Sure, we Homeschool for many of the same reasons other Christian parents do. To monitor learning, or specialize learning, to provide our kids with a strong foundation in a God-centered learning atmosphere.....
Slowly God has been showing my that my venture in Homeschooling is not all about them, it's a lot about me.
He's teaching my about being flexible. When things need to change, or days aren't going as planned.
He's teaching me about change, to step out of my own comfort zone and into HIS zone.
He's teaching me about patience, with myself as well as with my children.
He's teaching me about organization and being orderly, becoming more Christlike and less chaotic!
He's teaching me about letting go of perfectionist ideals of how my home should be and the school day should run.
He's teaching me about giving of myself, when I really don't want to, past the points where I think I can.
He's teaching me about trusting Him, in the smallest of things and the grandest.
Homeschooling is about them, it is about teaching and learning and sacrifice for them, but I'm realizing just how much it's about me as well. God doesn't have me in this role just for them, He's growing me up as well.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
{Fun}day Fridays
So you've read we've been changing things up, and we did. And it was fabulous!! I think I am really going to love doing this each week. It makes Fridays so much more fun, relaxed and educational as well! (Gotta stick that in there right!?)
Our First Unit was on the Arctic/Antarctic Regions~ learning about the animals and the Inuit People who live in these regions! I'll include some fun links and activities I found for this week.
Videos:: (my kids love the addition of videos in our learning)
Nat Geo has great links, photos and activities. This one was short and great for some basic info:
Answers in Genesis has one of the Ice Age which talks a little about how the Ice got there (from a creationist view point:
What to know How to Build an Igloo??? This 10 minute video shows you.....seriously I never knew.....
Fun Links:: (photos, games, slide shows)
Critter Cam Arctic Game
Explore this Website for Great info on the Tundra and other regions!
Photo Slide show with info about How Arctic Animals Camouflage themselves!
FREE Powerpoint presentations on the Inuit Tribes plus this site has all sorts of activities and links!
Hands On Activities:: (this makes every lesson more fun!)
Resources and Activities::
FREE Lesson Plans! Look around this site and download all sorts of free activities and games!
Kidssoup This is a really great resource and SO affordable at $2.15 a month. I use it all the time! There are Activities, Games (printable file folder), Activites AND Resources for Bulletin Boards, felt stories etc. New units are added every month!
SeaWorld FREE downloadable lesson
ABCteach tons of freebies, you can become a member, but I just use what is free!
Well it didn't run perfectly of course. But it was great. We had a nice relaxed paced day, watched videos, read books, learned a LOT.....and the best part is their unit activities can be worked on throughout the week. They can color, play a file folder game, work on the Igloo, write a report (only Jonah and more like a few sentences about Arctic Animals and People). I'm excited to see how the week looks.......and now off to build the next Unit on Ocean Animals! (that should be hard huh?living in Hawaii and all!)
Our First Unit was on the Arctic/Antarctic Regions~ learning about the animals and the Inuit People who live in these regions! I'll include some fun links and activities I found for this week.
Videos:: (my kids love the addition of videos in our learning)
Nat Geo has great links, photos and activities. This one was short and great for some basic info:
Answers in Genesis has one of the Ice Age which talks a little about how the Ice got there (from a creationist view point:
What to know How to Build an Igloo??? This 10 minute video shows you.....seriously I never knew.....
Fun Links:: (photos, games, slide shows)
Critter Cam Arctic Game
Explore this Website for Great info on the Tundra and other regions!
Photo Slide show with info about How Arctic Animals Camouflage themselves!
FREE Powerpoint presentations on the Inuit Tribes plus this site has all sorts of activities and links!
Hands On Activities:: (this makes every lesson more fun!)
- Make your own Inuksuk
- Polar Bear Painting: Blue Construction paper, Bear shape, cotton balls, white paint.
Resources and Activities::
FREE Lesson Plans! Look around this site and download all sorts of free activities and games!
Kidssoup This is a really great resource and SO affordable at $2.15 a month. I use it all the time! There are Activities, Games (printable file folder), Activites AND Resources for Bulletin Boards, felt stories etc. New units are added every month!
SeaWorld FREE downloadable lesson
ABCteach tons of freebies, you can become a member, but I just use what is free!
