home school. As much as is possible, use Christ-centered, Biblically-based materials that will uphold your beliefs and values. We are in a spiritual battle for the souls and destinies of our children. Everything that looks good on the outside is not necessarily good underneath. I was taken in by this timeline, only to discover that it was not in line with our family's values. Yikes! Another lesson on being careful as I educate my children at home!
"Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil," (I Thessalonians 5:21-22 NIV).
With that said, I want to heartily advocate the use of timelines in your homeschool. And, teach your children that the earth is young, about six thousand years old, not millions or billions of years old. I appreciate the scholars we have today that research dates, historical events, and original texts. How blessed we are to live in the days we do. Surely with the all the apostasy and upheaval in our nation, we were born for such a time as this! Lift up your eyes and look to the Lord for wisdom as you prepare your children to be world-changers!
"Wake up! You don't want to sleep the day away!" I chided the lump in my teenager's bed.
There was no response, only a muffled groan. My idea of morning and Shine's idea of morning are two completely different things. In Shine's world, to wake up too early in the morning leads to mourning! What should I do? Should I let her sleep in as late as she wants to? Or should I require her to rise when the rooster cocka-doodle-doos?
When the sun wakes up, I want to wake up too. I get my best work done before ten o'clock. In contrast, my friend, Laura, is up in the wee hours of the morning doing her best creative work.
In the same vein as Solomon, I believe that "Early to bed; early to rise; makes a teen healthy, wealthy, and wise!" There is something grand about rising early to start the day with a song in your heart. Why is it that teens seem to want to sleep the day away instead of rising up to accomplish exploits for the glory of God!
After hoping and praying for a baby for ten years, Sue Patrick recieved a beautiful bundle of joy from her Heavenly Father. Grief was to follow, though, when her son was diagnosed at the age of two with Autism while Sue was working on her master's degree from North Carolina State University and getting ready to give birth to her daughter. She got through her grief as quickly as possible so that she could give herself to raising two little children. While they slept, she spent time researching and making materials and curriculum to use with her son. The result of this time of research and creativity is her Workbox System. It is loosely based on the structured teaching approach advocated by TEACCH (Treatment & Education of Autistic & related Communication-handicapped Children), a division of University of North Carolina's Department of Psychiatry.
While there is no cure for autism, the program Sue created, the Workbox System, has worked for her son. Even with a seemingly insurmountable language disability, he is at grade level academically, participates in group activities, and plays team sports. Sue believes that the research she has done and the resulting home program she has created for him has made all the difference in his life.
God opened the door for Sue to share what she learned with other families who had children with developmental disabilities. Trial and error, continued research, and interacting with more and more families has allowed Sue to improve the Workbox System over the years.
The Workbox System consists of two components: the physical structure and the educational philosophy.
What comes to your mind when you think about teaching your teen to write an essay? Panic? The dreaded SAT essay or college entrance essay? Confidence?
If peace and confidence did not come to your mind then I hope to change that by the end of this article. We have already covered the basics of teaching teens to write in Teaching Teens to Write and writing paragraphs and reports in Teaching Teens to Write Paragraphs and Reports. Now, it's onto essays.
Essays
Essays
bring almost as much fear to students and their parents as research
papers do. But essays are actually more fun to write than reports
because while reports are factual, essays allow students to share both
facts and feelings. The essay writer is able to express more of himself
in his paper.
An essay is a short work of non-fiction that presents the author's view on a single topic. A good essay has a "grabber" opening paragraph, a body (with as many paragraphs as are needed to communicate effectively about the topic, and an effective closing paragraph.)
"I've decided to go ahead and switch my major from Finance to Accounting," Julianna informed her daddy and me one evening. We had been praying with and for her on this decision for several weeks.
"Well, if you think that's God's will,..." I began.
My husband shot me a look. The look warned me to not share my personal feelings about accounting.
I had mentored a younger Christian girl in college who had majored in accounting. She hated it and I hated accounting for her. She worked faithfully as an accountant for ten years, married to a college professor, eventually pursuing another field. Her experience put a bad taste in my mouth. Not wanting to see my little girl suffer, I had my hesitations. I have since had to adjust my thinking on accounting. While not all people will enjoy accounting, it is not the boring task I once envisioned.
