A Few of My Favorite Homeschooling Things

There are lots of homeschooling blog posts about how to homeschool on a budget, but I haven’t seen any about the supplies that make things run smoothly. Here are a few of my favorite things to keep on hand for our homeschool.

1. Index cards – for making flash cards, for making games, for writing memory verses on, for making a changeable schedule with (to be placed in a pocket chart), to make into letter tiles for word building, and the ideas are limitless.
2. File folders – to make lapbooks (We need lots for these.), to make an easy-to-store board game such as “Roll to 100″, to make a sorting game with, to make a phonics game on, to amke small sentence strips with, and the list goes on!
3. Construction paper/Copy paper/Notebooks – to make cards, to make collages, to make anything crafty, to make homemade books, for the kids to keep a journal in, for you to take notes on your children’s progress, to write just about anything.
4. Glue sticks & White glue – We glue something almost every day!
5. Plastic zipper storage bags of all sizes – for storing homemade games & puzzles, for keeping hand wipes in (They are great for cleaning up after a messy project.), for storing journals used outside, to store play dough in, for crushing ingredients when you cook, for storing wet paintbrushes, to organize like items for counting & sorting, and a million other uses.
6. Scissors & Paper cutter – I have a variety: adult scissors, blunt scissors, & a nylon pair that only cuts paper.
7. Pocket Folders – I keep everything from printed worksheets to the work related to a unit study in these. I like to use different colors and different patterns to make them easily distinguishable.
8. Packing tape – to fix torn pages in a book, to reinforce game pieces, to adhere lapbooks together, to reinforce the binding on books, for taping large boxes for pretend play. Packing tape fixes it all!
9. Post-it Notes – for reminders for you & the kids, for bookmarks, for games, for cloze procedure exercises, to write a note about something in a book to discuss, and many other things.
10. Paper plates of all sizes - to use as a palette for painting, to make masks, for putting glue on, for cutting into fractions, for sorting objects on, to make a variety of crafts with, to make a clock, to make a spinner, and many for more projects.

Do you have any favorite supplies that you just have to have for your homeschool?

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Homeschooling Method: Thomas Jefferson Education

There are lots of homeschooling methods out there. In pursuit of great home education ideas I found this report on CBS about homeschooling in general and specifically the Thomas Jefferson Education (aka Leadership Education or TJed)

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You can also read more about TJed at HS Unlimited.

I am interested in learning more about this method from first hand experiences. Have you used it? What is your opinion about it?

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Painting Jesus

Are you teaching your children the names of Jesus in your homeschool? This video is a great way to expand on that lesson. (HT: Rose)

This video is powerful! I think that many teens would like it and be touched. I know that I was!

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Fun Thanksgiving Day Activities

I know that Thanksgiving day can pose a few challenges for my family. We have two very active young children, and we also have a nephew who will join us. I have been thinking carefully about how to structure the day so that every family member, including each child, is happy and entertained. It is difficult to strike a balance, but I think I have a few solutions.

• My nephew loves to throw balls and just about anything that looks like a ball. I am going to use that to my advantage and create a bean bag toss game. We already have bean bags that we made for A2’s birthday party. (We used mismatched socks that don’t fit the kids anymore and filled them with dried beans.) We’ll make a flat board with pictures of the foods included in a Thanksgiving meal. The kids will toss bean bags on the board. Each time the bag lands on a picture the child will collect a card with a picture of that food on it. The child will place that food card on the corresponding picture on a place mat to complete the meal. If a child has already added a particular food, s/he can give that food to another player.
• There are great Bible verse coloring pages at A Kid’s Heart that we can color together. We can also memorize a verse!
• Kaboose has Thanksgiving Day pictures to color. We’ll turn them into coloring books for each of the kids.
• All of the adults want to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We’ll play Thanksgiving Day parade BINGO while we watch it.
• We’ll play a Thanksgiving Concentration with these cards from ABC Teach.

I hope that these ideas help you to make this Thanksgiving enjoyable for everyone!

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Homeschooled Kids Called “Demented” on The View

Yesterday on “The View” homeschooling came up in the Hot Topics discussion. The panel was discussing the schooling options for the president elect’s daughters, and home education came up as one option. Unfortunately, Joy Behar called homeschooled children “demented” during the segment, and a few homeschoolers on Twitter and some bloggers such as Barb at Back Door Homeschool Tools were offended. The discussion about homeschooling comes up at the 5:45he 5:45
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It saddens me that Joy Behar, an educator herself, would look down on the home education movement. She has been in the classroom and knows that not all children learn the same way. Children need different educational choices because each child is unique. Homeschooling provides children lots of flexibility that allows parents to meet their children’s needs. Sadly, Joy Behar does not see it that way.

Katie, at Moms in the Right, gave me a link to this article by John Taylor Gatto. It is a satirical piece, so please take it from that perspective. Overall, John Taylor Gotto sounds like an interesting author and educator. I plan to read some of his work.

Hopefully, home educators can continue to work towards changing stereotypical views about homeschooling. It is unfortunate when someone who has a powerful opinion makes comments that are both hurtful and untrue.

