Does your family love games? Or would you like to incorporate more family games but are not sure where to start? Games have been proven to rapidly develop cognitive functions in all ages.
Games the Build the Brain is a favourite resource of home schooling families everywhere! Find a fabulous game in this booklet, and learn which cognitive skills it builds and supports. Then, play it with your family to reap the cognitive and relationship benefits!
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?
We asked WISDOM parents, students, facilitators, staff and Parent Advisory Council members to offer suggestions to the following question – how do we beat the January blues? Read on for many great ideas that have worked well in the homes of other home schoolers.
Preparing For Fall Facilitator Visit
The following are a few tips to allay anxiety, concern, and apprehension of your facilitator’s home visit with you. (Click on the links for more.)
- Conference with your spouse - and children if appropriate - concerning the goals, planning, and overall vision for each child’s year. Write it down in order to refer to it when your facilitator comes. Keep it simple and to the point.
- Review previous assessments (ie: Spring 2006) and education plans in order to reflect and evaluate ‘where we’ve been’, ‘how we’re doing’, and ‘where we’re going’. Some parents have even filled out the new assessment right on the previous form. If you are new with WISDOM or have misplaced the previous assessment, view education plan samples and the blank assessment form.
- E-mail or call your facilitator within a reasonable time frame prior to the visit for special requests, concerns, scheduling preferences, or anything that will assist the facilitator in making the most of the visit for all involved. If you do not know who your facilitator is, please contact the WISDOM Office to find out.
- Make samples of the children’s work available for your facilitator’s perusal.
- If possible, have a preliminary written draft of each child’s education plan.
- Pray for God’s guidance and for the effective use of the limited time available with your facilitator. We’re praying for you, too.
- Enjoy your facilitator visit, and the start of your new year of study!
Observations of a Large Adoptive Family
In May 2005, having an approved international home assessment in hand and seeking God about international adoption, we connected with a relief organization (WACSN: West African Children Support Network) working in Liberia, West Africa. Their work involves, among other things, finding homes and processing adoptions for abandoned/orphaned children living at the WACSN orphanage in Monrovia.
Building a science display takes time. The process of building the display also takes up a lot of room and can disrupt the pattern of daily schedules for a number of weeks. What is the value of a science display, considering that you might only display it once? I suppose that if you view a science display as an ‘extra’ – a thing that you have to go out of your way to do – then its value may equal that of an increased burden. Alternately, if you view a science display as an assembly of summarized learning, together with supporting devices, then its value becomes… invaluable!
Have you considered what a wonderful resource we have in the growing number of graduates who have been home schooled right through high school? I hadn't until I found myself in a position of great need.
I found that my involvement in the administration of WISDOM, the farm, and my commitments to my church community; not to mention the education and formation of my children, kept me rather busy. Praying for discernment, and wrestling with what I must let go; I found the answer was not to let go of anything more at this time, but to find assistance. The most logical solution in my mind was to find help with running my home; so began the search for a part-time housekeeper. I was insistent that I find someone who would fit into our home as an extension of our family unit - someone with integrity who shared our values. I never did find her....
Sometimes this question comes hard because we lack a context.
Are we talking about our student compared to other students his age? Are we addressing his particular talents and questioning whether he has buried them or multiplied them? Are we asking the question relative to some other standard - if so, what?
Let’s consider measuring success by comparison with other students his age. Before I go any further, please let me assert that in a tutorial context (home schooling) this is the least valuable approach to student evaluation. However, this is the type of evaluation we grew up with, it is the criterion our child (even if he didn’t ever attend school) is very familiar with, and it is possible that it is the primary means by which he views his progress. Realistically, for much of our population, this is the only means by which success, personal value, even life choices are measured, valid or not. A form of relativism, the flaw is evident.
When I completed high school I received an armful of awards that meant nothing. I’m not being humble here; it’s a fact. I received the award for the highest overall average in my graduating class. I also received the Science award and the Math award. This all sounds impressive until you compare my marks with the graduating class three years prior. That particular class was loaded with high academic achievers, many of whom rightfully scored very well in their final grades. Had I been among that class, I would have received not a single award. What’s more, I wouldn’t have seemed very good at the non-academic activities either, for the class three years ahead of me also shone in sports, debate, and public speaking.
Scripture tells us it is unwise to compare ourselves with each other (2Cor 10:12), and wisdom of the ages agrees (the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence); yet we persist. The same circumstances that saw me win all kinds of honour in grade 12 also define achievement - and its lack - in the lives of many people. Students who compare themselves to others will be discontented and frustrated or they will become puffed up, possibly complacent. In any event, their self-concept will be flawed.... (continued by clicking on the link)
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.
From the eyes of a child, they often see what is directly in front of them, and learn through experience. It is up to us as parents to enlighten our child’s perspective and to educate them about life in both future and present tense. It is important to highlight other cultures within this globe. One year, when my children were in the elementary school years, we met up with friends in our neighborhood and studied different countries. We made this into an educational co-op led by moms. We would meet once a week and read about what other children experienced in their lives. Details such as clothes they wore and games that they played. We also read together and made a dish from the country we were studying. This was a dinner so that the dads could be included too. It was a neat experience on many levels; it helped them to respect these new things through food, games, friendships, and laughter.
I found this Around the World Lesson Plan (posted below) and just love how it breaks down the way in which you could implement any culture. We would often start with studying our own heritage and then move on to our friends’ or neighbors’ heritage.
Often, we fear what we don’t know. When I first did my Special Needs training, I feared not knowing how to interact with a child who had specific needs. But once I was educated and trained, the fear disappeared. Just like another child can dress differently or eat different foods, that can seem strange to our own child until they learn or experience for themselves. Children are so inspiring as they are often very slow to judge someone who is different from them. They may stare at them, but it usually has to do with having a sense of curiosity more than anything else.
Education doesn’t have to be complex, and it doesn’t necessarily have to take up a lot of time. My goal every year is that our sons continue to love learning. And the rationale behind having a lesson plan with a stem activity, fine motor, creative gross motor etc.…. is so that they have a fully enriched learning experience. You could study a country every day or even every week. You could even just study one a month. That is the beauty of home education: it’s whatever works for you, your child, and your family.
Just like the song says, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black, and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” We are called to love one another. And if we can’t travel the world, then we just need to bring the world to our house.
