Let me introduce you to one of my publishing friends, Mrs. Candace of Sonbeams. I was delighted that she was willing to participate in an interview with me. I spent some time reading her information on the Sonbeams website, and I found myself more energized about teaching my preschooler this fall. When you have one preschooler left in the bunch, you tend to be less enthusiastic about teaching preschool --- again ---- for the 6th time. Kind of like potty training for the 6th time. Somehow, preschool had become just another thing to do. But after reading through her website and looking at her beautiful family, I am off to a better mental start on my school year with my preschooler.
Mrs. Candace, tell my readers a bit about your family.
Well, first and foremost, I want to share that we are a family that loves the Lord. We desire HIS will for our lives above anything else.
My husband is a great supporter of my staying at home with our children. We both realize that our children are a blessing from God,and know that He has given us the responsibility to 'train them up in the ways of the Lord'. We firmly believe that we will be held accountable for the job we do as parents, and don't take this task lightly.
I am a former preschool teacher, nanny, piano teacher, and children's choir director. Children have ALWAYS been a part of my life, and I'm praying always will be. I stay at home with our children, and will be the first to admit that I'm far from the perfect mother/ housekeeper/ teacher. :) All I can do is do what God has asked me to do - and to the best of my ability. His grace takes it from there.
We have 5 children, 4 living with us. Our oldest is a 5 year old son, always ready to learn something new. It's really a challenge to find new things for him to do! Next in line is our 3 1/2 year old daughter, she's also our only daughter. A tender heart, eager to serve, full of love - she'll be starting 'school' this fall.
The next blessing for our family joined our Heavenly Father before they were born, and we're excited to one day meet them in Heaven! God graciously gave us a son the following year, and life hasn't slowed down since. DS2 will be two in August, and he will be doing Sonbeams on a VERY basic level. It's impossible to make him believe he's not as big as the older two. :)
Last, but not least, we have a 3 month old son. He fills our days with smiles and baby noises, hugs and kisses.
As you can imagine, there's never a dull moment, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. We are looking forward to learning to plant a garden in the near future at our new home, as well as trying to raise some hens for our own egg supply. Life itself will be a big teacher for us over the next few months.
After looking at your website, I was energized and excited about teaching my preschooler this year. Tell us how Sonbeams came about.
I guess you could say our oldest is partly behind Sonbeams, aside from the Lord's direction. :) He has always been ready to learn something new, and I began using what I had on hand to teach him. Much to my surprise, he was reading at 3 1/2 years old! BTW, I'm not counting on another child like this.
I pulled from my experiences working in a preschool years ago as I put together lessons for him. There was that 'one thing' that had always bothered me in public preschools though, and was a big reason I left - you don't have the freedom to place the Lord as the foundation. You aren't supposed to talk about Him at all, yet are encouraged to share other beliefs/holidays.
I didn't want my son to just learn his letters and numbers, I wanted him to learn about the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and how can we fear and reverence Him if we don't know anything about Him?
I also needed something cheap (can I use that word?). As a stay at home mom, we can't afford to buy lots of curriculum books. We do buy clearance books sometimes, but I needed something more in the line of 'hands on learning'. While some prefer premade materials, I personally like the option of being able to do/make things alongside of my children. We have fun, and I feel they learn more that way.
I started putting things together in line with the Bible. For instance - In the beginning. What was in the beginning besides God? Nothing! So we started by learning the number 0. Who was the first man? Adam. Adam starts with what letter? A!
Colors - what is the payment for sin? Death, and Jesus paid the price for ALL our sin by the shedding of His blood on the cross - which is red.
Each weekhas a Bible verse, and for A it is Romans 3:23. "For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God". 'All' starts with A, and what is the opposite of all? None, nothing! Maybe it's just me, but tying school in with Scripture is exciting, and reveals the wisdom of the Lord.
I love that your preschool program is focused on Biblical teaching. How long does it take to go through one of your typical lesson plans?
