We are giving away a Schoolhouse Planner at the HSBA site! Dianne gave her review of it there, and you can read my review of it also. I am so glad to have my laptop back in working order, because now I can use my Planner!!
Here is the lo-down about the giveaway:
“The creators of The Schoolhouse Planner have generously offered to give away one copy of this fantastic planner! Simply leave a comment here, and be sure to include an email address or contact information if your name isn’t a link (if you win and we can’t contact you, we’ll have to draw another entrant).
Want another chance to win? Post about the review on your blog and link back to this post. Feel free to grab a copy of the image to include in your post. Leave us another comment, complete with link, letting us know your post is up.
This giveaway is open until Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 10:00 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time). The winner will be announced here Wednesday morning.”
Mr Walley is a very interesting British author. He has been to some interesting places and held some interesting jobs, as well! I would encourage you to please read her posts and enter her contest!
I am very proud of all she has done to set up this interview and book giveaway.
It is super easy to enter!
All you have to do is put her icon on your blog and LEAVE A COMMENT on her giveaway post.
I am currently planning this next year, as I am sure you are too!
We will be starting our a study on the Biblical Holidays by Heart of Wisdom, which will run through the entire year and also be a part of our Bible Study.
The girls will continue to work on Polished Cornerstones as a devotional study, and I am also going to have Eric, our only older boy, work on Plants Grown Up and also Created For Work as a daily devotional and projects.
Most of our learning will consist of our normal, everyday life, which is the best learning. Home Keeping, Cooking, taking care of our blessings, lawn care, animal husbandry, organizing, the list goes on and on…. I have a term for this: Living Learning Moments. That is our basis for our homeschool. Obviously, it is an ‘eclectic’ learning method!
We are planning to use several In the Hands of A Child Project Packs (lapbooks) for everyone to work together.
The ones we will be using are: Plants (science), Cowboys (history and FUN!), and American Government (history and to coincide with the Elections).
I also have a Knowledge Box Central EBook: Presidential Election Process, that will go great with that, as well as another product I got to review from Learning with Weblinks: America’s 50 States. Other books we will be using are the Uncle Eric books: Whatever Happened To Penny Candy?, Whatever Happened To Justice?, and Economics.
One thing I am really excited about is Spanish! We have learned some Latin together before, but most of the kids were too young to participate, so this is going to be fun! Those 6 years of High School and college Spanish classes will really come in handy! Of course, some of my fondest memories are of our family sitting around the table when I was younger, quizzing on the Spanish numbers, weeks of the days, etc. That was also how I learned my states and capitals!
For their individual workbooks, I am reviewing some Kumon workbooks, and I plan to have Hannah and Isaac start with those. Other than that, we are using A Beka for Handwriting, Math and Language for Hannah (8) and Isaac(5 -who will not officially be ‘in school’, but learning all the same!). Eric and Rachel will be doing review together so that I can see where they really are. I do have A Beka Arithmetic/Mathematics books for them to work out of.
Amanda, Jocelyn, Rachel, Eric, and Hannah will also be blogging assignments for Growing in Grace Magazine and/or their personal blogs. It is a great experience in research and writing, presenting a topic to the public, and dealing with comments and criticism.
I also have two shelves of Reading List Books, one for High School and one for everyone else. They are welcome to get a book and read it and mark it off the list when they are through.
So, as you plan, what do you already have planned or in the works for your 2008-2009 school year? What are some of your favorite group studies and individual curriculum? Did you post about it on your blog?
I received an email from a Mom who is considering homeschooling her two sons. She, like the rest of us, wants the best for her children in the least expensive way possible!
Hi Jacque,
My husband and I are considering homeschooling our younger two boys. Hunter going into 5th grade and Daniel going into 7th grade. Currently I am looking for any way to do this cheaply. I would have loved to use the A Beka DVD series but we just can’t afford that per month. I have been teaching for 4 years a Christian school and my boys were going there. I taught a combination class of 3rd and 4th graders so I am familiar with A Beka curriculum.
Any tips on how to acquire curriculum cheaply?
If you can give me some great ideas about how you homeschool cheaply, with great resources, let the ideas fly!! If you would prefer to Email Me, that is fine too!
