Saturday, December 29, 2012

Bloggers

I had a funny encounter two weeks ago in Goodwill.  I was looking with my little boy for Christmas presents for our family.  There was a woman who was an army staff sargeant also looking in the same area.  I struck up a conversation with her about the pan she was looking at.  Somehow we ended up talking about garage sales.  I mentioned that there are websites that will tell you where the garage sales are (and do the searching for you).  I never remember things like that off the top of my head, so I gave her a card with my blog address on it and said that I'd posted about the sites.  Her response was funny.  She said she was so glad to meet me and know that I was a blogger.  She explained that she had a very different impression of bloggers and then she asked me for a second card.  I chuckled.  Here I was with Eli in my tennis shoes, jeans, and a long sleeve shirt--carrying my "outdoorsy" style purse that doesn't like to stay shut.  That's me.  My hair may even have been wet as it often is because I never have time to dry it!  As I write that, I realize that my description may give a strange picture of me.  Please don't think I'm a slob--I just do things as quickly as I can and wear comfortable clothes that I can do things in.  

Her reaction was interesting to me in light of a blog post I scanned last week.  During my perusal, I was struck (as I often am) by how idyllic the post made life sound.  It's a natural thing to highlight the best parts of life.  But, life isn't all easy.  The reality of life is day to day frustrations and struggles--with joys all mixed in together!  Or at least that's how my life is.  Today we had a fun visit with a friend and her kids.  But, this afternoon was a scattered mess!  I was trying to do December's budget and figure out how it went.  My kids kept interrupting with arguing or different needs.  I also interrupted my task to do a piano lesson with my oldest daughter.  Then, my mom also interrupted asking about the plastic container on the counter---so I went and dried it off and put it under Autumn's bed.  Then, I remembered a phone call that I meant to make last week and didn't want to forget again, so that took another 10 minutes.  Now, my son is asleep on the couch (yes, it's 6:30 p.m.) because he's exhausted and cranky.  I'm going to let him sleep about 15 more minutes.  One daughter is working on her cross stitch and the other is somewhere around here.  Dinner is beckoning me and I'm typing these words out because I have this impulse to write.

I guess my point of writing all that is that no one has it all together.  I think it's easy to read someone's book or a blog and think to myself, "Why can't my life be like that?"  or "Why can't I do that?"  or "I'm just not good enough."  some other such question or statement.  It's so easy to get caught in this trap--or at least it is for me.

This is what I find reality is.  We each have our own load to carry--our own responsibilities, joys, and challenges.  In the world we live in, we are faced with innumerable images of "the perfect life".  But, that's not life.  The trap I find is the temptation to think that my life is supposed to be "perfect".  This leads to one of two situations:  1) being disappointed in my life or 2) feeling horrible about myself.

This trap hits homeschooling moms in ways that are different than when children are attending public or private school.  In a school setting, children receive grades/report cards and have parent/teacher conferences.  There's a measuring stick (standardized tests and class average) that helps us to know whether a child is keeping up with his or her peers.  At home, there's no such stick.  All we have is our experience and that of our friends.  And on top of that, we are aware of how different the academic needs are of each of our children--in ways that classroom teachers cannot be due to time and situational constraints.  One of my friends has been reviewed by the county for her year end report the past two years.  On multiple occasions, the reviewer has informed her of modifications she needed to make so that--- her homeschool classroom would be like that of a public school classroom.  I laughed outloud when my friend told me what the reviewer asked her to do.  The reality of homeschooling is that it is not like a formal classroom.   Our year is flexible--we take days off when our family needs us to whether because of sickness, the birth of a child, moving, vacations...  I do believe that we need to make sure our children are learning and growing.  We need to be consistent as much as possible about schooling--because I believe it's good for them and us.  But, we also need to have a huge dose of flexibility mixed into that and adjust our expectations accordingly.

Life and homeschooling is not a formula.  If you put in x, you won't get y.  It's more like you start with x and then add y and then take away w and then multiply by z and then divide by a and then you find out what you get at the end.  

Still, there is a goal in mind.  In life, my goal is to glorify God and raise my children in His ways that they might also know and love Him.  In schooling, my goal is for my children to progress each year and grow--to gain the academic and practical skills they will need to someday get a job and contribute to the world we live in.  I do probably have other goals as well, but those are the two that come to my mind first.  I believe that it is important to have a goal in mind in all that we do.  Where are we going?  Where are we headed?  It is too easy to fall prey and simply begin drifting around.  I always find that the middle of the school year is a good time for me to sit down and reset my goals with my kids.  What has worked?  What hasn't?  Where are we going?  

For us, that means that I am going to become my girls' piano teacher for the rest of the school year.  It means that I have not been diligent about my morning devotions with them.  It means that I need to get off this computer and go parent!  It means a lot of things.  

I need to fight the emotional traps that creep into my head and steal my thinking time.  I need to get my eyes back on where we're going...  And this is what I intend to do starting right now.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Laughed till I cried

It is a rare book that can make me laugh when it comes to Christian fiction.  Really that's because I haven't many Christian authors who incorporate humor well into their writing.  This morning I finished reading A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano.  On the back of the novel, it identifies this book as her first published novel.  

I enjoyed it.  It's a Christian historical romance fiction book.  The story centers on Eliza Sumner who has traveled to America in the late 1800s to reclaim her lost fortune. There is one scene from the book that made it a good book for me.  It was the humorous scene on pages 102-103.  I was left with a good feeling about the whole book because of that scene.  I even read the scene out loud to my husband (which I never do!) and he laughed.  I laughed so hard because I cried.  The scene came out of the blue but perfectly fit in the tale.   

I enjoyed the characters.  They were likeable and strong.  The women were strong, but not too strong.  The men were gracious and strong as well.  And the kids--well they were spitfires who you fell in love with as you read about them.  

This fiction book was more fun for me to read than most.  And the humorous scene really did leave a smile on my face for quite some time.  I'd love to read the sequel I can see this author writing and the zippy dialogues between Agatha and Zayne that one could predict would be in that one.  

This book made me wish more authors included genuinely funny scenes in their fiction!

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Bethany House Publishers.

Great Picture Book on Sculpture

I do not often look at books and just "love!" them. I have to admit that I am picky. This year we've been using a video art curriculum that they've learned quite a lot from. I'm still always looking for great art resources. This book is definitely one to add to my collection! The story isn't particularly exceptional, but I enjoy how the information is introduced to children on how to think about and ponder sculpture. It is introduced simply and at their level. My oldest daughter (9 yo) has already read the book and liked it a lot. I know she will absorb the information about the different types of sculptures and how to appreciate it from this book. Basically, a trio of mice travel to the art museum for a sculpture exhibit. They see various types of sculptures and then focus on one particular sculpture. They look at it from all angles and then sketch it. Then, they think about how it makes them feel and what it makes them think of. I loved this discussion! Then, they sketch the sculpture and the steps are given simply enough that a child (or a class) could imitate this practice with any sculpture. Then, the museum is about to open and the mice must head home. That is the weakest part of the story, but I overlooked it because I like the rest of the book so well. After the story, the author gives some great information about sculpture and an activity to do.

