- Homeschool Blogger

Joshua's Bible Reading Challenge

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:46:00 -0600

My husband Fabio challenged our oldest son Joshua (7yo) to read through the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

Joshua likes to read. A lot. He generally reads about 2-3 hours a day, and goes through books like water. We have always been very careful about what he reads, but Fabio still thought he could and should be spending more time reading God's Word. So, he told him that if he finished reading the Bible through before we left for Brazil, he would buy him a watch that he had been wanting. That was on September 8th, of this year!

I was skeptical. I was afraid he would be too overwhelmed and get discouraged. But Fabio believed he could do it! That first day, he finished reading Genesis, and I thought, "Well, maybe!"

He put his other beloved books aside for the most part and took his Bible with him everywhere. He spent naptime reading the Bible and time riding in the car. He would fall asleep at night on the floor in front of the crack in the door where he had been reading his Bible.

Fabio had him keep a log of what he read each day, and we questioned him about it frequently to make sure he was really digesting and not skipping anything! We continually reminded him that, while it would be nice to get the watch, the most important treasure he would get was God's Word hidden in his heart, and what we hope will become a life-long habit of Bible reading.

He hit a lull after he got to the New Testament, for some reason. He just lost motivation for a couple of weeks and stopped reading so much. We encouraged him to keep going, without forcing him to do it. And, eventually, he regained momentum and finished the last page of Revelation on November 15th, just over two months from the time he started!

We are proud of you, Joshua!

Someone asked me today how we did this? I decided to include my answer here. :-)

First of all, we cannot take credit for the mind the Lord has given him and the grace of God on his life. We thank God for what HE is doing in Joshua's life.

But, if I were to boil it down to three things we may have done to encourage him in this area, it would be:

1) Read lots of book. From birth on, we have always read a lot of books and all of my children love reading. Yes, even Johann. :)

2) Not indulge in much media entertainment. We don't have a tv, and we greatly limit movies we watch. No video games either. There is a lot of research that has been done showing how these types of media (regardless of wholesome content or not), greatly effect the brain's ability to "picture" what one reads in a book, and also is detrimental to attention span development, etc.

3) When it comes to God's Word, children learn a lot from what they see modeled in their parents, when they love the Bible and read it daily, talking about it enthusiastically and teaching it to their children.

My First Contribution to Heart of the Matter Online!

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 15:01:00 -0600

Once a Homeschool Kid, Now a Homeschool Mom

November 5, 2009 by Elizabeth

I have been asked many times to compare what it was like being a homeschool student to what it is like now being a homeschool mother – what I do the same, what I do differently, and how my experiences as a child have helped me now that I am homeschooling my own children......

YOU CAN READ THE REST HERE!

Homeschooling at its Best

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 22:02:00 -0600

We have had an old computer lying around for years, too old to be worth using - probably from about 1996 or 1997. So, we let the kids take it apart. They had SO much fun! It was like a week-long project for them. I eventually had to make them take it to the garage to prevent them from scattering small and potentially dangerous parts around the baby, but I think there is just no better education than this! It is one thing to read about the way a computer is made, or look at diagrams or photographs, but it is just immensely better to see it in person, feel it, discover and explore. Hands ON! Actually, it was fascinating for me too!

MORE FREE BOOKS!!

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:00:00 -0500

I have SOOO many things I want to post about, but I just have not found the time to do so!

In the meantime, though, I wanted to let you know about some excellent books I have the opportunity to give away at MamaKnowsBest!

Check out interview with author Betty Weinberger and enter to win a copy of her book, Enjoying Your Children. http://mamaknowsbest.net/article/interview-with-author-betty-weinberger-469-1.html

Win A FREE Timeline

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:04:00 -0500

I dont know if you have ever heard of Add-A-Century timeline, but it is really a neat and flexible system for a history timeline!

I am excited to say that I am giving away a FREE starter set, which sells for $49.50, on MamaKnowsBest this week!

Click here to check it out and enter to win!!!