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Advent Memory Verses for Your Homeschool

I am looking for more memory verses to use in our homeschool as I prepare for Advent. We will study the Christmas story as found in Luke. I want to emphasize how miraculous Jesus’ birth really is and how God keeps His promises. I found two verses that are perfect.

Mary was told that she would give birth to Jesus even though she was still a virgin. Mary did not think that would be possible, but the angel, Gabriel, reassured her. He reminded her that it seemed impossible for Elizabeth to have a baby, but she was.

For nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37Luke 1:37
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37 For everything spoken by God is possible.”

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I want my children to have this reassurance. God is big enough to do anything. He is in control of everything. He creates each of us out of nothing. He is amazing!

After Jesus was born, Mary was visited by the shepherds. This must have been another truly awesome experience for Mary. God kept His promise and Mary gave birth to a child, Jesus. God also told everyday people about Jesus’ birth in a fantastic way – through the angels. After meeting baby Jesus, the shepherds had to share the good news, but Mary had a lot to consider now.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19Luke 2:19
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19 But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.

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This verse is a good reminder to ponder Jesus’ birth on our own. Think about the miracle of Jesus. Think about the way that God used everyday people in this story. What does that mean to each of us?

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Christmas Memory Verses

This Christmas I want C4 to memorize Scripture about Jesus’ birth. I think the experience will add to our homeschool devotion time and help her understand the Christmas story a little better. I also hope she holds the memory verses she learns close to her heart. One verse that I am considering is Luke 2:11Luke 2:11
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11 For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

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11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11Luke 2:11
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11 For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

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The scene with the angels visiting the shepherds is a beautiful picture. You can find in Luke 2:8-15Luke 2:8-15
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8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. ⁹ Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. ¹¹ For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.” ¹³ Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, On earth peace, good will toward men.” ¹⁵ It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

. I am considering a few ways of presenting this piece of the Christmas story.

• I will present a puppet show of the scene using our Little People ™ or dolls.
• Act out the scene. I’ll have C4 assume the different roles each time we act it out. We’ll make our props, too.
• Make a diorama of the scene. I think this project will open up a conversation about each of the elements of the scene – the shepherd and their attire, where the angels are and what they look like, etc.
• Draw/paint a picture of the scene. This might make a beautiful piece of art work worthy of a frame.
• Listen to the Hallelujah chorus. We might also watch a video of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the Hallelujah chorus.
• Read Christ is Born by Layne Haacke. This book includes illustrations for the Christmas story found in Luke.

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A Thematic Unit Study: The Mitten

In my last post I write about creating a thematic unit study with one of my favorite books, Bear Snores On. Continue to enhance your homeschool curriculum with another one of my favorite winter themed books, The Mitten, by Jan Brett. This is a beautifully illustrated book and a silly tale that you and your children are sure to love.

• Study folktales and fairy tales. This website has great definitions, history, and examples for a unit study.
• Learn about the Ukraine and create a travel brochure. Lonely Planet has some interesting travel information about the Ukraine.
• Complete an author study on Jan Brett. She really is an interesting author/illustrator. You could read some of her other books and study her writing style. You could also visit her homepage and use the free activities and projects listed there.

Enjoy another good winter read with your children!

Do you have any other ideas for how you could use this book?

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Thematic Study Ideas: Bear Snores On

Winter is fast approaching and there are many books and activities that you can enjoy to enhance your homeschool curriculum. One of my favorite books is Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. Bear is in a cave hibernating when all sorts of animals discover the cave as a place to warm up. Here are a few ways that you can use this book.

• Learn about hibernation.
• Learn about nocturnal animals.
• Learn about mice, hares, badgers, gophers, wrens, ravens, & moles. They are all included in the story.
• Work on rhyming words ending in the “air” sound (bear, lair, share, hare).
• This book includes repetition as a poetic device. Have your child write poetry using this device.
• Cook the foods featured in the book. Make stew, white popcorn, black tea, and honey nuts.
• Build a model bear’s den.

Have fun with this great book! Do you have any other ideas for this particular book?

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A Christmas Tradition: Derick Dickens

Today Derick Dickens shares one of his family’s Christmas traditions. He is a pastor living in Virginia with his wife and three daughters. He blogs about religion, philosophy, culture, apologetics education and about his life.

Each year, my wife and I celebrate Christmas in several unique ways, but the most precious to us requires merely time and thought.

When my oldest was just a baby, my wife and I began a tradition that only requires paper, pens, and stockings.  For the weeks prior to Christmas, each person is responsible for writing a character or spiritual quality about the other family members that is good and Godly. We write this in a personal note to the individual, to be read on Christmas day.  There is a final note we write to God, in which we express thankfulness or praise to Jesus in specific instances during that year.

No one knows what the others have written until Christmas day.  We all gather around, and after the Christmas story, each of us reads out what others in the family said about us. Finally, we read the stocking reserved for Jesus and often deep thanks to Jesus is enough to turn any person to his knees.

These are precious times in our family, and the notes are kept as precious treasures within our family.  Often, we read these notes in tears as they touch our hearts or express some deep emotion.

Try this tradition, and I hope you will find, as we have, that the Christmas presents are no longer the most “looked forward” time in your home.

Derick Dickens
www.ebc-verona.net
www.thedickensfamily.org

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