Growing Your Homeschool

Child, you just got schooled!

2012-03-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

This post is written by Delena, published by Sam due to technical difficulties.

Right now we have three (soon to be four this summer!) children, and our oldest is in Kindergarten. P is five. D is three, and E is 16 months.

This was my first year to homeschool, and I made sure I was ready.

I researched different curriculums. I attended the Catholic Homeschooling Conference in our area. I had the books, the supplies, the fun stuff to make school "exciting."

I did not, however, anticipate what it would be like to homeschool one child with two other children at home.

I know a lot of moms who start school at 8:00 on the dot. When we started school in September, I tried this 8:00 approach. I quickly realized that Miss E needed a little more time and attention from me than I expected.

So, we now start school at 10:00--otherwise known as "when the baby naps." This allows the boys to eat, get dressed, and play for several hours before P starts school.

I then realized that my three year-old, D, was NOT happy that his big brother was going to be taken away from playing with him for an hour each day. I have tried giving him coloring books, alphabet books, and number books--he's not interested.

I have given him an entire book of stickers and a stack of paper and told him to go to town. This worked for three days.

He went back to being unhappy, and I am now adding "stickers" to our grocery list.

I made homemade playdough for him--only to find that this distracted P while he was trying to HIS work. This would cause me to mutter out loud, "How did people do it in one-room schools?!"

Sigh.

The other day, just when I thought my patience was gone because P couldn't concentrate, and D was doing everything he could to get our attention, a tiny little bit of light was shown on the situation.

D was playing with his animal figurines when I suddenly heard him say, "Tyger, tyger, burning bright. In the forests of the night. What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?"

Yes--my three year-old can quote poetry now.

And he can write lower case letters--something I've never worked with him on at all!

While he's running around the dining room table causing my blood pressure to escalate, he's also LEARNING. He doesn't realize he's picking up on the same stuff P is learning, but he is retaining information.

So, I quit contemplating taking my blood pressure for the moment and smiled. There can be frustrating moments while homeschooling your children. I think there are even MORE frustrating moments when you have one in school and two...or three...or four...who haven't reached school-age yet.

To know that your kids are still learning and retaining information just from hearing what goes on at the dining room table every morning--well, it makes it all worth it.

Lessons from Horton

2012-03-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

If you didn't already know, last Friday, March 2nd, was Dr. Seuss' birthday! When I was in elementary school, Dr. Suess was always a favorite of mine, and now that I am grown, it is a pleasure to continue to share his wonderful books with my own children. I know many parents who feel the same way.

On Friday, the kids and I read several Dr. Suess books before making green eggs for dinner and a blue birthday cake with chocolate frosting. One of the stories I read was my absolute favorite of Dr. Suess' stories--Horton Hears a Who.

"A person's a person, no matter how small."

We all remember that line, right? One of the reasons I love Horton's story is because it is full of wonderful lessons for people of all ages.

What can we learn from Horton?

1. "A person's a person, no matter how small." C'mon, you knew that was coming. It important that we, as a adults remember, and that we teach our children that people, regardless of age, looks, smarts, whatever, deserve the same basic rights and respect. We love others as God first loved us.

2. Perseverance. Horton was determined to protect the inhabitants of Whoville. Even thought he couldn't see them. Even though no one believed him. Even though the mean bird through the clover in the huge clover patch. Horton went through several thousand clovers before he finall found his friends.

3. Don't buckle under peer pressure. After he finds the clover, Horton still has to face the other animals of the jungle again. They're ready to have him committed! They taunted him, threatened him--and it would have been so easy for Horton to give in. After all, who was going to miss a town smaller than a speck of dust?

4. One person can make a difference. No matter how big or small, how smart or not, how brave or afraid--ONE person can make a difference. All it takes is a little faith, a little courage, and a big heart.

I think these are important lessons for anyone to remember, no matter how big or how small.

What are some lessons you've learned from a Dr. Suess book?

Four Fast Fun Facts About Our Bloggers Featuring.....Samantha & Tracy!

2012-03-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

This week, since it is party week, I thought it would be fun to share some fun info about our bloggers. Each blogger was given a list of fun questions, and asked to choose from that list four fast fun facts they would like to share about themselves. This week we are featuring Samantha and Tracy.

Samantha

Where is one fun place would you like to visit that you have never been to before?

The ocean. I'd love to see the ocean.

Do you have a favorite fun food combo?

I love cinnamon toast and chocolate milk. (I don't dip or anything, but love the two together.)

What is one little known fun fact you would like to share about yourself?

I am a horribly picky eater, and I randomly discard bites I deem unworthy, for reasons such as being too thick or unattractive, or if the meal doesn't even out at the end.

What fun activities do you like to do in your "free" time?

Obsess about homeschooling and re-plan our entire curriculum future. I do this often, I think I need a step program!

To learn more about Sam, or to read her blog, you can visit her at Sam's NOGGIN.

Tracy

‎What is one little known fact you would like to share about yourself?

I did ballet for about 12 years and had my own studio at age 15, teaching girls to dance and planning performances as a high school job.

What fun activities do you like to do in your "free" time?

I am a google-addict. I love to find the answers to all my quirky questions. Also, I do love to plan our homeschool, years in advance of what I really need to do.

Do you have a favorite fun food combo?

One food combo that I grew up on is peanut butter and syrup mixed to a smooth blend and spooned onto a graham cracker. We called it the poor man's dessert.

‎Where is one fun place would you like to visit that you have never been before?

I'd love to tour the ballparks of America, especially the older ones that are still in use. Not only would the nostalgia be awesome, but I'd also have a great excuse for all the ballpark food!

To learn more about Tracy, or to read her blogs, please visit her at Growing In Grace or Homekeepers.

Thank you ladies for sharing more about yourselves! Please check back next Friday to learn about two more of our bloggers when they share four fast fun facts about themselves at Growing Your Homeschool!

Springtime Activities For Your Homeschool

2012-02-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from
the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:"
~Genesis 1:14~

The first day of spring this year is on Tuesday, March 20th. During the season of spring, there is rebirth, regrowth and renewal in the earth. In this post, I will share a list of fun activities you and your student can do, including a few fun field trips that demonstrate these three concepts related to spring.

1. Visit the Tulsa Zoo on April 6th-7th for Springfest. Investigate the zoos in your area. I am sure many of them have activities or events related to spring.

http://www.tulsazoo.org/events/springfest/

2. Visit the Butterfly Jungle at the SanDiego Zoo on April 9th-May 8th. This is something else you can explore at the local zoo in your area. I know at one time they had a butterfly exhibit you could walk into in Tulsa.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/butterflyjungle/

3. Visit a local greenhouse to kick-off the spring regrowth activity of gardening. If you don't have a local greenhouse in your area, check out this virtual tour-

http://academic.kellogg.edu/herbrandsonc/bio111/greenhouse.htm

4. Visit a local farmer's market and learn about fresh grown produce. If you live on Oahu in Hawaii, there are many to choose from. (To combine #3 and #4 of my list, start your own garden. If your children are small, start off small, teaching them about seeds and just grow one thing.)

http://kapiolani.hawaii.edu/object/farmersmarket.html

5. Visit a farm. During the spring many babies are born. Fresh produce is being grown. One such farm can be found in McBee, South Carolina. Students can pick their own container of fruit on the field trip.

http://www.macspride.com/

6. Grow your own butterflies. You can buy a butterfly garden at Insect Lore. We have actually done this in my house and it worked out beautifully. It was very bittersweet releasing them when it was time.

http://www.shop-insectlore.com/Butterflies/

7. Read children's literature that pertain to the season of spring. One good choice would be Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. You can discuss seasons, including spring, while reading the book. There are many, many lesson plans on the internet to go with this book. Here's one-

http://staffwww.fullcoll.edu/janderson/children's%20lit/sample%20lesson%20plan.pdf

I hope this list has given you some ideas about what you can do to teach your child about spring. Do your own research. Find out what is available in your area. Google "spring activities." There are so many hands-on activities we can do to teach our children about the beautiful season of spring. If you cannot go on any field trips, take one in your own backyard. Get dirty! Find out what is happening in nature right outside your home.

Have a beautiful spring everyone!
~Beth

“Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.”
― Victor Hugo

Ideas for St. Patrick's Day

2012-02-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we shared ideas for studying presidents, elections, and government. Today, the topic is St. Patrick’s Day.

Before teaching my children about St. Patrick, I knew relatively nothing. I knew he had something to do with Ireland, lots of people decorated with shamrocks, and some celebrated the day with green drinks. That about summed up my knowledge.

Then, a few years ago, I decided to teach my children about the man behind the holiday, St. Patrick. The Story of Saint Patrick, by James A. Janda, offered us a fascinating introduction to his life. We were intrigued by his life and experiences.

This is just one way to incorporate St. Patrick's Day into our homeschools. Another approach would be to learn about Ireland, its history and culture, or perhaps read about the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle.

Or, perhaps you would rather celebrating the day with a few fun activities, maybe include...

Printable Worksheets
St. Patrick's Day Printables at about.com

Shamrock craft ideas for youngsters
"Tie-dye Shamrocks" from coffee filters at Kaboose

Potato Stamp Shamrocks at Family Fun

Rainbow craft ideas for youngsters
"Handprint Rainbow" at Enchanted Learning (use construction paper or paint)
"Jell-O Scented Rainbow" at Making Learning Fun

Fun food ideas
Irish Soda Bread (traditional)
Irish Soda Bread with raisins
green fruits - kiwi, limes
green vegetables - cucumbers, celery, brocolli, lettuce, peppers
green dessert foods - pistachio pudding, mint flavored ice cream, key lime pie
"Pot o' Gold Cupcakes" at Mega Crafty

Party ideas
"Pot of Gold Party" at education.com

There are numerous ways to learn about and celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and this short list is just a start. We would love to read about your plans for studying or celebrating the day. Feel free to include any applicable links in your comment.

Topic for tomorrow: spring

Studying Presidents, Elections, and U.S. Government

2012-02-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week is ~~party week!~~ planning week! For the next few days, we will share some themed activities and ideas for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and spring.

Today, I have compiled a few activities and ideas for studying presidents, elections and the U.S. government.

Every February we recognize, remember, and honor our Presidents. This year with an upcoming presidential election, we may focus a bit more on our past, current, and future Presidents in our homeschools. Perhaps you will incorporate the election into your studies, or spend some time teaching your children about our government.

Are looking for a few resources?

Here are some of the resources we have used and loved:

Books
Don't Know Much About the Presidents, by Kenneth C. Davis
Presidential Elections, by Syl Sobel
How the U.S. Government Works, by Syl Sobel
The U.S. Constitution and You, by Syl Sobel

Workbook
The Complete Book of Presidents & States, Grades 4-6, American Education Publishing

Flash Cards/Trivia Game
U.S. Presidents, Trend Enterprises, Inc.
Brain Quest: Presidents (ages 9-12)

Election Day Activity Suggestions

Going to vote? Take your child along. We prepared our children by discussing what voting is and how the actual process works. In our area, at the poll, a volunteer sitting alongside the booth announces your name as you enter, "Now voting, Dorie..." The children find this very exciting. They are allowed in the booth as well, on the right side, where the vote button is NOT located.
At home, use a blank USA map, with state outlines, to color each state as the electoral votes and popular votes are tabulated and announced.

Read the original documents online
Declaration of Independence
Constitution of the United States
Bill of Rights

Places to visit
Washington, DC (White House, National Archives, and much, much more)
Philadelphia, PA (Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Constitution Center)
Mt. Vernon, VA (home of our first president, George Washington)

Can't visit in person? Perhaps an online tour like this one for Abraham Lincoln's home in Springfield, IL would be possible.

A few resources that I stumbled upon recently

Online worksheets and printables:

President's Day Theme Unit at ABC Teach
Online computer game:
Name that President and others at Primary Games

As I know this list is not exhaustive, what activity or resource would you recommend using to study presidents, elections, and government?

Feel free to include any applicable links in your comment.

Topic for tomorrow: St. Patrick's Day

Evaluating Progress

2012-02-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week at Growing Your Homeschool, we asked our bloggers,

"While testing is one way to determine skill level or mastery in a subject area, it is not the only way. What are some other methods or creative ways you have chosen to use to evaluate your child's progress?"

MARLA-"I observe Abigail to determine her skill levels and levels of mastery. I give her independent work and watch her complete it. If she feels confident and is able to do it on her own, I know that she has mastered the skill. If not, I know that we need to keep working on it. I also observe her in play and free time as I have noticed that she rehearses a lot of the skills that we are learning during her play time."

DORIE- "We do use some testing methods, but we also implement some other ways of checking our children's progress. Observations and listening to them reiterate a lesson or material they have learned are two ways. Another way is to have them 'teach' someone else the same material."

TRACY- "Observing my kids in "out of school" moments really gives me a terrific idea of what they are learning—conversations in the car and at the dinner table, playtime activities, etc. I have also loved using narration this year, having the kids tell me what they learned as I write down their answers. For records, however, I do depend a lot on worksheets (graded or non-graded) to give me an accurate assessment."

DELENA-"I ask my 5 year-old to "teach" what he learned to his younger brother--he loves it, and he really does a good job of covering the subject. I will also have him tell Dad about what he learned at school when Dad gets home from work. Our fav...orite way is to just ask questions around the dinner table in kind of a game show-type way. We're Catholic, so our questions might consist of, "What does the fourth commandment say?" or "Which saint was roasted over a gridiron because he loved God?" or "Why did Jesus turn over the tables in the temple?" We use silly voices and sound effects if he gets the answer right or wrong--which generally causes a good case of the giggles."

JESSICA- "Like Tracy, observing my children talk to others about what they have learned is a wonderful way to see what is sticking with them, especially in history and social studies. I encourage them to discuss what they are learning during dinners... with Dad, grandparents and friends, and they enjoy "showing off." As far as 'paper work' sort of learning, I've found the best way of measuring how they are doing is whether or not they want to work independently and how many of those tasks worked correctly without help indicate their grasp. If they have questions, want to talk it out or even want me to sit with them, I feel they probably need more time and practice. If they disappear and come back with correct work, I know they have mastery and it's time to move on."

MAUREEN-"I always feel a bit confused on this topic, as a home educator. For me, my children's learning is such an intimate affair that to me it's like asking- how do I know how much I know about something... I just do. It's natural. We are learn...ing TOGETHER and talking all day long. I consider it one of the main benefits of our chosen homeschooling style that I always know right where my son and daughter are in different areas."

How do you evaluate your child's progress?

Learning Centers: Preparing the Banquet

2012-02-23T08:11:00.001-08:00

Thou shalt prepare a banquet for me
Amidst them that trouble me...
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

-Psalm 23

This week I am going to take you through my main living area (no, I did not clean it first)

and show you how our learning materials are set up. I am an extremely visual person; if it's outta sight, then it's outta my mind. My children seem to be pretty visual, too. They rarely get bored, and I think the way our toys and materials are set up helps with that. I keep things where we can all see them, which makes things get used a lot more than they would otherwise.

I spread the banquet, but each child fills his or her plate.

(Math shelves: Miquon math workbooks and cuisenaire rods, origami and tangram supplies, rulers and measuring tape, subtraction machine, cuties box of fill-able geometric solids, teaching clock, number balance, pattern blocks. Shelf below holds loops for fingerweaving- yep, that's a math activity! We also have tons of math-ish games like SET, Quirkle, Farkle, Connect 4, etc.)

They way I set up, operate, and record-keep in our homeschool reflects my basic philosophies about education:

"What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child."
~George Bernard Shaw

and

"Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves."
~Abbé Dimnet, Art of Thinking, 1928 (Have you not read this book? It is fantastic!)

and the quotation I intended to put here in the first place:

"Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire."
~William Butler Yeats

(Math shelves on right, history and geography shelves on left. Atlases, history and geography story books/ fun facts books, unbreakable stuffed globe- finest $19 you'll ever spend, unceremonious stacks of random books we've read recently. The Infant of Prague, in appropriate colored vestments, watches over from above.)

Perhaps the most pervasive influence on how we do things around here is Mari Montessori. She was my original inspiration to homeschool. Although I find that many things about a Montessori classroom do not translate well into a home setting (at least not my home), much of her philosophy can be applied to whatever material or situation is at hand.

(Science shelves: my resource books on top shelf, next shelf has picture books, flash cards, bug catcher, leaf press, rock and bark specimens, flashlight, nature journals, next has more books, nature guides, experiment kits- storebought and homemade, next shelf holds fish box- books, models, shells, puzzle, books, magnetic rod with fish magnets, etc, sink or float experiment, lacing cards, next shelf dinosaur and rock collection box, rice play box for toddler.)

My children are not required to work with their 'school things.' They choose them. If Isaiah wants to play math games for days on end, fine. If he wants to draw for a whole week, fine. Over the course of a month or two, like a toddler with his food, I find him to be balanced in his choices.

It's been a long process to let go of the mental picture of more traditional schooling, and it's been quite an effort. But the joy and self-motivation I see in my oldest, at the time when many of his peers are losing these very qualities, is satisfying.

The little booklet I used as an inspiration to gather all our materials together is "How to Set Up Learning Centers in your Home" by Mary Hood, author of "The Relaxed Homeschool." It's available from Rainbow Resource for about $5 and $1.50 shipping. It has checklists of items you could include in your centers.

We also have an art center and a music center, but those are ever changing and never, um, presentable. I am blessed right now to have room for all these centers in my home, but for less visual families with limited space, a (well-organized) tub holding the same sorts of materials could be just as fun and effective.

"Can you do Division? Divide a loaf by a knife - what's the answer to that?"
~Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

Standardized Testing for Homeschoolers?

2012-02-22T00:01:00.001-08:00

In recent years, standardized testing has become a measuring stick for schools. The results of these tests help administrators plan and alter their school's future. It can also be used for measuring and comparing individual student's performances.

For homeschoolers, not affiliated with the public school system, a standardized test may be an option or it may be required. Either way, parents often have a lot of questions regarding the test, the process, and the value of testing. I know I have had many questions over the years.

{The questions I have asked and the responses I have received mixed with our family's experience follow. I am not an expert. I am just sharing my family's personal experiences.}

Should I have my child take a standardized test?
First, you must determine what your state's requirements are by reading the law for yourself. Do not rely on another to interpret the law for you. Second, if you belong to an umbrella school, then check their requirements. For instance, for our family, technically, our state has no requirements for testing, but the umbrella school we belong to does. It requires students to test in 3rd grade, 6th grade, 8th grade, and 10th grade. For the grades that testing is not required, it is optional.

How do I decide which test my child should take?
If the test is not mandated (by state or school) then it depends on the individual test and what you want measured. Some tests reveal areas of academic weaknesses, either due to the student's individual abilities or the schooling experience. Some tests simply compare the student's academic ability to other students in the same grade. Explore the variety of tests available to you in your state that test what you want to measure.

