Today I have guest authors, Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn, sharing on suggested course of study for various age groups.

Early Knowledge Level

Before age ten, the child is mostly dependent upon his concrete sensory experiences for learning. He is really in an Early Knowledge Level. This is the time to sow the seeds of honoring God and parents, developing the capacity for language and the appetite for learning, enriching the memory, and instilling a work and service ethic. This is the time to lay the foundation for the formal academics which will follow.

Later Knowledge Level

Consider this basic maxim of Homeschooling: There is only so much time in the day. Keep this maxim in mind as you consider which of the many subjects your child will study throughout his school age years. What is the wisest use of each day’s time?

Before age ten, “formal” academics – a stack of textbooks and workbooks – is not necessarily the most important use of our time. At age ten, most children are entering the later Knowledge Level. This is approximately the age when children are ready for more “formal” academics. Around age ten, the light bulb goes on. The brain becomes physically able to make more complex connections, which, among other things, makes your child more able to handle abstract concepts and helps your child with self-management and self-control. The parent will be the most intensely involved in the child’s education from ages ten through twelve.

Understanding Level

When children reach the Understanding Level, Homeschooling becomes interesting! Early teens are developing into thinking, questioning, reasoning creatures. They are no longer content to know what happened; they want to know why.

Alas, at this stage many parents become distressed because the curriculum is getting more difficult, and the children are asking more complex questions. We are no longer allowed to teach mere capitalization rules and addition facts. We must now begin to exercise our minds with our children! Because these children are developing the ability to think abstractly, we parents are being challenged to move out of our post-secondary-school-days comfort zone. As a result, many parents retire from Homeschooling and send their children off to a classroom school.

But this is not at all the time to give up. We encourage parents to persevere to the end. Remember, Homeschooling is for parents. How many of us went through school without learning anything in general, or without remembering anything in particular? We were neither interested nor motivated. We were simply serving our twelve year sentence. We now have another opportunity to learn these things as we teach them to our children. We have the opportunity to learn such things as the math we never understood, the science from a Christian instead of from a naturalistic perspective, the history they never taught us, the classical language they never offered us, and the logic they never allowed us to use. Homeschooling saves two generations: first the parents, then the children.

Father’s Role

We’ve covered the academics. But there is more to say: The classical homeschool is not just Latin and Logic. It is practically a way of life. We’ve made a bunch of mistakes in our homeschooling. Here’s one of them:

Fathers should be more than figuratively the head of your school. Children in the Logic Stage need their father. Of course, children of all ages need a father’s input, but the early teens are crucial. This is especially true with boys — boys need their father’s hand as they enter the teen years. It’s only been in the past half dozen years that we have begun to realize this in our own family. Oh, to go back and do things right! But perhaps others can learn from our mistakes. If Johnny is supposed to be writing out his spelling words and Daddy wants him to help with the lawn mower, by all means let the lawn mower win. Daddy only has so much time with the kids, so make the best use of it.

We suggest Fathers take over teaching Greek to the children. It will not only help the children, but help him in his study of God’s Word. Logic is also best taught by the Father. Here is an excerpt from an essay our oldest son Nathaniel recently wrote: “When I was about thirteen my parents announced we were going to study logic. What thoughts flitted through my anti-intellectual mind I can’t rightly say, but I imagine they weren’t good. Back then, my father had not yet taken on much of the responsibility for our schooling, and so the burden fell on my mother’s shoulders. If you don’t know what it is to learn logic with a woman, how can I describe it to you…” Now, we say this not to imply that mothers can’t teach logic, but only to suggest that perhaps it would be helpful if fathers took this over.

Wisdom Level

The Wisdom Level is the most creative level. The Wisdom Level takes the facts and theories and begins to apply them. Teaching will advance from the coaching and correcting level to the coaxing and directing level. You’ll be asking questions, leading discussions, and encouraging individual initiative and innovation.

