HomeGrownKids :: Kerugma - Homeschool Blogger

I've moved to a new online blogging home!

Wed, 2 May 2007 21:48:01 -0500

I have loved being a part of the HSB community. I loved blogging here with everyone and getting to know others. However, since the induction of a new server or system just before Christmas I have had major trouble trying to login and post...receive comments and post comments. I can't even view some blogs anymore.

The posting had not really been a massive problem as my new website and project was beginning to take form. My new project was to have its own blog so with the hassles at HSB I decided to merge the two.

My new site is called Kerugma, which is simply about proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ...a proclamation which is increasingly important and relevant in today's homeschooling community. (It's relevant to all man but this is my way of blooming where I'm planted)

I have kept the archives open here although most posts have been moved over. I also like site maps more than archives so you can still view this blog's site map.

Kerugma will be devoted to Bible study for families...with links and activities, ideas and encouragement. If you read my blog or want to drop in and see what is happening with our family, please head over to the Kerugma Blog.

You can still subscribe to the posts using RSS...in fact you have a few options. let me know if you have found your way to my new blog- drop in and say hello!

In His Grace,
Susan <><

What is Kerugma?

Wed, 2 May 2007 21:38:00 -0500

What does Kerugma mean?

kay’-roog-mah

- that which is proclaimed by a herald or public crier, a proclamation by herald
- in the NT the message or proclamation of the heralds of God or Christ

Kerugma means ‘proclamation’. It comes from the Greek word kerux meaning ‘a messenger’ or ‘a proclaimer’. In fact, the official kerux or herald would stand in the market place and blow a trumpet, calling the attention of the crowd to the edict of the Emperor, and his proclamation was as a command… it had to be obeyed. The kerux was called upon only to proclaim. His role was not to speculate about the message, nor to explain or justify it, but simply to proclaim the message, the essence of the Gospel. The onus was on the hearer to hear and obey.

The essence of the gospel can be summed as as:

(a) Jesus is the Messiah predicted by the OT prophecies. His ministry of
teaching, his actions, his death, resurrection and ascension all comport
with the prophecies, and affirm him to be Messiah.

(b) His death was God’s act to deal with sin. His resurrection attested to
the effective power of the Cross, and affirmed Jesus as Lord over life,
death, creation.

(c) Men and women must, therefore, believe his Lordship, believe on him.
repent of their sins, and receive forgiveness from their Saviour, Jesus.

For a more detailed writings on this topic, you can download and read True Preaching: The Agony and the Ecstasy by Rev.Geoffrey Bingham

Course Requirements for History program using living books.

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 16:25:00 -0500

I have managed to creep into the deep, dark recesses of my computer to find the Course Requirements that I compiled for my high school children. Here it is:

Complete one essay in depth (biographical, comparative,changing over time, or question based essay) from each group of three lessons, per week. (Ensure that student covers all forms of report/essay)

Read two appropriate books per term. (1 book must be either primary source or classic, depending upon availability. (see Mum for high school booklist)) Submit a written book report, book synopsis or chapter reports for each book.

Submit 2 - 3 projects (either assignments or choices from MoH or HoW)

Maintain history timeline. Complete any mapping exercises as per course book.

One page essay per term, in preparation for exam.

Take tests/quizzes/worksheets as prescribed in course book.

Take term exam.

Take yearly exam.

Watch appropriate video's, documentaries or shows and discuss.

I feel that this allows the students to reading for understanding and knowledge, read quality literature as well as learning to write in in various forms. Creative and individual activities are catered for.

Drive Thru History DVD - review

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:20:00 -0500

Want a fast-paced, high energy tour through history? Then you might like Drive Thru History with with Dave Stotts!

We have watched Drive Thru History: Rome If You Want To.. and Turkish Delight as well as Greece and the Word. We're looking forward to the next DVD; East Meets West.

Each DVD is a part of the Drive Thru History series in which the sometimes hilarious Dave Stotts explores the history of Western Civilisation. Some may feel that Dave Stotts is a little irreverant so be warned but we enjoyed his sense of humour- he's not rude, just tend to point out the obvious. Each DVD has 3 episodes of approximately 30 minutes each.

Personally, those in our family who have studied a full rotation of world history and have an idea of the places mentioned, seem to enjoy this a lot more than the younger children. Therefore, I would recommend these DVD's to those who are familiar with the places and events visited. It is not a curriculum (although the American history series which is a full curriculum looks so good...I wish they'd one one Australia!) but a good, fun, visual tie-in once you've learned about those areas, people or places in your history studies.

These are available from Koorong or Word from $16 through to $21 each DVD.

How much time for Bible study?

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:53:00 -0500

John Stott used the following time allocations dedicated to Bible study:

One hour a day
One 3 hour period a week
One day every month
One week every year

I think this is a good and worthwhile goal to aim for. What do you think?

HoW newsletter is out

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:38:00 -0500

Even though it isn't Spring here in Australia, (it's Autumn) I still love the Heart of Wisdom newsletter. The new on is out! Click here to read it.

Further thoughts on 'Upgrade'

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 16:34:00 -0500

After my review on Upgrade, by Kevin Swanson I was asked how this book impacted my life so I'll attempt to share my thoughts here.

Upgrade! How it helped me.

I’ve already written a review so I won’t rehash that so I’ll approach it from another angle without rewriting the entire book!

Kevin Swanson devoted one whole chapter to ‘education’. I like this as it is helpful to know what the goal is before we attempt to formulate a plan toward aiming for it.

