Month: March 2007

Course Requirements for History Program Using Living Books

I managed to creep into the deep, dark recesses of my computer to find the Course Requirements that I compiled for my high school children.

• Complete one essay in-depth (biographical, comparative,changing over time, or question based essay) from each group of three lessons, per week. (Ensure that student covers all forms of report/essay)
• Read two relevant/appropriate books per term. (One book must be either primary source or classic, depending upon availability. (see Mum for high school booklist)) Submit a written book report, book synopsis or chapter reports for each book.
• Submit 2 – 3 projects (either assignments or choices from MoH or HoW)
• Maintain history timeline. Complete any mapping exercises as per course book.
• One page essay per term, in preparation for exam.
• Take tests/quizzes/worksheets as prescribed in course book.
• Take term exam.
• Take yearly exam.
• Watch appropriate video’s, documentaries or shows and discuss.

This allows the students to read for understanding and knowledge. They read quality literature as well as learning to write in in various forms. Creative and individual activities are also catered for.

The Centre of the Bible

In the Bible, Psalm 117 (2 verses) is the shortest chapter in the Bible, and Psalm 119 (176 verses) is the longest.

The Bible has 31,174 verses which makes the centre of The Book Psalm 118:8-9 . Do you know the verses that are the centre of the Bible?

It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.

So there you go! It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

The Archaeological Study Bible

Those of you who know me will probably have gathered that we place great importance upon the Bible. I love the Narrated Chronological Bible with its running commentary.A few weeks ago, when DH and I were in Word he showed me a new Bible but I gasped at the price. I thought I’d come home and do an online search to find out if I could source it cheaper. I couldn’t. By the time I’d gotten back to Word, they had completely sold out. So, I ordered one and I received last week.

It’s great! It’s called the Archaeological Study Bible– an illustrated walk through Biblical History and Culture.For those that like a Bible-First approach to home-based-learning, this looks like a great study tool. It will provide a wonderful and rich resource, especially when used in conjunction with other study tools, like the Victory Journey through the Bible.

It is a NIV with full colour illustrations, a bonus CD-Rom, study notes, articles, and much more.

I won’t rave on about it anymore. You can go to the website and download a free 90 page sample for yourself!

New Search Engine for the Visual Learner

G’day,
Yep that’s right. I’ve been away for quite some time and I come back to blog about a new search engine.

Well, it’s called Mooter and it is different from other search engines in that it is more visual. It arranges the ‘hits’ into clusters. You can then select the cluster that best describes what you are looking for.

As an example, I typed in ‘homeschool’ which we all know is very broad and generalised. In a visual way (much like a mind-map) it sorted the hits into these categories:

homeschool
homeschooling
home
resource
curriculum
christian
children

and then comes up with another cluster of even more information.

Now while I’m not about to leave google, I think this could be a very good resource and prove to be a valuable tool.

Check it out at http://www.mooter.com/moot

Jesus is coming again!

Jesus

THE WORD OF GOD
became flesh…

THE SON OF GOD
became man…

THE LORD OF ALL
became a servant…

THE RIGHTEOUS ONE
was made sin…

THE ETERNAL ONE
tasted death…

THE RISEN ONE
now lives in men…

THE SEATED ONE
is coming again!

Analogy: the barber shop

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said,

“I don’t believe that God exists.”

“Why do you say that?” asked the customer.

“Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can’t imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things.”

The customer thought for a moment, but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber,

“You know what? Barbers do not exist.”

“How can you say that?” asked the surprised barber. “I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!”

“No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.”

“Ah, but barbers DO exist!” answered the barber. “What happens, is, people do not come to me.”

“Exactly!”– affirmed the customer. “That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don’t go to Him and do not look for Him. That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.”

Teaching Older Children to Be a Friend…

We had visitors the other day! Friends that we hadn’t seen for several months. It was wonderful time of fellowship and general catching up. A memorable highlight was when the little 5yo daughter came running out of the car, whizzing straight past me and bounded straight into the arms of Bek. (12yodd) Full of heart-felt emotion she exclaimed,
“Oh, I’ve missed you so much!” as she continued to hug a smiling and touched Bek. Bek and I talked later on that evening and she was so surprised that this darling little girl had remembered her (it had been several months since they had seen each other). We were able to talk about the impact that we can have on other people’s lives if we only take time to build relationships.