How do we prepare for the test?
Begin to prepare your child by telling him what the test will be like. Be sure to emphasize that the test will measure what they know as well as ask questions that they don't know.

Review test taking strategies with your child. There are resources such as testing booklets that familiarize your student with the format of a standardized test. Some of these are more valuable than others. For instance, if your child will be taking the TerraNova test, then search for the TerraNova test practice workbooks. These follow the same format as the actual test, and will be more beneficial in that case.

The night before the test, help your child pack their bag. Each time our children have tested, they needed three sharpened number two pencils, a book or drawing paper to occupy them after the test, and a snack/bottle of water. Be sure your child is able to get a good night's rest.

How do we read the results?
Be sure to read all the pages entirely. There is usually a section that tells you how to interpret the results. Some tests explain what was measured, how it was measured, and how it was compared.

If you still do not understand the results, contact the administrator of the test or seek information from other parents and online sources. These sources should be able to answer the specific questions you have.

What if my child scores low?
First do not panic. Keep in mind that some children do not test well, especially if this is their first standardized testing. However, do not prematurely conclude this is the case.

Explore why the test score was low. Did the test use different terms than what your child has learned? For instance, did the test use the term base word instead of root word, and your child didn't know the unfamiliar term? Did the test cover material your curriculum/homeschool approach has yet to cover? Was the format of the questions foreign to your child?

Or, do the results show a problem? Perhaps the low scores do indicate a learning disability or deficit that needs addressed. Find out first, then seek appropriate help and make adjustments as needed.

This year, in our homeschool, only one of our children requires testing. My husband and I will determine if the other two will test or not.

So, today, I am asking...what do you think:
is there value in standardized testing for homeschoolers?

Thinking and Pondering

2012-02-21T12:37:00.000-08:00

This is our first year of homeschooling, and it's been months of fun as well as figuring out what is working and what is not.

What is working? Interest led schooling is awesome for Sophie. She responds so well when she is picking the topics.

What didn't work? Trying to do way too many topics during the day. I figured out early on that I needed to relax and just let Sophie learn. {which is easier said than done!}

Since I'm pondering all things homeschool, I have a question for you....

WHY are YOU homeschooling? When it comes right down to it, what is the absolute reason that you chose to homeschool?

I'll go first.....we decided to homeschool because I wasn't ready to send Sophie out the door to be molded by someone else.

Who's next??

We Don't Need Fancy Materials

2012-02-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

Every time that I go to the store, I find some expensive materials that I would love to have for our homeschool. There are so many cool curriculums, math manipulatives, computer programs, books, etc. I would love to have them all! However, purchasing every cool homeschooling material I see is just not practical!

My family is currently preparing to move to Africa for two years. Due to the high cost of shipping items overseas, we can only take what we can fit in our suitcases. That means that I get one suitcase for homeschooling materials for the next year (until we return for Christmas and I can stock up again). Initially, the thought of having such limited space for teaching materials terrified me. How could I possibly adequately teach my children without a ton of materials?

Then, I realized that I don't need much to teach. In fact, on a daily basis, we don't use many materials. Most days, we use construction paper, markers, a dry erase board, books, and math manipulatives (which are often snack foods or small toys).

While the thought of having a lot of cool materials is appealing, great homeschooling does not require it. A quality homeschool is created through hard work, dedication, and love.

Incorporating the Presidential Election Into Our Homeschool Curriculum

2012-02-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week we asked the bloggers here at Growing Your Homeschool,

February 20th is President's Day. We elect a new president this year. We are hearing about it on the news. There are debates going on. Will you include this historic occasion in your homeschool curriculum? If so, how?

Marla-Since Abigail is only three, I am not sure that she is old enough to really understand the concept of electing a president. She does know that Obama is our current president and that George Washington was our first president. For now, that is all that I am planning to teach her.

Aurie-We have talked about the concept of President and what he does for our country. Sophie knows that Obama is our current president. I don't think she will really understand elections, so for now we're focusing on what a President's job is and why that is important.

Dorie-Yes, we will include the presidental election in our homeschool. This year we are studying the exploration, colonization, and formation of our country. We will also include lessons on the government and elections. During the election, we will probably do a color coded map of the country to see representation and popular voting in action.

Ralene- We don't plan to. The girls aren't quite to that level yet. If they were a few years older, I would definitely want to include them.

Delena-I have a five year-old who refers to our President as "Jobama." I've got a feeling he might not understand the whole process. :-) I still plan on talking to him about our President, why we elect a new President, and how it's important to elect a President who doesn't support things that are intrinsically evil.

Jessica-We frequently discuss politics right now, especially because we are studying early American History. The children are learning (depending on their age level) how our government was formed and how officials are elected. We are reading books (like "VOTE" by DK readers) and watching School House Rock "I'm gonna send your vote to college" to learn about the way our electoral system works. My husband and I will be voting, and our children will come along to watch us participate.

Will you incorporate this year's election into your homeschool curriculum? If so, how?

A Successful Lesson in Failure

2012-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

I actually confronted the issue of failure recently with my kindergartener. In our second year of homeschooling, failure just hadn't come up before.

Then, we started to struggle with addition, and my default-plan of letting my son choose his best papers to show his father wasn't giving my husband a complete picture of how we were really doing. As I talked over our struggles with my husband, he was a little confused; after all, he saw only success and mastery. I decided I'd better make some changes to my default-plan. And that's what led to my discovery that I was failing to truly teach about failure.

The next day, my son worked a math sheet and missed several addition problems. Together we talked through the right answers to the problems that I had checked. He reworked the problems with me and then I broke the news to him: "We're going to show Daddy this page, because he needs to know what we have trouble with as well as what we're doing well in." Immediately my son burst into tears. Suddenly, I understood the unintentional lesson I was teaching my son.

Inadvertently, I was teaching him that only success brought reward, that only perfection brought the attention that he wanted. I wasn't giving my husband the opportunity to praise my son for determination or perseverance; my son was only receiving his daddy's praise for perfect papers. It wasn't a lesson either my husband or I had planned to teach, and it definitely wasn't our view of success. But regardless, my son had already shaped the idea in his head that approval was gained through perfection.

Daddy came home that day, and my son sheepishly showed him the marked-up paper. And the most beautiful lesson unfolded: a lesson of love despite imperfection, a lesson of approval for a best effort, and a lesson of praise for character rather than performance. As I watched my husband and my son interact, I couldn't help but wonder at how close I came to missing out on this moment.

What if I had chosen to show the paper to my husband without my son's knowledge? What if I had caved to my son's tears and decided not to show that paper at all? What if I had continued with our trend of only showing off the best?

My son would probably not have been scarred for life had we not addressed the issue of failure in this way; but then again, he might very well have developed an attitude of success vs. failure that would begin to shape his future.

By allowing my child to fail, I was teaching him about success. (<Tweet This)

It was a valuable lesson for all of us, and not one I would have ever thought to pencil into the curriculum or schedule into my lesson planner.

Simpler is fitting us better

2012-02-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

When we began homeschooling (when my children were seven, five and three) I had grand visions for the complex and exciting ways in which our lives would change. I envisioned planning and executing numerous heavy field trips, I imagined parties for holidays planned by the children where friends and family of all ages participate, I expected to push my children to advance quickly in their work and include difficult, enriching, non-required subjects.

The reality has been that none of these things happen in the way I imagined. It has turned out that my priorities came into sharper focus once we began homeschooling, and high-pressure academics, too much travel, or intense preparations don't fit well with those things we find most important.

My focus has become so much more about how large a moment can be and the potential to seize it.

Our learning is better absorbed in bite-sized, minimized routines and I am satisfied so long as we are staying generally on track with state assessments in case the children ever decide to mainstream back into school.

Our field trips are immediate and centered around the needs or interests of a person in our family at the time they occur.

We plan one party a year, when we are finished with our curriculum. The children create displays and presentations, lay out some of their best work, make refreshments. I put together a slide show of our year and play it on the laptop. We set out every book we read during the school year. Then, we invite family and friends over for our year-end party. It's wonderful for the children to see all that they have accomplished, how much they have grown, the knowledge and learning they have amassed and savored.

The rest of the year I am so satisfied with the experience our children are having when they all stop working to watch a giant flock of geese pass by, when they come in from an afternoon outside with rosy cheeked and breathless exclamations about their game or discovery. I love it when they say "I wish we could see a..." or "Could we stop and look at..." and "I wonder if we could..." and we can.

Their learning centers around reading good literature together, play-acting what they have read or heard, applying their bite-sized lessons without realizing. When we are reading one of those excellent pieces of literature and it is so moving that I have to stop reading for the lump in my throat, we can take as much time as we want to discuss what is happening in the story.

And when they beg me "Pleeeeeeease can we read a little more?" I can answer by smiling and opening the book again.

Adding ingredients to our Homeschool Recipe...

2012-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Ah, the world of homeschooling!

So big! So vast! So...monotonous?

This is our first year to homeschool, and my son is five years-old.

I kind of figured Kindergarten would be full of paint and play-dough with a little reading and counting thrown in the mix. Instead I often find myself dreading the coming week, knowing the repetition of every subject is going to drive me crazy.

So, I did what I told myself I wasn't going to do: I started incorporating my own ideas into the lesson plans.

Nothing mind-blowing or anything--just enough of something different each week to keep my son (and me) engaged.

The first week I did this I asked my son to pick one thing he wanted to learn about. You know, like, animals...or...animals.

He chose volcanoes.

So, we learned about volcanoes together, and the week seemed to fly by along with the rest of his regular schoolwork.

At the end of the week, we built and erupted a volcano. It was entertainment for the whole family!

One week he said he wanted to learn about tigers. We researched facts together (tigers have 30 teeth--did you know that?) and made a book of facts (complete with clip art of a tiger for him to color). One of my friends stopped by one morning, and P grabbed his Tiger book and showed it to her, beaming.

He also learned the first stanza of "The Tyger" by William Blake (a poem I had to learn in high school!), and we went on a "Tiger Hunt." I hid a rubber tiger figurine around the house, and we all had to go around the house looking for the tiger while saying the first stanza of "The Tyger" as we marched around. P and his 3 year-old brother REALLY liked this activity. At the end of the week they got to watch a documentary on tigers while eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate.

I know homeschooling isn't all play-dough and making things explode. I've signed myself up for years of listening to small children sound out words and struggle to grasp the concept of addition.

But homeschooling isn't about ME.
It's not FOR me.

It's about the kids, and even when I'm getting burned out I have to remind myself that THIS is what is best for our children--rain or shine.

I better go--we're leaning about the "Giant Squid" this week, and I don't think Mom saying, "Uh, they're big!" is going to cut it when my son asks for information about it.

Did I Fail?

2012-02-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Most people who have known me for any length of time would say that I am an optimist. I've always made a point to see the silver lining, always purposed to stay positive, avoided wallowing for too long. On my blogs and such, I've also tried to maintain that positivity, no only for myself, but for others as well.

Today, though, something is weighing heavy on my heart, and I want to share it with you.

I think I failed my daughter.

First, a little background:

I got pregnant with Alana (my oldest) when my husband came home for his vacation from an overseas deployment. I was SO excited--we both were--when I found out. The first part of my pregnancy was pretty normal. At about six months, we discovered I had gestational diabetes--pretty common, no big deal, easily handled. Throw in a big move at seven and a half months, and staying in the Texas heat on the third floor of old barracks (temporary housing on Ft. Hood when the hotel is full)--no elevator, no AC--and things just got worse. I ended up with eclampsia and was induced five weeks early.

Alana was born 5 weeks early. Not quite mature.

So, fast forward over the next few years. Alana developed much like any child in most areas. She was a little slow in others--mostly in speech . At two, she was far enough behind that it was kind of noticable. I pointed it out to the doc who said it really wasn't a big deal, children develop at different speeds, and Alana was premature. I pointed it out again the following year to a different doctor, who said pretty much the same thing, but if I was concerned I could talk to a developmental specialist.

Well, the doctor didn't seem overly concerned, and Alana was premature--surely, she'd come along in time. Finally, though, I just had to admit that she wasn't progressing and I wasn't able to help her. So, I started trying to pursue therapy--which ended up being like jumping through hoops, and finally was able to get her tested right before we moved to Hawaii.

The results said something about her speech being equivalent to that of a 2 1/2-3 year old (she was 4 1/2 at the time). However, we had to wait until we got over to Hawaii and settled in before we could pursue actual therapy.

We arrived here and it took longer than we'd hoped to get settled. We started officially homeschooling and I just kept putting the therapy off. After much prompting from my husband and listening to her trying to communicate with random strangers at the grocery store, at the doctor's office, and even her friends, I finally called the doctor.

Alana starts therapy next week. She's not as behind as she was a year ago. She'll be six next month and her issues are mostly with starting/finishing sounds, which get more incoherent the longer she talks.

If I'm honest with myself, I didn't want to put Alana in therapy. As weird as it sounds, and as much as I know it's not necessarily true, getting her into therapy felt like a big, fat F on my forehead. I did this to her. It's my fault. I couldn't carry her and keep her safe in my womb, and I can't train her up or help her now. I am a failure.

There are days when those thoughts sneak up on me and smack me upside the head. I break down into tears because I just know that I did something wrong. I feel those feelings welling up inside and I think I'm going to suffocate. There are even times when I wonder what God saw in me that He thought I would make a good mother.

But I know those thoughts are wrong.

I know that those thoughts are NOT from God.

God is not the author of doubt, worry, and fear.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy..." (John 10:10)

"He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44)

I am done believeing Satan's lies. I am not a bad mother--I love my children more than my own breath. I would do anything for them. I may not be perfect, but God doesn't expect to me. Sure, I may have let Satan get a foothold and slow my decision to get my daughter the help she needs, but the point is that I conquered that fear, I did what was right.

He can only have a foothold if I let him. "Get behind me, Satan!" (Matthew 16:23)

How We Are Growing

2012-02-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week we asked the bloggers here at Growing Your Homeschool,

Depending on when you started and when you finish, we are about halfway through our 2011-2012 school year. What have you learned this year that you didn't know before that has impacted the way you do homeschooling? You can list several things if you like.

Jessica- GREAT question. I have learned the impact routine planning can have. Previously in my journey as a homeschooling parent, I found myself a slave to planning (and making everyone stay with it!). I have learned this year that the lesson plans are less important than the time structure. When we have a loose schedule that allows me to spend time focused on helping each child learn, we all accomplish more. I have been able to be more flexible (You already know how to do this, let's skip it) and more helpful (this is still giving you trouble, let's work on it some more instead of moving on to the next lesson). I have applied the same 'flexible routine' to teaching my children to help manage the household. Instead of daily/weekly chore lists that are already made, I assign each child tasks each day. This way, the tasks can change to meet the needs of the household at the time as well as the interests of the child performing them (I had one begging to learn to iron so it became her chore to press napkins one day - NO I don't press napkins, this was an invented chore!) It also helps keep things interesting and helps me feel free to change assignments or portions of the routine. Everyone continues to feel fresh and excited about most of their learning this way.

Aurie- I have learned to relax and go with the flow. I've learned that Sophie is an interest led learner, which has been eye opening for me. I've learned that I don't need to teach Sophie everything right now. I've learned that it's okay to ask questions when I have no idea what I am doing. It's been an amazing journey so far :)

Dorie Kay- One of our biggest changes this year was implementing a more structured routine. It has made a tremendous difference in the flow of our days. Another thing I am learning is to prioritize better. There was a time when I tried to do everything. It isn't possible for me, and it was way too taxing on the children. This year, there are actually good things we said no to, so we can focus on the better and best things. I am hoping to sharpen this skill as I begin to plan for next year.

Marla- The biggest thing that I have learned this year is that I don't have to do it all myself. I LOVE creating my own curriculum and making all of my own activities. It is a lot of fun for me! However, sometimes, I simply do not have the time to do that and everything else that I need to do. I have learned to balance the activities that I create with activities that others have made (there are some fabulous bloggers who share preschool activities for free). Not creating everything myself has greatly improved homeschooling for me and for my girls!

Tracy- Our biggest change has been a much less structured routine. Homeschooling while pregnant has been quite the challenge, but I've loved to see just how much my kids can learn from 1 to 1 1/2 hours of relaxed learning time.

Delena- This is our first year to homeschool, and I quickly realized that it doesn't matter if I'm tired or not feeling like doing school, I still NEED to do it for the sake of my son. I have also learned to watch for signs of fatigue (he's only 5) so that we don't let him get burned out on something too quickly. I've learned that if I make it funny he is able to remember it better--which is how his Mom learns, too. :-)

What have you learned so far in your homeschool year?

Montessori-style Activities

2012-02-09T08:47:00.001-08:00

Today I'm going to show you some of our Montessori-style activities. I keep a big tub in a closet and when I come across interesting boottles, boxes, jars, corks, boucy balls, beads, spools... you get the idea- I toss them in there. Then, when I have a chance, maybe once or twice a year, I go through and put together a few new activities.

Most of my ideas are pirated directly from Montessori catalogs/ websites. My favorites are Montessori Services, For Small Hands, and Montessori-n-Such. A good book of super-easy, super-fun ideas is Do Touch: Instant, Easy, Hands-On Learning Experiences for Young Children, and another is Preschooler's Busy Book (See all Crafts for Children Books).

There are many books about Montessori and the Montessori method. Many are stuffy and want to make sure that you walk away feeling that only a professionally trained individual can successfully teach Montessori-style. But many are good. I can't really begin to make recommendations here, though, or this post would never end.

Here's what's important with these activities:
-the child can do them on her own after being shown how;
-the activity has natural control-of-error (i.e. yellow botton in red basket: child sees mistake, or, circle lid doesn't fit on heart box, etc.)
-easily set up and put away by child.

Here's what's important with mom:
-DO NOT interrupt child to point out her mistakes, let her find them herself;
-be willing to help clean up.

These first are from "Do Touch," referred to earlier:

Jumbo craft sticks. Pics 1 & 2 are just matching 2 sticks with same patterns. Pic 3 is a simple puzzle.

Also from "Do Touch," sponge sey cut up. One left whole as a control. These are actually quite difficult to put back together!

Button sorting. 3 peanut butter lids with colored paper glued in, heart container with lid to store buttons in the activity's bag.

Flower beads to sort. Three sizes of flower beads (found these on ebay for $1 and knew Rose would love them), 3 peanut lids, tweezers to pick up the beads for fun, pouch to store beads, all in a baby shoe box.

John Paul at work!

These little number puzzles are part of a huge, overwhelming set and were a gift. I rotate a few at a time into a bag with "jewels" to place on the completed puzzles. The jewels make the puzzles much more fun to do.

