Teaching Teens Blog is designed to encourage parents who are raising teenagers. Not only will we address academics, but also practical life skills, spiritual issues and entrepreneurial ideas for teens. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:30:00 -0600 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:30:00 -0600 I have been quite concerned with the way America is taking Christout of Christmas. I'm working on editing a video about what'sreally happening to Christmas these days. I'll be sharingsome of my findings next week, along with solutions you canuse with your family this Christmas season. Watch your email for moredetails.In the meantime, I already have our Advent Countdown up & running.What's an Advent Countdown?I've created 25 daily emails that give you ideas on how toput Christ back into your Christmas celebration as you preparefor Christmas. The season of Advent is upon us, usually beginning the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I want you to be readyso grab your Advent Countdown right here.http://budurl.com/christmascelebrationWhen you get your Advent Countdown, you'll also be signed upfor our "first to know" list about our Christmas webinar - "Rekindling the Spirit of Christmas & Overcoming the Commercialism in America"Be sure to tell your friends & family to get their own copyof our Advent Countdown.http://budurl.com/christmascelebrationHave a wonderful week...have you seen some of the new ideason my blog to celebrate Thanksgiving?Blessings,Kerry BeckP.S. Enjoy celebrating Advent with your family this year...http://budurl.com/christmascelebrationP.P.S. Remember to whitelist my email so you get all the AdventCountdown ideas. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/747328/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:30:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/747328/ At Christmas time, people often sing the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," but few know fo the rich Christmas symbols behind the words of the song.  Everybody thinks that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" were the days preceding the Christmas festival. In reality, Epiphany is the time of the Christian celebration that starts December 25 and lasts until January 6, a duration of 12 days. This marks the Church's celebration of Jesus as the Light of the world and its remebrance of the pilgrimage of the three wise men. Every day, from December 25 to January 6, was traditionally a part of the Yuletide celebration. Dedicated to mercy and compassion, each day was noted by selfless giving and tender charity. In many cultures, gift giving was not concentrated on a single day, but rather, as in the famous folk song, spread throughout the entire season. From 1558 until 1829, the Church in England was not allowed to practice their faith openly. During that era "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written as a catechism that could be sung in public without the risk of persecution. The words to the song are, in essence, an allegory. The words have two levels of interpretation: the literal meaning and the figurative meaning known only to members of the Church. Each element in the carol is a word for a religious reality. The "true love" represents God and "me" is the group called to receive these gifts as a Christian. On the first day, the partridge in a pear tree is symbolic of Jesus Christ coming to earth to save men. See if you can discover the rest of the religious meaning as you read the words to the song: On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. How did you do? ___________________ Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009 You have permission to reprint this article as long as you don't make changes and include the bio below. Kerry Beck gives free advent calendars with daily Christmas projects to prepare your family for Christmas. Your family will learn a lot about Epiphanythrough many of her projects.  You can get her FREE Advent calendar countdown at http://www.ChristmasCelebrationIdeas.com. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/746001/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:57:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/746001/ For the past several years, I have been helping parents train their children to be leaders, instead of followers.  I believe it is imperative that Christians teach their children to become future leaders who can make wise Biblical decisions. I believe in this so strongly that I want to show you how to do EXACTLY what I do and how I do it it! That is why I am hosting a LIVE webinar just for you! ================================ “Start School Right This Year” Webinar Thursday, September 3, 6pm Pacific Time ================================ You can sign up for this free event at: http://budurl.com/rlnf Here are just a few secrets I will be revealing on Thursday… Simple techniques to train your children “how to think” One method to develop a LOVE OF LEARNING Two stages in LAYING THE FOUNDATION for your children to become a leader Three tips to INSTILL THE CHARACTER OF A LEADER AT A YOUNG AGE How you can begin this school right with your own children How & Where you can start to raise your kids to be leaders, not followers One activity you can do EACH DAY to instill a LIFELONG LOVE OF LEARNING How you can EASILY BECOME A MENTOR to your own children this year BIBLICAL EXAMPLES of leaders and leaders-in-training that you can follow Bottom Line … On this 70-minute Webinar, you’ll discover more about how to give your kids a SUPERIOR education so they think critically for themselves and will make wise decisions as future leaders of tomorrow ..than you’ve ever heard anyone reveal before! It’s happening THIS Thursday, September 3 at 6:00PM (PacificTime) especially for you, my valued clients and subscribers. Right now, over 248 people have already claimed their spots…which means only 152 spaces are left. It’s filling up quickly…so make sure you register below while you still have time! Again, here’s the full scoop: http://budurl.com/rlnf Hope to see you on Thursday! Kerry Beck P.S. - As always, I will have special content that ONLY the LIVE ATTENDEES will see. AND a special offer that ONLY the LIVE ATTENDEES will be able to take advantage of. These will NOT be on the replay. Just wanted to give you a heads up. http://budurl.com/rlnf http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/723556/ Thu, 3 Sep 2009 10:29:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/723556/ When you see your child working more independently, the best learning strategies will include projects that he can complete on his own.  