I have always tried to encourage my daughters to spend time with younger children whenever we are out at homeschooling meetings or when we have visitors. Playing with little children is very natural for Bek while ‘Miss A’ finds it a little more difficult. Nevertheless, ‘Miss A’ gets on well with all ages but isn’t as drawn to younger children…usually. I have reminded the girls of how they have felt when older children had taken an interest in them and now they can do that for others. I love having visitors! Aside from fellowship and catching up, there are so many learning opportunities.

Training, guiding, correcting, and encouragement (discipleship) are all preparing our children for their life purpose. Home truly is a wonderful preparation ground.

Today, I’m feeling very blessed to be able to have all of my children at home with me, to share my life with them and to guide them with theirs and that I have a great relationship with them.

Thank you Lord, for my life, that I’m in a situation where I can be at home, discipling our children every day, that my husband is working his best to provide for us which allows me to be at home. I’m so glad that I have this opportunity. Please help me to make the most of my days and the opportunities that come along.

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Influence of Home

I just had to share this beautiful quote with you!

“What we want to do with our children is not merely to control them and keep them in order, but to implant true principles deep in their hearts which shall rule their whole lives; to shape their character from within into Christlike beauty, and to make of them noble men and women, strong for battle and for duty. They are to be trained rather than governed. Growth of character, not merely good behavior, is the object of all home governing and teaching. Therefore the home influence is far more important than the home laws, and the parents’ lives are of more moment than their teachings.”

~* J. R. Miller in Home-Making *~

And He Shall Sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver

We all go through some hard times. Yes, it would seem some people more than others, but it is not in vain. I pray that this will comfort and strengthen all who feel as though they are going through the furnace at this time.

“Some time ago, a few ladies met in a certain city to study the scriptures. While reading the third chapter of Malachi, they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse. ‘ And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.’
One lady proposed to visit a silversmith and report to them on what the smith said about the subject. She went accordingly, and without telling the object of the errant, asked the silversmith to tell her about the process of refining silver.
After he had fully described it to her, she asked, “But sir, do you SIT while the work of refining is going on?”
“Oh, yes madam,” replied the silversmith. “I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured.”

The ladies at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the expression, “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. God sees it needful to put His children into a furnace. His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for us.
Our trials do not come at random, and He will not let us be tested beyond what we can endure. Before she left, the lady asked one final question, “When do you know the process is complete?”
“Why that is quite simple,” replied the silversmith. “When I can see my own image in the silver, the refining process is finished.”

Practising the Presence of God…

I’m starting to read this little book called, “The Practice of the Presence of GOD” by brother Lawrence. I’d like to read it slowly and try to absorb as much as I can. I’m using an abridged version for now and maybe later I’ll read the unabridged version.

The unabridged version says, “That we should establish ourselves in a sense of GOD?s Presence, by continually conversing with Him. That it was a shameful thing to quit His conversation, to think of trifles and fooleries.That we should feed and nourish our souls with high notions of GOD; which would yield us great joy in being devoted to Him.”

My more modernised version says, “Brother Lawrence insisted? that it is necessary to always be aware of God’s presence by talking to Him throughout each day. To think that you must abandon conversation with Him in order to deal with the world is erroneous.”

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“That we ought to give ourselves up to GOD, with regard both to things temporal and spiritual, and seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling His will, whether He lead us by suffering or by consolation, for all would be equal to a soul truly resigned.”

“Our only happiness? should come from God’s will, whether it brings us some pain or great pleasure. After all, if we’re devoted to doing God’s will, pain and pleasure won’t make any difference to us.”

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“That there needed fidelity in those drynesses, or insensibilities and irksomenesses in prayer, by which GOD tries our love to Him; that then was the time for us to make good and effectual acts of resignation, whereof one alone would oftentimes very much promote our spiritual advancement.”

“We also need to be faithful, even in dry periods. It is during those dry spells that God tests our love for Him. We should take advantage of those times to practice our determination and our surrender to Him. This will often bring us to maturity further on in our walk with God.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I’m intrigued about what it might mean to practise the presence of God. I want to know more…I want to experience this but I get so caught up in the day to day things that make up my life. I want to be closer to Jesus…to feel His presence more closely…to feel Him nearer.

During my early morning time on the pooter, I came across a site with sermons on it. One, in particular, caught my eye and has been on my mind all day. I’ve decided to act upon it. Some of these things I already do but I want to do them with more awareness…with more joy. These things are such as,

Waking to the Lord- giving Him my first thoughts.
Early prayer and quiet time before family prayers.
Plan my day with HOLINESS TO THE LORD at the forefront.
To work diligently at my calling…of being a child of God, wife, mother, homeschooler, friend, etc.
Guard my heart and mind throughout the whole day- being on watch for things that tempt me.
Make a conscious decision to talk to myself and the children of the everyday things of God- to see God in everything.
Be quick to confess my sins.
Strive to do my best in my relationships and duties of them…as unto the Lord.
Pray and give thanks before I go to sleep.

