Saturday, September 14, 2024

Constitution Day 2024

Constitution Day occurs every year on September 17 and is the perfect opportunity to discuss the Constitution itself and general principles of citizenship. 

We are mainly focusing on memorizing the preamble and discussing the overarching principles contained in the Constitution this year since the kids are still young, but I love that we are establishing the tradition of celebrating this after year and we will add depth and complexity as they grow. 

We will always include watching the classic School House Rock video, however. It's still stuck in my head from when I was in elementary school! 

The page shown below is just a collection of the things we will be using for this year's Constitution Day. If you click the picture you can get your own copy to save for your files so you have links to each of the items listed. The preamble scramble is a fun way to give the kids practice with the wording of the preamble but notice the way the pieces fit together at the bottom- it's different than you would think! Just a heads up if you decide to use it! 

I also came up with a short chant to help introduce the kiddos to the seven basic principles of the Constitution and if you scroll down you can hear it. The printable with the principles on it is included in the Constitution Day document. 

Happy Constitution Day!








Sunday, July 28, 2024

National Amelia Earhart Day!



July 24 was National Amelia Earhart Day! We always celebrate by reading about her and discussing all the interesting things that could have happened to her. 
 
We haven't read very many books about her, but the books we have read have given us just enough information for now. As the boys get older we will read more extensively and add to our book list! For a little poster you can print out, book suggestions, and a link to a free resource that you can print and track her last flight, click on the picture below!





Tuesday, July 16, 2024

National Moon Day!



National Moon Day is one of those perfect opportunities to make learning a natural part of family culture. This day celebrates the yearly anniversary of the first lunar landing and it provides the perfect context for whole-family learning about everything relating to the moon! 

I've put together a short little packet of book suggestions, moon-related poems, and a few activities that your family could enjoy together to celebrate this fun day. Whether you actually read any of the books or poems or just have a casual conversation around the dinner table, this day provides a great springboard. Take advantage while you can! 

Click the image below to get a copy of the packet. Enjoy and happy learning! 




Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Why I Can't Give Up Homeschooling, Even on the Hard Days

I would like to pose a very simple question:

What is education?

This seems simple on the surface, but this is actually much, much deeper than meets the eye. 

This is the question that keeps me going on even the hardest days of homeschooling. Even on the days when I swear to myself that we are making a huge mistake and I'm enrolling them in school and putting them on that big yellow bus tomorrow. 

I have a Master's Degree in elementary education, have been around kids and public schools my entire life, have three kids of my own, and, yet, being tasked with answering this question these past two and half years has turned my entire world upside down. 

What makes it so difficult is trying to sift through what I have been told, whether directly or indirectly, my entire life about what education is from what I actually believe it is. 

Everyone has a "philosophy" of education whether you think you do or not. What you think a child should learn, how you think a child should learn it and when are some of the things that drive that philosophy. Who is responsible for facilitating that learning is another part. How you know when a child has learned something is yet another component. 

If you don't think you have a philosophy, it's most likely because you have just naturally adopted what the public school system tells us it should be. (And the hard truth is, that if your kid is in public school, you don't really have much of a voice in forming that philosophy.) Which is exactly what I did until the Lord stirred our hearts and we dove into the uncharted waters of homeschooling.  

But why does this question matter? 

Shouldn't we just do what the majority of the country does and send our kids to public school when they turn five? Does it really matter if we have a philosophy or not? I mean, is it really that big of a deal?

At first, I didn't think so. But now as we are entering our third year of this homeschooling thing, I've realized that, actually:

Yes! 

Yes, it is! 

Because whether we realize it or not, how we answer that question frames our entire outlook on life, on success, and in turn determines how we spend our children's time and our time as a family.  

So, just for fun, imagine this: 

All the boundaries and limits most school systems put on kids (and as a direct result, families) are magically taken away- things like the number of days kids have to be in school, the HOURS kids have to be in school, grade levels, requirements to "pass" each grade level, standardized tests, incentivized reading, math, or other subject-related programs, progress reports, dictated subjects and specific learning standards, report cards, classrooms composed of same-aged peers, reading levels, "gifted" programs, "special education" programs, extra credit, homework, spelling lists, all types of arbitrary measuring sticks that cause comparison, competition, and sometimes anxiety... take all of those things away, and what are you left with? 

Really, think about this. 

What are you left with? 