This varies depending on each child, and even more so if you have more than one child. I really only had 2 'hands on' children when we started this, and each day could be done in 1 to 2 hours. Sometimes more, sometimes less. When baby #3 entered the picture, the day stretched out MUCH longer. We don't do all of our school at one time, but instead spread it out through the day.
I like to share with members that they don't have to complete every single thing written in the guides. They are guides, something to give them ideas of what and how to teach. My oldest still begged for more, but at times, our school day was too much for our daughter. I truly believe at this age you need to go with the needs and abilities of each child. Keep it fun and light!
Is there anything else you would like to share with my readers?
Of course! I'd love to invite them to visit Sonbeams and follow our blog. This year Sonbeams will be taking a little different approach. While the membership still gives access to the guides from last year, I plan to add to that unit studies this year (but at no extra cost). My main goal last year for families that wanted to start right away was to get the Scriptural part done first. This year I'm planning on adding some more hands on/fun activity type things to the membership, as well as more activities for younger children.
Besides the curriculum, we also just released a new collection of ABC Bible Memory Verse Songs. These are a perfect fit with the lesson guides, as each week's letter memory verse is put to music. I am a pianist, so sitting at the piano and playing tunes is fun. I also used to teach children's choir. The Lord began placing tunes in my head and fingers as a way to help my children learn their verses. Before I knew it, He had put together a product to minister to others as well! This project has been amazing to work on, and I'm excited to see how the Lord will use it in the lives of others.
My most important goal with Sonbeams is simply to plant seeds of truth into children's lives. My calling has always been to children, and I have such a love for them. They are honest and sincere, and their hearts are so open to knowing and loving our God. Thank you so much for allowing me to share with you, and I'd like to offer a discount to your readers should they desire to visit the site. Enter 10OFF at checkout to receive a 10% discount on all Sonbeams products.
I also have a newsletter list, and subscribers receive perks such as private sales, discounts, previews on new products, etc.
Blessings! Mrs. Candace
Thank you for joining us today, Mrs. Candace. It has been a pleasure getting to know you a bit better. And I am looking forward to a new school year with my preschooler.
For the record, I am not being given any renumeration or products for the series of interviews I am conducting with various homeschool publishers. They are wonderful, Christian friends, and I sought to do these interviews for my readers to get to know these publishers better. It seems that it is becoming the norm for bloggers to mention if they are being paid or given perks for sharing links these days.
Mark your calendars for the Fall Homeschool Festival at Biltmore House and Gardens. This year it will be held on October 1 amd 2, 2009. The theme is, "Living Large: Biltmore Estate and the Turn of the Century." They encourage particpants to dress in early 20th Century attire.
Cost: $20.00 per person age 5 and up. Payment is due at the time of reservation.
Dining options: Pack your own picnic, or purchase a box lunch for $7.00 with an advanced order.
There are also upgrade options for visiting the Biltmore House both days. The 2nd day upgrade does not include the homeschool activities.
On Monday, May 18, 2009, Jessica Hulcy was in a terrible car accident. She is currently at home recovering from her injuries. You can read more about the accident and her recovery on her Caring Bridge Page at the following address:
Prayers for her continued recovery are appreciated by the family. There is also a fund that has been created to help the family with the medical costs.
A Review of Astronomy Notebooking Journal by Jeannie Fulbright
Recently, I received a copy of Jeannie Fulbright's new Astronomy Notebooking Journal. We have long been fans of her elementary science books, and the addition of the notebooking journals makes them even more student friendly. Ms. Fulbright lists a lesson plan at the beginning of the notebooking journal that will correspond with the textbook for Exploring Creation with Astronomy. She tells you what pages to read in the textbook. She only gives notebooking assignments twice per week, so it is not an overwhelming amount of work. There are lesson plans for 28 weeks, so there is flexibility in using the books. Or you can do lessons more than twice a week and cover more than one book per year. The Botany Notebooking Journalis also ready, and I have heard that she is working on the notebooking journals for her other books.
