Oct. 22, 2009 - Scheduled Blessings
I was talking to someone tonight and made a comparison that I haven't before, at least to my knowledge, but it's one I feel is true. In a nutshell it is this: As budgets are to freedom, so is a schedule to a homeschool family.
Before going on a budget a person feels certain it will be constraining; they are fearful, resentful even, but deep down they know that they ought to be on one to effectively manage their finances. It's just a fact, when records are kept and amounts are set, we know where the dollars are going more. Unless there is always plenty of money and we never have to think about it, having this information is a great stress reliever. Gone are the concerns in the store of, "Can I afford this? I wonder if my husband will be mad?" Life is simpler and more pleasant with limits. We see this with small children and it is true for adults as well.
Schedules are basically budgets for our time, and they work in just the same way. If we are discontent with school, I contend that it is very often linked to a lack of a schedule. Becoming an educated person takes consistency, diligence, and fortitude, and providing for that takes all of that plus good old grit and determination. As teachers, we have to be adults about the matter and do what needs doing whether we feel like it or not. We have to train those in our care to do the same. Without these skills, we will not enable our children to reach their fullest potential.
Slacking off as an adult, after we've received degrees, had careers, and accepted Christ is one thing, but it is an ENTIRELY different matter to children whose lives are being shaped by everything we say, do and subtly model. There are studies that show children who go to bed at an early, consistent time thrive academically, and it's my belief that schedules bring about the same result. Attitude, of the mother, is about 90% of the issue. Children can see when they can work us over, and if we've allowed them to develop habits that resent hard work or just give up when the going gets tough, we can be sure that it will not be easy to turn the direction of our schools if we decide to go from loose to structured. It's similar to a parent who doesn't spank their child but around age 3 realizes they should have been. The battles will be far greater for that poor mother than for her counterpart that began at the first sign of defiance. The same is true for making and keeping a schedule. It is not easy, but the rewards are great, and once you get one made up and stick to it the vast majority of the time, contentment will follow.
So, just what are some rewards of a routine?
- The mother doesn't waste time fretting over what she 'should' have gotten to, day in and day out.
- The children expect to do a certain amount of work each day, eliminating debate and discussion on that matter (which wastes time and drains a mother's energy).
- More free time for the mother, by this I am referring to NOT having to constantly figure out what to do the next day
- True free time for the child (time "off" isn't couched in a feeling or setting of "we really should be doing more work, but go ahead out and play", or playtime followed by dinner, followed by work that should have been done hours prior)
- Spontaneous breaks, or changes in schedule for a day, are ok because the mother can immediately see what has been accomplished up until that point in time.
- It eliminates a built in excuse, which isn't a valid one, for why the school year just didn't go as mom wanted, AGAIN.
- It can save a family a lot of money. When a schedule is built around curriculum, the mom is more likely to follow through with her selection. The flip side is this-no schedule so the curriculum is more subjective. It often gets looked at as "sub par", so mom spends lots of time and money researching something better. The secret is, there is nothing perfect. There is usually always room for improvement, but is a mom's time being used as wisely as it can be if she is devoting hours of time evaluating rather than TEACHING? As Yvonne Bunn says, "Anything works if the mother does." I believe this wholeheartedly.
- Helps mom get time with each of her children instead of just the oldest.
In closing, I think a lie that many homeschool mom's have bought into is that it's just going to be chaotic and that excellence can't happen. It can happen. It happens by not packing the day's too full, by not running out of the house too often, by focusing on teaching during school hours (no phone, no internet, no tv), and by taking the responsibility seriously. Sacrifice of "me" time is a total given when you are a homeschooling mother. We simply can't work a bunch of that in from 8-4 and expect to be effective. Children need our attention and direction, and eliminating distractions will help everyone perform better.
So, mom's, roll up your sleeves, get a good night's rest (talking to myself here!), and start fresh tomorrow! It's a new day, and we decide how it's going to be--not the kids!
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Oct. 21, 2009 - Progress Report
It's about time for me to do a progress report on where we are and where it looks like we'll end up by May 1. I like to have the bulk of our work finished by that date since the weather is lovely. As often, I'm contemplating breaking for much of April and doing that work starting in July, but let's face it, it's unlikely. When the kids were younger I could do that easier, but now people like to swim at the pool when it's hot. I'm really trying to get a year-round perspective on learning, especially with math and reading, so summer will not be such a brain drain.
So, where are we right now with our curriculum? I'll figure out where we'll end up in spring if we keep this pace later on, so this is a necessary part of my fall....
We're going back over Bob Jones' catechism this year, adding the Scripture references. The girls have notebooks for this, but Forest is just listening and reciting. This is in addition to a worldview catechism they do orally. We're only on number 3 for BJ but we're farther with the worldview one, number 21.