"Education is the preparation of the child, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and physically for life and for eternity." (p10) He then writes in the broader sense.
He says that each worldview will affect our understanding of education (see why I like it?) He then pulls apart his own definition by explaining ‘preparation’: preparation for what? He also questions (and answers) the concept of a ‘successful education’. He gives another definition of a successful education on page 17 "A successful education is achieved when a child is prepared to make maximal use of his God-given talents and abilities in the accomplishment of the child's calling."

Then he writes 10 Secrets for a Successful Education, which aren’t really secrets at all.

The first secret is on the Pre-Eminence of Character. Now all CM enthusiasts agree on this but he brings out a point which allowed or encouraged me to change my first character training habit from that of developing ‘Attention’ to Honour of Parents (duh!)

The 2nd secret is “Quality One on One Instruction”. This really spoke to me as my homeschool methodology had me focusing on good books. Now this is a good and worthwhile habit but it cannot and must not take place of quality one on one instruction. Of course some subjects take more individual instruction than others, like Math’s, (which I had to learn the hard way). He gave me a focus point of one hour per day for 2 full years with each child. (p47)

The 3rd secret is the Principle of Protection.
He says that protection is itself is ineffective but combined with a purpose of preparation is effective (p52). To be prepared, a child ought to be protected…all this with an identity or individual focus! He talks about monitoring the inputs and controlling the inputs that the children are exposed to. He warns of the dangers when protection becomes an end in itself:
1) the child might try to escape the world
2) amalgamate with the world and become like it or
3) change the world

The Principle of Individuality is the 4th secret and he talks about our children as individuals. This wasn’t new to me but he brought out some interesting points. The principle of individuality is liberating, so Mr. Swanson says. It can be wielded with amazing adaptability and effectiveness in the home and removes a tremendous amount of pressure from the backs of children and parents. He suggests that this principle takes the individual gifts and abilities of each child and maximizes them. This often means that a homeschool moves away from standardization. He goes on to say that this principle holds profound implications for the involvement of the state in education.

The 5th secret is Rooting in Relationships.
Mr. Swanson puts forth that every child is an individual with individual learning styles and rates and emotional concerns. An educational program will only be optimized for each child by a mentor who knows the child well. He states that studies have shown that there is no difference between the academic performance of students whose parents are professionally trained teachers and those who are not. He attributes this to the God-designed factor of relationship based teaching. In this lengthy chapter, he also discusses the issue of delegation – delegation while still retaining responsibility.

The Principle of Doing Well is the 6th secret.
Charlotte Mason enthusiasts would know this one! The main aim of education is ‘to communicate’ so he encourages us to do this well. Reading and writing is fundamental. He then gives 10 focus points which I found beneficial…helps to focus:
1) read aloud
2) the best literature
3) don’t waste significant time doing anything but the basics
4) do not multiple the course requirements upon the student (this one hit me hard)
5) memorise portions of the highest quality literature, poetry, drama, and prose.
6) Copywork is a valuable tool
7) It is advantageous to teach them the languages of Hebrew, Greek an Latin once they are advanced in their own native language.
8) Don’t advance a student to the next level until he has mastered the basics
9) Basic learning required disciplined repetition
10) Teach the Scriptures

Reading, thinking, (verbal and written) communication, discernment and singing are basic fundamentals.

The 7th secret is the Principle of Life Integration
He writes of the difference between knowledge and wisdom…about life integration and the best way to do this is to maintain a life integrating educational environment. He encourages the reader to avoid the separation of school and life (yet he is not an unschooler). The student must have real lie experiences on which to hang the knowledge that he learns from the textbook else the textbook learning just becomes head knowledge and not wisdom or understanding. He gives another more tips like:
1) Tie their textbooks learning to real life..
2) Limit the time they spend listening to lectures.
3) Build relationships and spend time doing the important things…take the children with you everywhere.
4) Train your children to think and communicate all the time
5) Train them to be able to interact with others well
6) Encourage them to start their own business or work with you
7) Prefer hands-on training, develop a learning environment
8) Use curriculum that understands the importance of real life application.

Maintaining the Honour and Mystique of Learning is the 8th secret.
We should strive to cultivate a sense of wonder. This can be stifled if we don’t take into account the principles of individual character, etc.
Modeling a sense of adventure, self motivated learning and spontaneity while encouraging the inquisitive mind is important. Avoid activities that mesmerize yet don’t encourage wonder and discovery. He also talks about honouring and commending true achievement and achievements. Children need affirmation.

Building on the Right Foundation is the 9th secret and it deals with the content of education.
Again this chapter deals with worldview – the big questions of life. As parents we need to know what are children are learning and at the least we need to discern the worldview that under girds the books we use. In this we need to know and discern the difference between polytheism, monotheism, relativism, absolute truth, atheism, humanism, biblical theism, nihilism and those that have a providential view of history. (I’ve found that the need for understanding this, increases as the child gets older)

He says that that there is no neutrality in books or programs (see why I like this book?). God’s word must be tied into every aspect of our child’s experience be it entertainment, history, geography, science, music or reading…we must train our children to think in terms of God’s world. This doesn’t mean that every book so sentence must have ‘God’ in it rather that our children must learn to see the connection to God in all that they do.
1) know your worldview
2) know what your children are learning
3) accept that there is no perfect curriculum
4) think ‘integration’
5) use principles of protection and wise progression

The 10th secret of the Principle of Wise, Sequential Progression.
This chapter talks about the stages of learning – knowledge (collection and storage of facts), understanding (discernment and arrangement of facts) and wisdom (application of those things).