During the Early Knowledge Level, parents are molding their children. In the Later Knowledge and Understanding Levels, parents are developing their children’s fundamental skills – giving them the basic tools. But in the Wisdom Level, though skills are still being developed, the child begins to pursue a particular course for life based upon his abilities, talents, and interests. Parents should assess their children’s abilities and talents, help them explore their peculiar interests, and encourage them in certain directions. Our role in their education will slowly change from instructor to counselor as the Lord begins to call them forward and lead them in other directions and eventually to marry and establish a new household.

Don’t Try This at Home

If you try to follow a classroom model in your homeschool – dragging in the desks and chalkboard, conforming to a one-size-fits-all scope-and-sequence method, following a rigid bell-ringer schedule, and the like – you will probably buckle under the burden. That kind of schooling does not fit well in a homeschool environment. Rare is the pair of parents who have the time and the talents to bear such burdens. It will truly test your determination to homeschool. The great strength and advantage of homeschooling is that it releases you from the burdens of the classroom and invites you into the natural schooling environment of one-on-one tutoring in your own home.

Homeschoolers are raising a generation of custom-built children – no factory models here. We want to keep it that way. The classical model and method for education leaves plenty of room for the several different approaches to homeschooling. The goal of a classical style of Homeschooling is to tutor children in those skills which will make them able to teach themselves whatever they need to learn throughout their life. Our purpose is to show you that you can homeschool in a classical style.

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by Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn. Copyright 1999, 2001. All rights reserved.

This is only a brief overview of the Bluedorn’s Suggested Course of Study. A more thorough discussion can be found in their Teaching the Trivium book, in their seminar tapes, and on their Homeschooling with the Trivium Email List.

Many housekeeping experts advocate having a place for everything that’s in your home.  You may have heard the expression, “Everything should have a place, and everything should be in it’s place.”

The longer I’ve cleaned my house and tried to keep it organized, the more I find this to be true.  But how do you get there?  Certainly, one big part is decluttering your home and getting rid of unnecessary stuff.  But another very important part is bringing less stuff home from the store.  The next time you’re in the store or looking online, think about these questions:

Ask yourself, “Where exactly will I put this in my house?”

If it’s on sale, ask yourself, “Would I still buy this if it were full price?”

Finally, ask yourself, “Is there something better I could spend this money on?”

Today I have guest author, Tristie Fisher, sharing on joy and thankfulness in the midst of trial.

Hello friends!   How good God is to give us Himself!

Many of us -through prayer groups or e-mail, have discussed the challenges of pain and suffering in life. Whether emotional or physical, the issue is not whether or not we will experience pain, but the acuteness of it. Pain is a strange surprise to us….we readily receive the power of God to worship and witness but do not know how to depend upon Him in private trial. How do you trust God when you cannot see Him? How do you cry out for His help when your heart is in anguish? How do you lean upon Him as YOUR  intercessor?

In His goodness, He gives His Word, His church and (may I suggest) the lives of those who have gone on before us. Personally, it is the lives of those who have ENDURED, not ENTERTAINED who draw me the most. Those who have been through the jungle of physical trial (and therefore emotional) trial with a soft-hearted determination to grow in Him. They have struggles (in the flesh) with self-pity, anger and pride yet, gained VICTORY (in the Spirit) through humility, brokenness and deep private worship of God.

The lives of Adonirum and Ann Judson of Burma and Robert and Mary Moffit of Africa give me encouragement in their constant commitment to “usefulness”, not necessarily personal fulfillment. How glorious to have our mind expanded to worship God not just for what I ask Him for but because HE is! Can He move? Yes. Can He heal? Yes. Can He change us? Most definitely. May we live in lives of “THANKFUL TENSION”..tense because we want freedom from pain but thankful because He is and we are allowed to see.

Perhaps this will be the week He will cultivate in us a mind of thankfulness and a yielded heart of patience. Our worship will be a fragrance to the Creator God who grandly hung the stars in the sky and STILL bends His ear to hear my eager, yet smaller, requests.

Love to you in the One who knows you best,

tristie

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Copyright Tristie Fisher, 2009.

Tristie Fisher’s passion for personal discipleship and her skill as a public speaker continue to expand impact of college & adult ministry at Grace Bible Church in College Station, TX. Read more articles by Tristie on her blog,http://www.TristieFisher.com, where she shares her thoughts as a mom, a wife and ultimately a child of Christ.

