|
|
|
|
|
Homeschooling Resources
|
|
|
| Advertising |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Love to Learn Homeschool Information and Resource Conference
|
|
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
|
Love to Learn Homeschool Information and Resource Conference
August 16, 2008
Hickory, NC
CVCC Multipurpose Complex
Up to date, accurate, unbiased, information concerning issues that affect the climate of homeschooling in North Carolina.
Labels: homeschool conventions, homeschooling |
posted @ 11:13 AM 
|
|
|
|
|
Organizing your homeschool
|
|
Monday, June 30, 2008
|
I was recently asked about organizing homeschool stuff. I don't have pictures right now, but I can tell you a bit about how I organize our homeschool supplies.
In the kitchen, I have an armoir. It holds everyone's current books in the top. And I am able to store craft supplies, paper, coloring books, stickers, etc. in the drawers below. It is so handy to have our books right beside the table, and it looks nice, too. You can see it in the background in the picture above. (Sorry about the grainy quality of the picture.) I have a bookshelf in my living room that holds our Five in a Row books, KONOS manuals, dictionaries, and other reference books. It's handy to have the unit study books in the living room. I have a separate bookshelf with the encyclopedias and Bible dictionaries and commentaries. Upstairs, I have three bookshelves in the hallway. I keep one bookshelf full of classic fiction books, such as the Boxcar children and Little House books. The other two bookshelves hold books I have collected for various unit studies that we have completed and completed curriculum books that I am not ready to get rid of. In my bedroom, I have a craft closet that I keep all of our messy craft items put far, far away from the little ones. I also keep some science supplies in there that are hazardous to the little ones. That pretty much covers how I organize. Please ask and questions or post comments. We are in the midst of redoing flooring in two rooms this week, and I can't take good pictures right now.
Labels: homeschooling, organizing; homeschool; |
posted @ 7:00 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Homeschool Festival at Biltmore House
|
|
Sunday, June 29, 2008
|
September 24, 25, and 26, 2008 Biltmore House and Gardens presents.....
In Conjunction with
Biltmore's Field to Table Festival
Culinary Arts
Biltmore's 6th Annual Fall Homeschool Festival
Celebrate harvest, Autumn and all the traditions of the season.
Learn about Biltmore's culinary heritage and explore the connection
between the farmer and the kitchen.
This Year's Festival will include a self-guided visit in the House,
Conservatory and Winery.
Homeschool Activities will take place at River Bend Farm and include:
Date: September 24, 25 & 26, 2008
Cost: $20.00 per person 5 years old and up
Dining Options: Picnic, Box Lunches, 3 Restaurants
Accommodation Packages Include:
Ticket includes all Homeschool activities at River Bend Farm as well as a self-guided visit in Biltmore House, Gardens, Conservatory and Winery. Contact Group Sales for additional information and reservations: Phone: 866-851-4661 Fax: 828-225-6219 groupsales@biltmore.comLabels: field trips, homeschooling |
posted @ 7:20 PM
|
|
|
|
|
A Review of Experiencing Bible Science by Louise Barrett Derr
|
|
Saturday, June 14, 2008
|
In March, I had the opportunity to meet Louise Barrett Derr. She wrote an activity book for children called, Experiencing Bible Science. Since I have 5 active boys who love science, I was excited to see how her book incorporated simple science experiments with the Bible. Each experiment uses items you would commonly find around the home, and each one is made for the student to do on his or her own, except for the last experiment. Of course, you would make the decision yourself whether to let your student complete the experiments autonomously or not.
I sell her book on my website and in my store for $13.99. The regular retail price is $16.95. This book would be a great addition to your science program for elementary-aged children or as a summer resource.Labels: homeschooling, science |
posted @ 11:29 AM
|
|
|
|
|
Busy today---------
|
|
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
|
Here are some links for you, since I have spent too much time in front of the computer in the last 2 days.
First off, I am hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling on my OTHER Blog today.
Secondly, my friend, JenIg, has a new blog home. You can find her at www.jeneralities.com. And you can find her sister, Jess, at http://we2r1preston.blogspot.com/.
