http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Fri, 6 Nov 2009 02:18:00 -0600 Fri, 6 Nov 2009 02:18:00 -0600 Author: Stephen Elkins                                     Illustrator: Claudine Gevry Format: Hardcover with 30-song CD               Page Count: 96 ISBN: 978-1-4003-1463-8                             Retail Price:  $16.99 My Review:  I read this book to my sons at bedtime. They know the Bible pretty well; therefore, the content in this book all sounded familiar to them. However, they still enjoyed listening to me read and it seemed to hold their attention. What sets this book apart from other children's books about Jesus is its well-categorized/color-coordinated topics. It covers who Jesus is (what the prophets, angel, wise men, Peter, John the Baptist, the Samaritans, John the disciple, God the Father, and Jesus Himself said about Jesus), what Jesus did (His many miracles, His death on the cross, His resurrection, His preparing a home for us), what Jesus taught (parables, baptism, repentance, prayer, the golden rule, the Greatest Commandment, etc.), when it happened (including timeline), where it happened (including a map of Israel and a map of Jerusalem), why it happened, and how it happened (including How do we receive eternal life?). The illustration is well done and makes the book colorful and interesting. Personally, I do not like to see drawings of Jesus because I do not want children to think (or have images stuck in their mind) that's what Jesus looked like. My favorite part is the CD. The songs are familiar Sunday School songs such as Jesus Loves Me, What A Friend We Have in Jesus, Jesus Loves the Little Children, and I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.  ~This book was provided for a review by Thomas Nelson. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/742519/ Fri, 6 Nov 2009 02:18:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/742519/ Thanks to One2One Network, I received a copy of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition Combo Pack to watch and review. This Diamond Edition Combo Pack includes 2 Blu-ray discs and a DVD. I am impressed with the exceptional picture quality and sound quality. If you did not know that Snow White was originally made in 1937 or did not already watch it when you were young, one probably would assume that it had just been made recently.  I am still amazed at what Disney accomplished with Snow White in term of technical and artistic excellence back in the 1930's. I’m personally not fond of the plot, the magic spell, the unrealistic portrayal of "love" and "marriage", and the voice of Snow White. However, my sons (10 and 8 years old) seemed to enjoy the DVD. We still laughed and had a good time. We do not have a Blu-ray player. They claim that Blu-ray discs are scratch resistant which sounds nice to me. If you are a fan of Snow White, you would love this combo pack.  For the first time ever, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is made in High Definition 7.1 Sound. From this combo pack, you will enjoy bonus features such as an all new music video, Dopey’s Wild Mine Ride Game, "Heigh-Ho"Karaoke Sing-Along, will be able to play games (What Do You See?, Mirror, Mirror On the Wall, Jewel Jumble), and will get to see behind the scenes stuff of "The One that Started It All." Did you know that Snow White... - was the first full-length animated film ever made? - was one of the first films ever to be designated for preservation by the Library of Congress? - was the first film ever to have a motion picture soundtrack? - was the first film to use music to advance the story? - has been released theatrically a total of nine times? Now you do :). If you would like to relive your childhood with this classic tale (written by the Grimm brothers), this Diamond Edition Combo Pack is the way to go. I received the following websites for fun kids' activities in an email; however, I have not personally checked them out yet. Snow White Coloring Page http://www.learning treasures. com/snow_ white_coloring_ page.htm 7 Dwarves Coloring Page http://www.learning treasures. com/7_dwarves_ coloring_ page.htm Snow White Dot to Dot http://www.learning treasures. com/snow_ white_puzzle. htm Snow White  Trivia Quiz http://www.learning treasures. com/snow_ white_trivia. htm http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/733619/ Tue, 6 Oct 2009 04:57:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/733619/ Welcome, everybody, to Children of Light Christian Academy!  "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord."  Ephesians 5:8-10  We're Christ-centered, Bible-based, mission-minded, family-bonding, character-building, & life-long learning homeschoolers. We cherish our togetherness; we enjoy learning and growing together as the Lord leads us.  If you would like to know the reasons why we've chosen to homeschool, please read here. My name is Urailak.  My husband and I homeschool our three precious blessings: 16 year old daughter, 10 year old son, and 7 year old son.  We have been homeschooling for over 10 years now.  We mix and match our resources to meet our kids' individual learning styles and interests (you can see what we used last year here).  