Jul. 17, 2007
"Sher"ing Literature part 3 - Book Selections 2006-2007
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As I indicated in a previous post, these are the chapter books I read this past year to my young ones. Perhaps I'll list some of our favorite picture books in the future. There were days when we read a chapter or so a day, but other rainy or wintry days here in Cleveland, Ohio that the kids kept asking for more. How can a parent not indulge when it comes to a good book? I have a hard time saying no to that request. We liked nothing better than to begin the day with the Bible and then dive right into our book selection. It worked great this year as my little guy liked to take an early morning nap, so I'd lull him to sleep in the rocking chair, reading our book. I must admit, however, that my seven year old quickly learned my weakness and used it to her advantage. She would happily sit and listen, spellbound, in lieu of doing math or chores - or anything else for that matter. And she would encourage one more chapter (or three, or five). Eventually I figured out what was going on (I must admit - later not sooner). It was with great resolve that I finally had to say, "Quid pro quo" - math first then more story. We got more schoolwork done after that! Here's the list preceded by the date we began the story. Quick lists always work so well for me! LITERATURE READ SCHOOL YEAR 2006-2007 Great Illustrated Classics 07.19.06 1. 20000 Leagues Under the Sea * 07.20.06 2. 07.21.06 3. Robinson Crusoe 07.29.06 4. The Wizard of Oz * 08.08.06 5. Black Beauty 08.15.06 6. A Tale of Two Cities 08.17.06 7. Heidi 08.24.06 8. Little Women * 08.30.06 9. Hans Brinker (The Silver Skates) 08.31.06 10. Captains Courageous 09.05.06 11. Kidnapped * 10.01.06 12. Frankenstein 10.15.06 13. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 11.15.06 14. The Picture of Dorian Gray 12.06.06 15. The Time Machine 12.11.06 16. Little Women * 01.25.07 19. The Invisible Man * 01.29.07 20. The Headless Horseman/Rip Van Winkle/Golden Dreams 02.01.07 21. The Prince and the Pauper 02.08.07 22. Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Hound of Baskerville 03.16.07 26. Journey to the Center of the Earth *
Unabridged Authorized 12.14.06 17. Pearl Maiden H. Rider Haggard 01.05.07 18. His Majesty, Queen Hatshepsut Dorothy Sharp Carter 02.13.07 23. Vinegar Boy 02.22.07 24. Strawberry Girl Lois Lenski 03.10.07 25. The Bears on 03.19.07 27. Julie’s Wolf Pack Jean Craighead George 03.31.07 28. Pinkie Pye Eleanor Estes 04.12.07 29. The Middle Moffat Eleanor Estes 04.24.07 30. The 05.31.07 31. Rufus M. Eleanor Estes 06.15.07 32. The Great Wheel Robert Lawson Usborne Shakespeare
34. The Merchant of
36. Macbeth
*Indicates literature that we then viewed on video to compare and contrast to the book. Overwhelming verdict was that “the book was so much better.” We did read Little Women twice. My Greta (age 5), loved the story and when we saw it on the classic movie Channel with June Allyson as Jo March, she wanted to read it again. She's an old movie fan just like her dear old mother. |
Jul. 16, 2007
"Sher"ing Literature part 2 - Audio Selections 2006-2007
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I thought I would post the list of audio books we chose this past school year. In the future I'll explain some of my choices and also post our chapter book selections along with reviews of our favorite authors. After each author is the date because I keep a list of when we start each book. I find it easier for my portfolio recordkeeping to just keep a running list with the dates, title and author. It's easy to see when we spent a lot of time in the car, as we often finished several audio books in a short timespan. I do not, however, keep a list of the picture book audio books as the kids usually do 2 a day on their own. I probably should record these but think I would be writing things down all the time and they often listen to the audio "book and tape" combinations multiple times before they need to be returned to the library. As you can see, audio books have allowed us to more than double the number of chapter books we've read because Mom's time is freed up at least on one half of the equation. My seven and five year old listened to all of these, while my 2 younger ones (3 and 1) were often hearing them, but they're little. Need I say more?