As well as modeling this, I want to share this with my children.

Serenity, Courage and Wisdom.

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.

By Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

This prayer used to hang in my mother’s home and it never made much sense to me. I would read it and just not ‘get it’. Throughout the years, as I’ve grown and experienced more of life, I have come to see the richness of this prayer and the words are ones that I echo often.

God's Goal for Parents

“God’s initial goal for Christian homeschooling families is not the raising of godly children. Instead, God’s wonderful, but subtly hidden agenda is that the homeschooling experience be so challenging for the parents that they feel the need and hunger for a closer walk with their heavenly Father.”

~Wisdom’s Way of Learning by Marilyn Howshall

How is this for the truth? Hard hitting eh? Challenging eh? It sure changes my perspective on homeschooling!

A goal may be a good education and a good job or career or even to have children who are saved but the ULTIMATE goal is that we walk closer with our Father. And all this time I’ve thought it was only about The Children…For Their Sake. But there’s a purpose in here for me!

We are living our lives by loving and glorifying Him. I often think of this quote when I’m about to yell at my kids or look around at my eternally untidy house. There’s a reason for all this … so maybe I’d better get to the business of that reason and stop lingering on the computer.

Another Diary Day

vegeieblog tagged me!? If you get tagged you have to tell what your day TODAY was like…really!? Not what you wish it’d been like or what you’d planned for it to be like, but how it really turned out.

Okay, but of all days to get tagged it HAD to be today…OF COURSE!!!!!! Today was not a usual day for us…but in the spirit of honesty, here goes:

The alarm pulsated in my ear, forcing my face deeper into the pillow. How rude- it was only 5.45am and I was NOT ready to greet the day. So, for the first time in *ages*, I didn’t get up before my hubby and I didn’t even make his breakfast! Instead, he made some toast for the children and brought me a cup of tea and a panadol before he left for work. My head hit the pillow again and I started to ZZZZZZZ off again when 14yodd came in to say good morning. I asked her to supervise the boys cleaning the breakfast mess while I continued to doze and hoped that the thumping headache would subside. The peace and quiet lasted for a whole half an hour before same 14yodd came in to *talk*. This is only alright because she didn’t come empty handed. She brought me another cuppa.? So, for the next 2 hours we sat on my bed and talked…chatted about life, relationships, siblings, the future, this weekend, her social life and her softball life.

I emerged from the shower feeling a little more eager to greet the day…only to go into the kitchen and see that nothing had been cleaned up. Where was this darling 14yodd? Oh, suddenly she is busy doing her lessons! Yeah right!!!! Hang on a minute, now both boys are also SUDDENLY engrossed in their lessons! Now, before you get the wrong idea, let me tell you that this was not a history or geography lesson but it was English and Maths! Oh Puhleeze!!!!!!!? Meany mother that I am, I pulled them away from their ever-so distracting yet obviously engrossing lessons and I shadowed them as they cleaned and tidied the kitchen. THEN, they could go on with some lessons.

I did a quick email check and decided that it was about time I moved my blog from its previous residence. Yeah well, these things never happen quickly, do they?

Hubby came home for lunch, then it was clean-up. The girls had a few more lessons to finish and then they also helped the boys a little with their own lessons while I pottered on the computer.

Before I knew it, it was 4.30pm and hubby was home. Thankfully, 12yodd was more than happy to cook tea for tonight, which is no easy feat in our home of 7. We’re having a Tuna Pie and she has also made a Fruit Crumble with Whipped Cream for dessert. 🙂

I feel physically lousy today, and usually when I feel like this I start to feel mentally and emotionally lousy too…however, I have at least given some one-on-one time to each child today. they have had some uninterrupted time with some eye contact and hugs, so all is not lost.

So, I ask myself, did I learn anything today about the nature of God, myself or the children? I have to be honest and say that I can’t think of anything, thinking makes my head hurt today…but tomorrow’s a new day!

Bible Study resources

‘A’ has been using a wonderful book to enhance her understanding of New Testament readings. She currently uses “The Narrated Bible” and this is a chronological Bible with a small commentary at the beginning of each section. This is good and ‘A’ is enjoying it. However, I finally got around to working out the schedule to combine her Bible reading with a great book called, “The Victor Journey Through the Bible“, by V. Gilbert Veers. This book goes through the Bible story by story! It is really connecting the dots for my daughter. This book goes story by story through the Bible from Genesis through to Revelation. It has many good pictures, maps and background information.