Grade level is not emphasized.  Their skills and abilities are taken into consideration more than their ages.  We have a flexible structure/routine.  We take time to dig deeper when there's an interest.  We read (a lot), research, create, experiment, write, memorize, analyze, apply, explore, investigate, practice, work, sing, and play all sorts of sports & games.  Hopefully, we also learn and retain some knowledge, wisdom, & valuable/useful skills along the way :). Each night before school days, I write down a daily schedule (aka "flexible guideline") for each of my boys.  They can pick the order of which they would like to do first and they (or I) check off each subject that they complete.  For the boys, each day typically includes Bible study time, language arts, math, reading, history or science, spelling or writing.  During the week, they take turns learning piano from their sister and they do P.E. (play sports) pretty much everyday (in winter, they play basketball, hockey, and wrestling inside).  They usually do art and cursive writing on Thursdays.  On Fridays, we have our "different day" when they learn by using educational board games, CDroms, and/or educational websites plus science experiments.  My daughter writes her own schedule (with my approval).  She does her schoolwork independently at her desk in her bedroom most of the time.  I spend most of my time teaching/overseeing my sons and checking their works.  The boys can usually be found at the dinner table or the couch.  We have our Bible study/prayer time together. We also do science experiments, unit studies, and read-alouds together. This is where we usually do our studies. My "top ten tips" are:  1. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6, 2. Pray, pray, and pray continually, 3. Instill in your children love for God, passion for His word, and desire to please & serve Him, 4. Focus on building your kids' character, training their attitudes, and tying heart strings, 5. Lead by example; walk the talk; be real and humble; 6. Stay committed to homeschooling; be enthusiastic about learning/acquiring wisdom & knowledge, 7. Don't sweat the academic stuff :); embrace "eternal perspectives",  8. These (whatever struggles you're facing) too shall pass;   "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23 9. Enjoy your time together (kids grow up so fast), 10. Pray, pray, and pray unceasingly. "Educating our children includes more than arithmetic and spelling; it includes building character.  No educational pursuit can replace the deep need for a generation of children to be brought up first in the 'nurture and admonition' of the Lord."  Rick Williamson                                           What Have I Taught?                   (By Betty DeMers Parkes)   If my children can quote Shakespeare with feeling and understanding, but think only of themselves, ...then what have I taught?   If they can spell scientific words, and write 16 page reports, but have no compassion for other, ...then what have I taught?   If they can work algebraic equations, but do not think of how their words or actions may affect someone else, ...then what have I taught?   If my high schooler gets into Harvard, but doesn't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ ...then what have I taught?   If my children are in the 99th percentile rankings on all their standardized tests, but resent being with their family ...then what have I taught?   If my nine-year-old reads Tolstoy, and my seven-year-old knows all the times tables, but they cannot play together without hurt feelings and tears, ...then what have I taught? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/715934/ Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:25:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/715934/  Jungle Jack's Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World By Jack Hanna Format: Hardcover w/DVD Page Count: 33 ISBN-13: 9781400311408 This is a fun and educational book. Very interesting and entertaining! I really enjoyed reading it to my boys who are 10 and 7 years old. They love animals and this book held their attention and stimulated their curiosity. We have enjoyed watching animal videos by Jack Hanna and we were glad that he never mentioned evolution. Now we are even more glad to know that he believes in creation. He said in the preface, "In this wild life, I’ve tried to spread my amazement of and excitement about God’s animal creations with everyone I meet." He acknowledged God as the Creator! Jack Hanna is funny and friendly. He helps readers get curious and excited about these wackiest, wildest, and weirdest animals. Do you know what a binturong and a movie theater have in common? Do you know what animal can lick its own ears? And do you know what animal can run as fast backward as it can forward? You will find the answers in this cool book. I love the fun facts and the close-ups of the animals.  In addition, the book includes a DVD with some footage and bloopers from Jack Hanna’s adventures in the wild. The DVD is not as good (funny) as I expected but it’s still a nice bonus. