Category Archives: Misc. Education

Day 7 Home Education Week!

What are your goals for home education? What do you hope to instill in your children? Are you planning any changes to how you educate your children?

Well, right now I’m looking forward to finishing blogging. My blog-a-thon is nearly over – 1 week in one afternoon and evening. Well, I guess I’ll leave the “real time” on this post. 🙂 And this was actually a week that I already had several OTHER posts.

Now you’re talking my language, and I can speak from the perspective of a philosophical mom. You saved the best question till last!

My goals are simple, that our children would love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and glorify Him in whatever they do. (I know, broad and philosophical.)

I hope to instill in them the ability to look at all of life through the Wisdom of God’s Word, therefore they must know, REALLY KNOW His Word and how it applies to all of life – their life.

In order to live that out they must be submitted to God’s Word, walking in “self-government” with Christian character.

I am not planning any foreseeable changes. We have found a good path, and we are walking therein. I am doing the best I know how at this point. However, since everyday is growth and change, we will continue to do that. Growing and changing day by day, to be conformed more into the image of God’s own dear Son. That will mean that the best of plans will be “tweaked” along the way.

Day 6 Home Education Week!

Share your children’s home education experience in their own words. What have they said about their education? What are their likes and dislikes? Share some stories, some quotes, or turn your blog over to your children for the day.

Whoo-hoo we’re on the home stretch!! This has been a true blog-a-thon!

Dd16 – thinks “it’s hard” – she isn’t in here to ask a direct quote. She’s sure she has more to do than anyone ever had. (No doubt because I’ve been so easy on her in the past 🙂 She loves to read and to learn – but just not always what is “necessary.” “Math? Why should I have to do that?”

Ds 14 is gaining FLUENCY in reading, whoo-hoo, (yes, it’s been a slow road for him) and he loves to read, but doesn’t like reading long things or for long stretches, (and still LOVES being read to more). He told the eye dr. that he only reads what he has to for school. (Which is somewhat true –) But he always says, “I’ll read the Scripture for today.” or “Can I read that?” Or last week when his sisters were gone and I had an online workshop to do said, “Mom, you just go do what you need to work on and I’ll read the lessons to the other boys.”

Ds 10 just told me the best thing about home education was we get done earlier. (Oh, is that so?)

Dd8 loves learning. If asked what she likes about home ed, she says, “Reading!” and “spelling”. But wishes she could do less math and more projects, art and music. She’s usually cutting, coloring, drawing something as we read. She’s read FAR more books than ds 14, and will no doubt catch up with ds10 – who, as of the beginning of last summer, had read over 70 books for the year. I don’t know what his count is this year, but his books choices are getting quite long, so I’m guessing it will drop off quite a bit. She also says we could do it a lot faster if the boys weren’t always messing around.

Ds3 told me a couple weeks ago, “[ds5] doesn’t know how to read yet.” Guess he felt it was high time he learned.

Ds5 and 3 believe that lesson time is their time to go fire up the printer and start printing coloring pages for themselves. (Ds5 knows how. Ds3 THINKS he does.) They’ve been kind of stuck in the Alamo, coloring page after page after page – the same ones over and over. They love Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. But I guess before that it was Daniel Boone, over and over. I reminded them that we were studying a different war now, (I guess they were oblivious to the time between the wars) and there are plenty of pages on the civil war they could color about some of the men they are enjoying hearing about from that too. Did they pick Stonewall (5yo’s fave)? No. Did they pick Lee or Stuart or Lincoln or any others we’ve read about? No. They asked to color the ladies in the pretty dresses, (“the big sister and the little sister.” – a Southern Belles color book.)

OK, older children are in now, so I have some quotes.

Ds14 likes best about learning at home – “you don’t get any F’s.” He said that’s what he tells his friends when they ask. He likes math. He wishes we’d do more reading – like stories and such. i.e. like Lamplighters. He wishes we’d do less books. OK, we don’t do textbooks, or workbooks, or anything but real books such as the above, so what is he saying? More reading – less reading, which is it? “Less books like Spurgeon.” None of the children were too thrilled with the bio we picked. We quit about half way through.