If you're looking for a resource to teach children in grades K-3 about sculpture, this is a neat one!

Friday, December 7, 2012

An inconvenience

Have you ever considered how often we, as a culture, communicate to parents that children are an inconvenience?  It hurts my heart so much when I hear the things people say and do.  As a culture, we have become so self-focused that children are often seen as an interruption.  It was an old adage "children should be seen and not heard". I feel as if that adage is unknowingly reinforced by how people treat parents and their children.

I was explaining to my mom why we don't invite any guests over for Christmas Day.  When we have guests over, we try to make sure they are comfortable and receive our attention.  We do have guests over on Christmas Eve.  It's a tradition with the family that comes over--one that we look forward to every year.  But, on Christmas Day, we want to focus on our family--our children, our parents, and siblings, and celebrate with them.  On Thanksgiving this year, we had family over and a couple who has spent several holidays with us.  In my eyes, they are like family.  I don't focus special attention on them and neither does my husband.  We're all glad to have them with us.  My mom felt that we had neglected them that day.  I wasn't able to explain to her then how we hadn't neglected them.  After I explained how we felt about Christmas Day, I explained that we felt the same way about Thanksgiving and that was in part why we didn't single our guests out on Thanksgiving.  We treated them and included them like family.

I have begun to notice this in myself--that at times I pay more attention to the people around me than to my children.  I can take my children for granted.  But, I don't want to be this way.  I want to fight this.

A few weeks ago, my husband read an excerpt from a book to me on Amazon.  It was mockery of Good night moon.  It said something like "Good night, my child, go to sleep, everybody does it, now quit the racket and GO TO SLEEP!"  There were also some cuss words added in there.  I was alarmed.  My husband and I had quite the discussion about it.  He thought people wouldn't read it to their kids--that they would just laugh at the irony of how we feel as parents when we're so tired at night and just want our kids to go to sleep-now!  I didn't have that same perspective.  I thought people wouldn't see anything wrong with reacting that way.  They would feel justified and might even read the book to a child.  At night, I'll be honest, I am tired.  I do really want my kids to go to sleep.  I fight myself inside from snapping at them when I'm totally exhausted and just need to get into bed.  But, I realize that is my own sin and selfishness.  It is something wrong with me.  It isn't all right.  

When we make sarcastic jokes about a child being a disturbance at Bible study--the mom knows there's always a seed of truth that prompted someone to say it.  That person may not be speaking for the group at all, but a seed of discomfort and being a burden to others is planted.

When we say that children can come to an event if they have to (and you have no other care for them), we are saying the children are not fully welcome.  They'll be endured, but it will be a burden.

When we say to a family that in order to come to Bible study, they have to find child care for their children at their own home, then we are often shutting the door to families who can't afford to do that on a weekly basis.  

When we let a child cry for an hour in the church nursery instead of trying to comfort the child, we communicate to the child and witnesses that the child is not a gift, but a burden to be endured.

When...  

Well, I could go on.  I've had all of these things happen to me or have watched them happen.  And my heart breaks.  Our children are a precious gift.  We have the honor of caring for them and raising them.  The church has the opportunity to give children unconditional love and support--to help them feel safe.  I have seen this happen too.  And I've known it.  I can picture the church I grew up at in my head.  I can walk all over the church grounds and it makes me smile.  I was known by the adults and welcomed.  I desire that for my children.  

Well, I better get back to my kiddos, lunch, errands, and a concert tonight with my family.  I need to remember that they are a gift, not a burden.  Their interruptions and conversations are a gift and not a burden, too.   

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Vision and Reading

Last summer, I read a textbook about Reading Assessment.  It was extremely dry and treated children like robots rather than children.  It made me consider the state of education and testing in schools today.  In putting so much emphasis on the results of testing, we are turning our children into statistics--instead of what they are--human beings.  It was very interesting because one point the author made is that the break for a child can be at multiple points in the reading process.  It was amazing to realize how the reading process can be broken down.  

The simple view was where theorists started in the 1980s by stating that reading comprehension (R) down into the product of decoding (D) and linguistic comprehension (C).  Now, there are more complex models. Hollis S. Scarborough's rope model used breaks down the process into language comprehension and word recognition.

Language comprehension includes:
Background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, literacy knowledge

Word recognition includes:
Phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition.

Reading is a very complex process.  Understanding these models helped me understand where the breaks in processing can occur.

One interesting thing that I began to realize when my girls were learning to read was that I could pay more attention to what was clicking and what wasn't because I was working one on one with my girls.  When I was teaching in the classroom, I worked with groups of 5-6 students at a time.  We used the whole language method of teaching reading.  But, I have learned so much more about how children read since I left the classroom than while I was in it.  And one thing that I've become very convinced of is that when it comes to reading, children are not a statistic nor are they a variable in a plug and chug formula.  Each child is an individual.

But, where does that leave us if our child is struggling to learn to read or struggling to recognize the alphabetic symbols--the letters?  I think we usually jump to the process--we conclude that there must be an issue with a child's ability to learn or the program we're using.

But, I think the place to start is with a child's vision.  In this post, I'm going to focus on vision and the brain.  I'll talk about reading programs in another post.  In school, children have their vision checked every year.  As homeschoolers, we often don't realize that this is a good thing to do as well.  So, start with vision.  Can your child see correctly?  A child's vision continues to develop until they are 8 years old.  This is one reason that it is not preferable to teach very young children to read.  They can have a more difficult time with letter reversals simply because their vision hasn't developed.

I've been told by a vision therapist and eye doctors that letter reversals aren't a serious concern until a child is 8 years old and they aren't going away.  Many children do have letter reversals that eventually go away by age 8.  After age 8 is when medical professionals become concerned.  If you are wondering how parents know that children need glasses at an early age, several of the signs are frequent headaches, squinting, not seeing things far away, inability to focus on surroundings, frequent blinking...

If a child's vision is on track, but there are other vision issues, then vision therapy might be an option.  My brother went through vision therapy when he was in kindergarten.  Vision therapy is used to help train or retrain one's eyes.  The statistical evidence is mixed.  But, I know that my brother benefited.  Both my father and brother have mixed dominance (as does my son).  My parents saw a drastic improvement in his ability to read and learn.  If there's a question of whether it could help, I think it's worth investigating.  Locally here in Maryland, I was referred to Dr. Diane (drdiane.net).  If you have any questions about vision therapy, just contact her via the website.  I contacted her two years ago when Eli was 2 and she called me on the phone right away.  I was impressed by her encouragement to not worry and wait to see if there would be issues with Eli when he began to read.

When I talk to parents about reading, I first ask whether their child's vision has been checked.  The second question I ask is whether the child is left handed.  This sounds like an odd question, but almost unanimously when I ask if a child is left handed, there has been a delay.  It has taken that child longer than their other children to learn to read.  My theory is that our brains process things differently.  Here's a site with a bit of interesting info:  http://www.lefthandersday.com/tour-overview.html   I did also just order a book on left-handed children and I'll post soon about what I learn.