He warns us to beware of programs that only spit out facts or information all the way through high school.
It’s important to learn the basics well but also important to progress toward critical thinking and wise independent problem solving.

Chapter 13 talks about developing a vision for your family: where to start, how to get there, etc.

These are the areas that helped me in my family. While not necessarily new to me they condensed and highlighted all the information in my own knowledge bank so that much of could become practical and I could apply it to my life. So many things cry out for our attention yet not all are necessary. They may be good but not necessary.

Don't take my word for it though...rush out and get your own copy! These points are just what I took from the books...I haven't done a complete chapter review, I've tried to speak more personally.

Love changing colour schemes

Fri, 9 Mar 2007 04:45:00 -0600

I have such fun changing backgrounds and colour schemes on my blog. I'd love to be able to paint the walls and apply some different painting techniques to the house but it is not to be...so I play with colours and textures here.

Global Warming/Climate Crisis

Tue, 6 Mar 2007 19:49:00 -0600

“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good”
1 Thessalonians 5:21

I’ve been called a skeptic. I’m prone to investigate some conspiracy theories. I like to think that I examine things (within my own limited knowledge and understanding). I think that we need to be good, responsible stewards of the earth. There!. Had to get that out of the way.

I want to teach my children how to think critically, how to read information and examine it, how to apply God’s word to everyday life. Therefore, I love learning at home with my children and am thankful for the responsibility and opportunity to do so.

Every person holds a worldview. A worldview is a way of looking at the world…it is what you believe, what you understand the world to be about.

Everyone has assumptions or presuppositions. This is simply having an idea or a belief and you filter new knowledge or information through that assumption. Each worldview has various presuppositions supporting it.

There is a naturalistic, Biblical and pantheistic way of looking at things. Various trains of thought (worldviews) have adaptations but they basically can fit into these categories. (Learning about worldviews is an important topic!) So now knowing that everyone holds a worldview, I'll start honing in on my subject.

Over the course of history there have been many beliefs. Beliefs that people held and defended to the hilt. Others who did not agree with these beliefs were mocked, persecuted and all manner of things. Remember when people thought the world was flat? Well, it’s all well and good for us to sit here now and laugh at that because we have the benefit of history and science behind us. Do we look and see ourselves in that picture? Do we believe everything that we are told without examining it? How about Y2K? Future generations may laugh till their insides hurt when they hear of the hysteria and confusion around Y2K…yet it was a real threat in our minds only seven years ago.

There is a lot of hype and hysteria surrounding the whole climate change issue. Ever heard the saying, ‘he who controls the media, controls the world’? Think about it. While we are busy, worrying and adapting our lifestyle, stressing over the current issue (climate change, Y2K, terrorism, etc) other things, important (world, national, state and local) issues, could be slipping under the radar. Fear is a powerful motivator. And with every ‘issue’, there is fear behind it. I haven’t watched the latest movie, 'An Inconvenient Truth’ but the snippets I have seen are designed to produce fear in the hearts of the viewers. But oh, that’s meant to be ‘information’, facts to make the people aware. Are the people who are doing the alarming changing their lifestyles? There is truly much to think about with the whole issue. Michelle Malkin has a clip here which is thoughtful and enlightening.

There are plenty of informed scientists and speakers who disagree with the whole alarmist view of global warming but they are not being heard or listened to. I wonder why?

Do you remember the animation, Captain Planet? Cool eh? It was indoctrination- pure and simple. It did not have a biblical basis or worldview. Pick up a newspaper, magazine or turn on the television today. What information are you being fed? Have you really examined the facts or are you being led into an emotional trap? Are you being indoctrinated?
A popular website that is being pushed in Australia is cooltheglobe. Here’s a snippet from the site:

"Climate change is the greatest threat facing our planet. Humans are causing climate change, and humans can stop it getting worse. We can keep our planet healthy for future generations by acting on climate change now and reducing our greenhouse pollution."

I think that sin is the greatest threat facing our planet and the humans that live on it.

I don’t believe in evolution, or a brand of Christian Evolution. I guess you’d call me a young earth creationist. However, if I believed in the process of evolution then I’d believe that the world is millions of years old. I guess I could then think it’s possible that the earth is in trouble. Also believing in evolution, I’d believe in the superiority of man (I mean underneath all the rubble, even racism stems from an evolutionary worldview). If man was capable of evolving into the intelligent species that we are, I’d have to believe that we can fix this problem. Apparently the ice caps on Mars are melting due to our actions here on earth. Wow, we’re pretty powerful uh! So the earth has been around for millions or billions of years (so apparently has man) yet it is only in the last few hundred years that we have managed to destroy the earth and universe as we know it. This view holds a very high opinion of man, doesn’t it?

There are a few issues within the whole crisis that I am concerned about. The experts compare today's weather to hundreds and thousands of years ago but I can’t see how this is accurate. How long have there been reliable weather stations throughout the world? Granted, the experts use measures of tree rings, they analyse ice-cores and so on but these don’t build an accurate picture, especially as one considers that scientists can’t even agree on the age of the earth! They say that this weather pattern and climate change is not normal…I don’t think man has been officially recording the weather for long enough to know what ‘normal’ is. (Apparently they started recording in the mid 1800’s…even in a time frame of 6,000 years that is not much to go on) It’s such a short term view.

A statement at National Geographic says:

Over the last million years the Earth has fluctuated between colder and warmer periods.

