Below are some fun Thanksgiving web sites to explore. You'll find crafts, the history of Thanksgiivng, coloring pages, dinner menu, top ten movies and more!
The room was brightly lit and cold. She was sitting at a table, across from an empty chair. She knew the questioning would begin any minute. The door opened and a man bearing a remarkable resemblance to Hugo Weaving walked in and sat down in the empty chair.
“Mrs. Anderson,” he began, “we’ve been monitoring your homeschool. Apparently, you have been living two lives. In one life, you’re Katherine A. Anderson, homeschooling mother and wife in a respectable community. You have a homeschool curriculum. You have a schoolroom. You volunteer . . . to help out with your homeschool support group. The other life, Mrs. Anderson, is lived in your pajamas. Your kids are unable to complete their assignments, and if you can get them bathed and dressed before your husband returns from work, you consider it a good day. One of these lives has a future, Mrs. Anderson. The other does not.”
She just stared across the table at this man. “Who was he?” she wondered. Why was he accusing her of these things?
The man opened up a folder and began leafing through it. “As you can see, we’ve had our eyes on you for some time, Mrs. Anderson. I think that you should look long and hard at how you are failing in your role.” He pulled out a single sheet of paper. “Your son is 6 years old and yet he cannot read. Your 11-year-old daughter spends half her time daydreaming and staring off into space. She hasn’t scored better than a D on her spelling quizzes all year. Your teen, this . . . Melissa, I believe her name is . . . she hasn’t prepared for the SAT test. If you really loved your children, Mrs. Anderson, you would have your children at their desks and hard at work by 7:30 each morning.”
Tears started to well up in Katherine’s eyes. Was she really that bad at homeschooling?
“As far as your curriculum goes, you’ve switched back and forth from A Beka to Saxon to Bob Jones and back to Saxon again in just two semesters. I have to wonder, Mrs. Anderson, if you are teaching them correctly. How can you jump from curriculum to curriculum without causing your children to become hopeless, blathering idiots?”
Mrs. Anderson made no effort to wipe away the tears that were now flowing down her cheeks. She knew all these accusations were true. There was nothing she could say to refute them.
“Tell me, Mrs. Anderson. What’s it like, living in your pajamas? Do you enjoy being a slob?” His words began to cut deep, and somewhere deep inside her soul, a wave began to form.
“How many times did you yell at your kids yesterday, Mrs. Anderson? Can you really say you love them if you treat them this way?”
The wave began to build, quickly becoming a surge. Mrs. Anderson’s anger was rising above and beyond the shame and fears this man was exploiting.
“Your best friend, Laurie, doesn't have any trouble getting her six children ready to go to eight different activities each week, yet you always manage to run late . . .”
“That’s enough!” Her waves of anger burst over the dam and began to pour from her lips. “I don't have to listen to these accusations. I am a loving wife and mother, and I care deeply about my children. We may not get to every activity on time or complete every assignment, but we are trying. My children are well fed and clothed, and they are learning so much more than they would learn anywhere else. My son is a gifted engineer. He dismantled three phones last week to understand how the buttons work . . .”
“You consider that school?”
“Absolutely! He is learning mechanics and science. If I can get him to put things back together so that I can answer the phone, I’ll be all set. By the way, Melissa doesn’t need to study for her SAT test right now. She’s 14! We will prepare for it when the time is right.
“Another thing. My daughter may not always study with perfect concentration, but she draws the most beautiful pictures. She understands forms and shapes so much better than her brothers or sisters do. She is a very bright girl, no matter what your files say.”
These bold statements took the man aback. Mrs. Anderson’s outburst, though somewhat controlled, was clearly not what he had expected to hear in response to his accusations.
“You say I yell at my kids, and that’s true. I do lose my temper when I clean a room and come back in thirty minutes to find it in worse shape than it was before I cleaned it. But your files don’t show the breakfast we had yesterday when we sat around and talked about three things we like about each other. I enjoy my children so much more than you could imagine. And we truly love each other.
