Wrapping Up Week 2 (2014-15)

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weekly wrap-up

As we finish up our second week of school, I am more excited than ever about this year.  I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy the first year of our history cycle as much as some of the others, but that was actually one of my favorite parts of this week.  We had a lot of fun exploring different books related to our history and science subjects, as well as watching a couple videos (always Ian’s favorite part).

Bible

During our morning Bible time we continued reading Wisdom and the Millers. We read chapters 21-24 and would have finished the book except we skipped one day when we went on a field trip.  Ian would love to read multiple chapters each day, but I like to keep him wanting more.  After our chapter we always read a few verses in Proverbs.  This week we read Proverbs 13:12-14:10.

We’re on Week 77 in Long Story Short by Marty Machowski, which continues the story of Ezra, so we didn’t move ahead in Bible Road Trip Year One (which only spent one week on Ezra).

Math

Ian finished up Year 1 of the Mathematics Enhancement Programme.  We took a break partway through his Kindergarten year when it got a bit frustrating, so I wanted to be sure we finished that before diving into Year 2 for 1st grade.  (The years are a bit confusing because the program is from the UK and doesn’t follow the US grading system.  I’ve heard of people using Year 1 for 1st, but initially I had read that it was for Kindergarten so we started it then.  If it gets to be too challenging I may stretch the material for Year 2 beyond 1st grade.)

Common Core, Super Hero Double Digit Addition With and WitWe also did some work on learning to add 2-digit numbers using a really fun supplement called “Superhero Addition” created by a friend of mine.  Ian loved it and did really well!  It turns out he knows his addition facts much better than he lets on.  I was so surprised by how fast he flew through the pages we did–without a single mistake!  Evidently superheroes are highly motivating.  He was eager to do extra math pages all week.  (Thanks, Katie!)

Literature (Ambleside Online)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4123T2C8FAL.jpgFor poetry I took a break from A Child’s Garden of Verses to read poems to go along with our history lesson.  Prayers from the Ark and The Creatures’ Choir by Carmen Bernos De Gasztold, translated by Rumer Godden contains poems written from the perspective of various animals.  We made a fun game of it where I would read the poem and then the boys would guess which animal it was about.  They really enjoyed it and we read at least six or seven each day.

I’m so thankful for Ambleside Online’s weekly schedules.  They take a rather daunting booklist and break it down into really manageable chunks, spreading some books out over many months, which I think will really help Ian remember them better in the long run.  We read everything scheduled for week two and finished “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” in Andrew Lang’s Red Fairy Book on the additional free reading list.

IMG_20140715_143928In addition to readings for AO Year 1, the literature program we’re reviewing had us spending the week with The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.  It was perfect timing, because the Skirball Cultural Center, which we decided to visit for a history field trip, happened to have a special exhibit on this book!

The kids loved seeing the familiar pictures and learning more about the author.  I wish we’d had time to stay longer.

History Cycle

I’m generally following the lesson topics for Mystery of History, Vol. 1, though I’m not necessarily using that curriculum as designed.  (Do I ever?)  Week 2 covers:

  • Noah and the Flood
  • Ice Age
  • Dinosaurs

That’s a lot to pack into one week, especially since we could spend a lot of time on each one!  I prefer to use living books to teach topics whenever possible, only resorting to the textbook (which I paraphrase) when I can’t find an appropriate book.  Here’s what we read this week:

Noah and the Flood

We have lots of books on this topic (see below), but I focused on Noah’s Ark by Jerry Pinkney.  It’s very well written with beautiful watercolor illustrations.  My favorite page is an underwater scene where sea creatures are swimming through the ruins of buildings now submerged by the flood:

“The water rose over cities and towns. Whales swam down ruined streets.  Schools of fish darted through empty windows.”

P1030494

We repeated many of the things we did last time we covered Noah, since the younger ones didn’t remember much.  We read several of the books below (and had them all out for the children to look through on their own) and watched Greatest Adventures of the Bible: Noah’s Ark. We also talked about how people groups around the world had flood legends that seem to point back to the story of Noah.  We read a page in Dinosaurs by Design by Duane Gish that shared some of these different legends, which Ian really enjoyed.

IMG_20140715_133305The highlight of our week was definitely visiting the Noah’s Ark Exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center.  Ian has been asking to go back ever since we first went two years ago.  We noticed many new things and used up every minute of our two-hour time slot.  The boys are already talking about “next time,” but since it’s well over an hour away, we may have to wait all four years until our history cycle comes around again.  Then at least Nicholas will be old enough to remember it too!

Here’s our collection of Noah/Flood Books (some of these are basic preschool level books I read with Arianna and Elijah):

P1030495

The Ice Age

I read the page on the Ice Age from Dinosaurs by Design by Duane Gish.  It was just an introduction to the topic, but that’s all I wanted this time around.  I ordered Life in the Great Ice Age by Michael J. Oard, but since it hasn’t arrived yet, I think we’ll probably just save it for the next time through the history cycle.

P1030496
Dinosaurs

There are so many possibilities when it comes to studying dinosaurs.  I considered extending our time on this subject into next week, but Ian isn’t especially fascinated by them so I think once he’s had time to create a page for his history notebook we’ll just move on.

I tried to keep it simple this week so that dinosaurs didn’t overwhelm the rest of our schoolwork.  We read through What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? by John D. Morris and Ken Ham.  Then we watched The Creation Adventure Team: A Jurassic Ark Mystery and Buddy Davis Adventures: I Dig Dinosaurs! (I like the second one much better, but Ian really likes them both.)

Science

In The World of Animals (part of the God’s Design for Life curriculum from Answers in Genesis), we went deeper into our study of mammals.  Ian made a collage of mammal pictures for his notebook:

 

P1030487P1030488

We read in the textbook about spiny anteaters (echidnas) and the platypus, mammals that are unusual because they lay eggs.  Ian was interested in that, so we read a little more in a book we have that also happens to be called World of Animals (by Martin Walters) We also watched an episode of Wild Kratts called “Platypus Cafe“.