Here are mine:
First of all, if you know the LORD, trust Him to lead you.
Ask Him to guide your decisions and show you ways to homeschool your family. He is concerned with them and you and your relationships - your sanity! - and does want to be a part of these decisions!
Homeschool them in the same subjects you can together.
A lot of times, doing a unit study of a topic, using the same books and movies or crafts is a great way to not have to buy separate textbooks. What can you teach together as unit studies??
Buy non-consumable textbooks.
We use Saxon for some of our children, and then we pass it down as necessary. Some workbooks we have them write in, but some of them they copy out of.
Make up your own worksheets and curriculum.
Honestly, anyone can do a google search and find resources and information on a specific topic. Children can even do their own research on safe sites after a certain age and can certainly read topic-specific books and articles and write reports to learn about them. Here is an example of what I am talking about: Gardening 101 - You *Can* Teach Your Children!!
Teach out of the Bible.
There are many truths and a lot of history in the Bible. The Word is so precious and can sustain you for an entire year if you wish it to.
Teach life skills.
Life will last a lot longer than school days, and it is so important to equip our children to live in the world and with others. Life skills is not really a class, but a mindset. It is ok to stop and take time out of a day to talk about or include your child in your everyday jobs around the home. It is important that they learn a good work ethic and how to care for a home and family.
Buy on EBay.
A lot of times homeschoolers purchase something they loved, only to find it didn’t fit them or they didn’t have time for it. I have built up my homeschool resources library on EBay.
Stick with something you trust and love.
If it works for you, don’t change it. I am saying this because it is easier to use a curriculum you know and love instead of spending time and money looking for something else. We used to use all A Beka. Now we are eclectic in our approach, but I still buy the math workbooks and some grammar for the Littles from A Beka. It works for us.
Look into several different homeschool approaches/methods,
and choose what will fit your family lifestyle and philosophy best. There are many ideas out there and resources online that are free using these approaches. Some that come to mind are:
There are many sites that allow you to use their resources for free. Search the internet and see what fits you. Some of my favorite FREE Resources are from:
Donna Young’s site is so awesome, you can find so much there! She has a lot of organization resources for mom, but also a lot of worksheets for use with textbooks in Math, History, Science, English, Handwriting and Art.
For new homeschoolers, Donna also has:
Homeschool Math has free worksheets and information on free resources and math books.
Google search “free homeschool resources“, and you will find pages and pages.
Become and Affiliate
with online stores you love and trust. You can earn credit and sometimes cash with them by referring people to their sites.
I explained that a bit in my TOS article. Basically, I read and correct and teach them from writing assignments they publish on their blogs, but there is so much more to it. There are also so many ways to work it. I am working on setting up my site to add more information to it. It has opened up doors for graphic design and web design. Amazing! and, we all learned HTML by designing our Homeschoolblogger blog templates. Jocelyn is now proficient enough in CSS to design blogs and just finished upgrading her blog version.
Use your local library.
We use ours for the books as well as videos and DVDs. I do not, however, let my younger children (and I mean 14 and under) go there very often. The books on display in the children’s and youth section alone are mostly inappropriate. Most of the videos are definitely inappropriate. They do not go down those aisles. A couple of great things about the library are their inter-library loans, where you can borrow resources from other libraries through yours, and also access from my own computer to their database. I can search for resources and request them and not spend time searching at the library. We rarely have our children on library computers, and, as I said, never the younger ones. We have been thoroughly disgusted at what adults and children are allowed to view and play online just a few feet from another computer user.
Make up a schedule or a plan.
As with all things in life, homeschooling economicallyworks better with a schedule or a plan. You won’t feel like you are lost and have to buy something - anything - and make an unwise purchase you will later regret.
Buy things at a convention or display with a discount.
A Beka does local homeschool displays where the shipping is free. It saves me at least $50 if I drive to it, and also gives me the opportunity to check out the products and make sure they are in line with where my children are in their studies.
Get on some mailing/email lists.
Don’t get me wrong: I do not like junk mail. However, if you are looking at a product, it is a good thing to know when they are having a sale or there are discounted items you may be able to purchase.