“I stay in my pajamas some days, that’s true. But we are at home and like to be comfortable while we do our work. Learning is more important than appearances.”
“But are your children really learning, Mrs. Anderson? I show that you have lost ground every time you’ve tried to set a schedule. How effective are you if you can't even maintain a schedule?”
“We may struggle sometimes. I admit, we don’t hit the mark with schedules, but we do a good job setting goals. We know what direction we’re going, and we do a good job, even if we don’t end up completing our workbooks. If anything is out of line, it’s my own expectations.” An idea began to form in her mind.
“What? We are not to blame, Mrs. Anderson!”
“Of course,” she thought, “it all makes sense now.”
Katherine looked straight into her accuser’s eyes as she spoke calmly and deliberately. “I know who you are! You’re my own expectations. You’ve been trying to trap me.”
“Nonsense. We don’t need to trap what we already own.”
“You don’t? Then you would have no problem if I made pajamas the standard school uniform?”
“Uh . . .” Suddenly, the man became quite anxious.
“And you wouldn’t mind my going to thrift stores to buy more phones and other things for my son to dismantle?”
“Wait . . . this isn't what we wanted. Stop!”
“Why? Don’t you want to hear about how we’re going to stop going to so many activities and start spending more time together as a family? I've got some great ideas, including a bug collecting expedition and a board game night.”
“Board games don’t constitute an education! They . . .”
“Oh, yes they do. Colors, numbers, counting, reading, and strategy all work together to educate my children. And the best part is that they don’t even realize it’s school.”
The man was becoming transparent, and he was quickly fading from view. “But what about your curriculum? You can’t change in the middle of the year! It’s . . . ”
“I can change our curriculum whenever I think we need to. If something isn’t working, we can try something else. That’s one benefit of running your own school. I would rather find something that works than have my children suffer through an entire year of work that doesn ’t meet their needs.”
She could see that the man was livid and shouting angrily, but now, along with his appearance, his voice had faded. He was almost gone from view when she said, “Oh, by the way, school starts at 10 a.m. from now on.”
With that, he disappeared.
Mrs. Anderson was about to scoot away from the table when she awoke with a start. Rolling across the screen on the television in front of her were credits for a fantasy film about people fighting the forces of artificial intelligence. She quickly pushed the “off” button and headed upstairs to bed. After all, she had a bug hunt to plan tomorrow.
Steve Walden lives in Colorado with his wife, and together they homeschool their three children (ages 12, 9, and 5). Steve is a freelance writer and editor. When he’s not blogging at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/SteveWalden, he’s searching for new opportunities to write about a variety of topics, including homeschooling, coping with disabilities, and connecting with God. Steve’s desire is to help others rediscover God as their first love and the source of their strength.
If you enjoyed this article, then you should consider subscribing to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. You will find each issue to be jam-packed with articles of particular interest to homeschoolers.
Be watching for details of an upcoming writing contest sponsored by TOS. Get those writing gears turning in your head because you will definitely want to take part in this contest – not only will the winners receive some fabulous prizes by some awesome homeschool vendors, but their work will also be published in an upcoming E-Book and a future issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.
The busy Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons are rapidly approaching!
With schoolwork, meal planning, laundry, church, extracurricular activities, and other demands, the homeschooling lifestyle can often be a hectic one.
Could you use some fresh ideas for making the holidays special while keeping school going with the children? Do you want your children to remember more about Thanksgiving than just pumpkin pie? Have you been looking for practical tips for adding unique and budget-saving touches to your home?
Are your kids starting to grumble about doing their math lessons? Why not take a break from the books and just have some hands-on fun with math?
We've got help for you!
Our two new E-Books are packed with ideas to help you schedule fun family time into your holiday activities. Homespun Holidays and Amusing Mathematics instantly and affordably put creative holiday and math suggestions right at your fingertips.