Later in the week we read in the textbook about primates.  There was a special section about the intelligence of primates, which reminded Ian of Koko, whom we read about in Koko’s Story by Francine Patterson.  In Ian’s notebook he wanted to record that Curious George is not a monkey because he has no tail (which would make him an ape).

After reading About Mammals by Cathryn Sill, Ian also wanted to read About Rodents, so even though they weren’t covered in our textbook, we spent a little time talking about rodents.  He really enjoyed learning about them because we see lots of squirrels in the park near our house, and he was processing what we read with what he’s observed there.  The Life Cycle of a Beaver by Bobbie Kalman was full of great information.  (We’ll be finishing it up this weekend, and then I’m planning to let the kids watch Wild Kratts “Build it Beaver.”

P1030491P1030497

We still have quite a bit of time left on mammals, so I’m sure Ian will have no trouble finishing up that last notebook page.

As you can see, it was a busy week!  I really enjoyed exploring these subjects with Ian and was reminded once more how glad I am that we get to homeschool!

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Valuing Scripture

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Educating the WholeHearted Child: Chapter 10

WholeHearted“It is a deliberate choice you make to ensure your children grow up valuing the Bible as God’s revealed Word, not just consuming it like another Christian product” (page 186).

As I read through this chapter I was struck by this idea.  We have tried hard to make this choice for our family.  Both of our older boys received ESV Bibles with their names imprinted on the covers when they turned four.  They read from them every night during our family Bible time as well as using them during school and whenever they want to read on their own.  They take them to church on Sundays and share them with the kids in the 5th grade class where Eric and I teach.  (We want to worship together as a family on Sundays, so we bring all our kids in with us.)

I overheard Elijah telling Arianna the other day, “When you turn four, you’ll get a real Bible too!”  I love that he knows it’s a milestone in our family, and that he sees the difference between Bible storybooks (of which Arianna has plenty!) and the “real” Bible.  It’s important to learn the stories, and with little ones Bible storybooks can be a great tool, but there’s nothing like the inspired Word of God.

This chapter brought to mind three two areas I want to focus on for improvement in teaching my children to value Scripture:

  • I want to be more intentional about pointing out to my children that when we read, God is speaking to us. I want them to know that this is different than all the other times throughout the day when Mommy reads out loud (which happens a lot the way we choose to teach them.)

“When you read and study the Bible with your children, remind them you are carrying on a conversation with the God of the universe.  When you open the Bible to read God’s words, remind them to open their hearts to hear God’s voice.  Remind them often that the Bible is not just an inspired curriculum about God and the Christian life, nor is it just a heavenly storybook, but it is God speaking to the world and to them through his revealed Word” (page 186).

  • I want to be sure I’m reading the Bible on my own in front of my children.  I tend to try to wait until I am alone to spend time in the Word, but while that time is definitely important, it doesn’t help model for my children the importance of the Scriptures in my life.
  • This probably needs to wait until after I’m more established on my second goal, but I want to start encouraging at least Ian to have a personal devotion time.  Right now I require all my children to lie down in their beds during “nap time,” even my 6-year old.  He often does sleep, but I think I could use the first part of those two hours to help him develop a devotional habit.  (After all, that’s often when I have my own devotions.)  I’ll have to consider this some more, but I want to keep it in mind and start heading in that direction.

Edited: After posting this I was praying about this last goal and felt God saying to wait, not just until my children see me reading my Bible more often, but until they really start expressing their own faith.  More specifically, I felt He wanted me to wait until after they have expressed a desire to be baptized.  Ian could probably tell someone what it means to have faith in Jesus and have our sins forgiven, and one time he asked me when he would be baptized, but he’s never said he wanted to do so or really expressed his own faith.  I think if I were to encourage devotions at this point it would be more of a religious exercise rather than time spent listening to God.  So I’ll just keep this in mind for later.  🙂

 

Each Mentoring Monday I share my reflections on what I’ve been learning from my “paper mentors.”  I am currently joining in a book discussion of Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay Clarkson (with Sally Clarkson), so my Monday posts are all being sparked by things I’m reading in this fabulous book!

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Our Vision, Parenting Resources

Wrapping Up Week 1 (2014-15)

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weekly wrap-up

Our first week flew by!  I’ve decided that this year I want to write a weekly wrap-up of what we’re doing.  One of my main purposes in blogging has been to have a record of what we do, and I’ve found myself looking back to old posts more frequently than I thought I would when I want to find activities or links to go with certain books or Bible studies.

So I apologize if these posts are tedious to everyone else, but they’re really going to help my scatter-brain keep track of the things we cover this year!  Here’s what we did this week:

Bible

Morning Proverbs: Wisdom and the Millers (Chapters 16-20), Proverbs 13:1-12 (We just read 2-3 verse each morning and discuss them.)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512TaSUF%2BrL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpgStory: The exiles return to start building the temple (Ezra 1-4).  We read Week 76 in Long Story Short by Marty Machowski, which lined up well with Bible Road Trip Year One Week 30.  We did the BRT research, but we didn’t get through all the Bible reading because it covered the whole book of Ezra, which we’ll finish up next week.  We watched the first episode of What’s in the Bible Vol. 7, “Ezra and Nehemiah,” and some extra research in the Rose Guide to the Temple.  (The boys love the pictures in the Rose Guides.)

I want to do quite a bit of “notebooking” with Ian this year, but I’m holding off on a Bible notebook for now.  We’ll wait until we start the New Testament in a few weeks.

Arianna and I started reading through The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes, but I’m not sure if we’ll be able to keep that up.  She loves the pictures, and we read through several pages at one sitting, but it’s hard to schedule anything consistently with her.

Literature (Ambleside Online)

I’ve been looking forward to starting Ambleside Online Year 1 since Ian was a toddler, and our first week did not disappoint!  P1030480He really enjoyed the poems from A Child’s Garden of Verses each day as well as most of the readings.  (He didn’t complain about any, but some he was definitely more into than others.)

