Popular Homeschool Resources

Curriculums & Learning Aids:

~ A Beka – 1-877-223-5226; http://www.abeka.org/. Free catalogue. Textbooks, videos/DVDs, CDRoms, complete curriculum packages. Textbooks can be great BUT they are expensive! However, you CAN re-sell them when you’re finished or if they don’t work out for your student(s). Videos/DVDs & CDRoms are great, especially for higher math and sciences, but don’t get stuck on them. Who wants to be stuck in front of a TV or computer screen all day? Use sparingly so that you don’t lose your relationship with your children.

~~ A word about curriculum companies: Naturally, being businesses, they will try to sell you the WHOLE kit-and-caboodle. Think wisely about what you REALLY NEED. If your textbook has end of chapter questions about what was just read, do you REALLY NEED a quiz book? If your textbook has end of unit questions at the end of each unit, do you REALLY NEED a test book? Why not just type out the questions you want your student(s) to answer and print them off? Do you really need those extra “test” books…or the teacher AND student books? Think about it before you make a costly purchase!

~ Alpha Omega – 1-800-622-3070; http://www.aophomeschooling.com/. Free catalogue. Workbooks (LifePacs), Switched-On Schoolhouse (CDRoms), Horizons and Weaver Unit Study. Workbooks can be great, especially for that child who likes to “see” progress as the workbooks get completed, they can also save you a little money, BUT you CANNOT re-sell them. Same advice as above concerning Videos/DVDs & CDRoms. Workbooks sold separately or in boxed sets of 10 per subject. The Weaver, also sold through AO, is an awesome Bible-based unit study – Complete lessons for every subject (except math) for grades K-12, reproduce-ables, there are 5 different volumes, so IF you do the whole thing you will work through the entire Bible in 5 years. However, it is one of the most expensive unit studies.

~ CBD (Christian Book Distributors) – 1-800-247-4784; http://www.christianbook.com/. Free catalogue. Incredible resources! ALWAYS ON SALE!! They offer: Alpha Omega, Apologia, Bob Jones, Bible resources and curriculums, Christian Liberty Press, classic literature, Classical education helps, unit studies, college prep, courtship/marriage/family resources, videos/DVDs/CDRoms, geography, history, creation science, math, homeschool helps, music, phonics, planners, reading skills, Latin/Greek, foreign languages, Saxon, Vision Forum, writing skills, maps, globes, science supplies…if you need it, it’s probably in there.

~ Farm Country General Store – 1-800-551-FARM; http://www.homeschoolfcgs.com/. Free catalogue. Many of the same items as in CBD’s catalogue plus items from Cindy Rushton, Dinah Zike, Keepers at Home; Training Our Daughters to be Keepers at Home* and Far Above Rubies* multi-year unit studies; Thematic Copywork Lessons, Pathway Reading Series, Sue Gregg cookbooks, Alpha Omega, Bob Jones Press and TONS of other curriculums and resources. Minimum $25 order required.

~ Rainbow Resource – 1-888-841-3456; http://www.rainbowresource.com/. MONSTEROUSLY HUGE FREE CATALOGUE!! Anything and everything in it. Orders of $150 or more receive FREE shipping.

~ Vision Forum – 1-800-440-0022; http://www.visionforum.com/. Free catalogue. My all-time favorite history and family resource catalogue! Books, videos, DVDs. Incredible resources for American and World history, raising strong families, homeschool helps; they are an incredible resource of old books brought back into publication, Lamplighter books, Henty books, Bible doctrine, worldview, family films, historic dolls (similar to American Girl), reproductions of historic toys for boys and girls, Creation science, etc.

~ Sonlight Curriculum – 1-303-730-6292; http://www.sonlight.com/. Free catalogue. Complete curriculum of all subjects, electives and other resources.

~ Answers in Genesis – http://www.answersingenesis.org/. Tons of great Creation Science resources, books, videos/DVDs/CDRoms, on-line resources and articles useful to your homeschool, all ages.

~ Cadron Creek – Margie Grey Unit Studies – http://www.cadroncreek.com/. One of our favorite unit study writer/providers! Home of “Prairie Primer” – spend the entire school year with Laura Ingalls Wilder using the 9-volume set of her Little House on the Prairie books as the basis for this awesome unit study. All of Margie’s unit studies have all you need except math and/or a spelling and grammar program! PP is most appropriate for boys and girls from K-4th grades. I think that up to 7th grade would enjoy and learn from it, just adjust your assignments to age appropriateness. She also has many suggested resources to use with PP available through the website. Bible based. ~~Margie also offers “Where the Brook and River Meet” – with this unit study, you will spend the year with Anne of Green Gables. This is geared toward Jr. and Sr. high girls. She also offers many of the suggested resources to go along with this unit study. Some are only available through Margie. Again, this covers all subjects except math. End the study with 6-1/2 credits toward graduation! ~~”Further Up and Farther In” takes you through a year covering the Chronicles of Narnia books. This is best for boys and girls in 4th through 8th grades. You will need a separate math. Bible based. THESE UNIT STUDIES ARE GREAT $$ SAVERS! These studies cover such subjects as: English, literature, history, social studies, geography, science, Bible, art, building character and some even have cooking.