A Little Encouragement Goes a Long Way

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:23:00 -0500

My biggest brother is an artist. Professional artist. He has drawn wildlife with a pencil that people have mistaken for black and white photographs. He is really, really good.

When I was young and had more time on my hands, I liked to draw. But I was never as good as Scott. I knew I never would be! There were even people who reminded me of that fact.....

But not Scott!

He was my biggest encourager! He gave me tips and pointers, let me borrow his really good quality art supplies and offered constructive criticism. He never compared my work with his or made me feel inferior in any way because I wasn't as good as him.

When I was about 14, I drew a horse to enter in our homeschool group's art fair. He cheered me on all the way! When I was done, he even took time to make a custom frame for my drawing out of barn siding he had found, and made a custom matte for it as well.

I got a blue ribbon for my drawing, but that didnt mean as much to me as Scott's encouragement did!

And Im still hanging onto this old drawing in the barn siding frame, not because I think what I drew was such a work of art, but because it is sentimental and reminds me that a little encouragement can go a long way.

Lone Ranger Homeschoolers

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:58:00 -0500

As you probably know, I was homeschooled. When I was growing up in this area, my family belonged to a Christian homeschool support group called CHESS (an acronym-nothing to do with the game!). It was a wonderful facet of being a homeschool kid and I have wonderful memories of my days in CHESS. It was not a daily interaction like you would get in a public school, but we did get together on a regular basis with other families for all sorts of different activities.

I don't remember doing very many field trip type things, like museums or what not, but rather the memories I have are of things like getting together every fall at the forest preserve around Thanksgiving. Each family was to bring a ziploc baggie full of meat and vegetables, which we all added to a big cast-iron pot over an open fire. While the stew simmered, the children played in the crunchy leaves and enjoyed the fresh, crisp fall air.

Then there was the time we did a reading co-op. Each participating family read Calico Captive on their own time, and then we got together for a day of bringing the book to life. We went dressed in garb of the era, and did several different activities - as I remember it, a cooking project and a craft or something like that - that had to do with the book. I don't remember the details of the projects, but I do remember how much I enjoyed it!

Every year we also had a History, Science and Art Fair, where students from K-12 could enter a project in one, two or three of these categories, for judging and prizes, but also for a time to get together and appreciate each others work as well. And all year long, it provided incentive for working on a project for the fair.

Then when I got to high school we had cooperative classes every Friday. Together we learned about Illinois history, the US Constitution, we took a Worldviews class, a leadership class, and even a speech and debate class, all taught by homeschool parents. These were not only times to learn together, but times to look forward to fellowshipping with other like-minded young people. I wasn't the only weird person out there! lol.

There were also gym groups, basketball teams, band, a biology class, and other things available over the years that I did not participate it, but many of my friends were able to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities. And being a member of CHESS provided the privilege of a graduation ceremony, both for eight grade and high school. Something to really celebrate!

Many of the friendships that I made in our homeschool group have lasted over the years. In fact, one of my good friends became my sister-in-law!

These days, I know a lot of lone ranger homeschoolers. I know life is busy. I know that you may still be able to have a positive homeschooling experience without belonging to a support group. But when I look back at my own life, I believe that one of the aspects that made my homeschooling experience such a positive one was belonging to a support group. If you are not a member of one now, I highly recommend that you find one in your area and join!

A few weeks ago, I went to a CHESS meeting - this time as a homeschool mom rather than kid. :)
I was surprised at what the leader was saying - that even among CHESS members, there are many that are choosing not to graduate with the group, because the children that would be graduating don't really even know each other, so they don't see the point! The moms go to support group meetings, which is a good thing, but apparently they don't participate in things regularly that could connect their children. I thought that was really sad. Looking back, I think I would have missed out on a huge blessing if we had not been an active part of CHESS. I am so thankful for those experiences that have played a role in shaping the adult that I have become today. :)

Interview with Elizabeth from Raising Godly Tomatoes

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:22:00 -0500

I have had the amazing privilege of interviewing L. Elizabeth Krueger, author of Raising Godly Tomatoes, for MamaKnowsBest! You can read the interview here and also enter for your chance to win one of her books!
Interview with L. Elizabeth Krueger.