But let me tell you more about the Astronomy Notebooking Journal. It is spiral bound for easy student use. And the pages are designed with plenty of room for the student to write and personalize. There are also review questions for each lesson. I particularly like the cross-word puzzles and mini-books at the end of the journal. I have 5 boys, and they do not particularly enjoy lapbooking, but this notebooking journal is something they can use without too much prodding from their teacher. We have found that lapbooking involves too much cutting and writing for little boys. So I am happy to have something that will give us a few mini-books and journal pages without being overwhelming. These notebooking journals are written for children ages kindergarten through grade 6.
I would give Ms. Fulbright 5 stars for these notebooking journals, and that says a lot coming from me. I have tried a lot of materials over the years. This was a very easy decision in adding to my website.
Tax-free week-end in North Carolina is August 7, 8, and 9. This is for educational supplies and books, and more! Discount Home School Supplies will be set for tax free for NC residents, so mark your calendars and make your lists now!!!
This is also the week-end for the Love to Learn Conferencein Charlotte. Your purchases at the convention will be tax free!!!!
I have been researching the Teacher Appreciation Events in my area. I have attended the Office Depot event for many years. They give a wonderful bag of goodies plus breakfast! YUM! Here is the link to their website for more information:
You will need to enter your zip code to get the dates for your area. The breakfast is usually on the Saturday of the event. Call your store to verify the date and time for the breakfast. It is worth the trip!
I received a card in the mail today from Office Max. It was an invitation to their Teacher Appreciation Day. In the store in Hickory, NC, it will be on Sunday, August 9, 2009. It does not list a time, so I am assuming it starts when they open that day. I found information online on their website after doing some digging. If you go to www.officemax.com/penny, you will see information at the bottom for Teacher Appreciation Day. Here is the link to the page that they take you to from the previous link http://www.officemax.com/home/custom.jsp?id=m3610272.
This date is actually better for me than a Saturday, since I will be at Love to Learnon August 8th.
7/28/2009 - Comments are now closed! Thank you for participating!
The winner came from one of my Facebook entries........drumroll please
The winner is Melissa. I have sent an email to you through Facebook. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
It's time for my annual microscope giveaway in honor of my anniversary with Discount Home School Supplies. It has been 4 years since I started the journey in selling homeschool books.
Here is the information you need to know for the microscope giveway:
The contest is open to residents of the United States only. I am sorry that I cannot offer this internationally at this time.
You can enter by leaving a comment on this blog entry (if you don't have a blogger account, leave me an email address), becoming a fan and leaving a comment on Facebook, or by emailing me at discounthsbooks@yahoo.com. You can do all three for more chances to win! (Only one entry per method per person.)
The contest will end at midnight on Monday, July 27, 2009. I am not going to be picky with EST standard time versus Pacific Time. I will be in bed asleep that night when the contest ends. I will get up on Tuesday, July 28, 2009, and tally the entries from the sources of entry. Then I will have a random drawing.
I would greatly appreciate it if you would tell your friends and send them to this blog. I am not making it mandatory for you to enter the contest. But the more people who know about it, the more people who will learn about my website.
You can also receive FREE shipping on any order that is $25.00 or more. This is a limited time offer for FREE shipping. Visit my website Discount Homeschool Suppliesto take advantage of this deal!
This is a great time of year to order homeschool materials. When August rolls around, I see more backorders from publishers. The earlier you order, the better chances you have of getting your items quickly.
Here's the technical info on the microscope:
Two Microscopes in One!
Two-in-One Combination Microscope
with over 50 pieces of accessoriesby Premiere Microscopes SUMMER SPECIAL!!!
Included with your order will be a FREE copy of
The World of the Microscope Book!