We’re using Leslie Laurio’s paraphrase of Parables from Nature by Margaret Gatty because I had heard many people saying their children had a hard time with that book.  I was surprised by how much Ian loved the story of the caterpillar learning to have faith about becoming a butterfly, so I think it was a good choice.  I’m hoping that later on perhaps we can read the original version, once he’s gotten more familiar with the book.

Ian’s already a fan of Thornton W. Burgess, as the boys have been listening several of his books on their iPod for the last few years.  So when we started reading The Burgess Bird Book, Ian was delighted to discover familiar characters were part of his school work.  After we read about Jenny Wren we listened to recordings of what wrens sound like.

Grandma recently returned from a trip to the UK, so it was fun to start Our Island Story, though Ian was a little confused by the mythological beginning.  I know we’ll come across many references to Greek and Roman gods in classic literature, so it was a good introduction.  (We’ve talked a lot about false gods during our study of the Old Testament, so it wasn’t a completely new idea.)

We continued picking away at the Year 1 “free reads” with The Velveteen Rabbit.  (We started working through this list a few months ago with Little House in the Big Woods, Peter Pan and Charlotte’s Web.)  Since there wasn’t a scheduled fairy tale this week, we also started “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” in Andrew Lang’s Red Fairy Book.

I was so thankful I had gone ahead and purchased the bundle of 225 ebooks from Yesterday’s Classics a while back.  Many of the books we’ll be reading with Ambleside Online are included, as well as lots of other wonderful choices for free reading.

In addition to our AO reading, we’re also reviewing a program called Lightening Literature 1st Grade, from Hewitt Homeschooling, which had us spending the week with Madeline, an old favorite of ours.

History Cycle

In addition to the Ambleside Online history selections, we’ll be lightly covering Creation through Christ in preparation for doing our own history cycle next year starting with the early church through the Reformation.

This week we read the Creation story and talked about early man.  We read chapter one in Susan Wise Bauer’s Story of the World, Vol. 1 a few weeks ago, so I didn’t do much more this week besides listening to several selections on the CDs that go with Diana Waring’s History Revealed curriculum.  P1030476(I purchased the Ancient Civilizations full CD set from Answers in Genesis and am really enjoying the fascinating information she shares!) They were more for me since they’re not quite on Ian’s level, but I chose to only have them on when he was around and I know he was listening and picking up on quite a bit.

We started a history notebook, which is going to be really simple this year, just including pictures from the Homeschool in the Woods History Through the Ages-Collection CD, which has timeline figures from every period of history.  I won’t be doing anything fancy with Ian’s history notebook this year, but I wanted to start developing the habit.

As a fun extra, we watched Buddy Davis Adventures: Extreme Caving, which is a fun, Creation-based DVD that teaches a lot about caves and even has a segment on early man.

Science

This year we’re going through the God’s Design for Life curriculum from Answers in Genesis. (There are 4 years to the God’s Design for Science series, so if we like them I’m planning to use it as a cycle until all my children have gone through it at least once.)  I really like the way this curriculum is designed to be used from 1st-8th grade with specific readings and activities for younger and older students.  We’re going to stick with the suggestions for the lower grades unless there’s a subject Ian wants to spend more time studying.

wofAThere are three books to go through in God’s Design for Life , which fits well with the structure of our year since Ambleside Online uses three terms.  During the first term of this year we’ll be going through The World of Animals. This week we read through the introductory chapters and began studying mammals.  I plan on having Ian keep a science notebook as well, but we only got as far as labeling the first section.  We’ll be reading about mammals for the next couple weeks, so he’s got plenty of time for notebooking.

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3-Year Bible Survey for Students (Review)

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BRT collage

When I first started this blog most of my posts were about the Bible lessons I started doing when my oldest turned three as I sought to be intentional about discipling him.  Now he’s just starting 1st grade (and there are two preschoolers and a baby coming up close behind!), and I would still say the most important part of my children’s home education is our time in God’s Word.  I have several goals:

  1. I want them to know about the Bible (historical context, authors, genres, canonization, etc.).
  2. I want them to know what’s in it (where to find what they’re looking for).
  3. I want it to be a part of their daily lives in such a way that when they are grown they can’t imagine a day passing without being in the Word because they are eager for God to speak to them through it.

So how do I go about pursuing those goals on a day to day basis?  We spend time each morning in Proverbs, and time each evening in family devotions, both times helping meet the last two goals.  But now that Ian is starting 1st grade, I want a thorough, systematic way to help us meet the first one.  That’s why I was SO excited to find Bible Road Trip.

What is it?

Bible Road Trip is a 3-year curriculum design to be used over and over as a child matures from preschool all the way through high school.  (I love repeatable cycles!) It takes students on a journey from Genesis to Revelation, teaching about each book and helping them come to a greater understanding of the overall message of the Bible.

I have many friends who limit their homeschool Bible time to the ties they can make between the Scriptures and whatever else they are studying.  While I think that is an important part of educating and discipling our children, I also think it is essential to have a time devoted specifically to studying the Bible on a systematic basis.  I thought I was going to have to create my own program to take my children through the Bible the way I desired, but Danika Cooley, the author of Bible Road Trip, has put together a curriculum that leads students through God’s Word, helping them understand what they are reading.

The program is broken up into three 32-week years, making it easy to fit into a school year with flexibility for holidays, time to catch up, or extended study:

  1. Year One covers the Old Testament books of Law and History
  2. Year Two covers the Old Testament books of Poetry and Prophecy
  3. Year Three covers the entire New Testament.

There are 5 separate levels of study, following essentially classical delineations:

  • Preschool-Kindergarten
  • Lower Grammar (Grades 1-3)
  • Upper Grammar (Grades 4-6)
  • Dialectic (Grades 7-9)
  • Rhetoric (Grades 9-12)

For each week of study, there are assignments at each of these levels, so the entire family can be focusing on the same portion of Scripture simultaneously in ways developmentally appropriate to each students stage of learning.