Letter puzzles. Were also a gift. 26 puzzles are too much for most preschoolers all at once. So a few with objects to match get rotated for this bag. I love that tiny ball of yarn!

Fruit bead sorting, tweezers missing. Sigh. This idea was stolen from the Montessori-n-Such catalog. Fabric covered cardboard, Cezanne picture glued on, jar lids glued on. I like these beads but this tray isn't used very often. I'd really like to replace it with the M-n-S set, but it's definitely a want and not a need!

Lauri crepe rubber toys. Top pic is puzzles that go in a bag together. Bottom is a sorting toy I found for $1 at a thrift store. Lauri toys are great! They are safe, non-toxic, and your toddler can hurl one across the room and it sticks together! They make some cool, inexpensive puzzles for older kids, too. Most of their toys are available on Amazon.

Feel 'n find. A traditional Montssori game. There are 10 objects in bag 1 and their matches in bag 2. Birthday candles, big screws, marbles, thimbles, small spoons, plastic flowers, you get the idea. Make sure the blindfold is easy to get on and off. I actually did buy this one from Montessori services beacause it was cheap and I was feeling lazy, and it is a really nice blindfold!

More bead sorting. We're kinda heavy on bead sorting these days!

Butterfly toss. Just a target and some plastic butterflies. Less dangerous to your breakables than a bean-bag toss.

Bendaroos shape making. I need a laminator, see my bent control card? This is much tougher than it looks.

Boxes and lids. Really fun for 2 year olds. These boxes are usually $1 each, but stock up when Hobby Lobby puts them 50% off.

Hands down favorite! Opening and closing activity. Random assortment of containers, each requiring a different skill to open. Usually each one has a frog or lizard who lives inside, but I'm down to 2 frogs at the moment. JP gets this out at least 3 times a week, and so did my older kids from about ages 14 months to 3 years. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT put child=proof pill bottles in here. They will figure them out quickly and then you'll have a serious problem on your hands.

Transferring activity. Jars of different objects (with tight screw-on lid!), variety of tongs and spoons to use, 2 pails to transfer to and fro. John Paul likes to pour, which is ok, too.

Some of Rosie's activities in a deep basket which sits on a shelf in the dining room.

OK, friends, I am too tired to photograph my science kits. But you can see them at either catalog website mentioned above. We have a sink or float set and a magnetic/ non-magnetic set, plus a rice play box.

I hope this peek into a selection of our Montessori-style activities inspires you!

"It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself."
~Joyce Maynard

"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you."
~Robert Fulghum

One of those days.

2012-02-08T03:10:00.000-08:00

I admit it.

We were totally not having a good homeschool day.

Sophie was whiny and not interested in anything.

Bella wanted to be held and screamed if I either put her down or left the room.

I was about ready to come undone.

We grabbed coats, boots and hats and out the door we went.

I let them run down the driveway to the towpath.

It was instant fun. Smiles and giggles and laughter.

We talked about God and how did He know how to make dirt? And why did He make ticks and biting flies? {personally, I'd like to know the answer to that one}

We looked at the sky and counted tree branches and marveled that some green plants were poking through the muddy leaves.

We chased a squirrel {the girls *let* him win} and watched a baby deer pick her way through the woods.

It was awesome.

Letting go of my plans and exploring God's creation? I am so glad that we did.

Oh - and you know you want one of those hats! {grin}

Combating Mid-Year Discouragement

2012-02-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Homeschooling is wonderful, most of the time. But, let's face it, some days are tough. Some parts of the year are harder than others. Such is the case with the winter days midway through the school year.

This is when the mid-year blues start to rear an ugly head. When, sometimes, we homeschooling moms get discouraged and even start to second guess ourselves or our decision to homeschool.

You know the signs of discouragement. It may look different for each one of us. For me, there are three tell tale signs... looking longingly at the school down the street, wanting to call it quits when we've only started the day, and a loss of creativity.

What is a discouraged homeschooling mom to do?

Some successful ways I combat the mid-year blues...

prayer
have a heart to heart discussion with my husband
refocus on why we homeschool
realize the journey won't be perfect nor will it always be fun
pinpoint the source of my discouragement and make changes to alleviate it
seek encouragement and advice from other homeschoolers

Maybe you aren't feeling discouragement right now. Then, perhaps, you could encourage another homeschooling mom.

Whether with family and friends, in a formal or informal support group, on a blog, or in social media you can be a source of encouragement.

A few ways to encourage discouraged moms...

prayer
honestly sharing your own experiences and struggles
meeting her for coffee or tea, or a social visit (without the kids)
offering to help in an area of struggle or discouragement

Discouragement isn't confined to the winter days midway through a school year. No, discouragement rears its ugly head anywhere, anytime for anyone of us.

If you are in a season of discouragement, know that you are not alone. Probably every homeschooling mom has felt it at one point or another. I have been there. And, today, I want you to know, you can do this homeschooling thing. You are capable, and you will succeed!

If you are not in a season of discouragement, look around you. Is there a mom you can encourage today? Reach out using one of the ideas listed above, or add another way to encourage in the comment section. Then, we will all benefit from your ideas.

Feeling Inadequate

2012-02-06T00:01:00.001-08:00

We all have it - that one subject that just makes us cringe. The one subject that we hate to teach. The one subject that almost makes us want to have someone else teach our children. For me that subject is Bible Study. Math, Reading, Science, and Social Studies all excite me. I love figuring out new and fun ways to teach Abigail the academic skills! I am never at a loss for fun ideas to teach those skills. However, when it comes to teaching about the Bible, I freeze.

It makes no sense, but whenever it is time to plan our bible lessons, I don't know what to do. It is almost like I have never taught before. I am clueless. I feel so inadequate. Most weeks, I don't even know where to begin to plan those lessons. So, sometimes I don't. Sometimes, we don't do a bible lesson because I am too scared to create it and never get it done. On those weeks, we just read the toddler bible from beginning to end over the course of the week. I know that reading the bible is not the same as a planned, structured lesson, but fear keeps me from doing more - the fear of failing as my girls' teacher.

In my mind, anything that I create to teach Abigail and Charlotte about God is not good enough. It is all inadequate. I have tried using curriculums that I have purchased, but quickly gave up. They weren't good enough either. Nothing meets the standards that I have set in my mind for a quality bible lesson.

Deep down, I know that my lessons and the lessons I have purchased are good enough (and are much better than nothing). So, despite my fear of failing, I have resolved to try harder - to try harder to ensure that we have a bible lesson each day and to try harder to have faith in my own abilities. Doing so will only benefit my girls and me.

Homeschool P.E.

2012-02-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

This week we asked the bloggers here at Growing Your Homeschool,

Can you share with our readers a little about your homeschool physical education program? One of the beautiful things about homeschool is that you can gear it to your child's strengths or interests. How do you do that in your home? Do you include health/nutrition as part of your physical education curriculum? (Answer as much or as little as you want since it is a lengthy, multi-part question.)

Samantha-We don't do anything really organized. Our home sits in the church parking lot (my husband is a preacher) and our children ride their bikes almost all year long. We also have a trampoline and basketball goal that they use almost daily. Since we homeschool and believe in shorter lessons they get a lot of time to run about and be kids. They also like to join in with me during my evening workouts. We also talk a lot about good nutrition casually, and the kids are very knowledgeable about food choices.

Aurie- Since the girls are little, we run circles around the dining room and dance in the living room when we can't go outside. We are lucky to have parks within walking distance, so when the weather is nice we are outside a lot :) We don't talk a lot about food right now, the girls are both good eaters and very active so they actually eat and drink quite a bit!

Marla- We talk a lot about eating "growing foods". We discuss healthy and unhealthy eating when we cook and when we go grocery shopping. Abigail understands that most of the food we eats needs to be "growing food", but that we can eat other foods sometimes. As for physical education, Abigail participates in soccer and swimming classes. At home, we dance, play t-ball, ride tricycles, go to the park, play in our yard, and spend time at nearby indoor play areas.

Dorie- We strongly believe children should be active and encourage this in a variety of ways. Our children play outside almost everyday. About once a week, we take a nature walk. The children are also involved in seasonal sports like soccer, gymnastics, and football. During the summer, they swim recreationally several times a week. For food choices, we strive to eat well, but allow treats. We serve lots of fruits and vegetables. Growing a garden in the warmer seasons provides a fabulous learning experience for our family. Also, I have started teaching the children to read the ingredient listings of foods we purchase and those we won't.

Ralene- We don't really have an organized program or anything, but we do discuss good foods and what we need to grow and stay healthy. The kids play outside most days, and when they can't, we dance around or they try to do Mommy's workouts (lol...). Once we move, we plan to enroll the girls in some sports programs to encourage more activity and learning teamwork.

Jessica- We do not have a specific plan or curriculum for physical education. Our lifestyle is active and we encourage discussion and participation in all things, including this! Our children spend time outside every day, as well as having a weekly sporting activity. It was important to us that our children become comfortable swimmers, so for a long time our weekly activity was swimming lessons. Now we incorporate other interests the children have when our schedule permits. Mostly, we continue to encourage them to spend time outside. I am very interested in eating a large variety of foods in as close to their natural state as possible, so this interest often sparks conversations about foods and wellness. We also have science units about the human body each year, which lends itself to discussion about physical activity, nutrition and keeping fit. So much of education takes place in simply including your children in your life, talking about what you are doing and why, sharing with them as you are doing. This is how P.E. and nutrition has worked into our homeschool.

How do you tailor your homeschool P.E. program?

Struggling with Obedience

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

"You're not listening!" I shouted for the millionth time that day.

"But, Mommy!" she whined, sticking out her lower lip.

"I told you to clean up your toys. If you can't take care of them, I'll find another little girl who will appreciate them."

She crosses her arms, big tears welling up in her eyes before she stomps over to the pile of toys strewn around the room.

Great parenting form, Ralene. You're letting them get to you. Remember, don't raise your voice, get down on their level, tell them what's expected.

I'm sure that little scene is pretty common among families with kids, still sometimes I wonder if my kids are the only ones who seem to be out of control.

It didn't used to be this bad--just the last couple of months. The girls (5 and 4) are bundles of energy, and sometimes getting them to focus for more than a couple of minutes is like trying to catch a fly--buzzing from one thing to the next. Other times, they are so focused on whatever they're doing that they ignore me completely. It's frustrating.

My husband has also noticed the change--and is just as irritated as I am.

If I take the time to reflect on what might be causing it, I'm sure the number one issue is consistency. I know that we are not near as consistent as we should be. My husband has his health issues and works all day, I have my own issues as well and work at home on top of housework and homeschool. Sometimes I wonder if I'm maybe doing too much, if they need more of me. Am I inadvertantly causing this? Between those two things, I'm sure I definitely had a hand in it. After all, it's a parent's job to "train up" their children.

I haven't really made any changes as of yet, because I've been at a loss of what to do. I've taken up watching Supernanny and reading some books. I didn't know there were so many different views on child-rearing. I mean, I did know, but when you're looking for an answer, too many views leaves you no wiser than before--just more confused.

So, I've been doing some thinking and I've come up with a game plan. Would you like to know what it is? I thought so.

1. PRAYER: As with any problem in life, God is with me, with us. I can reach out for Him and ask for patience, for wisdom--I can even pray for my children to realize the error of their ways. A closer walk with God can only produce better fruit--though it still may take time.

2. CONSISTENCY: With my New Year's Resolutions, I created a schedule for our family. Whether I am working, schooling, cleaning, or playing with the kids, I need to realize what comes first. Those children learn as much by example as my saying so, probably more. I also need to make sure that my yes is yes and my no is no, no matter what I'm doing. I can't expect Kyra to quit carrying Connor around if I ask her to go get him when he wakes up from his nap and I'm in the middle of something. It sends her mixed signals.

3. TRAINING: Some of it is a lack of training. They can only be obedient when they know what to expect. Although we communicate rules to them, very rarely do we sit to discuss them, except, of course, when they're broken.

In hopes of helping with general behavior (especially obedience), I recently ordered a kit from We Choose Virtues to add to our homeschool curriculum. If you haven't heard of them before, check out their website. Most of the curriculum revolves around three main rules: Be Obedient, Be Kind, Be Helpful. Each one is fleshed out in the lessons.

I know my children are still learning, and they are only human (and, thankfully, so am I!). It is my job to train them up in a proper manner. I want them to be themselves, to fly to the heights they are capable of--and I want them to listen when I ask them to pick up their toys.

What about you? Do you struggle with obedience? Any suggestions/advice?

Educating Ourselves

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week we asked the bloggers here at Growing Your Homeschool,

"What are some ways you increase your knowledge and develop your potential as a homeschool mom through educational means or otherwise?"

Tracy- "I'm reading the Well-Educated Mind by Susan Wise-Bauer and tackling her reading list of "great books." She gives a terrific three-step reading process for each genre and then provides a list of books within each genre that is organized chronologically. The idea is to understand the history of the period as well as the famous people living at the time a novel was written. It's a project of self-education, and I'm loving it!"

Jessica- "I have found it to be very beneficial to understand different learning styles. Reading about methods of learning and how to facilitate them for my children has been great for our homeschool. One book I read that stands out was Discover Your Child's Learning Style: Children Learn in Unique Ways - Here's the Key to Every Child's Learning Success.

Ralene- "My library has a wide selection of educational resources for teachers and homeschoolers. When my kids check out books, so do I. :)"

Aurie- "I read. A lot. All the time. At the moment I am thoroughly enjoying How to Have a H.E.A.R.T for your Kids - wonderful insights for this momma! I also read blogs and Google Search is a wonderful resource when I'm looking for a specific topic."

Dorie- "Reading about homeschooling, methods of education, history, etc. is definitely one way I learn. Currently, I am reading The Seven Laws of the Learner. After this, I hope to read The Seven Laws of Teaching. Another way I learn is by attending lectures or workshops, or listening to them when I cannot attend. Last year, I attended a lecture that helped me learn more about how to teach active boys."

Beth- " I read books on parenting. I have also learned American Sign Language with my children. I love to learn and endeavor to learn about whatever might help us all in this homeschooling endeavor. One new project I have in mind is to learn about all the different types of trees in the community we live in."

Delena- "Temperament! If you know your child's (uh, this works great for the spouse, too!) temperament, it's easier to understand why they act the way they do, like the things they do, and learn the way they do. The Temperament God Gave You is a really great book.

What are some ways you have found to increase your education and poetential as a homeschool mom?

(NOTE-The listing of books above are for informational purposes only and not to be considered reviews.)

Using the One Room School House Approach

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

One of the beauties of homeschooling is diversity. Every homeschool operates differently, because every family situation is unique.

We are a family of six with children ranging from preschool to seventh grade. For our school days, we use the one room school house approach. Are you curious just how that works?

This is a day from our homeschooling journey...

It is 8:00, breakfast and chores are completed, and we start our schooling. Gathering as a group, in the back room, we review the catechism question of the week, read a short devotional, sing a song, and pray.

On this day, my third grader has a cough, and I take the time after our group work, to make her some hot tea to sip.

The older children work on copywork, geography, and reading while I teach our preschooler.

Today, our youngest completes a few worksheets covering the letter n and reviews previously learned letters and sounds. We update his calendar, write out the date on the chalk board, practice counting, and work on patterns.

After this, he rises from his seat, and we play store. He learns concepts like more/less, how much more, and not enough as they relate to money. Then, we play 'What time is it?' a game we have made up using a plastic clock. After a few rounds, I ask him to find something to do. He chooses a floor puzzle.

Next, I work individually with our third grader while the older two children finish their reading and begin math.

Together, my third grader and I, cover new concepts in math (multiplication with carry over), grammar (helping verbs), and reading (defining vocab words with synonyms and antonyms). She then completes all the review work independently as I work with her older siblings.

My fifth grader narrates a chapter from Heidi, her current assigned reading, to me. Then, we discuss indefinite pronouns and how to properly address envelopes. Her math on this day is all review, and she is able to complete it on her own.

After working with the younger children, I now ask our oldest son if he had any issues with his work. He asks for help with some algebra questions. We move to the chalk board and complete the problems step by step together.

He will try a few more on his own later that morning. For now, I check his literature assignment: character sketches from Last of the Mohicans and an outline of the main events. We then discuss his grammar assignment on personal pronouns.

By now, it is past 10:00 and time for a break. My oldest daughter walks her letter to the mail box while the rest of us move to the kitchen for a snack.

Fifteen minutes later, we settle into the back room ready for more lessons. Once again, we begin as a group. This morning we read aloud and discuss the imagery and tone of Lord Byron's "The Destruction of Sennacherib."

Then we pick up our history studies and read about Prussia. Today, the younger children color a picture relating to the lesson and the older sit quietly. Once the selected reading is done, we discuss it. Then, the three older children write summaries, as I help our preschooler get a few things down from the shelves. He plays quietly (well, except for the truck vroom and crash).

Like the earlier session, I begin with our third grader. This time, we read her Bible lesson together. Then, she works on spelling and Latin.

Turning to our fifth grader, I ask if she has any questions. She does not and continues to work through her own Bible, spelling, and Latin lessons.

I administer a spelling pretest for our oldest. Then we work through logic and apologetics. Both are done in discussion with little written work on this day.

We then break for lunch. Over lunch, I read the first part of a two day read aloud: The Chalk Box Kid.

After the kitchen is cleaned and teeth are brushed, we return to the back room for science work and corrections. Once this is done, the three younger children are finished for the day. Our oldest son will work on his Latin.

As the younger play and the oldest finishes his school work, I record what we accomplished today and set out all the materials we will need for the next day of school. We leave the back room by two o'clock, organized and ready for tomorrow.

Quiet time follows our lessons. Afterwards, the rest of the afternoon is spent playing outside until dinner. The girls attend choir practice in the evening.

A few important notes:
* Not everyday is the same. This is simply one of the 180 days of school for this year.
* For us, we like to have a 'heavier' course load on Mondays and taper to a 'lighter' load by Fridays. The day I shared was a Monday.
* We don't do every subject every day.
* On this day, we were home. Some days we have co-ops or out of the house lessons that we work around.

Just a Regular Day....

2012-01-24T03:44:00.000-08:00

This week we are talking about a day in the life of our homeschool.

I have to admit that since we were just on vacation we aren't quite back into our routine. And by not quite...I mean that we are totally off.

Here's a basic outline of a typical day:

6:30am - I am up, quiet time, online time, shower & dressed.

7:30am - Sophie is up and dressed. She comes downstairs, plays and has her video time {which at the moment is either Itty Bitty Heartbeats; Thomas the Train or Curious George.}

8:30am - Bella wakes up and get dressed. She comes down and has breakfast. Sophie eats with her.