Have a blessed day! TamiLabels: carnival of homeschooling, homeschooling |
posted @ 5:27 PM
|
|
|
|
|
A Review of The Stout-Hearted Seven Orphaned on the Oregon Trail by Neta Lohnes Frazier
|
|
Friday, May 30, 2008
|
Sterling Point Books has repreinted many favorite, classic books. I wanted to read The Stout-Hearted Seven Orphaned on the Oregon Trail, because I remembered an old movie from my childhood called Seven Alone. This book beats what I remembered about the movie. It is also based on the actual writings of primary sources. The facts are presented from writings by two of the Sager children, as well as from letters from Marcus and Narcissa Whitman.
This story captured me so quickly that I ended up reading the entire book in one evening. I enjoyed it so much. I have not read it aloud to my children as yet, because I am not sure if I can read it without crying during some parts of the book.
I also want to point out what a fine job the publisher has done with this book. The paper that it is printed on is of the best quality. It is not newsprint paper. The font the publisher chose is also easy to read for size and clarity. I could have not been more pleased with the quality of this book, especially for the price.
Currently, there are 25 titles available from this pubsliher. Expect more! They are doing a wonderful job bring back some classic books and classic Landmark books.
You can purchase this book from my website or from many online retailers.Labels: fiction; reading, homeschooling |
posted @ 8:17 PM
|
|
|
|
|
A Review of Sentinel: City of Discovery by Landel Bilbrey
|
|
As a mother of five sons, I am always looking for good fiction books for my boys to read. When I was offered the opportunity to read Sentinel: City of Discovery, I was excited to read it myself. This book is an allegory, and it shows what happens to two young men who are twins. One twin makes good decisions in his an dinto adulthood, and one twin does not make good decisions in his youth and into his adulthood. And the book ends with an epilogue that tells where each man ends up as an adult. There are few books that are good, quality literature for young men, and this is one that I would highly recommend. It has plenty of action to capture their attention, and it causes the reader to use his or her imagination in seeing this story untold in his or her mind. I hope Mr. Bilbrey has some more stories to tell. I am sure that my boys would enjoy them as much as this one.
You can purchase this book through Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com.Labels: fiction; reading for boys, homeschooling |
posted @ 7:51 PM
|
|
|
|
|
A Review of A Biblical Home Education by Dr. Ruth Beechick
|
|
I have had the privilege of reading Dr. Ruth Beechick's newest book, A Biblical Home Education, and as a seasoned homeschool mom, I learned so much from her years of wisdom. She does not recommend a big, fancy curriculum to teach your children. She starts out by recommending that you use the Bible as your main curriculum. And later in the book she gives a few specific book suggestions. But her first goal is to let you know that it is okay to not depend on a curriculum to prepare your children for his or her future. She suggests that you allow your child to grow in the Lord, and your first responsibility is to train your child in the ways of the Lord.
I wish I would have had this book several years ago. It is so easy to hear what great things your friends are doing with their children, and then beat yourself up for not doing "the perfect" curriculum like your friend. All familes are different, and all children within a family are different. I have six children, and I see this in action every single day.
This book has practical ideas and suggestions for you to utilize as they suit your family. One of my favorite resources is found at the back of the book. She has included an Appendix with information on Cross-Dominance. If you have a child that easily confuses "b's" and "d's", you know that I am talking about. She has included some exercises to help your child with cross-dominance issues. I also enjoyed her chapter on nutrition for children with behavioral issues.
If you are looking for a good book to rechagre your homeschool this summer, I highly recommend A Biblical Home Education.
You can purchase it from my website for only $12.99 or from other sources of homeschool materials. If you like my blog and reviews, I would appreciate your support of my business, too. God has enabled me to minister to many homeschool families through my business, and I would like to continue blessing others as God has blessed me.Labels: home education, homeschooling |
posted @ 6:23 PM
|
|
|
|
|
A Review of Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day by Jeannie Fulbright
|
|
Thursday, May 29, 2008
|
Jeannie Fulbright has once again written a book that my children love. She uses a conversational method to teach science in a fun and engaging way. I also love the pronunciation guides for the scientific terminology in this book. And the pictures throughout the book are top-quality pictures. I am thankful to have creation-based science books to use with my children. Thank you!