Dd16 likes best that they have more options in what they do. She’s not sure what she’d want more or less of. “Just perfect as it is?”, I ask, knowing her better than that. “Well, I’m sure there’s something.” And finally said, “less messing around by the boys so we could get done sooner.”

Ds3 says he like playing quietly best. Yeah right!!!

Ds5 says he likes playing best – when mom says they can go play while we work on a lesson that needs a bit of quiet!

Ds10 says he likes that he “can’t get in trouble that much.” Where did this kid get these ideas? He likes math best and wishes we’d do more of it. He wishes we’d do less reading. What? he loves reading. Oh, less reading together. The thing his brother wishes we’d do more of. Guess that means it’s my call, and it must be close to right if one wants more and another wants less. Right?

Well, I think I’ve heard from everybody. On to day 7!

or Universal Principles with Unique Applications ~ how L.E.D and PA share the same spirit, but individual expressions.

Here I go with initials again. For the uninitiated, L.E.D. is our biblically principled approach to home education. It stands for Lifestyle Education through Discipleship™. We’ve been around, undercover to most of the world 🙂 , for about 18 years, or somewhere there about. PA stands for the Principle Approach®, a biblically principled approach to education developed by Rosalie Slater, and her work with Verna Hall. PA’s been around MUCH longer, since the ’60’s, I think.

So if L.E.D. and PA are both biblically, principled approaches to education, what’s the difference? The main difference between PA and L.E.D. is that L.E.D. is my individualized application of biblical principles education for the home and family setting – seeking to make education a Lifestyle. Much of the ideas in LED and PA are the same (although perhaps stated a bit differently) and some things I have gleaned from PA and adapted to fit into L.E.D.

Another difference is – They are professional educators; I’m a mom. PA was designed by professional Christian educators, mainly working with/within Christian schools, (although it has made definite inroads to home ed now too). L.E.D. was designed by a Christian mom discipling her family and searching the Word, and trusting God to do that. (I have a GREAT PASSION for discipleship! and biblical wisdom/philosophy, especially in education.)

As I studied various philosophies of education, to see what fit in with what I’d found in the Word, I saw that PA was really the same philosophy of education I had, just laid out a bit differently, primarily for the classroom setting, (more “school” structured than we want – more academically rigorous in younger ages than we feel necessary). They (naturally) had different terms for the same things I saw, etc. But they were in essence/in spirit the same thing (because they are both centered on seeking and applying the Wisdom of the Word) – just in “law”/application looked a bit different.

Since it was the same philosophy, I learned more about PA, and how they apply it. (Actually, I came in through the backdoor, as when I first approached the PA front door, I turned away. My initial response to PA was probably the same as most people’s – somewhat like, “Wow, this sounds great. Whoa, it looks complicated.” ) Anyhow, learning more about PA has (undoubtedly and unavoidably) led to some “tweaking” in L.E.D. It has also helped me to “learn to speak their language”.

I work with moms, not within an educational system/institution, so I have always tried to help simplify things as much as possible, and relieve the stress and bondage many moms feel while trying to do things “right”, as prescribed by either ‘schoolish’ ways (ingrained from their past) or someone looked upon as an ‘authority’ in education. I don’t try to take the home into the “school” realm, but rather bring biblical education into the Home realm.

A mom of many usually doesn’t have the amount of time to devote to learning all the “school” things that a classroom teacher does, (nor does she need to,) and perhaps she doesn’t even have the natural inclination for teaching. She is just following the command of the Lord to disciple her children, teach and train them in the way the Lord would have them to grow. Her day isn’t spent just focused on academic education, but also wiping runny noses and doing laundry and cleaning and cooking and nursing the baby, etc. – all while teaching, perhaps several levels of students, not just academics but all of life. But she will fall into trying to apply what she does know, from past experience, if she is not Renewed to a biblical perspective of education.