9:00am - Ken leaves for work. Sophie and I start school. We read a Bible story and talk about Jesus. Then we work on writing her name. We do a craft, generally one that has her cutting, pasting and coloring.

9:30am - Bella is tired of entertaining herself and comes in to color or finger paint.

9:45am - Daddy comes home and I head out to the office. Daddy finishes up with Sophie working on shapes {this week we made houses out of squares, triangles and rectangles.}

10:30am - Playtime for the girls and Daddy does some work.

11:30am - Lunch time.

12:00pm - Naptime for Bella, quiet time for Sophie.

2:00pm - I'm home and Daddy heads back to the office.

3:00pm - Girls are up and have a snack.

3:15pm - Bella plays. Sophie and I do coloring/writing/painting and reading together.

4:00pm - Dinner prep. Sophie helps in the kitchen.

4:30pm - Dinner.

5:00pm - clean up, playtime, bath time, story time.

6:30pm - Bedtime.

The rest of the evening is spent chatting with my hubby, blogging a bit and preparing for the next day! How do you end your day?

Aurie Good is a pastor's wife, a "retired" youth minister, and probably the most relaxed mom that you'll ever meet! She blogs at Our Good Life with quips about life as a stay at home mom to two girly toddlers, two wild & crazy dogs, and one cranky cat. She is married to her best friend and consider the simple life that they've created absolute bliss! They are currently embarking on a new path of fostering to adopt medically fragile infants and are thrilled to see where God leads them!

A Day in Our Homeschool Preschool

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today, I am excited to share a day in our homeschool preschool with you. I chronicled our day last Wednesday to share with you; it was a fairly typical day for us. Most days, we have one scheduled activity (soccer, playgroup, field trip, doctor's appointment or errands) each morning and one in the late afternoon (swimming lessons, playgroup, playdate).

My girls are very young (Abigail is 3 1/2 and Charlotte is 16 months), so our schooling is more relaxed now than it will be in a few years.

7:15 - The girls and I get up. The girls start the morning with independent playtime while I make coffee and prepare their breakfast.

7:30 - Abigail and Charlotte sit down to breakfast. A few months ago, Abigail asked if she could have breakfast with just Charlotte. They both had so much fun during their sister breakfast that they have done it every morning since. While they eat, I empty the dishwasher, fold laundry, and check emails. After eating, the girls go back to playing.

8:00 - As I am checking my email, I see that our plans for the day need to change slightly. One of Abigail's friends was supposed to come over for preschool today. However, her mom e-mailed me to say that she is sick. So, I hurriedly come up with a new plan for our preschool lesson. Knowing that Abigail will be disappointed that her friend is no longer coming (and wanting to save the prepared lesson for next week when her friend will come instead), I try to come up with a fun lesson. Luckily, I keep a handful of prepared, fun lessons ready for emergencies. I decide upon our princess lesson (Abigail LOVES princesses right now!).

8:15 - The new lesson is ready. My husband comes in to say goodbye to all of us. I pour myself another cup of coffee and head to the preschool table.

8:20 - Preschool begins. We start our day with our daily devotions and then read a few of our favorite stories from the bible. Because it was supposed to be a special day (with a friend visiting), I did not have a bible lesson planned.

8:30 - We begin our Princess lesson. We read a fiction book, complete two princess preschool packets (downloaded from other mommy bloggers who share their creations), and do a few activities that I created. During our lesson, we work on spelling Abigail's name, handwriting, letter recognition, counting, number order, patterns, same/different, and putting objects in order by size. At the end of the lesson, Abigail uses the leftover materials (and a LOT of stickers) to make a princess collage.

We conduct our preschool lessons in the playroom. During the lesson, Charlotte played independently and spent some time at the preschool table coloring and working on a peg puzzle (she worked for about 30 minutes total, which is a long time for a 1-year-old!).

10:40 - Preschool is over and we head upstairs to shower and get ready.

11:00 - We go to the grocery store. Often the grocery store is the location of unplanned preschool lessons about money and healthy eating. However, today both girls are busy driving the car cart and neither is concerned about talking to me.

12:00 - We return home from the grocery store. I put lunch in the skillet to heat up while I put away the groceries. Charlotte is getting tired, so she is very clingy and insists upon being held while I cook/put away the food.

12:30 - The girls and I sit down to lunch together. We have spinach and chicken pasta and fresh fruit (clemetine oranges, blueberries, and apple slices). During lunch, we talk about what we learned in preschool and preview our afternoon.

1:15 - The girls get ready for naps. Abigail goes to her room to play quietly while I put Charlotte to sleep.

1:45 - Charlotte is asleep and Abigail is playing quietly in her room. I head to the kitchen to assemble dinner for my family and for a friend who just had a baby. I bake gingerbread cookies and make two chicken tortilla casseroles. While the food bakes, I clean.

2:30 - Abigail gets up from her rest time and heads to the playroom to have a snack (a banana snowman) and play while I continue cleaning/cooking.

3:15 - Charlotte awakens from her nap. We load up in the car and head to our friend's house to deliver the dinner on our way to our playgroup outing.

3:45 - We arrive at the playgroup outing (at a fabulous play area near our house). The girls happily play, run, and climb with their friends. I spend the time chasing Charlotte and doing my best to be sure that she does not get hurt (she tries to do all of the same things that the big kids do and often hurts herself).

5:30 - We head home, tell Daddy about the playgroup outing, and put our casserole in the oven. Abigail helps me set the table for dinner.

6:00 - While the casserole bakes, the girls and I talk with my parents via Skype.

6:30 - We sit down for a family dinner. We talk about our days and Abigail asks what we will be doing tomorrow. I tell her that we will be doing snowman preschool lessons, making pink lemonade (just like Pinkalicious), the babysitter is coming for a few hours so I can work on my dissertation, we are hosting playgroup, and she has swimming lessons. She says that sounds fun and then asks what we will be doing the day after that (to which I reply "a trip to the zoo, animal-themed preschool, and an evening playdate with friends).

7:15 - Dinner is over and we begin the bedtime routine.

8:00 - Both girls are asleep. I begin my evening list of work:

Preparing tomorrow's lunch so that it can be thrown in the crockpot in the morning

Laundry

Cleaning

Preparing the fruits/vegetables we bought at the grocery store this morning

Baking muffins and preparing fruit to serve at tomorrow's playgroup

10:00 - I sit down with a cup of hot tea and my computer to respond to e-mails, check my Facebook, and blog.

11:30 - I begrudgingly go to bed. I did not get everything I needed to done today (I never do!) and would love to stay up and finish more things, but know that I will regret it tomorrow.

I hope that you enjoyed a peek into our home. Thank you for letting me share my day with you.

Incorporating Homeschool Into Daily Life

2012-01-19T22:48:00.000-08:00

Teachable moments. We hear that phrase a lot these days. As a busy mom, I am always looking for moments that I can teach my children something new. I want life to be about education and learning. We teach our children so that they can experience new things and so that they can grow into wonderful human beings, fulfilling their utmost potential. Every moment in life is about learning, whether most people realize it or not. When we sit down with books, pencil, and paper, that is more formal learning. But does the education stop once we walk away from the table? No, it doesn't have to.

This week we asked our panel here at Growing Your Homeschool,

" What are some spontaneous or impromptu ways you have incorporated homeschool in your daily life?"

Marla- I have Abigail look for the correct terminal (letters A-D) when we pick up Daddy from the airport.

Ralene- Grocery store: comparing prices and talking about nutrition; Cooking/Baking: life skills, fractions.

Dorie- We have had a few impromptu history lessons at the flea market - explaining what this or that is and how people used it. (Specifically it was a free standing radio cabinet complete with LP record player and milk bottles in carriers.)

Jessica- Homeschool accidentally happens often when we are working on our farm. One of the children will show extra interest in something my husband is doing, and he really enjoys explaining it and showing them how it works. The next thing you know, a section of your vegetable garden is hand-sown to wheat (true story!).

Aurie- While traveling we have worked on number recognition {exits, room numbers, etc} and finding letters on road signs. We also counted quite a bit while at the theme parks.

What are some "teachable moments" you have encountered in your daily homeschool life?

A Day In The Life...The Kelleys

2012-01-19T02:00:00.000-08:00

I am taking a free pass today guys. I am sick right now, and just posted a day in our life in pictures on my own blog last week.

I also moved to WordPress and lost all of my Disqus comments.

What a week it has been!In light of my hectic, sick week, I am simply going to point you to my blog, where you can take a peek into how the Kelley house homeschools.

A Day in Our Homeschool

In Our School - Today

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to a day with our house! Each day is different, but I wanted you to see what many of our days our like. We front-load our weeks, so we are busiest Monday - Wednesday. Thursdays have no afternoon activities and Fridays are our lightest academically as well as having no activities scheduled. This is what happened at our house on Monday:

6:00 am - I'm up (I'm a morning person - big time - so don't think this as necessary for homeschooling!) and workout. I often run with a friend or go to the gym, but I tried a workout video today. After I shower and dress, I read a few blogs. My Farmer and I have a cup of coffee together and watch the news.

7:00 to 7:15 am - My Farmer tells the children goodbye (and wakes them if they aren't already up) and heads out the door. Depending on the morning and the child, they may come out of their rooms already dressed and ready to go or they may shuffle out and lay on the couch, snoozing for a while longer. I make breakfast and visit with anyone who is awake enough.

7:30 am - We start school with breakfast; I don't have a dress code so anyone who is still in their pajamas is welcome. We usually begin our day with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. I read to the kids from our current historical novel while they eat. When they are finished, they clear their dishes and color, work in their journal or they may move to the floor to work on legos, pet the dog or find another quiet activity while they listen.

8:30 to 9:00 am - We are finished with our group work by now (finding places on the maps we have been reading about, discussing the period in history, culture of people or new vocabulary in the history books). Everyone takes a break to do some chores - there are animals to feed, beds to be made, and sometimes there are still children who need to get dressed!

9:30 to 11:00 - Individual work becomes our focus. We do not keep a set schedule for this part (or any part, really) of our day. My oldest (ten, doing mostly fifth grade work) requires very little help or instruction and often moves to the living room to work. My second son (eight, doing primarily third grade work) works more on his own this year then he ever has before, but he is also very dyslexic and does prefer that I be nearby and available, so he typically works at the kitchen table. My daughter (six, working on first grade materials) does short assignments which all require explanation beforehand, so she also works at the table. Each child will have reading, math, handwriting and language arts.

At any time during this block of work, any child may change subjects or take a break to work on his/her list of other jobs. These include feeding/watering our pets and livestock, picking up their rooms, folding and putting away their own laundry as well as tasks I assign each day on an as-needed basis (today my oldest took the trash and recycling bin to the road, my middle cleaned the toilets and my youngest dusted). Often they stop for a snack or drink, or to watch something out the window. Generally it is a quiet, focused time. The younger the child, the more often breaks are needed and the more frequently their breaks include just playing for a bit. I try to let them self-regulate and typically it works well.

11:00 - Pick up and put away school work, lunch goes on the table. This is usually something I've made quickly (like sandwiches) or something I reheated from a previous meal. If I'm really on the ball, it's a hot meal I prepped the night before and just had to pop in the oven. Today it was just sandwiches, apples, and nuts. I had a salad. We usually like to read while we have meals, which can make it a challenge for me to eat with good manners, but usually I eat about half my lunch, read while the kids finish off their lunch, then finish mine while they are brushing their hair/teeth and putting on their shoes/coats.

11:45 - leave for band. We drive about five miles into the little town whose public school district we are in. My oldest is enrolled for band and plays the coronet. He loves it. The class is only thirty minutes, so I usually bring another book to read to the younger kids while we wait, or if it's nice we go to a park. Sometimes we run to the Post Office or wash the van.

However, even though my calendar TOLD me it was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and even though I had a lesson on MLK, and even though I'd checked the night before and KNEW there was no band (public school not in session) - yep, I still took my kid. Thankfully I figured out before I left him there that the school was empty (the lack of bikes in the rack tipped me off). So we ran to the grocery store and Shooter just came with us.

12:35 pm - band is finished (or we finished at the store), we drive to Tae Kwan Do lessons. I drop off my oldest (who has been learning TKD for two years now) and youngest (who was given TKD lessons for Christmas this year) about quarter to one. My middle son and I arrive for his phonics tutoring (we began this after his dyslexia was diagnosed in the spring) at 1:00.

2:00 pm - Phonics tutoring is finished, pick up TKD kids, head home. My children like to read or draw while we drive. We also listen to music a lot. I play Geography Songs, Sing The Word, and math fact songs...but they prefer classic country.

2:30 to 5:30 pm - Free time! This is when the kids wrap up any chores or school work they did not have time to finish before we left home. Typically there is a chore or two left to be done, but for the most part they just play. If the weather is nice (above 40 degrees) they want to be outside. Otherwise they build Lego, play with action figures, draw or paint and read library books. Today the weather was nice, so the kids played outside. The kids also have a favorite PBS show that comes on at 4:00 each day. This is when I finish up *my* chores for the day and get as much done at my desk as I can (I do the bookwork and record keeping for our farm). I also check Facebook and email. Today I went through mail, paid bills, worked on a spreadsheet and checked Facebook. I folded and put away laundry and did some decluttering. Then I started dinner. I made roasted vegetables, baked pork chops and scratch biscuits.

6:30 - Supper time! This all depends on when or if My Farmer is going to make it home for the evening meal. If not, we may be delivering it to the field for him. He opted to wait until he got home today. So I let the children stay outside until they came in of their own choice & then served the food. Usually in the winter we eat earlier, but when we have a nice day I want the kids to enjoy every drop of sunshine they can!

7:30 to 8:30 pm - Time to get ready for bed! Everyone changes into their pajamas, has a bedtime story and maybe a snack. I let my oldest son read until 9:00 or so. I finish the dishes, get lunches ready for the next day, lay out all our school materials for morning and set the coffee pot. Then I headed back to my desk and visited with My Farmer when he came home at 10:15 pm. We headed to bed just after 11:00 pm.

A few things to keep in mind when you read this:

First of all, my children are all finished with the toddler stages. I can accomplish a lot with the hours in my day because their needs and independence level has changed. Secondly, we couldn't keep this tight a schedule every day, but a few days a week is fine for us. Third, I don't need a lot of sleep. Fourth, we have been homeschooling now for three years, so we have had some practice! We have figured out what times of day are most productive in which way for each of us. This took some ironing out! This also means we've had quite some time to work into this routine and we are very comfortable with and good at it. The day I've described here looks nothing like our first nine weeks of homeschooling in the spring of 2008 - because we have all grown and changed since then.

Find the ways that are best for your family - the ways that keep most of the people happy and learning most of the time. Wise homeschooling families (several right here on GYH!) have written about the changing, growing, living nature of a homeschool - it is always going to look different from one family to another and from one month/year to the next in your own family.

I know this is long - thanks if you made it all the way to the end!

Growing In Grace...daily

2012-01-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

This year has been, well, a growing experience as I've attempted to maintain some resemblance to the structure of our past year in the midst of pregnancy ups and downs.

Before I plunge into a tour of our day, let me fill you in on a few nitty-gritty details. I have a son in kindergarten and a very free-spirited three year old. And I am 31 weeks pregnant!

Welcome to a day in our lives.

6:30 a.m. I stumble out of bed and grope through the dark house for my cup of decaf coffee (with 1/4 cup of sugar and lots of cream). For my devotions, I've been meditating on Proverbs 31 and praying the passage for my daughter as a part of 31 days of Praying Proverbs 31.

7 a.m. I quickly pray that the children will sleep just a little while longer while I answer emails or to try to write up a quick blog post.

7:30-ish Everyone is up. I've told my kids that the key to unlock mommy to make breakfast is to do their morning chores, and this has worked fairly well. As I close out of what I'm doing on the computer, my son feeds the dog and my daughter makes her bed. Then, I make my husband's coffee, pour some cereal into bowls, and we eat breakfast.

8 a.m. Hubby heads out for work, and I finish my breakfast.

The next hour to an hour and a half is totally unpredictable, depending on the day and how well I'm moving, how well the kids are listening, and other variables. In general, the kids are getting dressed, I'm catching up with my mom on the phone or answering a few more emails, showering and dressing, mediating the disagreements that have come up while I was in the shower, etc.

We try to start school around 10-ish (as opposed to our very regimented 9:00 last year).

10-10:15 We sing our months of the year, update our calendar, and say the pledge. My daughter (aka "the little one") pouts about where to stand during the pledge and insists on putting her left hand over her chest vs. her right. I take a moment to resolve the situation, and we finish the pledge as respectfully as possible. Now, it's closer to 10:20 than 10:15

10:20-10:30 We go over our Bible facts that we've been memorizing: how many books in the Bible; divisions of the Bible; Books of the Law are...; who wrote the Books of the Law; themes of Books of the Law; etc.

10:30 My son begins a handwriting page while I open up the day with the little one, reviewing the new letter she will be learning for the week.

10:45 The little one works through the rest of her workbox pockets peacefully (ha, ha!) while I work with my son on phonics and reading. Actually, I have had more success with my little one since letting her fill her own pockets.

This week, I had an important announcement for my son: Mommy is no longer doing any school on the floor. That's right folks, no more floor activities for me. I've finally drawn the line. My son reluctantly brings his phonics charts and reading book back up to the table.

My daughter shows me her paper, and I tell her how beautiful it is before telling my son to please re-read that last sentence. I have my son pause one more time while I tell my daughter to please put the lid on her dry erase marker and to not color on the back of her chair.

11:05 I supervise my son while he does his phonics worksheet. My son works patiently through a section of his worksheet while I "take a moment" with my daughter for coloring on the table instead of her page (or for licking the flashcards or for coloring with the side of the chalk until it is rather square-ish in shape, etc.; everyday it's something).

11:15 Both kids begin working with me on our geography study. This week, we are learning about the culture of China (last week was the geography of China). We read a story about a Chinese child, do a notebook page, and pray for an unreached people group in China.

11:30 The little one continues through her activity pockets, now beginning more math-related activities. My son pulls out his Building Thinking Skills book for a page of critical thinking. Then, we attempt flashcards. He happily trots through most of the stack, and then misses the same three we've missed everyday for the last two weeks, except today I've thought of a plan.

I pull out our small chalkboard and have him right the entire combination and answer to each problem he has missed. This, by the way, is not a punishment. Anything done on the chalkboard, no matter how tedious it seems, is an absolute treat—the chalkboard is the envy of our school room.

11:45-ish We've finished flashcards. I glance at the time and decide to postpone our "telling time" assignment for tomorrow; we pull out his last worksheet and finish up at about noon.

