love to paint

Our children have taken piano lessons each year that I've been homeschooling, so that has been their music curriculum.  But, yesterday I brainstormed with a friend of mine ideas for music this year for her kids in grades 1 and 2. Here was my idea: Make a composer notebook. Study one composer a week.         1.  For each composer, read a biography on  http://www.classicsforkids.com/  or  http://makingmusicfun.net/htm/mmf_music_library_meet_the_composer_index.htm   These are very brief.  Then, find a past episode of  Classics for Kids  on the composer to listen to with your children. 2.   Making Music Fun  has a composer job application. You could also make your own if there are other details you want your children to record. 3.  There are coloring pages dot to dots and word search worksheets for the composers on Making Music Fun.           4.  Look at this page for other...

Something I love about homeschooling is choosing curriculum.  A friend asked me this question back in January: "How do you go about picking a curriculum, and how do you sense God's leading and providing in your homeschooling (specifically in curriculums)?" My answer was very long.  It starts with my story of how I started homeschooling and then goes on with how I choose curriculum now. Today I'll post the first part--how I started homeschooling... Sharing my story is the best way I think I can answer this question.  God has often used other people to get the ball rolling for me.  I remember a friend of mine, Becky, telling me about The Well Trained Mind (WTM) and Slow And Steady Get Me Ready (which I thought was strange when I first read it) when we lived in Georgia 5 years ago.  When Autumn was 2, I checked them both out of the library and read them.  Chris and I loved the WTM and went "Wow!  This is awesome!"  That was before we had 3 kid...

There are moments when I realize that homeschooling, unconsciously is a part of our entire days. I've realized is that I talk to my kids through the day about what we're learning.  My friend Alene was a big encouragement to me in this because she was the one who pointed it out to me that I teach my children to play.  And when they hurt one another, I require them to say "I'm sorry" (for Eli it was a hug before he could talk) and for the other to say I forgive you.  I know that they didn't understand forgiveness at the time, but it helps them get in the habit of apologizing and eventually learning how to forgive and not hold things against each other.  I remember the time we drove by a cell phone tower and Autumn pointed it out to me.  We had just read about them in her science book and so she noticed it.  Teaching my children in all we do and explaining things to them that we are seeing and doing is helping them apply what they're learning even thou...