Each week is broken up into two main sections.  “Dig Deep” contains the bulk of the lesson:

  • Researching the Word (using the Bible study books listed below)
  • Reading the Word (5 daily assignments including a few comprehension questions)
  • Memorizing the Word (weekly memory verse)
  • Notebooking about the Word
  • Praying about the Word (focusing on different countries around the world)

This is followed by a section for “Explore Further,” which includes:

  • Learning More about the Word (related videos, etc.)
  • Crafting Through the Word (hands-on projects to help reinforce what was learned)

Getting Started

Since Ian is in 1st grade, I’ll just be discussing how to use the program in the “Lower Grammar” stage.  Here’s what we needed to collect in order to begin using Bible Road Trip:

 There are also a few recommended resources for extra learning:

P1030468Our Experience

We spent some time on Week 1 and 2 of Year One, which cover “What is the Bible?” and “Exploring the Old Testament,” but then we jumped ahead because I want to use Bible Road Trip to enrich the boys’ study as we finish going through the Bible in our family devotions.  (We started in August 2012 and are just about finished with the Old Testament period in our chronological study.)  After those introductory weeks, we skipped ahead to Year Two to find the sections on Daniel so we be “on the same page,” and then we went back to Year One to finish the story of the exiles’ return in Ezra and Nehemiah.

Year Three will soon begin being posted week by week, and that’s what we plan to use for this coming school year as we head into the New Testament as a family.

What We Liked About Bible Road Trip

I like that Danika has created the program as an adaptable tool for families.  “The goal is to acquaint our children with the Word of God, not to create busy work.”  If the suggestions she makes for each lesson aren’t helpful, it’s not going to cause problems if you decide to skip them with your family.  On the other hand, she provides some wonderful ways to engage children, especially in the “Explore Further” section of each lesson.

BRT1I think my favorite part of the curriculum, however, is the Notebooking Journal.  The pages Danika has created are just stunning! They contain many full-color works of art from masters such as Van Gogh, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt. Notebooking is such a great learning tool, and these pages are going to create a beautiful record of what we have learned.  Ian loves going through the Bible notebook we created during his preschool years, and I know this will be something he goes back to again and again.

(Incidentally, I first heard about Bible Road Trip when I purchased a lifetime membership to notebookingpages.com and received the Year One lesson plan pdf as a bonus.  If you want to find out more about the benefits of notebooking, their website is a great place to start!)

What We Adjusted for Our Family

When going through the Bible I always have to make a decision about how I’m going to do it: book by book or chronological order?  There are pros and cons to both approaches, and those are passed on when choosing a Bible curriculum.

We have been using a devotional that goes through chronologically, which I think really helps kids grasp the flow of history and see where the different stories they read in the Bible fit into the big picture.  Bible Road Trip goes through book by book, so while you get a good sense of history in Year One, you miss a few things (like the stories of Daniel) that are described in the books of prophecy in Year Two.  As I said above, we solved this issue by using the appropriate lessons from the Year Two curriculum since we already have a chronological framework established.  When I begin the entire 3-year cycle again, I will probably just do Bible Road Trip as written, but I’m wondering if there will be some confusion with abandoning the chronological approach.

I also opted not to use the “Praying About the Word” section.  It’s not that I had any issues with it; on the contrary, I thought it was a valuable addition.  Still, it seemed to be completely separate from rest of the study, which made it feel like a supplementary curriculum in and of itself.  We just are doing so much already that I decided to hold off on it, at least for now.

Just the Facts

Interested in starting Bible Road Trip?  Here’s

  • Recommended ages: preschool-highschool
  • Weekly lessons plans and notebooking pages are available for free if you download each week separately!
  • If you want the convenience of having the whole year in one place (great for printing the year in advance with one click!), you can purchase the Year One and
    Year Two lesson plans ($20 per year) and the corresponding Notebooking Journals ($20 per year for each level: Lower Grammar, Upper Grammar, or Dialectic) as pdf files.

My Overall Impression

I’m excited to find such a valuable tool to help disciple my children.  I am so thankful for the research Danika has put into Bible Road Trip and the time she has taken in making it available for other families to use.  I’m sure I’ll be sharing more as we get further into our journey!

DISCLAIMER:  I received the Year One Notebooking Journal for free in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.  This post contains affiliate links.

Posted in Bible lessons, Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Plans for Our 2014-15 School Year

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Keyword: “Plans” (Every thing in this post is subject to change!)

Recently I was part of on online conversation with some other homeschool moms and someone brought up the topic of “planning.”  It’s amazing what a wide range of planning goes into different families’ school years depending on how many kids they have, what style of education they lean toward, personalities, etc.  Some of them literally just go day to day, following a “delight directed” learning approach.  Others want the support of a curriculum that lays out what they’re going to do each day over the 36 weeks of the school year.

Plans Collage

For myself, I find it incredibly helpful to have at least a rough outline that shows me where I want to be in each subject each week if I plan to complete something by the end of the year.  I usually allow a lot of flexibility with weeks scheduled in for catching up, and I’m not a slave to the schedule.  I just find that it really helps me to see everything laid out.  (I’m a visual learner and have a hard time functioning without some sort of plan that I can see.)  Plus I find that we accomplish a lot more when I have things written down.

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I have found the easiest way for me to plan is to use a blank calendar.  There are many available online, but this year I printed mine up from www.calendarlabs.com.  I ignore the days of the week and instead use those columns for different subjects.  (In the Sunday column I number the week of school that we’re on.)

The only subjects I’ve scheduled for the whole year are history and science.  We’re currently reviewing a program that uses children’s literature so I’ve written in those books for this month as well as where we’ll be in our Bible study, just so I can see what we’ll be learning about at the same time.  Sometimes when I see a holiday or break is coming up I’ll try to finish an extra lesson or break from a subject early just so we don’t stop right in the middle of something.  (For example, in August Ian has a week of baseball camp and then a week of music camp, and we’re hoping to get away for a week in September.  So I tried to make sure our science units got squeezed around those weeks.)