Have a homeschool budget.
Plan to buy. Work it out with your husband/wife how much you can reasonably sock away to use when you find something at a good price. Sometimes our children work through what we planned earlier than expected, and we will want to purchase something at an off-time. A budget ensures that you won’t be taking away from your household budget, and it won’t appear to be a burden (which it isn’t).
Subscribe to reputable a homeschool magazine, like The Old Schoolhouse.
A subscription isn’t exactly free, but for what you get in 4 issues a year is definitely a wise purchase for your homeschool. There are many encouraging articles, tons of homeschooling information, and it is a great way to read up on and “meet” other homeschooling families. There are always free tips and ideas, and many times a free unit study. You can also get their digital version, which is a great deal too!
Subscribe to and read homeschool blogs.
Find like-minded homeschool families - bloggers and familiarize yourself with what works for them. Most homeschool bloggers will readily tell you what they use in their homeschool. A blog is a great tool, in that it allows you to search what they have already written about their favorite curriculum. You will certainly glean a lot of information and find some ideas that will work great for your family. If you find a blog you like, a good way to find like-minded bloggers is to check out what blogs they read. Those are usually listed on their sidebar.
Read homeschool sites
like The Front Porch and Homeschool Blog Awards for tips, contests, resource reviews and homeschool-related articles to find out more about homeschooling and the homeschool community.
Holy cow! Have we been so busy for the past week! We have so many things to do for the trip, and our grass will surely be a jungle when we get back! There is laundry to prepare, food to eat to clean out the fridge, and still potatoes and onions to plant. Ugh…
I can only imagine what people will think when they see all ten of us packed into the van, piling out at gas stations, into stores and just driving along. It is a lot of planning and work, but any trip is.
Here is some planning info to share and log for future reference:
The Fort Wayne Homeschool Expo is this weekend. We weren’t planning to go, but is anyone else?? We can go. We only live about 20m away. Here is a link to the info: Fort Wayne Expo.
Friday, May 16, 2007 starting at 6pm
There is a preview that will be held at First Assembly of God Church from 6- 9 p.m. Workshops are also being planned.
Parents will actually be sharing their own materials, and there will be informations sessions.
Saturday, May 17, 2007 8a-5p
Memorial Coliseum. Curriculum fair with many workshops.
The registration fees for the Expo Preview and Resource Expo are as follows: Adults and Teens - $3.00, Children (ages 3-12) - $1.00, Children two and under -free, maximum charge per family - $10.00. Those who attend the Expo Preview will be given a free pass to Saturday’s Expo. Parking fees at the Memorial Coliseum are $4.00 per vehicle.
They also have a list of vendors on the site.
If you are a seasoned homeschooler or a new one or even thinking about homeschooling, it would be a good way for you to check into it and meet some homeschoolers in our area.
My friend Robin has a blog with other homeschooling information for homeschooling and homeschooling in Indiana.
Anyone else planning to go? I might be persuaded….
blessings~
Join Growing in Grace Magazine for Girls in honoring Moms! GGM is a one of a kind Bible-believing online magazine for girls! It is designed to inspire girls to live a virtuous life. Our team of authors are Christian girls under the leadership of our moderators, some of them being their own mothers. They are zealous in bringing God's Word to the girls of today and each reader has the opportunity to communicate their uplifting thoughts about the articles.
GGM is a unique place where the readers can ask questions about the articles and receive further admonishment from their peers. Finding a good, godly place for girls to study God's Word is very difficult in today's world. Many girls wonder if they are the last girl in the world who still wants to live a pure life, but at GGM they'll find that they're not alone. Their articles cover a wide range of topics applicable to girls today from peer pressure, purity, family life, beauty, health, and much more.
**More Prizes Added**
We have updated our Mother Daughter giveaway and added some prizes for the winner. Please be sure to contact us with your entry by this coming Saturday, April 26th!
ggmphotosubmissions@gmail.com
Growing in Grace Magazine wants to honor Christian mothers and daughters in May for Mother's Day! We'll be planning a special article just for this occasion and here's what we would like to do:
-Send us your best photo of mother with daughter(s).