If you want to read through the Bible in a chronological order but don’t have a Bible that is arranged that way, you can download this plan, from Heart of Wisdom, and print it to use.

Click Here For Bible Checklist

To see more about the many uses for the Narrated Bible you can visit the HOW site:

Click Here For Information on the Narrated Bible

You can see more of the “Victor Journey through the Bible” book here:

Click Here For Information on the Victor Journey through the Bible

And no, I don’t work for HOW…just really like the philosophy and products 🙂

Music Appreciation for the HomeGrownKids

I love music! All styles and genres. I was fortunate to grow up listening to and developing an appreciation for classical music. I also loved the tapes that came out in the 1980’s: Hooked on Classics and such. A few years ago, I was introduced to Bond and fell in love with their work and this morning while surfing the ‘net, I came across an orchestra that is new to me. However, this is not ordinary orchestra! No siree! Talk about a beautiful, stimulating blend of classical and modern. Visit here and view the video of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra performance.

I enjoyed reading Peter O’Neill, the band’s founder and his thoughts what the Trans-Siberian Orchestra was about, Paul O’Neill replied, “It’s about creating great art. When asked to define what great art was, Paul said, “The purpose of art is to create an emotional response in the person that is exposed to that art. And there are three categories of art; bad art, good art and great art. Bad art will elicit no emotional response in the person that is exposed to it, i.e.; a song you hear in an elevator and it does nothing to you, a picture on a wall that gives you the same emotional response as if the wall had been blank, a movie that chews up time. Good art will make you feel an emotion that you have felt before; you see a picture of a forest and you remember the last time you went fishing with your dad, you hear a song about love and you remember the last time you were in love. Great art will make you feel an emotion you have never felt before; seeing the pieta, the world famous sculpture by Michelangelo, can cause someone to feel the pain of losing a child even if they’ve never had one.”
[Emphasis mine]

You can also read an interview that Christianity Today had with Paul O’Neill here.

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and I can’t vouch for their productions or performance, but we had some great discussions about the power of music and how stimulating and evocative this band is. This is great art, in my opinion…I’d love to pass an appreciation of music on to my children.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Bible Study Toolbar

Have I mentioned before that I love the Internet??? I am constantly amazed at the generosity of people. There is so much information and products available for FREE these days.

I love to study the Bible…and I often use the Internet and online Bibles to do so. I usually use bible.crosswalk.com as it’s easy to type in but now there is a new feature available. It is a toolbar (for use with Bible Gateway)? that you download and install for Firefox (and if you’re still using IE, then you need to stop and get a decent browser!).

This easy to install toolbar has a groovy number of options, letting you change versions and languages, restrict your search to certain parts of the Bible, and more.

See here for more info: News at Bible Gateway

Go here to download the toolbar.

I hope you enjoy it and are as blessed by it as I am!

Do You Strew?

Strewing…What is it?

We know there is unschooling and carschooling, there is even fridgeschooling, but there’s another new term which is popular. Even though it’s a new term the practice of it isn’t new…in fact, I’m sure everyone does it to varying degrees. Did you know that ‘strewing’ has now become an ‘official’ homeschool/unschool term? I’m sure that many of us do it quite naturally but there is still good value in the practice of it, so I decided to write and share about it today. Strewing simply refers to the placement or scattering of objects and learning materials around the house where children will discover them.

The dictionary defines strewing as:

To spread here and there; scatter: strewing flowers down the aisle.
To cover (an area or a surface) with things scattered or sprinkled: “Italy . . . was strewn thick with the remains of Roman buildings” Bernard Berenson.
To be or become dispersed over (a surface).
To spread (something) over a wide area; disseminate.

I strew books that may be of current interest but I also strew books and computer games that may not be MY area of interest nor even in our realm of study topics but simply to put something new or different before the children. I often strew art books, grammar books, lovely picture books with beautiful illustrations, and books filled with inspiring quotes. I may strew computer games that teach electricity or Australian history, Art History or House/Architectural Design or things like that. I also strew video’s and DVD’s although I do try to keep them in the lounge room. Sport equipment, musical instruments, board games, posters, quotes, etc.

I’ve strewn collections. We have a sea shell collection and a rock collection that often inspires a child to look at it and then ask questions in order to learn more. We also strew with excursions! Some times we’ll go on an excursion if it relates to a topic that we’re learning about (Science and History usually) but we also go out to places for no other reason other than, ‘just because!’ How about strewing with food?