*Indicates literature that we then viewed on video to compare and contrast to the book. Overwhelming verdict was that “the book was so much better.” |
Jul. 16, 2007
"Sher"ing Literature part 1
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"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." Philippians 4:8 Assessment time is just around the corner for us. We chose to go the assessment route versus the standardized tests, mainly because our focus is not on rote learning and I have no desire to teach to a test. Moreover, my teaching objective and educational philosophy is summarized in the above Scripture. To achieve this goal requires a biblical foundation. Once that is established we add the building blocks of quality literature. If you build with inferior materials, your construction will not hold up. But laying a solid foundation in the Word and building from there is an excellent design plan. The wonderful thing about blocks comprised of quality literature is that the cornerstone is the Cornerstone Himself - Jesus Christ. The rich heritage in most of the Western Classics are the same principles espoused in Scripture. And who can deny Biblical allusion in works by great authors like Herman Melville and C.S. Lewis. Without even a cursory familiarity regarding the Bible, literature loses so much of its meaning. As a product of the public schools with a secular upbringing I can testify to this. My educational plan with my children, ages 7, 5, 3, and 1 has always entailed a great amount of reading. While we love to read picture books and especially picture books of merit, I have been convinces that we needn't limit ourselves to a single genre. Our reading list has included not only chapter books by renowned children's authors but the classics as well. It has worked well for us - not limiting our reading selections. Even if the children don't grasp every layer of meaning, I have found that they can enjoy a book with just a basic understanding of the story. Their vocabulary is enhanced, and mine too. Many times they can glean meanings of words just from context, but often they will ask the meaning of an unfamiliary word. I am happy to provide a definition. If I can't easily or adequately provide a definition (or I simply do not know), I look it up in the dictionary with them. The literary analysis will come much later but I am hoping that having a familiarity with the story and "remembering it from childhood" will enhance their experience experience later on. Perhaps they will not be intimidated by the voluminous tome set before them later on. For this reason, I like to use unabridged versions whenever possible. I do, however, use some Great Illustrated Classics and other abridged versions which work well when I want them to have an understanding of a story but the original may be a little to heavy for them. In the interest of time, we sometimes choose to use an abridged and it can offer a change of pace as well. It is also amazing to me how much kids, even young kids, really do understand. I "test" this understanding by having them narrate what they remember to me either in the form of a synopsis or just a general retelling of facts or characters they remember. We play "trivia" where I ask questions such as, "Who wrote Little Women?" or "What was the name of the dog in "Call of the Wild?" Easy questions just to enhance their recall of the stories, not only as we are going through them, but also for a cumulative type of review. Sometimes they surprise me with their ability to synthesize what they already know with what they are currently being read. Please don't think me boastful. I just will cite an example to demonstrate how this method has been successful for us. This past year we read Moby Dick. Some of the literature we read and don't discuss as much. Moby Dick, however, was one of the titles we spent more time on. During our initial reading my five year old, Greta, pointed out with excitement, "Hey, Captain Ahab - there was an Ahab in the Bible." I was excited for her because her experience of this literature was enriched due to her biblical foundation. I also realized that I had a momentary feeling of deprivation as a result of my secular, public school upbringing. When I read Melville I was in high school without any knowledge of the Bible and so such allusion would have been totally lost on me. She is five and able to predict Ahab's character when I asked, "What kind of person was Ahab in the Bible? What kind of person do you think Captain Ahab was going to be?" Building my children's minds a biblical foundation has had unexpected benefits such as this. I have also found that choosing literature with historical or geographical reference is helpful too. For example, when we encounter a particular time in history I can cite one of the books we've read for a historical reference point. We read H. Rider Haggard's exceptional classic Pearl Maiden. When we talked about the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, I was able to say, "Remember Pearl Maiden with Miriam..." and they can have images in their mind based on what we read rather than a couple of facts and a date. We locate the places we are reading about on the globe and it gives them a geographical reference when we study the same place in another book or in history or the Bible. It seems to create a cohesiveness in learning for them that was lacking for me when I received my