You can purchase, Exploring Creation Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day by Jeannie Fulbright HERE.Labels: creation science; animals, homeschooling |
posted @ 8:07 PM
|
|
|
|
|
A Review of Homeschool Co-ops by Carol Topp
|
|
Are you thinking about starting a homeschool co-op? Are you involved a homeschool co-op that needs some re-structuring? Carol Topp, who is also a CPA, has written a how-to guide on how to start, run, and not burn out. As a homeschool group leader for many years, I would have benefitted from this book when our group went through a major reorganization. Growing pains are never fun, but our growing pains would have been easier with this resource. This books contains space for you to answer questions, and it gives you outlines of questions to ask when structuring your co-op. This book contains 11 chapters, and one chapter that ALL homeschool co-ops should read is the one about 501(c)(3) Tax-exempt Organizations. There is a handy checklist and list of resources. I highly recommend this book for any homeschool leader or member.
You can get this book at http://www.homeschoolco-ops.com/.Labels: homeschool co-op, homeschool group, homeschooling |
posted @ 7:44 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Homeschooling at the speed of life by Marilyn Rockett
|
|
Once upon a time, I was a mom to two children, and I thought I led a fairly organized life. Then God called my husband and me to homeschool our children, and He blessed us with four more children. I also have a business that I run in my "spare" time. So, it is safe to say that some of my organization flew out the window. I have had Marilyn Rockett's book on my shelf for a while, and after picking it up tonight, I am renewed and invigorated to make some organizational changes in my life. Her book also contains a hand CD-ROM to help make my organizing projects more manageable. This is a book that I bought. It is not just a book that was sent to me for review, and I would recommend it to any homeschool mom who needed a little help in organizing all the stuff that comes along with homeschooling. Marilyn is a Titus 2 woman, and I am so glad she wrote this book to help us get organized.
You can purchase this book HERE.Labels: homeschooling, organizing; homeschool; |
posted @ 7:27 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Did you think I disppeared from my blog?
|
|
Sunday, May 25, 2008
|
Hello! I am sorry it has been so long in between blog postings. Spring has been a very busy season in our household. I attended the MidWest Homeschool Convention in March, and it was wonderful! It also heralded in a busy season for my book business. And I have also tried to spend more time with my husband and children. I have said it before on this blog that my priorities are God, my husband, and my children. This blog definitely takes a back seat to those things in my life. And I have wanted to spend as much time with God and my family lately, so I have just not taken the time to sit down and write in my blog.
I have also spent a lot of time reviewing books lately, so be prepared for several reviews in the near future. I also just returned from the North Carolina Homeschool Convention, and it was wonderful. I enjoyed seeing all of the vendors that I have become friends with, and I enjoyed seeing customers who have shopped with me the past few years. With my store, I am not doing a lot of conventions this year, and I will only be going to a local one-day conference in August. And that will be my last convention of this season.
I pray that God has blessed each of you as He has me!Labels: homeschool conventions, homeschooling |
posted @ 6:54 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Win FREE Rosetta Stone Software!
|
|
Thursday, March 20, 2008
|
Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE!
This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.
This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking. Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included! For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports.
To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these (blue) paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/ and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it. And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it. And good luck! The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg. And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win. Yay for free stuff!Labels: foreign language, homeschooling, Rosetta Stone |
posted @ 4:27 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Big Sidewalk Sale this week-end!
|
|
If you live in western NC, you might want to check out my sidewalk sale this week-end! I have many, many great deals! You can get the address from my website www.dhss.com.
Have a blessed day! TamiLabels: homeschooling, sidewalk sale |
posted @ 6:59 AM
|
|
|
|
|
A Review of Sequential Spelling
|
|
Monday, March 17, 2008
|
This year I have used Sequential Spelling with my son who has struggled with spelling. It has made a huge difference in his spelling abilities. The program is written to teach words that build upon each other. You begin with a small root word, such as the word "in". And then you begin adding prefixes and suffixes to that word. There are 180 lists in each level, and you give the student a spelling test each day. Each lesson builds from the day before, and the author, Don McCabe, walks you through how to administer the program for the first 8 days. After that, you will be comfortable with how the program works, and you won't need his lesson guidance. For the first time in his life, my son says that spelling makes sense, and he is learning. That is a major statement coming from my son. This program can be used with any age student. I would not recommend it for a student in grades K, 1, or 2. It moves pretty quickly, and I would say that it best suits students from grade 3 and up. Have a blessed day! Tami Labels: carnival of homeschooling, homeschooling, spelling |
posted @ 7:42 AM
|
|
|
|
|
Busy week
|
|
Thursday, March 13, 2008
|
Hello! I am off to a bookfair this week-end, so all of my spare time this week has been spent on getting ready for it. It has been a lovely week here in NC. The sun has been shining, and the temperatures have been very pleasant. We have enjoyed some school time in the outdoors. I also love listening to my children "plan" their gardens this year. It seems that weeds are quite pesky, and the children don't like to hoe the weeds daily. But they like the fruits of their labor, so we will be picking out seeds in the very near future. I wouldn't be surprised if their Daddy didn't take them seed shopping this week-end while I am selling books.