If it were completely up to you- your child's school years were just an immense blank slate stretched before you like an open field- no timelines, no pressure, no testing, no comparison ... what would you want your child to know? How would you fill your child's time?

And that's where we find ourselves right back at that essential question again:

What is education? 

It is the freedom we have as a homeschooling family to answer this question for ourselves that keeps me going on the hard days.

What do we want our children to know and be able to do? 

When is it important for them to know what we want them know?

What priorities do we have as a family? 

How can we structure our minutes, hours, days, and weeks to actually support and sustain those priorities? 

How do we want our children to feel about learning? 

I am not naive to realize that what we have come to think of as "education" these days is about much, much more than simply the acquisition of knowledge. It's a way for kids to make friends and have experiences, and yes, learn things, but it's become more about a specific culture related to the schools themselves, not necessarily about the actual education happening inside the buildings. Spirit days, school plays, cafeteria food, all the hallmark things we come to know through our experience in schools add to the connotation of "education." 

And I do miss all of those things. I have days where my emotions are all over the place and times of serious doubt. 

But what I've been shown, by God's unexpected blessing, is that there is another way for the kids to experience most all of those things. (Yes, even things like bullying and cliques- any group of children, no matter where they are isn't immune from these things) without the limits the traditional school system imposes and live a completely different kind of life. 

A life where on a rainy day we can stay in our pajamas, cuddle up on the couch, and read together. 

A life where when we are learning about fossils we can travel to a place and dig up actual fossils from the ground. 

A life where my child who is struggling to learn to read feels no pressure or condemnation from being "behind" because there really is no "behind" in the first place. 

A life that enables us to spend time with family and friends and still have time to take part in all the activities we want to be in and allows the boys time to be together and celebrate the small everyday successes in real-time. 

A life that takes advantage of the natural curiosity every child is born with, that natural thirst for information and answers without relying traditional methods. 

We get to structure our kids' school years in a way that just wouldn't be possible otherwise and we have the freedom to decide what a quality education for our children is. It's helped us step back and re-examine the choices we were making on default and really take the time to explore and think deeply about them. 

And if you'll allow me to be a little sinister for a minute, the reality that we never know when our last day will come is part of the equation, too. The Lord's coming surely must be near, y'all!! 🤪👀🤣 But we don't want to look back and regret time not better spent. 

Could homeschooling be a huge mistake? Eh, possibly. 

Will the kids miss out on some things? Of course! 

Will they one day look back and feel a little resentment that they didn't get to experience elementary or middle school (we have no idea how long we will keep this homeschooling thing going) like "normal" kids? Possibly. 

But as I'm sitting here typing this thinking about the absolute mess our world is, I think we will take our chances. ;) 

We spend our days exploring nature, being together as a family, and yes, with lots of friends, too, experiencing new places and things, reading lots and lots and lots of great books, filling our minds with truth, goodness, and beauty and as each day goes by we are finding our answer to that essential question a little more clearly and little more confidently. 

Our hope is that as we are living this life alongside the kids, making the most of every day we have together, that even though they might feel like they missed out on some things, they will look back on what what they got in return and think it was equally as good, if not better. 

I fully realize that the homeschool life is not for everyone. I am in no way trying to persuade anyone or insult anyone, but because I have been given the incredible gift to see life in a completely different way, I feel like it's my duty to tell you, that if you have ever even so much as thought about it, it's worth looking into. 

Even on the days when I feel like I just can't do it anymore, the thought of giving it all up is just inconceivable. We've been shown the other side and there's just no going back. We have to see where this journey takes us, following the Lord's lead as we go. 

So, what is education? How do you want to fill your child's days? 

The answer is completely up to you! 



Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Snails! A Mini-Study!

 Who knew that I would fall head over heels in love with SNAILS?! 

Well, it's happened, and I only have my kids and God to blame. I mean, when you really stop and look at them closely they are beautiful and fascinating. 

You don't think so? 

Then this little mini-study is for you and your kiddos! 

I dare you not to think snails are pretty awesome after learning about them and studying them up close. 

I dare you! 

But seriously... we have had so much fun learning about and studying snails over the last few months so I knew I wanted to put something together to share that love. 

In this free file I've included: 

-book suggestions
-activity suggestions
-a little idiom slide for "a snail's pace"
-several snail poems we love 

My hope is that you will come to love and appreciate snails as much as we do and maybe even collect a few to keep as pets. Yup, we are now the proud owners of FOUR snails we are keeping as pets. HA! 