How does a Christian reconcile this with the Bible’s teaching? I’m no great scientist, but I believe that when we truly understand and believe in a catastrophic event such as the Great Flood we can see how it would have had a major impact on the geophysical and biological system of the earth…and that dating systems which do not reflect a biblical worldview nor take into account the devastating flood, are simply not correct.

We can see that over the course of history, the climate has indeed changed. Was this the result of man? Was man big enough to control the universe? Sure we need to be good stewards and live carefully but the fear mongering must not be allowed to control us. We must teach our children to think critically and examine issues. We need to prepare our hearts for the day when we meet our Maker.

Where is God in all of this global warming/climate change issue? Is He so small that He does not control everything? Some times we need to stop, take a step back and actually read our history and science books…and try to see things from a biblical worldview rather than our own small perspective.

Whether or not you do or don’t believe in all the hype, I hope you can see that we need to teach our children to think…we need to educate our children about the real issues: being that fear is a powerful motivator, combined with the media using every means available to appeal to our emotions, (propaganda) can be a strong driving force that can be used…and is often used, sadly, by politicians.

I don’t want or expect anyone to agree with my thoughts…but I hope you look closely at the facts and research for yourself, for the sake of your children. A few sites that I like are:

http://www.junkscience.com/Greenhouse/

http://www.icr.org/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16960409/site/newsweek/

http://www.michaelcrichton.net/speeches/index.html

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n2/global-warming

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n2/human-caused-global-warming

“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good”
1 Thessalonians 5:21

English lessons in our home (our modified CM style methods)

Mon, 5 Mar 2007 17:26:00 -0600

I have previously written a little of our English lessons on my website and also various thoughts on copy work on this blog.

Personally, we still use a spelling list. (You can download our forms here) I have found it easier for me to teach the various spelling rules when we have followed a list. I can easily review what rules I have and haven't presented to the child...and set about continuing on with that. If I feel that a child does not grasp a particular spelling/grammar rule, then I will search for a passage or selection of work so that they can specifically write it out for copy work. Copy work is preparation for dictation as well. The reason I have used a spelling list is also because I haven't been as diligent with the practice of dictation as I would have liked, but that's life eh! I do believe that the CM method of education is full and rich and thorough if adhered to...which is where I fall down.

So, in a nutshell: we would do a passage for copy work on Day One. I read the passage aloud to the children once or twice. I would review any of the spelling and grammar rules that are applicable and I would then teach new concepts from the passage. I tell the child that they can spend time and take care with this selection as they will be writing it for dictation soon. I ask them to notice any words that they may need to spend time on or look up in the dictionary. I ask them to notice any grammar or punctuation rules and we discuss it. If they haven't noticed anything, then I jump in with my comments but I like to give them opportunity first. At the end of the lesson, I ask the child to read the passage aloud to me. (I think this is an important step) They also have to read (or listen to) good living books and then narrate to me. After a few days (depending on the passage I've selected) I will have the child write the selection from dictation. This is where they need to apply the habit of attention, else they will get spelling and punctuation incorrect.

To start the dictation lesson, which may be on day 2, 3 or 4 (on this day, dictation REPLACES copy work and is not in addition to), I read the passage aloud to them. I'll slowly read a phrase at a time as the child writes it on their paper. I try not to re-read any phrase as I'm trying to develop the habit of attention, requiring them to concentrate and use their memory...but I don't let myself get hung up on it. My goal is to train them in the habit of attention, develop their ability to focus and recall, to have neat handwriting and develop their spelling, grammar and punctuation skills.

I think the basis of a CM English program is Copywork and then also Dictation, Narration, and good Living Books. (I also think exposure to Great Ideas is a big part of this.)

Another tip which I have found very useful is to have a double copy of a book that I'm reading aloud. As I'm reading it aloud, another child will have the second copy and be following me along. This helps them to SEE and HEAR the word so they hear the correct pronunciation and see the correct spelling in a very gentle way. I also buddy read: where I will read a passage and then the child will read a passage. I think that having the child read aloud is very important as I can *hear* exactly where they are having difficulty and then I can help them straight away without needing to wait until the rule or concept arises in the textbook.

We also have focused *seasons* which probably isn't very CMish but it works well for us. By seasons I mean that we will have a period of time (could be weeks or months) where we will learn grammar. We'll do a course like Winston Grammar and we focus on it during our copy work times. We might put another topic or area on the backburner for awhile as we do this. Then, when I feel that we've done enough there for the time being, I'll put grammar to the backburner and bring another area into focus. Some people can't handle this way of doing things but it is the only way that I can manage.

I hope some of this has been helpful, if only in sparking some ideas.

There are a few links that you might like to read over:

AmblesideOnline Scope and Sequence for LA

LA with Penny Gardner

Copywork with the Parker's

Search the Bible...with a handy toolbar

Sun, 4 Mar 2007 21:04:00 -0600

Have I mentioned before that I love the Internet? I am constantly amazed at the generosity of people. There is so much information and products available for FREE these days.

I love to study the Bible...and I often use the Internet and online Bibles to do so. I usually use bible.crosswalk.com as it's easy to type in but now there is a new feature available. It is a toolbar (for use with Bible Gateway) that you download and install for Firefox (and if you're still using IE, then you need to stop and get a decent browser!).

This easy to install toolbar has a groovy number of options, letting you change versions and languages, restrict your search to certain parts of the Bible, and more.

See here for more info: News at Bible Gateway

Go here to download the toolbar.

I hope you enjoy it and are as blessed by it as I am!