After considering vision, there can also be a break in a child's visual processing.  One of the therapies parents can do at home that has been developed to help children is Brain Integration Therapy (BIT).  Dianne Craft, MA, CNHP, has written a book called the Brain Integration Therapy Manual.  It is very interesting.  Ms. Craft identifies four gates that information can get blocked at as it is trying to be processed by the brain.  They are the visual processing, visual/motor, auditory processing, and attention/focusing/behavior gates.  She identifies characteristics of learners who have each gate blocked.  I found this section very interesting, as well as her discussion of right and left brain learners.  From my own observations and discussions with friends, I definitely believe that there is something to this theory.

One of the veteran homeschoolers in my area conducted a semester class for middle/high schoolers with this program.  Over the course of the semester, students and parents saw a huge improvement in the students' handwriting.  She highly recommends this program for learners struggling with penmanship, reading, and writing.  This program can help students with processing problems.

I had intended to use this program with my girls, but it is time intensive.  My girls don't have major issues with their writing, reading, and processing.  My son is left handed, but he is not reading yet, so I can't use it yet.  But, because of friends' experiences and what I've observed with children, I wanted to post this review now in case this program might help someone.  

This program is for readers who recognize the letters and can form them.  So, I wouldn't consider it until your child is at least 5 years old.  If your child only shows mild reversals (which are normal), I would wait until your child is 8 years old.  If he or she is still experiencing difficulties then, then I would definitely recommend trying this program if you think he or she might benefit from it.  On her website under the About tab, there is a place where you can contact her.  If you have questions after looking at her website, please email her and ask if she thinks brain integration therapy would benefit your child.  That's what I'd do.  

If you go to Sylvan or Huntington, they are going to recommend a wrote sight word/phonics program at a very high cost.  Before you go that route, try this one.  Even though the manual is almost $60, it is much cheaper than the private tutoring alternative.  

This is a program that you have to be committed to.  It takes several months to see an improvement.  But, so would tutoring (which also requires gas, transportation and reinforcing the teaching at home).  And I think if the difficulties that your child has with reading fall into the processing gates Ms. Craft identifies, then BIT is worth seriously considering.  

Parents have long been puzzled about how to help their children with dysgraphia and dyslexia.  I have a penmanship program titled Write from the Start, which is now out of print.  That program has similar exercises for fine motor to BIT, which is aimed at both gross motor and fine motor skills.  When someone has a brain injury, they have to relearn how to do something.  It makes sense that when a child has a break in how they process information, their brain has to be retrained in how to process that information correctly.  Occupational therapy is based upon this premise.  

I have a friend who's son had dysgraphia, a writing disorder associated with impaired handwriting, orthographic coding, and finger sequencing.  Dysgraphia often overlaps other learning disabilities and breaks in processing.  After several years, she was finally able to get him approved for occupational therapy.  When I listened to her describe the exercises he was doing, I realized that they mirrored the type of repetitive movements in BIT and in Write from the Start.  

If you're interested in Ms. Crafft's program, you can read more about it and order it from her website:  www.diannecraft.org.  I first learned about her program from HSLDA.  If you are interested specifically in a writing program for dyspraxia or difficulties with handwriting, Lois Addy has written several resources for dyspraxia.  Among them are a book titled "Speed Up!" and the program I have, "Write from the Start".

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of the Brain Integration Therapy Manual for review from Dianne Craft.  


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Curious George, the Strong Willed Monkey

One of the things that I've noticed among many homeschooling moms is that we get concerned about the morals and lessons in the stories our children read. I remember when Autumn was a year and a half old, I began reading Curious George stories and realized that almost all of the time there are no consequences for George when he's done wrong.  I was so alarmed and at first I wanted to give away all of our Curious George books.  But, my daughter loved monkeys and I couldn't quite bear to give the stories away.  Then, I had my second daughter and she loved the stories too, so the stories stayed.  We all loved the PBS George series and that cemented George's place in our home.  

Reading obviously matters a lot to me.  I've thought a lot about what I read, what my children read, what I read to them, and why.  Several books gave me some wonderful food for thought and I'd highly recommend them if you haven't read them.  Gladys Hunt wrote three books--Honey for a Child's Heart, Honey for a Teen's Heart, and Honey for a Woman's Heart.  I feel she makes good points and has a balanced perspective.  She is protective of children and teens, but also realizes that you can't keep them completely away from the world.  Sometimes there are other lessons in books that we don't see at first.  

Life isn't fair.  There aren't always consequences.  The Psalms talk about how the wicked prosper--but not forever.  How do we help our children understand that?  Shouldn't we help them understand why we ultimately live with integrity?  That isn't about the consequences, but about who God wants us to be.  That we want to glorify Him and do the right thing even when nobody sees.  

There's also something else in books.  We see parts of ourselves in the characters and the stories.  Sometimes it helps us understand our own lives and talk about what's going on.  

I do believe that books can plant ideas before children are ready for them.  I don't believe it is wise to let children read whatever they want, but sometimes I think we take ourselves too seriously.  I was given that advice about myself by a pastor nine years ago.  I remember it often.

So, how does all of this relate to Curious George?  Well, a few months ago a friend wrote on her blog that she was getting rid of some books in her child's collection.  They were Curious George stories and I knew that I had been the one to give them to her.  It didn't bother me.  I actually didn't have any reaction to her post, except "I once thought that same thing."  

But, I don't anymore.  

A huge lightbulb turned on in my head on Monday as I was driving away from Trader Joe's and listening with my children to Curious George Feeds the Animals on cd.  George fed the giraffes because he thought they were hungry.  Then, he gets chastised.  Then, he helps the zookeeper find the parrot and fix the hole in the netting.  

I stopped for a minute and asked my kids if they knew Curious George had done something wrong.  Yes.

Did it make them think it was okay to do something wrong?  No.

And then it hit me.  Curious George is a strong willed monkey.  There's this good hearted quality about George.  He always does what he think is best--it overrides what he's been told not to do.  Just like strong willed children.  Just like me.  Just like my Sami and my Eli.  He isn't trying to be bad!  

One of the lies Kendra Smiley identifies in her book The Journey of a Strong Willed Child is that when strong willed children disobey--it isn't about you, the parent.  They have an idea in their heads that overrides their desire to please.  Does this excuse all disobedience?  NO.  As parents of strong willed children, we need to love them and understand them.

Monday night at dinner, I told Sami five times to sit down with her sucker.  The fifth time, I yelled.  Enough!  But, I knew her exuberance had just overridden her desire to obey.  She knew.  I knew.  I love her.  She's trying.  She did better yesterday.  She held my hand in the parking lot and followed my directions in the grocery store.  She does listen.  But, there are times....  She's my George and I love her.

So, just in case you're thinking about not reading George to your children, I'd give it a second chance.  It just might make you smile--like the stories have done for my children and me.  

I don't think I'm ever going to look at Curious George the same again.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Global Warming Fears

Yesterday, my brother called and shared with me that he'd read something that really scared him last week.  It was an exposition about global warming.  He explained that it had huge implications for where we live and for the United States.  He also explained that none of it was new information, it was simply and succinctly reiterated and it caused him to fear for us--for the world.  