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/714784/ Thu, 6 Aug 2009 00:18:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/714784/ This is a short pro-life video made by my 15 year old daughter, Alyssa.  I know she would appreciate any feedback/comments :). http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/691711/ Fri, 22 May 2009 18:26:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/691711/ Apologia is now producing notebooking journals that accompany each of the elementary science books. Both Botany and Astronomy are now available. These journals are beautiful spiral bound notebooks that will save you time and money. You won't have to print and keep up with your child's notebook pages, buy and maintain page protectors, or purchase and compile binders...everything that makes notebooking time-consuming and labor intensive for mom. Also, your child will adore having their own notebooking journal.  Each of the notebooking journals include: A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments Review Questions Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice  Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course. You can see the sample pages here: Botany: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=128   and  Astronomy: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=127  Jeannie Fulbright is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more at www.jeanniesjournal.com .  The deadline for this giveaway is May 29th. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/691103/ Thu, 21 May 2009 00:08:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/691103/ Rosetta Stone is the fastest way to learn a language and has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while — and you can WIN the *all new* version 3 Rosetta Stone Homeschool LATIN program… FOR FREE! This is the first year you can get Latin in the brand new Version III update. This is a $259 program (and believe me it’s worth every penny!) This is a computer based curriculum and Rosetta Stone will also include a headset with microphone, and a supplementary “Audio Companion” CD so you can practice lessons in the car, on the go, or where-ever! Students participate in life-like conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone incorporates listening, reading, grammar, vocabulary and writing along with speaking and pronunciation lessons. For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program to allow parents to easily enroll up to ten students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, grade completed work (the program grades the work automatically as the students progress- I love that!), and you can view and print reports for transcripts. Homeschooling a lot of kids at your house? This program is designed to enroll and track up to ten students (five users on two computers) and will work for nearly all ages — from beginning readers up to college students. To win this most excellent Latin program copy these paragraphs and post them in (or as) your next blog post, and/OR link to the contest from your facebook page and/OR email the information to your homeschool support group – Then go to the original page http://Jeneralities.com and leave a comment saying that you’ve posted about, or have linked to, the contest. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/688857/ Thu, 14 May 2009 02:30:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/688857/ http://www.apples4theteacher.com/socialstud.html#worldgeography http://www.yourchildlearns.com/geography.htm http://www.funbrain.com/where/ http://www.eduplace.com/geonet/ http://www.triviaplaza.com/trivia.php?quiz=geography-world http://geography.about.com/library/quiz/blpreviss.htm http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm http://www.syvum.com/squizzes/geography/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/4_11/geography.shtml http://library.thinkquest.org/10157/ http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/geographygames.htm http://www.quia.com/shared/geo/ http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee/ http://funschool.kaboose.com/arcade/history-geography/index.html?page=1 http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/684336/ Fri, 15 May 2009 01:40:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/684336/ Creation Minute is an exciting series hosted by Eric Hovind that explores the creation worldview using cutting-edge visual effects and digital technology. Each episode challenges the evolution theory and gives evidence of the Bible's historical and scientific accuracy.  Click anywhere on that link (in brown, turns white when your mouse hovers over it) to go to the website.  My daughter and I had an opportunity to hear Eric Hovind in person at the Northwest Creation Conference in Feb. (You can read more about that here.)  We were impressed with how well he explained facts/defended the truth (creation) and exposed the lies (evolution).  Creation Minute website is very cool!  Check it out. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/682308/ Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:16:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/682308/ - http://www.vocabulary.co.il/   - http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/writing/Kids_Writing.html   - http://www.spellingcity.com/   - http://www.storyit.com/wgames/wgames.htm   - http://www.manythings.org/cts/   - http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-games-play-and-learn.htm - http://www.kidsspell.com/ - http://www.agameaday.com/ - http://www.ozspeller.com/ - http://www.spinandspell.com/ - http://www.bigiqbee.com/ - http://games.aarp.org/categories/word.aspx - http://word-games.pogo.com/?pageSection=free_home_category http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/665831/ Fri, 6 Mar 2009 00:03:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/665831/ - http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/math_games.html - http://nrich.maths.org/public/search.php?search=All%20Games - http://www.prongo.com/math/ (addition, multiplication) - http://www.aaamath.com/ (Kindergarten to eighth grade) - http://www.mathgoodies.com/factors/factor_tree.asp - http://www.mathgoodies.com/fractions/  (Fractions-Decimals-Percents) - http://www.coolmath4kids.com/  (for ages 3-12) - http://www.coolmath-games.com/ - http://www.mathcats.com/explore/mathcatsgames.html - http://www.mathmastery.com/cyberchallenge/index.html (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) - http://www.mathmovesu.com/ - http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/index.shtml#games - http://www.ictgames.com/resources.html - http://resources.kaboose.com/games/math1.html - http://www.aplusmath.com/Games/index.html - http://teacher.scholastic.com/mathhunt/index.asp - http://www.theproblemsite.com/math_games.asp - http://jmathpage.com/index.html - http://mathematics.hellam.net/ - http://www.kidsnumbers.com/ - http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/wholenumbers/multiplication/timestables/game.shtml - http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2numeracy.html - http://hoodamath.com/games/index.php - http://www.solvemymath.com/games/ - http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/Math/math_kids.html - http://www.mathplayground.com/games.html - http://www.mathsisfun.com/games/index.html - http://www.playkidsgames.com/mathGames.htm  - http://www.quiz-tree.com/Math_Games_smain.html - http://www.littlewoodscasino.com/education-resources/multiplication-and-math.htm (multiplication) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/665463/ Thu, 5 Mar 2009 02:19:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/665463/ Today is World Math Day.  My kids had enjoyed participating in the math contest.  The competiton officially started yesterday and will end in a few hours.  The contest helped them practice their basic math skills: addition facts for level 1 (my 7 yo son), addition, subtraction, and multiplication for level 3 (my 10 yo son), and addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division for level 4 (my 15 yo daughter).  They played against other kids their own age level from all over the world in real time.  My kids were tickled to play against kids from so many different countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, United Kingdom, Ireland, Vietnam, Turkey, Bermuda, United Arab Emirates, Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong, etc.  They kept informing me which countries their opponents were from :).  I am very proud of my kids who often were placed 1st or 2nd in their rounds of competition (there were 4 total competitors in each round).  I am so grateful that all my three kids are excellent at math even though two of them don't like math :).  We're looking forward to participating in World Math Day again next year.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/665452/ Wed, 4 Mar 2009 22:50:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/665452/ Yesterday, my daughter and I attended the Northwest Creation Conference at the Columbia Conference Center in Portland.  We enjoyed it tremendously and learned a lot.  We attended the following sessions (from around 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.):- The Dangers of Evolution, Fossil Evidence of Creation and the Flood, The Lies in Your Textbooks Part 1, Hi-Tech Pharaohs & Ancient Technology, Stones & Bones-Claws & Jaws, The Lies in Your Textbooks Part 2, and Unlocking the Mysteries of Civilization.  The speakers included Eric Hovind, Paul Veit, Dr. Dennis Swift, and Dennis Petersen.  The conference was packed with fact-filled presentation, tons of scientific evidence, display of fossils and artifacts, Biblical references, Gospel message, laughter, and assortment of wonderful creation-related materials (available for sale).  The more I learn and know about science, the more amazed I am at the love, mercy, & grace of God, the Creator, and the beauty & complexity of His creation.  Evolution is so illogical; evolutionists are totally deceived by satan.  "Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.  For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."  Proverbs 1:29-33      http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/655834/ Sun, 8 Feb 2009 02:49:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/655834/ Thank you, everyone, who participated in my bloggy giveaway and visited my website, HomeschoolBooksGalore.  