For those moms Freedom & Simplicity™ was designed. I know thinking philosophically is not always every mom’s strength, but I try to make it as easy as possible. A biblical philosophy of education is a different way of thinking about education than most of us have grown up with/learned. Therefore those foundations (the philosophy) have to be taught first, and internalized by the parent before they can begin applying the methods to any content.

I’ve (in more recent years) worked with many moms who have tried PA, (and many times given up on it, as just being “too hard” to understand.) And I desire to bring them (back) to biblically, principled education, as a way that is not only good and biblical, but also “do-able” for moms that don’t have years to learn full-time before they can begin teaching their children. Most moms fear that ticking clock, feeling they are getting “behind” or don’t have much “time left.”

I don’t say this against F.A.C.E. at all. (Yep, more initials. FACE is the Foundation for American Christian Education, the PA people.) I believe FACE is doing a great job of trying to reach and work with moms in the home. Everyone I’ve talked to there has a heart to help moms see the spirit behind this and find freedom, too. But if God can apply His grace to my passion of sharing biblically principled education with others, as I’ve learned it from His Word, and help moms to learn to apply it in Freedom & Simplicity™ in the Lifestyle of the home, all praise goes to Him.

I am blessed by those of you that God helps through me, to find understanding and application of a biblically principled education based on a Lifestyle of Discipleship in the home. But if you prefer to apply “straight PA” as developed by the experts, I am happy to help as I can there too. I know enough PA that I generally know where L.E.D. differs from it, so I think I can present it fairly, but I don’t claim to be an expert on anything. 🙂  Yet, I continue to grow and learn more, on education and life in general, as God’s Word transforms me daily.

It is a biblically principled education we are after, (whatever we call it,) ~ Seeking Biblical Wisdom through Universal Principles with Unique Applications.

Day 5 Home Education Week!

Show off those talents. Share a story, a special moment, a piece of artwork. Any accomplishment, great or small, is fair game.

Are these getting harder every day or what? Or do I just not photograph anything? That could be it.

Let’s see, a story? Special moment? Piece of artwork? naw

Just some incidents from today.

3yo just came in and asked, “Can I be rude to [16yo sister]?” This was after he and 5yo just were brought in for spitting on the trampoline. After they were rebuked and cleaned it up and he was going back out again, this was his question. Does that count as a story?

How about 5yo saying that when they do Twinkle, Twinkle for performing arts night, he wants to be the tomato. I say, “What?” His sister says, “It isn’t a tomato, it’s a squash.” I say, “What?” Sister says, “From Sumo of the Opera.” At this point I notice that ds has his red soccer sock pulled up between his legs. “NO! We will do Twinkle in our church clothes.”

8yo just agreed to her story from this afternoon being shared. I didn’t hink she would, especially if I get the picture uploaded. (But who knows if I’ll get that far.) OK, it’s certainly not an accomplishment, nor anything to brag about. Not even particularly home ed related, but it’s where we are today.

See, the only reason I’m getting all these posts done is because she fell off her bike this afternoon, and I am sitting on the couch holding her.

She skinned the typical knee, and also her wrist and elbow. But when dad carried her in the blood was coming from her face. Not from her mouth – whew! – no teeth loose. But her whole face is skinned, and her eye is swollen and quickly turning colors.

After cleaning her up, applying Lavender to the wounds, and a cold cloth to the eye, the crying and holding lasted about 2 hours. Then she felt OK enough that she quit crying for “probably a half hour” so she could go to 5yo’s soccer game, but not for an hour to go to 10 yo’s.

We got ice to the eye as soon as she’d let me. And she was able to get through the game without crying, but didn’t last long when we stopped to visit grandpa on the way home.

We came back to the couch, and she did sleep for a while.

She’s agreed to try to make it to church tomorrow, if I’d agree that we can come home after worship, before the sermon, if she isn’t up to it. (Remember I’m posting these retrospectively – though this says Thur. it’s really Sat. – so you’re reading this before it really happens. 🙂

Well, I’m not going to take time to upload pic now – maybe later. It will soon be bath time and dh’s at work, so I get to give them all. Well, not ALL, the older children can do their own. 🙂 But you know how it is.