education in small, unrelated increments. And finally, my all time favorite literature tools are Audio Books. We are fortunate to have a great library system to borrow from. The down time we spend in the car is "school time" for us when we are listening to books. We usually read aloud a chapter book and then do a different audio book and I find they can easily follow both plots simultaneously. I prefer cassettes because it's easier to stop and start as we transfer from home to car. To wind down at night, my two older girls listen to 30 minutes or so of an audio book before bed. There is nothing like listening to everyone's favorite Bard (Shakespeare) in full drama on audio. Now my approach was first to read a retelling of the story in prose format (Usborne books has a great Shakespeare book), talk about the story, and then listen to the story on audio. Yesterday they got to see Shakespeare on the outdoor stage at a festival and I was truly excited when it happened to be 2 of the Shakespeare plays we studied this year. I couldn't believe how intrigued the kids were (all but my 1 year old. Judah sat well through "A Midsummer Night's Dream." When we returned later in the day, he really liked the fighting in "Macbeth" but was content only because of the great quantities of snacks my husband kept feeding him. Judah is our only boy, so I think it may have been a guy thing). I think it goes without saying that the lessons of great literature are worth noting. When we can allow a story to illustrate biblical principles or the Bible itself it seeks to reinforce the teaching of the Word and see its application. The truths become manifest as good stories and their morals stay with you always. In the building of a student the roof of Truth rests atop the structure and protects from the unpleasant elements. That is why I strongly believe that solid literature is so important - because it is has those qualities that the Apostle Paul encourages us to think about. May your thoughts be true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, Sherry B. |
Jul. 14, 2007
FUNdamentals of Homeschooling Part 1
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"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4 When I read this verse, I don't see the word "Fathers" I see "Homeschool Moms" glaring at me. And there is this stirring of conviction because I stand guilty more times than I want to admit. Allow me to elaborate... This past school year was a challenge for me. My oldest daughter, Cora, was 1st grade age so I was excited because it was our first "official" year of homeschooling although we've been at it since she was two. I had a vision early on that I would teach my daughter to read by the time she was 4. God had other plans, however. In spite of using many of the usual homeschool recommendations for reading including Teach your Child in 100 Easy Lessons, The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading, A Home Start in Reading by Ruth Beechick, Phonics Pathways, Phonics Pyramid, The Writing Road to Reading (Spalding Method), Jumpstart Phonics/Grade 1, Study Dog, Hooked on Phonics, Starfall, and the Leap Frog Series, my daughter just didn't get it. She knew the sounds, she could read some words but she wasn't reading the books I thought she should be able to. I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong. Let me say that there were many days over the past three years that I exasperated her with my task-oriented approach. Afterall, I taught myself to read when I was 5 years old, certainly I should be able to teach my daughter to read with such ease. Why was I so determined to do this? Did I somehow think that reading at age 3 or 4 would guarantee her success in life? If she wasn't reading by 5, would the college admissions officers turn her away? If she wasn't reading by 6 would she EVER read? If she wasn't reading by 7 does that mean I am a failure? Actually, I do think it wasn't about her, it was about me. Homeschoolers tread a very delicate line between self-confidence and self-doubt, especially in the beginning. We have all the right reasons for wanting to homeschool and we are confident that it's the best option for our children. But then come the scoffers, and naysayers, and critics (and most certainly the enemy himself): "You're going to do what?" "You're not a certified teacher!" "What about socialization?" "How will your child get into college?" I'm sure you know the customary remarks from those who have been indoctrinated to believe that what we are doing borders on neglect. So we endeavor to set these lofty goals and aspirations which, when achieved, we believe will prove our point that homeschooling is legitimate and acceptable; thus we are then validated as real educators and good parents. Afterall, the results must mean something. My children's success was inextricably tied to my ego (although I was either in denial or completely oblivious to this reality). Either way, I felt that if my kids could learn Latin in Kindergarten or read at age 3, then it would authenticate my role as a parent-teacher. Further, I would know that I was doing something right in spite of my own shortcomings. And I could have the added satisfaction of thumbing my nose at all those critics. "See here...Look what I can do - I mean my children can do, because of me." Well, God taught me a valuable lesson by not allowing my daughter to read until she was 7.