They rip-roar out of the school room and whoop and holler toward their bedrooms, and I savor a brief moment of almost-silence before heading to the kitchen to start lunch. Daddy has the opportunity to come home to eat lunch with us; and as the kids clamor around him with news of their latest accomplishments, thrusting papers in his face and enjoying his reactions, I revel in their delight and in the privilege of another morning of learning together—even if it did start a little later than what I had wanted.

Follow along on more of Tracy's journey at her blog Growing In Grace.

A Day in the Life--Ralene

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

January is the month where we all give in and say we'll make some changes, tweak a few things, and make our lives just a little easier/better/smoother. Sometimes, though, we feel that the solutions to our problems are just beyond our reach. What better to renew our creative ducts than to see how other people do it. If you are one of those people who know that you need to get on top of your schedule this year, GYHS is ready to share! For the next two weeks, GYHS contributers will give you a glimpse into our day, show you how we do it (though we're far from perfect ourselves).

This is my crew. My husband, a military soldier who has been gone quiet a bit, but thankfully has been home for a year! Alana is 5 and Kyra is 4 (both in Kindergarten this year), and Connor is 18 months.

Ralene's Ideal Day vs Ralene's Real Day:

6:30--My alarm went off too early this morning. Let me tell ya, my new year's resolution to wake up at 6:30 every morning may not work. For now, this is the time I wake up, have my quiet time and start to check emails/blogs. Most mornings it works pretty well--if I get up. Otherwise...

7:00--Kid are up and we're having breakfast. They may watch a couple of cartoons while I finish with my emails/blogs.

8:00--Morning Routine/Chores--The kids march upstairs to make their beds, brush their teeth, get dressed, and then move to their morning chores. The girls alternate chores like dusting, picking up toys, vacuuming (some), taking out the bathroom trash, putting away clothes. As they finish, they run off to play before school starts.

9:30--School time. We tend to run our school like this: Subject, 10-15 min break, Subject, 10-15 min break. We start with Group/Bible time where we sing, read from the Bible, go over our verse of the week, talk about the calendar (20 mins). Next we move on to Math (w/ Math-U-See) for about 15-20 mins. Then we split up for Phonics. My son doesn't do well when I try to have both of the girls working at the same time, so usually one will play with him while I work with the other, and then we switch. Last of all, we spend about 15-20 mins working on a unit study. During the breaks, I usually try to do a little cleaning.

12:00--Lunch

12:40(ish)--Reading time (this is when we read from a chapter book, right now we're enjoying the Little House series--talk about flashbacks!)

1:00--Rest Time (the girls are allowed to either watch a movie or read books), My office hours (1-3)

2:00--The girls are allowed to get up and engage in a quiet activity like drawing, or else go outside on nice days.

3:00--Snack time

3:30--I shoo the kids away so that I can workout while I watch one of my shows.

4:30--Cleaning

5:00--Dinner Prep, Cleaning

5:45--Dinner

6:30--Cleaning. Baths

7:00--Hubby takes over with kids and my evening office hours begin

7:30--Kids Bedtime Routine: pick up toys, brush teeth, bedtime stories

8:00--Kids in bed

10:00--My office hours end, I unwind with a tv show or a good book

11:00--Lights out!

You Might Be a Homeschooler if

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today, we share the many ways that we might complete the sentence: "You might be a homeschooler if..."

...people at the store ask your kids why they aren't in school.

(Ralene)

...your 4 year old runs through the house squealing when she finds the missing South Carolina puzzle piece she has been searching all week for.

(Sam)

...one of your all-time favorite Christmas gifts was a laminator.

(Marla)

...you've occasionally taught princesses, brides, cowboys, and super heros (complete with mask) and girls with hair set in rollers.

(Dorie)

...you can go on vacation during school without needing a note.

(Aurie)

...you take field trips whenever you want (without the worry of parental consent slips). (Ralene)

...your "online playtime" involves looking at teaching and homeschooling blogs.

(Marla)

...you don't need a note from the dentist/doctor/orthodontist for missing school.

(Dorie)

...you use 'Transformers" to develop fine-motor and critical thinking skills and the washing machine for teaching math and life skills. (Beth)

...nice, well-meaning folk ask your six-year-old, "Where do you go to school?" and she responds, "Huh?"

(Jessica)

...your child has no idea what grade he (or she) is in.

(Tracy)

...you spend more on printer ink than you do on food. (ok, maybe not quite...).

(Ralene)

...you are on a first-name basis with the librarians at the public library.

(Marla)

How would you complete the sentence?

The Measure of Success

2012-01-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

"The measure with which you measure will be measured back to you."
-Luke 6:38

We measure; we quantify; we can't help it. We're human. And we want our children to succeed. To be successful, according to however we measure success, which may be different (ok, I hope it's different) than how society measures.

Right?

Many homeschooling mothers want, in the end, to grow adults who love to learn, who aren't afraid to try new things, who love God, who are self-motivated. But sometimes the way we motivate and measure sends a different message to our kids.

Recently, my husband and I had dinner with a high-power business executive. He found homeschooling to be fascinating but incomprehensible. He regaled me with his own thoughts on education for quite some time.

He went on to say that if my husband's job ever takes us to his city, the schools there are "very good." He told me about his own children, how gifted they were in music. The schools in his area all have very good music programs. His children played all through school, competed nationally, and won multiple awards. Now, his job is slowing down and he finally has the time to learn an instrument. He has begged his kids to help him and to make music with him. "But they aren't interested in making music anymore. Least of all," he added drily, "with me."

Mmm. Yes, very good music program.

Charlotte Mason wrote, "At the end of a child's education the question is not how much does the child know, but how much does the child care."

But on a daily basis, I'll admit, I am tempted to emphasize the importance aquiring knowledge at a given rate over giving my kids time to process and really relate to what they are learning. Caring takes more time than aquiring.

How do I measure success? How am I measuring success now- does it jive with the ultimate success I envision for my children? Or is there a disconnect? Will measuring my child by comparing him or her to other kids, or to a scope and sequence chart, result in the type of success I want to see in him or her in 20 years?

If the measure (comparing my child to other children his age, expecting him to be interested in- today- what someone else thinks he should be interested in, muscling through and gettin'er done) with which I measure, will be measured back to me, can I expect to be measured back something else (self-motivation, passion, and courage)? Do I have the courage to look at my child and allow him the freedom to be self-motivated NOW, even though he may not be always motivated to do exactly what is on the schedule today?

It's food for thought.

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."
~Albert Einstein

The One Room School House Approach

2012-01-11T00:01:00.001-08:00

In the very beginning of our homeschooling journey, I had one incredibly bright little boy who loved to read. We breezed through his lessons covering every subject, every day. The next year, I had two sweet children to teach. Our days still progressed easily as I 'ping-ponged' between the two. Fast forward a few years, and, now, this year, there are four.

Ranging in age from a preschooler to a seventh grader, I knew I needed a more structured routine for our days. We had tried adapting other homeschoolers schedules to our days, but it never worked as well for us.

Last summer, I decided to look outside of the typical homeschooling mainstream ideas. I began to ask just who else has been successful at teaching children with large age and academic differences.

That's when inspiration was found. Well, technically I saw and bought the book in a gift shop at an amusement park. It was a book that documented one room school houses.

Reading through the experiences of the teachers and students, I found a plethora of information on how the classes were taught. There was even a few sample schedules to view.

It was a gold mine!

After each chapter, I wrote down a few notes on what I could use or alter to fit our family situation and homeschooling style. By the end of the book, I had devised a lose plan of action for our days.

Our Plan:
start the day as a group with Bible reading and prayer
work on the harder subjects first (for us: math, reading, grammar)
start individual instruction with the youngest first while the others do independent work
proceed through the ages, instructing the oldest last
have a mid-morning break (outdoor play, snack away from the school work)
begin the next section of classes as a group (we do history and aesthetics together)
work on the other subjects (for us: Bible, spelling, logic, Latin)
again, use the youngest to oldest approach
break for lunch
afternoon session of classes for nature walks, science observations, extra projects, co-op homework, etc

That first morning in August, as we began a new school year, we started using our new routine. Though I have tweaked it over the ensuing months, it has served us well, and we will continue using it for as long as it works for us.

Homeschooling on Vacation

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

As I was preparing for our Christmas vacation, I debated whether we should take a break from homeschooling or if I needed to take preschool work with us. My husband wanted us to do preschool every day and I worried that Abigail would miss out on learning from life experiences if we spent time doing preschool. In the end, I decided to take some fun activities so that we could use them if we had time for preschool, but limited myself to one expandable folder. Any materials we needed for doing preschool had to fit into the folder. While it was hard to limit my preschool materials (I am accustomed to having a lot of stuff), I am so glad that I took learning activities. As it turned out, homeschooling on vacation is good for my family. We did a short lesson (about an hour) each morning. Abigail thrives on routine and being on vacation interrupted our normal routines. So, when we sat down to do preschool each day, she was excited! Having the familiar routine of "doing school" while the rest of our day was different from normal helped her. Additionally, it was wonderful to do preschool work with Daddy and grandparents around; Abigail was able to show them what she knows and they all participated in her learning. Despite my fears, Abigail still had plenty of time for fun with our families; homeschooling did not reduce her real-world learning experiences. Now that we have successfully done it once, I think that we will plan to homeschool each time that we go on vacation.

Returning to School After a Break

2012-01-06T04:22:00.000-08:00

For many of us, this has been our first week back to homeschooling after a Christmas break. Today, we share with you how each of us return to homeschooling after a break.

Aurie

Keep it simple and don't dive back in all at once!

Dorie

After a long break, we start back to our school routine on a predetermined day with a slower pace and ample time for review.

Jessica

My family really thrives on routine - so everyone looks forward to getting back to school! It helps my gang to give a few days warning; a countdown to our regular life. We dive back in, but not like gang busters! It is helpful to have a three-quarters day, or a short week when we first begin. Our family had a nice break over Christmas, but it was actually only eight school days that we took off. I also find that it makes a difference NOT to go back until everything is ready. If I need one more day of break to have all the items lined out for the week, it's important to take it. A smooth transition back to routine is helped by all the ducks being in a row beforehand.

Tracy

We love the routine of school, and my kids do ask about doing school all through vacation. Nevertheless, I like to ease back in. I usually tackle the essentials on our first week back (phonics and math) and add our extras on the following week (art, geography, etc.)

What are your tips for returning to schooling after a break?

Our Journey

2012-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Homeschooling is such a journey, each of our family’s journeys look different. In my journey (year 3) I am finally learning to stop looking around me.

I am letting go of so many things that I clung to in the first two years.

I wanted to set up the perfect little classroom, that little place that separated our real home life from school. The pretty workbooks lined in a row just like my favorite public school teacher. Our little public school at home.

Today, I still line things neatly, because I thrive on order; we use some classroom items, like a dry erase board, because we’re visual learners, but other than that we are moving very far from the public school image.

Sam's Noggin

School has now spilled into every part of our life, or life has consumed our school. Not sure which, but I like it.

Literature now takes the spot of workbooks, drawings replace any type of busywork, Scripture memorization is our number one priority and continues into the evenings.

Above all, I am no longer entrusting our homeschool to the ideas of others, but am prayerfully looking for what God would have our home and school to become.

This is our journey, our life, our walk.

We can’t cookie cutter our life into anyone else’s; we shouldn’t want to.

Cut your own path through this homeschooling journey, you don’t have to do everything right to give it your all. Even when you mess up, I promise your children will be fine.

Our Favorite Homeschool Tools 2012

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! For my first post of 2012, I want to share with you the items we have discovered (or rediscovered) as homeschool essentials for our family this year.

1. Apps

My oldest son and I both moved into the world of smarter MP3s or cell phones this holiday season. We are already making use of them to look up unknown words with dictionary apps, find places with map apps, and make lists with note apps.

2. Sharpie Liquid Pencil

I do lots of different things to encourage writing in my dysgraphic son. Special writing items really help him to feel excited about writing. We discovered this product (thank you, Santa) is perfect as it allows him to erase as he is working, never breaks (he presses hard) and becomes permanent the next day.

3. Dry Erase Slate

My daughter is on the invisible thresh hold of truly "getting" reading and writing. She enjoys all work encompassing those subjects, but for some reason this tool has been like magic to her. She loves to write and erase, write and erase, write and erase. If I lived in a state with more stringent record keeping requirements, I would take pictures of her work before she erased it. As it is, I just mark her work as done in my lesson plans, and write on her work book "completed on dry erase slate."

4. Dedicated School Storage

You have heard me talk about this before, and I'm sure I will talk about it again - but it still bears repeating. Organize your materials ahead of time. Have a space devoted only to storing school items. In our case, it is an ugly old set of particle-board shelves I bought at a school garage sale. It's indispensable! I have a section for each child to keep their 'everyday' items like pencils, math books and journals. I have a section where I keep items I use every day like my lesson plans, the books we are reading that week, paper and flashcards. I have a section for books we have finished and books we have yet to come to. It saves me so much time and heartache!

5. Binders

How did I ever homeschool without binders?! I don't know either. I have a binder that contains the entire year's lesson plans, a binder containing enrichment materials, a binder for the appendix that came with my curriculum, and my own week-long binder. Each week, I move what I need for the five school days into it. This includes lesson plans for our core (shared) work, lesson plans for each child's language arts and reading, phonics materials for my first grader, and any seasonal coloring pages or enrichment activities. I separate each of these areas with tabbed, pocketed 3-ring dividers. I place uncompleted work (like spelling lists or coloring pages) on one side of the pocket, and completed work in the other. I also keep stickers for the kids' papers, a zippered pencil case for myself, and inspirational items there (this prayer card is my favorite).

What wonderful items have been a boon to your family in homeschooling this year?

Tips on what to save and what to consign

2012-01-02T10:50:00.001-08:00

As the books crowd on the shelves and the educational games, manipulatives, and other resources spill out of cabinets and closets, the inevitable predicament of "what to do with all of this stuff" becomes a higher priority. Do you consign, disgard, or save?

As a homeschooled homeschooler, one of the unique perks that I have are all the books, supplements, and other resources that my mom saved from my homeschooling days. Her foresight has saved us a ton of money when it comes to buying curriculum. But obviously, not all items are worth saving. So here are my tips on what to save and what not to save, what has benefitted us the most.

What to Save

1. Charts and flashcards.

This item is at the top of my list of money-savers. These items have been a tremendous blessing. I am using phonics flashcards, phonics charts, math flashcards, number cards, and alphabet cards—all from the time I learned to read, about 25 years ago! Not only do these items typically store well, but they are not likely to become outdated. If you can, laminate them to make them even more durable.

2. Reading books

Most reading books make great items to save and pass down. I own nearly all of the readers that my sister and I used through the elementary grades. Though new editions will undoubtedly have been printed, the assignments are not too hard to match up. And, for the money it saves, I'm willing to plot out a few of my own lesson plans to match what we've learned with what we ought to be reading. Besides, you can never have enough good quality reading on the shelves.

Note: The small beginning readers that are nothing more than stapled paper did not age very well, and the cost of replacing them was very inexpensive. These kinds of beginning readers might be better shared with another homeschooler or consigned.

3. Manipulatives and teaching resources

One of my favorite items to inherit was not even actually a "homeschool" item. My parents taught children's church for a number of years and owned a large felt board with the Betty Luken Bible story felts. Though I don't often have the time to plan and use the felts themselves, we use our felt board nearly everyday with homemade letter and number felts. To have bought a felt board for our school room would have been out of the question. Inheriting it was a tremendous blessing!

Many of the teaching resources that you have, particularly those that were an investment for you, are probably good items to save and pass down. The exception might be certain types of technology. But many math manipulatives and learning games are perfect items to store.

What Not to Save

1. Consumable texts

Though, depending on your state, it might be valuable to save your student's work for a certain number of years, definitely by the time your child graduates the value of storing these items is diminished. Because they are written in, the value of reusing them is limited. Feel free to toss these items, unless you have managed to use them without writing in the books (we used spiral notebooks for nearly all of our answers and rarely wrote in a text).

2. Non-consummable texts

These items could actually go either way, depending on the subject, grade level, and content. Literature texts and high school anthologies are actually great items to save. History texts, on the other hand, are very soon outdated. Consider time-sensitive content when making this decision. Most likely, it will be at least 10 to 15 years before they are used (even more for a high school text). Modern history will be greatly outdated; much of science may be irrelevant except on the most basic levels. On the other hand, math is always math, and language arts is another static subject for the most part.

Another element to consider are new editions of the text. If you are not able to save the curriculum and all other components that accompany a text, it might be extremely difficult to pair the item with future products. Is the item a stand-alone resource? If not, consider blessing a current homeschooler or consigning the product.

3. Technology

So much of our homeschooling these days revolves around some aspect of technology: DVD schooling, computer applications, electronic games, etc. Consider how fast technology changes when deciding what to store. A few items will be similar to fisher-price toys and will always be "in-style." I am continually seeing toys from my childhood that are still on the market many years later. However, other items are outdated nearly as soon as we've pulled them out of the packing material they were shipped in. Many of these fascinating learning tools are best shared while the technology still exists; share or consign them.

If you do decide to store a learning game or other device, be sure to remember to take out the batteries, or all of your efforts will have been in vain.

Some of you may not be able to envision your children carrying the homeschool torch at this point. Just getting them to graduate is battle enough. Your children may have even vocalized that they will never homeschool their kids. But keep in mind that a LOT changes from the time a child graduates to the time when they have kids of their own. And something miraculous happens when you are holding your infant in your arms for the first time, contemplating their future potential.

The child who fought you all 12 years may surprise you by their decision to be a second (or third) generation homeschooler. Having what the right materials on hand to get a homeschool started might make all the difference.

Homeschool Holiday Open House Winners!

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

I know, we're all getting back into the groove of things now that the holidays are over. Our schools are resuming, we're returning to routine, and maybe feeling a little bit of that after-holiday burnout/blues.

So, let's kick off the new year with some fun! Here are the winners from our giveaway week!

Monday: Educating the WholeHearted Child, by Clay Clarkson with Sally Clarkson = Lisa Hurst

Tuesday: Preschool Pack of Transportation Counting Cards = Tristan

Wednesday: Educating the WholeHearted Child, by Clay Clarkson with Sally Clarkson = Julie Lupo

Thursday: Walmart $30 GC = Tristan

Congrats to all the winners! If you could please email Ralene at raeburk01 [at] yahoo [dot] com with your addresses, we'll get your prizes out to you ASAP.

So, what are your goals for 2012?

Seeds of Wisdom-Goals

2011-12-31T03:00:00.000-08:00

For this week of Seeds of Wisdom-

Aurie-

I set goals, thanks to the 3in30 Challenge!! I find them more effective than resolutions that I generally forget in a few weeks!