Unschooler’s are very good at using this method and I personally suspect it is similar to how Sally and Clay Clarkson describe their ‘learning centre’s’ in Wholehearted Child. Personally, I don’t get hung up on how others describe it as I know I do it naturally. The only problem with strewing in my house is that while often an abode for creative and stimulating discoveries, the place can also look rather hotch-potch. However, not everyone’s home is like this so I don’t blame strewing, it’s just me.

When I raised this question on a forum there were some great responses and one lady suggested rain-gutter bookshelves. What? Being raised in a mining town where homes are often built from tin metal and now rusting, did not build a pretty picture in my mind, until said friend sent some links. Have a look, they might spark some creative ideas of your own! Just imagine, you could strew PC games, DVD’s, cookbooks, works of art…the possibilities are endless!

The Rain Gutter Literacy Revolution

Rain-Gutter Bookshelves

So, I wonder…do you strew? If so, how, what and where? I’d love to hear from you.

Global Warming-My Thoughts

?But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good?
1 Thessalonians 5:21

I?ve been called a skeptic. I?m prone to investigate some conspiracy theories. I like to think that I examine things (within my own limited knowledge and understanding). I think that we need to be good, responsible stewards of the earth. There!. Had to get that out of the way.

I want to teach my children how to think critically, how to read information and examine it, how to apply God?s word to everyday life. Therefore, I love learning at home with my children and am thankful for the responsibility and opportunity to do so.
Every person holds a worldview. A worldview is a way of looking at the world?it is what you believe, what you understand the world to be about.
Everyone has assumptions or presuppositions. This is simply having an idea or a belief and you filter new knowledge or information through that assumption. Each worldview has various presuppositions supporting it.

There is a naturalistic, Biblical and pantheistic way of looking at things. Various trains of thought (worldviews) have adaptations but they basically can fit into these categories. (Learning about worldviews is an important topic!) So now knowing that everyone holds a worldview, I’ll start honing in on my subject.

Over the course of history there have been many beliefs. Beliefs that people held and defended to the hilt. Others who did not agree with these beliefs were mocked, persecuted and all manner of things. Remember when people thought the world was flat? Well, it?s all well and good for us to sit here now and laugh at that because we have the benefit of history and science behind us. Do we look and see ourselves in that picture? Do we believe everything that we are told without examining it? How about Y2K? Future generations may laugh till their insides hurt when they hear of the hysteria and confusion around Y2K?yet it was a real threat in our minds only seven years ago.

There is a lot of hype and hysteria surrounding the whole climate change issue. Ever heard the saying, ?he who controls the media, controls the world?? Think about it. While we are busy, worrying and adapting our lifestyle, stressing over the current issue (climate change, Y2K, terrorism, etc) other things, important (world, national, state and local) issues, could be slipping under the radar. Fear is a powerful motivator. And with every ?issue?, there is fear behind it. I haven?t watched the latest movie, ‘An Inconvenient Truth? but the snippets I have seen are designed to produce fear in the hearts of the viewers. But oh, that?s meant to be ?information?, facts to make the people aware. Are the people who are doing the alarming changing their lifestyles? There is truly much to think about with the whole issue. Michelle Malkin has a clip here which is thoughtful and enlightening.
There are plenty of informed scientists and speakers who disagree with the whole alarmist view of global warming but they are not being heard or listened to. I wonder why?

Do you remember the animation, Captain Planet? Cool eh? It was indoctrination- pure and simple. It did not have a biblical basis or worldview. Pick up a newspaper, magazine or turn on the television today. What information are you being fed? Have you really examined the facts or are you being led into an emotional trap? Are you being indoctrinated?
A popular website that is being pushed in Australia is cooltheglobe. Here?s a snippet from the site:

“Climate change is the greatest threat facing our planet. Humans are causing climate change, and humans can stop it getting worse. We can keep our planet healthy for future generations by acting on climate change now and reducing our greenhouse pollution.”

I think that sin is the greatest threat facing our planet and the humans that live on it.

I don?t believe in evolution, or a type of Christian Evolution. I guess you?d call me a young earth creationist. However, if I believed in the process of evolution then I?d believe that the world is millions of years old. I guess I could then think it?s possible that the earth is in trouble. Also believing in evolution, I?d believe in the superiority of man (I mean underneath all the rubble, even racism stems from an evolutionary worldview). If man was capable of evolving into the intelligent species that we are, I?d have to believe that we can fix this problem. Apparently the ice caps on Mars are melting due to our actions here on earth. Wow, we?re pretty powerful uh! So the earth has been around for millions or billions of years (so apparently has man) yet it is only in the last few hundred years that we have managed to destroy the earth and universe as we know it. This view holds a very high opinion of man, doesn?t it?