-Girls: Tell us what makes YOUR mom so special.
-Photos may be of you doing something together, participating in a favorite hobby, or just a still pose. Your choice.
We'll choose one winning article to be featured in May's issue, but all participants photos will be featured in honor of your moms.
Please contact us and we'll send you a permission form to complete for using your photo.
All mothers with daughters 18 or younger may apply. Three/four generation photos are also accepted.
Edited to add: Deadline for submissions is April 26th!!!!
We also have a lovely little goody basket full of stationary (note pad, scrapbooking stickers, shopping list pad, pink note cards, Mary Engelbreit Journal, and garden note cards), a $5 Starbuck's gift card, a Semi-Precious Stone heart charm necklace with additional charms, AND that's not all!
You'll also get a KJV New Testament pocket Bible, and a fun book for mom, 'Death of a Six Foot Teddy Bear'. A fun little book on Girlfriends 'Moments of connection'
A Season's Best Recipe cookbook from Pampered Chef.
Also you'll get a Strawberry and a Cherry Lip Balm from Burt Bee's, as well as their Mini Lotion kit.
Prize Package valued at approx. $100
**If you are a vendor and would like to donate prize(s) for our winner, please contact us.
Contest for US mainland residents only
This is a wonderful way to show your mom and the whole world how much your mother means to you. Please pass this news onto your friends and invite others to join us. Here are two graphics you may use:
BUT WAIT! There's more! If you blog about this on your sites and send us the link to your entries, we'll enter your name FOR EACH BLOG you post this on, into the drawing. So help spread the word for a greater chance to win!
Last year, Jocelyn told me that she had been talking to Heather Sprittibee about the Homeschool Blog Awards site, and all of the exciting things Heather had planned for it. She wanted it to be more than just the blog awards site. Heather had planned to have daily columns like a magazine and was hoping it woud be more of a year-round site, rather than the site that was only busy for the three months of the blog awards.
Heather came up with different ideas to cover different things, like Memo Monday, Tuesday Tour, Winner Wednesday, Thursday Thoughts, and Foto Friday. Her plan was great and would make the site a homeschool resource that many homeschoolers could enjoy and be encouraged by. I can't imagine the time that Heather put into planning and gathering writers to support her in the site. I think it has been almost a year that Amanda, Jocelyn and I joined her and the team at HSBA to write.
A lot of things have happened in the past year on HSBA. We are now working with a new team, but the core team from the end of the '07 Blog Awards is still on board, and I cannot tell you the impact these Godly women have made on me and on my daughters in the past year. They are real friends. Friends I can talk to. Friends who will help and who will pray. They are wonderful wives, moms and homeschoolers.
Dawn, from My Home Sweet Home, owns her own blog design company, Barefoot Blog Designs. She has completely redesigned the site and updated our wordpress, which has been wonderful. We are now hosted by Paul at ShatteringWindows.com, and I know that Dawn worked relentlessly to get the new site in order as soon as possible. Paul was a great help in administrating all of that with her. I know that Amanda and Jocelyn worked with Dawn and some of the other ladies as we made the final changes. The new site is really beautiful. We have something I am going to have when I get my wp blog on my site all done, and that is a template switcher. The new template is warm and cozy and inviting. Dawn did a beautiful job, and I really appreciate all of her hard work.
We have added some new writers in the past month too. Our new team members may not be new to you. I am personally well-acquainted with two of them. They are two of my very good friends. I have known Christina for almost two years. I met her here at HSB, and she has become a very dear friend to not just me but our family. We talk almost every day, even if it is just to see how each other is doing. We have spoken and prayed together many times on IM and on the phone. I love her dearly. SisterLisa is a friend I just met within the past year, and she surprised me one day with an email asking if the girls and I would be interested in creating an online girls magazine dedicated to upholding the standards of God's Word and differentiating it from the world. There is not one like it, and we are glad to she asked us to join her and be a part of it. She is a very sweet Christian wife and mom, and we have become fast friends since we pushed our first GGM issue out in February in just 2 weeks!