My Blog's Site Map

Fri, 2 Mar 2007 06:02:00 -0600

Home Page / Contact / Profile / Archives / RSS Feed / Website /

~ GENERAL HOMESCHOOL POSTS ~

:: The year in review-2006
:: The recipe for success!
:: Eclectic/Delight Directed Learning at Home!
:: Bible-First Approach with Little Ones
:: Heart of Wisdom lessons
:: God's goal for Christian homeschooling families
:: Discipleship Based Homeschooling.
:: Issues, Convictions and being Convinced
:: Homeschooling Multiple Ages...
:: My thoughts as a homeschool teacher...
:: Relaxed, natural learning in our home...
:: High School? 'We have our L' Plates on.
:: School? Structure? Routine? Housework? Natural Learning?
:: Our Daily Rhythms (or routine)
:: To register or not to register... (apply for exemption)
:: Our Favourite Resources.
:: Timeline Helps
:: Success Stories

~ ENGLISH ~

:: Constant chatter...
:: Narration...
:: Copywork for Language Arts
:: Worthy books...
:: Composition (writing) in our home...
:: Narration, Discussion and Debate...good things!
:: Narration Starters or Prompts
:: Our Yr 9 English Program
:: Our Yr 10 English program
:: Spelling

~ BOOK / CURRICULUM / MOVIE REVIEWS ~

:: Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach Book Review
:: Upgrade
:: Happy Feet

~ GENERAL RANT'S & RAVES ~

:: My tips for Surviving Book Fairs
:: Teaching older children to be a friend.../
:: Sabbath...Rest...My study...
:: Rest . . .
:: What or who is our measuring stick?
:: Trying something different this year...
:: Sharing my walk with my children...
:: Seasoning my speech with grace and using discernment...
:: A few of my favourite quotes by CM.
:: Philosophy on 'learning'
:: Strewing
:: Record Keeping
:: The Stages of Learning
:: One Year 7 Schedule
:: Music Appreciation
:: People will learn what they need to know, when they need to know it.

~ JOURNALLING ~

:: Year 2006 in review
:: Tuesday in Feb, 2007
:: The Day After...Wednesday

Strewing...wha?

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:51:00 -0600

Strewing...What is it?

We know there is unschooling and carschooling, there is even fridgeschooling, but there's another new term which is popular. Even though it's a new term the practice of it isn't new...in fact, I'm sure everyone does it to varying degrees. Did you know that 'strewing' has now become an 'official' homeschool/unschool term? I'm sure that many of us do it quite naturally but there is still good value in the practice of it, so I decided to write and share about it today. Strewing simply refers to the placement or scattering of objects and learning materials around the house where children will discover them.

The dictionary defines Strewing as:

    * To spread here and there; scatter: strewing flowers down the aisle.
    * 2. To cover (an area or a surface) with things scattered or sprinkled: "Italy . . . was strewn thick with the remains of Roman buildings" Bernard Berenson.
    * 3. To be or become dispersed over (a surface).
    * 4. To spread (something) over a wide area; disseminate.

I strew books that may be of current interest but I also strew books and computer games that may not be MY area of interest nor even in our realm of study topics but simply to put something new or different before the children. I often strew art books, grammar books, lovely picture books with beautiful illustrations, and books filled with inspiring quotes. I may strew computer games that teach electricity or Australian history, Art History or House/Architectural Design or things like that. I also strew video's and DVD's although I do try to keep them in the lounge room. Sport equipment, musical instruments, board games, posters, quotes, etc.

I've strewn collections. We have a sea shell collection and a rock collection that often inspires a child to look at it and then ask questions in order to learn more. We also strew with excursions! Some times we'll go on an excursion if it relates to a topic that we're learning about (Science and History usually) but we also go out to places for no other reason other than, 'just because!' How about strewing with food?

Unschooler's are very good at using this method and I personally suspect it is similar to how Sally and Clay Clarkson describe their 'learning centre's' in Wholehearted Child. Personally, I don't get hung up on how other's describe it as I know I do it naturally. The only problem with strewing in my house is that while often an abode for creative and stimulating discoveries, the place can also look rather hotch-potch. However, not everyone's home is like this so I don't blame strewing, it's just me.

When I raised this question on a forum there were some great responses and one lady suggested rain-gutter bookshelves. What? Being raised in a mining town where homes are often built from tin metal and now rusting, did not build a pretty picture in my mind, until said friend sent some links. Have a look, they might spark some creative ideas of your own! Just imagine, you could strew PC games, DVD's, cookbooks, works of art...the possibilities are endless!

The Rain Gutter Literacy Revolution

Rain-Gutter Bookshelves

So, I wonder...do you strew? If so, how, what and where? I'd love to hear from you.

Susan <><

Record Keeping - our style

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 16:03:00 -0600

I was recently asked how I keep records so thought that I may as well post the response here.

I believe it is a matter of documenting your learning opportunities, and then jargonising them, which isn't that hard really...especially if you are familiar with the requirements as laid out by the particular Board of Studies and Ed. Dept's.

We use a recording journal that I made up...I make them yearly for each child and they can be personalised. Each year they have looked different although the last 2 years they've been the same.

As we go throughout the day, I can easily look back and see where things fit into various subject areas: (For the older children)

BIBLE
Catechism
Bible reading
Bible stories
Proverbs – character

ENGLISH
Copywork
LLATL
Spelling / Vocabulary
Writing
Grammar
Individual Reading
Reading Aloud to others
Listening to Reading Aloud

MATHS
Text / workbooks
Biographies / stories
Times tables / memory work

SCIENCE
Science text/workbook (Medicine, Chemistry)
Living book/biography

GENERAL
Folk Song
Natural History
Shakespeare Story
Current Events
Manners & Etiquette

SOCIAL STUDIES
History –General
History Australian
Geography
Economics
Citizenship

FINE ARTS
Music Appreciation
Composer study
Art Appreciation
Artist study
Art Application (Artistic Pursuits, ArtPacs)

LITERATURE
Well, this is way to big to cover, but I"m sure you get the idea.