Dorie-

I have never set a resolution. Well, maybe once when I was 8 to do better, but that didn't last more than a few minutes... Seriously, I think goals are a fabulous way to plan and motivate, and I have witnessed women accomplishing many amazing things with the help of goals, but I have not set any. That's not to say I have no plan, or my life lacks direction, but setting specific goals doesn't help me. Perhaps I have never learned how to really make and utilize them well.

Tracy-

My husband and I always sit down together and plan our goals at the first of the year. Family goals, physical goals, spiritual goals, and training goals for our children are among the things we discuss. Then together we talk about the steps we will need to make it all happen. It has been one of the most meaningful traditions we have as a family.

Jessica-

Resolutions were a tradition my own family kept as I was growing up. It was a wonderful way of starting fresh with self-improvement in mind. I no longer do 'formal' resolutions as an adult, but I often set goals (more often at the beginning of the school year) and find the key to keeping them is writing them down. Happy New Year!

Marla-

I regularly set goals for myself, but not necessarily at the beginning of the year. As I see areas where I need to improve, I set personal goals, as well as steps for achieving those goals. Doing so throughout the year helps me from being overwhelmed by numerous new goals every January and challenges me to self-improve year-round.

Sam-

My husband and I set goals for the year, things we want to accomplish as parents and Christians. I also participate in the 3in30 Challenge, which has made for a year of goal setting. I have enjoyed the constant push to do better, as well as the friends I have made along the way.

Ralene--

Yes, I/we do. My husband and I set down and discuss the past year and then talk about the changes we'd like to make. The typical areas we discuss are children, finances, health, household management and spiritual health.

What goals are you setting for 2012? Do you have any advice to share about goal-setting?

Finding Time for Yourself

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our Homeschool Holiday Open House!

This week we are opening up, discussing details related to our homeschools.

So far, several ladies shared how they schedule and manage their days,
organize their homes, and tackle technology.
If you haven't read these posts
and the excellent ideas readers are posting in the comments,
then might I encourage you to do so today.
The giveaways end on Saturday, December 31 at 11:59 PM.

Today, for our final Homeschool Holiday Open House post,
we focus on finding time for ourselves amongst these busy days.

Jessica, Tracy, Sam, and Ralene share about this important issue...

Jessica:

"This is such a personal and interesting topic. Each family, and each member therein, has different needs. Every mother I have met has different ideas of what constitutes time to herself and how to make a bit of that happen. Since I became a homeschool mother (we were in a school system for several years first) the #1 comment I receive is 'I could never spend all that time with my children!'

However, I found it has really freed me from the schedule we were so tied to before. I am much better able to savor time to myself because I spend most of my time participating in quality interaction with my kids. Because of this, I can take (guilt-free) opportunities I used to pass up!

There are several ways I find time for myself. I have dates with my husband every chance I get. I schedule my children's activities to coincide when I can so that I have an hour to pick up groceries or scan clearance racks in clothing stores without helpers. I get up very early in the morning so I can have a run and be back before My Farmer leaves for work. I also stay up late to blog a few times a week, and rely on technology (like blogger, facebook, and twitter) in order to have snippets of virtual adult conversation for short periods during the day.

In the end, homeschooling has not made finding time for myself difficult. Having very small children is what made that hard for me! Now that they are older (six, eight, and ten) and more independent, I am enjoying the freedom it has brought to me as well."

Tracy:

"I have really struggled with the topic of 'me-time' for awhile, simply because I often feel guilty for even considering time for myself. But I do have a small moment in my day that I don't feel the least bit guilty about setting aside. I love to keep a short devotional book in my bathroom. My favorites have been Lydia Brownback's devotionals Joy and Purity.

When I desperately need my 'mommy break,' I'll head to the bathroom and grab my devotional. The short 3-5 minute reading is just what I need to regain perspective and to refresh me for what awaits outside my bathroom door."

Sam:
"Every evening after dinner I take 30-60 minutes to workout. I don't really feel the need to get away other than that, and nothing makes me feel better than doing something good for my health.

Not only is it good for my body, but it helps me to relieve stress, lots and lots of stress! My favorite workout is kickboxing. It is too much fun!

If you ever stress about taking some time for yourself-just remember that it makes you better for the rest of the time you give to your family. Now go grab a DVD and kick something!"

Ralene:

"First, let me say that God has blessed me with a wonderful family! My husband is so supportive of all my endeavors, from homeschooling to writing. He often has no issues with giving me some time to myself. Now, let me say that every parent, regardless of jobs/responsibilities/etc., deserves time for themselves. A common complaint, probably more prevalent among moms, is that they feel they have 'lost themselves' in the throes of family and other obligations.

So how do I find time for myself?

The initial step is realizing that I need that time to recharge, that it will not take away from my time with my children/husband/household/job/insert obligation. Everyone needs a way to decompress and allow their spirits to be refueled.

The next thing I did was talk to my husband. The biggest hurdle is having your family on board. I explained the situation (although he already understood, so it didn't take much of an explanation), and we talked about what seemed appropriate. At first, it was just sporadic time for myself--a shopping trip here, a movie night with my friends there. But the more I took that time for myself, the more I saw how it benefited my life in other ways. Now, I make sure that I have some downtime every week--be it 30 minutes or a couple of hours. Sometimes I go out and do something, sometimes I stay in and read a good book.

The trick is not using that time for 'other obligations'. At first, I found myself using that time for stuff like sorting through the clean clothes that needed folded, or working on my blog posts/novel/editing. That time is not supposed to be about anything else but myself. I had to force myself to see and experience the refreshment that comes from doing something that is just for me.

Here's a few things that I do (and some that other women I know do): Read (book/magazine), shop (not grocery), walk/exercise, Ladies' Night, get hair done/manicure/pedicure, invest in a new hobby (scrapbooking, knitting, crafts, hiking, sports), take a class...the list goes on. Some can be done in a few minutes, some in a couple of hours--all important to our mental/emotional (and sometimes physical) well-being."

And, now, we want to know how you find time for yourself as well.

What ways are you refreshed?

Technology and Social Media in Our Homeschools

2011-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our Homeschool Holiday Open House!

This week we are discussing a few homeschooling specifics.

On Monday, several ladies shared how they schedule and manage their days.

Then, yesterday, a few of us discussed how we organize our homes.

Around the table today,

Marla, Aurie, and I are discussing technology and social media.

How do you use technology and social media for your homeschool?

What are the benefits? And, how do you find balance?

Marla:

"I use technology extensively for homeschool planning and preparation. I create my own curriculum (I make some of my own activities and also use activities created by others). In order to create my activities, I use Microsoft Word and Powerpoint, so I spend hours on my computer making activities. I use the internet to find other activities to supplement what I create. I have found that there are a variety of websites and blogs with fantastic ideas and free printables for preschoolers and have also found great ideas on Pinterest.

In our homeschool, we do not use technology much yet. Since Abigail is only 3, she is still young for most computer activities (and I prefer hands-on learning to computer learning). She does, however, use the Starfall app on the ipad as a part of our letter-of-the-day lesson and plays a math game on the ipad a few times a week. During our weekly animal units, we watch 1-2 minute clips of the animals we are studying in the wild (generally on the National Geographic website). Additionally, I use my Spoitfy account to access songs that are related to our current lessons (for example, during our unit on the continents, we listened to 3 songs about the continents every day).

As a homeschooling mom, I also love the internet as a means of connecting with other homeschooling moms. Being a homeschooler can be isolating when everyone you know sends their children to school, so being able to interact with other moms via Facebook and blogs is wonderful. It is amazing how the internet can make the world seem so much smaller and you can share activities and ideas with moms all over the world!"

Dorie:

"In the very beginning of our homeschooling journey, I swore off technology. We used nothing related to technology.

Over the years, we have slowly added technological elements to our homeschool. Each addition has been planned and purposeful. Using a computer based program, our children begin learning Latin in the third grade. Next year, our oldest son, will begin French with another computer based program.

Another fun application for technology has ironically been during our nature walks. When we find something we cannot identify (because we don't know or don't have the right reference books along) we take a digital photograph of the item. Later, we upload the picture and search through books or the internet to identify or classify the unknown item. This has been perfect for large scale items and for those times when we have visited parks with rules about removing flora and fauna.

Because we live in a technologically based society, we have begun to systematically introduce our children to computers in general. We have an old computer in the school room that is not connected to the internet. On it, the children learn keyboard skills, how to navigate through computer programs, photo uploading and editing, etc. Slowly, as they age, we will add internet usage and social media.

For me, as a homeschool mom, I use technology for various planning related activities. The internet is a great place to research curriculum, resources, and potential field trips and ideas for our homeschool.

Our local library is networked throughout the county with all the public libraries. By visiting their website, I can request a library book, CD, or resource from any of the networked libraries. This has resulted in a tremendous amount of options for books.

Also, connecting with other moms through technology has been extremely beneficial. Whether we are planning a play group or organizing a class for co-op, technology has definitely been a time saver and convenient way to communicate with other busy moms. Social media like blogs have also been a source of encouragement for me as well. Though I don't have too much time to peruse the vast array of blogs, I do enjoy and benefit greatly from those I read and the communities I participate in."

Aurie:

"As a new homeschooling mom, I am always looking for advice and support. Having access to twitter, facebook and email makes it easy to find help and encouragement right when I need it! I've also found some amazing free resources online {and who doesn't like free!} which allow me to see what methods will work for Sophie and what might not be best for her right now. Sophie doesn't use the computer much at all right now, but she's learning to. She is more hands on, so I think computer based learning will be something that might be nice in the future, but not for her right now.

I balance social media by limiting the amount of time I am online. I have 2 hours each morning before the girls are up/dressed/school, and then I hop on again during naptime/quiettime. I also do most of my blog reading at night after the girls are in bed. Also, I stay away from social media on Sundays - everyone needs to be unplugged just a little bit!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Feel free to join our discussion as we would love to hear

your opinions and suggestions on using technology
and social media in your homeschools.
By leaving a comment, you are entered in today's giveaway.

Today's giveaway:

a second copy of

Educating the WholeHearted Child

by Clay Clarkson with Sally Clarkson

~courtesy Aurie~

This giveaway is open to all residents of the USA
and ends Saturday, December 31 at 11:59 PM EST,

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post.

Winner will be announced on Monday, January 2, 2012.

Organizing Our Homes

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our Homeschool Holiday Open House!

This week we are discussing some of the most frequently asked questions of homeschoolers. So far several ladies have shared how they schedule and manage their days. Today, Sam, Ralene, and I are discussing how we organize our homes. And, of course, we'd love for you to join the discussion.

Sam:
I have a separate space for homeschooling-so that helps. Everything school related lives upstairs and the main living area and my bedroom are on the first floor. I am pretty organize-driven. I love to purge and clear out things. I also love to find new storage solutions for the things I do keep. We use all the vertical space we can, and purge often.

We have an evening rule that the main downstairs rooms be cleaned up by 8:00 family time in the evening, the last clean of the day, but we try to stay on top of things throughout the day as well. The vacuum is run again at 8:00. I like waking up to a clean house!

Ralene:

"The biggest thing that changed in our house is that we set aside a large chunk of the office as the homeschool area. We found a neat table that wasn't full size, but not like tiny-tot size either. My husband sanded and refinished it, and that's what we use to work at. I have a shelf that has our daily curriculum and work boxes on it. Then two book cases full of art supplies, books, workbooks, and lots of resources. We don't have a lot of wall space, in that room, so I bought an easel to hold a large white board, and on the back of the white board, I glued a world map. We did have just enough room to put up a calendar on the wall.

Around the rest of the house, we've made little changes. The kids have a chore chart on the wall in the hallway. In the living room, there's some art supplies and books for them to look at/play with in their free time. In the living room, there's also a computer that we bought mainly just for homeschool and household purposes. It has learning games and internet access. The girls are still at that age, for me, where they don't use it without me, but it's still another tool that we can use.

Cleaning/organization-wise, I know a lot of homeschool moms (including myself) have a hard time keeping the house together. Very rarely will someone show up (especially without notice) and see a tidy home. However, I have developed my own system to keep things from getting too out of hand. It started with Flylady.net, and then I had to make my own tweaks. So, every room gets attention at least once a week (major traffic places like living room get twice a week)."

Dorie
"We have a separate room designated for homeschooling. However, we didn't start out that way. When we first started homeschooling, we lived in a tiny house. Our school books were stored on a shelf and I taught our preschooler at the same table we had meals.

Later we moved to a larger home. Once we purposed a room for our homeschooling, we arranged the space and brought in a few organizing tools. We have multiple shelving units, with a variety of drawer and shelf options. Learning games, puzzles, globes, maps, reference materials, and books fill our shelves. We brought in a desk for me and one for the children's computer. We also set up tables for the children to use. A free standing chalk board and white board are used daily. The electric drums and keyboard are in one corner, and art supplies are stored in another area of the room.

Despite a designated room, other rooms in our home are used regularly for school lessons, as well. With a sink and stove top readily available, the kitchen is our main area for science experiments. Each of the children's rooms has book shelves, and our living room and family room have baskets of books.

For the most part, the children are free to move about the house as desired throughout the day. Sometimes, they bring their bean bag chairs down from their bedrooms, and cozy up with a good book in the living room. Other times, in warmer weather, they may head outside with a blanket and work under the clear blue sky.

To keep a full house clean is challenging. Adding homeschooling to the day, and a clean house seems impossible. For us, we maintain a clean house by following a routine and using a children's chore chart. Daily, we strive to have all items in the downstairs rooms put away before dinner. For our homeschool room, we typically clean it on Fridays so it is ready for Monday morning."

How do you organize your home now that you are homeschooling?
Are your rooms allocated differently?
Are you keeping supplies in one area or all through the house?
Do you have a favorite organizational tool?
{By commenting, you are automatically entered in today's giveaway.}

Today's giveaway:

A Preschool Pack of
Transportation Counting Cards
(numbers 1-10)

~ created by Marla

This giveaway is open to all residents of the USA
and ends Saturday, December 31 at 11:59 PM EST,

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post.

Winner will be announced on Monday, January 2, 2012.

Schedules, Planning, and Managing Our Time

2011-12-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our Homeschool Holiday Open House!

This week, we are opening up a little bit more
about the details of our individual homeschools.
We'll talk about how we organize our homes, manage our days,
tackle technology, and still find time for ourselves!
No, we certainly aren't superwomen,
but are simply sharing what works,
or doesn't work, for us in our homeschools.
We hope you find encouragement in these posts,
and invite you to join the discussions

and enter the giveaways.

When homeschool moms get together, several topics always surface. One I've asked and been asked often is 'how do you plan your time to include all the tasks of life plus homeschool?' Sometimes this question is worded slightly differently, but the intent remains. Most people want to know how homeschoolers plan their days.

When asked, Aurie, Jessica, and Tracy responded with
planning techniques and schedules that work for them.

Aurie:

"I use a schedule that has some flexibility, but for the most part stays the same. The girls get up, are dressed, have breakfast and play by 9am. {while they are playing I get the breakfast dishes washed and do any lunch or dinner prep} Sophie starts school at 9am, with Bella still playing in the other room. We break for snack time at 10:00am, and then Bella comes in to color while we finish up. Lunch is at 11:30am, and the girls are down for naps/quiet time from 12:00-3:00pm. Since Sophie is preschool, we don't generally do school in the afternoons. We'll work on some crafts, some fine motor skills, or go outside and run around.

What really makes this schedule work is me getting up an hour before the girls do in the morning. I have my quiet time, jump online to check email, blog posts & twitter and then get ready to start my day while the girls are still asleep. This change has really helped to keep me on track!"

Jessica:

"I do my scheduling in small, adjustable blocks. Our school year is 36 weeks long, usually beginning in early August and ending in late April. (State requirements would come into play for homeschooling families here; my state requires a similar number of days and the same required subjects as public school.)

Next, I plan a month at a time. Each month offers an opportunity for me to tweak the scheduled extracurriculars my children participate in. My oldest son is in band at the public school, which has an already set schedule, but most of the other lessons and sports are scheduled on a monthly basis.

Each Sunday, I catch up on bookwork for our Farm and plan for the week ahead. I have a school binder where I keep all our plans and papers for the week. Each child has a section of the folder where I keep their work yet to be done, and a pocket where I keep their finished papers. I check off items in the lessons plans as we complete them. At the end of the week, I remove all the papers and file them (I also keep an item or two that is an example of their best work separate, which we then display at our end-of-the-school-year party) and place next week lesson plans into the binder. I front-load our week, with most of our activities and heavy academic work Monday through Thursday. This way, Friday is a short academic day with more time for whatever we need that week (catching up around the house, meeting friends, going on a field trip, decorating for Christmas).

Each evening, I set out all the assignments and materials for the next day at their places. I also set out my own supplies, the read aloud books we are working from, maps and tools. I like to set out craft items or coloring supplies as well, if we are going to have a lot of 'listening only' activities the next day. I also like to set up a CD to play the geography songs, memory verse songs or math facts songs we work on.

I also use the evenings to look ahead at what activities are the next day, and pack the items we need to take along with us. I also think about (and if I have time, prep ahead a bit) what we are eating the next day.

The most important part of my planning is flexibility. If we are behind on an assignment, or something comes up, or someone is feeling poorly, or a friend needs our help, we can adjust what we are doing. School can start earlier and end later (in a day or in the year!), we may push some work back to the end of the week, or we may work ahead if we know things will be busy the next day. Having a general outline and being able to change it each day is one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling for my family."

Tracy:

"We typically have a very structured homeschool day. I plan exactly what we will do, and because my children are small, I allow for about 15 minutes per activity. We use hanging file pockets to organize the activities. Each pocket will include the worksheet, reading book, or other activity, along with all of the necessary tools to accomplish the task (scissors, crayons, pencil, etc.) I set a timer, and we work our way through the pockets one at a time. Sticking with a strict schedule has taught the kids to work hard even on tasks they don't prefer, because they realize it's only a short amount of time before the next activity.

However, I have had to organize differently this year since becoming pregnant. For instance, I have become very flexible with our start time, often starting our school day close to 10 or 10:30. And when I do have a rough day, we work only through the essentials and skip our opening pledge and calendar activities. It's really forced me to evaluate what my priorities are for each day, what must get done, and what can wait for another day. It truly is amazing how flexible you can be, even with a structured school schedule!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Every homeschool operates on a slightly different schedule or routine.
We'd love to hear how you organize your days to teach your children,
clean your home, cook meals, and visit with your neighbor?
{By commenting, you will automatically be entered in today's giveaway.}

Today's giveaway:

Educating the WholeHearted Child

by Clay Clarkson with Sally Clarkson

~courtesy Aurie~

This giveaway is open to all residents of the USA
and ends Saturday, December 31 at 11:59 PM EST,

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post.