De'Etta, Susan, and Marybeth are three others who have joined us, and I look forward to getting to know them better. De'Etta has joined us on our Yahoo Group, and I have been enjoying getting to know her too.
I think you will find that the Authors on HSBA are fulfilling the motto of Encouraging, Informing and Connecting the Homeschool Community! Go on over and check it out!
blessings!
This week I am writing for the Homeschool Blog Awards site. I have compiled a small list of some of the almost 6000 yahoo groups listed under Homeschooling. There is something for everybody. DeEtta left a comment saying that they move often, and online homeschool groups have provided the bulk of support for her. Click on over to
As per Homeschool.com, below is a list of the Top 100 Educational Websites of 2008 from and email I received tonight.
You'll find websites with:
online quizzes,
printable worksheets,
free online books
online Spanish lessons and reading lessons
online games for extra practice with math facts, state capitals, etc.
science lessons you listen to online, and
free online lessons and lesson plans for every subject
After reviewing thousands of websites, the following sites have been selected as Homeschool.com's Top 100 Web Sites for 2008. These websites contain some of the best educational content on the Internet today. Best of all, almost all of these sites are free or have free sections.
The scoop on me: Believer for 20 years; married 19 years; 8 children so far, hoping for more; live on a great hobby farm, with 7 goats, 2 dogs and 68 chickens. Oh, and 1 bathroom. That's always fun. :)
The scoop on our homeschool: Bible-first, Living Learning Moments, meaning if it happens, it's a lesson. We learn life! How long have we been homeschooling? Well, our oldest is 18. How much longer do we have to go? Well, our youngest is almost 1. We love it and wouldn't have it any other way.
Jeremiah 6:16
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
Adam walked in the Garden with God. He talked with him. God was his companion. Yet, that did not complete man. God's plan was different. Even as Adam walked with God, God saw a need in his new creation. God met that need with a woman.
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Let us turn from the current 'pop-culture-christianity' society we live in and get back to the Word.
*************************
Proverbs 16:9
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
******************
*
The Bible *
* is NOT *
* a fiction book *
******************
Keep their hearts. If you don't have their hearts, take note and re-capture their hearts!
Don't let the seeds sown by the ideal of today's youth culture ruin the glorious plans God has for your child.
Satan wants him. Your child is a jewel in Christ's crown, and satan wants him. Train him as such.
You want him more. So does the Lord.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Our School 2007-2008: How We Learn:
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Mom
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*Early morning coffee-time to include:
* Bible Reading
* Prayer: for Husband, children
* Planning
*Reading to Littles
*Time to snuggle
*Computer Time
*Time with older children
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Everyone
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*Love God and Family
*Bible Reading
*Self-discipline
*Proper Manners
*Polished Cornerstones or Plants Grown Up
*Art: sketching, coloring, painting
*Cooking
*Caring for animals
*Arithmetic
*scrapbooking, notebooking
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Teaching the Littles
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*Love God and Family
*Self-discipline
*Proper Manners
*Cooking
*Caring for animals
*Arithmetic
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Fun For Littles
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*Playing Cards - War
*Chalk and chalk board
*modeling clay, a cutting board and a plastic knife
*Counting chocolate chips
*folding laundry - towels are easy
*paper and pencil
*helping to make cookies
*rolling out dough (playing with the flour)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Teaching the Middles
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*Self-discipline
*Cooking and Baking
*Sewing
*Feed and Care of Goats and Chickens
*Mathematics
*Reading Literature
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ High School
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*Daily Bible Study
*Home Economics:Hospitality and the Art of Life
*Writing Essays
*Blogging
*Writing E-books
*Making up unit studies
*Literature: Foreign and American
*Life Skills
*Algebra
*Biology
*American History and Government
*Computer Technology & Web Design
*Reading Homeschool books
*Business Skills
*Spanish
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Deuteronomy 6:1-13
1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
“The creators of The Schoolhouse Planner have generously offered to give away one copy of this fantastic planner! Simply leave a comment here, and be sure to include an email address or contact information if your name isn’t a link (if you win and we can’t contact you, we’ll have to draw another entrant).
Mr. Chris Walley graciously answered Amanda’s Interview Questions. You should read them.