~ Tapestry of Grace - 1-800-705-7487 or 1-301-963-0808; http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/. Free catalogue. If you like unit studies and Classical education, this is the best of both worlds! A Classical Unit Study!! That’s the best way I can describe TOG. Written by Marcia Somerville – wife of Scott Somerville, former Ohio HSLDA lawyer – and is the curriculum she has used on all of their children. Geared for ages K-12 and, if you wish, you may use this for your students’ entire school career! It’s made to be reused every 4 years – just adjust lessons to the ages of your children. This unit study is based on human history through the Bible and covers: History, Enrichment, Literature, Fine Arts, Worldview, Geography, Bible Survey & Church History. VERY complete lessons plans divided into the Classical education approach of Lower Grammar (lower elementary), Upper Grammar (upper elementary), Dialectic (approx. Jr. high) and Rhetoric (Sr. high). Great reproduce-ables and you can also purchase CDRoms of maps and other learning aids to print out for your students. Very detailed and beautifully done.

ORGANIZATIONS:

~ HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Assoc.) – 1-540-338-5600; http://www.hslda.org/. Not everyone joins but I highly recommend you do. $115 per year covers ANY run-in with the law, truancy officers, school district, advice…all the way up to the Supreme Court, if necessary! Members receive a bi-monthly publication, The Homeschool Court Report, discounts all across the country at hotels, amusement parks, car rentals, curriculum and resource vendors, etc. You will also find information about Ohio homeschool law, the truth about charter/cyber schools, articles, support groups, legislative information, etc. If you are a member of CHEO or McCHEO, you get a discount!! You can even use them to get your grad’s announcements, cap & gown, and diploma!

BOOKS:

~ The Old Schoolhouse magazine – http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine/. Not just because I work for them, but because I read the magazine BEFORE I worked for them and I really DO think it’s the best homeschool magazine around. Maybe that’s why it’s the biggest and most widely read! Their website has tons and tons of resources, articles, it has it’s own homeschool store with NO SHIPPING costs – EVER! You can sign up for free e-newsletters; find information about homeschooling special needs children, high schoolers, legislation, daily devotions, product reviews, etc. You name it, you can probably find SOMETHING about it there.

~ The Christian Homeschool – Gregg Harris. Biblical basis for homeschooling; how’s and why’s, getting past excuses, importance of support groups, etc. One of the most widely read books on homeschooling.

~ Homeschooling Methods (Seasoned Advice on Learning Styles) – Paul & Gena Suarez (publishers of The Old Schoolhouse). “A homeschool convention in a book.” Covers different styles and how-to’s: Classical Education, Principle Approach, Traditional Textbook (workbook), Charlotte Mason, Unit Study, Special Needs, Carschooling, Eclectic, Unschooling and Delight Directed, Whole-heart learning. Each style/chapter written by a well-known, homeschool figure familiar with the particular style.

~ Home Schooling: The Right Choice! – Christopher (Chris) Klicka (HSLDA attorney until his passing only a few short months ago). LOADED with information, mine is full of underlines and highlights. I try to re-read this every-other year. Covers such topics as: The Incredible Failure of Public Education, The Rising Hope of Home Schooling; The Right Choice: Teach Them at Home; A Desperate Foe: The Attack of Social Workers, School Officials, and Child Rights’ Advocates; A Successful Defense: The Legal Arguments and the Power of God; An Uneasy Peace: Conserving Our Freedoms; Persuasive Handouts and Home Schooling Resources.

~ Things We Wish We’d Known (50 Veteran Homeschoolers Share…) – Compiled and Edited by Bill & Diana Waring. As the title suggests, 50 well-known homeschool parent/teachers share what they wish someone would have told them about homeschooling before they started. A book like this takes away a lot of fear and 2nd-guessing. Very encouraging.

~ Educating the WholeHearted Child – Clay & Sally Clarkson. Another all-time favorite of many. This is a great book chock-full of wisdom, assurance and know-how. WholeHearted learning is about using “whole books” or, as Charlotte Mason used to say, “living books” for learning – real books, biographies & nature journaling instead of dull textbooks. There are chapters that have books suggested and organized by age/grade and subject; there are forms and planner sheets to duplicate. This book shows you how to fulfill Charlotte Mason’s definition of education: “Something to do, something to love, something to think about.” You will love this book.

~ The How & Why of Home Schooling – Ray E. Ballmann. Great book; along the lines of “The Right Choice,” above. If you need to convince someone about why you are homeschooling, this is it! Chapters include: Home Schooling: The Return to a Biblical & Historical Model of Education; Is Home Schooling for You?; Public Education: Retarding America & Imprisoning Potential; Why Home Schooling is the Best Alternative; The “How” of Home Schooling**; How to Begin; Why Grandparents Should Support Home Schooling; How to Win Over Friends & Relatives to a Point of Understanding; Reasons to Home School through High School; Common Questions Asked about Home Schooling.

*Far Above Rubies is a 4 year Bible-based life skills unit study, specifically for high school-aged girls (Blessed is the Man is the boy’s version). This study covers all academics except general or higher Math; all other academics are covered under the subject areas of: Bible and Christian Character, Cultural Studies, Reading and Literature, Composition, Math & Personal Finances, Science, Health and Physical Fitness, Practical Arts (skills needed to operate as an independent adult in society), and Decorative & Performing Arts. Suggestions for higher Math and Science resources are found in the Appendix. Training Our Daughters to Be Keepers at Home is a 7 year Bible-based life skills unit study, specifically for girls in Jr. and Sr. high grades. This study is a little more hands-on than F.A.R. but can be easily used TOGETHER! Academics and projects are covered under the subject areas of: Godly Womanhood, Fiber Arts, Caring for People, Cooking/Baking & Special Times, Home & Finances, Gardening and Miscellaneous.