Worksheets included in their Unit Folders:
- Sonlight curriculum
- Map of the Arctic Tundra (color and lable)
- Color the Igloo
- “My Book about the Inuit People”
- Polar Bear Crossword puzzle (Jonah)
- AA writing practice (Ellie)
- AA Coloring page
- Arctic Report, KWL Chart (Jonah)
Well it didn't run perfectly of course. But it was great. We had a nice relaxed paced day, watched videos, read books, learned a LOT.....and the best part is their unit activities can be worked on throughout the week. They can color, play a file folder game, work on the Igloo, write a report (only Jonah and more like a few sentences about Arctic Animals and People). I'm excited to see how the week looks.......and now off to build the next Unit on Ocean Animals! (that should be hard huh?living in Hawaii and all!)
Monday, November 29, 2010
I see it as flexible
What I am most grateful for today, as I sit in this completely trashed house, is the power and permission to say NO.
No we will NOT start up schooling with 3 sick little kids, a tired Mom, and a disheveled house. To some that may seem irresponsible.
I see it as flexible.
Instead of trying to cram learning in through snotty noses and hacking coughs, getting desks and books in order, clearing counters, locating my pencil bag with all my color coded goodness {MIA at the moment}. Yes instead of all that, we'll switch up our schedule.
Read wrapped in blankets, nurturing fevers. Crowd by the computer watching videos on animals. Try our hand at making some homemade goodies to give as gifts for Christmas. Whip the house back into shape maybe.
And thank God for this amazing opportunity to be with my kids, this crazy thing called Homeschooling. As stressful as it can be and very well is at times, it's the neatest thing ever.
It's where we are, and where I pray God keeps us in the future.
No we will NOT start up schooling with 3 sick little kids, a tired Mom, and a disheveled house. To some that may seem irresponsible.
I see it as flexible.
Instead of trying to cram learning in through snotty noses and hacking coughs, getting desks and books in order, clearing counters, locating my pencil bag with all my color coded goodness {MIA at the moment}. Yes instead of all that, we'll switch up our schedule.
Read wrapped in blankets, nurturing fevers. Crowd by the computer watching videos on animals. Try our hand at making some homemade goodies to give as gifts for Christmas. Whip the house back into shape maybe.
And thank God for this amazing opportunity to be with my kids, this crazy thing called Homeschooling. As stressful as it can be and very well is at times, it's the neatest thing ever.
It's where we are, and where I pray God keeps us in the future.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
It's that {homeschool} time again!
I said I would never home school my kids....after all aren't they a little weird? Yup they sure are, in a brainy, nerdy, sweet creative sort of way. Just the way I like em! I really did say I would never ever home school. Especially being an Education major, how could I!
But as time grew closer and closer for Jonah to enter the public school system (because private school wasn't an option for our location or budget) my heart and my anxiety level took a turn.We decided when he was 4 we would start home schooling for specific reasons (mostly based on fear), but then as time went on, those reasons have transformed into reasons entirely different! And though right now I couldn't tell you if we will always home school, I know that in this moment it is the absolute right choice for our kids. And for that I am thrilled!
We started really when he was about 3 working on "Hooked on Phonics". He was quick with the Literary concepts which kept me motivated. Then at 4 we started informal preschool a few times a week, lots of hands on "fun school" activities geared towards learning the basics. Last year we were able to enroll him in an online Kindergarten even though he was only 4 at the start of the year and he flourished! I had to order the 1st grade reader to keep up with him. Ellie joined us for subjects like History and Science and I started teaching her Letters, numbers and such and of course Gracie has to be in the mix coloring it up next to those two until she gets bored!
But this coming home school year is going to be a challenge for me for a variety of reasons....I now have 4 kids to care for, Jonah will be in 1st grade and Ellie is now enrolled in K4 with her very own classes and curriculum and Gracia just has to be involved! Of course we'll have to add in nursing and diaper changing/potty training breaks as well.....and Mommy sanity checks now and then! And on top of that I am highly considering homeschooling a daughter of a very good friend of mine.
As curriculum comes in the mail every few days.....boxes are opened and manuals are flipped through. I am beginning to get more and more excited about the whole year. You see I AM a nerd at heart. I love spending long hours in the Library and writing lesson plans till wee hours of the night. And as of late I have a new obsession.......Lapbooks! And because I am already addicted to my laminator, well that just goes right along with it!
