One of the joys of homeschooling is that you can set a schedule designed just for you that reflects your priorities! Still, as everyone with little kids knows, a schedule can be defeating if you think that it's the thing your world will spin according to. So, while you may benefit from having a structure to your day, just remember to be realistic. Expect that there will be times you will need to wing it, and make it a habit to tweak your schedule when it will help you to better accomplish your goals.
As a friend once shared with me: "Schedules aren't sovereign: God is."
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday
Morning:
Calendar Time
Reading & Writing Notebook
Math Activity
Bible Time: Old Testament
Evening:
Catechism Questions
Bible Memory
Friday
Special Projects & Activities
Field Trips/Errands
Home Care Assignments
Free-Time Activities: Imagination Station (self-made crafts and little inventions); Math Games & Manipulatives Table; Reading Corner; Coloring Exercises (painting, crayons, colored pencils, sidewalk chalk); Magnet Board; Flannel Board; Dress Up and Role-Play Station; Toddler Trunk; Listening Activities (audio books, playtime music).
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Calm, Cool and Collected
These days the pressure has really increased...not really with homeschool issues, just with life issues...and it seems hard to believe but by the grace of God I am doing just fine. In fact, the more distressed I am tempted to feel the more I am seeking to lean on the Lord and to trust Him with strength, with hope and with joy.
My biggest concern is that once homeschool starts the pressure will increase to such a point as to make it a difficult experience and thereby discourage us! It has caused me to realize, yet again, that the matter of sending one's kids away to school is sometimes because the other issues of life are permitted to crowd out one's mind, heart, time and energy. Of course, public school may be the only option for some...I'm not being insensitive to that...it was, after all, the only option my mother had at the time. Yet, I do have the choice and along with that the obligation to make the best decision(s) that I can!
I'm asking the Lord to enable me not only to walk through the various trials and difficulties of life in dependence upon Him but also to enable me to discern where my own decision making or even my own personal pursuits contribute to the complexity of the day. There is nothing wrong with weeding out the unnecessary and in fact, it is a desirable thing to do for one who wants to make the most of the opportunity!
From a worldly perspective it may seem silly to put aside my own desires and preoccupations, like continuing my education or involving myself in more church activity, in order to stay home and make purple hippopotamuses out of egg cartons, but I'm not living according to the expectations of this world! I am living for my Savior and committed to His will for me! He is leading me to be at home with these kiddos and He will supply the strength and the encouragement that I need!
My biggest concern is that once homeschool starts the pressure will increase to such a point as to make it a difficult experience and thereby discourage us! It has caused me to realize, yet again, that the matter of sending one's kids away to school is sometimes because the other issues of life are permitted to crowd out one's mind, heart, time and energy. Of course, public school may be the only option for some...I'm not being insensitive to that...it was, after all, the only option my mother had at the time. Yet, I do have the choice and along with that the obligation to make the best decision(s) that I can!
I'm asking the Lord to enable me not only to walk through the various trials and difficulties of life in dependence upon Him but also to enable me to discern where my own decision making or even my own personal pursuits contribute to the complexity of the day. There is nothing wrong with weeding out the unnecessary and in fact, it is a desirable thing to do for one who wants to make the most of the opportunity!
From a worldly perspective it may seem silly to put aside my own desires and preoccupations, like continuing my education or involving myself in more church activity, in order to stay home and make purple hippopotamuses out of egg cartons, but I'm not living according to the expectations of this world! I am living for my Savior and committed to His will for me! He is leading me to be at home with these kiddos and He will supply the strength and the encouragement that I need!
Toddler Trunk Idea
Here's a nifty idea for keeping the little ones busy during school time! It's called a Toddler Trunk! Inside are safe and fun things for kiddos to do to better their coordination and concentration skills!
- Old pictures glued onto index cards and hooked together with a ring ( or a piece of ribbon) make a quick photo book.
- Plastic tongs can be used to pick up little objects (erasers, little bouncy balls, little rocks, rotini noodles, etc.) for a great fine motor skills activity!
- A magnifying glass and different items to observe (old piece of carpet, sea shells, different textured fabric scraps, etc.) can be a great learning activity for your toddler!
- Give your child a paint brush, small cup of water, and a sheet of construction paper for some water painting!
- Fill a deep baking pan or bucket with rice or beans. You can hide foam letters and numbers in the pan and have them search for the hidden treasures. I often sit my children inside an old plastic swimming pool along with the container of rice/beans and let them dig away!
- Colored craft sticks can be placed in matching colored cups.
- Have your child clip clothespins to a piece of decorated cardboard.