** This is HIS OPINION and HIS SCHEDULE. Always remember that your homeschool is YOUR homeschool! You do what works best for YOUR family!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#74~ 4/13/10

For Today...

Outside my window...Sun emerging from a cloudy, cool morning. More green showing on the trees everyday.

I am thinking...I wish the weather would decide what it wants to do so I'll know what kind of clothes to wear! lol

I am thankful for...my hard-working hubbie. God bless him. He's trying so hard to keep what we have. Now, his temp job will end at the end of the month; please pray that one of the two full-time job leads/interviews he has this week will pan out & be a blessing to him & our family. Thanks, ahead of time.

From the kitchen...just something not-so-fancy for lunch, since I'll be the only one home; probably bean soup over my homemade bread for supper.

I am wearing...jeans, lilac light-weight sweater.

I am remembering…bills that need to be paid & that I need to finish painting the front porch ceiling today.

I am going…to take DD#2 to work, work on an article, have supper ready before I go to work the night-shift tonight.

I am reading...Bible~daily Proverbs & Daniel; a training workbook I have to do for work. If I get it completed by my 90 day review I get a bonus! Woohoo!!

I am hoping...that my Dear Hubbie will get the job of his dreams...SOON! I hate watching his hair turn grey from worry.

On my mind…making ends meet, my mom's health, decisions that our DDs make & how this cruddy culture yanks & pulls at them.

I am creating...a peaceful, Christ-centered home.

I am hearing...radio, birds outside my windows. I heard a woodpecker earlier while walking Maggie.

Noticing that…as always, the Lord is in control & still sits on His throne!

Pondering these words…From Sunday's sermon notes: If someone is not healed, it's NOT because of someone's lack of faith, it's because it is God's will, for His glory. Being thankful for an infirmity (of other tragedy) allows us to reach people w/the Gospel that we would never have come in contact with in any other situation.

Around the house...finishing the painting on the front porch, laundry, cleaning...

One of my favorite things...my DH's kisses. :-)

A Scripture thought...Gal. 2:20-21 ~ "I have been crucified w/Christ & I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me & gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" ~~Mixing legalism w/grace distorts grace & mocks the cross, then Jesus died for nothing.

A few plans for the rest of the week...household matters, errands, work, article writing, blogging; picking up craft supplies for our church's mini-women's retreat, I'll be helping ladies make scented body powder & bath salts on the 30th.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

This is a close up of the picture on the icon that shows up when I comment on someone's blog. The icon only shows a tiny portion of it & I think it's a sweet picture. I often use it as a screen saver on my PC. It reminds me of baking w/my Grandma, Bigmom, as a little girl & a teenager. She lived w/us until I was in about 3rd grade & then she moved into a sweet, cozy little rental home that one of my uncles owned. There were many good times in that little home.

Enjoy other Daybooks at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Concerns for the Future...

Prov. 10:17~"He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. "

Prov. 11:22~"Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion."

I'm praying for our culture. I'm praying for my daughters who are young women 'coming of age' in this world, this society, this currupt and sinful culture. I'm praying for wise, moral, godly choices to be made by our young people, both for the future of our country AND our families...

Lord, please keep a hedge of protection around our children. Lord, please cause them to listen to the voice of wisdom from Your Holy Spirit as He whispers in their ears. Lord, please cause them to be a standard, for You, in the midst of the temptation to follow the crowd into sin.

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of parenthood that You have given us. Thank You, Lord, for being our Heavenly Father. Thank You, Lord, for how You work in our lives. Thank You, Lord, for Your love and care.

In Jesus' mighty Name, Amen.

DO NOT stop praying for your children! No matter how young or old they are. This is such a currupt & tempting world. Lately, I see so many young people ~ even from strong Christian families ~ making foolish, foolish choices.

Many of us will be blessed with grown children who make all the right choices and seem to cruise right through life...

Many of us will be the parents of Prodigals and will rejoice with the angels of Heaven at their return; but the scars of their folly will remain as a reminder ~ both of their folly and as reminders of the mire they were lifted out of...

And, even in the best of Christian families, there will be those who parent children that no amount of love, Bible teaching or parental guidence will stop them from making foolish CHOICES as they are being led astray by the influences of the poor choices of friends, cults and our culture at large.

If evil LOOKED like evil, we would have no problem, but remember, Satan was God's most beautiflul creation...that's why sin SEEMS so sweet & IS so tempting! It bites us only to either leave a terrible scar or kill you in the end...when our backs are turned, our guard is down and we least expect it.

It seems that I'm seeing this so much lately and my heart is burdened. I'm assuming that if the Lord has laid it on my heart, that I'm not the only one. I hope you will join me in praying for our children.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

Kim's Pasta Sauce

This came out of necessity. One snowy night I already had the pasta in the boiling water and found I had no sauce! EEEKKK!!! After scrounging through my cupboards I threw this mix together & my family - even my pickiest dd - LOVED it! It has been modified a time or two, so play with it yourself & see how your own family likes it.

Full disclosure: this is not my pasta sauce but it looks just like it. Yummy, huh?