Day 4 Home Education Week!

It is also National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! So share a recipe…figuratively, as in two parts love, one part creativity, or literally, as in a super quick, nutritious meal your kids scarf up. Think about what you do in the day, what helps keep it organized and you sane (or how you got past that need for organization and saneness!), and curriculum materials you find effective.

Oh, so now’s my chance to wax eloquent, well that’s relative in my case. Especially since I’m “on the fly”.

But here’s our:

Recipe for Biblical Home Education

Take one mom who loves God with all her heart, soul, mind and strength and treasures His Word daily in her heart.

Add 10 beautiful blessings, that she gave life to, but THEY are the ones that give life to her heart and soul – and keep her exercise level up.

Saturate all in God’s Word.

Season with great Living Literature.

Sprinkle with meaningful, fun projects.

Layer with adequate Journals.

Pour TREMENDOUS amounts of Grace and Love over all – DAILY!

Serve – to the Glory of God – trusting in His Providence and Grace to give desired results.

Well – best I could do on short notice 🙂

Need a math mind bender for you children today?

This one is written as determining your age by “how many times you want to go out to eat per week,” but you could substitute any other “event” that would be more than 1 and less than 10. And actually it works with 0 or 1 also, but it is more apparent how the calculations are working, therefore losing some of the “awe” factor – but your children may not catch on to that. Also, it won’t work if you are over 100. 🙂

You could do it by telling your children you will be able to tell them their “secret number”. Have them choose a secret number 2-9 (or 0-9) then follow your directions and do the calculations (without letting you see) and then read the answer to you. You will know the last 2 digits are their age, and first (in the hundreds place) is their “secret number”. If doing it with someone whose age you don’t know, you could not only tell them their “secret number” but also their age. (If they are less than 10 years old, their age will have a ‘0’ in the tens place, i.e. 3 years old=03. But I doubt that they can do the calculations, even if they are home educated. 🙂 )

This formula only works this year – 2008.

“Is it possible to calculate your age by how often you enjoy eating out? Get ready for a mathematical mind-bender– and don’t cheat by scrolling down first!

“This takes less than a minute. Work it out as you read, either in your head or on a piece of paper. But be sure you don’t read the bottom until you’ve worked it out!

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to go out to eat (more than once but less than 10 times)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1758 … If you haven’t, add 1757.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should now have a three digit number. The first digit of this was your original number, (i.e., how many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week).

The next two numbers are:

YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!)

This is the only year (2008) the calculation will ever work, so you have less than nine months to spread this around.

from Mercola.com

Day 3 Home School Week!

What kind of Nebraskan would I be to not participate?

And we have likely all felt the fool in one way or another. Share your greatest challenge. Or one of those terrible, horrible no good, very bad days where the only thing there is to do seems to involve moving to Australia.

I don’t have “a day” to share, but I can guarantee that I’ve had bad days, even within the last week. Day’s when I’ve cried, days when we all pray, “God, please, we need you to guide us every step of the way today,” days when we’ve just STOPPED everything – and took a “break” for the rest of the day.

These days usually have nothing to do with the lessons themselves, but just our lives as human sinners living together in a fallen world, trying to make our way, trying to make a difference in our children’s lives, for God’s glory. Working on relationships and character is far more important than working on “school” lessons.

Day 2 of Home Education Week posts.

Describe yourself, your family or one of your children. What is it like to be home educated in your family? What is “normal” for you?

Normal for us has over time since those 4 little girls. Our days USED to be filled with everyone getting up and ready, then sitting at the table to work through our table time lessons – finishing these fairly quickly, (even the little ones quietly coloring or something,) then everyone completing their chores, then everyone reading or working on other projects and play time.

“Normal” now, with 4 boys in the home (+ the 2 younger girls, 16 and 8) is getting up and messing around, jumping around at the table during table time lessons, being disrupted by the 2 little boys during the table time lessons so we’re never done “quickly”, wrestling around during chore time, and goofing around when they’re suppose to be reading, rarely getting through soon enough to have enough play time. And FAR more bathroom breaks. Who ever said GIRLS are the bad ones for this?