Please don't dictate to him the project he should complete.  This just develops a future follower.  You are the expert on your child and I'm sure you know subject areas that interest him.  Begin by sitting down with him and discuss a project based on that area of interest.  For instance, your child loves animals.  Take some time to talk about an animal or group of animals that he can study.  Go to the library and find books on the chosen animal.  Encourage your child to read and write about the animal.  Be sure you allocate a specific amount of time each day for studies, possibly an hour or two.  Each day discuss your child's finding.  Let your child choose a project or learning activities elated to those studies: painting, drawing, writing a play, writing a report, building a model, writing a poem, or whatever interests your child.  Gather homeschool resources that your child can use in these projects. As your child is able to continue studying independently, let him shift to the next level of leadership education.  If he becomes overwhelmed, let him move back to the love of learning strategies where he can receive more instruction from you. ________________ Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009 You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below. Kerry Beck, author of Raising Leaders, Not Followers, has a free workshop that offers more learning strategies for pre-teens.  To get your copy of this workshop, click on this link . . . http://www.Raising-Leaders.com. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/723267/ Wed, 2 Sep 2009 11:07:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/723267/ The goal of leadership education is wisdom and independent learning.  During this period of your child‚Äôs education, you will solidify their own learning strategies, as well as the desire for enduring education. What's the best teaching technique to use in this time of high school homeschool?  Structure the time, not the content!  In other words, allow your kids the chance to choose his course of study, the content.  If your son is interested in motorcycles or sports, let him research those topics.  If your daughter likes horses or soccer, give her time to study these areas.  Once a topic is chosen, determine the amount of time for study each day.  In our home, we begin with two to three hours daily for independent study.  Our goal is to eventually study six to eight hours each day. When you give your student a choice of topics to study, you take one small step in raising a leader instead of a follower.  Students who choose their course of study take ownership, or leadership, in their own high school homeschool education.  As your children study independently, they should be reading, writing and discussing their research.  Encourage the use of a daily reading journal to record their findings and thoughts about their investigation.  Regularly discuss the readings and the journal entries.  Good discussions provide another aspect of leadership training . . . learning "how to think".  As you use these teaching techniques, your students will use these learning strategies for the rest of their life.  It is the perfect way tho homeschool in high school. ________________ Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009 You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below. Kerry Beck, author of Raising Leaders, Not Followers, has a free workshop with more teaching techniques for high school homeschool. You can get your free copy of this workshop at http://www.Raising-Leaders.com. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/723265/ Wed, 2 Sep 2009 11:04:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/723265/ I love the start of a new school year. It is a great time to really think through and evaluate how I want this year to be better for my kids than last year. I also love helping parents to overcome problems homeschoolers face each year and showing them how to start school on the right foot...so this year is the best year ever. I'd like to invite you to a LIVE webinar I am holding ================================= Start School Right This Year Webinar THIS Thusday, September 3, 2009 at 6:00pm (Pacific Time). ================================= It's complimentary - especially for you, my customers and subscribers.   How's that for a deal! http://budurl.com/rlnf On this groundbreaking free event, using the latest webinar technology, I will reveal tips & strategies to give your kids a superior education where they will learn how to think critically & Biblically . . . for life. I will be sharing tips that you can take and use IMMEDIATELY after the webinar! BUT, most importantly...I will reveal how you can use a love of learning, mentoring and classics to train your kids to become leaders of tomorrow - Godly leaders who will change the world! Plus not only will you be able to HEAR me, but you'll also SEE and WATCH it happening in real time on your computer screen, complete with real examples! (And it doesn't matter what connection speed you have or even if you have a PC or Mac.) In case you may be wondering what a webinar is or why you should join me on my " Start School Right " webinar Thursday night, let me assure you it is simply a complimentary class that you watch on your computer....at no cost to you! Your children deserve more, so take it a step further this year and give them the ability to lead others well and make wise decisions as a mom/dad, husband/wife, employee, entrepreneur, church member, or neighbor I only have 400 spots for this event. So it's a SURE BET this webinar will FILL completely. Claim your spot here while you can: http://budurl.com/rlnf Don't delay and kick yourself later. Sincerely, Kerry Beck P.S. - I have never taught this updated class before.  