Have a blessed day! TamiLabels: bookfairs, homeschooling, spring |
posted @ 8:20 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Our month ahead
|
|
Sunday, March 9, 2008
|
As I am looking toward the end of our school year coming up at the end of this month, I am trying to review my plans for the year and see what unit studies we have left to complete. I have three lapbook projects left, thanks to my friends at Hands of a Child. And I would like to complete all of them with the boys. The first one is a project book on airplanes, and the second is a project book on North Carolina. I have an additional book on the Biltmore House to complete along with the NC project book. We will start with the one on airplanes, since I think we really need a science-oriented lapbook. We just completed a study of the light bulb and Thomas Edison. And I think a study about flight and airplanes would be a good spring project. And I think I will use the NC project book over a period of several months during our "school break."
I also am looking forward to cleaning my school cabinet out and reorganizing it. It always amazes me at the stuff that ends up in there by the end of the year. And I love being able to file away completed projects and books.
What are your plans for March?
Have a blessed day! TamiLabels: carnival of homeschooling, homeschooling, Lapbooking |
posted @ 6:30 PM
|
|
|
|
|
An interesting twist for the end of our school year....
|
|
Saturday, March 1, 2008
|
Last summer we started our school year off in July. It was hot, and we could not get outside to enjoy the weather without getting overheated. So I decided it was a good time to start school. It really isn't unusual for us to school year round, but July marked the beginning of this school year, and we will be finishing up most of our books by the end of this month! That is quite a strange feeling for me! I have already been thinking of what things we will continue to keep our skills fresh.
All of the children who can read will continue some sort of reading that I assign. And I will be keeping the 4 older ones on some sort of math practice. My 3rd and 1st grader really need to keep practicing their respective math facts. I am considering the Summer Bridge Books for Math for them. They also have a series of books on reading, but I like to assign their reading from good classics. My pre-algebra student will also have to keep doing his MUS. He just started a new book, so we have already talked about him continuing it until it is complete.
We will also do our year-end testing in April. I have been very pleased with the testing services of Christian Liberty Press, and I plan on using them again this year.
And I think we will do a few fun lapbooks over the course of the spring. I have one on airplanes that I think would make a great unit study. We have a small air museum not far from us, so that would make a neat spring field trip.
What are your school plans for the spring?
Have a blessed day! TamiLabels: carnival of homeschooling, homeschooling, schedule |
posted @ 7:44 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Settling back into our schedule......
|
|
Monday, February 25, 2008
|
Monday is not always my favorite day of the week. It always involves settling back into our daily routine after a day of rest on Sunday. Today was not too bad though. The younger boys had dentist appointments this morning, so I sat down with all of the boys last night to do our math lessons. Monday is always the day we start a new lesson, and with two of the boys using Math U See, we have to work in time for the DVD lesson. After getting math out of the way, it was very easy to go to the dentist early this morning, and then we had time for our out loud reading time when we got back home. We are reading Thomas Edison: Young Inventor, and it has been such a great book for us to read together. It is fun to read about some of young Edison's experiments, and it is especially funny to the boys when an experiment goes awry.
Have a blessed day! Tami
Labels: homeschooling, unit studies |
posted @ 5:02 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Back from the bookfair.........
|
|
Sunday, February 24, 2008
|
I am back from the WNC Bookfair. What a great group of vendors and speakers were there! I enjoyed meeting and talking to all the homeschoolers who visited my booth. It is always a joy for me to talk to homeschoolers face to face. I enjoy the connections I am able to form through the internet, but it is hard to beat a good face-to-face talk. I was also privileged to meet Zan Tyler for the first time. I heard rave reviews about her seminars from the participants.
Now, I will be unpacking books tomorrow and gearing up for a Christian Event in Charlotte, NC next month. I will have free tickets to give away for this event, so keep an eye on my blog for more info!