I didn’t write on the calendar any of the reading assignments from Ambleside Online Year 1 because those are already so nicely laid out for me it seemed like a waste of time to try to write them out again.

Here’s what we’re planning to use for 1st grade with Ian:

IMG_20140707_150943 Bible/Character

  • For morning devotions we’ll continue going through Proverbs and the Miller family books.
  • For study, we plan to finish Bible Road Trip – Year 1 (review coming soon!), which will correspond somewhat with our family Bible time as we go through Old Story New by Marty Machowski
  • I’m sure there will be quite a few We Choose Virtues discussions as well.

Literature

  • Right now I’m reviewing Lightening Literature for 1st Grade, but I don’t plan to continue it past this month.  (We’re revisiting a few of our Five in a Row favorites with it, so it’s a fun way to start the year.)
  •  Ambleside Online Year 1 – I don’t plan on using everything from AO as written, but I would like to try to get through all their literature and poetry selections this year.

Writing

  • Spelling You See – We did the first half of Level B- Jack and Jill last year, and I think we’ll go back and finish at least that level once we finish the Lightening Literature program.  (I tend to lean toward a Charlotte Mason approach when it comes to writing, so we won’t be doing much composition unless Ian expresses a desire.)

IMG_20140707_151040History/Geography

  • I’ll be loosely starting our 4-year history cycle, covering Creation through Christ.  I’m not going to be using any particular program, but I’ll be covering various stories from Mystery of History and Story of the World and incorporating several other resources to help Ian become familiar with some of the important people and events from that time period.
  • For various reasons we won’t spend as much time on our history cycle as I plan to in the future, so I think we’ll also do some of the history and geography selections from Ambleside Online Year 1.

Science

  • I’ve had my eye on the God’s Design for Science series from Answers in Genesis for a while, and I decided to give it a try this year.  We’ll be doing God’s Design for Life which has 3 books:
    1. The World of Animals
    2. The Human Body
    3. The World of Plants

 Math

  • We’re finishing up the last week of Year 1 in the Mathematics Enhancement Programme (since we took a break mid-year when Ian started getting frustrated).  Then we’ll start right in with Year 2.
  • I’m currently reviewing two supplemental math programs, one online and one software program, and I’m sure we’ll continue using at least one of them until Ian has mastered his addition/subtraction facts.

Foreign Language

  • Ian has been looking forward to getting back into our Salsa Spanish lessons using the Salsa materials from the Wyoming Department of Education.  Luckily there are still plenty to take us through this coming year.

Arts

  • Hymns: Ian is learning about 1/month on the piano, so we’ll focus on those.
  • Composers: AO selections
  • Music: piano, choir, hand chimes
  • Art: ARTistic Pursuits (finish K-3 Vol. 2; possibly start Vol. 1)

I’m considering this a “Jr. Kindergarten” year for Elijah (who won’t be 5 until well into the fall) simply because he’s already doing so much Kindergarten work on his own and reading really well.  I don’t insist that he join us for any part of school (sometimes it’s more helpful if he’s off playing with Arianna), but he manages to pick up quite a bit and I have no interest in pushing him beyond that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Ambleside Online, Organization

The Blessing of Sharing Life With All Ages

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There’s so much I could say about this group of boys, but I’ll restrain myself and leave it at this: I love this picture!

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that my children are “socialized” in a real world setting, interacting with people of all ages rather than spending the majority of their time with one adult and 30 people born within the same 12-month span.  I love going to the park with other families and watching Ian play with older boys who don’t look down on him for being six but instead teach him to play the games they like with more patience than I ever imagine pre-adolescent boys could show.  All my children have been blessed by getting to spend time with other children both younger and older than themselves (as well as adults) on a regular basis.

Today, however, I realized that I have experienced a similar blessing.  Our homeschool group ranges from moms who been teaching their children for decades down to those just starting the preschool phase.  Some are still homeschooling their youngest children, while the older ones are now starting to teach their own children.

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Just a few of my homeschooling “sisters”

As we evaluate the year we’ve just wrapped up and get our smaller support groups settled for the coming year, I’ve realized how important it is to stay connected with moms in all stages of this journey.  Just as Ian learns from those older boys at the park, I gain so much from hanging out with moms whose children may be graduated or in high school.  They’ve been where I am now and can offer so much in the way of encouragement and advice.

Similarly, I love getting to encourage the moms who may be only a year or two behind me.  I have friends who look forward to homeschooling but right now just have a houseful of preschoolers and are overwhelmed by the thought of actually trying to find time to “do school” when their older one reaches the age for Kindergarten or 1st grade.  That season is still fresh for me, so I’m able to share what’s worked for us (and what hasn’t) and point them to things that have helped me.

Sometimes it’s tempting to only spend time with moms in the same stage of life that I am in myself, but I’d be missing out on so much if I did so.  I am so blessed by all the women in my life, both at church and in our school group, who are a different stages of their homeschooling journey, and I’m thankful that God has brought us together to teach, inspire, lift up, and encourage one another.

“Older women… are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” Titus 2:3-5

 

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Non-Conforming Parenting

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Educating the WholeHearted Child: Chapter 9

WholeHeartedAt first glance, this chapter on “The WholeHearted Learning Youth” isn’t exactly applicable to our family right now (since our oldest is only 6).  It provided a lot of food for thought about how I want to approach the years ahead, but much of it was just wisdom to file away for later.

One thing that stood out to me, however, was the issue of conforming to the world’s ways, not just culturally, but also educationally.  Am I making decisions based on what the world says my children’s education should look like, or am I allow God to be our guide?  My “Word for 2014,” PRAY, has helped me develop a habit of turning to the Lord for things I have previously just managed on my own.  The Clarksons reminded me that I also need to be seeking the transforming of my mind through the Scriptures.  In their discussion of Romans 12:1-2 they write:

“…Go to God’s Word to keep your mind renewed by truth.  The real power of God’s Word is not just that it’s true and trustworthy, but that it transforms–it is the ‘living and active’ Word that penetrates and changes ‘soul and spirit’ and ‘thoughts and attitudes’ (Hebrews 4:12).  The only way to know you are doing God’s will as a parent is to constantly renew your mind with God’s truth.  You become a conformist to the world’s ways of thinking by default; you become a biblical idealist only by design” (page 172, emphasis mine).