You'll love being able to download them instantly, so you can dive right in to all of the creative ideas. Make your holidays more special and your learning time more fun!
Homespun Holidays: Fall and Winter
More than 80 pages, jam-packed with imaginative ideas, mouth-watering recipes and entertaining activities. . .
"A little this, a little that, wrapped up in eighty-some pages and tied up with a bright bow... Homespun Holidays, Fall and Winter is lavishly illustrated with colorful photos, ... you'll find ideas for crafts, homemade gifts, foods, hospitality ...even a few seasonal poems. Homespun Holidays, Fall and Winter is the perfect read for this time of year." - Jean Hall
Traditions - Bring you and yours closer to each other and the Lord.
Home decorating ideas - Welcome signs, trash bag wreaths, candy-themed decor you can make with your kids, how to make your own decorative scarecrows, window paintings, just to name a few.
Tips for entertaining - We share ideas on how to celebrate the holidays without losing your good cheer.
Games - Make holiday travel smooth sailing with our fun game suggestions.
Book reviews - Cozy up with your children and a good book. We've included some reading recommendations and complementary activities.
Seasonal poetry- Add humor and inspiration to your holiday season.
Gift ideas - No-sew scarf, fabric gift bags, layered-in-a-jar cocoa drink mix, and more.
Craft ideas - There are craft ideas for all ages. Make treat bags, holiday piñatas, 3-D paper snowflakes, and ornaments. Hints for recycling old holiday cards, and making nativities are also included, and that's only the beginning!
Most treasured holiday recipes - In addition, we've peered into our staff members' kitchens across the country and found their most treasured holiday recipes.
No need to waste hours online looking for Christmas gift ideas, recipes, decorating tips, and craft activities for your children.
It's all in Homespun Holidaysfor less than $13.00. That's the price of just one gift at the discount store!
November Planner Module: Amusing Mathematics
When does 2+2= FUN?
When you have Amusing Mathematics...
"Bravo! My ten year old son finished his chores in record time just to get back to the math riddles and tangram exercises. The math riddles were so much fun, he thought they were from Boys' Life. The rhyming copywork pages are perfect for my first grader to learn number formation and monetary values. What a fun, value-filled package for all the children in my family. So interesting, so much fun they won't even realize they're learning! - Michelle Smith
"Magical" math brain teasers - Amaze friends and family with "magical" math games. Guess birthdays, speculate as to the number of siblings someone has!
Puzzles and tangrams - Give their brains a real workout with ancient Chinese tangrams. They might think a puzzle with only seven pieces would be easy, but they'd be wrong!
Pattern block fun -
Use the pattern block templates for some added fun. Shhhh! There's no need to tell them they're learning about geometry and fractions. They'll think they're just having fun!
Currency and exchange rates- What's Morocco's money called? How much is a dollar worth in Peru?
How many ways can you think of to tell time? Games, activities, and projects to help your children learn about the many methods of telling time.
Fun copywork pageshelp your children learn about kitchen measurement. (They'll need this information when cooking the delicious recipes included in this module!)
Printer-friendly multiplication and addition drill sheets, puzzles, coloring pages.
And, of course, the answers are included!
For only $7.95, all the planning is done for you. Just download, print, and enjoy!
So, during this busy time of the year, let our our Amusing Mathematics module, or any of our other modules, keep your school planning easy and fun!
You already get our current issue for free and 6 great bonus gifts with our Fall Subscription Special, but for one more day, we're going to give you even more!
We have about 200 more of the Homeschooling with Heart tote bags left just for people who subscribe with our Fall Special. And when you subscribe online, we'll mail your tote bag, the current issue, and your postcards for redeeming the physical gifts right away.
You're going to LOVE our Fall issue. It's at the printers right now and it's chock full of articles.