- Old paper towel tubes and boxes make great tunnels and garages for that little car lover in your home!
JoEllen Hurst (CurrClick.com Weekly Newsletter, dtd. 07/27/09)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Homemade Ice Cream
Someone from church mentioned this on Sunday evening...that homemade ice cream was the best! One word: brilliant!
You will need:
- 2 bags of party ice
- 1 gallon whole milk (or chocolate milk for chocolate ice cream)
- Ice chest
- 1 box of kosher salt
- Paper cups (a least one for each student, and 1 for each teacher in the building who wants to try it)
- 1 lb. Sugar
- 1 gal. Ziplock bags (2 for each pair of students)
- vanilla extract
- Plastic spoons
- 1 quart ziplock bags (1 for each pair of students)
- paper towels
- Measuring cups, teaspoons and tablespoons
Directions:
- Combine 2 tablespoons sugar with a few drops of extract and 1 cup (8 oz) of milk in a small ziplock bag (quart size) and zip it up. This is the small bag!!!
- Add 2 cups of ice and 1/2 cup of rock salt in a gallon ziplock bag. Place this bag into another ziplock bag to reduce leakage. This is the large bag!!!!
- Place the sealed small bag into the large bag and seal the large bag.
- Have the children pair off, and have each partner hold one end of the large bag and shake it until the ice cream is firm.
- After the ice cream is firm, supply the children with cups and spoons so they may pour the ice cream into the cups and try it.
Reference: http://www.123child.com/UBB/showthread.php?t=6342
You will need:
- 2 bags of party ice
- 1 gallon whole milk (or chocolate milk for chocolate ice cream)
- Ice chest
- 1 box of kosher salt
- Paper cups (a least one for each student, and 1 for each teacher in the building who wants to try it)
- 1 lb. Sugar
- 1 gal. Ziplock bags (2 for each pair of students)
- vanilla extract
- Plastic spoons
- 1 quart ziplock bags (1 for each pair of students)
- paper towels
- Measuring cups, teaspoons and tablespoons
Directions:
- Combine 2 tablespoons sugar with a few drops of extract and 1 cup (8 oz) of milk in a small ziplock bag (quart size) and zip it up. This is the small bag!!!
- Add 2 cups of ice and 1/2 cup of rock salt in a gallon ziplock bag. Place this bag into another ziplock bag to reduce leakage. This is the large bag!!!!
- Place the sealed small bag into the large bag and seal the large bag.
- Have the children pair off, and have each partner hold one end of the large bag and shake it until the ice cream is firm.
- After the ice cream is firm, supply the children with cups and spoons so they may pour the ice cream into the cups and try it.
Reference: http://www.123child.com/UBB/showthread.php?t=6342
How to Make a Flannel Board
For some reason it never occurred to me that I could make one of these at home! Now that I see how to do it I feel so silly for not thinking of it myself!
Reference: http://babyparenting.about.com/od/activitiesandplay/a/flannelboard.htm
Reference: http://babyparenting.about.com/od/activitiesandplay/a/flannelboard.htm
Garden Snails
Cute site for those who want to learn a little something special about garden snails. Fun "outdoor" activity for kids!
http://www.geocities.com/sseagraves/allaboutsnails.htm
http://www.geocities.com/sseagraves/allaboutsnails.htm
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Imagination Art Station
I found this at one of my favorite sites and wanted to have it for easy reference! Here is the site it is from: http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/bible_and_rhyme_activities.html#TactileExperiences
While teaching at a kindergarten center, all of the teachers had set up what they called "Imagination Stations'. An imagination station is a place where there are a variety of materials and children can use them in any way they wish to create their own masterpieces and inventions! What fun for a preschooler as well! Below are some items you may wish to include in your own Imagination Art Station!
While teaching at a kindergarten center, all of the teachers had set up what they called "Imagination Stations'. An imagination station is a place where there are a variety of materials and children can use them in any way they wish to create their own masterpieces and inventions! What fun for a preschooler as well! Below are some items you may wish to include in your own Imagination Art Station!
- Empty cardboard tube rolls
- Ribbon and rick rack
- Scraps of fabric
- Sequins
- Yarn
- Buttons
- Feathers
- Pom poms
- Cotton balls
- Wiggle eyes
- Stickers
- Popsicle sticks
- Paper plates
- Paper lunch bags
- Muffin liners
- Safety scissors
- Glue sticks
- Stapler
- Tape
- Hole punches
- White paper
- Construction paper
- Envelopes
- Washable markers
- Colored pencils
- Crayons - regular and glitter
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