In my current season of life it is hard to find time to spend in the Word, at least to the extent that I have in the past.  I find myself grabbing snatches here and there: a few paragraphs from the open Bible I leave on the bathroom counter when I manage to catch a few uninterrupted moments, verses taped above my kitchen sink that I can meditate on as I do dishes, and maybe a few chapters during naptime when I’m feeling particularly starved (provided all four children actually stay in their beds for an extended period of time).  Yet I must cling to those scraps of Scripture if I have any hope of being the godly parent I want to be.

My children will only be young for so long.  I want to use these years as effectively as possible, both as far as training and instructing my children “in the words and ways of biblical Christianity” (page 174), and renewing my own mind with God’s truth.

Each Mentoring Monday I share my reflections on what I’ve been learning from my “paper mentors.”  I am currently joining in a book discussion of Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay Clarkson (with Sally Clarkson), so my Monday posts are all being sparked by things I’m reading in this fabulous book!

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Our Vision, Parenting Resources

Experiencing History Through Music (Review)

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banner lgOne of my favorite memories of elementary school is sitting in the multi-purpose room with dozens of other kids singing folk songs as my beloved 1st AND 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Gilliam, strummed along on the guitar.  That’s where I learned classic American songs like “Oh, Susanna,” “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round The Mountain,” and of course, the “Star-Spangled Banner.”  Singing the same songs that generations of Americans had sung before me gave me a sense of connection and belonging.  I want to pass on that heritage to my own children, so I have been thrilled to be a part of the launch of the “Experiencing History Through Music” series from Diana Waring.

About Diana Waring

IMG_20140613_094448I was familiar the name Diana Waring from her History Revealed curriculum and her books Beyond Survival and Reaping the Harvest.  The former is at the forefront of my mind for history as our children get older, and the latter have been sitting in my “to be read” pile for some time.  As we’ve been preparing for the launch of this series, I’ve gotten to know more about her, and I’ve realized she is definitely a kindred spirit. (Beyond Survival may have to be my next book for “Mentoring Mondays”!) I had to go find her at the Great Homeschool Convention and introduce myself (and my sleeping Nicholas), and I immediately wished I could invite her over to dinner to spend some time soaking in some of her homeschooling wisdom.

Diana shares a passion for two of my favorite subjects: history and music.  I love this story she shared with the launch team of how she started integrating the two:

Back in 1989, after I had been struggling for about three years with homeschooling (my kids and I were ALL bored!!!), a friend suggested that I attend the state homeschool convention (in Tacoma, WA). . . In those days, the main way to learn more about homeschooling was to attend a convention—oh, how times have changed!!
The problem was I couldn’t afford it. My dh was a public school band teacher, we were single income, and there simply wasn’t anything extra in the budget. When I voiced that concern, my friend said, “Oh, you should teach a workshop! That way, they pay you $50, give you some mileage to get up to the convention, and you get in FREE!!” Looking at her in amazement, I asked, “What on earth would I teach????”
She pulled out the previous year’s convention schedule, with its varied workshops, and handed it to me. Quickly glancing down the list, I noted that the ONLY music workshop was using classical music in the home and that there were NO history workshops. At that moment, an idea was born.
Why not teach American history through its folk music?
That was the start of twenty-five years as a homeschool speaker (yes, the convention wanted my workshop) and as a homeschool writer/ curriculum producer.
Never saw this coming, but, oh, what a life we have shared!!

Eventually she went on to create books of stories about historical songs and helped record music albums to go along with them.  When the company that was publishing the sets went out of business, it looked like the audio masters were lost and all the work that had gone into producing the series would be fruitless from that point on.  Evidently, however, God still wanted to bless people through it, because the music was found and restored, and Diana has rewritten many of the stories with even more fascinating details for a new generation of homeschoolers to enjoy. (Read the miraculous story of their restoration on Diana’s blog.  It really is amazing!)

About Experiencing History Through Music

booksAs the name of this series implies, these book and CD sets allow you to Experience History Through Music. Each title contains one book and one CD. The pages of the books hold dozens of historical pictures, bright and interesting stories connecting each of the songs to its moment in history, even sheet music and chord charts! The CDs are rousing, professional recordings that draw in all listeners.

These three book/CD sets are a wonderful supplement to any American history curriculum:

  • Westward Ho!–The Heart of the Old West
  • America–The Heart of a New Nation
  • Music Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Here’s a brief introduction to each one.

Westward Ho!–The Heart of the Old West

WestwardAmerica’s westward expansion is amazingly rich in stories and songs.  In Westward Ho!, you will find the pioneer spirit that stirred the hearts of thousands of Americans to leave the safety and comfort of home expressed in folk songs of or about that time.  Now you can experience the pioneers’ adventures, dangers, joys, sorrows and hopes as you join in and sing along with these songs:

  1.  Apple Picker’s Reel
  2. Boll Weevil
  3. Missionary’s Farewell
  4. Oh, California
  5. Ho! For California
  6. San Juan Pig War
  7. Chisholm Trail
  8. Westward Ho!
  9. Home On The Range
  10. Little Old Sod Shanty
  11. Strawberry Roan
  12. Old Settler
  13. Gooey Duck
  14. Little Cabin in the Cascade Mountains

We enjoyed the whole CD, but “Gooey Duck” (about giant clams in Puget Sound called geoducks) became a new favorite in our house.  We’ve been caught singing it all over town, even in the grocery store!

America: The Heart of a New Nation

AmericaFrom the French and Indian War to the first transcontinental railroad, America is a chronological tour of American history through its music. Enjoy the songs and stories of our past that have been shared from generation to generation—songs that make you laugh, make you cry, and make your patriotic spirit soar.