Do you clip coupons?  I know some people do and some  people don’t.  And some people who DO clip coupons even decide it’s better not to when it doesn’t make the desired product any cheaper than the generic.

But here’s an idea.  Begin to clip and use coupons for new products the manufacturers put out, especially household products.  Usually these coupons offer a deep discount just to get you to try it, and if you look online, you might find a coupon for the product that makes it FREE!

A friend of mine recently tried this the with new Bounce “Dryer Bar” and really discovered (for very little money) a new way to add that fresh smell to her laundry.   It works just as well as the dryer sheet but without the hassle of remembering to add  a sheet to each load of laundry or throwing the same said sheet away afterwards.

Soup is such a great meal for a winter night with the added bonus of being able to be frozen and reheated at a later time.  Check out this one I found on Rachael Ray’s website. (www.rachaelraymag.com)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large baking potatoes—peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 cups milk
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 head cauliflower, cored and chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green portions thinly sliced separately
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup sour cream

1. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, 2 cups milk and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the cauliflower and scallion whites, cover and simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup milk, then puree the soup. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Microwave the bacon at high power until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes; crumble. Divide the soup among 4 bowls and top with the shredded cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon and scallion greens.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sigh,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
–Psalm 19:14

God is teaching me how important it is to guard my tongue, watching what I say.   This includes my speech to my husband, my children, my friends, my neighbors and so on!

Kerry

Not quite ready to abandon the practice of sorting your laundry before washing? If that’s the case, try this tip taht will cut the time you spend sorting laundry to nil, saving at least 15 minutes each week. The trick is to provide two laundry hampers in each room where dirty laundry collects, suggests Barbara Webster; president of Nice N Clean Maid Service in Miami. One hamper is for whites, and the other is for colors. For instant recognition, use one white and one brightly colored hamper. Or just label them, and make sure family members use them correctly. Dirty clothes will arrive in the laundry room presorted and ready to go straight into the washer.

Whisk together worcestershire sauce, mustard and red wine vinear. Add 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, whisking the entire time. Crumble blue cheese into bowl and stir. Season with salt & pepper

Chop steak into bite-sized pieces. Place 4 cups salad greens in bottom of bowl. Toss with steak, potato sticks, fried onion rings and dressing. Yummy!

from: Rachael Ray’s Express Lane Meals

Today I have guest author Rachel Starr Thomson, sharing on homeschooling with a vision.

“I’m not a real homeschool mother—I’ve just been faking it for years.”

“My son is eight years old and he can’t read, and I feel like such a failure.”

“I just can’t seem to get scheduled. Maybe the kids would be better off in school.”

Sound familiar? Discouragement is no stranger to the homeschooled household. Homeschoolers are, after all, pioneers. The road less-traveled is always rocky. As a homeschool graduate, I can look back and see lots of things my parents did wrong, but the one wrong thing they didn’t do was give up. They had a vision for what they were doing that kept them going no matter how many obstacles they encountered.

In Bunyan’s beloved allegory Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian passes through a place called the Valley of the Shadow of Death. He is compassed about with danger—a bottomless pit on one side, a swamp on the other, and evil, taunting, blasphemous voices in his ears. He barely makes it through. Later, however, another band of pilgrims pass through the Valley without much trouble. What made the difference? The second band made their journey during the day, while Christian’s was made at night. They had vision, where he only had darkness.

No matter how many difficulties fill your path, if your vision is clear, you will make it through.

Write the Vision

What are your goals as a homeschooling family? If you don’t know, you’re guaranteed not to reach them. Just exactly why are you doing what you’re doing?

Your vision for homeschooling may be largely an academic one. You homeschool because you see the learning potential in a home situation, because you’ve seen what the public schools are turning out and want better educated children than that, because homeschoolers always seem to be winning the National Spelling Bee.

On the other hand, you may be homeschooling for religious reasons. You may be trying to build a strong family dynamic. Perhaps you homeschool in order to allow your children the freedom to experience life differently than most kids their age.

