These are from Easy Homeschooling Techniques.. see more in the book!

Nancy Greer
F.U.N. News and Books

Include your children in your work if you can. They will learn lots of
importantskillsthatmanyadultsdon’thave.Ourchildrenhave
learned that if the business phone rings, they need to do a
quietactivity.Wemakesurethatcrayons,paper,etc.
are in a child-reachable spot. Let your child do
as much as is safe. Our son can prepare his own
breakfast and lunch if needed. He’s proud of it, and he’s learning important
skills. Also—you’re going to have to decide what’s important.
If you work, something else is going to have to give. Maybe the laundry
piles up some, or you don’t dust as often. You may be able to do
everythingforawhile,butyoursanityorhealthwillsuffereventually.

Beth Nieman
Librarian, Carlsbad, NM

On days when I work, I cook supper right after breakfast! I work evenings,
so I’m not home for supper. My family likes casseroles, chilis,
lasagna, stews and similar items. I bake the main course in the morning
and start a loaf of bread in my bread machine, timing it so that the
bread will be done when my family is ready for supper. Sometimes I
prepare salad or dessert as well. I put a portion of whatever I’ve made
aside to take with me for my dinner break, and put the rest in the
refrigerator for my family to heat and eat. I still get to enjoy cooking,
we save money by eating out less, my family gets a hot meal every
night, and there’s no pressure on my husband to fix dinner when he is
tiredafterwork.

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James Russell Lowell was the child of a minister and grew up in a beautiful home, Elmwood, in Cambridge. His first companions were the books of their library. When fifteen, he entered Harvard, where it is said, he read everything except the assigned works. He studied law, married a socially active woman and became more involved in antislavery.

Sir Launfal was published in 1848.

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The Easy Homeschooling method is based on using classic literature for your core curriculum. How do you do this? It is so simple. Just let the literature take you to the other subjects. It is something like a untt study but so much simpler and less costly. We will look at some ideas gleaned from a passage from Lowell’s poem, “The Vision of Sir Launfal.”

Other poems from Lowell for copywork.

Read Prelude to Part First
Excerpt: (highlighted are areas for subject study, to be explained later)

And what is so rare as a day in June?
   Then, if ever, come perfect days;
Then Heaven tries the earth if it be in tune,
   And over it softly her warm ear lays:
Whether we look, or whether we listen,
We hear life murmur, or see it glisten;
Every clod feels a stir of might,
   An instinct within it that reaches and towers,
And, grasping blindly above it for light,
   Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;
The flush of life may well be seen
   Thrilling back over hills and valleys;
The cowslip startles in meadows green,
   The buttercup catches the sun in its chalice,
And there ’s never a leaf or a blade too mean
   To be some happy creature’s palace;
The little bird sits at his door in the sun,
   Atilt like a blossom among the leaves,
And lets his illumined being o’errun
   With the deluge of summer it receives;
His mate feels the eggs beneath her wings,
And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings;
He sings to the wide world, and she to her nest,

In the nice ear of Nature which song is the best?

The bolded give you topics for further study.

SCIENCE and ART

June: study seasons and seasonal changes. You can find books on every topic at the library.

Named flowers: Look them up, sketch, find Latin names.

Birds: Do a general bird study: habits, habitats, etc.

WRITING

Copy this poem, also have your child write an original nature poem.

Seek the leads in literature. Then follow them for more complete learning.

See Easy Homeschooling Techniques for more easy ideas.

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This is an excerpt from the nature devotional, Fields with God.

Weekend!

The weather has been cooling and rainy for the past few days so I’ve had to have my quiet time indoors, but after the strong wind all night and with the sunshine today, I test the porches. The breeze is from the south, so I choose the north porch (it actually wraps around the northwest corner). Here I am not only protected from the wind, but there is sunshine from the east. It is wonderful to be here.

I missed being outdoors. I have been so busy with last-minute book production, that I have been under some stress. But now, I decide to drop it and not pick it up again. I also drop my pen . . . for even this notetaking could be defined as work whenone is a writer.
It is restoration time.

I walk away from my pen and notebook, down the hill to the stone bench. Just me, the wide sky and . . . God.

Peace descends, surrounds and settles. I go beyond the bench to the creek, and I sit down. Immediately, unfinished tasks began to flood my mind. No, I say, as I turn my thoughts to the now—the air, the wind, the lowing cattle, the sun, the view of the creek and beyond.