  1. Yankee Doodle
  2. Star-Spangled Banner
  3. Erie Canal
  4. Oh! Susanna
  5. Sweet Betsy From Pike
  6. All Night, All Day
  7. Old Dan Tucker
  8. Wade in the Water
  9. Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier
  10. When Johnny Comes Marching Home
  11. Shenandoah
  12. Get Along L’il Dogies
  13. Drill Ye Tarriers
  14. Polly Wolly Doodle
  15. She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain
  16. Old Joe Clark

Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura IngallsThis was the title that first captured my attention when I learned about this series.  I read the first two “Little House” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder to Ian a few months ago, and as we came to song after song I wished I knew the melodies to sing along.  It seemed like so many of these historical treasures had faded away into the past.

I was thrilled to get this book and CD to help make those songs more real to our family. Elijah adored “Pop Goes the Weasel,” and it reminded me of the scene in Little House in the Big Woods when Laura and Mary are enjoying Pa playing that one on his fiddle, trying to catch the “pop!” as he plucked the string.  I imagine their giggles sounded a lot like my little ones’ as they enjoyed the silly song.

This is the only book in the series not written by Diana Waring.  Written by William Anderson, noted Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer, the book also includes beautiful photos by internationally known Little House photographer, Leslie A. Kelly.  The loved stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder will come to life all over again as you listen to the songs that were a part of life for the Ingalls and thousands of other pioneering families.

This book takes readers back through songs referenced in almost all books in the Little House series:

  1.  Wait for the Wagon (On the Banks of Plum Creek)
  2. Green Grows the Laurel (Little House On the Prairie)
  3. The Old Chariot (The Long Winter)
  4. Buy a Broom (By the Shores of Silver Lake)
  5. Sweet By and By (The Long Winter)
  6. Rock Me to Sleep (Little Town on the Prairie)
  7. Buffalo Gals (Little House in the Big Woods)
  8. A Railroad Man for Me (By the Shores of Silver Lake)
  9. Beware (By the Shores of Silver Lake)
  10. Pop! Goes the Weasel (Little House in the Big Woods)
  11. Oft in the Stilly Night (By the Shores of Silver Lake)
  12. The Girl I Left Behind Me (On the Banks of Plum Creek)
  13. My Sabbath Home (On the Banks of Plum Creek, These Happy Golden Years)

How We Used It

Because my children are all young, I didn’t use this series to its fullest potential (yet!)  We listened to all the CDs many times, to the point that all my children ages 2 and up were singing along to their favorites (and requesting them over and over again).  I read the stories on my own and then retold certain ones as we drove along in the car.

With my oldest, I sat and looked at the pictures as I told him some of the stories.  He also really enjoyed having the book as we listened and sang.  He followed along in the sheet music so he could learn the words more quickly as we drove.

I know when we study American history in the future we will be getting out these albums and digging deeper into the stories to enrich our understanding of the various time periods represented.

What We Liked

First and foremost, we loved the music.  These are BEAUTIFUL recordings of the songs.  I loved that many familiar tunes included less familiar verses.  Even without the books, the CDs would be a great addition to any American family music library.

Thankfully, you get the books too!  America was probably my favorite of the three.  Not only were the songs the most familiar, but the stories struck a deep emotional chord with me.

I love the story of “Yankee Doodle.”  What a wonderful lesson for children that they don’t have to be beaten down when people call them unkind names!  The British made fun of the rough American soldiers during the French and Indian War, calling them “doodles” because they seemed so foolish compared to the polished British soldiers.  The Americans didn’t hang their heads in shame.  Rather, when the Revolution came about and they found themselves fighting against the British, they made up new lyrics for the originally insulting song and showed that they were anything but foolish.

Imagine what it must have felt like for the British when, during the surrender ceremony at Yorktown, “Yankee Doodle” was played once again–this time to celebrate the American victory.  Turns out the Americans weren’t such “doodles” after all, were they?

I hope my children can learn to see that other people’s insults don’t have to define them.  After all, God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the “wise.”

Capture2The most moving story was definitely “The Star-Spangled Banner.”  I love that it is now more than just a song the children hear at baseball games.  Even though I already knew the story, it still gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes as I passed it on to them.

If I Could Make Any Changes…

I wish the illustrations could have been in color.  Many of the pictures were originally black and white, so it wasn’t necessary for those, but others looked like they were of paintings, and I would have loved to see them in full color.

I also would love a sequel to the Laura Ingalls Wilder book.  There are so many more songs in the pages of the Little House books that I would love to bring to life for our family!

diana waring available nowJust the Facts

  • Suitable for all ages
  • Each book/CD set sells for $18.99
  • For the month of July, collection of all 3 sets is on sale for $50!

One Final Word

 We loved these sets, and I highly recommend them as part of any family’s study of American history.  I’m looking forward to seeing Diana’s next project (after she completes something currently in progress), which will be a full curriculum for American history. She told us, “It will be focused on elementary grades, and will be a LOT like my world history curriculum — fascinating fun, great opportunities to choose what looks most interesting, and an integrated unit-study style/Charlotte mason approach to history.”  Our family can’t wait to see it!

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Go Science DVDs (Crew Review)

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GoScience Collage 

Science is one of my weakest subjects when it comes to homeschooling. That’s why I’m thankful for products like the Go Science DVDs distributed by Library and Educational Services. They sent me two titles from this series to review: Volume 4 (Motion, Friction, Electricity, Light) and Volume 7 (Engineering, Design, Flight).  It was a welcome opportunity to get my kids’ heads out of the books and give them a chance to see science in action.

If you homeschool and you’re not familiar with Library and Educational Services, I encourage you to visit their website to get to know them.  They provide character-building educational products to wholesale buyers (including homeschools).  From Bibles and books to CDs and DVDs, they’ve been offering quality products at discount prices (30%-70% off, sometimes even more) for over 35 years.

What’s Included

The Go Science DVDs feature brief video segments that show teacher Ben Roy helping guide a group of children in various science demonstrations.  The videos are distinctly Christian and help kids learn about many different aspects of science while always giving glory to God.