Introducing the newest member of the My First Lab series! Two light sources allow this microscope to magnify both slides and solid objects! View slides, coins, plants, stamps, insects, jewelry, and more!You would need two instruments to view what this one does--a basic biological scope to look at specimens on a slide (light shines up from under the slide and through the tissue) and a traditional stereo or dissecting microscope to view solid objects at lower power (light shines down onto the specimen to be observed). This new Duo Scope with dual lighting allows for both types of applications! Cordless battery power makes it portable for field study. Priced to fit any budget with the same fine quality as our other scopes.
Welcome to the 185th edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. If you are new to the Carnival, WELCOME! This Carnival was started by the Cates family of Why Homeschool, and they have done a magnificient job with the administrative parts of keeping this Carnival going week after week. It truly is a labor of love. And it is such a fun way to catch up with favorite bloggers and meet new bloggers.
July is the time of year when most homeschool families are enjoying the freedom of learning while living. I know in our home, July is a time of year when we are enjoying some much-needed down time from a hectic schedule that always seems to be the norm during the regular school year. I am always amazed at how much children learn while playing, and that is a commodity that is short in the lives of many children.
July is also a time when I start looking at our school needs for the coming school year. I review through what we accomplished in the past year, and I see where each of my children needs to focus more in the coming year. I have cleaned out my school cabinet and put away those things we are finished with, and I celebrate the accomplishments that each child made in the previous year.
(All of the photos in this week's CoH are courtesy of our family field trip to the NC Zoo a few weeks ago.)
So let's see what else is going on in the world of our homeschooling blogging friends.............
Mrs. M of Rooster Hillshares some wonderful information about planning rescources for homeschoolers.
Ruby of Freehold2 talks about the phenomenon known as summer learning loss, or "summer slide." Research has shown that the average student will lose about 1 month of his previous year's overall learning by September - and in math skills this figure is a whopping 2.6 months!Although there seems to be no specific research on whether homeschoolers experience summer slide, logic dictates they could if schooling stops over an extended period of time. This post looks at some of the factors that contribute to learning loss and at simple, inexpensive ways that parents (homeschooling or not) can combat it.
Karen of New Every Morningtells us before she begins to make her fall homeschool plans, she wants to give thanks to God for the many blessings in her life and ask Him to bless their homeschool year, and she shares her list of some of the many things that she is thankful for.
Beverly's Homeschooling Blog shares with us that there are different types of homeschools- different philosophies, beliefs or practices. I'm more from the traditional homeschooling stance, although I see the benefit the other options can offer. The question is, are these other programs diluting the purity of homeschooling as we've known it? Does it put our homeschooling freedoms at risk? What's your opinion? Should these alternative methods be considered homeschooling?
MiaZagora's Homeschool Minutes introduces the web site "The World Carrot Museum." It's about what I call "accidental" learning, in that it was a spur-of-the-moment thing that turned into a long web investigation of the carrot. Today, we are going to go to a place where I know there are a lot of Queen Anne's Lace flowers and pull some up by the roots, look at them and press some - but probably not eat them! What does Queen Anne's Lace have to do with carrots? Check out the post and World Carrot Museum to find out!
Thus ends the 185th edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. Thank you for joining us this week. Next week the Carnival will be hosted by HomeschoolCPA's Blog.
Please tell your homeschool friends about the Carnival of Homeschooling. A special THANK YOU to the Cate Family of Why Homeschool for keeping the Carnival of Homeschooling running from week to week!
Next week will start my annual anniversary sale on my website. I will be offering free shipping on all domestic orders over $25.00. So it will be a great time for you to order your books for the new school year. I will also be giving away a microscope. I have given away a microscope (MFL-06 Duo Scope) every year during my anniversary sale week, and it is a lot of fun for me to bless another family with something that they may not be able to add to their school otherwise.