I responded that I know global warming is real, but I can't get lost worrying about it, because I realize I can't change it personally.  I consume the least energy I can, recycle, tried to compost (and failed this summer), don't drive unless I need to...  It's very easy for me to get taken over by fears.  I think it is for most of us.  For the past year, I've struggled with our home.  I thought we were buying a solid house that needed only easy cosmetic work like painting--little did I know how wrong I was!  We've worked so hard to fix this house and we've still more to do.  At the heart of it all, I think I struggled with the feeling that we'd tried so hard to do things "right", but in the end there were so many more glitches than we expected.  I've been caught on the "what if we hadn't purchased this house?" instead of accepting it and reminding myself of the prayers and how everything came together.  I need to trust God in the easy and hard things.  I've been amazed at my heart and what's been in it.  I had finally settled much of my fear after Hurricane Sandy, but it comes back so quickly.

A good friend of mine said something very wise to me last week.  She mentioned that God brings people into our lives that are easy to live with and ones that are hard.  The hard ones are just as important.  God uses them to grow us, just as he also uses the relationships that are easy.  I think I often only want the easy people and the easy things in life to grow me.  But, the trials, suffering, and people I conflict with are important.  So, are my fears.  I have two choices with my fears--to dwell and cave or to turn to God with them.

Although My brother's comments weren't intended to overly upset me and they seem benign, I knew I needed to come back to God's Word.  I felt like I needed to open up a commentary a good friend gave me two years ago by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones this morning.  I found this quote:

"The thing that is being forgotten by the vast majority of people is that the really important fact in the world today is God's activity--what God is doing, not what men are doing." p. 2 God's Way of Reconciliation

God is in control, not man.  I need to remember not to get mired down in fear, but rather turn to God and trust Him and his plan.  We prayed about where we would live.  We've trusted God for provision every step of the way.  It's easy for me to fall into the trap and think that we are the ones who are providing by our efforts.  But, I know it is God who is providing.  Our efforts do matter and we are to be good, faithful stewards of the abilities and gifts He's given us.  

So, today, I'm going to enjoy my children, the ability to sit down to breakfast, lunch, and dinner with them.  I'm going to be wise and purchase the food we need when I go shopping.  I had no idea what the past year and a half would hold when it began.  Yet, this is where we are now.  Sometimes I am surprised by my weakness and propensity to doubt.  I need to remember the truth.  

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Post script...  I'm sorry if this post seems rambling and jumpy, it is all the thoughts running through my head this morning.  

Friday, November 30, 2012

Back in Time

Sometimes I realize that I forget how ideas have changed over time.  Today, many families have adopted children in our country.  Their skin color is often different from one another, but it doesn't change that they are a family in any way.  In the 1800s, who your parents were had a huge impact on how you were seen.  The family you belonged to was of great significance.  


I was reminded of this detail when I read a Christian fiction book yesterday titled Every Perfect Gift by Dorothy Love.  This book is the third and final in her Hickory Ridge series.  It stands on it own and can easily be read without having read the first two.  I actually didn't realize there were two other books until the very end.  

In this story, Sophie Caldwell has returned to Hickory Ridge to restart the town's newspaper.  She once lived in the orphanage there.  A new tourist resort is being built by Horace Blakely and being overseen by Ethan Heyward.  They both are troubled by their family backgrounds.  Sophie's origins are unknown, which has always made her feel as if she was looked down upon.  This is because when she was young, people of the town were prejudiced against her.  Ethan has no family to speak of, though there is something about his past he keeps hidden.  The story centers around her efforts to get the paper up and running and Ethan's efforts to get the resort going.  Their stories intertwine.  From the first time they meet, they are attracted to one another.  That attraction develops as the story goes along.

Writing?  It's fine.  I was thankful she didn't elaborate in the "harlequin" style about what Sophie and Ethan looked like.  I have seen many Christian romance writers do that.  The plot moves along and the dialogue is engaging.

Plot?  I did find myself wanting to know how it ended.  It is very predictable, but not entirely so.

Historical facts?  The writer includes several events and current developments in the printing trade.

If you enjoy Christian romances, you'll enjoy this one.  It's better than many I've read.  I still have ones that I favor more, but Dorothy Love is a competent writer.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Thomas Nelson Publishing.   

One Reason We Homeschool

Yesterday, I volunteered at our local library's book sale.  Several local teachers had been given gift certificates from a grant to purchase books for their school.  We were all glad to see them come and redeem these certificates.  But, I found some interesting thoughts and emotions in my head as they were there.

First, I wanted to be respected by them.  I have found that I often desire this from other teachers.  I was once one of them--a middle school teacher in the public schools.  But, I've found as a homeschool teacher I've rarely had their respect when I tell teachers that I homeschool.  I don't think it's seen on the same level professionally.  

Honestly, I'm a better teacher now after homeschooling my children for the past 7 years than while I was teaching middle school.  I've learned so much about how children learn.  I've learned about paying attention to the process of learning more and being more observant.  I've learned much more about how children learn to read than I understood when I was student teaching in first grade.  I've set aside a lot of dogma I was indoctrinated with--like the idea that it's better to read anything than not to be reading and whole language reading methods are the best way to teach reading.  

But, there was another thought running through my head.  It was "This is why I homeschool."  I listened as the teachers discussed what books to get for the kids.  I was surprised as they passed over good, classic books in favor of Pride and Prejudice and the Zombies and a lesbian romance book (the teachers had a discussion about the value of why they wanted it in their classrooms).  I asked the middle school language arts teacher what books she liked for her kids or what favorite authors she had for them.  She couldn't tell me a single one and just blew me off.  I am always looking for suggestions for good books--that's why I asked.  

Part of why I homeschool is because of what I want my kids to learn and be exposed to.  There's only so much time in a school day.  Why waste it on junk?  I want to teach them what is right and wrong.  I want them to learn and not just learn what a state standardized test wants them to know.  I care about what my kids read.  The teachers responses reminded me of how I felt 10 years ago when I was teaching middle school.  Teachers believe you just need to get kids reading.  It's a rare teacher (I had a friend who was one) who thinks kids need to read books that have good writing and language in them and not just what interests them even if it isn't well written.

I don't homeschool simply out of a reaction to our culture and what the public schools teach, but it was a catalyst for me seriously considering it as an option for our family eight years ago.

Speaking of which, I need to get to homeschooling...  




Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Christmas Devotional for Families

Last week I got a wonderful surprise in the mail!  It was the day before Thanksgiving and it had just crossed my mind that I would love to have a Christmas devotional to read through with my kids this year.  I've had friends who've read through Benjamin's Button and Jotham's Journey over the years (both of which I haven't read but have heard good things about).  But, I wanted a devotional that would take us into the Word and talk about Christmas.


In the mail, I received just that!  Shepherd Press published a new Christmas devotional for families this year. It is titled Why Christmas?  Barbara Reaoch wrote 25 days of daily devotions.  So, you can begin with it on December 1st, which is what we'll be doing.  For each day, Ms. Reaoch has written a short talk/devotional, identified a truth to focus on, given several questions to discuss, a verse to memorize, 1 of 4 hymns to sing, and a biblical term or word to explain.  These devotionals would be best for children ages 4 or 5 through 10.  Younger children who are 3, with older siblings, would also be able to pay attention.