2 cans Red Gold crushed tomatoes OR one 29oz. can of tomato sauce (depending upon whether you like your sauce chunky or smooth)
1 6 oz. can Red Gold tomato paste
Several fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 small can of black olives, sliced
2 TB. onion flakes
Several liberal shakes of garlic powder
Several liberal shakes of my Favorite Homemade Herb Mix

~ Serve over pasta or as a dip for Italian bread.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

A Mother's Destiny

As some of you may know, I speak on homeschooling, Christian women's issues & frugal living. This is the text of one of the presentations that I give...I hope you laugh, hope you cry, hope you are encouraged.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ A Mother’s Destiny

I Cor. 2:1-5 – “When I came to you,…I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words; but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”

As one mother to another, I don’t come to you as an “expert,” but simply as someone who has prayed, birthed and mothered for many years and wants to share with you how the Lord has led…

Have you ever thought of your life as being touched with destiny? Everyone one of us here…no matter the circumstances of our birth, no matter the home life we were born into, no matter our economic status – or lack there-of – have been born with the plan of God in mind. Our choice is if we will allow God to use us.

Those of us who are mothers probably remember the moment we found out we were expecting for the first time. Oh, remember all those day-dreams of pink and blue. Of all the pretty little ruffles and bows we would dress our little girl in – or – as our husbands would remind us – the choice of whether our baby’s room would be decorated in Ohio State scarlet and grey or Bengal’s black and orange tiger stripes! And then after all those 'important' decisions were settled by reminding each other that the baby wasn’t even here yet; then the nerves set in…

…and the prayers…

“Oh Lord, am I ready for this? I thought I was, now I don’t know…cause it’s gonna hurt! But, it will be worth it because I know You’ll give me the sweetest tempered, most loveable, most huggable, happy, compliant baby ;-)…but….just in case it should cry, just in case it should get sick…am I ready for this?”

No matter how much we pretended to be the best mommy when we were little girls, no matter how many younger siblings we helped take care of when we were growing up, no matter how many families we babysat for when we were teenagers…there’s NOTHING like having your own baby, is there? So many things that Mom never told you about! Everything from how morning sickness doesn’t actually end at noon, to how fatigue can hit you like a smack in the face, to how much you will LOVE that baby. Isn’t it funny how changing YOUR baby’s diapers was never as bad as changing those of other babies?

And no one can ever tell you about how that love will show you the heart of God and how He loves His children. Especially when it comes to what we will have to face – good and bad – when it comes to our children. Do you think that we break our heavenly Father’s heart when we disobey? Do you think, as our heavenly Father, that God’s arms burn to hold us and comfort us when He knows our future and the things that must pass, the furnaces we must walk through to become the children and have the testimony He wants us to have? I do.

My husband, Ty, and I married in the fall of 1984. Our marriage began in a little country church on a beautiful fall day filled with my favorite spectrum of colors…yellows, golds, rusts, reds, burgundies, and the deeper greens of autumn. I took my farm-boy out of the country into Dayton and we enjoyed our new marriage and traveled on weekends with a contemporary Christian band he sang in; we enjoyed our friends, our church and our new-found status as a married couple in our extended families. Soon we discovered that we were going to have a baby! We would barely get to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary before it came. As we were the 1st of our circle of newly married friends (5 couples of us married w/in 4 months) to take the next step, everyone was very excited for us. We were on our way to having those 5 kids that we had always talked about.

Oh, mothers, aren’t those 1st months of pregnancy “great”?! :-/ Where were you when your 1st bout of morning sickness hit you? Mothers, and we ARE mothers during pregnancy, soon find out that our sweet little ¼” long babies cause our bodies to take on a mind of their own! My babies told my body to eat things like Taco Bell bean burritos, raspberries and ice cold tomatoes w/salt and pepper. What did yours tell you to like?

Well, as with all things related to time, days turned into weeks and weeks into months. In the latter months I soon found myself so swollen that I had to switch shoes at least 3 times a day…each one gradually a little looser fitting. Then I noticed that I had NO ankles! And in the last month I had about 3 shirts and 2 pairs of pants that I could fit into…including a pair of my husband’s old sweat pants w/the elastic taken out! On my next trip to the Dr., he very quietly told me, “I’m not worried about the baby, so don’t YOU worry, but I want to you go home, pack your bags, call your husband and have him take you the hospital. We’re going to admit you TODAY.”

Well, how do you NOT worry about a thing like that? I was still 15 days short of my due date. Well, you know how those pregnancy hormones are…I told myself that since the Dr. wasn’t worried about the baby that I could handle this change of plans. It wasn’t until my husband came home to get me that I realized that something must be wrong w/ME and as soon as the door opened I fell into his poor, confused arms and sobbed.

Once we got to the hospital, we went through the admitting process and I was astounded at the weight I’d gained in a week. I was also shocked that the nurses were so shocked that my legs were the same sized from my hip to my ankle. Didn’t all preggos swell like this? I was equally concerned when they didn’t say ANYTHING after they took my blood pressure. When my Dr. came in, he again reassured me that the baby was fine but that I had Toxemia and I had to stay in bed until the baby was born b/c I had retained so much fluid and my blood pressure was at pre-stroke level. Mind you…he was saying this in the calmest way possible so that my blood pressure wouldn’t go up even more!!

Five days passed, not only was my swelling and water gain not going down, but neither was my blood pressure. The decision was made to take our predicted 10 lb boy by c-section the next day.