When you first play the DVD, the main menu shows the featured topics.  You can either select “Play All” or click on a topic to open a sub-menu where you can select individual experiments.

Here are the experiments included on the two DVDs we watched:

Volume 4: Motion, Friction, Electricity, Light

(running time: 55:03)

Motion:
  • tablecloth trick
  • high-bounce balls
  • marble gravitron
  • yo-yo-big spool
  • bowling ball
Friction
  • Friction
  • Floating Rice
Electricity
  • Simple motor
  • nail magnet
  • jumping rings
Light
  • Food coloring and bubbles
Vol. 7: Engineering, Design, Flight

(Running time 56:09)

Engineering/Design
  • How much will it hold?
  • Leaning tower of lyra
  • Nail balance
  • Trebuchet
  • Centrifuge
  • Walking on eggs
  • Bed of nails-small
Flight
  • Rocket balloons
  • Vinegar rocket
  • Toilet paper on paint roller
  • Film canister rocket

How We Used It

We started to watch the first video all the way through, but Ian started getting antsy by the time we headed into “Electricity.”  Each segment is separate from the rest, so they really don’t need to be watched in one sitting and we just saved the rest of the DVD for another day.  That proved to be a better way to watch them anyway because it gave the boys time to think about what they’d seen rather just moving on.

It also gave a chance to play around with some science at home.  Most of the experiments we just watched, but there were a few that Ian wanted to try, and if I had the materials to do it at home we went for it.

What We Liked

It might sound funny, but I liked that some of the experiments didn’t work right the first time.  Isn’t that the way it happens when we do them at home?  It seems like so often things go perfectly for people on television, and then when we struggle it seems like we’re doing something wrong.  Seeing some of the failed experiments took the pressure off when we tried them ourselves.

Actually doing the experiments was definitely the boys’ favorite part of going through the DVDs.  The first one we did involved picking up a marble with a wine glass without touching the marble with our hands (moving the glass in circles).  In the video (on Volume 4), Ben Roy did it pretty easily, so we knew this was one we wanted to do ourselves.

Go Science 1

I tried it first, and I was able to get the feel of it pretty quickly.  It took Ian a little longer, but once he got it he was really proud of himself.

Go Science2

All the segments on flight (from Volume 7) were fascinating and made Ian want to try them himself.  We tried to copy the film canister experiment, but we never got more than a little “pop” out of ours.  I think our lids didn’t seal quite as well as the ones on the video.  Still, the boys had fun doing it themselves rather than just watching.

Go Science5   P1030404

I appreciated the way Ben Roy used the experiments not only to teach science but as object lessons to teach biblical principles.  For example, as the kids in the audience got a surprise when they found out which of two cylinders actually held more volume, he pointed out, “Things aren’t what they seem sometimes…We can’t judge people by what we see.  Sometimes what we see can fool us.”

There were several memorable object lessons that made these videos much more than just science demonstrations.  I really liked the way my children were able to learn that science isn’t an end in itself.  Rather, it is just one more way we get to know the Lord.

“When we learn more about science, we learn more about our Creator God.”

What Could Have Been Better for Our Family

I wish the Go Science DVDs came with a little more guidance on how to do the experiments yourself.  Even just a materials list broken down by segment with would be really helpful.  Many of the items used were things we had around the house, but a few others would need to be purchased ahead of time.  They wouldn’t be hard to find, but we didn’t really know what we needed until we started watching the videos.  We would definitely have done more of the experiments if I had known what materials they required.

Just the Facts

  • Recommended for ages 4-12 (My 4-year old enjoyed parts of the DVDs, but my 6-year old definitely got more out of them.)
  • 7 DVDs in the Go Science series
  • Price: $8.97 each (or $59.82 for the entire series)

Go Science Review

My Overall Impression:

The Go Science DVDs are a fun way to get kids interested in hands-on science.  They’re not as fast-paced as other science videos we’ve seen, but they did manage to keep my kids’ interest in smaller doses.  Ian liked them enough to want to get the others in the series, and I definitely will keep them in mind when looking for ways to supplement our science program in the future.

 

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Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Appreciating Each Child’s Uniqueness

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 Educating the WholeHearted Child: Chapter 8

WholeHeartedGrowing up, my dad and I often butted heads as our iron wills came into conflict.  I felt like an oddball in our family, like no one understood me.  As I grew up, however, I realized that part of the reason my dad and I got so passionate in our disagreements was because we were actually alike in many ways.  By the time I was a teenager we had developed a healthy respect for each other’s strength, and disagreement between us became quite rare.

Chapter 8 was about personality and learning styles.  As I read through it I kept jotting down the names of people in our family who were described so well in certain sections.  Some of those descriptions don’t resonate with my own personality at all, but I see them in my husband or some of our children.  Oftentimes those are the things about them that frustrate me the most, especially when it comes to educating children who think or react to the world so differently than I do myself.

I think one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children is appreciation for the unique person God has created them to be.  My two older sons are incredibly different from one another, and I want to make sure they know that that’s not only okay, but it’s a good thing.

untitled shoot-099Elijah is very gifted with numbers, and at times it has driven Ian to tears when his younger brother comes up with answers to his math problems before he even gets a chance to start working them out.  But I remind him that we are all unique, and each of our strengths are important for specific things.  God has gifted Ian in ways that will prepare him for the work he can do for His kingdom, fulfilling a purpose that Elijah wouldn’t be able to do.

untitled shoot-119I want my children to have the self-confidence of knowing that God created every part of them, even their personalities and learning styles.  And just as they are uniquely valuable, so is each person they meet, created by God in a particular way to be used by Him for His own glory.

Each Mentoring Monday I share my reflections on what I’ve been learning from my “paper mentors.”  I am currently joining in a book discussion of Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay Clarkson (with Sally Clarkson), so my Monday posts are all being sparked by things I’m reading in this fabulous book!

 

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Our Vision, Parenting Resources, Uncategorized
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