There were several things that I love about this devotional.
#1  The language is very appropriate for 4-10 year olds.
#2  I have learned that the reading level of the Bible and hymns is high.  Many of the words in the Bible and Christmas carols need to be explained to children so they can understand them.
#3  It is what I was looking for.  

Anyways, I just wanted to post this quick review in case you, like me, are looking for something like this book....

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book from Shepherd Press. 

Fun Music for Kids (that's not annoying!)

There are a few silly kids cds that we've found over the years that have lasted and not ended up annoying me.  Veggie Tales cds are not one of those for me.  We listened to Veggie Tales for a year when my oldest daughter was between 9 and 21 months and I haven't been able to listen to them since for more than a song or two!  But, because I have such a hard time listening to Veggie Tales music, I really appreciate cds that I don't mind listening to and that my kids really enjoy. Two of the silly song bands we've enjoyed are the Laurie Berkner Band and the lesser known Brent Holmes.

We found Brent Holmes cds a few years ago when my aunt sent my children a cd for Christmas.  It was called Cow Tunes for Kids.  I have to say that I thought it was really funny.  Brent Holmes has a voice that's easy to listen to and the songs cracked up me and my kids.  I think my favorite is the one about a cow reading a book about people eating ice cream.  The last two tracks are information about cows and ice cream.  Even though Mr. Holmes' voice is almost deadpan and doesn't have a lot of inflection to it, both my kids and I listened and learned from what he had to say.

The next Christmas my aunt sent us Fun Tunes for Teachers since we were homeschooling for preschool.  This collection of songs is comprised of songs from his other cds that are all educational.  They're still fun and silly, but they have something to teach.  

This past week my kids and I had the chance to listen to (and now review) a few of Brent Holmes most recent cds and dvds.  The first cd my son listened to was Sea Tunes for Kids.  Eli was very skeptical because he couldn't remember the cow tunes cd as well as my girls.  But, he was needing a break from his sisters, so I sat him down on his bed, put the cd in the player and asked him to just listen.  I came back 10 minutes later expecting him to be complaining just as much as he was when I left.  Nope.  He was happy as a clam.  He looked at me and said, "Mommy, I like this music."  And then I walked right back out of the room.  He got a well needed break and had fun listening.  The Lobster Parade is his favorite.  He also was excited about the facts he learned about oceans at the end.

The DVD is best for toddlers and preschoolers.  Brent sings the songs as you see scenes of different fish.  My kids loved watching the lobsters underwater, all the different kinds of fish, and even the manatees!  It was really neat to watch the lobsters move.  I have only ever seen them in the grocery store!

More recently, Brent recorded two versions of Island Tunes for Kids.  One version is carribbean and the other is Hawaiian.  There is a cd and dvd for both versions.  At first, I was puzzled because the songs on the cds (except for 1 song) are exactly the same.  When I listened, though, I could hear the different accompaniment to the songs.  The Carribbean album had a different sound and it reminded me of those islands.  The Hawaiian songs reminded me of hula music when I listened.  My kids did immediately take to the songs and enjoy dancing around.  We made grass skirts out of construction paper and laid towels out for pretend surfboards.

The DVDs for these cds are also similar.  Brent Holmes is in these cds.  On the carribbean dvd, a toucan introduces each song.  On the Hawaiian dvd, a girl introduces each song and explains something Hawaiian.  I prefered the Hawaiian Island tunes dvd for this reason.  My kids enjoyed it.  I like these dvds because they're something kids can enjoy and be active with.  I wouldn't encourage children to sit while watching this dvd.  I would encourage them to dance to the music and enjoy the songs.  

One of the things I've found as a parent to be difficult is finding videos that you feel comfortable with your kids watching when they're little and also finding music that isn't annoying after multiple playings.  I was very comfortable with my kids watching these videos and Eli really enjoyed them.  I think the perfect age for these videos and is 2-5 years old, but children over 5 will still really enjoy them as well.  I lent one of the Island Tunes cds to a friend and asked a few days later how they liked it.  She began to tell me when her husband interrupted and began to tell me all about the kooky little coconut and octopus island.  He really liked it and talked about how much their 6 and 7 year old kids enjoyed the cd!

If you have never heard Brent Holmes music and you're looking for some music you'd feel comfortable listening to with your kids in the car (especially on a long trip), I'd definitely look up Brent Holmes on Amazon.  You can order any of his albums or dvds there.  You can also find his albums for purchase as MP3 albums (which are cheaper).  Cow Tunes is still my favorite, but my kids might say otherwise!

Please note that Brent Holmes sent me complimentary copies of the Island Tunes cds and dvds as well as the Sea Tunes for Kids for review.  But, all opinions in this review are my own--as always!

Annual Holiday Novella

Every holiday season, Melody Carlson has published a Christmas novella.  This year, The Christmas Pony, is being published.

The story begins with a little girl, Lucy, hoping for a gray pony.  Her dad has died and her mom and grandma are working hard to keep food on their table and a roof over their head.  Two strangers get stranded in town and end up staying at their boarding house.

The story is quite predictable--moreso than the last few holiday stories I've ready by Melody Carlson.  It is interesting that this story focuses more on the little girl than an adult.  It is told in light of what matters most to her and what she experiences.

The writing is fine.  I use the phrase "made for tv movie" a lot.  And that phrase also sums up this book to a tee.  If you're looking for a book that you just want to sit down with for two hours and a cup of coffee, and forget the cares of this world.  This is a fine book to pick up.  If you haven't read Christmas at Harringtons or The Christmas Bus, also by Carlson, I would recommend those first though.  I did enjoy them more than this one.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Revell Publishing.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Roses for Christmas

This is the first of two reviews of Christmas fiction that I'm going to be posting.  Over the past few days, I sat down first with Christmas Roses by Amanda Cabot and then with Melody Carlson's yearly Christmas novella.

Christmas Roses prompted me to consider something I hadn't thought about before.  I always read the author's description on the jacket cover and a bit about them on the internet.  Something struck me about her bio--no one was mentioned but her.  I learned nothing personal about this woman at all--even in a 20 minute interview she linked to on her website.  I suspect she isn't married.  This is interesting to me, because she writes romantic fiction.

I pondered this for a moment and then Jane Austen came to my mind.  Jane Austen was a spinster who never married.  She had no family of her own, yet she wrote romances that have beguiled and spellbound generations of readers who love her books.  Was Jane Austen's writing any less because she herself wasn't married?  I suppose not.  She was a wonderful writer.  But...  her books are essentially fairy tales.  I have to admit that to myself.  Once I'd admitted that to myself, I realized this book, Christmas Roses falls into that same category.  It is a romantic fairy tale.  I think this is important to understand.  It is not realistic historical fiction.  Simply put it is a fairy tale.

So, with that in mind...