God is everywhere.

I remembered my very strong revelation from yesterday, when this childhood fact seemed to be expanded a thousand times to me. He really is everywhere. He is in the air, in the trees, in the wind, in my bank accounts, in my cells, in my DNA, in my future, in my past, in my present—oh, yes!—in my present. In this precious “now” moment. However, He is also in those moments when my conscious mind is not thinking of His nearness.

Remember that God is present everywhere, even in the busy moments of your days. You will feel an amazing supernatural connection that you can only experience when you recognize Him in everything, everywhere.

If God is everywhere, and as we truly become one with that fact, we also naturally walk in peace and love, as He is peace and love.

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There is one way I personally know for sure that Jesus is God. He could never have miraculously opened my eyes and changed my heart and life, if he were not God. This happened when I mentally “saw” Jesus on the Cross, and realized He did that for me. 

Here is some Bible proof:

Amplified John 10

7So Jesus said again, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that I Myself am the Door ^[a]for the sheep.

9I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture.

10The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it ^[b]overflows).

11I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.^(A)

14I am the Good Shepherd; and I know and recognize My own, and My own know and recognize Me– ( True Believers recognize that Jesus is God.)

15Even as [truly as] the Father knows Me and I also know the Father–and I am giving My [very own] life and laying it down on behalf of the sheep.

16And I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring and ^[c]impel those also; and they will listen to My voice and heed My call, and so there will be [they will become] one flock under one Shepherd.^(B) 

17For this [reason] the Father loves Me, because I lay down My [own] life–to take it back again.

18No one takes it away from Me. On the contrary, I lay it down voluntarily. [I put it from Myself.] I am authorized and have power to lay it down (to resign it) and I am authorized and have power to take it back again. These are the instructions (orders) which I have received [as My charge] from My Father.

24So the Jews surrounded Him and began asking Him, How long are You going to keep us in doubt and suspense? If You are really the Christ (the Messiah), tell us so plainly and openly.

25Jesus answered them, I have told you so, yet you do not believe Me [you do not trust Me and rely on Me]. The very works that I do by the power of My Father and in My Father’s name bear witness concerning Me [they are My credentials and evidence in support of Me].

26But you do not believe and trust and rely on Me because you do not belong to My fold [you are no sheep of Mine].

27The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.

28And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand.

29My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all [else]; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father’s hand.

    30I and the Father are One.

31Again the Jews ^[d]brought up stones to stone Him.

32Jesus said to them, My Father has enabled Me to do many good deeds. [I have shown many acts of mercy in your presence.] For which of these do you mean to stone Me?

33The Jews replied, We are not going to stone You for a good act, but for blasphemy, because You, a mere ^[e]Man, make Yourself [out to be] God.

34Jesus answered, Is it not written in your Law, I said, You are gods?^(C)

35So men are called gods [by the Law], men to whom God’s message came–and the Scripture cannot be set aside or cancelled or broken or annulled–

36[If that is true] do you say of the One Whom the Father consecrated and dedicated and set apart for Himself and sent into the world, You are blaspheming, because I said, I am the Son of God?

37If I am not doing the works [performing the deeds] of My Father, then do not believe Me [do not adhere to Me and trust Me and rely on Me].

38But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me or have faith in Me, [at least] believe the works and have faith in what I do, in order that you may know and understand [clearly] that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father [One with Him].

39They sought again to arrest Him, but He escaped from their hands.

42And many [people] there became believers in Him. [They adhered to and trusted in and relied on Him.]

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Please find a Bible and read John, Chapter 8. These statements are based on the truths found therein. Numbers refer to verses in chapter 8.

34 Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave to sin.

39 If you were truly God’s children you would do as he said.

20, 24 Without Jesus you will die in your sins. You know nothing has taken them away, nothing else can. “If you do not believe that I am He, ye will die in your sins.”

23 Jesus himself says, “I am not of this world.” He is God, for only God has the power to totally remove sin and it’s sentence from us.

32 If you listen, ye will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.

36 If the Son shall make you free, you are free indeed.

Some of you may hate to hear all of the above, but this proves that it is truth, for even in Jesus’ day.. The Jews could not stand to hear Jesus so they crucified him.

What will you do? Will you die in your sins are receive the freedom that only Jesus can give?