Simply click on the picture below to grab your copy! (If the link gives you any trouble let me know and I'll send it to you directly)

If you have any snail-related books, activities, or whatever that you love, I would love to know! 








Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Patriotic Songs for Morning Time or Memory Work


It's June and around here that means we are thinking ahead to July 4th and all things America and patriotism. In my opinion, the time between Memorial Day and July 4th is the perfect time to learn some patriotic songs, read some great books, and prepare our minds for the importance of Independence Day. 

We are going to be learning and singing some patriotic songs in morning time and adding the lyrics to our memory work binders, so I just thought I would share! 

June is a great month to focus on patriotism because during the month we remember D-Day, celebrate Flag Day and the birthday of the Army, reflect on the importance of the Magna Carta, learn about bald eagles on National Bald Eagle Day, and celebrate Juneteenth. I'll try to come back and share some of the books or activities for those specific days, but for now, enjoy these patriotic songs! Just click the picture below and it should open the file but if it gives you any trouble let me know and I’ll send it to you directly.💙





Sunday, May 28, 2023

What's This Morning Time Thing???

                                           

Oh, morning time. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.  💜

I recently shared what a typical day in our homeschool looks like, and when I sat down to write this post, I had planned on sharing the details of what our morning time actually looks like, but I realized that first and foremost I just wanted to talk about this idea in general just in case it's a new idea for anyone. It really is that important to me and has been such a game changer for not just our homeschool, but for our family culture. 

When we first chose to homeschool, I knew nothing about this wonderful thing called "morning time." What I was noticing, however, was that meal times were important and I wanted to utilize them to their full potential. I knew I wanted to do something, but I just didn't know what. We had dabbled in different family devotionals together during breakfast, but I knew I wanted something more consistent and meaty. 

So when I did eventually discover and explore this whole "morning time" concept, everything came together and it has now become one of my favorite parts of the day.

If I was still a full-time classroom teacher, I would like to think that I would use morning time on the weekends and during the summer with my own kids. Even though kids may be getting the majority of their academic or even spiritual learning from outside the home at school or church, morning time is a chance to capture their hearts, fill their minds and souls with things that are true, good, and beautiful, and focus on things that your family prioritizes. 

I really feel like all families could utilize the morning time concept regardless of what their school choice is and I feel very passionately about sharing this idea with anyone who will listen!

Before I go any further, please know that I am by no means a morning time expert and our morning time can often turn into more of a hot mess than a beautiful Instagram-worthy sight. Despite being a novice and having oh-so-much to learn, I wanted to get this message our there anyway. 

So, what is it?

Moring time, very simply, is a time for everyone to gather and learn together. 

Yup, that's it. 

It's that simple. 

Morning time isn't just for homeschooling families or just for school days for us, but just a sweet time of gathering the whole family together (meaning the kids and me, although sometimes Jeff is included if he's home during the week or on the weekends) to build relationships and learn together. It's very much like the "morning meeting" or "calendar time" in a classroom if you are familiar with those. Some families actually call it "morning meeting" or "symposium" or "power hour." Regardless of the name, it serves the same purpose. 

You most likely are already doing something that resembles morning time or an activity that can be either incorporated into a morning time routine or would serve as an excellent starting point for one (like eating breakfast 😉).  
  
If you've ever wanted to do something with your kids- like read aloud, memorize scripture, etc. but you just can't figure out when during the day to do it, morning time is a great place to start. 

Just for some background...

There are two huge names in the homeschooling world who have largely contributed to spreading and making popular the concept of morning time. Cindy Rollins is known as the mother of morning time and now, even though all of her kids are grown, is still dedicated to the practice and encourages moms to create a morning time routine of their own.  

Pam Barnhill is most known for taking the idea of morning time and creating a "morning basket" to use during that time. This doesn't have to be a literal basket, but the idea of gathering resources together and having them on hand is very useful and definitely makes morning time run more smoothly. She shares lots-and I mean LOTS!- of practical information, resources, and even ready-to-use morning time plans (some for free) on her website.

If you're curious about this idea and want to learn more, I HIGHLY recommend looking into all the wonderful things these ladies have to offer. Pam wrote a fantastic post describing the concept of morning time and answering lots of the basic questions. Read that post HERE.


Why would you want to start a morning time, especially if you aren't a homeschooling family? 

Well, at the very minimum it brings the family together. Regardless of the ages of your kiddos, whether you have all really young kids or all teenagers, having everyone together in one place and participating in the same activities is a great way to build relationships and family culture. 