How thankful I am for people who crunch numbers and are good at crunching numbers. Since starting my own business, I see how important accounting is--how it can even make or break a business. My personal philosophy of educating my children includes training them to start and run their own business. So, when Professor in a Box sent me their Financial Accounting Class, I was excited to check it out. However, after looking it over, I decided to take the class myself so that I can grow in the area of managing my own business. Interested? Let's take a look at this "course in a box."
Michael P. Licata, Ph.D. is the creator of this accounting course, Professor in a Box: Financial Accounting, for homeschooled high school students. He is an accounting professor at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. My guess is that he is a popular professor because of his practical teaching style. Everything he taught had practical application with companies that young people can relate to.
Accounting, the language of business, is introduced to the high school student through lectures, homework problems with solutions available, and exams. Taught from a non-traditional approach, there is not a big fat accounting textbook to read. Instead, 12 chapters are divided into 2 or 3 flash lecture slides each. The flash lecture slides include a description of each key concept with discussions of all the important concepts and sample problems with step by step illustrations of how to work them out. The slides are bright and cheerful, easy on the eyes, but very informative and easy to understand. I learned a lot by reading them for this review. They were very impressive.
Ah, the joy of teaching teens to write. Last time, in Teaching Teens to Write, we talked about playing with words, talking, reading examples of the writing they will do, and crafting an excellent sentence.Today, we will move on to paragraphs and reports. As we move forward, don't forget to keep talking to your teens about the subjects you expect them to write about, to prepare them to write.
Paragraphs
An excellent paragraph is filled with excellent sentences, so remind your teens to check each sentence in a paragraph to make sure that it is well-crafted. A paragraph is a collection of sentences that flow together about the same subject. The topic sentence tells you what the paragraph is about, often the first sentence in the paragraph.
Pull out some old papers your child has written and examine their paragraphs together. Talk about what is good, bad, and funny. Then pull out some well-crafted paragraphs from a book, essay, letter, or blog. Read the paragraphs together and discuss what makes them readable. Point out the sentences that make up the paragraph. Grammar and word usage makes the difference between bad, good, and excellent. Now, go back and look at your teen's paragraphs to discuss them again. How can they be improved? Have your teen rewrite several paragraphs.
Talk next about flowing from sentence to sentence inside a paragraph. It is easiest to start paragraphs at the beginning with a topic sentence. Make a list of five topic sentences. Now, have your teen turn each topic sentence into a paragraph, using the topic sentences as a guide for the other sentences that will follow in the paragraph. If your teen feels lost, then work together on this. Do this every day until your teen can turn a topic sentence into a paragraph on his own. Make sure that each paragraph is made up of complete sentences--no fragments or run-ons! Don't forget that your teen should always be writing for an audience. Always make her choose an audience for every writing project, even paragraphs.
"What on earth is this?" I wondered aloud after opening the package Federal Express had dropped off at my front door. "A book holder? Isn't that nifty!"
"Here, let me help you," my husband offered, seeing that there was assembly required. Not difficult assembly, mind you, but assembly nonetheless.
"Soon the little book holder was holding Jimmy's reading book, The White Seneca. It stood at attention on the dining room table where everyone could admire the newest addition to our growing collection of "homeschooling supplies."
"I love it!" Sarah cooed, walking through the door minutes later. "That's what I need. I need something to hold my books and papers to keep my hand from getting tired."
"What? That's the silliest thing I've ever seen," Zack scoffed. "It's just a flimsy piece of plastic."
"Not so flimsy," I corrected him and picked it up to hand it to him so he could examine it himself.
"Oh, it is pretty strong," Zack adjusted his earlier evaluation.
"I like it!" Jenny Rose exclaimed. "Can I have it."
"It's mine," Jimmy explained, "See, it has my book in it."
"But, I wanted it," Sarah complained.
I guess one StudyPod is just not enough for our house!
The StudyPod is a nifty study tool designed to hold books open for the reader while he reads. You assemble the study pod quickly, standing on a smooth hard surface. The book is held into place with small wire-like prongs that don't hide words on the page. With your reading book in place, your hands are free to take notes, eat chocolate, or munch on popcorn. The book stays at eye level and is wide open, making studying so much easier. It is recommended for books up to 2.25" thick.