Have a blessed day! TamiLabels: bookfairs, homeschooling |
posted @ 2:59 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Hello, from the WNC Bookfair!
|
|
Friday, February 22, 2008
|
Hello,
I am writing tonight from the WNC Bookfair in Black Mountain, NC. We had the opening night/sneak peak at the bookfair tonight. And it was fun meeting more homeschoolers and also talking to those who I have met before. There are lots of great vendors here, too. I am one of them, but there are others who have some really neat materials, too.
It's not too late to come! If you live in western NC or eastern TN, come on over!!!
Have a blessed day! TamiLabels: bookfairs, homeschooling |
posted @ 5:35 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Leaving for a bookfair
|
|
Just a quick note that I am off to a bookfair today. If you live in western NC or eastern TN, this would be within driving distance for you. There are two well-known speakers for this confernce, Michael Farris and Zan Tyler. So if you want to escape the rainy, cold weather and warm up to some great homeschool seminars and vendor booths, come join us.
Have a blessed day! TamiLabels: bookfairs, homeschooling |
posted @ 7:19 AM
|
|
|
|
|
One Room Schoolhouse---my thoughts
|
|
Sunday, February 17, 2008
|
The ladies at The Homeschool Blog Awards are hosting this week's Carnival of Homeschooling, and they have a theme about a one-room schoolhouse. It just so happens that the boys and I are doing a read-aloud book this week based on the life of Thomas Edison. He did not have a good experience in a one-room schoolhouse situation, and he ended up being homeschooled by his mother. I compared this to poor experiences that we had with our local public school. We left public school behind us, and we created our own one-room schoolhouse.
Today, I am teaching my children who range in age from 17 years to 18 months. And we have our lessons together each morning. I can see the benefits of homeschooling this week. We have homeschooled since 2001, and my 4th-born son on down to the baby have no idea what life was like around here before we homeschooled. They have always been a part of our lesson time.
I see the fruit of this when my 7-year-old tells me that he already knows a new concept that I am teaching him. He was there when I was teaching it to an older sibling. Around here we call that "the trickle down effect." What I have taught to the older children has trickled down to the younger ones. It does make my job easier, but at the same time, I have to sometimes bring in different books for my younger ones, because they remember so much of what I have already taught them.
I am also exposing my younger children to higher levels of reading and math by teaching everyone together. My young ones can sit and listen to me read chapter books or go over math concept, and they get very absorbed in this. It is always a joy to hear them ask questions based on something I read to them during the read aloud time. And I love to hear that they already know a math fact that I am introducing to them.
I have also noticed that my younger children score higher on end of grade tests, because I am covering a broad range of topics with them alongside their basic reading, writing, and arithmetic.
In closing, I am so glad that God brought us along the path of learning alongside our children. What a privilege it is to enjoy learning more about the beauty in the world around us as a family.
Have a blessed day! TamiLabels: carnival of homeschooling, homeschooling, one-room schoolhouse |
posted @ 7:44 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Do you subscribe to my newsletter?
|
|
Monday, February 11, 2008
|
I wanted to mention that I have a weekly email newsletter that you can sign up for on my DHSS website. It is a free service that I use to keep you informed of happenings on my website, and I also have been known to hold contests and give away items. And this week I have a free item for my readers. It is a link to an excerpt from the book, Easy Homeschooling Techniques, by Lorraine Curry. Lorraine sent me the link to share with my readers.
If you sign up for my newsletter this week, I will send you the link to the excerpt, plus you will get a copy of my ebook, Overcoming Obstacles While Homeschooling. I am working on a revision of that book, so you might see more information about that in the coming months.
I also posted my convention schedule on my website, so please check that out, too.
Have a blessed day! Tami
(Editing to say that I have been trying to get this post to upload to my blog since Monday.)Labels: DHSS, homeschooling, newsletter |
posted @ 7:43 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Why I chose KONOS for our homeschool
|
|
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
|
(This article is a real blast from the past. I posted it on my other blog on June 29, 2005! So it is a bit dated in terms of the references I have to that particular school year. But it is a good article none the less!)
We have completed our 5th year of homeschooling. And we have five children. We use KONOS as the spine of our school. I was first drawn to KONOS when I read about it in Diana Waring’s Abundant Life Homeschooling. After I read her review of it and looked at the KONOS web-site, I talked to my husband about it. When it was time to go to our state homeschool bookfair, the KONOS booth was one of my first stops. I talked to the rep, and then I left to walk around the bookfair. That night I spread out all the information I had gathered on my hotel-room bed, and I compared everything I had looked at and written down. I prayed about what God wanted us to use, and I felt that He was leading me to purchase KONOS. I was drawn to two major factors about it. The first was that it is a curriculum based on character traits from the Bible, and the second was that I could use it multi-level.