Just look at some of the topics in this issue:
Homeschooling the high schooler
Transcripts
Homeschool fathers
Homeschooling through interruptions
Homeschoolers on the farm
And just in time for the holiday season:
The lost arts
Frugal cleaners & gift ideas
The Me-Time Myth
The adventure of serving God at homeschool
In fact, I can give you a sneak peek of our staff's Twelve Days of Christmas. It's sure to get you in the holiday mood!
So go ahead and invest in a two-year subscription to TOS. It will encourage and inspire you, as well as help you save money in the long run!
You're going to appreciate:
Reviews that save you from spending money on curriculum that's a bad fit for your family
Examples of what's working for other homeschool families
Free unit studies
Special freebies and coupons from advertisers
Monthly online Teacher's Toolbox with free downloadable curriculum items
Plus, if you subscribe today, you're going to be sure and receive one of our fabulous Homeschooling with Heart tote bags.
It all adds up!
The tote bags are going fast though. We're down to the last 200 and they should be gone today.
*Offer for new U.S. 2 year subscriptions only. (Military overseas included)
Check out this link and read more about Yohannes and his Ethiopia Reads
program - please forward far and wide and encourage people to vote!!!
Johannes is a fantastic and dedicated man.
A Blessed Heritage: Educational resources to foster understanding of the
spiritual and racial heritage of children of color
wwww.blessedheritage.com
A Blessed Heritage strives to provide children of color with a Biblical understanding and awareness of who they are and whose they are. Their vision is to instill in them academic excellence and pride in all that God has created them to be.
Their products include character training and history studies. The studies are done by reading books suggested in the literature guides. I'm interested in buying Nurturing Christian Character Through the Black Experience designed for ages 10 and up for my own study!
As the adoptive mother of four daughters from Ethiopia these products intrigued me and made me cheer out loud that something is out there for them in the way of history. Even though the experiences of those African-Americans that have been here for hundreds of years are not their experiences they can only gain in knowledge by studying what people from their continent have gone through and what they may encounter in their life here in America.
Right now if you subscribe to the print edition, you can also receive our 25 free gifts valued at over $550! But, we only have about 50 of the gift packs left, and once they're gone, they're gone.
Plus, there's more when you subscribe now...
Just as the Olympics brings together athletes from all over the world, homeschooling unites families in their quest to provide the best education for their children, and we're here to help you give it all you've got!
You can stretch your homeschool budget, enjoy our current Summer issue, and receive our bonus 48 page Around the World with TOS E-Book, just in time to help bring the countries participating in the Olympics to life for your children.
With Around the World, you'll find activities to help your child "visit" the countries and discover their unique characteristics.
We have also included sports related information, links, and activity pages, as well as how-to and teacher notes to help your family obtain the most from the activities. It has been a labor of love for our staff as they've contributed recipes from various countries, ideas for hosting your own Olympiad, information on the Special Olympics, tips for tailoring Olympics lessons to your children's age levels, and so much more.
Even if your family isn't following the Olympics, there are still plenty of ideas to help bring geography and science around the world to life for your children with fun coloring pages, worksheets, maps and more!
But it's only for TOS Subscribers so you'll want to subscribe today!
If you subscribe to the print edition of the magazine, you'll also receive a coupon to purchase the Summer 2008 digital issue for FREE! Your print subscription will begin with Fall 2008 and run through Summer 2009. So, celebrate Summer 2008 and the Olympics with a FREE Summer digital issue and our Around the World with TOS E-Book.
If you subscribe to the digital edition of the magazine, you'll receive a coupon to purchase a digital back issue of your choice! Your digital subscription will start with our Summer 2008 issue and run through the Spring 2009 issue. So, enjoy four upcoming issues and an informative back issue of your choosing. Plus, you'll receive our Around the World with TOS E-Book
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just take a look at some of the topics you'll find in our Summer issue!
10 Reasons to Homeschool Your Child With Special Needs
Homeschooling the Gifted Child
Charlotte Mason Homeschooling (including an article about using this method with autistic children)
Learning from Life on the Farm
Adoption (several articles about open adoption, domestic adoption and international adoption)
Science - Read and learn about: Intelligent Design, Theistic Evolution, a Creationist documentary about the life of Darwin, and changing history theories.