The study pod is portable and shaped like a book. Students can carry it around in their book bag with their other books and notebooks. There is also a section to hold pencils, pens, calculators, and note cards.
There is even a "how to use" video on their website; just scroll down the home page. This will make assembly and use so simple! In fact, everything about this product is easy to use.
To purchase Studypod, go to the store Stores/Locations page of their website and find the stores near you. The closest store location that sells the StudyPod near me is Stetson University Bookstore in Deland. My daughter just happens to attend Stetson University! There are also possiblities for reselling and fundraising. Or you can order online for $19.95.
My sixteen year old senior in high school has taken the SAT one time. Though I was very happy with her score, she would like to take the SAT again, improving her score. Before I could find an SAT prep class for her to take, College Prep Genius: The No Brainer Way to SAT Success by Jean Burk arrived in the mail to be reviewed. Instead of reviewing it myself, my sixteen year old daughter reviewed it for me. Let's find out if she liked it.
Meredith:Jenny Rose, what was your overall impression of College Prep Genius?
Jenny Rose: I found it very helpful in the way it informed me of how the test worked and how to take it in a way that would set me up for success.
Meredith:How was College Prep Genius able to do this?
Jenny Rose: It teaches you to take the SAT in a way that's logical. There were a lot of formulas and acronyms which help you to skirt around the tricks the SATs give you.
Meredith:What do you mean by "tricks" the SATs give you?
Jenny Rose: Instead of being a test on how much knowledge you know, it really is a test on how to use logic. They give you "fake" answers that may seem right, but are actually based more on opinion than logic. This program teaches you how to look out for those fake answers. It shows you what kinds of fake answers they give and gives you acronyms to help you remember them. It also gives you tips on how to see the questions logically whether by circling or underlining portions in the reading or circling specific words in the questions themselves.
Meredith:Can you share an acronym that will help you recognize a "trick"?
Jenny Rose: S.O.N. Avoid answers that are Strong, Opinionated, or Negative. They will always be incorrect.
Meredith:Wow! That's so cool! Tell me exactly what you use in this program.
Jenny Rose: There's a workbook, DVD, and a textbook. I watch the DVD and read the text pages that go along with it. I do the workbook while I watch the DVD.
Tears, frustration, and raised voices...is this what teaching writing is like at your house? We often deceive ourselves into thinking that some kids are good writers and others are not. While it is true that some children are gifted writers, all teens can learn to write well.
College professors are constantly complaining about the lack of writing skills possessed by college freshman. So, now we've added the dreaded ESSAY section to the SAT. Is there a painless way to teach essay writing? Again, some teens will be extremely gifted at writing essay. But, your child can learn to write a good essay.
Let's delve into teaching writing in high school.
If we think of writing as an art, then words are the medium for the artist. Good writers love words, play with words, and carefully choose words for their writing. Give your young writers as many experiences as possible to play with words and discover new words. Talking and reading are ways to experience words, but we can also play games like Scattagories, Scrabble, Catch-Phrase, Taboo, or any other game that focuses on words. Be careful with non-Christian games that you skip over anything unwholesome, or better yet just remove it from the game! Think about ways to give your children words, words, and more words. Then when it is time to write, they can pull out their words and begin.
Can anyone have too many books? I don't think so! I love books. My house is filled to the brim with books with overflowing bookshelves in every room. Still I buy more. But there is a new kind of book that fascinates me too...the e-book! It is easy to pop open on your computer, enjoying the beautiful pictures and information, but is doesn't take up any room on your bookshelves. E-books are easy to store.
Hamster Holidays Noun and Adjective Adventures by Cynthia Reeg is a delightful way to learn about nouns and adjectives. With adorable illustrations by Kit Grady, this book is kid friendly! The book opens with this poem, Nouns names people, places, and things, proper or common they may be, Adjectives stay close to nouns and describe them to a T, In this book of hamster days, You'll find both these parts of speech, Adjectives in red, Nouns in blue, How many can you find of each? After a brief explanation of nouns and adjectives, what follows is a fun-filled tale of the hamsters' holidays and how they celebrate them. Of course, every noun is blue and every adjective is red. After the enchanting story is finished, there are 8 pages of noun and adjective activities and teaching helps! What a fun way to teach or reinforce grammar!