Making Our Own Laundry Detergent

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:54:00 -0500

After way too long of "meaning to get around to it", we finally made our own laundry detergent! We used the recipe from here. We had so much fun doing this as a family project! Here are the pics of our adventure:

First grate the soap:

Then melt the soap:

Next, add soda and Borax:

Put hot water in a bucket. I used a 5 gallon bucket because I made a double batch right away.

Add soap mix to hot water in bucket, then add more water. Let sit overnight to "gel" and WALA!!!
SO easy and SO cheap!!!

Our Study of Proverbs

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:58:00 -0500

We finished our "ABC Bible Curriculum" and we have now started studying Proverbs. I am going to list here the things we are using for our study. This is partly for our personal journal, and partly so that if you feel like doing the same, you will know of some great resources. But mostly, it is to encourage you to use what you have! This study all came together because of resources that I had on hand, mostly from garage sales and used curriculum sales. I pick things up when I see a good deal on a great item, even if my children are still too young for it, etc. Eventually those things come in handy, and we have been able to put together great studies with very little expenditure!

This is a coloring book called Proverbs for Preschoolers. It is from Rick and Marilyn Boyer and can be obtained here: The Learning Parent

Next, this delightful book Wisdom and the Millers, which is just wonderful and inexpensive. My children LOVE hearing about how the Miller children learn about the Proverbs in their family devotional time. I enjoy it too! The workbook is optional, but I have found it helpful for Joshua. They concentrate on one character trait from the chapter, like discretion, or initiative, and include examples of children who did or did not practice those traits, etc. These are available here: Grace and Truth Books.
Here is another book I got at a garage sale that has stories that make Proverbs come alive for children. Some we have really enjoyed, and others are just "okay". It is available here: Wise Words

Then I found these little booklets that had sketches to illustrate different Proverbs. I like visual aids! There were three little booklets, but the only problem I had with them is that they were not arranged in any particular order that I could tell, either by chapter of Proverbs, or by theme either. So, to suit our needs, I took off the comb binding, cut off the top where the holes were in the paper, and arranged them chronologically by Proverb. There were several for every single chapter of Proverbs. I had this plastic case lying around, which I am storing them in. (see bottom picture). These have been a fun addition to our study.

So, this is how we are doing our study. Each morning after breakfast, we read the Proverb of the week. For example, this past week we were on Proverbs 6, so we read that chapter each day of last week - sort of like Five in A Row's system!
Then, after our reading, we go on to do one of the other things, like read a chapter from Wisdom and the Millers, or Wise Words, or color a picture to illustrate one of the verses, or look at one of the sketches and discuss that verse.
Each week we also memorize one of the verses from the chapter. That verse is used for copywork one day for Joshua as well. And Dominique is beginning to do copywork too. I try to put the memory verse to a tune so it is easier to remember.
Joshua also gets some "vocabulary" words from our study - often from the character trait we learned about from Wisdom and the Millers, like "discretion" and "initiative". I have him fill out a sheet for his notebook, complete with an illustration he draws, and sample sentence of the word. =) I tried to find the notebook sheet again, but can't.... sorry! You could probably make your own, though! I usually have him look it up in the dictionary too, to practice dictionary skills.

Then, when I think of something else that might be a nice idea (lol), we do that too! For example, for Proverbs 1, I had this idea as I was reading through the chapter, so we did it!

Edited to add: This past week we were working on Proverbs 10, and I noticed how many, many times that chapter talks about the mouth, tongue, lips, words, etc.... so tomorrow I plan to print the chapter off of www.biblegateway.com, and have Joshua use a highlighter to mark every reference in the chapter to the things we say, and then discuss it. I know it will be enlightening, for me as well!

We are really enjoying it so far!!