Christmas Roses tells the story of baby Emma and her mother Celia.  Celia's husband had died the previous year in an accident and Celia was doing all she could to stay afloat.  In walks, Mark.  Mark has been wandering the country looking for his father for the past two years.  Mark comes to care about Celia and Emma.  And so the romance begins...

Fairy Tale elements:  Tonight I was talking with a young woman about how important it is to remember when we're reading a fairy tale romance.  Real life just doesn't work that way...  the guy knowing everything you want him to do without asking.  The guy saying exactly what you want him to say when you want him to.  The guy doing everything you wish he'd do for you even if it seems impossible--without you asking.  Men just aren't like that.

Setting:  Realistic historically?  No.  Celia's parents came over from Sweden, yet there was very little Swedish vocabulary in her speech and no mention or reference to an accent.  This surprised me.  Was everyone in the community Swedish?  I don't know, because it was never mentioned or discussed.  Her first husband was Swedish.

Fairy tale writing:  The book was an easy and enjoyable read.  A cup of tea would have complemented my reading time.  The characters are likable-- formulaic, but likable.  As Amanda Cabot says, people read Christian fiction because it is safer than secular romances.  It leaves out the smut and lust.  And indeed it does.  I am thankful for that.  It is really a very wholesome story.

The verdict?  It's fine.  Ms. Cabot paints a completely unrealistic picture of marriage and relationships, but this is a fairy tale, so it needs to be seen as such.  I prefer Melody Carlson's Christmas stories, but if you want a holiday romance, made for tv movie in a book, then I'm sure Christmas Roses would fit the bill.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Revell Publishing.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Thoughts to Share with Moms of Little Ones

At our church, there is a group of moms who get together bi-weekly.  They ask one of the other moms at our church to come share a short devotional.  This week I get to go and share.  I am looking forward to it.  I thought I would share here what I want to share with them.

This week I was having a conversation with a friend who has a one year old.  Her husband has to work a lot right now and is also going to school (like mine!).  I asked her how it was going with him being gone so much.  She said she thinks that it's harder on him than her.  Her own dad worked so much that he wasn't home very much, so she's used to it.  Her other comment was that she's able to take care of their child and doesn't really need his help.  She can do it.  So, it's frustrating to her when her husband comes home and starts telling her how to take care of their child.  My response on the phone was that we need to listen.  We need to think about what our husbands say and whether we should change how we're doing something.  We are called to submit to our husbands and this is one of those cases when we have to figure out what that means in our marriages.  Does it mean following their instructions even if we disagree?  Does it mean discussing it and figuring out what works for both of you?  Does it mean listening and genuinely trying it out and then coming back to your husband explaining why his instructions are difficult for you and/or your child(ren)?  

Asking these questions and following through on the answers can be difficult though.  There are a few things that I've seen in my own heart that are stumbling blocks to me.  I have a strong personality and I'm strong willed!  This is often tempered by the people pleasing side of my personality.  So, outwardly I am a people pleaser, the "goody two shoes".  But, inside I have a rebellious spirit.  Though I disagree with her conclusions, I agree with some of author Cynthia Tobias' observations.  One is that strong willed children and adults consider rules not to be rules, but rather guidelines.  They will push and push, actively or passively, by doing things their own way even when told not to if they think their way is better than the instructions (rules).  Do I do this?  Yes!  My husband confronted me about my rebellious spirit 9 years ago on the way home from the post office as he was getting ready to deploy overseas while I was pregnant with our first child.  I remember my inward shock and recoiling inside.  I was so mad at his accusation!  But, then as the dust settled, I realized that I had to admit that he was right.  I struggle to respect authority and not simply question it--all or most of the time.  I was raised to do so.  

God began planting seeds in my heart shortly after I got married with a book called Feminism: Mystique or Mistake by Diane Passno.  I began to see all of the things I had believed all of my life about women's and men's roles in a marriage and family.  I had to sort out what God desired for submission to look like in my marriage.  That conversation with my husband was one of those pieces God put in the puzzle.  I've tried harder to listen and follow through since then.  I've looked a lot at my own heart and seen where my heart and mind struggle with my will.

Our hearts and wills shape how parent our own children and what we want for them.  For me, that has meant God teaching me to listen and ponder.  My husband and I back each other up when it comes to our children.  I won't question him in front of them.  I will talk to him afterwards, though, if I have concerns.  So, in the case of my friend, it was a question of what does submission look like for her in her marriage?  How can she love her husband and child well in this situation?

But, to my husband, it was a different question entirely.  I mentioned to my husband that night after dinner that I had spoken to this friend and I gave him the basics of the situation that we discussed.  I wanted to know what he thought.  He shared with me some insight that I hadn't considered.  

He explained to me that the husband likely was trying to assert that he mattered in his family--that he had something contribute.  In coming off as telling his wife how to do things, that was what he was doing.  I can understand this and see it in our lives.  My husband works a lot and then studies the rest of the time.  He also eats meals with us and spends what time he can with me and our kids.  But, several times recently as we've had friends over they've commented about our house and the work it's taken.  My husband has made comments about how it's all me--my doing.  He hasn't done anything.  The truth is that I do a lot around our home--the housework, teaching our kids, cooking, yardwork, home repair projects, errands...  My day yesterday included getting up early to make homemade pretzels, taking my husband's car to get an oil change, running to Target, taking the kids on a fall hike to enjoy the leaves (pe), homeschooling, fixing breakfast/lunch/dinner, cutting up an enormous pile of branches and bundling them for pick up Friday morning, babysitting for a friend for 1 1/2 hours, and... breathing.  So, it would be easy to think that my husband says it like it is--except that it's not.  He works hard so that I can stay home with our kids and not have to work outside our home.  We feel that he is called to attend seminary, so he is going to graduate school on top of his full time job.  And this weekend when he came home after taking a mid-term exam and having lunch with a mentor/colleague of his, he arrived home to hear that the sink in our bathroom simply wouldn't drain.  So began the several hour project to replace the sink in the bathroom which needed four trips to Home Depot.  I do all the little (and many medium) projects and he does all of the big ones.  I don't do electricity and plumbing.  But, I do lay floors, paint, and even put doors back on their hinges.  So, does my husband contribute to our home?  Definitely.  But, his view of the situation helped me understand that he, too, will tell me how to do things at times because he wants to know that his opinion matters--that he matters in our family.  

Understanding the other person's motives can change how we see them and how we react.  It happened again yesterday, twice.  I came to my husband with a plan for something I wanted to do.  He suggested not making such a big plan.  Later that evening, I explained to him my response to a request for my help (and others).  I explained that I just couldn't.  My husband agreed.  I think it was good for him to know that I can say no.  I also needed him to know that I was listening to his counsel.


Thursday, November 8, 2012

Another Romantic Christian Fiction

One of my mom's favorite authors is Tracie Peterson.  So, when Taming the Wind, book three of the Land of the Lone Star series was to be published, I agreed to read and review it.  About ten years ago, I remember Lori Wick as the most well known historical Christian fiction author.  Then came Karen Kingsbury and women like Tracie Peterson.  Some romance fiction is better than others.  Most are predictable with happy endings.  That's a discussion that I'll briefly address in this review.