I am adding new information from the last 2 years of homeschooling. P.S.S. - I have something VERY special cooked up for those who attend the webinar LIVE. It will be worth your while to be on this webinar, I guarantee it! http://budurl.com/rlnf http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/722887/ Tue, 1 Sep 2009 12:32:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/722887/ Leadership training and education is one of several instructional strategies that help raise your children to be leaders of the future, entrepreneurs in business, elders/deacons in the church,  statesmen in the community - who do the right thing.  These are the leaders who will make a change in our society. My plan is to use home schooling curriculum so my own children will be excellent leaders of the future. You may wonder why one child gets an education to become a leader and someone else receives training to follow. It really depends on the instructional strategies that are used in your home schooling curriculum.  A child who learns “how to think” will become the leader of tomorrow. When a young man or woman can think outside the box, when they can think on their own, and apply their knowledge to real life situations, then he or she will become the leaders of tomorrow, rising to do what is right thing. How do you train children to think?  What homeschooling resources can you use. . . for free? Andrew Kern, of Circe Institute, says the quality of questions you ask determines the quality of your life.  Leaders have been brought up learning to ask the right questions.  They do not simply think on literal terms; they think beyond the literal, evaluating and analyzing issues. Asking questions of your students is free and easy, as well as extremely effective instructional strategy.  What a terrific homeschooling resource!  Questions should allow your children time to think and ponder.  Your responsibility is deciding which question are the best ones to ask and leading a discussion with your students. When questions are asked, decisions must be made.  As your students answer questions, they develop the habit of making good decisions.  Sometimes good decisions must be made with the mentor’s guidance. _______________ Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009 You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below. Kerry Beck, author of Raising Leaders, Not Followers, has a free workshop about instructional strategies  for home school curriculum.  You can get your workshop at http://www.raising-leaders.com/. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/722558/ Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:46:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/722558/ This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful. If you're looking for powerful tools to help your child learn more, and retain more, look no further than a reading journal. Journal writing programs are a great way for children to improve their writing while encouraging their learning through readings. It works for any child, regardless of age. All they need to do is write about what they have read and learned. My teenagers started their reading journals this year. At first, they only wrote about specific events they read about. Over time, they included writings on what characters did and why, and even included writings on lessons learned through the stories. By the end of the year, they used their journal entries to delve deeply into stories, enhancing their understanding. Here’s a video review of some of our writing products, “US History Based Writing Lessons - Volume 1.” My son is twelve and I plan to start the year with a journal entry at the end of each day. This will tell me what he "really learned" that day. He has made journal entries for specific readings, similar to narrations. We have used journals especially with his Bible readings. He writes a paragraph about what he read in his morning devotions and I believe this helps reinforce what he reads. If you have younger children, write their journal entry for them as they narrate it. They can re-write the narrative, using their best handwriting, into their journal on the next day. The journals don't necessarily teach new writing skills, although the practice is certainly helpful. The main benefit is that kids retain their lessons better, and incorporate those lessons into day-to-day life. It may be beneficial to select certain entries and polish them into a final form using Teaching Writing: Structure. __________ Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009 You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below. Kerry Beck specializes in teaching homeschool moms and teachers with middle school writing. Get Kerry's free mini-course about Teaching Writing Easily at http://www.howtoteachwriting.com/  now. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/712992/ Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:58:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/712992/ This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful. Lately, I have written a number of articles to help you teach kids, whether you're teaching in a school or home-schooling your own children. Recently, I was reminded yet again of the importance of allowing children the freedom to choose their own writing assignments. Thanks to my son, I learned a valuable lesson to make me a more effective teacher, while turning him into a more powerful writer. Last week, my son's lesson was writing a biographical sketch in five paragraphs. We had recently been studying the Roman Empire, and I hoped that he would write on one of the church's founding fathers - not only would this reinforce those lessons, but he would also have the chance to delve more deeply into books which we had not had time to read earlier. Despite my excitement, I could see he was less than eager. He was clearly not interested in the topic which I found so fascinating. Once we talked about baseball, that all changed. He had been reading about the life of Derek Jeter, and wanted to learn more. When I suggested that he write his biography on Jeter, his whole attitude changed - suddenly, he could not wait to get started! He already knew of three sources for more information, and could not wait to get started. That settled it - Derek Jeter it would be. Here’s a video review of one of our writing products, “History Based Writing Lessons.” Over the past week, he has studiously collected information on Derek Jeter for his paper. Today, we narrowed his topics down to only three, keeping him from being overwhelmed. Over the next week, he will create an outline and begin writing. He is much happier and more enthusiastic about his assignment, since he is writing about a topic that interests him. This keeps him motivated, and his writing is most effective when he has the freedom to choose a topic. He'll learn more, and retain more, this way. By letting your kids choose their own topics, they take ownership of their project. Give it a try - it makes a huge difference! Your children will learn more and be happier about it; you'll be thrilled with the results. __________ Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009 You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below. Kerry Beck encourages homeschool moms and teachers with middle school writing. Grab Kerry’s free mini-course about Teaching Writing Easily at http://www.howtoteachwriting.com/ right away. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/712647/ Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:30:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/712647/ This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful. The most common complaint I hear from parents has to do with their child's approach to writing. It's quite normal for children to resist writing assignments. I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way. By providing your child with a clear purpose for their writing lessons, you will boost their motivation and encourage them to do their best work. Through the process of writing format through publishing, my kids do better work, and are happier about it, too! A few years ago, all three of my children wrote books which are now available for purchase.  My son worked for an entire year studying about the jungle and choosing just the right animal or plant to include in his ABC Jungle Book.  After making these choices, he wrote a paragraph about each one, using a writing stylistic checklist. Of course, he didn't work on his book for eight hours a day, every day for a year. After all, he's just a kid! The amazing thing is that he remained motivated all year long. Because of his efforts, he was able to complete his book at the beginning of June. He was highly motivated for a couple of reasons.  First, he chose the topic of jungles himself so he was quite interested in the topic from the beginning.  Secondly, the idea of making money from his writing project and publishing a book was exciting.  This project gave him a purpose for writing.  Not every writing project will end in a money-making project, but each writing assignment should have a purpose. Not all writing assignments lead to a money-making opportunity - there are many other ways to introduce purpose into your child's writing. Experiment, and look for new reasons to write. Perhaps your child can write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper on a preferred topic; enter a poem or story in a writing contest; share news in a letter with family or friends; or write a story about an incident in their life. Be creative, and find new reasons for your children to write - they will approach their writing with a fresh outlook and increased enthusiasm. Here’s a video review of some of our writing products, “Medieval History Based Writing.” After your child has a purpose for writing, they need to get their ideas out of their head and onto paper. Ideas have to be arranged in a logical order, and then the writing process can begin. Teaching Writing: Structure & Style is the best product to teach kids how to write. It teaches your children to write for a variety of purposes like letters, stories, and essays. Using the process of writing format through publishing automatically gives your child a purpose for writing.  As you look for a writing program, look for one that uses writing with whatever subjects you are studying.  Writing should not a separate subject in and of itself.  That's the way life is...writing is part of all aspects of your life and your students should be able to write in many areas.  Writing in a variety of subject areas will also show your students that writing has a purpose in all of life. __________ Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009 You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below. Kerry Beck encourages homeschool moms and teachers with elementary writing. Get her free mini-course about Teaching Writing Easily at http://www.howtoteachwriting.com today. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/712157/ Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:07:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TeachingTeens/712157/