The Sum of Our Parts No Bones About It by Bill Kirk is another painless way for children to learn. This book is about our skeletal system and I really like it! With a Bachelors degree in Nursing, I appreciate well-written anatomy books for young children. This one pleases the nurse in me, as well as the homeschooling mom in me. Each page has a short poem, a factoid, and a zany illustration. The poems are lighthearted but true. For example, here is the poem from the first page: Without all our bones, We'd be shapeless and blobby--Just skin, guts, and muscles, All gooey and globby. Silly? Yes, it is. True? Yes, it is true. Without our bones, we'd be walking, oops not walking but oozing along, blogs of mush. Our bones are so important! This book drives this point home, while teaching all kinds of important facts and information. Some of the illustrations are funny, but all are excellent drawings of our bones and skeletal system. All ages, even high school students, will enjoy this book and benefit from reading it!
In the last election, Sarah Palin captured my heart and imagination with her spunky attitude, devotion to her family, and good common sense. I was so excited to see a woman of God who was not ashamed to talk about her faith in Jesus! Who was this woman from Alaska that I'd never heard of before? A governor? I never think much about Alaska, though my parents dreamed of taking an Alaskan cruise together. "Brrr...too cold," was my thought when they asked if I wanted to join them. But, as I have been learning more about this beautiful wilderness state of ours with its breathtaking landscape, I'm having second thoughts about taking an Alaskan cruise. At the very least, I am interested in learning about this wild state that produces hearty, spunky souls who value family and hard work.
With this in mind, I was eager to take a look at an E-book, Aunt Sarah's Alaskan Cookbook by Cheryl Moeller. With lovely illustrations by Susan R. Smith and breath-taking photographs by Clifford McGhyghy, this cookbook is a homeschool treasure. Use it as a foundation for a unit study on Alaska or just enjoy the yummy recipes.
More than a collection of recipes, Aunt Sarah's Alaskan Cookbook gives you a look at Alaska's history and beauty throughout its 60 pages. Divided into seven sections (six chapters and an appendix), each section contains information about Alaska that can be used as a springboard for a unit study or as a supplement to your family's Alaska unit study. Here are the sections with some recipe examples from each section.
Chapter One: Refreshing Cold and Hot Beverages (Polar Bear Guzzler, Pacific Rim Hot Lemonade, Dogsled Caramel Apple Cider, and more!)
Chapter Two: Berries and Fruit ("After the Sauna" Cold Fruit Soup, Aleutian Grilled Fruit-Kabobs, Klondike River Rhubarb Bars, and more!)
Chapter Three: Salmon and the Fish of the Sea (Fairbanks Citrus Salmon, Kanai Breakfast Fish Tacos, Water's Edge Crockpot Trout, and more!)
Chapter Four: Choose Moose, Rabbit, Deer, Elk, Bear and Caribou (Katishna Venison Sausage and Flax Pancakes, Barrow Buttermilk Grilled Rabbit, Wild Buck Beans, and more!)
Chapter Five: Dog Sled Race Party for Kids (Finger Lake Moose Munch, Rainy Pass Wheat Germ Cookies, White Mountain Ice Cream, and more!)
Chapter Six: Banquet of the North (Czar Alexander Elk Meatloaf, Easy Baked Alaska, Okmok Volcano, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, and more!)
Appendix: Curriculum for Children (Coloring Pages, Comprehension Chapter Questions, Comprehension Chapter Questions Answer Sheets)
You teach and train your children for from birth, looking forward to the day when they graduate from high school and enter adulthood. Well, maybe not looking forward to that day so much. Maybe you are like me and you want the years to last a little longer as they fly by.
Still you know that all you do in raising and educating your children is for that eventual day when they fly out of the nest and take their place in the world. You pray for their future mates and children, looking forward to meeting your grandchildren one day. You worry, even though you know you shouldn't. You imagine and daydream about what they will be like and long to see them walk uprightly with God all the days of their lives.