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Proverbs 13

 11 Easy come, easy go,
   but steady diligence pays off. 

  Using your master and to-do list, do something every day. (See recent posting.) Even one thing done daily toward you goals will get you there sooner than nothing done.

 See free checklists and articles:

http://www.easyhomeschooling.com 

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I will soon be sending out helpful excerpts from the Easy Homeschooling books. Sign up at the bottom of our home page.

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To get more done, use lists. First create a master list of all your projects: everything you know needs to get done. Next, write a daily to-do list for the next day. Simply list the three most important things to do, followed by the two "B" projects, and finally all the other things  you want to add. You will be amazed at the power of lists to motivate and help you accomplish a lot! See more planning and doing techniques in

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The brown mama cow was loudly bellowing. Soon I saw the calf running toward the call, but, by then, the mama had circled the house and was going the other direction, while continuing to call. She was going back to look for her calf. Soon, sure enough, the calf turned around and went in the same direction as the mama, although at the bottom of the gulch while the mother was on the rise. Where was she going? Perhaps she had wanted to go to the creek for a drink and then when the calf had not followed closely, she decided to go back and drink at the pond. She gave a little. She was flexible.

Interesting. Young children usually follow their parents call, they “fear” separation. They have the attachment yet. Later, the children make decisions alone and often choose a different direction.

Muslim young adult children often feel they must lie to their parents. The parents have nearly complete control and do not allow the natural moving toward independence of adult children. Often marriages are arranged by the parent and if not, must be approved by the parent. Even after marriage, in some cases, the parent comes first.

In America, children leave home and rarely, or in some cases, never see their parents again until they come back to put them in a nursing home. Some parents cannot trust their own children. There is little respect or genuine care for the parent. While the Muslim child will even support the parent, the Western child will expect financial help from the parent.

It seems to me that there should be a middle ground. A balance. Neither of the above scenarios is acceptable. Parents should always have respect and honor, but never total control over their adult children.

But then you know this and are sowing the good seeds that will give you a lifetime of respect and love. The right, godly and balanced relationship with your children.

For more nature insights from Faith Acres, see Fields with God. 

For tips from the Bible and sections on how to handle  parenting challenges, see Easy Homeschooling Companion.

 Easy Homeschooling Home Page

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On page 89, third edition, of Easy Homeschooling Techniques it says:

“We have an antique set of The Book of Knowledge encyclopedias. It is so rich in history, authors, literature, poetry and more, it could be used, along with a Bible, for your entire curriculum. It even includes a study-guide volume. ”

A reader asked me, “How do I use this set for our curriculum?”

(Note: all of the techniques mentioned here, such as school planning and reading and reporting, are detailed in Easy Homeschooling Techniques.)

1. Begin by designing your school plan.
2. Then according to what you have decided to cover that year, look up articles for those topics.
3. Have your child read and report.
4. Add current events and history from the copyright date of your set.

That’s all there is to it.

EASY Homeschooling!!

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I would love to congratulate all of you who have perfect children. I see you at conferences. You are really amazing. Really. Your fourteen children, and some grandchildren, follow you placidly around the hall. An outsider would ask, "Are they drugged?"

The rest of us often feel like huge failures in comparison. NO, don't stop what you are doing, but perhaps encourage the rest of us and give us insight into your techniques. I'm sure many of you are doing that, but not all of you.

Some of us have extremely bad marriages. Some of us make and made the mistake of staying in a marriage for the kids. Don't KID yourself. Some of us stay or stayed in marriages like this because we were afraid to step out since he was, after all, providing for us. Where's the love? If there is no love between the parents, how are the children to learn it? Don't be suprised if one day soon, they will not even know how to love YOU.

Not every child will go to college. Not every homeschooled child excels in academics. Most do better than public schooled children, but some don't. Big deal. I try to encourage in my books, to be patient, and hang on, keep doing your best and expect the harvest.

www.easyhomeschooling.com

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Sketch your nature finds. The first step in sketching is to really look at
your subject. Note proportions, etc. For instance notice how many petals the
flower has, which makes it easier to space them accurately. Notice shapes,
and shapes within shapes. Note proportions. Is one leaf twice the size of
the other one? Sketch with pencil and use your eraser. Sketching is a slow
process, be sure to give yourself and your children plenty of time to do the
best you can. Enjoy it and do not demand or expect perfection. Improvement
will come over time, if you keep it up.

www.easyhomeschooling.com

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