Before 7a.m. I was wheeled into surgery with my sweet, nervous hubby following behind me. I remember a sweet little nurse popping her head over mine as I lay on the table, saying, “Do you realize that in 5 minutes you’re going to me a mommy?!” FIVE MINUTES!!

Before I knew it, the Dr. told my frightened husband to look over the little curtain to see what he had. All I can say is that LIGHT absolutely BEAMED from my husband’s face! Whatever our baby was, I knew then and there that it was beautiful. Then, to the shock of us all, the Dr. said, “It’s a GIRL!” A 7lb. 10 oz. 19” long precious baby girl! Jessica had come to join our family!

The worst part about having a c-section is that all you can do after is sleep. It’s also the protocol for many hospitals to keep c-section babies in the nursery for 4 hours before bringing them into the mother’s rooms. Just in case we ever wondered, this was another opportunity for God to show us that He was watching out for our little family. During an exam a nurse noticed that the tube she was using to suction Jessica’s nose with turned and came out the other side. To make sure, she did it again. Same result. This was a clue that she needed to get the Dr. in to verify a suspicion…after x-rays the suspicion proved correct.

Jessica was born with a Tracheo Esophogial Fistula. Her esophagus actually grew into her lungs instead of going into her stomach. If I would have nursed her after birth, she could have drowned. Immediately, the decision was made to take her to Children’s for surgery. The surgeon assured us that this happens in 1 in 4,000 births and that he personally does 2 of these surgeries a month. She was other-wise very healthy and because of that she sailed through a 9 hour surgery in 4 hours! In a few days, like so many other babies w/a fistula, she also had to have a treach put in. Believe me, there’s NOTHING like your baby watching every move you make while you put in her treach tube for the 1st time! The Drs were all very encouraging and she came home 5 weeks and 1 day after she was born.

Jessica was home! There may be doubters, but I’m telling you that she KNEW she was home! She slept soundly and comfortably and learned to laugh in our home.

One cold January, on a Saturday morning, when Jessica was 12 weeks and 4 days old, my husband got up to change her diaper and have a little Daddy Time w/her so I could get 5 more minutes in our warm bed. I heard a noise and looked up as Ty came running wide-eyed into our room. “I’m calling an ambulance! Something’s wrong w/Jessica!” I went in and she was still breathing but was limp and ashen. Everything was such a rush! The EMT’s came in, looked at her, and after taking her vitals and using a hand pump over her treach, they snatched up my baby, ran down the stairs and put her in the ambulance. I tried to get in the back but they pushed me up to the front seat w/the driver. I can tell you EXACTLY when she left this world. We were crossing the Stanley St. bridge and the men in back started screaming for the driver to hurry!

We got to Children’s and I watched them run, carrying my sweet baby into the ER…and I waited for Ty to get there as he had driven behind us. We were ushered into a little room where we called our parents and prayer warrior friends. There was a young lady who was the clergy on duty that morning who was assigned to us. I told her, “Listen, we’re Christians and I don’t want you praying any pansy prayers like you would w/unbelievers clinging to anything they can. If you're going to pray…then you PRAY!” We prayed. She would come in and out and give us up-dates. Finally, after an hour and a half, the Dr came in and told us that she was gone. They tried so hard but she just wouldn’t stay.

My baby? MY BABY?! My baby that I’d had her name picked out since I was 15 years old? My baby that I sang “Jesus Loves Me” to my whole pregnancy so that she would recognize it when she was born? My baby that I had nearly died to have?

Oh God! What has happened to our world? God, did You feel this way when Jesus died and had to be separated from You before the resurrection? How do we live through this? How DO I live through this?

Jesus NEVER promised that all would be easy once we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. It takes courage to stand strong in Him. In John 6 Jesus told the nearly 150 disciples that to follow Him they had to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Vs. 60 says, “On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’” Many of them left until practically only the 12 remained. Jesus turned to them and said, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” And for once Peter didn’t have his foot in his mouth and he said one of the most profound things anyone trying to hang on to reality while enduring a tragedy could ever remember: “Lord, to whom shall we go? YOU have the words of eternal life…”

The next several days were a blur of shock and sadness, but we hung on to Jesus. My body still prepared itself to feed Jessica – but she wasn’t there; my arms ached to hold her – but she wasn’t there. After 3 months of all the activity that surrounds a new baby, my world just seemed to stop.

But I have to tell you ladies, that God IS still on the throne! He does lift us up and He does get us through. His Son didn’t leave this world w/o scars, why should we think we should be any different?

When the smoke started to clear and we got slowly got back to living life, the Lord gave me a verse I have claimed as my life verse: 2 Cor. 1:3-4 – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

That’s destiny.

Mothers, everything we go through has the purpose of destiny behind it. Jessica was put here not only to bless our lives for 3 months, but to teach us about the heart of God toward His children. We also had 2 miscarriages between Jessica and our other beautiful daughters, Jasper and Jenna. (Did you notice that God DID give us the 5 we prayed for? Just not the way we thought He would.) But we have been able to minister to others who have gone through those same things like no others can. Because we had Jesus to rely on, we have been able to step out and do more and say more than would ever have been possible before. The Lord used what we went through to make us strong and bold for His glory…not our own.