These days everyone is so busy. All. The. Time. We run from one thing to another, we spend a lot of time in the car, and even though the family may be all together physically in one place, like at a sports game or at church together, there is something so special about everyone being mentally together, either at the table or in the same room and focused on the same thing without any outside distractions. I feel like now more than ever it's important for families to carve out and make family time a priority. The structure morning time provides is really useful and helpful.

If you're a mom of kids who are home from school during the summer, morning time is an especially great way to build in some structure to your days and start the day off on the right foot. 

And one important note- "morning time" does not HAVE to be only in the morning. It could be any time of day that your family can gather together. It's just the term that has stuck. 

I don't have any great pictures of the kids and me actively engaged in morning time because no one else is here to witness it! But here's a picture I just happened to take after one random morning time so you can get a general idea of the kids of things we do. The picture at the top of the post was another one I took on a random day. 

Pam Barnhill published a beautiful coffee-table-style book that has fabulous pictures of families during their morning times, so I recommend looking into that to see the variety of styles.  Keep in mind that every family does things differently, and our morning time looks different day to day. 



I'll have to do a separate post about the resources I use during morning time because it varies so much. But you can use morning time to accomplish all kinds of goals that you may have for your family.  

Here are some ideas for things you could do during your morning time:

-pray together

-read aloud 
(I believe VERY strongly in the power of reading aloud to kids who can already read themselves, and how it's actually MORE important to keep reading to them after they can already read, but that's a whole other post! There are entire books and podcast series devoted to this topic as well! 
You can find a ton of booklists on a wide variety of topics from Read Aloud Revival)

-read and appreciate poetry (of all kinds)
(Great post about this topic HERE)

-memorize scripture  
(Pam Barnhill provides a great starting point HERE)

-read Bible stories 

-learn hymns, folk songs, or patriotic songs 
We are about to start working on some patriotic songs in June in preparation for July 4th but we have been learning the lyrics to "A Few of My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music this week just because it's something we want our kids to know and it's beautiful. 💙 
Other ideas HERE

-do some art appreciation or music study 
Maybe you really want your kids to learn some basic classical composers and pieces or know some famous artists and be able to recognize pieces of art. There are really simple and easy ways to do this.

-do some nature study 

-discuss important historical events, people, or read famous speeches
(That list Pam Barnhill put together includes some ideas for this)

-fit in some academics
If you have kids who are school-aged you can also use morning time as a way to review things they have already learned or learn new things together. Grammar, math concepts (not skills) like geometric shapes, coins, graphing, etc., and science topics are things that kids of all ages can learn about and practice together. Play math games, read fun picture books about academic subjects, etc)


There are so many possibilities of things to do during morning time, but the entire point is just being together, having shared learning experiences, and strengthening relationships.

It's hard to see the real value in morning time just by reading through those ideas, but if you can imagine the beauty of everyone laughing over a silly poem, reading a beautiful picture book together, learning some crazy facts about the smelliest flower in the world, and hearing your kids reciting a scripture verse you all worked to memorize, then you'll start to see just how valuable it can be.  

Can you see it? Can you imagine it? 

I can tell you that after doing morning time pretty consistently for almost a year now, I am seeing the fruit, albeit small. And it's so rewarding. My kids know the names of several poetic devices, can name some composers and artists and recognize some famous paintings, recite a few short scriptures and psalms, appreciate beautiful music, locate countries around the globe, and know that sloths only come down to eat once a week, 🤣 among lots of other random interesting facts about all kinds of things. 

I'm most looking forward to how our morning time will shift and morph as the years go on and the kids get a little older and capable of handling more. Lots of exciting things to come!

Ready to learn more?

Pam Barnhill posted an awesome podcast recently and she shares some great tips on how to get started. You can listen to that podcast HERE

It really is a wonderful thing. I promise.

Hopefully I'll be back soon to share some of the nitty-gritty about our morning time and what it actually looks like, but you know how that goes!! I just happened to look at Amazon today and I noticed that the Sing a Song of Seasons nature poem anthology we LOVE and use almost every day just happens to be on sale right now (5/28/23) on Amazon! I can't recommend this beautiful book enough. 

Until then, if you're intrigued by the idea of morning time or want to take what your family already does up a notch, I highly encourage you to look into the resources I linked all throughout this post and jump in! 

You won't regret it!!

Here are some quick link in case you don't want to scroll back up:










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