Sarah was randomly chosen as the winner.  She won Janice VanCleave's Biology for Every Kid.  Congratulations to Sarah (I already contacted her)!  I hope you all will visit my website again whenever you are looking for homeschool books or educational materials :). http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/613369/ Sun, 2 Nov 2008 01:29:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/613369/ Welcome to Children of Light Christian Academy's blog!  If you would like to know who we are, please click here.  Since this blog is mainly about our homeschooling journey, I'm giving away something you can use for your homeschool :).  Even if you don't homeschool, you might enjoy using it with your kids.  You have a chance to win Janice VanCleave's Biology for Every Kid 101 Easy Experiments that Really Work. To enter: Please visit HomeschoolBooksGalore and then come back to leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item from the website is (who knows...I might hold another giveaway for more homeschool books or educational materials? :)).  Please remember to leave your email address or link to your blog so that I can contact you if you're chosen (randomly) as a winner.  The deadline is 9:00 p.m. (Pacific time) on Friday, Oct. 31st (Reformation Day). Have fun!  There are tons of giveaways going on this week; please visit here to see the list of participants.  I'm also hosting another giveaway at my other blog, "LivingforGod."  Hope you'll stop by :)! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/610708/ Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:36:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/610708/ As the election day approaches, please be diligent in praying for our nation.  "If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2Chronicles 7:14  No matter what the election's outcome is going to be, God is in control.  If you hesitate to vote, I would like to encourage you to read what my daughter wrote about citizenship in America a few years ago.  Voting is a privilege; I hope you won't take it for granted :). ------------------------------------------------------ Some people are born with it; however, some people have to obtain it.  I am referring to citizenship in America.  According to the American Heritage Desk Dictionary, citizenship is defined as "the status of a citizen with its duties, rights, and privileges," and citizen is defined as "a person owing loyalty to and entitled by birth or naturalization to the protection of a given country." Citizenship is important for a person to have if he/she is planning on living in America so that he/she can enjoy all the rights and privileges granted a citizen.  If a person is born in America, he/she is automatically a United States citizen.  In order to be naturalized, immigrants must be able to speak, read, and write English, be over eighteen years of age, have good moral character, know United States history and government, and be willing to serve in this country's military if required.  To be able to become a citizen, a person has to have lived in America for at least five years.  An exception to this rule is that an American citizen's husband or wife who comes from a foreign country only has to live in America for three years before being able to appy for naturalization. All American citizens have certain rights, privileges, and duties.  One of the greatest privileges a United States citizen possesses is having the right to privately vote in every election.  A citizen has the responsiblity to find out all he/she can about different candidates in the election so that he/she can make a good decision when voting.  In addition, citizens have the right to have a United States passport, have the United States government's aid and support when they are overseas, and have the right to run for public office.  A citizen also has the duty to obey the laws and the government of this country. I am thankful that I am an American citizen and I will do my best to fulfill my duties as a citizen and to not take my rights for granted. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/609319/ Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:12:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/609319/ A falcon flew up to the air He tried to catch a rock dove here and there He failed to get his prey And then instead ate curd and whey ---------------------------------------------- A yellow warbler sang in a tree Then he came down and sang to me He must have thought I was pretty rude Because I didn't clap like I should http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/609294/ Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:39:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/609294/                Autumn     (written by my 10 year old son) The honking of geese abounds Go to an open place and look around The brilliant colors of maple leaves Are better than what a spider weaves http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/609292/ Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:30:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/609292/ Today is Noah Webster's birthday.  Last year, my daughter wrote a pretend letter as if it was written by Noah Webster's wife telling her friend (fictional) about Noah's life.  