Mothers, you have been chosen to do extraordinary things! Your attitude in the “mundane” - not just the tragic - is what teaches your daughters character and perseverance. Your “everyday” is what shows them that life is worth living because when they grow up, they will be blessed with the privilege of caring for their children. All the wiping of bottoms and noses, all the patty-cakes, all the same stories read over and over again, all the skinned knees, the chicken pox, the school lessons, re-learning new math, field trips, talks about the facts of life, first crushes and broken hearts, graduations…and letting go.

Mothers, all these things have YOUR fingerprints on them! Your fingerprints are all over your children! Your destiny is them! Because God has touched your life with destiny, because everything that He has taken you through – even what seems so boring and mundane -- has taught you something that you can pass down to your children and, in the spirit of Titus 2, pass down to the younger mothers that you know. And because of that, the Lord has written about YOU in His Word:

“She is clothed with strength and dignity;
She can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
And faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
‘Many women do noble things,
But you surpass them all.’
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
But a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

Now THAT’S destiny!

Titus 2 ~ At the Well's Spring Give-Away!

Titus 2 ~ At the Well is having a Spring Gathering give-away & raffle!

Hurry over & enter!!

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#73~ 4/6/10

For Today...

Outside my window...beautiful sunshine & beautiful 'new' green! A few small puddles & fallen limbs from trees after last night's storm. Emerging color. Thank You, Lord, for the new life of spring.

I am thinking...how glad I am to be off today.

I am thankful for...still having our home & cars after such a terrible financial year.

From the kitchen...making a new loaf of bread, I'll be the only one home for lunch so I'll probably have an Amy's pesto tortellini bowl & maybe tacos w/my homemade pico de gallo for supper.

I am wearing...jeans, green long-sleeved t-shirt, brown hoodie for the chilly morning.

I am remembering…what I've always told our girls: "It's the little things that mean the most."

I am going…clean the house & work on the training manual I have for work.

I am reading...Bible: daily Proverbs & Daniel.

I am hoping...that one of the great jobs DH has applied for will hire him, QUICKLY, b/c his very low-paying temp job ends at the end of this month. :-/

On my mind…bills & praying that our girls make good choices.

I am creating...a peaceful home.

I am hearing...those morning sounds: laundry going, radio, DD#2 puttering around & getting ready for work, my typing fingers...mingled w/birds outside the windows.

Noticing that…last year's cilantro, in my herb garden, re-seeded itself & is already coming up! It's even spread a little!

Pondering these words…"Some change is so subtle that we don't even nitice it. Some change is drastic & swift. What God did through Jesus Christ was so drastic that it changed the dynamics of the whole world!" ~ Pastor Shawn Hess, Easter, 2010.

Around the house...laundry (laundry, laundry!), general cleaning, a little baking...

One of my favorite things...my 2 favorites birds: red-tailed hawks & red-winged blackbirds; favorite songbird is a robin.

A Scripture thought..."A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." ~ Prov. 29:11. Thank You, Lord, that You must be making me wiser w/age; thank You for how You cause me to calmly stand firm w/my extended family.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Spring Fling meeting w/the ladies on the planning committee, taking a friend to the farm stores for the 1st time, work, family time.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

My 2 favorite birds...TOGETHER! Who'da thunk it? '-)

Enjoy other Daybooks at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

REVIEW: Beloved Bride (The Letters of Stonewall Jackson to His Wife)

By Bill Potter; distributed by Vision Forum.

Not too many things are better than receiving a letter from a loved-one who is far away. Maybe a letter of love and encouragement from a soldier or a missionary in a place of danger. A simple piece of paper, yes, but your loved-one actually touched that paper and they were thinking of only you when they wrote it.

Such is what you will hold in your hands as your read Beloved Bride. Bill Potter has not only given us a glimpse into this loving couple's relationship but he also, where needed, updates the circumstances surrounding these letters before and during the Civil War.

As an Ohio Yankee, I must say that I have never heard or even read the occurrences of the Civil War completely from the Southern view-point. This is not the side we read about in our History textbooks. Now, I can't feel badly that the Union was preserved, but I can now recognize why many Southerners still refer to the Civil War as "The War of Northern Aggression."

Always giving God the credit, it seems that no matter what, Stonewall constantly reminded his loving wife, Anna, that "God does all things well." It is humbling to read these letters from husband to wife and find that, even while readying for or having survived great battles, he never shirked the opportunity to encourage his wife with how God was working in their lives or to endear his loving esposa with words of devotion from a loving, Christian husband.

Maybe when you have finished this book, like me, you will come away with a new respect for a war hero who was truly devoted both to his Savior and his wife.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

THAT'S My King!! Tell Me...Do YOU Know HIM?

That's MY King!!...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trPPAcvK8_8

Tell me...Do YOU Know HIM?!

Easter Blessings...Kim<><

The Lesson Planner: The Tortoise and the Hare (Reading Programs)

Originally printed in the Summer 2007 issue of The Old Schoolhouse magazine.

The Tortoise or the Hare ~ Does Slow and Steady Always Win the Race?

As a child I enjoyed reading Aesop’s Fables. What I always liked best about fables was that they used animals and they always taught a lesson. Jesus used parables when He taught, often using farm life or some other part of daily life that His hearers would recognize and relate to.