Play time is still important though, so …. what’s a mom to do? Obviously, a lot more training is needed around here. The 2 girls recently went to their older sister’s for a week. I sent their lessons with them. They were done before 9:30 every morning, except for their independent reading, that they did at their leisure throughout the day.

Obviously, with our boys we’ve had to make adjustments in “normal”. The older girls preferred to work at the table, one lesson to the next, until we were DONE. Then their time was free. We’d even work ahead to give us “free days”. They LOVED things this way. With the boys, things don’t go that way. Much of their “play” time is taken DURING lesson time.

With boys we have learned:

1. more about SHORT lessons, no waxing eloquent, just make the point and move on.
2. to take short ACTIVE breaks between each SHORT lesson. They run outside around the house x number of times, jump 5 minutes on the tramp, ride their bike around the block a couple of times, or some other ACTIVITY. If it’s too horribly nasty to go out  (it’s got to be REALLY bad to not go out, but there are plenty of times it’s bad enough they can’t get on the tramp or the bikes) anyhow, if they have to stay in, they run the stairs a few times. Then return for the next table time lesson/project or family reading. The key is RUNNING. If I just send them out to empty the trash or something, the goofing off, messing around, etc. kicks in and they don’t come back for 15 min.
3. to vary lesson types that are back to back. A reading, a writing, a listening, a hands-on project all scrambled up. NEVER try to do 2 of the same type back to back. It will backfire.

I can’t imagine my boys in a traditional “school”-type setting. They’d no doubt be labeled and pushing for medication. I don’t know that I’ve totally figured out the perfect balance in our home though. A mom has to continually be using discernment for what is foolishness and disobedience, and what is just the way God made little boys. I’m still learning how to train boys. Girls are much easier.

So 14 years of Normal, has been exchanged for 7 years of “NORMAL?” I have a feeling “NORMAL?” has at least another 14 years to go, as our youngest boy is not quite 4 now.

I’m am joining Dana’s Home Education Week – in retrospect. This has been a week with very little online time, and so I’ll just take the time I have now, and backpost to follow the flow.

Dana asks:

Share your personal history  … before you were a home educator. What was life like? Think about things you miss and things you and your family have gained.

I’m sure there was life before home education, but there is little to remember except that we had to get up early, and I missed them while they were gone. That was a LONG time ago. We’ve been home educating since 1987.

Our oldest 2 went from being in our home up to age 5, to the typical government education institution for a few years. During that time we had 2 more dc, who were home with me. We also became Christians at that time, and began researching home ed soon after. It was just coming into anyone’s knowledge then. I read the 2 or 3 books available on it, and knew no one personally who was doing it. But, within 2 years of becoming Christians, we began home educating. It’s one of the very best decisions we’ve EVER made.

BTW, although I’d only heard vaguely of home schooling and of some family 75 miles away doing it, when our first was about 1.5 and someone asked when I was going to wean her, I replied that if she wasn’t weaned by kindergarten I’d have to home school her. — She did wean, way before 5, and I did send her to ps, but brought her home a few years later.

I probably worked on more craft and sewing projects back then. Now I work on lesson plans. And I obviously read different things back then. I took a couple college classes I was interested in, got my interior design certification, personal color certification (for make up and wardrobe), and when God saved me, I began lifelong dedicated Bible study. I was already designing crafts and selling them, and teaching craft classes, and teaching nutrition classes.

But I wouldn’t say I “miss” anything. I still work on those things as time allows, and I LOVE the studying I do now, for educating my own children – since it is just as extension of my Bible Study, and for teaching other parents how to home educate in Freedom & Simplicity™ through Lifestyle Education through Discipleship™.

I believed we have gained everything! I wouldn’t send my dc out of the home that way again. During our home education years, we have gone from 4 children to 10. Those oldest 4 are now grown and in their own homes. So life has changed, because our family has changed, but for the last 21 years, home education has been the constant – a God guided life of family discipleship.