Whatever your reasons for homeschooling, it’s important that you define them. Talk with your spouse first, then gather the family together and discuss the reasons for doing what you’re doing. Find out what your kids want out of these years. Write out a Mission Statement for your homeschool.

Once you know why you do what you do, you’ll be able to write out specific goals that build on a foundation of purpose. Since homeschooling is bigger than mere academics, these goals don’t all have to be academic in nature. They may include things like learning new work habits, finishing a grade in a set period of time, growing a garden, or forming a cross-cultural friendship.

Written goals tend to evolve over time. Some will be added, others dropped when they prove to have less value than you thought. As long as your mission is clear, it won’t hurt anything to have the specifics go through changes. In turn, as you reach (or don’t reach) certain goals, the results will help to deepen and develop your underlying purpose.

Choose Your Measuring Stick Carefully

The way you define “success” or “failure” in your homeschool depends on your mission. Some homeschooled kids are mediocre students, yet they shine in practical abilities, personal character, and good old-fashioned common sense. If your son struggles to make the grade in math, are you a success or a failure as a homeschooling parent? That depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

I was homeschooled from the first grade through the twelfth. When I was thirteen, I was still struggling to learn my multiplication tables. The same year, I wrote my first complete novel—which an editor from a major publishing house praised as “clever and well-written” (he had no idea how old I was). If my parents had chosen to measure their success by looking at the math an average thirteen-year-old in a public school was doing, they would have deemed themselves miserable failures. But they did not use that stick to measure themselves. A large part of their vision was to develop each of their twelve children’s creative talents. In this they were a great success.

There are a million-and-one measuring sticks out there. SAT scores. “When I was your age.” Little Jimmy down the street. The Homeschool Wonder Mom you saw at the convention last week. Although these may all embody things you want to emulate or strive for, unless a measuring stick has exactly the underlying mission you have, it’s irrelevant. You don’t condemn a Mackintosh because it doesn’t taste like a Granny Smith.

Comparison-making is an easy habit to fall into, but it’s ultimately destructive. Look again at the Mission Statement you wrote: there’s your measuring stick. Admire others, learn from them, but don’t allow someone else’s victories to bury you in defeat.

Apply Your Vision

There will be times when you look at your own, personal, written vision and realize that you’re nowhere close to living up to it. Of course, no one expects you to do everything all at once. Rome wasn’t built in a day—but it is necessary to start building. If you’re not moving toward your goals at all, you have a problem.

Review the vision and go over your goals again. Then take a look at your daily routines and figure out what needs to change. Do you need to get up earlier in the morning? Break down a math program into bite-size pieces? Go out and volunteer once a week? Do everything you can that will move you toward your goals. Eliminate distractions and bad habits.

If you want to run a one-minute mile, you have to train. One of homeschooling’s greatest challenges—and blessings—is the fact that no one else is going to do it for you. You don’t have a school board to decide how or what you should teach. You don’t have a guidance counselor to tell you to develop your gifts. Running with your vision will take discipline and hard work.

Never Give Up!

Like the pioneers of old, you’ve come to a good land. Figure out what you want and go after it with a single-eyed focus. There will be discouragements. You probably won’t reach some of your goals. There will always be someone who looks like they’re doing a better job than you are. It doesn’t matter. Don’t give up, and you will cross the finish line

______________

Rachel Starr Thomson is a homeschool graduate, author, editor, and writing coach. Check out www.rachelstarrthomson.com for free downloads and more, including Part 1 of Tales of the Heartily Homeschooled, a book of humourous essays on growing up homeschooled, and the complete e-book of Rachel’s young adult fantasy novel, Worlds Unseen.

This quickest way to keep your food budget under control is to carry a calculator into the store and tally your puchases as you go. No need to pinch pennies — round to the nearest dollar, if you like. If it’s a pain to hold a tiny calculator in your hand, buy a clipboard with a solar calculator at the top. This type of clipboard costs just a few dollars at a dollar or closeout store, and you can clip your list and coupons to it, too.