Probably my favorite Aesop’s Fable is The Tortoise and the Hare. You know the story…One day a Hare came across a Tortoise and began making fun of him because he was so slow. Tired of being teased once again, the Tortoise challenged the Hare to a race. His victory assured, the Hare took the old Tortoise up on his offer. After the fox had set the course, the race was on! The Hare was ahead in no time and decided that he had plenty of time to take a nap. Upon waking he looked toward the finish line only to see that the Tortoise was crossing the finish line and he had lost the race! Lesson: “Slow and steady wins the race.”

Slow and steady…does that always win the race in every circumstance? Well, let’s put that in homeschool terms. What about reading?

When a homeschool family begins their journey from the beginning, reading is one of those scary subjects on the list. Can you remember how you learned how to read? I couldn’t. With such a huge variety of reading programs out there, some guaranteeing fast results and some out for the long-term, scope shaping journey, how does one pick and choose what will work for their children? I’ll show you two tried and true favorites, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (the Hare) and Hooked On Phonics (the tortoise). Both of these methods are fine phonics-based methods and I have used both with great success.

Why phonics? Simply because it works! Several years ago, at a Christian Home Educators of Ohio convention, I listened to Samuel Bloomenfeld discuss the utter failure of the “Look-Say/Whole Word” method that so many public schools have been using. This method attempts of teach reading by causing children to “memorize” what certain often used words “look” like. Basically, once these key words are memorized by sight – not sounding out, but what they look like – the rest of their reading instruction ends up just being a guessing game. This Look-say/Whole Word method was originally created to teach deaf people how to read. The program was such a failure that it is no longer used in them – BUT – it is still used in three out of four government schools. Sounds like one more reason to teach them at home.

Enter: The Hare

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is a product of DISTAR, published by the Science Research Associates, Inc. (SRA). Remember those fun and teachable SRA’s we used to do in third grade? These are the same folks! I always enjoyed doing those little SRA’s and I was thrilled to find out that this was the same company.

In the Introduction, they take what Samuel Bloomenfeld told us at CHEO by quoting Robert Benjamin from his book Making Schools Work, “Many schools continue to employ instructional methods that have been proven ineffective. The staying power of the look-say or whole-word method of teaching beginning reading is perhaps the most flagrant example of this failure to instruct effectively.” As we all know, if a child is a good reader, the whole world opens up to them. DISTAR has proven to be very effective with young readers; especially pre-schoolers.

As the title implies, the book consists of 100 lessons that last roughly one-half hour each day. My advice is to NOT skip any lessons, as they build upon each other. By the time your child finishes the book they will be reading at whopping second grade level! And your child will not be the only one who benefits…as the book says, “After you complete the program, you’ll know more about teaching reading then most public school teachers, because you will have carefully observed and participated in the step-by-step development of your child’s reading skills.” As we all know, parents learn, or re-learn, right along with their children.

Once you have read through the Introduction you will then turn to the Parents’ Guide. This portion will give you the outline for “an effective sequence for teaching reading.” The basics of which are: 1) to begin with simple exercises, 2) teaching reading skills, 3) exercises change slow, in small ways, so that it is easy for the child, and 4) very clear communication with the child. From there, you will cover the development of the DISTAR program and the research involved, Communicating Clearly with the Child and Making Teaching Easier.

Then, we get into something interesting. DISTAR uses a very special “funny” print and how words are spelled, or their “orthography.” As we know, because our language is a peculiar mixed of Greek, Latin and French, many of our letters do not make the same sounds every time they are used. DISTAR helps a child understand these difference early one by using a “funny” print. Something I can’t do here is show it to you, but only inform you that it includes all the phonics-related symbols that we grew up with: long/short; blends such as qu, ch, sh, th, sh, etc.

Walking further into the book we come to Getting Ready. DISTAR has produced a Pronunciation Guide. This is very simple, easy to use and will probably look slightly familiar to most as your memories of learning to read take shape. The guide will give you the letter Symbol (m), how the letter is to be pronounced (mmm), a word example (as in ram), voiced or whispered (the symbol for voiced is v, whispered is w) and the guide will let you know which lesson this concept is introduced in (lesson 1).

Two of the keys to phonics is saying the words slowly and sounding out words. The first few lessons will begin with saying letter sounds slowly. Each sound, and words (as you get further into the book), will be written in the way you should teach your child to say them. Each word will begin by you putting your finger on the BIG dot, you will quickly move your finger to the letter to be sounded out and move on. If a word has more than on letter/sound, you will move quickly to the next letter/sound. After you have shown your child the sounds that the letters make, then they will do it with you two or three times, then they will sound out the letters/sounds themselves. If it is an actual word, each time you will repeat the sounds a little faster until the sounds mmm, eee run smoothly together to form the word “me.”

As mentioned earlier, DISTAR insists NO SKIPPING ALLOWED! They recommend that even though a child may read at a faster rate than the program’s sequence, we must remember that “The goal of decoding instruction is to make decoding an automatic practice, not something that requires and great deal of thinking or a great deal of effort.” A person who reads well spends very little time mentally sounding out words. By learning in sequence, one learns wholly. If your mind has been trained well, the sounding out process is automatic and produces and person who, not only reads well and reads quickly, but absorbs and maintains more of what he has read.

Now before this all sounds too overwhelming, and as we get into what a lesson actually consists of, one thing you must know is all lessons are scripted! Your script is written in red – but don’t let it go to your head! J You don’t have to worry about not explaining a concept or new sound correctly, it’s all laid out for you on every page. Even what to expect from your child is there! Making the program easy on the parent is one of the reasons TYC has been such a success.