In Honey for a Woman's Heart, Gladys Hunt shares a great discussion of why women do and why they should read.  One of those reasons is for enjoyment.  Taming the Wind fits into that category.  I didn't find it to be that informative about the historical time period the book is set in, but it was a good, predictable story.

Taming the Wind is easily a stand alone book, though it was the third in a series.  I just read the third in another series that was not easily read as a stand alone.  There are enough details for me, the reader, to understand the characters in this story without getting mired down in telling the previous stories all over again.    In this story, Carissa, a widow, has gone with her daughter to go stay with her sister and her family for a time.  Of course, there is the man, Tyler, who rescued Carissa from her former, abusive husband who is living nearby.

Hmmm... do you know yet what it's going to be about?  Of course!  I'm sure you can guess a large part of the plot.  The storyline centers around a cattle drive and the events before, during, and afterwards.  That's the setting for Carissa's question mark relationship with Tyler.

I can tell why so many people enjoy Ms. Peterson's books.  They are easy to read and have happy endings. On one hand, that can be a bad thing if we, as women, come to expect happy endings and the romance of stories like this.  They are romances after all and not real life.  But, if you think about it, there is a happy ending to life when you believe in Christ.  Someday, the suffering of this life will end and we will go to heaven, where we praise the Lord.

So, what's my opinion of this book?  Well, if you like Christian romances, then I'm sure you'll like this one.  It's fine.  It's a great book to curl up with in a chair and a cup of hot apple cider and escape for a few hours.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Bethany House Publishing.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

The Blame Game

God is good.  He is faithful and steadfast.  He is loyal and trustworthy.  

Today something was festering in my heart.  I needed to talk to my husband about it, but I knew it would have to wait a day or two.  I anticipated conflict and tension.  

But, God is good.

This afternoon as I was driving I was struck by my own error.  I realized I had started this thing that I needed to talk to him about.  So, when my husband called tonight, I admitted it to him.  We talked and after I got off the phone, I was simply thankful.  God knew.  I wonder if it's part of our sinful nature to automatically jump to the conclusion that whatever is wrong is someone else's fault.  Actually, I think it is.

Have you watched any episodes of Modern Family?  Do you remember Married With Children?  I watched one episode once.  I figured I ought to know what it was like so I understood what people were talking about when they refer to it.  But, I knew from descriptions of the show that I was concerned about the "modern values" of the show and I shouldn't be critical of something that I've never even seen.  So, I watched one episode.  It was the one where the middle daughter was valedictorian of her 8th grade class and was set to make a speech.  I was struck by one particular thing that I saw throughout the show.  Everyone picked at each other.  Sometimes everyone thought it was funny, but then other times they ganged up on each other and picked all together at one person.  The picking and sarcastic criticism of one another led to this perpetual cycle throughout the show.

I know it's just a show.  The problem is--this is what happens in real life, too.  Someone gets irritated, so they pick at another person and that person picks back.  This happens a lot in marriages.  I remember that it used to happen a lot to my husband and I when we were first married.  The first few years I said a lot out loud.  That was bad.  The next few years, I stuffed it all inside.  That was bad, too.  Then, the next years have been a journey of me figuring out how and when to say things--and a lot of trusting God.

Here's my theory of what often happens.  We're told over and over in the media that if we don't stand up for ourselves, then we've been walked on--and basically that we should never be walked on.  So, when someone says something to us that is critical or is irritated with us and we don't think they have a right to be or rubs the wrong way, then we react.  Then, that person reacts in kind.  Then, we react in kind...  And so the cycle goes.  Sometimes it's little picking and sometimes it's big.  It leaves this bad taste in one's mouth.  

So, how do we stop it?  

I think by stopping ourselves.  God tells us that He will be our defender.  Don't react right away.  Wait till you're both calm then talk about it.  John Piper explains what it means to bear with one another in love in his book This Momentary Marriage (good food for another post).   

I've also had a lot of Bible studies, older women, and the Bible tell me something else... to look at my own heart first. 

English Standard Version (©2001)  Matthew 7:5
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

I'll be honest.  That verse has at times has been hard for me to receive.  And my husband, unfortunately, knows it.  I'm learning.  I know he knows that too.  

So, today seeing the log in my own eye was the answer.  It doesn't mean that I'm less in any kind of way as the world would have me believe.  I'm not crushed.  I'm broken and God put me back together.

I remember my dad telling me in high school that if someone hit him, he was going to hit them back harder.  I responded by telling him that if someone was mean to me, that meant that they were hurting in the first place.  Hurting them back wasn't going to help me or the other person.  I know the world would have us believe what my dad told me.  

I'm worried.  But several friends have shared with me or said things just in the course of conversation that have reminded me of how easily we can fall into this cycle.  I don't know if you've ever found yourself in this cycle in your marriage, but if you have please know that I'm praying for you.  I know that probably sounds strange, but I'm going to pray that God will break this cycle in the lives of anyone who reads this.  I know that probably sounds crazy and impersonal, but it's not. 

And I don't mean that everyone should be doormats.  I'm afraid that someone might even think that I think a person should endure abuse.  I don't.  That's not what I'm talking about.  I'm talking about the picking. The kind of picking you see on Modern Family or Married with Children or Jon and Kate Plus 8 (when it used to be on) or...  

Now, I really need to get to bed.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Developing Reading Comprehension

I think Language Arts is a complicated subject to teach children. It focuses on the skills of reading, writing, speaking,  and listening.  This translates to a long list of skills and content to be taught.  I have been contemplating what reading skills to teach and how to them a great deal since the beginning of this past summer.

When students are in kindergarten and first grade, the primary focus of reading instruction is on read alouds and phonics skills.  Beginning reading comprehension is instroduced.  In second grade and then third grade, children are able to read on their own and need to develop comprehension skills and strategies along with vocabulary.  With each year, children must develop the skills that will help them understand what they read on a deeper level.

For phonics instruction, I start with Hooked on Phonics PreK to teach my children the alphabet.  It is one of the few curriculums I've found that really helps parents learn how to "teach" the alphabet.  Then, I start with How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.  It uses the DISTAR method which has proven to work very well for both children who struggle with learning to read and for those who it comes easily.  I spoke with the chair of the education program at a local four year college recently and he mentioned DISTAR as being a very effective reading program.  I heartily agreed.  100 Easy Lessons is a wonderful book because it also introduces beginning reading comprehension and the letters are a large size that are easy for children's eyes to focus on.  From the beginning, I also start using the Explode the Code series and start with books A, B, and C.  It is a wonderful phonics/spelling/reading comprehension series that integrates all three skills.  When they finish 100 Easy Lessons, my children do complete the 1st and 2nd grade sets of Hooked on Phonics.  If I didn't, I wouldn't have purchased them.  They rely almost solely on rhyme to teach a child how to read.  For a child who doesn't get rhyme, this reading method would be very difficult--as it was for my oldest daughter.  After HOP, my children read two pages of Phonics Pathways a day.  Phonics Pathways gives children lots of practice breaking apart and sounding out longer words--which is where 100 Easy Lessons leaves off.  This combination of curriculums has worked very well for my children.