Winner will be announced on Monday, January 2, 2012.

Seeds of Wisdom--Christmas Eve Traditions

2011-12-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Does your family have a Christmas Eve tradition each year?

Dorie--

For Christmas Eve, we always attend church service. This year, one of our daughters is singing the solo part for the children's choir song.

Jessica--

We also spend Christmas Eve in church. Often the children receive special gifts (like a tie or hair ribbon) to wear to the services, which they get to open before we leave. Afterwards, we like to eat at our favorite chinese take-out restaurant, but we actually sit and eat it there. Finally, we head home to set out cookies and hang stockings.

Marla--

We celebrate by having dinner with my in-laws, as well as my husband's aunt, uncle, and cousin. After dinner, we open gifts and stockings before heading to bed.

Aurie--

We travel to Ken's grandparents and exchange gifts. Then we hurry home to get the girls ready for bed, and Ken over to church for the Christmas Eve service. This year I'm hoping we'll all make the service!!

Sam--

Every year we make cookies and decorate them. The kids exchange their gift exchange gifts, and we watch Christmas movies. Rick and I always watch "It's A Wonderful Life" while we wait for the kids to go to sleep. We don't do Santa, but we always wait to bring the presents out.

The Gifts We Give

2011-12-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

The Christmas rush swirls about, outside, with the snow. Within, all is quiet.

We are Waiting. I revel in the freedom I have, as a homeschooling mother!

No school parties, no forced obligations. You know, the ones that add up to leave you all Christmas’d out by December 26th! It isn’t Christmas here yet. Nope. It is the season of waiting. Every day the excitement grows; everyday the secrets and surprises are built up.

Isaiah is furiously knitting to finish the scarves he’s making for his little sister and brother. Rosie is secretly earning pennies for gifting to family members.

No one is doing math, except the scanning of grocery ad sales as we plan our special meals. Oh, and paper airplanes and origami. (Ya, that's all math!)

I'm reflecting, as I wait for gingerbread in the oven to beep, over the gifts I'm giving my children this year:

I'm giving them a pressure-free childhood.
I'm giving them courage to explore the world.
I'm giving them a relationship with books.
I'm giving them knowledge and the experience of prayer.
I'm giving them a love of drawing, dance, and piano.
I'm giving them unstructured time to be. Just be.
And they need these gifts more than anything else.

Homeschooling is an amazing gift. It's given to me and I give it to my family.

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree."
~Roy L. Smith

Beginning Again After a Holiday Break

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Eight o'clock at night rang on the chimes, but I was still finishing up the day. To describe the day as hectic would have been an understatement. However, the day was not without some positive aspects. We did finish a day of school. It was sporadic and patched together, but a day of learning took place and progress was made. There were very few complaints, and even some laughter.

It was our first day back to our school routine after a ten day holiday break, and I declared this would not happen again.

How do you begin again? After taking some much needed time off for travel, family visits, holiday celebrations, rest, and relaxation, just how do you get back into the smooth homeschool routine you had already established before your break?

At our home, we have tried everything to make it an easy transition. Some techniques and tips work well for us, other things, not so much.

Three successful suggestions I try to follow in our home are:

Let the children know when the first day back to school lessons / homeschool routine will occur. Our children like to know ahead of time, when their vacation is over. Sounds simple, I know, but honestly some breaks I have inadvertently surprised the children with a day of school. Though it was an honest mistake, it did not go over well.
Allow the first day back (or the first few) to progress at a slower pace. There is always a few hiccups in our routine, especially after a long break. We may not finish every lesson the first day back. There may even be some lessons we won't get to do that first day as we ease back into the routine.
Be prepared to review some lessons. It doesn't work for us to jump back into our lessons without some review. Instead, I allow for some discussion and review of what they have already learned and then proceed to the new lesson.

These are some of the tips and techniques that work for us, and help ease us back into our homeschool routine. How about you? What do you do to ease back into your homeschool routine after an extended break?

Next week:

Join us for A Homeschool Holiday Open House

with encouraging discussions and fun giveaways!

An Invitation for You

2011-12-20T23:59:00.000-08:00

With the holiday season in full swing,

we wanted to share some holiday fun with you.

So, we are hosting our first

Homeschool Holiday Open House,

and we would love for you to attend!

You are invited

to join us next week for

A Homeschool Holiday Open House

with encouraging discussions

and fun give aways!

Where: Growing Your Homeschool

When: December 26-31

Reflecting on Our First Few Months

2011-12-20T03:20:00.000-08:00

I've been reflecting back on our first few months of homeschooling, and it's amazing how far we have come in just a few months! So, since this will be my final post here for 2011, I wanted to share what I've learned in our first 4 months of homeschooling.

10. Glitter glue rocks. So do wonder color markers and washable crayons.

9.   Don't worry about not keeping up with the local schools. The main reason I'm homeschooling is to NOT do the same things.

8. Each child learns at their own pace. Do not compare them.

7.   Just because I think it's a wonderful idea to color code the craft drawers does not mean the preschooler will agree. {ahem}

6. Craft supplies can be anything from a cardboard tube to a stash of colorful *bling* from my scrapbook drawer.

5.   Go with their learning style. Sophie is going to be interest led, while Bella {at the moment} is leaning all planned out {like me!}

4. Take a break if you need to. There's nothing wrong with taking a fun day so you can all step back and breathe.

3.    Going with #4....breathe. Just breathe.

2.    Involve others in your homeschool! The girls love it when Daddy is in charge of school. Grammie Aury also did school with the girls while we were on vacation - it's good to switch it up!

1. You are going to have good days. You are going to have bad days. Write out why you are homeschooling and post it. Refer to it on one of *those* days {we all have them!} and remember that you are in this for the long haul - it's not a sprint.

Next week will be full of fun here on Growing Your Homeschool with giveaways scheduled Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday!

Simple Christmas Crafts for Preschoolers

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

We LOVE doing art projects in our house! I especially like the art projects that take little preparation on my part and Abigail can do mostly independently. Thanks to Pinterest and blogs, I am constantly finding new ideas for simple preschool art projects. Almost daily, we do one of these activities. Today, I would like to share some of my favorite simple Christmas art projects for preschoolers.

Cutting practice Rudolph

Handprint and footprint Rudolph

Torn Paper Christmas Tree - you can't see it, but I drew the outline of the tree and had Abigail tear paper and glue it on top. She got overzealous and glued too much paper!

Paper Size Sequencing Christmas Tree

Gingerbread House

Homemade Wrapping Paper

Cotton Ball Candy Cane

Each of these art projects was simple for me to prepare and fun for my girls!

What Christmas art projects have you done this year?

Seeds of Wisdom --- Christmas Break

2011-12-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today, our panel answers the question, "are you taking a homeschool break this month and, if so, what will you do during your break?"

Aurie

Since we will be traveling in the beginning of January, we are going to work straight though until the 23rd. Most of our school is Advent themed and fun so the girls are enjoying it!

Dorie

Our plan is to continue our formal lessons through the end of next week. We will take about ten days off and start school again after the new year. We haven't made any definite plans, except a routine trip to the dentist and a birthday dinner (December birthdays can sometimes be tough!)

Ralene

We were going to take the week between Christmas and New Year' off, but due to all the stuff we missed while being sick in Oct and Nov, we probably won't. I plan to have short days, though, just focusing on core subjects and Bible verses.

Sam

Yes!! We are off starting this Friday! We will still be doing our advent, and our daily memory verses, but taking a break until the 2nd. I will get some deep cleaning done, some blogging commitments, and 6 weeks of lesson planning during this time.

Tracy

We will be breaking this Friday and spending time with family that we haven't seen in a year or more! I will also be getting things together for our next 6 weeks of lessons and trying to clean and organize while I still feel like moving; I'm heading into the third trimester of my pregnancy!

What are your plans for this months?

Homeschooling With Pinterest

2011-12-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

In my last post, Assessing Your Year, I mentioned taking the holidays to ponder on changes that you want to make to your homeschool. Today I want to give you an idea about how you can benefit from other moms.

I will take for granted that if you are reading this post, you have a reasonable amount of tech ease. If a blog idea has ever helped you, how many more may be out there that you are missing out on?
Google searches work-but they aren’t visually helpful. You may miss an idea all because the title sounds boring; perhaps the introductory words don’t sound like what you are looking for.

The solution? Pinterest!

Using the search feature, you will be drawn into rooms, see curriculum, be inspired by crafts and storage solutions.

You can also search for homeschool blogs. Pinterest addicts love to share their favorite everything. {I even used Pinterest to choose my latest haircut-I shared my board with my stylist right from my phone!} I prefer Pinterest to homeschool magazines. You can find everything there!

But you don’t have an account you say? I am sure you know someone who does! Even if you don’t-get your email to me and I will personally send you an invite.

Be careful though-it can be pretty addictive. Happy pinning!

Memories of a Homeschooled Homeschooler: the schedule

2011-12-13T01:01:00.000-08:00

I have memories of my mom surrounded by books and tons of paper in the corner of our home that was her "office." Usually, she was either in the midst of taxes and bookkeeping or scheduling our homeschool. We went through a lot of schedules during my homeschool years, and like any great master, Mom was always sure we could do something better or more efficiently. Tweak this subject here, add a little more time there, take out this activity and move it to that time slot.

But we were kids, and school was—well—school, no matter where we did it. And I know we didn't give her an easy time, in spite of her schedule overhauls. Because of all that scheduling though, we did have time for a lot of really unique experiences that have made for fond memories.

As little kids, we did four day school for a long time. So as early as second grade, I learned how to take five days worth of assignments and work to get it all done in four days. Each one of those four days, I'd work ahead one assignment in at least one subject until I'd earned my extra day off. We loved those three day weekends!

When we got older, working ahead was much harder to accomplish each week, but we still plotted out our assignments and worked ahead where we could for that end goal: to finish school as early in the year as possible. When other kids took extra holidays, spring breaks, and snow days (in Texas, snow days rarely had the same significance as they might in other states), we worked tirelessly, though sometimes reluctantly, toward that goal. And it paid off. We often had the bragging rights of the neighborhood, having finished all of our school books in mid April or early May while everyone else plodded along for another 4-6 more weeks.

In high school, Mom's scheduling paid off significantly as she helped us plan our extra-curricular activities into our school day. My junior and senior year of high school, I had the opportunity to work part-time at our local newspaper office and have my own ballet studio where I gave lessons and planned performances.

Then, the real test came—college. All of Mom's hours surrounded by stacks of books and loose paper finally culminated in one great overall success. After watching my mom plan scores upon scores of schedules through the years, my first freshman college schedule was a breeze. Seventeen years old and 12 hours from home, I remembered all those lessons of scheduling and planning and breaking down large tasks, lessons that my mom probably wasn't always aware that she was teaching me.

And when I began to teach college English and writing classes, I was more often teaching my students how to schedule their time than I was tutoring them in the rudiments of grammar.

So for all of you homeschool moms who think you are "ruining" your children or their homeschool experience with all of your tweaks and overhauls to the schedule, take heart. Include your kids in the process. There's some valuable learning going on behind those wadded up pieces of paper.

Read more of Tracy's Homeschool Memories or follow her current homeschool journey.

Giving Begins at Home

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

I love a good surprise. My husband is forever trying to tell me what he got me for Christmas or dropping huge hints and, honestly, I just don't want to hear it. I LIKE being surprised. Even more than that, though, I love to give. It warms my heart to see the looks on people's faces.

Now, how to I teach my girls, 4 and 5, to have the same kind of spirit--the whole "it's better to give than to receive"? All I've heard this year is "I want that".

I have a couple of thoughts, but am by no means an expert.

Ralene's Non-Fool-Proof Ways to Help Develop a Giving Spirit in Young Children (NFPWHDGSYC for short)

1. Make it tangible for them. Yes, it is important to support programs like Operation Christmas Child, Angel Tree, etc., but the fact is, the kids don't see anything that comes of it. They're toy gets shipped to some foreign place they can barely comprehend to a group of children they can hardly relate to.

2. Make sure their input counts! Let them help make decisions--what gift to buy, what kind of cookies to make, how to decorate a card/wrap a present.

3. The more hands on, the better! The more the kids can do to hel, the more they'll be invested in it, the more they'll appreciate what happens to it at the end. If you purchase a toy, let them wrap it (with your help, of course) and then make a card for the child. Let them make the cookie dough, roll it out, cut the cookies, and, of course, the best part--decorating them!

4. As you're going through all the different parts of the process, be sure to explain to the kids what you're doing and why. Emphasize the difference in needs and wants.

5. Have them give of themselves. Help them understand how blessed they are by having them choose a few toys of their own to drop off at a charity. Then take them to drop it off! Let them put it in the box and take it in with you. This completes the thought process in their little heads. It didn't stop with putting it in the box and Mommy hauling it off to Goodwill.

6. Of course, they need to see you model the giving spirit. The giving spirit we harness during Christmas time should live in our hearts all year long. When they see us giving of our time, money, resources, and when we help them understand what we are doing and why, the more they'll develop that same sense as they grow and mature.

Giving can be as much of a gift for us as it is for those who receive our gifts. So, get in the spirit, and watch as you light up the faces of many with your blessings this year!

Seeds of Wisdom --- Christmas in Our Homeschools

2011-12-09T05:11:00.000-08:00

Today, we share how we are incorporating Christmas into our homeschools.

Sam

We are doing Truth in the Tinsel as well as Jotham's Journey.

Ralene

We have an Alphabet Christmas printable book--we do one letter a day and talk about the different holiday traditions. We also have a Countdown Chain where each link has a different activity for our family to do together. And not to mention the many different Christmas books we either own or have gotten from the library. My girls are learning some carols, too. I picked one Christian and one secular song each week to learn. Last week was Away in a Manger and Here Comes Santa Claus. This week is Joy to the World and Rudolph.

Aurie

We are using The Truth in the Tinsel, and talk about the Advent story each day. I'm trying to keep it low key this year, and so far the girls are really enjoying it!

Tracy

We are doing the Coming of the King advent calendar and devotionals for our family time, but anything specifically homeschool will be spontaneous. I don't have anything planned into my lessons. http://www.wtsbooks.com/product-exec/product_id/7320/nm/The+Coming+of+the+King+-+Advent+Calendar+Pack+%28Paperback%29

Dorie

For the month of December, we are completing a Jesse Tree, learning some carols, and reading a great variety of Christmas books. We add in other activities when we are inspired and have time as well.

Jessica

I change material on our coffee table every month, so with December came back-issues of our magazines and our winter or Christmas-themed books. The kids have been spending their break time or crafting time to work on hand-made gifts for babysitters, teachers, and special friends. This year they are making perler bead ornaments and soap carvings.

Maureen

We have a picture book for each day of December. Our favorites are by Tomie de Paola. We also have a Jesse Tree book that takes us through the entire history of salvation up to the birth of Jesus. We read a story from it after dinner each night and then the kids make ornaments for our paper Jesse Tree. It is their favorite holiday tradition! We always make some fresh ornaments for the real tree and use writing cards for 'handwriting' all month.

Marla

Everything that we are doing this month is Christmas-themed. We are counting Christmas objects (nativity scenes, pictures of Santa, putting stickers on paper Christmas trees, etc.), using Christmas alphabet flashcards, spelling Christmas words, writing Christmas cards, and doing Christmas art and cooking projects. We are also doing a Jesse tree, and Advent calendar, and giving a daily gift to Baby Jesus. So far, it has been a fabulous month in our homeschool!

What Christmas-themed activities are you doing in your homeschool?

Meditation on Gentleness, at Christmastime

2011-12-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

Once, my great-grandmother was speaking of the trials of being a mother of 6, to a minister. The minister said to her, “Dear lady, take the holy family as your model.”

“O yah,” she retorted, “them and their one!”

Just a little levity there, to get me started today!

There is a beautiful picture hanging in my living room: a young woman carrying a baby in her arms. This image is commonly known as the Madonna of the Streets. I only recently heard the story:

A young woman wandered the streets, say it’s New York City, and it is getting cold. It’s coming on Christmas. The woman is driven to distraction, worrying about how she will care for her child tonight, let alone for the next 20 years. And as midnight nears, and she begins to despair, Mary appears to her, with the baby Jesus in her arms and says, “Here, I will take care of your baby- if you will take care of mine.”

It is incomprehensible, the mystery we grasp at during this season of waiting. The Boundless, bound by a womb. The All-Powerful, helpless in a feeding trough. Eternal Beauty, wrapped up in rags, breathed on by oxen and asses.

He is given to us. If only we would carry His Image with us- everywhere!

One of the many reasons prayer is so necessary to a homeschooling mother is that I need to “carry His Image with me.”

When it’s 9 am and I’m already frazzled.

When it’s 2pm and a math book is floating in the sink of soapy water(?!),

The toddler is climbing the bookcase,

The preschooler changes her outfit for the 9th time today,

And my big kids are suddenly nowhere to be found- least of all at the table where I left them over their books 3 minutes ago,

It’s HIM I need to see before me…

BEFORE I open my mouth.

Prayer for me, as a mother, a homeschooling mother, who maybe gets 3 hours a week to herself, is how I knit the veil. The veil, of the child Jesus’ sweet face, that I (try to) throw over each child’s face whenever I look at him or her. BEFORE I open my mouth.

Because I resolved, as a brand new mom, that yelling might happen, but it would never become status quo in my relationships with my kids.

And I swore (through often-gritted teeth), as that first child and I negotiated that first year of kindergarten, that homeschooling would not change that resolution.

I had other mothers, homeschooling and not, tell me this resolve was ridiculous. That I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. That kids don’t listen if you don’t yell. But in my heart, it was never a question.

Gentleness is what God gives to me, at Christmas and every day of the year.

He is infinitely patient with my stubbornness.

He never rushes me, no matter how slow I am to learn his ways.

He gives to me, even when I am selfish with Him.

And He is the only Parent against whom I will model myself.

Every year as Christmas nears, when I see the babies in the mangers, I renew my commitment to gentleness. I use my prayer time to remember each child of mine, as a dimpled newborn, and thank God for these great gifts. I fail so often, committed as I am to gentleness, and I beg for the grace to do better in the year to come. I meditate on the patience of the Mother of Jesus, her humility, her quietness, her acceptance of the Will of God.

I want to give my children not just knowledge of God, not just the story of Christmas, but the experience of the gentleness and peace of God. And I pray for the grace to remember that- to see Jesus-

BEFORE I open my mouth!

“Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
Star and angels gave the sign.”
~Christina Rossetti

Gifts For Homeschooling Families

2011-12-07T00:01:00.001-08:00

Do you need some holiday gift ideas for a homeschooling family you love? Are people close to you stumped about what you might like to have? Here is a list of suggestions which would make wonderful presents for anyone who is homeschooling.

