I'd like to pass on a very helpful book, that has brought some variety, fun, and creativity to our writing. It is called, "If You Are Trying to Teach Kids How to Write You've Gotta Have This Book". There are endless ideas.
One thing Marjorie Frank (author) recommends in her book is to sit with the children and write when they write. They're more interested in writing when we partake as well. I break from our "Understanding Writing" program on Fridays to insert an assignment from this book. I find my 8 year old, 11 year old, and I can all do the same assignment. It's generally lighthearted and refreshing. I highly recommend it.
Notes to Myself is a much loved column by Marlane Noster. Her warm and flowing style is like looking over a shoulder into a journal, and her wit and wisdom is appreciated by all. Write to her at marlane@wisdomhomeschooling.com.
Happy Home Schooling! This eLetter (Terry’s Terrific Learning Connections or Terry’s Tender Loving Care) is meant to encourage and inspire families homeschooling their children.
I hope you had a lovely Christmas and break with your family. Many of us are back at homeschooling now and perhaps some are wondering what to do. (What to do with the kids, what to do with homeschooling, what to do as a couple, what to do with current events, what to do with life, and more….)
My best advice is just to keep going. Pull yourself up and just keep going. Don’t make permanent decisions in troubled times. If you are tired, rest. If you are discouraged, look for encouragement everywhere you can. If you are anxious, quit worrying and trust God for each day. Easier said than done, I know. Try going on a media fast - even for a few hours a day - and reading your Bible more. I do like to keep up with Current Events, but I also know Who is in control and I will continue to trust Him.
One thing I learned years ago is that the *official* Homeschool Year is half over at the end of January. You still have another five months to go and so much homeschooling can still be accomplished. (And I homeschooled unofficially through the summer most years, too. It’s not the same *heavy* homeschooling, but a lot can get accomplished then, too. Homeschooling quickly became our life – 24/7 – and it was so good. I hope it is good for your family, too!)
So, this is the Official FUN TLC of the year. I love homeschooling and I love having fun – AND I love combining the two! What better time of the year to focus on fun than right now?
It should be noted that some solutions for signing a PDF are about putting your actual, visual signature (or something that is good enough to be one) on the file, while others are about adding a digital "signature" in a different sense to the file to show that it was you who signed it. Sometimes one or the other is what's needed and you'll want to make sure you've picked the right one.
On computers
While Adobe Reader might be treated as an industry standard, there are other options.
- Foxit has a free reader with signing capability.
- On macOS, the built-in Preview app, which is the default app for opening a PDF file, has an option add visual signatures and few handy ways to create them that are easier than clicking and dragging with your mouse.
- Open the file
- In the menu bar, go Tools > Annotate > Signature.
- From there you can pick an existing signture, or add a new one with a simple webcam scanning process to digitise one written on paper, or finger-draw one on the laptop trackpad or a connected phone. (This is also where you'd remove existing saved signatures.)
On mobile phones & tablets
Here are a few suggested apps for filling out and signing PDF documents while on the go!
iOS
- pdfFiller
- PDF Expert (a bit more advanced/complicated)
Android:
- DocuSign
- Adobe Scan (thanks Peter!)
Ken Noster Classical Education (click here to download - 53mb)
Ken Noster High School - A Basis for Advanced Education (click here to download - 65mb)
Ken Noster High School and Beyond - Chart your Course (click here to download - 37mb)
The WISDOM Family Magazine is a bi-monthly publication, free to WISDOM home schoolers and available for a small subscription fee to non-WISDOM families.
This great resource is full of information, inspiration and ideas. You will find encouraging and uplifting articles, curriculum reviews, success stories, and "how-to's" from homeschooling professionals and veterans.
Session 1 (click here to download - 91mb)
Session 2 (click here to download - 52mb)
Session 3 (click here to download - 52mb)
Who is WISDOM? How did we begin? What do we stand for? What do we have to offer your family?
Ken Noster Classical High School Education (click here to download - 37mb)
John Miller Be Patient and Build on Your Strengths (click here to download - 13mb)
Paul van den Bosch Conduct: Real-life Skills (click here to download - 14mb)
Randy Kopp Redefining High School Completion (click here to download - 26mb)
Joe Pollock Science and Math (click here to download - 22mb)
Mike & Michele Barter Panic Button Syndrome (click here to download - 28mb)
Bill Gurney Post Secondary Education Without an Alberta Diploma (click here to download - 27mb)
Louis Sehn Trades-Tips, Tricks, and Tools (click here to download - 19mb)
Mark Meakes Choosing to Work (click here to download - 12mb)
Influence has directed history, enabled art, effected education, formed lives; in short, influence is significant. It is the means by which we are prompted to make decisions in our lives, it is the means by which we grow, and it is certainly required if we are going to be able to impart anything of value to someone else, especially our children.
In the 21st century, influence is something people write books about, recognizing the benefits it can provide and profits it can garner; but effective as techniques of influence may be, they leave most people quite cold. Influence is more valuable, effective, and permanent when it is a by-product of something greater, rather than a goal in itself.