I thought that was a creative way to do a report.  Here it is:                                                              November 19, 1828  Dear Martha, It is so good to hear from you!  I hope we may see each other again soon.  In your letter, you inquired about my dear husband, Noah Webster’s, life before we married, how we met, and what we are doing at this time. I shall tell you. Noah was born on October sixteenth in the year seventeen fifty-eight and raised on a farm in Hartford, Connecticut. He grew up with his two brothers, two sisters, Pa, and Ma. He loved to read. He borrowed books from the minister at his church. In his teens, he studied with a minister named Nathan Perkins. After which, he went to Yale. He started teaching school. There were almost no American textbooks in schools so Noah started to write one. It would later be called the Blue-Backed Speller. Noah read many books on law and studied really hard. Finally, he passed the exam to become a lawyer. However, he was not able to get a job in law. Instead, he started a school in Sharon, Connecticut in the year seventeen eighty-one. There he taught girls and boys literature, vocal music, reading, geography, writing, and the English language. In honor of Noah’s writing and speaking, Yale College gave him the degree of Master of Arts. Noah continued to work on his book for American school children. He changed certain British spellings such as honour to honor, colour to color, waggon to wagon, traveller to traveler, musick to music, and publick to public. His book also contained a lot of good advice. For example, ‘A good cow may have a bad calf’ and ‘He that lies down with dogs must rise up with fleas’. In the year seventeen eighty-three, he finally finished his Blue-Backed Speller. Thousands of copies were sold! People loved his book. Unfortunately, some people started to change the book just a tiny bit and then print it under their own name.  Therefore, Noah Webster went from town to town selling his Blue-Backed Speller and trying to get national Copyright laws passed. In every town he visited, Noah wrote down what the temperature was and how many houses were in the town. On March first, in the year seventeen eighty-seven, at the home of my married sister Mrs. Duncan Ingrahm in Philadelphia, Noah and I first met. Noah and I were married on October twenty-sixth, in the year seventeen eighty-nine at my parent’s home in Boston. Our first two children, Emily and Julia were born in Hartford, Connecticut. We moved to New York so Noah could work as a newspaper editor. Our third daughter, Harriet, was born there. In the year seventeen ninety-eight, we moved to New Haven, Connecticut. Mary was born the next year. William was born two years later. In another two years, Eliza was born. On June fourth in the year eighteen hundred, my husband publically announced in the newspaper that he would write a new dictionary. People made fun of him but Noah pressed on. He learned twenty different languages because he wanted to know where words came from! One of Noah’s hobbies is science. He knows a lot about medicine. His knowledge of science and government helped him in writing his dictionary. In the year eighteen hundred and six, sorrow came to our family. In November, I had a baby boy named Henry who died a few weeks later. It still hurts so much. Two years later in April, the girls and I went to a revival meeting preached by Moses Stuart. We attended night after night. The girls tried to get their father to come but he said he was too busy. One evening after we had left, Noah couldn’t concentrate. Picking up the Bible, he opened it and read first John chapter one verse nine. He knelt down and prayed. When we came home, I looked at his face and realized he was saved. We were all so overjoyed! Noah began to lead our household in prayer and read the Bible to us. From that day on, Noah wanted our family to live for the Lord. Several years later, the War of 1812 would disturb our peace. Food and other supplies were hard to find. Prices shot up and we moved to Amherst, Connecticut where we were able to live cheaper. My husband enjoys farming so he planted vineyards along with apple, pear, peach, and cherry trees. We had a pig named Heliogabalus, three cows named Gentle, Comfort, and Cricket, and a horse named Rolla. Years passed as Noah continued to work on his dictionary. Every morning, he rose at daybreak and after he finished dressing, went to his study to pray. After about thirty minutes, he would wake the children up. Then, we would all gather in the parlor and Noah would lead us in prayer and read the Bible to us. After that, we would all eat breakfast. Noah kept busy with writing and farming. He helped start Amherst College. In the year eighteen hundred and twenty, Noah became President of the Board of Trustees. Our only income at that time came from the sales of the Blue-Backed Speller. Our three oldest girls, Emily, Julia, and Harriet all married and moved away. Mary married Horatio Southgate when she was nineteen and they went to live in Portland, Maine. A year later we received the joyous news that Mary had a baby girl. Just a few