1) Memberships

Does this family live near a great zoo? A children's museum? How about a YMCA with free family activities and classes? A year-long membership to these types of local attractions will be used and appreciated year-round.

2) Lessons

This is one of the best gifts our family has ever received. Our children were given 'gift certificates' from my parents for any lessons they would like to try. It was a wonderful adventure just seeking out the different types available: ballroom dancing, water polo, piano, guitar, rock climbing, martial arts, gymnastics, ballet and horseback riding were a few that were seriously considered. One of my children is, three years later, still participating in the original activity he chose.

3) Books

Homeschool families love all things literature. Just make sure you are considering the ages of the children when you make your purchase. Most sites online will have recommendations by age. Nonfiction is going to be preferable - you can even ask the families what they have been studying recently. They will appreciate your interest as well as your investment in and support of the lifestyle they have chosen.

4) Outings

Homeschool families LOVE a good field trip. Is there a fantastic place they would love to go? An air and space museum? A mine of some sort? An historical marker with attractions? Find a way to help them go, whether it is passes to the location itself, a place to stay while there, or a gift certificate to a nearby restaurant.

5) Magazine Subscriptions

There are mountains of wonderful publications in circulation for all age groups of children. You will want to be sure you dig a bit before you subscribe - often the most popular magazines are not the meatiest. Homeschool families are going to prefer very high-quality content, and they will thank you for it every time it arrives in their mailbox.

What is the best gift you have given or received that pertains to homeschooling?

Christmas Across the Curriculum

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Looking for a way to include the Christmas season into your homeschool lesson plans?
Perhaps a few of these simple ideas will help...

Literature and Writing
a character study of Scrooge from A Christmas Carol offers a dramatic example of change
ask the children to write a family newsletter, or articles for one

Math
devise a simple Christmas budget including gifts, decorations, and food
use sale advertisements to determine the best prices (find actual cost of individual products and compare)

History
interview older relatives, asking them about specific holiday traditions of their childhood and local areas
research Christmas traditions of the historical time period you are currently studying

Geography
explore another culture and learn how they celebrate Christmas
study time zones to find out who in the world celebrates Christmas morning first

Science
observe various pine trees or learn about the animals in the stable of first Christmas
make cinnamon and applesauce ornaments, as they dry learn about evaporation

Music
research composers of your favorite Christmas carols
watch a performance of The Nutcracker

Art
do a picture study of paintings like Christmas Homecoming by Norman Rockwell
or Christmas at Home, by Grandma Moses
find out what is meant by "a Norman Rockwell Christmas"

Poetry
memorize and recite a poem like "The Gift" by Christina G. Rossetti

The Gift

by,

Christina G. Rossetti

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd,

I would give Him a lamb.

If I were a wise man,

I would do my part.

But what can I give Him?

Give Him my heart.

These are only a few ways to incorporate Christmas. Please feel free to include more ideas in the comments. I look forward to reading them, and possibly using them in our homeschool days as well.

Homeschool Laws?

2011-12-06T04:20:00.000-08:00

I live in Central New Jersey.

New Jersey has no law on the books regarding Homeschooling. There is no call to register, no portfolio to prepare, no medical exams to prove.

When we first starting researching homeschooling, I was a little taken aback by the lack of legislation for families in NJ who homeschool. I work best with a plan, so being given a clean slate was very scary to me.

After reading other state requirements and listening to some parents trying to get everything ready to prove what they did in school, I was pretty excited that NJ is a little more laid back.

A few months ago, a child in foster care who was being homeschooled was tragically killed, and the foster parents charged with neglect. I'm not going into the entire sad story, but this case has catapulted homeschoolers onto the NJ legislature, with new laws being proposed to protect children from being homeschooled. The case is pitting DYFS against homeschoolers.

I'm not sure how I feel about the proposed laws. I can see the validity of having some guidelines, but at the same time, the wording in the proposed bill scares me.

Do you live in a state that is rigidly controlled? What are your thoughts?

Homeschooling Myself

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

When we first decided to homeschool preschool for Abigail, I thought about the numerous ways that she would benefit from learning at home. I never stopped to consider how I would benefit from being Abigail's teacher, but over the past year and a half, I have learned so much!

I have learned about my girls - spending all day with them and teaching them helps me know and understand them more thoroughly and appreciate them more.

I have learned a lot about myself - taking on the new challenge of teaching my girls has revealed some of my own strengths and weaknesses.

I have learned about God - preparing bible lessons for the girls has led me to explore those stories more deeply and spend more time in prayer asking God for help in teaching and in understanding.

I have learned about cooking - doing regular cooking projects with the girls has led me to exploring new recipes and techniques that I would never before have tried.

I have learned about the world around me - we have done unit studies on a variety of animals and I have learned about the animals while teaching

While I never expected homeschooling to lead to learning for me as well, I am so glad that it has!

Seeds of Wisdom --- Busy Day Dinners

2011-12-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

This time of year, families are busy and household responsibilities (such as homecooked meals) often get neglected. Today, we share our favorite busy-day recipes.

Aurie

My crockpot is my best friend on busy days! Here is a link to an awesome mac & cheese recipe . I also have a taco chicken that is wonderful.

Dorie

During these busy days, my favorite kitchen appliance is the crock pot. I use it to make soups, meats, and one-pot meals. One of our favorite meals from the crock pot is chili. Here is a link to our family's chili recipe.

Jessica

For an easy hot meal, I fall back on baked potatoes. My children love them and they are so easy. If I know the day is going to be packed, I like to put them in the crockpot the night before (no foil necessary!). My other favorite busy-day hot meal is pasta. We buy whole grain noodles that are high in protein and fiber, so it is filling and nutritious. I just cook the pasta and set bowls of different toppings on the table (olive oil, red sauce, meats or veggies on hand, cheese). I also like to keep 'emergency' frozen casseroles or leftovers around for moments when calling for pizza sounds like a good idea...then I can whip something out of the freezer instead with very little effort!

Marla

Like Aurie and Dorie, I LOVE the crockpot for busy day dinners. I love the blog A Year of Slow Cooking . My favorite recipes are crockpot lasagna and chicken parmesan. We also love crockpot chili and taco soup on busy days.

Sam

My favorite comfort food that is easy has to be roast in the crockpot. I take a chuck roast, brown in it in EVVO, and then toss the veggies in to release some of their juices. I throw everything in the crockpot with beef broth and let it make it's magic. I use some of the juices to make homemade gravy, and serve with mashed potatoes and fresh, homemade bread. Yum!

Tracy

I love this recipe for taco chicken bowls. It makes several meals and fixes several different ways. I usually make the bowls on a Sunday; then later in the week we have tacos and nachos with the left overs. Plus, use different kinds of salsa for a slightly different flavor each time. So fun!

What are your favorite busy day dinner ideas?

Assessing Your Year

2011-12-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

Most of us will be taking a break for the holidays. This is the perfect time to step away from the constant push of curriculum and slow down with your family.

Time to enjoy, and also to reflect.

I hope you will plan a day within your holiday schedule to spend some time alone. Grab your lesson plans and some hot tea, have a prayer, and see if your year is going the direction you want it to.

Perhaps you need more structure. Maybe now is when you decide to break free from the workbooks.
Each family is different, and each child is different.

Is there a subject everyone {even you} cringes to tackle each day? Does your child smile with excitement over learning something new each day?

Perhaps you might decide you jumped into homeschooling and have committed all of the Five Things Not To Do When You Start Homeschooling sins. {Not you!}

Homeschooling is a living, constantly changing thing. We might not always see what needs to change as we go through the daily routine, but in the calmness of a few hours alone you never know what revelation you might have.

Always be open to change, and make sure your year is everything you hoped it would be. If it isn’t- on with the next!

Homeschool Memoirs: the When and Where

2011-11-29T01:01:00.000-08:00

I have the unique opportunity to be a homeschooled homeschooler. And though I still have many of the same questions as other new homeschool moms, there's no doubt my memories (and my Mom) play a huge role in answering some of those questions. So, I'm going to try writing a series of homeschool memoirs, in hopes that maybe some of your questions might get answered, too.

My earliest homeschool memories are of doing school at the kitchen table, with a blue dish tub full of A Beka homeschool books, and my mom trying her best to mirror the experience we'd had in our private school setting. My younger sister schooled at the table with me, and my brother (six years older) did his work in his bedroom, away from our elementary noise. Kindergarten, second grade, and eighth grade was what my mother began with, back when homeschooling was much less defined and understood.

We said our pledge, sang choruses, memorized Bible verses, and practiced math speed drills with the same regularity I'd known in the classroom. And any time there was any deviation, I would remind my mother, "That's not how Mrs. Bell did it."

But we grew and learned together. We turned from strictly A Beka to a mix of curriculum, and I welcomed Mom's changes more graciously.

When I was twelve, we sold our house, moved to some acreage, and began living in a 40 ft. RV while Dad worked on building a new house. For two years, we did homeschool at the small table or back bedroom mattress of our RV. It was a true testament that learning can take place absolutely anywhere.

And while other children assumed homeschooling meant that I had the privilege of going to school at 10 a.m. in my pajamas, it was far from our reality. At 5:30 every morning we were dressed and outside bottle-feeding our calves. I was finishing up with my other chores and heading inside for school as the local school bus flew down our dirt road with the other school-aged kids. We were done with school when our work was done.

We took our school on the road to dentist appointments, grocery trips, dance lessons, and homeschool co-op meetings. I learned to concentrate on an assignment through an assortment of chaos and learned to memorize a list of spelling words through any number of distractions.

When I was about fourteen, our house was finished enough to move in. Bare cement floors and walls without sheet rock were a very welcome change to our tiny home in the RV. My school space moved around through out a day from kitchen table, to bedroom vanity, to a desk inside a large walk-in book closet. Our curriculum changed yearly as well. For one, there were more options now. And, too, we knew when to identify when something just wasn't working. My sister studied from one curriculum, I learned from a couple of others, and we made changes as necessary.

Overall, the greatest lesson I took from this experience was the fact that education is not a one-size fits all. Different lifestyles, patterns of life, and personalities all factor into the decisions of when, where, and even how of homeschooling. Now, as I launch out on my own journey, I'm more free with curriculum and confident that I do know my children best. And although I thoroughly enjoy our school room space, I know it really doesn't matter where we pull out the books.

Learning is not a place or a textbook; it's a process—a glorious, stressful, fun, terrifying, fabulous experience that teaches a family much more than math and history. It teaches us to make every memory a learning moment.

Novel Writing and Homeschooling

2011-11-25T09:41:00.000-08:00

NOVEL WRITING AND HOMESCHOOLING

by Suzanne Hartmann

Homeschooling and writing a book are both time-consuming activities. Yet that’s what God has called me to do. I’ve questioned Him over and over, but He leads me to the same conclusion every time. Why would He ask me to add a second all-consuming project to my already busy schedule? I still don’t know the answer; I just know I need to obey.

The next question becomes, “How do I do it all, Lord?” The simple answer is that I don’t. I’ve had to learn to relax my standards and let go of some of the tasks that I think are important. Although I still make lists (I love lists!), I seek God’s guidance each morning, and pray, “Lord, what is it that You know I need to get done today? Direct my thoughts to those activities and chores.” I’m far from perfect at sensing God’s guidance, but I have found that when I actively listen for Him instead of worrying about how I’m going to do it all, things seem to get done. I’m not sure how, but they do.

I thought my plate was already heaping with homeschooling, writing, blogging, networking (it is necessary for authors to have an on-line presence), then a publishing house offered me a contract on my first book, PERIL: A Fast Track Thriller. That added a third time-consuming activity to my schedule: marketing. I tried to do it all, but it only led to frustrations and tears.

I finally went to the Lord (which I should have done from the beginning). This time I didn’t ask how I could do it all; I confessed that I couldn’t do it all. God reminded me that His timing is perfect. My children are older now. They don’t need my constant involvement or supervision. There’s no way I could have accomplished writing and homeschooling, much less networking and marketing when my children needed me almost every single moment during schooltime.

Once I finally realized I couldn’t do it all myself, God directed my attention to Matthew West’s song, Strong Enough. I now think of it as my theme song, especially when it comes to marketing. The first few lines really say it all.

God calls each of us to do things that are beyond our abilities. My call is to write Christian fiction, but there are as many calls as there are people. What is God calling you to do? He promises that He will equip those whom he calls, and I have seen that time and again throughout my writing journey. The fact that I am now published is a testament to His faithfulness, not my ability. Whatever the call on your life, say yes to God. It may seem insurmountable to you, but only in your own strength. When we lean on Him, we can truly claim the promise in Phil. 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

Thank you for hosting me today and letting me share my story. I hope it has been an inspiration for your readers. For those who are interested in reading PERIL, I challenge you to find the name I gave a minor character which most homeschoolers will recognize (although I changed the spelling). I also hope you enjoy reading about a main character who homeschools and homeschooling being presented in a light where it is a normal, natural part of the character’s life.

One last thing. Please join me in celebrating the release of my debut novel, PERIL: Fast Track Thriller #1 by entering in my KINDLE GIVE-AWAY from Nov. 18 – Dec. 16 To enter, click here: WIN A KINDLE (http://fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com/2007/01/kindle-give-away_01.html)

AUTHOR BIO

Suzanne Hartmann is a homeschool mom of three and lives in the St. Louis area. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Composition & Linguistics from Western Illinois University. When not homeschooling or writing, she enjoys scrapbooking, reading, and Bible study. PERIL: Fast Track Thriller Bk. #1 is her debut novel.

On the editorial side, Suzanne is a contributing editor with Port Yonder Press and operates the Write This Way Critique Service. Through her blog, Write This Way, she has become known as an author who can explain writing rules and techniques in easy-to-understand terms. Her popular Top 10 series of articles formed the basis for her e-book on the craft of writing, Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level

PERIL: A Fast Track Thriller:

A top secret agent with enhanced strength must use her extraordinary abilities during several high-profile assignments when she escorts the first Muslim king to convert to Christianity to the White House and a NASCAR track. When unwanted publicity and the attention of a NASCAR champion threaten to expose her, she herself becomes a terrorist target, with danger surrounding her on all sides.

“Plenty of action and unexpected twists.”

Foreword by Jimmy Makar, GM of Joe Gibbs Racing

PERIL BOOK TRAILER (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-G_LzhD4zE)

Seeds of Wisdom --- We Are Thankful

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week, we are focusing on how truly blessed we are. Today, we would like to share with you the 5 things for which we are the most thankful.

Ralene -God, my family, great friends, the opportunity to stay at home and raise/homeschool my kids, chocolate. :)

Sam -Christ's blood that covers my sin, God, the most wonderful husband ever, six blessings, and the freedom to homeschool

Maureen -Time for what matters; seeing everything in the world new again with growing children; the smell of a damp forest; a hard-working, story-telling husband; the grace to let go of the past

Dorie -God's grace, my husband, our children, love, and laughter

Jessica -A committed marriage with a person who is brave enough to support my (sometimes crazy) ideas, the opportunity to raise these three amazing children, our farm and the hard work we do as a family to support our homeschooling lifestyle, as well as enough comfort and convenience in my life to feel embarrassed about my excess

Tracy -Books and the ability to read, my children and the blessing of watching them learn, my amazing husband and the opportunity to minister beside him, my God and the privilege of His presence, the fellowship and support of other moms in this same journey

Aurie -My amazing husband and my miracle girls; the knowledge that I will be reunited with all my loved ones in heaven; the freedom to blog and homeschool without fear; my wonderful friends who are such a blessing to me; and my faith that by believing that He sent His Son to die for me - what an amazing promise

For what are you most thankful this year?

Growing Your Homeschool

Child, you just got schooled!

Lessons from Horton

Four Fast Fun Facts About Our Bloggers Featuring.....Samantha & Tracy!

Springtime Activities For Your Homeschool

Ideas for St. Patrick's Day

Studying Presidents, Elections, and U.S. Government

Evaluating Progress

Learning Centers: Preparing the Banquet

Standardized Testing for Homeschoolers?

Thinking and Pondering

We Don't Need Fancy Materials

Incorporating the Presidential Election Into Our Homeschool Curriculum

A Successful Lesson in Failure

Simpler is fitting us better

Adding ingredients to our Homeschool Recipe...

Did I Fail?

How We Are Growing

Montessori-style Activities

One of those days.

Combating Mid-Year Discouragement

Feeling Inadequate

Homeschool P.E.

Struggling with Obedience

Educating Ourselves

Using the One Room School House Approach

Just a Regular Day....

A Day in Our Homeschool Preschool

Incorporating Homeschool Into Daily Life

A Day In The Life...The Kelleys

In Our School - Today

Growing In Grace...daily

A Day in the Life--Ralene

You Might Be a Homeschooler if

The Measure of Success

The One Room School House Approach

Homeschooling on Vacation

Returning to School After a Break

Our Journey

Our Favorite Homeschool Tools 2012

Tips on what to save and what to consign

Homeschool Holiday Open House Winners!

Seeds of Wisdom-Goals

Finding Time for Yourself

Technology and Social Media in Our Homeschools

Organizing Our Homes

Schedules, Planning, and Managing Our Time

Seeds of Wisdom--Christmas Eve Traditions

The Gifts We Give

Beginning Again After a Holiday Break

An Invitation for You

Reflecting on Our First Few Months

Simple Christmas Crafts for Preschoolers

Seeds of Wisdom --- Christmas Break

Homeschooling With Pinterest

Memories of a Homeschooled Homeschooler: the schedule

Giving Begins at Home

Seeds of Wisdom --- Christmas in Our Homeschools

Today, we share how we are incorporating Christmas into our homeschools.

Sam

Meditation on Gentleness, at Christmastime

Gifts For Homeschooling Families

Christmas Across the Curriculum

Homeschool Laws?

Homeschooling Myself

Seeds of Wisdom --- Busy Day Dinners

This time of year, families are busy and household responsibilities (such as homecooked meals) often get neglected. Today, we share our favorite busy-day recipes.

Aurie

My crockpot is my best friend on busy days! Here is a link to an awesome mac & cheese recipe. I also have a taco chicken that is wonderful.

Dorie

During these busy days, my favorite kitchen appliance is the crock pot. I use it to make soups, meats, and one-pot meals. One of our favorite meals from the crock pot is chili. Here is a link to our family's chili recipe.

What are your favorite busy day dinner ideas?

Assessing Your Year

Homeschool Memoirs: the When and Where

Novel Writing and Homeschooling

Seeds of Wisdom --- We Are Thankful

My crockpot is my best friend on busy days! Here is a link to an awesome mac & cheese recipe . I also have a taco chicken that is wonderful.