Reading comprehension and vocabulary has been on my mind since the beginning of this past summer when I took a Chapter Book Reading Course.  I began to realize that many homeschoolers use book studies for literature.  But, many of these studies contain only questions on the literal level or one level deeper.  Bloom's Taxonomy identifies that there are several levels of understanding that children must develop.  I enjoy doing literature/book studies with my daughters, but I have been pondering how to develop skills for deeper thinking and analysis in my children.

For the past three years, I've been using Harcourt Trophies as my daughter's primary literature curriculum.  I supplement with Evan-Moor's Read and Understand Poetry.  For fourth grade, my daughter is using the two book studies I wrote this summer (for The Door in the Wall and The Secret Garden) along with the EM's Poetry and Harcourt Trophies fourth grade book.  The books studies I wrote follow Bloom's Taxonomy and will challenge her to think deeper about what she is reading.  But, she is struggling.  None of these specifically walk my daughter through to a deeper level of thinking.  So, how do I get her there?

I found a great resource that does all of the work for me.  Sometimes I need that.  I don't have time to develop all of the curriculum I want myself.  The curriculum I found is called Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program.  It is published by Prufrock Press.  I have books 1 and 2.  I am actually going to order Primary Book 1 and begin there with both my daughters.  I have been using Book 1 with the literature group I have been reading.  It has been interesting to see the responses of my daughter and the other children in the group.  We have walked through various passages and the questions in the book for each one.  The questions climb a ladder--to deeper thinking.  I have been extremely impressed with both the passages and questions.  But, I realize that my daughter needs to back up and start with the beginning of the series even though it is written for gifted Kindergarteners and First graders.  I did preview the primary book online.  It follows the same structure as Books 1 and 2.  I am so excited to integrate this series into our reading curriculum.  There are books for children grades K-9.  But, I would encourage you to not be concerned about using a book below your child's grade level.  The questions are very challenging and I noticed from using book 1 that these skills need to be developed bit by bit.

Before I move on, let me describe the books a little more.  Each book contains passages from various types of literature--fiction, poetry, non-fiction...  There is both a pre-test and post-test included in the book.  After each passage, there are a varying number of questions.  When you begin to use one of the books, you may want to explain the questions more thoroughly if your child doesn't understand them.  These questions are meant to be discussed.  I would not recommend handing your child this passage and then expect them to answer the question.  These books to help you scaffold your child's learning.  I always picture a painter's scaffolding in my head when I use that word.  The scaffolding is built along the outside of the building allowing the painter to climb up to a place he couldn't get to otherwise to do work.  So, it is with us.  We help our children up by modeling how to think and spurring on their thinking.  I have been using Book 1 with my literature group and I have been very pleased with our discussions.  The questions have given me the opportunity to explain and practice the skills of generalizing, categorizing, and paraphrasing among others.

Jacob's Ladder is a supplement.  It is not a primary literature program.  You can use it alongside book studies and literature courses to develop the reading comprehension skills children will need as they get older.  I am thankful that the books will cover so many years of my children's education.  This will provide continuity and allows skills to be built on top of one another.

If you have a gifted or very bright child, this series may be an especially good fit for you.  This series was written for gifted and talented students.  I think that homeschoolers often struggle to find resources that will challenge their children academically.  Prufrock Press has a lot of resources for gifted and talented students on their website.  They also specialize in resources for children with special learning needs.  I am excited to find Prufrock Press and the books they are publishing.  I think there is a big need for the books this company is publishing.

I am excited for the conversations and discussions that lie ahead of this year as my children and I dig into reading comprehension in a new way.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of Book 1 of the Jacob's Ladder Comprehension Series from Prufrock Press for review.  I purchased the second book myself.

Friday, October 12, 2012

PE Curriculum

A few weeks ago, I realized that I needed to tackle PE and come up with a short-term and long-term plan for my kids (and me).  During the summer, they take swimming lessons and in the past during the school year, I've enrolled them in dance and gymnastics, but we didn't want to do that this year.  I had planned on signing my kids up for soccer this year, but I missed the deadlines.  So, I made plans with a friend and her 2 kids to get together for PE once a week.

Of course since I'm a planner, I felt like I needed to come up with a big, overarching plan.  I'm definitely a planner.  A friend at church had mentioned to me that she and her girls were running this fall for PE.  I think that idea stuck in my head. And that's where we started.

The first week, we ran around our house 4 times (one lap is about 75 yards), stretched, and started learning how to do jumping jacks.
Here's the routine:
Stretch:
     1) Reach up and then reach down to touch your toes.
     2) Hamstring stretch
     3) Calf stretch

Run, increase 1 lap every week or every other week  (I haven't figured out what our goal number of laps for this year will be yet.)

Walk a lap for cool down.

Jumping jacks.  We started by jumping in and out 5 times.   Then doing our arms 5 times.  Then we do 5 single jumping jacks. Then we do 2 in a row 3 times.  Then we do 5 jumping jacks together.

That's our daily workout.  I did calculate how far we run and each lap around our house is about 75 yards.  My kids have very little endurance, which I realize is my fault, so we're working on this.

But, I realized that I needed to get the big picture and put together a PE plan.  I'll be honest.  The Horizons PE book is great.  It's very thorough.  Yearly plans are premade and it covers all the physical skills your children need to learn. There's one book for K-2, one for grades 3-5, one for grades 6-8, and one for high school.  They're each about $35, but they're thorough.  I think they'd work well if you had at least one family (or more than 3 kids) to play the games with.  I haven't seen the older books though, so I'm not sure if the older books require enough kids for teams or if they are adaptable to small families and groups under 10 kids.

So, if you are trying to be frugal like me, here's the plan I've come up with and compiled in a PE notebook...

I made these tabs:
1)  Goals:  I wrote down my goals for my kids and for me.
2)  Daily Plan:  Stretching, run laps, jumping jacks and pretend jump rope
As my kids get older, I will add in pushups and crunches to our daily routine.
3) Colleciton of Warm-Up Games from this site:  http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/pe/contents.htm
4) What they need to learn:  I made a list of the skills they need to learn in grades K-3 and then used a few other websites  http://sbsphysicaleducation.intuitwebsites.com/Kindergarten_Physical_Education.pdf
5) Benchmarks:  What is a good gauge for my kids
http://westborough.ma.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/form/default.php?sectiondetailid=11885&sc_id=1183839307
http://www.farmington.k12.mi.us/lon/classrooms/pe/pe_fitness_benchmarks.php
6) Yearly Plans:  Once a week I get together with a friend's family for PE.  My plan is to pick a basic skill, and a game or two for each week (along with our basic daily plan). 

Along the way of putting together my notebook, I found some great sites.  
Here are a few of them:
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/
http://www.pecentral.org/
http://www.pe4life.org/news---resources/recommended-websites/
http://www.pelinks4u.org/

We've been using our simple plan for a month now and I can see my kids endurance and strength improving.  The endorphins from daily exercise are also helpful.  We do have a covered porch, so I know that there will be days that we work on jumping rope instead of running laps.