This will be the last week of my Saxon Math sale. With the prices I am offering, my Saxon stock has gone down quickly. As I sell out of a particular item, I am changing the price back to my normal discounted price. The prices are so good that I cannot offer free shipping on them next week, so all of the Saxon prices will be back to their usual discounted prices on Sunday, July 19. You can find my Saxon sale page on my website at http://www.dhss.com/shop/custom.aspx?recid=9.
I also have an increible offer from a publisher friend of mine, Laurie Latour. She is giving away electronic copies of her Future Christian Homemakers Book. I have the print version in my personal library, and my daughter and I both love it.
I am hosting the next Carnival of Homeschooling here!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
I am excited to be hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling next week on my blog. I always enjoy receiving the entries and reading them as I put the carnival together. I do not have a specific theme in mind other than articles that deal with home education. There are so many varied ways to homeschool and instill a life-long passion for learning in our children.
Let's have a great time and share some of our passion for educating our children at home!
To submit an article for consideration for the Carnival of Homeschooling, here are the particulars:
It will be greatly appreciated if the submissions come in earlier. I work on assembling posts as I have time during the week leading up to the Carnival.
Please send the following information:
Title of Post
URL of Post
Name of Blog
URL of Blog
Brief summary of the post (With "carnival" or "submission" in the subject field of the email.)
An interview about HA-NC with Tami Fox and Teri Kuiper
Friday, July 3, 2009
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview a friend, Teri Kuiper, about the Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina. I serve with Teri and some other hard-working homeschoolers on the board of HA-NC, and I am excited to see things come together after many months of working behind the scenes.
What is Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina, Inc., and who do they serve? Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina, Inc. (HA-NC) is an inclusive statewide home school organization, which provides an avenue for homeschoolers across the state of North Carolina to find support, stay informed concerning home school news and legislative issues, discuss home school topics of interest and connect with needed resources and information.
What’s new at HA-NC? HA-NC has a fresh new board of directors, who are committed to its success. The new board has been working quietly and consistently, planning for the development and growth of HA-NC. Some areas of development include:
Becoming incorporated as a non profit in North Carolina
Hosting the Third Annual statewide inclusive Love to Learn Home School Conference which offers a variety of speakers on a wide range of topics that are pertinent to home school families.
Organizing and hosting the First Annual School’s Out Forever Getaway.
A Liaison between the North Carolina Department of Non Public Education and statewide homeschoolers, for those homeschoolers not wanting to directly contact and discuss home school issues with the department.
Providing a home school blog that lists home school news from across North Carolina, the country, and sometimes the world, allowing homeschoolers to stay up to date on current home school happenings.
A comprehensive website, accessible to all.
A list of home school events from around the state of North Carolina.
A regularly updated list of home school support groups, sorted by county, with a registration page for support groups to add their information to our site.
We now have a comprehensive website, where one can find more detailed information about everything I just mentioned, at www.ha-nc.org
What are some benefits of joining HA-NC? Benefits of membership include:
An official HA-NC membership card
Discount for the 2009 Love to Learn Conference
Discount for the 2009 School’s Out Forever Getaway
Access to conference speaker audio files
Access to an e book entitled “Overcoming Obstacles While Homeschooling, 1st. ed.”
Discount for subscription to NHELD, LLC
And, as time permits, we are seeking out additional member only benefits, with a focus on discounts for those services and items that home school families often use.
Can you tell us more about the conference? HA-NC recognizes that there is great diversity among homeschooling families. Because we are committed to the empowerment of ALL registered NC homeschoolers, we wanted to create an event that met the needs of ALL homeschoolers, with something for everyone.
The Love to Learn Conference, in keeping with the mission statement and by-laws of HA-NC, is inclusive, and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy status, sex, age, marital status, disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, home school method or any characteristic protected by law. We don’t discriminate against children at the conference, either! We welcome them! After all, the children are the reason we home school. We even have space set aside just for the kids, with games, puzzles and other activities.