There are a few issues within the whole crisis that I am concerned about. The experts compare today’s weather to hundreds and thousands of years ago but I can?t see how this is accurate. How long have there been reliable weather stations throughout the world? Granted, the experts use measures of tree rings, they analyse ice-cores and so on but these don?t build an accurate picture, especially as one considers that scientists can?t even agree on the age of the earth! They say that this weather pattern and climate change is not normal?I don?t think man has been officially recording the weather for long enough to know what ?normal? is. (Apparently they started recording in the mid 1800?s?even in a time frame of 6,000 years that is not much to go on) It?s such a short term view.

A statement at National Geographic says:

Over the last million years the Earth has fluctuated between colder and warmer periods.

How does a Christian reconcile this with the Bible?s teaching? I?m no great scientist, but I believe that when we truly understand and believe in a catastrophic event such as the Great Flood we can see how it would have had a major impact on the geophysical and biological system of the earth?and that dating systems which do not reflect a biblical worldview nor take into account the devastating flood, are simply not correct.

We can see that over the course of history, the climate has indeed changed. Was this the result of man? Was man big enough to control the universe? Sure we need to be good stewards and live carefully but the fear mongering must not be allowed to control us. We must teach our children to think critically and examine issues. We need to prepare our hearts for the day when we meet our Maker.

Where is God in all of this global warming/climate change issue? Is He so small that He does not control everything? Some times we need to stop, take a step back and actually read our history and science books?and try to see things from a biblical worldview rather than our own small perspective.

Whether or not you do or don?t believe in all the hype, I hope you can see that we need to teach our children to think?we need to educate our children about the real issues: being that fear is a powerful motivator, combined with the media using every means available to appeal to our emotions, (propaganda) can be a strong driving force that can be used?and is often used, sadly, by politicians.
I don?t want or expect anyone to agree with my thoughts?but I hope you look closely at the facts and research for yourself, for the sake of your children. A few sites that I like are:

http://www.junkscience.com/Greenhouse/

http://www.icr.org/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16960409/site/newsweek/

http://www.michaelcrichton.net/speeches/index.html

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n2/global-warming

Link at AnswersinGenesis

Upgrade 2

Upgrade

After my review on Upgrade, by Kevin Swanson I was asked how this book impacted my life so I’ll attempt to share my thoughts here.

Upgrade! How it helped me.

I’ve already written a review so I won’t rehash that so I’ll approach it from another angle without rewriting the entire book!

Kevin Swanson devoted one whole chapter to ‘education’. I like this as it is helpful to know what the goal is before we attempt to formulate a plan toward aiming for it.

“Education is the preparation of the child, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and physically for life and for eternity.” (p10) He then writes in the broader sense.
He says that each worldview will affect our understanding of education (see why I like it?) He then pulls apart his own definition by explaining ‘preparation‘: preparation for what? He also questions (and answers) the concept of a ‘successful education’. He gives another definition of a successful education on page 17 “A successful education is achieved when a child is prepared to make maximal use of his God-given talents and abilities in the accomplishment of the child’s calling.”

Education is the preparation of the child, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and physically for life and for eternity.

Then he writes 10 Secrets for a Successful Education, which aren’t really secrets at all. 😉
The first secret is on the Pre-Eminence of Character. Now all CM enthusiasts agree on this but he brings out a point which allowed or encouraged me to change my first character training habit from that of developing ‘Attention’ to Honour of Parents (duh!)

The 2nd secret is Quality One on One Instruction. This really spoke to me as my homeschool methodology had me focusing on good books. Now this is a good and worthwhile habit but it cannot and must not take place of quality one on one instruction. Of course some subjects take more individual instruction than others, like Math’s, (which I had to learn the hard way). He gave me a focus point of one hour per day for 2 full years with each child. (p47)

The 3rd secret is the Principle of Protection.
He says that protection is itself is ineffective but combined with a purpose of preparation is effective (p52). To be prepared, a child ought to be protected?all this with an identity or individual focus! He talks about monitoring the inputs and controlling the inputs that the children are exposed to. He warns of the dangers when protection becomes an end in itself:

1) the child might try to escape the world
2) amalgamate with the world and become like it or
3) change the world

The Principle of Individuality is the 4th secret and he talks about our children as individuals. This wasn’t new to me but he brought out some interesting points. The principle of individuality is liberating, so Mr. Swanson says. It can be wielded with amazing adaptability and effectiveness in the home and removes a tremendous amount of pressure from the backs of children and parents. He suggests that this principle takes the individual gifts and abilities of each child and maximizes them. This often means that a homeschool moves away from standardization. He goes on to say that this principle holds profound implications for the involvement of the state in education.