The daily lessons, divided up by “tasks,” may conclude in as quickly as 10 minutes, but I would recommend that you schedule 20 minutes, especially in the beginning, until you are your child are more familiar with what is expected. These lessons should take place everyday for 5 or even 7 days per week. DO NOT COMPROMISE! As mentioned earlier, these lessons build upon each other and continuity, just like consistency in discipline, is the key to your success. You may even have days when you do two lessons in one day, as some lessons go quickly. However, use your own judgment so as not to load your child with too information. If only working on reading is enough for your child at this time, do not overwhelm him with Sound Writing.

On occasion, once you actually get started, there may be times when you wonder what the exercise has to do with anything your child is learning; as some things seem to go off on a completely different tangent. Hang with it…Have you ever noticed that if you have something weighing on your mind, or if you child has a big test coming up, that if you get your mind off of that particular thing for a few moments and go to something else, that you are better able to deal with it a little later? This, to me, must be the idea that the writers had by the time you get to task 4 of the lessons. By the time you get to task 4, you will review what was already taught in task 1; task 5 will review what was taught in task 2. You will be amazed at how successful that first lesson will have been and what your child retained!

I use a similar technique when I am teaching form a book (what Charlotte Mason referred to as Whole Book Learning). While am reading, my children will be doing something with their hands – drawing, coloring, painting, latch-hooking a rug, etc. The act of keeping their hands occupied helps to keep their minds free to accept what they are learning on an auditory level. Their retention level is far greater than if they were only half-listening because they were so bored their hands were looking for something to do. So, when TYC begins with one task and seems to an entirely different way only to come back to the original task, I believe that this same concept is what they are aiming at…teach something meaningful, get away for just a short bit so that the information can sink in and…bingo! Lesson learned!

Enter: the Tortoise

This was the first reading program that I had used. Hooked on Phonics (HOP) now has several programs to offer, but, why mess with perfection? Their original program, which we will discuss here, is now called Hooked on Phonics Classic. It is SO much fun when that big HOP box arrives! Inside your will find 7 workbooks with lessons, stories and activities; 9 audio cassettes; 3 sets of fun stickers; 9 sets of flash cards; 1 parent guide. Yes, what TYC is in simplicity, HOP has ALL the bells and whistles! Another find…remember those SRA’s that we talked about earlier? THEY ARE HERE! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…

The first thing to do is to listen to Tape 1, the instruction tape. This will give you a great run-down of what you can expect as your use HOP. You next step will be to open up the yellow Book One, grab the yellow flash cards and the white tape 1. Each tape will lead your child, completely through what they are to say and do. (Of course, brand new readers will need your help until they become familiar with what is expected.) The tapes take the child through the sounds and letters that are on the flash cards. After they are familiar, then you will move to the book and Read Out Loud! The first section is “Say the Sound.” Each letter is represented by an object beginning with that letter: a-apple, b-bell, c-cat… In no time at all, your child will be moving on to the letter “a” and actually putting together words! From one of the first lessons they will be putting “a” and “t” together and READING the words: at, bat, cat, fat, hat, mat, pat, rat, sat. Each lesson ends in review and by the time you get to the third review, your child will know 25 words! By the time they finish the very first book, they will have gone through the whole alphabet and will be reading whole sentences! My children were SO excited when they could read sentences. Book 1 focuses on sight words that everyone reads time and time again, day after day.

Each book works in progression as their reading abilities grow. HOP teaches children to read in a deeper, more complex way. Book/tape/flash cards 2 teaches ending sounds, more complex sight words and beginning sounds. Book/tape/flash cards 3 teaches more complex beginning and ending sounds and long vowel and other sounds. Book/tape/flash cards 4 gets a little more in-depth with diphthong, “schwa” and other sounds, plus more vowel and combination sounds. Set 5 covers combination sounds, silent letters and prefixes. Set 6 gets deeper into suffixes, silent letters, and gets into larger, 4 and 5 syllable words. Book 7 is a complete reading review book; this book is actually referred to at specific points during the whole lesson plan.

Now, we can’t forget those SRA’s. I’m glad to say that my daughters enjoyed these just as much as I had as a child. There are 100 SRA’s, called Power Builders, that range from beginner’s reading level to advanced and are divided up into 3 levels. The beginner’s level has a short little story of one- and two-syllable words, then has various activities such as comprehension questions, sounding out words and “yes” or “no” (true or false) questions. The intermediate section is for those who have completed approximately to Book 3 and has a much longer story (one and a half pages, smaller print, more complex words), comprehension questions, Lean About Words (definitions, etc.), and thinking questions. Upper level has far more complex stories, comprehension questions, vocabulary, and word studies. In all three sections the stories are everything from fiction, non-fiction, science, mini-biographies. They are all very interesting. A small word of warning: these are not necessarily from a Christian perspective and may mention evolution as fact, millions of years, etc.

You Decide…

So, now it’s up to you. Which is better, the tortoise or the hare? You decide. But I warn you – your child’s excitement in learning how to read may even rekindle a long lost love for reading in you that was misplaced long, long ago.

Contacts:

Teach Your Children to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is available in multiple resources. Some are: Christian Book Distributors (CBD) www.Christianbook.com, 1-800-247-4784; Farm Country General Store www.homeschoolfcgs.com, 1-800-551-FARM.

Hooked on Phonics www.hop.com, 1-800-ABCDEFG.

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><