An update about the homeschool situation in California
Homeschooling Discipleship
Nature Walking
Flight and the men behind the creation of airplanes. Also learn what it's like to be a pilot!
Meet other homeschooling families and see how homeschooling works in their homes!
Learn more about Canada
Homeschooling and the Kinesthetic Child
Educational Neglect, Habitual Truancy, and Homeschooling
Help your child learn to love reading! Also, things to remember if you have a late reader.
Read an interview With Dr. Mary Hood
Great product reviews!
This is an awesome issue and it can be yours FREE with this Olympics special offer! Plus, we have more great topics coming up for Fall already. This Fall you'll learn more about China, taking the pressure off of a homeschool mom's shoulders during the high school years, CLEP exams, the impact of the family farm in a mega-sized world, the importance of homeschool fathers, and much, much more!
Just go ahead and start off your school year right with a subscription to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. It really is a wonderful resource that will educate, encourage, and inspire you throughout the year.
Right now if you subscribe to the print edition, you can also receive our 25 free gifts valued at over $550! But, we only have about 50 of the gift packs left, and once they're gone, they're gone. These gifts can really help you in your homeschool. You get a year of Safe Eyes parental control software, two months of WORLD Magazine, tons of lapbooking resources, three different online subscriptions, E-Books, and great lesson plans. And that's only some of it. You get a total of 25 different fun gifts for your homeschool. The companies send them directly to you - so it's like Christmas all over again! You really don't want to miss out on these fantastic gifts.
Maybe you live in another country and would prefer our digital magazine, or you've just heard how fun it is to read the magazine online and click through all the links. Subscribe to the digital magazine and get 19 free downloadable gifts.
Either way, you'll receive the Around the World E-Book, the Summer 2008 digital issue (for print subscribers) or a back issue of your choice (for digital subscribers), and our online subscriber-only Teacher's Toolbox each month complete with hands-on teaching ideas, book recommendations, field trip suggestions, and bonus download items.
We're going for the gold at TOS this monthand we want you to be a part of it.
We’re excited about our new planner and know that you will be too! We have taken ALL of your suggestions and ideas and compiled them into ONE fantastic planner, so that everything you need to plan in your life can be in one place, making your busy life as a homeschool mom just a bit simpler! In The Schoolhouse Planner, you can expect to find:
• Calendars in various forms – yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily
• Lists of holidays and places to record special days in your family
• Planners for your homeschool – in various styles to meet your individual needs
• Pages for both long-term and short-term homeschooling goals
• Curriculum planning forms
• Evaluation forms and test score recording sheets
• A through-the-Bible in a (school) year schedule
• Forms for recording Bible memory and other memory work
• Logs for recording books read, movies and documentaries viewed, etc.
• A field trip planning form and recording log
• A sample science lab sheet and nature study sheets
• A place to record extracurricular activities
• Outside classes, co-op, and support group information and recording sheets
• Household planning forms
• Daily, weekly, and monthly household schedule charts
• Grocery, menu-planning, and food logs
• Various budget and financial planning forms
• Garden planning sheets
• An appliance and electronics inventory sheet
• Vacation planning ideas
• Address and telephone records
• And much, much more!
And, if that’s not enough, we’ve also included:
• 12 “homeschool must-know” items, one for each month of the year
• 12 essays from some of our favorite authors in the homeschool community – you absolutely won’t want to miss these!
• 24 easy main-dish recipes from some top homeschoolers around the nation
• Forms that are appropriate for preschool – graduation
• A 12-year planning form, so that you can plan your child’s school career from beginning to end!