To be honest I am hoping that along with some creative scheduling, blanket training, rotating hands on activities and lapbooks, homeschooling with Gracia this year won't be as stressful and chaotic as last year. My Motto is if you can't beat em, join em! Gracia already thinks she's 4 years old, just ask her! So instead of trying to shuffle her out of the room or off the table.....I've decided to enroll her in Totschool.
Okay so it's an unofficial enrollment, but she's in there alright! This is by far one of the best links I have found in a long time. It's kept me up late at night and gotten me out of bed early in the morning! I've been devouring her ideas and burning the midnight printer ink in preparation for the school year just for Gracia, and I can't wait! It's all I have in me not to try out the lapbooks I've made on Gracia today! But I've been a good little home school mommy and have them hidden. I've got 4 so far and I'm out of ink so I need to get another cartridge and get going! But before I do here are some of the ideas I have for Gracia this year, granted she's only 2, but she really wants to be involved like the big kids so my theory is to start instilling a love for learning now with lots of hands on fun activities geared for her age level!
But as time grew closer and closer for Jonah to enter the public school system (because private school wasn't an option for our location or budget) my heart and my anxiety level took a turn.We decided when he was 4 we would start home schooling for specific reasons (mostly based on fear), but then as time went on, those reasons have transformed into reasons entirely different! And though right now I couldn't tell you if we will always home school, I know that in this moment it is the absolute right choice for our kids. And for that I am thrilled!
We started really when he was about 3 working on "Hooked on Phonics". He was quick with the Literary concepts which kept me motivated. Then at 4 we started informal preschool a few times a week, lots of hands on "fun school" activities geared towards learning the basics. Last year we were able to enroll him in an online Kindergarten even though he was only 4 at the start of the year and he flourished! I had to order the 1st grade reader to keep up with him. Ellie joined us for subjects like History and Science and I started teaching her Letters, numbers and such and of course Gracie has to be in the mix coloring it up next to those two until she gets bored!
But this coming home school year is going to be a challenge for me for a variety of reasons....I now have 4 kids to care for, Jonah will be in 1st grade and Ellie is now enrolled in K4 with her very own classes and curriculum and Gracia just has to be involved! Of course we'll have to add in nursing and diaper changing/potty training breaks as well.....and Mommy sanity checks now and then! And on top of that I am highly considering homeschooling a daughter of a very good friend of mine.
As curriculum comes in the mail every few days.....boxes are opened and manuals are flipped through. I am beginning to get more and more excited about the whole year. You see I AM a nerd at heart. I love spending long hours in the Library and writing lesson plans till wee hours of the night. And as of late I have a new obsession.......Lapbooks! And because I am already addicted to my laminator, well that just goes right along with it!
To be honest I am hoping that along with some creative scheduling, blanket training, rotating hands on activities and lapbooks, homeschooling with Gracia this year won't be as stressful and chaotic as last year. My Motto is if you can't beat em, join em! Gracia already thinks she's 4 years old, just ask her! So instead of trying to shuffle her out of the room or off the table.....I've decided to enroll her in Totschool.
Okay so it's an unofficial enrollment, but she's in there alright! This is by far one of the best links I have found in a long time. It's kept me up late at night and gotten me out of bed early in the morning! I've been devouring her ideas and burning the midnight printer ink in preparation for the school year just for Gracia, and I can't wait! It's all I have in me not to try out the lapbooks I've made on Gracia today! But I've been a good little home school mommy and have them hidden. I've got 4 so far and I'm out of ink so I need to get another cartridge and get going! But before I do here are some of the ideas I have for Gracia this year, granted she's only 2, but she really wants to be involved like the big kids so my theory is to start instilling a love for learning now with lots of hands on fun activities geared for her age level!
- Lapbooks and file folder games on subjects like colors, shapes, sorting, sizes, etc
- Puzzles of all types!
- Lacing beads and lacing tiles
- Felt counting fish and games (currently in the process of making!)
- Books, books and more books!
- Alpha activities of all sorts
- Bible stories with the big kids
- Coloring....lost of coloring!
- Playdough and crafts!
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