It has given me great joy to graduate two daughters and to watch countless friends graduate their own children. What are these children up to? Let me introduce you to some high school grads.
My oldest daughter, Katie Beth, graduated from high school at age 16 and commuted for four years to Stetson University. As a National Merit Finalist, she could have lived on campus with her scholarship, but instead chose to drive back and forth each day so that she could stay connected to our family and to the church. She won numerous awards in her four years of college and was the outstanding senior in both of her majors, English and Spanish. Katie Beth spent a semester in Mexico her junior year, her first time away from home. After college, she worked as an editor for Harcourt for a year. Right now, she is working on her master's degree at the University of Central Florida. She is still living at home and is involved in ministry at our church.
Katie Beth found that the most difficult part of college was the intense animosity toward the Lord and His Word. She found herself having to stay on her toes, being ready to defend The Truth and share her personal testimony. She found that knowing the Word of God and reading Understanding the Times helped her so much to be ready to give an answer when one could be given. Sometimes she felt lonely, especially when she saw other Christians surrender their trust in Jesus and accept the lies of the world. Right now Katie Beth is teaching two classes of Freshman English at UCF--what a great opportunity to serve the Lord and reach out to college students!
Is there anything more fun than celebrating holidays? Christmas stockings, Easter baskets, and Valentine hearts filled with chocolate all bring a smile to my face and my heart. Life is good when there's a holiday to celebrate. God, of course, is the inventor of holidays, or holy days. What holidays did God establish for the nation of Israel? I can't think of a more enjoyable Bible study to dig into.
Grapevine Studies' Biblical Feasts and Holy Days by Diana Wiebe is a thirteen week study for your home school Bible class. Written for teens, this study would be enjoyed by younger and older folks too. We have college students, high school students, and middle school students in our home. All liked this Grapevine study on the Biblical holidays. We received a teachers manual and student worktexts to review.
Before I tell you about this delightful Bible study curriculum, let me tell you about Grapevine Studies. I love their mission. In fact, let me just quote it from the teacher's edition. "Our mission at Grapevine Studies is to provide believers with a method and curricula to study the Bible, using a timeline, stick figures, words, symbols, and colors to teach chronological lessons." What a great idea! Combining the intellectual (timelines, chronological studies) with the more emotional (stick figures, symbols). The result is that both the left and right sides of the brain are engaged, but more importantly, I think, is that both the heart and mind are engaged in these studies.
Each of their Bible studies start with a timeline as the framework for the entire study. Bible passages, characters, and events are understood within the big picture. Being a "big picture person" myself, I immediately latched on to this teaching method! Each day, your student reads a passage and then does some "stick figuring." Stick figuring is a method of notetaking using stick figures, colors, charts, words, and symbols. It is definitely more fun than normal notetaking. The lesson ends with a memory verse.
Better health...healthy eating...more exercise...herbs for healing...homemade cleaners...I give my mental assent to all these things. My family's health matters to me...but I love chocolate. I want to feed my family healthy meals, but I want to fix yummy food that will tickle their taste buds. Can I do all these things? I thought I needed to choose between health and taste, but I don't. Sheri Graham can take us from not-so-healthy to healthy one step at a time!
Do you remember the movie, What About Bob? about a therapist and his patient named Bob. "Baby steps...baby steps," Bob would repeat to himself. Just like Bob, this book will take you baby step by baby step to better living!
Baby Steps to Better Health by Sheri Graham is health book with recipes (or maybe it's a recipe book with lots of healthy information and tips). Written in Sheri's encouraging style, the book begins exactly where it should with spiritual health, reminding us that the condition of our soul matters more than anything else!
"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come," (I Timothy 4:8 NIV).
Right up front, Sheri encourages us to take it slowly, reminding us that we don't have to make lots of drastic changes all at once. Another reminder that I appreciated from Sheri is that God and people are more important than "health." Other books and speakers on this topic are so legalistic that our families can almost feel railroaded when we come home with our "New Healthy Philosophy!" Sheri suggest seeking God and following His leadership in making adjustments in your family.