• 2-page monthly calendar with BIG blocks, providing lots of room for writing in details each day
If all of that isn’t enough to entice you, each month throughout the year, we will also be offering “planner supplements” that you and your kids will love! Our first monthly module will be available in July and will include all kinds of interesting information about popular holidays. These will not only be filled with great information that you will love including with your planner, but they will also be extremely affordable!
What do the developers of the TOS Schoolhouse Planner have to say?
Kris says: “Just this year, I had FIVE planners in my home and NONE of them had all of the forms that I needed to keep me organized for the year. When the chance came to help create a planner that would try to meet ALL of the organizing needs of ANY homeschooling parent, I jumped at the opportunity! I feel that we have created an incredible product: a planner that includes forms to help organize BOTH the "school" and "house" parts of the home. Of course, we couldn't have done this without the outpouring of ideas that came from our customers. Each email was read carefully, notes were taken and then Heidi and I spent hours and HOURS working to create over 85 forms, all available in ONE product that is easily downloadable from anywhere in the world! You can buy The Schoolhouse Planner and begin using it the same day! I hope our customers are as pleased with it as I am!”
Heidi says: “I was so thrilled when I first saw the announcement that TOS was going to create a planner. To say that I was even more thrilled when I was asked to help create this planner would be an understatement. For years, I have looked for ‘the ultimate homeschool planner’, only to be disappointed by what is available on the market. I have continually made my own planning sheets to suit my needs. Now, not only were Kris and I given the opportunity to create what WE thought was the ultimate planner, but what YOU asked for in a planner as well. I’ve seen a lot of planners, but none with this amount of content. I am passionate about E-Books, so I’m thrilled to have this planner available in E-Book format. You might choose to print the whole planner, or maybe you will just want to print certain pages; it’s totally up to you. No two people’s planners will be alike; but each one will suit its owner’s needs. It is my hope that each one that purchases The Schoolhouse Planner will be as happy with it as I am, and will recognize the hard work and the heart that went into the creation of (what I like to call) ‘the Cadillac of planners!’”
Attention MAC users: In order to utilize all of the interactive features of this PDF you will need Adobe Reader which is a free download. Click HERE for the Macintosh download area
The download size of this pdf file is 8.2 MB. If you have dial-up or a slower internet connection we have also provided the download in a zip file. Please select below which version you would like to download.
A link to download your E-Book will be available in your account upon checkout.
Manufactured by:
The Old Schoolhouse - AffiliateItem #: ebok-TOS-planner
$39.00
California--Announcing the 15th Annual
Valley Home Educators Conference
Dear HSLDA members and friends:
The 15th Annual Valley Home Educators Conference is coming to your
area July 25-26, 2008. This event will be held at the Modesto Centre
Plaza, 100 L Street, Modesto, California 95354. We encourage you to
attend and take advantage of our special offers below. Our staff would
love to meet you. We count it a privilege to serve you, and appreciate
your partnership with us to defend homeschool freedoms.
This year, we have two special offers for members:
> If you join or renew your membership at the conference for one year,
you'll receive a $10 coupon that you can use toward your membership
(at the conference only) or for purchasing our materials. Or...
> Renew or join for two years and receive either a $25 coupon that you
can use toward your membership (at the conference only) or the Drive
Thru History America DVD and student workbook, retailed at $50.00,
FREE. Please visit http://www.hslda.org/join/offers.asp for more
information. (This offer does not include the $10 gift certificate.)
If you are not yet an HSLDA member or know someone else who might be
interested in joining, these same offers are available for families
who join at the conference.
Additionally, if you bring someone to our table who joins at the
conference, we'll give you another $10 coupon for your
recommendation--which you can also apply toward membership (at the
conference only) or HSLDA products.
Please note that these offers are only valid at the conference. For
more information about the 15th Annual Valley Home Educators
Conference, please contact VHE at 209-303-3986,
leisa@valleyhomeeducators.org, or visit www.valleyhomeeducators.org .
We are keenly aware that our parental and homeschool freedoms are best
preserved when we all stand together to defend them. We look forward
to seeing you soon!