Victor Journey Through the Bible-The Plagues, page 58-59/401 pages-why the author didn't number the subject matter is beyond me and extremely annoying since each subject is not 2 pages...some are only 1...basically, I have no idea when we'll finish this book because I'm not about to count all the topics. While this book has given tons of overlap with MOH and the Veritas Timeline cards we've memorized, sometimes it is too repetitive and not as well written as I'd prefer. It is rare for me to negatively critique something that I do recommend, but if they'd said Moses married Zipporah one more time, we were going to have a problem.
Mystery of History-Lesson 16/108, love this resource
Rose will start her new Saxon math on Oct 26th. She's on track with CC for memory work, IEW, EEL (Eng Grammar/Writing), and Latin. I'm forever grateful for the consistency and accountability external groups like CC and online Latin provide. She is reading off a list of classics compiled by Daddy, and is reading A Beka's readers and CLP's, moving right along with those. Her handwriting is improving steadily, cursive and manuscript, and she is learning to type. Violin and piano are going well. Editor in Chief is ok for Eng grammar help but I want Daily Grams and we need more Daily Word Problems. Science Detective is pretty good, not great.
Willow is on lesson 76/170 in A Beka math. She has 8 lessons remaining in her current Rod & Staff Bible Nurture Series book (level 1 units 2,3), and has 29 more stories in Bob Jones' 1-1 reading book. She is learning cursive and still working on manuscript. She's almost through with her AWANA book for the year. We periodically do Mind Benders and Spider Riddles for thinking skills. We need to be sure and do the word problems A Beka provides.
Forest has finished 2 of his skill workbooks and is going along well in his K-1 math readiness book. He loves to sit and do bookwork, probably because it's what he's grown up watching. He is enjoying CC and has memorized quite a bit.
We are all spending a lot less time on CC this year, mainly because everything else is taking so much time, but I think we're doing alright. I have felt inadequate with the geography all year and find that frustrating.
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Oct. 6, 2009 - Do You Have to Do A Notebook?
It seems everyone and every resource suggests putting together a tidy science notebook when you are studying. Make illustrations, color photocopies, write paragraphs, glue/paste diagrams together, perhaps do some haiku on a caterpillar. This all sounds so great and I can absolutely see how being able to look back on a photograph of our cell diagram would have much meaning and be a wonderful record. But, it's just enough for me that we're doing anything at all extra with science, beyond CC that is. We read and occassionally do a project to bring a point home. So far we've done 3 enrichment activities with science, though we've read many more days than that. I'd love a notebook, but honestly, I can't see how I'd pull that together along with everything else we're doing. My bottom line goal is to instill a biblical worldview in my children, and that happens by reading during school hours and talking, watching a good movie like Planet Earth at night and talking, discussing God's amazing plan with the details of Joseph's life and how that relates to them after we've read Victor Journey Through the Bible....I just don't know that I could balance a fabulous project this year. Baby steps...we're moving forward, so maybe next year I can do all we're doing plus have a visual record to flip through of what we've done. It would be nice.
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Feb. 16, 2009 - Important HSLDA Invitation
You Are Invited to Attend
"Parental Rights in the 21st Century:
Where Are We Now, and Where Are We Headed"
A Conference Offered by The Center for Continuing Legal Education at
Patrick Henry College
February 20th 2008
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$60/Day for HSLDA Members and Friends to Audit.
lunch included
RSVP to 540-338-8702
or Our Registration Page
at www.phc.edu/cle
By 2/17/09
Speakers
Dr. Martin Guggenheim, Professor of Clinical Law, New York University
School of Law
"Parental Rights: Some Reasons for Conservatives to Support and Fear
Them"
One of the nation's foremost experts on children's rights and family
law, Dr. Guggenheim has taught at NYU School of Law since 1973. He has
also been an active litigator in these areas, and has argued leading
cases on juvenile delinquency and termination of parental rights before
the Supreme Court of the United States. Also a published author, his
most recent book What's Wrong with Children's Rights was published by
Harvard University Press.
Michael P. Farris, Chancellor, Professor of Government, Patrick Henry
College
"Troxel v Granville: Lower Court Developments"
"UN Convention on the Rights of the Child"
Chancellor of Patrick Henry College, and Founder and Chairman of Home
School Legal Defense Association, Michael Farris has used his extensive
experience in both politics and appellate litigation to defend parental
rights. As a constitutional attorney, Mr. Farris has argued before the
United States Supreme Court, as well as numerous lower courts. Most
recently, he has founded ParentalRights.org, an organization seeking to
pass a Constitutional Amendment protecting parents' rights to raise
their children as they see fit.
Mat Staver, Dean, Professor of Law, Liberty University School of Law
"Is the Hybrid Right Available for Religious Parents?"
Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, as well as Dean and Professor
of Law at Liberty University School of Law, Mat Staver holds the highest
AV rating given to attorneys by Martindale-Hubbell, and is board
certified in Appellate Practice. Practicing mostly Constitutional Law,
Mr. Staver has argued twice before the Supreme Court as lead counsel,
as well as writing numerous briefs for the High Court. He has also
published hundreds of articles on Constitutional Law, along with his ten
books, which include the most comprehensive book on religious freedom
ever written, titled Eternal Vigilance: Knowing and Protecting Your
Religious Rights.
Lynne Marie Kohm, Professor of Family Law, Regent University School of
Law
"History of the Best Interest Standard"
The John Brown McCarty Professor of Family Law at Regent University
School of Law, Lynne Kohm was honored with the Chancellor's Award for
Faculty Excellence in 2005 for her work defending marriage and training
lawyers in family restoration. A prolific author, she has published on
legal areas of concern to families, including marriage, women, children,
and families. Prior to teaching, Mrs. Kohm practiced law in New York,
concentrating in the areas of family law, estate planning, probation
administration, and real estate.
Steven Fitschen, Research Professor of Law, Regent University School of
Law
"Can Parental Rights be Recast as Procedural Due Process Rights?"
Research Professor of Law at Regent University School of Law, Steven
Fitschen is also the President of the National Legal Foundation, a
public interest law firm. Fitschen is also the founder of the Minuteman
Institute, the NLF's in-house think tank. Previously, Mr. Fitschen
worked at the American Center for Law and Justice in a number of
different positions. He is also a widely published author, having
written books, papers, pamphlets, and law review articles, including his
article Impeaching Federal Judges: A Covenantal and Constitutional
Response to Judicial Tyranny, which was cited twenty-five times at the
House Clinton Impeachment Hearings in 1999. He has also submitted
written testimony to both the United States Senate and the House of
Representatives.
The Center for Continuing Legal Education at Patrick Henry College
1 Patrick Henry Circle
Purcellville, VA 20132
540.338.8702
cle@phc.edu
www.phc.edu/cle
________________________________
The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:
Home School Legal Defense Association * P.O. Box 3000 * Purcellville,
Virginia 20134-9000
Phone: (540) 338-5600 * Fax: (540) 338-2733 * Email: info@hslda.org
Web: http://www.hslda.org
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: FOUO
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Feb. 10, 2009 - Where Are We With School?
I've been writing this blog since 2003 I think. The purpose ebbs and flows as do my topics. For a while, recently, I was writing daily to gain more of a following, but now most of my posts are visible to just me, though some I'll post for others to see. I guess what I'm saying is, I hope you'll stop by every now and again to see if there is anything helpful here, but don't expect daily updates anymore! If you have food allergy questions, just send me a note through this blog and I'll write back as soon as I can.
-Ann
February 10, 2009 checkpoint. Classical Conversations Cycle 3, week 17.
Willow 5yrs-
- Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Lessons; 77 was yesterday, I think we are finished with this book now
- Phonics Road to Spelling and Reading level 1, wk 3 day 1
- Phonics Plus level K, one page
- Mind Bender
- Rod and Staff Bible, lesson 50
- catechism (Do I Know God's Creation, no. 9)
- Handwriting
- A Beka 1st gr., lesson 20
- Timeline, review all weeks
- Foundations wk 17
- AWANA-learning about Amy Carmichael
- Fold and put away laundry
- Read Sing,Spell, Read and Write aloud, book 3
Rose 7yrs-
- Saxon lesson 59, finally!
- catechism, same as Willow
- Foundations wk 17
- Foundations review 15-17, written
- Mind Bender (logic)
- Bob Jones Bible 4, Unit 3 Part 2 Lesson 4 (read aloud)
- Piano practice and lessons
- Spelling test
- AWANA
- Reading Detective 16(comprehension)
- Essentials of the English Language (EEL)-copy 2 sheets
- TASK sheet (EEL)
- Empty dishwasher
Forest (3) didn't get to do any one on one work today, though he did sit during catechism, Willow's Bible (and he also colored the corresponding page), and Foundations. His big goal right now is to learn the words to The End of the Beginning by David Phelps.It's his day to set and clear the table at meals as well, plus get drinks.
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Feb. 9, 2009 - Spelling Solution
I've labored over what to do for spelling this year. Many of you know this. The fact that I'm still telling you this and it's February is quite sad. 
I'm getting our lists from here. And I'm just going to share the rule from the Beer's rule tunes and this list.
I'm really big on having the rules be a part of whatever we are doing. A friend shared her wonderful sheets with the Spalding letter combinations so we can put the appropriate words on them, so I think I'll be building this curriculum this year and possibly next.
Dictation is so important, and we only do one simple sentence per day. Do you use something special for this?