It's not about me, it's all about Him. He gave me a daughter whose reading ability wasn't going to "click" until much later than I had planned in spite of what I did. I could not solve this problem myself. No matter what I did, it was not working. And the remedy for I-can't-do-this-anymore-itis? Heaping doses of prayer. I was driven to my knees: petitioning for the right technique, the right curriculum, the right way to get this to happen. God, you know, works in His own perfect timing. He waited patiently, requiring me to come to Him day after day for help until I finally "got" it. He allowed me to endure this trial to grow in wisdom. It's not about me! So far, I have gleaned a four-fold purpose from this experience. (1) I was humbled me to the point of knowing that I couldn't do this on my own. (2) I was drawn closer to God, relying on Him to strengthen me in my weakness. (3) I gained wisdom to discern this. (4) I redirected the glory to the One who should have had it in the first place! When I was at the end of my rope, ready to consider public school for my precious daughter because I wasn't sure where all of this effort was leading. God finally gave me a glimpse of what I needed to do. He reveals things in unexpected ways to get our attention sometimes. I randomly came across a tidbit about Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was struck by the fact that she didn't even "learn to read" until she went to school when she was 8 years old. This beloved author of timeless classics was a year older than my daughter is now and yet she left a lasting impression on future generations. It gave me perspective in all this. It doesn't matter what age my child learns to read! Homeschooling gives me the freedom to work on our own timetables, not conformed to some "one size fits all" methodology. We can keep the FUN in fundamentals and she'll get it when she's ready. It won't hinder God's plans for her. God gently reminded that I am not the author of success. The Creator determines the success of His creation. She is fearfully and wonderfully made. He created my daughter for a purpose and He has a plan for her life. He has drawn Cora close to him ever since she was very little. She has grasped in her 7 short years things about God that have taken me over 30 to understand. Cora walks with God and loves Him with all her heart, mind, soul, and strength. I could wax sentimental about all of her beautiful qualities. For so long I was focused on what she wasn't doing, instead of on who she was becoming in Christ. Isn't eternal success what really matters? So, here are my Top 10 FUNdamentals of Homeschooling that I learned this past year: 1. Success is defined by the Creator not the creation. 2. Prayer is the most essential learning tool there is. Use often and in great quantities. 3. It doesn't so much matter WHAT you use as HOW you use it. Any system can work if administered with lots of love and massive amounts of patience. 4. Pushing kids too hard, too fast takes the joy out of homeschooling. 5. Homeschool Mom, don't exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. 6. Love your children for how God created them. 7. Step back and enjoy the freedom of homeschooling without pressure to keep up. 8. Remember: There really are no prizes in life for reading when you're 3. 9. Water your precious children with love and affection, let them grow and learn at their own pace and they will blossom in beautiful ways beyond what you could imagine. 10. And don't worry. You are a great teacher for your child, even if she takes 7 years to start reading! May God richly bless you this day, Sherry B |
Jul. 13, 2007
Technologically Challenged
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Matthew 12:36 "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken." I can hardly believe I am taking the giant leap into the world of blogging. It's a bit scary for me. The perceived anonymity of just being able to "surf the web" is suddenly removed as I sit here typing from my heart. Now my words will become a part (albeit infinitesimal) of countless other words circulating in cyberspace. A huge galaxy of thoughts, and mine kind of like a distant, hardly recognizable star farther off than my mind can grasp. But, nevertheless, I know it's out there. Those words, once posted can remain there indefinately, for better or for worse, and I can't take them back. With that in mind, I expect I will take great care in what I post. And yet, as I am challenged with that knowledge, I think about the words I have spoken to those whom I so dearly love that also cannot be taken back. While those words are not necessarily floating around in cyberspace, they linger in the far reaches of one's heart, for better or for worse. And I'll have to give an account for all of those words someday (that thought terrifies me). The awareness of how far-reaching techology is has challenged me to cautiously reflect on what I will post here. Moreover, realizing now that the words I speak (CONFESSION: sometimes hastily or flippantly), those words that I consider merely soundwaves lost in the air after they have left my mouth, they too remain "out there" and will need to be accounted for in front of the King of all kings. So, as I "Sher With You", I pray that I can keep these words close to my heart and guard as vigilantly what I speak as what I write. |