weeks later, we received the terrible news that Mary had died. Then, another horrible thing happened, Harriet’s husband and baby died. Harriet came to live with us at the age of twenty-one. Then, our youngest girl, Louise, was very ill and became mentally retarded. We thought our hearts would break. Tragedy after tragedy seemed to keep striking our family. We adopted Mary’s daughter. At the age of two, Mary Southgate who was named after her mother, came to live with us. She brought much needed cheer to our lives. Noah decided that he needed to be closer to a large library so he could look up information about words. He asked me if I would prefer to move to Boston or New Haven. I chose New Haven because Julia lived there and Emily lived nearby in Hartford. Also, we had many friends there. My husband hired David Hoadley to build us a new house. We paid him three thousand four hundred dollars. While the house was being built, we lived in a rental house. Finally, after a year, we moved into the house. It was wonderful! There was a parlor, drawing room, kitchen, six bedrooms, and Noah’s study. In the year eighteen twenty-three, Yale College gave my husband an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. At last, Noah finished his dictionary and it was published this year. He had worked on it for twenty five years and his dictionary had definitions for seventy thousand different words.  The dictionary has been selling well. People really like it.   Eliza is now married and Harriet remarried.  We are happily residing in our home in New Haven. Love, Rebecca Webster   Note: Noah Webster lived for fifteen more years after this letter was written. Noah was not ready to stop writing yet. He published seven more books for American school children. On Monday, May 22nd, Noah started to feel chilled. On Friday, he started to have a fever. By Sunday, he was seriously ill. All of his family gathered around his bedside except one daughter who was away. He died on May 28, 1843. Rebecca died on June 25, 1847. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/605537/ Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:34:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/605537/ All three kids - Bible study/Prayer Time: Bible, Firm Foundations: Creation to Christ, Remembering God's Awesome Acts, The Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History, and Bible Atlas - Science Experiments: Various books, Robert Krampft, the Happy Scientist - Some of our Read-Alouds: Abe Lincoln: Log Cabin to White House, Noah Webster's Advice to the Young, 365 Manners Kids Should Know, Boyhood and Beyond (just to the boys), etc. My daughter (15 then): Grade 10 - Bible: The Kingdom of God: A Guide for Old Testament Study - Math: Saxon Algebra II - Science:  Apologia Biology, Genetics class (at George Fox University) - Literature: ABeka Backgrounds to World Literature plus a variety of books - History: Streams of Civilization Volume I (CLP) - P.E.: hiking, jogging  - Writing: articles for Growing in Grace Magazine, short stories, novels - Fine Arts: Drawing, filmmaking (she made her first short film, How Would You Feel?), homemaking skills including knitting, cross-stitching, cooking, baking, etc. - Music: piano - Language: Thai My 10 yo son - Math: Modern Curriculum Press Mathematics F - Science: ABeka Observing God's World - Health: ABeka Choosing Good Health - History and Geography: ABeka New World History and Geography, Mystery of History I - Language Arts/Grammar: Learning Language Arts through Literature-The Tan Book, Daily Grams - Spelling: ABeka Spelling, Vocabulary, Poetry 6 - Reading: ABeka Of America 2, Voyage of Discovery, Calls to Courage (Christian Light Education) Houghton Mifflin English, various books including Little House in the Big Woods, books on birds, etc. - Reading Comprehension: ABeka - Cursive Handwriting: Writing with Power (CLP) - Writing: Easy Writing, ABeka Creative Writing, Basic Writing Skills workbook  - P.E.: basketball, soccer, hiking, baseball - Music: piano - Typing: Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing CDrom - Art: drawing using various books My 7 yo son - Bible: Studying God's Word Book B (Christian Liberty Press) - Math: Singapore Math 2A, 2B, Primary Mathematics Challenging Word Problems, Saxon Math 3 (Part Two) - Phonics plus writing: The Writing Road to Reading - Reading: ABeka readers including Growing Up Where Jesus Lived, Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 2, More New Friends (Pathway Publishers), BJU Reading 2, various books - Spelling: Building Spelling Skills Book 2 (Christian Liberty Press) - Language Arts/Grammar: Learning Language Arts through Literature--The Red Book, Daily Grams - Vocabulary: Explode the Code 8 - Penmanship: ABeka Writing with Phonics - Science: God's Wonderful Works (CLP), Rod & Staff Patterns of Nature 2 - Health: ABeka Health, Safety, Manners 2 - History: Our Nation Under God (CLP), Mystery of History I - Art: drawing using various books - Music: piano - P.E.: soccer, basketball, baseball, hiking http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/597853/ Thu, 6 Aug 2009 01:04:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/childrenoflight/597853/