The 5th secret is Rooting in Relationships.
Mr. Swanson puts forth that every child is an individual with individual learning styles and rates and emotional concerns. An educational program will only be optimized for each child by a mentor who knows the child well. He states that studies have shown that there is no difference between the academic performance of students whose parents are professionally trained teachers and those who are not. He attributes this to the God-designed factor of relationship based teaching. In this lengthy chapter, he also discusses the issue of delegation… delegation while still retaining responsibility.

A successful education is achieved when a child is prepared to make maximal use of his God-given talents and abilities in the accomplishment of the child’s calling.

The Principle of Doing Well is the 6th secret.
Charlotte Mason enthusiasts would know this one! The main aim of education is to communicate so he encourages us to do this well. Reading and writing is fundamental. He then gives 10 focus points which I found beneficial:
1) read aloud
2) the best literature
3) don’t waste significant time doing anything but the basics
4) do not multiple the course requirements upon the student (this one hit me hard)
5) memorise portions of the highest quality literature, poetry, drama, and prose.
6) Copywork is a valuable tool
7) It is advantageous to teach them the languages of Hebrew, Greek an Latin once they are advanced in their own native language.
8) Don’t advance a student to the next level until he has mastered the basics
9) Basic learning required disciplined repetition
10) Teach the Scriptures

Reading, thinking, (verbal and written) communication, discernment and singing are basic fundamentals.

The 7th secret is the Principle of Life Integration
He writes of the difference between knowledge and wisdom… about life integration and the best way to do this is to maintain a life integrating educational environment. He encourages the reader to avoid the separation of school and life (yet he is not an unschooler). The student must have real lie experiences on which to hang the knowledge that he learns from the textbook else the textbook learning just becomes head knowledge and not wisdom or understanding. He gives another more tips like:

1) Tie their textbooks learning to real life..
2) Limit the time they spend listening to lectures.
3) Build relationships and spend time doing the important things?take the children with you everywhere.
4) Train your children to think and communicate all the time
5) Train them to be able to interact with others well
6) Encourage them to start their own business or work with you
7) Prefer hands-on training, develop a learning environment
8) Use curriculum that understands the importance of real life application.

Maintaining the Honour and Mystique of Learning is the 8th secret.
We should strive to cultivate a sense of wonder. This can be stifled if we don?t take into account the principles of individual character, etc.
Modeling a sense of adventure, self motivated learning and spontaneity while encouraging the inquisitive mind is important. Avoid activities that mesmerize yet don?t encourage wonder and discovery. He also talks about honouring and commending true achievement and achievements. Children need affirmation.

Building on the Right Foundation is the 9th secret and it deals with the content of education.
Again this chapter deals with worldview … the big questions of life. As parents we need to know what are children are learning and at the least we need to discern the worldview that under girds the books we use. In this we need to know and discern the difference between polytheism, monotheism, relativism, absolute truth, atheism, humanism, biblical theism, nihilism and those that have a providential view of history. (I’ve found that the need for understanding this, increases as the child gets older)

He says that that there is no neutrality in books or programs (see why I like this book?). God’s word must be tied into every aspect of our child’s experience be it entertainment, history, geography, science, music or reading… we must train our children to think in terms of God’s world. This doesn’t mean that every book so sentence must have God in it rather that our children must learn to see the connection to God in all that they do.

1) know your worldview
2) know what your children are learning
3) accept that there is no perfect curriculum
4) think ?integration?
5) use principles of protection and wise progression
The 10th secret of the Principle of Wise, Sequential Progression.

This chapter talks about the stages of learning: knowledge (collection and storage of facts), understanding (discernment and arrangement of facts) and wisdom (application of those things). He warns us to beware of programs that only spit out facts or information all the way through high school. It’s important to learn the basics well but also important to progress toward critical thinking and wise independent problem solving.

Chapter 13 talks about developing a vision for your family: where to start, how to get there, etc.

These are the areas that helped me in my family. While not necessarily new to me they condensed and highlighted all the information in my own knowledge bank so that much of could become practical and I could apply it to my life. So many things cry out for our attention yet not all are necessary. They may be good but not necessary.

Don’t take my word for it though…rush out and get your own copy! These points are just what I took from the books…I haven’t done a complete chapter review, I’ve tried to speak more personally.

