I’ve always found language arts workbooks dreadful. I know some children like doing them, but I love English and those workbooks seem to reduce a rich, lovely language to a dull, fill-in-the-blank exercise. I like to make things into a game. So, when it comes to learning punctuation skills, I am all about learning them through an interactive game. Here’s how we learn the punctuation symbols and how to use them in my homeschool: [Read more…]
Ready…Set…Grammar!
Now, I know “excitement” may not be how you describe the subject of grammar, but your kids will think this instant, silly game is plenty of fun, and they’ll get good at knowing their parts of speech too!
Ready?
Set?
Grammar!
#1 Teach or review that a “noun” is a person, place or thing. Have your children look around the room and find nouns. If you can touch it, it is a noun. If you count it, it is a noun. If you can go there, it is a noun.
Spanking, Anyone?
Question:
Tell me why you prefer not to spank. I’m just curious why? Isn’t it a scriptural command to parents to spank? (Biblical chastisement)
Answer:
Basically, I don’t spank because the only time I feel enough anger to spank my child is when I am out of control emotionally. When I feel myself re-gaining control, I have no desire to hit or hurt anyone. So, I realize that the passion I feel that makes me want to spank comes from a source other than God. Self-control is the hallmark of a Christian.
Let’s Go Exploring: The Best Education
Open the door and let your children go out exploring today! Give them each a little sack, and tell them to put their treasures in it. Better yet, go along with them, and be the “sack holder”. Smell all the blossoms. Listen to the birds. Look for butterflies. Observe the clouds. Pick up the prettiest rocks you find. Consider your children better educated for it. [Read more…]
Study Schedule
As homeschoolers, when do find or make the time to study?
Having a study schedule helps immeasurably when you are writing up assignments and determining what work needs to be done. Get a piece of paper and jot out what works for your family. Then post it on the wall and try to adjust it until you get it just right. Knowing what to expect helps everyone off to a good start each day.
Educational Goals Worksheet
Here’s a simple worksheet you can print off and use to identify your educational goals, and the resources you can use to plan your homeschool!
May I recommend:
Homeschooling Myths
I was talking to a young mother that was considering homeschooling her little family, especially her oldest, a very bright 4 1/2 year old. As I discussed her concerns and questions, her ideas sounded very familiar. I realized that I had said those same things and thought that way a long time ago! New homeschooling moms often have the same questions and some of the same ideas. I pondered our conversation for a long time afterwords—what happened to those ideas of mine? How had my homeschool evolved to where it was now, in the years that I’ve been teaching my children? There were definitely myths that had to be dispelled, as well as some good ideas that really worked. [Read more…]
Top 20 Advantages to Homeschooling
20. Your kids never tell you that you’re a lot dumber than their teacher.
19. If you can’t find matching socks for your child first thing in the morning, who cares?
18. Cleaning out the refrigerator can double as chemistry lab.
17. Your kids have good reason to think they might get spanked in school, but no reason to think they’ll get beat up by a gang.
16. If the principal gives the teacher a bad evaluation, she can stick her icy feet against his legs at night.
15. You can post the Ten Commandments on your school room wall and won’t get sued.
14. You never have to drive your child’s forgotten lunch to school.
13. Your child will never go to their 20th high school reunion, meet an old flame, and recklessly abandon their marriage.
12. You get to change more than diapers; you get to change their minds.
11. If you get caught talking to yourself, you can claim you’re having a PTA meeting.
10. It’s better to be slightly concerned about socialization than very concerned about socialism.
9. You child will never suffer the embarrassment of group showers after P.E.
8. The only debate about the school lunch program is whose turn it is to cook.
7. You never have to face the dilemma of whether to take your child’s side or the teacher’s side in a dispute at school.
6. If your child gets drugs at school it’s probably Tylenol.
5. The teacher gets to kiss the principal in the faculty lounge and no one gossips.
4. Your kids recognize that this list is numerically in reverse order.
3. Your honor student can actually read the bumper sticker that you have on your car.
2. If your child claims that the dog ate his homework you can ask the dog.
1. Some day your children will consider you to be a miracle- working expert and will turn to you for advice.