From HSLDA's California page: http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/ca/200807110.asp
Thank you for your continued prayers for the California homeschooling case, In re Rachel L. Last night, Mr. L’s attorney in the juvenile court reported to Home School Legal Defense Association that the juvenile court judge terminated jurisdiction over the two youngest L children in a hearing held on July 10, 2008. Mr. L is represented by Gary Kreep, who is the director of the California-based United States Justice Foundation, which has long been a close ally of HSLDA and homeschoolers in California.
Two years ago, the children’s court-appointed lawyers had asked that the two children be ordered to attend a school outside the home. That request became the basis for the court’s February ruling that homeschooling is illegal in California. The appellate court later vacated its own decision and set the case for rehearing. Oral argument on the rehearing was held on June 23, 2008 and a decision could be handed down at any time.
Mr. L’s appellate attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund will be making the appellate court aware of this new development immediately. They will move to dismiss the petition pending in the court of appeal on the ground that the petition is now moot. In other words, the children are no longer under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. Therefore, any decision by the appellate court based on the two-year-old petition could not be enforced against the L children.
“This is a significant favorable development toward preserving homeschooling freedom in California,” said Mike Farris, Chairman and Founder of HSLDA.
Every Christmas the Home School Foundation sends cards to those who have received assistance from the Foundation. This year HSF is hosting a special contest which gives homeschoolers (both students and teachers!) an opportunity to design the artwork for the Christmas greeting card. Entrants must choose from one of the following categories. You are limited to one entry per person; deadline is August 1.
Category 1: Christmas Memories Category 2: Seasonal Beauty of God’s Creation Category 3: Christ’s Birth—The First Christmas
Special Announcement: Liberty's Kids will air on HISTORYTM on weekday
mornings at 7am/6c!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Special Announcement: Liberty's Kids
Episodes air weekday mornings at 7am/6c!
Liberty's Kids is an animated series which offers a fresh and unique
perspective on the era of the American Revolution. Guided through the
colonies by a young British girl named Sarah, her politically engaged
friend James, a former slave named Moses, and a French boy named
Henri, viewers learn about this extraordinary era through the eyes of
these eager correspondents. Episodes in the popular cartoon series
span the years between 1773 and 1789, providing viewers with an
exciting way to travel through the Revolutionary era. Each half-hour
episode of Liberty's Kids focuses on an important chapter in the story
of the unfolding conflict between Britain and the newly-formed United
States, introducing the key events, people, and ideas that drove the
transformations of the Revolutionary years.
A lively duo of budding journalists, Sarah and James develop their own
opinions as they hear the important debates and see critical events
transpire on their journey through the streets of the revolutionary
colonies. Along the way, they learn about how and why issues with the
British crown reached a breaking point, and see how the promises of
American democracy were born. From the Boston Tea Party through the
Continental Congress and beyond, this series provides teachers and
students with an engaging window into the critical turning points of
these years. Through the commentary of Sarah, James and a host of
everyday characters and well-known leaders such as John Adams, Patrick
Henry, and Phillis Wheatley, viewers gain new insights into the chaos
and possibility in the air as the Revolution unfolded and the new
nation took shape.
Curriculum Links: Liberty's Kids would be useful building content background for social
studies, U.S. history, politics, and civics courses. Though it is
geared toward elementary and middle school viewers, high school
students and educators will also enjoy this series. Liberty's Kids
covers many of the key events and people of the American Revolutionary
era. Check your local TV listings for specific episode information.
All My Books is a wonder of wonders for the book lover. If you are like me then you have shelves and shelves, bookcases and bookcases of the written word in your home. How to keep track of all those jewels in one place? This is where All My Books fits in! It keeps track of your collection for you! Check out All My Books at http://www.bolidesoft.com/allmybooks.html for your book inventory software.