LIFE SKILLS
Well, this is way to big to cover, but I"m sure you get the idea. This area also covers heaps of the Key Learning Area's (KLA's)

EXTRAS
Well, this is way to big to cover, but I"m sure you get the idea.

For the younger children, it is a different layout:
It is a 2page spread and it has Mon-Sat down the left side.

The left side has boxes so that either the children or I can fill it in. There are boxes for:

Spiritual Life
God's World - Science and Technology
God's Story - History (places, events, people)
People and Places - Geography, etc...

Then, we we look back over our day, we can slot in the days activities into the relevant boxes. This helps the children to learn to record their learning opportunities, although we aren't the most diligent with it but more than that, it helps them to see that all of real life is learning.

When presenting this to the Ed. Dept, I would give as little as possible. This might be something like a summary report, with a short paragraph on each subject matter, outlining if we used a text or books and I'd talk about things that the student enjoyed learning about.

We also record the character and spiritual/emotional development of the children but this is purely for *us*. No one else sees it.

This is where we write about the spiritual, emotional and character development of the children. For us, this is more important than the academic record.

It seems like a lot, but once you get the hang of jotting things down it just becomes part of a daily habit, like brushing teeth, and doesn't take very long.

Regards,
Susan <><

Centre of the Bible...

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 14:50:00 -0600

Nothing major to write about except that John is still in pain, although the edge of the agony has disappeared. I hope he's on the mend.

Some interesting trivia:

In the Bible, Psalm 117 (2 verses) is the shortest chapter in the Bible, and Psalm 119 (176 verses) is the longest.

The Bible has 31,174 verses which makes the centre of The Book Psalm 118:8-9 . Do you know the verses that are the centre of the Bible?

It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.

So there you go! It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 14:17:00 -0600

14yodd informed that I am just not posting regularly enough! So, in an attempt to do so I'll let you know about our last week, although I warn you now it wasn't overly exciting...just normal everyday family activities.

15yodd was at work and lessons. We didn't teach PE at the primary school this last week as the rain meant we had to cancel. 15yodd attended her first ever youth group camp this past weekend! Yep, that was exciting and she enjoyed it immensely. I'll let her talk about it though as we have decided to share this blog. In between family, lessons, work, softball and church friends she just wasn't getting around to writing on her own blog so we'll share. I think she's learning a lot through church and youth group although I'm glad that she hasn't always attended...I think there are *seasons* for these things as well and having such a strong family bond, and such intimate relationships with her parents has been the best precursor to going to youth group.

14yodd has been at school but she has also done a little 'homework' as agreed between her and I. Neither of us feel she is having enough or adequate instruction in the art of composition so she is going to do a few things at home. I'm proud of her for recognising this and agreeing to work extra on it. She has made a good friend at school, a girl that DH and I like.

The boys and I have slowly pottering through some lessons. We're having most of our table time in the Bible, which is great! They're also powering on with Maths. Did I mention that I am so thankful for Math U See?

I feel for my DH though. Late last year, he had an accident at work and after a few weeks of agony, he had to have a shoulder reconstruction, which had him out of action for months. Well, he isn't fully recovered yet but he has hurt his back at work. He had a horrid weekend at home, went back to work today where the Dr sent him for an x-ray. The Dr. thinks it is a 'blown disc'...that there is no cartilage between 2 vertebrae. Ouch! So, he came home and then I took him for an MRI. He has several appointments with doctors this week, so I guess all this will keep me busy for the next week.

And me? I'm enjoying my time of intense Bible study as I delve into the word. It is consuming my every waking hour of late. God is revealing Himself to me in ways that enable me to teach my children every day...many things. God's word truly is worth studying! Lord Tennyson is reported to have said "Bible reading is an education in itself." Oh boy, do I agree!

And, last but not least...during the week I heard that another family member reads our blogs so I want to say a special hello to Damian! I hope you're doing real well at your job. I'm proud of you. Leave me a comment here one day eh?

Quiet weekend...

Sun, 4 Feb 2007 15:16:00 -0600

A rather quiet weekend was had by us. Abi and I went to softball on Saturday and then we came home and vegged out. John cooked a superb stir-fry for tea and then he pottered on the computers for awhile. The girls have a new computer that he has made and they're experimenting with different types of Linux operating systems.

John and Abi are back at work today and Rebekah is off to school so it is the boys and I again, which I love! We will be out and about again all day tomorrow, teaching softball at a primary school so I'll need to get the housework done, meals prepared and be ready for that.

Nothing much else to write! Oh, of course I have many thoughts running about in my head but none that are worthy of writing about, so for now I'll head off and get the day underway.

Susan <><

Wednesday - our day

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 15:37:00 -0600

This day was the beginning of a new routine for us, in that we haven't done 'lessons' for quite some time (many months) so we're trying to ease in gently.

Wednesday 31st Jan, 2007

After a full day out in the raging heat yesterday I had a good night's sleep and was looking forward to being home for most of the day. I awoke at 5.30am and lay in bed having a quiet time, saying good morning to the Lord and pondering the activities for the day. I got out of bed at 5.45 and put a load in the washing machine and then went on to prepare lunches and breakfasts for my three who are out for the day. I woke dh and we had breakfast together and spent the next hour and a half preparing clothes and food and pottering around until I saw dh off for work at 6.45 to which I then sat and watched the news on Sunrise until 7.15 when the girls woke up. After our morning greetings, one showered while the other started on her breakfast as I pottered around doing odd jobs and chores.