The next day, I went back and purchased the first volume and timeline figures. The only other curriculum decisions I had left was our math program and language arts program.
Now that we have used KONOS for the past 4 years, I have to say that my children and I all love using it. We love reading and learning together. And you cannot beat the hands-on learning that takes place. My youngest ones also participate. They love the dramatization and experiments! They can remember so many of the people they have dressed up as and re-enacted scenes from their lives.
They love it so much that they have asked to study the Civil War this summer while we are on our break from school. Next year, we will enter a new level of KONOS as our oldest begins KONOS, “History of the World 1 – Ancient Times.”
I am also very blessed to be a part of the KONOS on-line community through yahoo groups. It has such a family atmosphere. We share our joys and our trials. We are able to share and ask questions. My family was privileged to attend the first KONOS Retreat in Oklahoma. It was one of the highlights of our school year this past year.Labels: homeschooling, KONOS, unit studies |
posted @ 8:10 AM
|
|
|
|
|
Homeschooling a Houseful
|
|
(This is reprint of a post I had on my other blog on June 18, 2006. I am trying to bring over some of my favorite posts as time allows.)
How do you homeschool a houseful of children? And why would you want to homeschool that many children? Wouldn't it be easier to send them off to school all day? Couldn't you get more done, if your children weren't around all the time? You have how many children? Are they are all yours?
These are all questions I have encountered since we began our homeschooling journey. I thought my reader would like to read some of my responses to these questions. In doing so, I hope that you are encouraged.
Starting with the first question, I will tell you that homeschooling 5 children while pregnant with a dying grandparent to visit every day and three surgeries for two of our children was definitely one of our harder school years. Would I change anything? No. So the "how of homeschooling a houseful" starts with prayer and planning and mercy and grace. I do pray about our homeschool. And I pray that I teach the children exactly what God wants me to teach them. I use the unit study approach for most subjects. And I have picked math curriculum based on each of my children's different learning styles.
When we had a day when we needed to visit my grandmother, we went to see her. When we returned home, we worked on our schoolwork. When a child had to have surgery, I gave all the children the day off from school. We would make up the day later. They have been known to do two days' worth of work in order to catch back up. I do have a lesson plan. The children know what is is expected each day, and they know that we can adjust it if necessary. This summer, we are focusing on spelling, reading comprehension, and math skills. I know which child needs review in which subject. We are using Spelling Power to bring up our son and daughter's spelling levels. I have never tried this program before, and we like it.
Why would I want to homeschool 5 children (and more, if God sends them to us)? Simply, because God told me that He wanted us to homeschool our children. We take the passages in Deuteronomy and Proverbs very seriously. My husband and I want to train our children for the Lord. We want them to know what the Bible says, and we want to direct their education. We have sent our oldest two children to public school, so we know that parents do not have input into what their children are taught or exposed to in public school. Our relationship as a family is stronger, since we began our journey as a homeschool family.
Wouldn't it be easier to send them off to school all day? No, we have had that experience. And it makes the evenings very busy and chaotic. We also have spent hours getting a child to complete her homework. Would you want to work at your job all day, and then come home to 2 or 3 hours' worth of additional work? I know some professions do require that of their employee. Usually in those cases, there is compensation for that type of work. It made our child hate learning.
There are more time-consuming parts of sending your children off to school. You have to get them transported back and forth each morning and afternoon; you either have to get them to and from the bus or drive them or carpool. And there is the fund-raising, parent-teacher group, the push to volunteer at the school, and many other things that take a lot of your time.
Couldn't you get more done, if your children weren't around all the time? No. I did not get as much done in the hours that the children were in school compared to what I get done now. The time they were at school, I had to take care of a preschooler, so I only had the few hours that he napped to really get anything done around the house. Now, we have a schedule each day, and the children are responsible for helping out with household tasks. Or they will supervise the younger children while I work on chores.
You have how many children? Are they are all yours? In most homeschooling circles, these are not common questions. Normally I get these questions from people when we are out in public. God laid it on our hearts to leave the number of children we have up to Him. And since we have given that area over to Him 8 years ago, He has blessed us with 3 more children and a another one on the way. We also believe that we are married for as long as we are on this earth.