All My Books is an EASY book inventory software to use: All you have to type to get complete information about a book is to fill one of the fields - book title, author name or ISBN. Select the necessary book from the search results and all the information is before your eyes, including the book cover! This way you can add hundreds of books per hour! Then, all the advantages of the electronic book organizer become available - quick search, grouping and sorting by various fields, automatic calculation of statistical data and others.
I'm a mom of twelve and don't have a whole lot of time to keep track of my books and Audio CDs.. All My Books is about to change that. I won't rebuy the same book twice, I'll know who I lent a book to, and I can easily send my book list to a friend if needed. There is even a spot to note where your book is located. No more wondering, "Now where did I put that book?" You'll know! The possibilities are unlimited!
Easily download your book inventory software All My Books from http://www.bolidesoft.com/allmybooks.html for a free thirty day trial. If you love it like I think you will the cost is $34.95 or take advantage of their special offers!
About BOOK IT! Beginners BOOK IT! Beginners is a read-aloud program that builds reading-readiness skills and establishes an at-home reading routine by providing interactive classroom materials to teachers. These materials add an exciting, hands-on activity to read-aloud time.
A literacy activity with a strong parent component, BOOK IT! Beginners was established in 1998 and reaches over 1.7 million children.
In the Classroom
Teachers read to the children in their class at least 60 minutes a week during March and April. They write the name of each book they read – or the amount of time read – on an interactive cutout which children then place on the BOOK IT! Beginners poster. At the end of each four-week reading period, teachers present each of the children in their class with a Reading Award Certificate.
At Home
Children who are read to at home show more interest in books, have a higher vocabulary, and learn to read more easily. Teachers are encouraged to provide a supply of the cutouts for parents to use at home when they read aloud to their child to involve the family and establish an at-home reading routine that will continue into elementary school. Reading aloud cannot be done too early or too often!
At Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is proud of every BOOK IT! Beginner! The restaurant manager and team congratulate each child for listening to the teacher read and reward them with a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza and an “I’m a BOOK IT! Beginner” Activity Sticker Sheet on both visits.
Who is eligible for the BOOK IT! Program for homeschools?
Any student in grades K-6 (5 years old by September of current school year) that is homeschooled and does not attend any other educational facility.
What are the program dates for 2008-09?
October 1, 2008, through March 31, 2009.
When will the 2008-09 materials be shipped to enrolled homeschools?
Materials will arrive by early to mid-September.
Today my third son graduated from home schooling! For thirteen years we have "officially" been learning together. He is going to San Diego Christian College in the fall and went to their orientation today. That's three students down and nine to go.
Free Download: Marilyn's Favorite Character Qualities for Moms (See information at the end of this e-mail.) Featuring products developed by Rick & Marilyn Boyer, homeschool parents of 14.
We're making room for a ton of new products,
and we must clear some shelves!
Take advantage of incredibly low prices now
on top-quality books, toys, dolls, etc.
Only a few items are left in some categories,
and when they're gone—they're gone!
A Sampling of Clearance Items
• Mary Doll (and other Bible character dolls)
• Bug Jar Fill and Spill (and other activity books) • Children are a Gift Tote
• Chunky Construction Puzzle (and other puzzles)
• Construction Magnetic Board (and other magnetic boards)
• Growing Up a Country Boy (...Country Girl)
• Leaders in Action Series (and other biographies)
Check out the Boyer's Seminar Audios Section on our website
for Rick's and Marilyn's encouraging, practical workshops.
We are offering all remaining workshops on cassette for only $2 each,
such as these and more: • Home Education-What it's Done For our Family
• Reclaiming the American Vision • What about Socialization?
• What is an Education?
"That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments."
Psalm 78:6-7
By Marilyn Boyer
This is a list of character qualities that Marilyn has personalized to help her internalize the character qualities vital to being a good mom. If you don't understand the meaning of the character qualities, it's hard to know how to work on demonstrating it in your life. Use this list as a springboard to help you write your own to use in training your little ones to serve our wonderful Savior!