At 7.30am I decided that it was about time the boys got up so I went in for a snuggle. While they dragged themselves from bed, I went to make tomorrow's espresso and be with the children over their breakfast. Then, I organised the boys starting on their chores (John vacuums the floors and Caleb does the kitchen) and went and showered, did some cleaning of my bathroom and waved goodbye to Bek who went off to school. I spoke to my Dad who informed me of local (Broken Hill type local) news. I speak to my Dad daily.

At 9am, the four of us piled into the car to take Abi to work but we stopped off first at the library so she could pick up a book. (She works part time at a coffee house) We arrived home after some great discussions in the car) and the boys finished their chores while I prepared our Bible study. From 10.15am until 11.30am we did Bible study and spelling and then went into the lounge room for two chapters of our current read-aloud book, Farmer Boy. Well, don't all good books bring about some great discussions? They do in our house! John made me a cup of tea and the boys had their ice water. As we have two copies of Farmer Boy, Caleb sat and followed along with a separate copy (which is great for reading skills) and John and I snuggled as we discussed the difference between the words 'till' and 'until'. We also bantered and verbalised our own thoughts as we discussed how Almanzo would rather be working at home on the farm rather than be at school. ;-) The best discussion came about from reading how Father gave Almanzo a half-dollar and Almanzo had to choose between succumbing to peer pressure (to buy lemonade) or the possibility of building his own wealth by buying a pig, raising it (and its future piglets) and then selling them for profit. We discussed the application and possibilities of this for our own life. The boys would love to have some chooks and also would love to plant some vegetables but sadly, it is impossible at this house so we then discussed where we'd like to move next and what qualities we'd like to have in our next house.

Then we pondered what to do next... so we put on a Moody Science video (I purchased the entire set 2nd hand from this site ) and viewed a segment on Spiders, which somehow led on to a discussion about evolution and Christian Evolutionists (people who believe that God used the process of evolution to create the world) and how this was a popular teaching and train of thought in the early 1900's, especially prevalent amongst natural historians and naturalists, as evident by literature of that time. Whew! 1pm and the boys ambled into the kitchen to prepare their lunch while I hung some washing on the line and put a new load in the machine and fold clothes while talking to them as they ate.

I took about 15 min to type this up, while the boys hunted outside, in our teensy weensy yard, for spiders. Then they came inside for a few quite minutes in their room (this is their own choice and I love the fact that they know how to take some quiet time for themselves.) I ate lunch while watching the last few minutes of Oprah and I took a few phone calls. I pottered around a bit, waiting for Abi to call in her lunch break and chat but she doesn't: they must be busy at the shop. I miss hearing from her. After doing the lunch dishes, we lounged on the sofa and read 'Drought' by Trish Oktober and then Rebekah came home from school at 2.45pm and I sat with John to lead him back into the ways of doing Math with Math-U-See. Meanwhile Caleb had been having some free time to play and then he sat down to so his maths lesson. I sat with the boys today and did most of their work with them as it is the first time in a loonngg time since we have done any book work.

Free time! When John comes home, we always sit together and share our day over a cuppa so I run around and try to do a quick house tidy before he arrived home.

Oh, time to go and get Abi. John and I head out to have a few minutes to ourselves while we drive to get her. We waited for awhile as she is a tad late. Then, on the way home we returned the dvd from the previous night. While we've been gone the children have had some free time, although that is Screen Free Time for the boys. The table has been set and we eat our tea. Over tea, DH asks some probing questions as we have discussed our learnings and discoveries for the day. He confirms and expands on our discussion regarding making money work for us and what instant gratification means. Everyone else shares about their day and it is a wonderful time of coming together, even if the meal is only pies, pasties and quiche from Abi's workplace!

After tea was Praise 'n' Wash Up! Various tasks have standard requirements and each child knows what they are, and what is expected of them so we all set about this. Abi takes Caleb into the booknook and he tells her all about our Bible reading. Then, they come back in and complete their jobs.

They had some more free time as well as a few chores like feeding the dog. 14yodd (who attends school) had homework and the others couldn't help but snicker. I glared at them but they can't help themselves. (It's all good fun really)

Everyone then was free to pursue their own free time. I sat and spent a few minutes on the computer. Then it was bedtime for the boys, of which they don't agree but such is life eh! Rebekah must have been tired as she decided to head to bed early while Abi and I stayed up to watch Prison Break. We both struggled to keep awake during the show and we headed straight off to bed at about 10.30pm.

In and around the day, we had many enlightening conversations where we shared together, laughed together, learnt together and just hung out together. We prayed together and played together and vegged out together. We even managed to do some daily disciplines (like chores, lessons and things like that) so all in all, it was a great day!

Day at our house - Tuesday

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 15:29:00 -0600

BEEP BEEP BEEP screeches my alarm clock at the sadistic time of 5am. Ugh, I have to get up early today to go to school! Why do I do this AGAIN? I ask myself.

I stumble out of bed and shower, make breakfast for all, prepare a few lunches, kiss dh as he heads out the door. I throw some clothes at the boys and declare that if they don't get up in 5 min (which was 7am) then they'd miss out on breakfast! They made it just in time (Oh, lest you think I'm a TOTAL meanie; everyone was warned the day before, of the hecticness of the coming day). We packed the car and Abi, John, Caleb and I zoomed off to travel 45 min to go to school! Bek saw herself off to school, although she did get a kiss and a hug from me!

