A Diverse School Day

This was originally posted on Facebook and I thought someone that reads here might be interested in a glimpse of one of our recent schooling days.

School today was very diverse! (See Below) Days that are this interesting are so great!

We started off with Eli's & Lydia's choice of topics: Mt. Everest, Haiti, and Mummies. LOL! What a variety! (We try to do this once a week or so.)

Their picks for the day covered geography and history so that worked out well! Eli's favorite was a video he watched on the mummies of Central America. He was able to explain some of the mystery mummies of Rome and about some of the unusual mummies of Central America when that lesson was over. He is crazy smart in this area! If only I could get him to pick up on math to that extent. =)

They also learned about the crisis in Haiti...where Haiti was located, and how we can help them and pray for them. We learned about where Mt. Everest is located, found it on the map, saw pictures, learned about the climb, etc. Eli also decided that he would be the 2,701st person to climb Mt. Everest one day. (He also wants to be the first man on Mars, by the way! And yesterday he decided he wants to be dentist. Ha! Aren't they funny when they are young and they just want to do it ALL!)

Then we moved onto science with chromatography and covered primary and secondary colors. We used coffee filters to do a chromatography (color writing) experiment to see how some colors travel faster then others. The secondary colors separated when the water was added. It was cool! And we have beautiful butterfly shaped coffee filters to show for it! Lydia loved that!

Lydia continued to draw pictures with markers while Hannah went down for a nap and Eli started his work on his math. He did some computer practice with his addition and then did his book lesson with his worksheet.

Reading came next and Lydia worked on her ABC's on the computer while Eli read a book to me, worked on the lap top (goes with his curriculum), and played a couple of reading games.

Today was just one of those days where we didn't stick to the curriculum the whole time and we rabbit trailed so they could learn about something of their choosing. We will pick up the usual history lesson tomorrow (Jamestown Settlement) and we will continue in our Adventure story along with a couple of other things. But today was so interesting and they had such a good time learning that it was so worth it! I love days like today!

Just thought some of you might want a little glimpse of our homeschool day! =)

Great Article!

Here the link to a great article that compiles lots of information (that I have read in various places) into one source. It's a great read for those who don't understand homeschooling fully and it's encouragement for those that do it day in and day out. It's titled "Socialization: Homeschooling vs. Schools" and here is the link.

God Said, "No."

I asked God to take away my habit.






God said, No.




It is not for me to take away,
but for you to give it up.









I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.

God said, No..
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.




I asked God to grant me patience.




God said, No. Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
it isn't granted, it is learned.




I asked God to give me happiness.



God said, No.

I give you blessings;
Happiness is up to you.




I asked God to spare me pain.




God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from
worldly cares
and brings you closer to me.









I asked God to make my spirit grow.

God said, No..
You must grow on your own,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.




I asked God for all things


that I might enjoy life.



God said, No.
I will give you life,
so that you may enjoy all things.





I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.


God said... Ahhhh,
finally you have the idea

What Homeschooling Looks Like

This was originally posted as a note on Facebook, but obviously it's fitting for our homeschool blog. So check it out below:

In general we start school around 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. We have breakfast first and most days we put actual clothes on. There is certainly an occasional day when we do school in our pajamas. It's fun, why not. But that's not the norm. We begin our school time with prayer (*GASP*) and the Pledge of Allegiance (*GASP AGAIN*). We check the weather and dress Mr. Frog appropriately. Then we mark what the weather is on our chart. We also talk about what day it is and find it on the calendar. We usually have a countdown on the board to the next exciting event (like a holiday, field trip, birthday, etc.) so we countdown and change the number of days. We sing a song about the days of the week and the months of the year.

Then it's time to get down to business. We usually do History first because that is Eli's favorite subject. We read a story about an event in history, we talk about it, we find the places discussed on the map, we fill in a time line, do an activity related to the lesson, etc. All of our subjects are typically centered around our history lesson so that's another reason why we do it first. After history we decide together what subject to do next.

Other subjects we cover every week are Bible Study, Poetry, Geography, Science, Math, Grammar, Spelling, Reading, Art, Music, Memory Verses, Literature Genres, etc. Our curriculum centers around Biblical truths. It's flexible. It's accurate. It's thorough. It's comprehensive. It meets state standards and goes SO much further.

And even though we teach with a Christian Worldview my children are fully aware of other theories and ways of thinking. They are taught what they are and who came up with them, etc. They just know how to filter that information through their common sense and through God's word. You don't have to agree with that. They are our children that God entrusted to us and they are our responsibility, not yours. And I feel the same about your children. So I say all this in kindness. = ) See the link below to see a sample unit of our curriculum. These are the lesson plans for the first unit. Sometimes we complete a unit in a week, sometimes a unit every two weeks. There is a stack of books that go with these lesson plans and you will see them referred to throughout the unit.