I would love to hear any comments about what I have shared today.
Have a blessed day! TamiLabels: homeschooling |
posted @ 8:06 AM
|
|
|
|
|
Overcoming Obstacles (part 2)
|
|
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
|
Next to my faith in God, my biggest asset would be my supportive husband. When I have had a particularly bad day (and there have been many lately), he is always there to pick me up and encourage me. He helps me see the "big picture." For us the "big picture" is to raise godly children. That requires godly teaching and training on our parts. Those are the two parts of parenting that take a lot of time and energy.
We have seen some fruits of our labor in this area. Our two oldest children will do extra things not asked of them when life is chaotic for me. Most recently, we have dealt with a lot of medical issues. And the two older children have pitched in where needed to get daily and weekly chores done.
When I am dealing with a sick child or am sick myself, a lot of what I do around the house is left undone. My older children will pitch in without being asked and do some of my chores. My husband will also come in from a long day at work and cook, if necessary.
Having children willing to help when needed falls under character training. We have used the unit study approach to our homeschooling for a variety of reasons, but one of the main reasons was to use our unit studies as a vehicle for character training.
Stay tuned. I will have more posts to add to this series in the coming days.
Have a blessed day! Tami
Part 1 in the series - http://www.tamifox.com/2008/02/overcoming-obstacles-while.html
Part 3 in the series - http://www.tamifox.com/2008/02/overcoming-obstacles-part-3.html
Part 4 in the series - http://www.tamifox.com/2008/02/overcoming-obstacles-part-4.html
Part 5 in the series - http://www.tamifox.com/2008/02/overcoming-obstacles-part-5.html
Labels: homeschooling, homeschooling; overcoming obstacles |
posted @ 5:19 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Why we chose to homeschool our children
|
|
Monday, February 4, 2008
|
This is a reprint of a post I did on my other blog on January 6, 2006. I thought you might enjoy reading it.
When our oldest child was in 2nd grade at public school, I read a book by Joni McCoy, called "Living on One Income in a Two Income Society." She talked about homeschooling her children in this book. I became intrigued at the idea of teaching my children at home. I LOVED being a stay-at-home-mom, and I MISSED my daughter greatly while she was in school. At this time, I also had a two-year-old at home. And I was dreading the time when he would go to school. I thought I would have to get a job outside the home again.
Around the same time as I was reading this book CBD (Christian Book Distributors) sent me a catalog with homeschool materials in it. I would sit and look at this catalog every day. I REALLY wanted to do the "Prairie Primer" study. I talked to DH about homeschooling, and we neither one knew a lot about it.
So we just kept sending our daughter off to public school year after year. By the time she was in 4th grade, her younger brother started kindergarten. We also had a another son and another one on the way. Our second child made it less than 2 weeks in the public school system, before we took him out to teach him at home. His class at school had too many children in it, mostly boys. And our son was in trouble daily. The breaking point was when he was sent to the assistant principal for a minor infraction. He was scolded until he cried. We decided it was not worth his self-esteem to leave him there, so we took him out. At his age, we did not have to notify our state of this decision.
Our daughter was not happy in 4th grade. The homework was overwhelming, and they were using the semester system to teach science and history. And this meant a lot more homework and tests more than once a week. I talked to the teachers and principal about it, and they were unwilling to make any changes. Our daughter asked to be homeschooled, too. So we registered with our state and took her out of public school on her 10th birthday.
We have not looked back. I felt like I got my children back, and our daughter tells us that her worst dream is that we would send her back to public school. She is a 9th grader this year, and she is loving high school. We are providing opportunities for her to be with other teens, and we are hosting a monthly dissection class at our house. We have all ages at this class. Last month, they dissected cow eyes. And this month, we did microscope work. Next month, we are dissecting a sheep's heart.
God has blessed us as a family since we took the leap of faith and followed Him in teaching our children at home. (See Deuteronmony and Proverbs for more info on that.)
I am also blessed to be serving the homeschool community with our home-based business. It is our goal to honor God with this business while serving homeschoolers. I hope one day someone looks over my catalog day after day and dreams of homeschooling, too. And then I hope they take the next step of faith and decide to homeschool.
Have a blessed day! Tami
PS We finally did use the Prairie Primer!Labels: beginning to homeschool, homeschooling |
posted @ 7:17 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