The next section of the book covers drinking water and cooking and baking. In a nutshell, Sheri suggest drinking filtered water and increasing each family member's intake of water. That's easy enough! Cooking and baking from scratch are suggested for better health and that's when we get into all kinds of neat stuff to learn about and experiment with. Get ready to learn to bake bread, make yogurt & buttermilk, make cream cheese, brew kombucha (kom-what?), and make your own homemade mixes. Sheri shows us how to plan healthy menus with less white sugar, more whole grains & salads, and healthier fats. All this is painless because the recipes that accompany each baby step are delicious.
What happened to your little girl who loved to twirl around in your old prom dress and high heels? What happened to the little boy who would bring you flowers that many in the world would consider weeds? Have they entered the teen years? How did that happen? Here's how to know if there are teenagers living in your house.
Food disappears in massive amounts and your grocery budget doubles. Didn't you just go grocery shopping? What happened to the chips, ice cream, sandwich meat, bread, popcorn, grits, fruit, and crackers? And, by the way, where did the leftovers from last night go?
Your cell phone has a million snapshots of their faces at odd angles. Oh, that's it! They are holding the camera out and taking their own picture.
There is not a sound at 9 a.m., or 10 a.m., or 11 a.m. Are these the same creatures that woke you before dawn, interrupted your quiet times, and pulled back your eyelids to see if you were awake?
They take naps in the late afternoon, just a few hours after they wake up, complaining that they've been up "since early this morning." Are these the same little ones you had to beg or threaten to take a nap.
A brand new school year calls for a brand new planner. Scheduling, lists, lesson plans, and dinner menus all have to be written down somewhere so that I can remember what, where, when, and how. My calendar is just too small. That is where a homeschool planner comes in!
The Old School Magazine has done it again with their brand new 2009-2010 Homeschool Organizer: The 2009 Schoolhouse Planner. Published by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, this home organizer was compiled by Heidi Stawser, Kris Price, and Karen Sargent. These ladies have combined organization, trivia, and helpful resource information for homeschooling effectively. And my favorite part, the recipes!
The e-book planner opens with 4 one page calendars: 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. From this point, the planner is divided by months from July 2009 to June 2010. For each month, there is a double page calendar of the month that is plenty big enough to use for all kinds of dates and plans. This is followed by a few information pages, a different topic for each month. Next comes the recipes. This formula is continued month by month for half of the planner.
Here are the monthly topics in this nifty planner: the thirteen original colonies, math, weather, emergencies, government, planets, letter writing, miracles & parables of Jesus, Latin & Greek roots, lap books, the basics of getting into college, and geography. The month by month section only takes a little over a hundred of the 375 pages in the homeschool planner.
"I finally read "The Master Plan of Evangelism," Laura admitted to me. (I thought she had read it years ago.)
"Did you like it?" I asked, dying to ask her why she had waited so long to read it when I had been begging her to read the book for nine years!
"I tried to read it several times, but it isn't really light reading material," she informed me.
I nodded in agreement. It isn't light reading material. In fact, while most books we read are written at a fifth to eighth grade level, this book is written for college students so it is a more challenging read.
"I loved the book!" Laura broke into my thoughts. "You were right about it making you see all of life in a new way."
"Really?"
"Really. I'm so glad I read it. I'll never be the same!"
I read The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman when I was a sophomore in college. This book changed my life! I have my children read it in high school for one of their Bible classes. It is a book that I would like to see more Christians read, especially homeschooling parents. Robert, born in 1928, grew up in Texas, attending a Methodist church. He pastored for six years and moved into teaching. He has a Masters in Theology from Princeton, a PhD from the University of Iowa, and a Doctorate of Divinity from Trinity International University. His writing style is academic, but don't let them keep you from reading this book.
Along the way, Dr. Coleman became convinced that schools were not the answer to raising up mighty men of God. He carefully studied the life of Jesus, coming to the conclusion that Jesus knew exactly what He was doing in laying a foundation for the Church. Dr. Coleman values Jesus' pattern of ministry and embraces it in his own life.
Jesus spent His life calling people to repent and believe while healing the sick and injured, performing all kinds of miracles, and teaching His beloved people. However, He invested in a small group of men, His disciples. These He gave focused time and attention to for three years. He imparted to them truth and modeled a lifestyle that they could imitate. What a blessing to take a closer look at the life of Jesus!