On top of this curriculum we also create lapbooks (Google this for more information, they are amazing!), use a separate math program called Math U See ( www.mathusee.com ), use a separate handwriting program called Handwriting Without Tears ( www.hwt.com ), supplement our science with various things, take nature walks, do computer work, cook, play outside, etc.

Here's the link:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/beyond-little-hearts-first-week.pdf

And do you think you aren't qualified to teach your children? Do you think I'm not qualified? What do you think you do with your children until they reach "school age"? You teach them. You teach them all the time. If you can read, you can teach your children. Not because you are reading to them to teach them, because that is not always the case. It's because if you can pick up a book on a subject, you can learn the subject. If you don't feel comfortable teaching a particular subject then organize a co-op with a fellow homeschooling mother, who is comfortable and knowledgeable and is willing to teach a small group of kids. Take a course at a local college in a particular subject that you know you'll need to teach your children in. If you can stay a month, a week, even a day ahead of your children, you can teach them. College professors do it ALL the time! I have heard that exact statement come from their mouths! And most of us can stay much further ahead than that. Most of us are smart and have gotten to where we are because of it.

Some see homeschooling as the extreme, or the abnormal way to go about things. But until just a short 100 years ago or so, homeschooling WAS the norm. Most of our great statesmen and presidents in the history of our nation were homeschooled. Many athletes (Tim Tebow for example), authors, missionaries, pastors, etc. were homeschooled. Our children can be just as amazing! Homeschooling has an awesome history, a wonderful and rich history. Public schools, not so much.

Anyway, back on topic. Our week also includes outside classes on Fridays at a homeschool program in our area called Master's Lyceum. It offers many things for homeschooled children of all ages. From science classes, debate, and rhetoric to lego building, game time, choir, strings ensemble, etc. Eli takes a geography class and an adventure storybook class. Lydia takes ballet and a class called Kindercapers that prepares her for kindergarten. This program also has recess ( with things like 4 square, dodgeball, tug of war, jump roping, parachute play, football, etc. ) and lunch time.

Our week almost always includes one day where the kids play a sport. We just finished up soccer on Tuesdays. Eli wants to play on a football league next fall.

Our homeschool group in the area offers awesome field trips to see things like a locke and dam and The Nutcracker. We go apple picking and to museums. We tour fire and police departments. We even get to learn how the post office works. Our group is involved in state legislation activities and all sorts of other things.

My children are FAR from unsocialized. The activities above don't even include church activities like our MOPS meetings, the kids choir, church and sunday school mornings, Wednesday night church activities like Royal Rangers (equal, but better than, boy and girl scouts), etc.

Our homeschool group has a yearbook staff every year, a newspaper, graduation, etc. Yes, really! The good stuff is available to them and they get to go without all the negative junk.

My children have never been taught to discriminate based on age. They are not in a peer group that looks unfavorably on other age groups. They are kind and helpful to the little kids. They are respectful and kind to those older than them. The homeschooled kids I know, including mine, are exposed to people of all ages, all the time. And have better social skills, in a greater variety of social situations than kids that are not homeschooled. My kids have plenty of friends. They attend birthday parties and sleepovers and play dates, etc. They have friends that go to private school and public school.

My kids are best friends with each other most of the time. Why? Because no one ever told them not to be. And I would say that homeschooling certainly creates a well-rounded child in every sense of the word.

I get to see all of my children's milestones. I see every light bulb moment. I get to be the one to teach them to read. I know them better than anyone. I know how they learn and what makes them tick. They get one on one teaching every single day. They move at their own pace. If they need to breeze through something they can, if they need to take longer on something they can, without the fear of being left behind or bored out of their minds. The benefits are unending. We do school all year with lots of little breaks so we can vacation as a family whenever we want ( cheaper and less crowded off season for example ), take a day off when we want, go for walks when we want, etc. The family time is awesome. The close knit bond is awesome. And I tell ya, I wouldn't trade it for the world! No matter who decides to assume, and place stereotypes on me. Homeschooling rocks! And my kids will tell you the same!

Got questions? Seriously, just ask! I won't be offended, as long as you are kind and treat me as you want to be treated. I just want to create a greater understanding of homeschooling in general. Every group as their odd ball, including public and private schools. And just because you know one or two homeschoolers that fit the perceived stereotype, doesn't mean we all do. And just because someone is different, doesn't make them bad or abnormal. What's normal anyway? = )

Eli found a giant one!
Nature Walk, October 20th