How Many Hours in Bible Study?

John Stott used the following time allocations dedicated to Bible study:

* One hour a day
* One 3 hour period a week
* One day every month
* One week every year

I think this is a good and worthwhile goal to aim for. What do you think?

Drive Thru History DVD

Want a fast-paced, high energy tour through history? Then you might like Drive Thru History with with Dave Stotts!

We have watched Drive Thru History: Rome If You Want To.. and Turkish Delight as well as Greece and the Word. We’re looking forward to the next DVD; East Meets West.

Each DVD is a part of the Drive Thru History series in which the sometimes hilarious Dave Stotts explores the history of Western Civilisation. Some may feel that Dave Stotts is a little irreverent so be warned but we enjoyed his sense of humour- he’s not rude, just tend to point out the obvious. Each DVD has 3 episodes of approximately 30 minutes each.

Personally, those in our family who have studied a full rotation of world history and have an idea of the places mentioned, seem to enjoy this a lot more than the younger children. Therefore, I would recommend these DVD’s to those who are familiar with the places and events visited. It is not a curriculum (although the American history series which is a full curriculum looks so good…I wish they’d one one Australia!) but a good, fun, visual tie-in once you’ve learned about those areas, people or places in your history studies.

These are available from Koorong or Word from $16 through to $21 each DVD.

English Lessons HomeGrownKids Style

We still use a spelling list. (We like the lists from PocketBasics.com) I have found it easier for me to teach the various spelling rules when we have followed a list. I can easily review what rules I have and haven’t presented to the child…and set about continuing on with that. If I feel that a child does not grasp a particular spelling/grammar rule, then I will search for a passage or selection of work so that they can specifically write it out for copy work.

Copy work is preparation for dictation

The reason I have used a spelling list is also because I haven’t been as diligent with the practice of dictation as I would have liked, but that’s life eh! I do believe that the CM method of education is full and rich and thorough if adhered to…which is where I fall down.

The Lessons

We would do a passage for copy work on Day One. I read the passage aloud to the children once or twice. I would review any of the spelling and grammar rules that are applicable and I would then teach new concepts from the passage. I tell the child that they can spend time and take care with this selection as they will be writing it for dictation soon. I ask them to notice any words that they may need to spend time on or look up in the dictionary. I ask them to notice any grammar or punctuation rules, and we discuss it. If they haven’t noticed anything, then I jump in with my comments but I like to give them opportunity first. At the end of the lesson, I ask the child to read the passage aloud to me. (I think this is an important step) They also have to read (or listen to) good living books and then narrate to me. After a few days (depending on the passage I’ve selected) I will have the child write the selection from dictation. This is where they need to apply the habit of attention, else they will get spelling and punctuation incorrect.

Dictation Lesson

To start the dictation lesson, which may be on day 2, 3 or 4 (on this day, dictation REPLACES copy work and is not in addition to), I read the passage aloud to them. I’ll slowly read a phrase at a time as the child writes it on their paper. I try not to re-read any phrase as I’m trying to develop the habit of attention, requiring them to concentrate and use their memory…but I don’t let myself get hung up on it. My goal is to train them in the habit of attention, develop their ability to focus and recall, to have neat handwriting and develop their spelling, grammar and punctuation skills.

I think the basis of a CM English program is Copywork and then also Dictation, Narration, and good Living Books. Exposure to Great Ideas is a big part of this.

Tip

Another tip which I have found very useful is to have a double copy of a book that I’m reading aloud. As I’m reading it aloud, another child will have the second copy and be following me along. This helps them to SEE and HEAR the word so they hear the correct pronunciation and see the correct spelling in a very gentle way.

I also buddy read: where I will read a passage and then the child will read a passage. Having the child read aloud is very important as I can *hear* exactly where they are having difficulty and then I can help them straight away without needing to wait until the rule or concept arises in the textbook.

Focussed Seasons

We also have focused seasons which probably isn’t very CMish but it works well for us. By seasons I mean that we will have a period of time (could be weeks or months) where we will all learn and focus on grammar. We’ll do a course like Winston Grammar and we focus on it during our copy work times. We might put another topic or area on the backburner for awhile as we do this. Then, when I feel that we’ve done enough there for the time being, I’ll put grammar to the backburner and bring another area into focus. Some people can’t handle this way of doing things but it is the only way that I can manage.

I hope some of this has been helpful, if only in sparking some ideas.

There are a few links that you might like to read over:

AmblesideOnline Scope and Sequence for LA

LA with Penny Gardner

Copywork with the Parker’s