Abi was asked to go into the school and teach PE lessons for 5 weeks. As I'm a level 2 coach who has done this in schools 4 times before I thought it would be good for me to go and lead her and then support her. Argh, I could kick myself!

We arrived late due to traffic conditions and not knowing where I was going. There was no teacher to meet us or give us directions although the teacher did send 2 students to tell us to go and set up on the oval. So, we did. My boys were fantastic all day, carrying a heavy gear bag filled with softball gear, and our esky.

Within a few minutes our first class arrived. My boys sat in the shade and talked and read books while for the next 2 hours solid Abi and I were out in the glaring hot sun, teaching 4 classes for 30 minutes each. Now, of course we couldn't instruct them for a full 30 minutes because the lesson period went for 30 minutes so by the time they got there, we introduced ourselves and they settled down, it left us about 20 minutes! Then, we had 45 minutes for lunch so we all piled back in the car and went to a local general store to get some lunch and buy a bag of ice. We went back to school and did another 3 lessons (11/2 hours solid in the sun) and then had a 20 minute break and did another 1 hour solid, before piling all our gear into the car and heading home. Traffic was horrid.

We got home and Bek had let herself in. I jumped straight into a cold shower, which hurt due to the heat of sunburn! Bek then made me a cuppa and I promptly drank it and fell asleep on the couch. John came home and listened to the horror of our day and somehow I drifted off again! Bek suggested pizza so she and DH organised that. We had tea and then watched Barnyard on DVD and we were all in bed by 9pm.

After it all, neither Abi nor I desired to do this again but we are booked in for another 4 weeks. The students weren't too bad, but the heat combined with the schedule was blistering. However, throughout it I managed to see some great points:

My sons are fantastic! They barely complained the whole day and yet they had every reason to. They are such troopers. They were sworn at by some of the schoolies but they just ignored them.

Abi had the opportunity to observe me coaching (I've always coached her but this time it was with a different perspective) and then I stood back and made her go it alone! The first time she faltered a bit but then she did fabulously! By the time the grade 2-3 were there, she was even able to adapt and modify the program to suit! Wow, I was impressed!

These three children have no desire to go to school and think it is a joke- the boys are now adamant that nothing much gets done at school and good students must either be naturally bright or work extra hard at home! (This is my 11yo's opinion ) They said they'd rather run away that be forced to go to school.

So all in all, it was a tiring day but some positives came out of it.
Whew! I'm looking forward to a quiet day at home tomorrow. (Wednesday)

p.s. oh, in case you're wondering what it was all about - softball is our sport, it's what we do. Abi is a softball athlete and as she improves she has been asked to take on this role. We jumped at it, thinking that it would be an excellent opportunity for her personal growth and development. (It is...it's just hard). It also pays so that helps.

My thoughts on Happy Feet.

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 03:18:00 -0600

We went to the Drive In the other night and saw Happy Feet. I commented on my blog that I didn't like it and Kristal asked me why. Here are my thoughts.

Please bear in mind that this is MY OPINION and I'm sure there will be others who will disagree. That's fine too...but this is my opinion. Feel free to leave your own review if you like.

Happy Feet is a lively, fast-paced musical animation abut penguins. I didn't realise it was a full scale musical so was a little taken aback. However, I tend to love many musicals and animations so figured I'd get over it...but I didn't. I have been asked what I didn't like about it, so here goes:

Overall the movie was okay. Pretty heavy on the environmental push but I guess I can live with that. I was disappointed in the films music- I love music and I especially like older songs but would've preferred to see an original score (eg: Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella, Jungle Book, Aladdin, etc). I also did not appreciate the s*xual undertones in some scenes. Now, I know that animals mate...but it doesn't have to be humanised as that's when it turns into something twisted and not nice and not appropriate. While dancing around, they looked s*xual, which even feels weird to say seeing that I'm talking about animated penguins!!!

eg: There is a song between prospective partners and the main line is,
“You don’t have to be beautiful to turn me on, I just need your body, baby, from dusk till dawn.”
Pfft, this is not what I teach my children!!!!
Another song is taken from the modern one with the line, “Let’s talk about sex, baby.” Although the line is changed slightly and the S word removed..

Okay, so what else didn't I like? Well, I thought it had a few digs at Christianity. I could be wrong and being overly sensitive but I thought that the elders (Elder Penguin) were satirical. They told the masses that they need to return to the way of old and believe in 'The Quin' and that The Quin won't bless and prosper them unless they do this. It all sounded very religious to me and I feel it was a dig.

There was another character who I didn't like. Sure he acted like a tele-evangelist but it just didn't need to be there, in my opinion. I question why it was there? Do children really need to see and know this? I think not.

I thought it was similar in one way to 'Footloose' but one can only watch a penguin dance so many times!!!! (I actually found more positive discussions arose from Footloose with my teens)

Some young or sensitive children may find one or two scenes scary so be warned.

Mumble (the main character) had a lovely spirit and attitude. He was respectfully obedient, positive and humble. I liked this way his mother saw his differences as qualities to be celebrated not squashed yet overall I was disappointed with the movie. If I previewed it first, I wouldn't have watched it with my children.

If I were you, I'd check out some trusted review sites and if you decide to watch it, make sure you have some solid discussions with your child about it all.

http://www.kids-in-mind.com/h/happyfeet.htm

http://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2006/happyfeet2006.html