What is the “School’s Out Forever” Getaway? Homeschoolers are no longer connected only by small local groups. HA-NC recognizes that the modern home school family knows other homeschoolers through conferences, yahoo groups and other e-lists, as well as blogs and other social network media.
The Getaway is called “School’s Out Forever,” and was loosely modeled after another successful state wide home school group that brings homeschoolers together via a twice yearly camp gathering. “School’s Out Forever” is much more “upscale” in that it is not camping. It was created to give families a chance to connect, meet, and renew friendships with other homeschoolers, in a more personal and relaxed environment, while providing family activities, in a value packed vacation package at an exciting location!
Where will it be held? This year, it will be held in the stunningly beautiful Stone Mountain Park, in Georgia. Stone Mountain Park, listed in Frommer’s 500 Places to Visit with Your Kids before They Grow Up, is a 5 square mile green oasis where families and friends can enjoy the outdoors together. Activities include hiking, canoeing, ropes courses, cable car sky rides, museums and a spectacular evening laser light show! Indoor activities are still being organized at this time. Friends can also sit and relax either on their personal patio or in the front porch rocking chairs that face the magnificent Stone Mountain carving of the Confederate Memorial.
And when is it? The Getaway will be October 8 through October 11, and limited space is still available.
Do you have a website where people can go to read more? Absolutely! Homeschoolers can visit our website at www.schoolsoutforever.org to register and reserve accommodations. There is also a link on the site to the SOFG yahoo list, where we talk, plan, and add new information.
Where will the Getaway be in 2010? Ah! I cannot reveal that just yet. We are looking at a few possibilities, and all of them would be exciting for different reasons. But, until we sign on the dotted line, I am afraid we have to keep it a secret!
What is the future of HA-NC and how does the organization support homeschoolers? Future ideas include maximizing the use of the internet to bring homeschoolers together, via online virtual conferences and online used home school curriculum sales. These two together will help homeschoolers stay connected and find the support they need.
We also have plans in development to provide additional resources on our website such as a high school transcript planner, and diploma creator. And, as I mentioned earlier, we are continually seeking out discounts that would be useful for homeschooled families. We also welcome new and fresh ideas from our membership!
How can others get involved in HA-NC? HA-NC is truly a grass roots effort, and we welcome all the help we can get! In fact, HA-NC is looking for energetic and committed homeschoolers to join our Board of Directors.
I would recommend first going to our website, and joining HA-NC, and then clicking on the link to join our yahoo group. The yahoo group is our primary method of communication, and a great source for discovering how to become more involved. It also provides yet another opportunity for finding support and friendship.
Our board of directors is excited about the progress we have made, about the events we are planning, and about all of our ideas for the growth of HA-NC. We want others to be excited too, and we are working hard to build HA-NC into an organization that will stand on its own, grow, and meet the varied needs of all homeschoolers in North Carolina.
I want to thank Teri for taking the time to talk to me today. There are many exciting things on the horizon for HA-NC.
If you have not heard of this microscope, let me tell you a bit about it. It is a battery-operated microscope that you can use to view slides or solid objects. The optics are all glass lenses. It have a 5-year manufacturer's warranty. It is not a child's toy microscope. It is a very nice student microscope. We have used ours for 3 years now, and we have traveled with it to various homeschool conventions, and it has given us no problems whatsoever. I have used the same AA batteries in it since we got it, and I just recently had to put in new batteries.
I have used this microscope with my older and younger children, and they love the flexibility of switching the light source from slides to solid objects in a matter of seconds. The microscope also comes with a slide making kit, and I am including a free copy of The World of the Microscope Book with each purchase. This book is the best book I have seen on teaching how to use a microscope and make slides.
Name: Tami Home: North Carolina, United States About Me: I am a homeschool mom of six children with varied interests. I love my family, and I love to read and write for fun. I also have a homeschool bookstore at http://www.dhss.com.
Copyright 2005-2010 Tami Fox See my complete profile
