Daily Devotional for Families

Are you looking for a starting point for a daily family devotions? That's great!  I would love to offer a suggestion for you: Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Star Meade.

This is a great book to kick start daily family devotions.  We used this when our son was a very active and energetic 4yr old.  He was able to stay still, sitting and focused for the devotion.  They are short lessons with rich content based on the shorter catechism.  It was sweet and wonderful as we began our daily family devotional life.  Also very easy to do and stick with, if that is your fear of attempting daily devotions with young children.

Acceptable Sacrifice

This is an amazing book!  Though Bunyan writes in his vernacular, the old English writing style, his words transcend. I am not practiced in reading this style of writing, and I could not put it down.  It was moving and gripping... almost as if the pages had been written just for me.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.  Psalm 51:17

 This is a humbling book if you struggle with a prideful heart, like most of us do.   However, pride goes before the fall, and God has no use for a prideful, hard heart.  He gently cares for and nurtures the contrite heart.  He restores us as His beloved children, those with a broken heart....hearts that have become an acceptable sacrifice.

Excerpt:

Wherefore, what I have said as to this must go for the truth of God, to wit, That a broken-hearted sinner, a sinner with a contrite spirit, is of more esteem with God than is either heaven or earth. He saith he hath made them, but he doth not say he will look to them. He saith they are his throne and footstool, but he doth not say they have taken or ravished his heart. No, it is those that are of a contrite spirit do this. But there is yet more in the words, ‘To this man will I look’: that is, For this man will I care, about this man will I camp, I will put this man under my protection; for so to look to one doth sometimes signify; and I take the meaning in this place to be such (Prov 27:23; Jer 39:12, 40:4). ‘The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down’ (Psa 145:14). And the broken-hearted are of this number; wherefore he careth for, campeth about, and hath set his eyes upon such an one for good. This, therefore, is a second demonstration to prove, that the man that hath his spirit rightly broken, his heart truly contrite, is of great esteem with God.

Why Homeschool?

Why homeschooling?

Are there benefits?

They won't be socialized!!

What style do you use?

What curriculum do you use?

What about High School transcripts?

Questions, Comments or Concerns?

Why homeschooling?

I was not always onboard with homeschooling our kids when my husband first mentioned it to me. I didn't want to be responsible for the educational success or failure of my children and I certainly didn't want to mess up their reading abilities with my failed attempt at being a teacher, since I have never felt called to BE a teacher. I just didn't feel I had the patience to do any such thing!

Some things happened to change our minds:

• My oldest son appeared to have what some would label as ADHD, and would react very strongly to sugars of any kind when he was nearing school age. My husband and I were unwilling to medicate him when we felt he simply needed discipline and structure in order to focus within a classroom setting.
• We were living in Louisville, KY at the time our oldest was hitting Kindergarten. There was going to be a required test that my son needed to take in order for the 'powers that be' to determine what school he was eligible to attend. Options ranged from elite privates, to magnet, to classical, to plain ol' public. His test scores would help to place my 5yr old in the proper classroom. I thought this was just nuts!
• Even the public school had fees and such that were required for my son to attend. I wondered what my taxes were doing??

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Are there benefits?

I believe there are several benefits with Homeschooling your children.

• I get to be personally involved with my children's education.
• I know the teacher's worldview and her teaching goals (because I am she).
• I can see what is 'sticking' and what needs more review. The kids aren't pushed beyond what they can handle and their time is not wasted on things they 'get' quickly.
• Our classroom is small, even with all 5 of our children sitting at the school table, so the students get plenty of one-on-one time with their teacher.
• No child is ever left behind, EVER!
• The educational materials are tailored to each child's specific learning styles, which helps them on their educational journey.
• I now how the school year is progressing and we are able to take breaks when Daddy is home for a long weekend, promoting family time and bonding.
• We are able to do as many or as little field trips as our schedule allows.
• We can get involved in any number of group classes or coops we desire.
• As a military family that moves around A LOT, homeschooling provides some consistency for our children.
• My children get to hear about Jesus Christ is a positive light, fully integrated into their education, something the public school setting refuses to allow.

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What style do you use?

I prefer the classical model, using an open schedule, allowing for variations according to the attitudes and needs of my classroom. Having a military background, we "practice like we fight" around here. I know that I want to prepare my children for future jobs where they will need to perform and adjust to someone elses imposed schedule; they will need to follow a time clock and someone elses itinerary, so I want to teach them how to do these things while they are young. I also like to be creative within our classroom or outside the classroom, yet I believe that paper and pencil are still necessary. Interacting with other is also key for development, so we incorporate group things as well.

I also do an eclectic curriculum, simply because I can do this cheaper than getting a pre-cut curriculum for the large number of students we have in our classroom. I have stumbled through many different books, trying to find the best options for my kids and I would happily share that with anyone who wants to know what worked, and what didn't.
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What curriculum do you use?

What curriculum do you use?I currently teach four different grades, so I will list books by grade.  However, there are subjects that all my grades share.  To see the current years curriculum, click here.

Shared Subjects

• Bible (Show Me Thy Ways)
• History (Tapestry of Grace, Y1)
• Science (Exploring Creation, Zoology 3)
• Spelling (Sequential Spelling)
• Latin (Prima Latina)
• Literature (Tapestry of Grace, Y1)
• Geography (Tapestry of Grace, Y1)
• Art (How Great Thou Art)
• Typing (Typing Instructor for Kids)

5th Grade

• English: BJU English 5
• Math: Horizons Math 5

4th Grade

• English:  BJU English 4
• Math: Horizons Math 4
• Handwriting: Horizons Penmanship 4

2nd Grade

• English: BJU English 2
• Math: Horizons math 2
• Handwriting:  Horzons math 2
• Phonics: Horizons Phonics & Reading
• Handwriting: Horizons Penmanship

Pre-School

• Horizons Preschool Set

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What about a High School transcript?

My oldest is currently in 4th grade, so this is not a bridge we have crossed yet. We chose to homeschool because it was the best option for us. We also want our children to have the best options for college and if they need a diploma to accomplish college, then we sill send them to an appropriate high school wherever we happen to be at that time. Looking at the current trends of public education, I just don't know if that really is the best option for any child. Many more colleges are opening their doors to homeschool students. They are finding that these students can think logically and perform better than their publicly educated counterparts.

The whole reason for doing what we do is to give our kids the best education available to them, and that includes college or whatever higher educational level they want to attain. So our decisions as parents and educators keep those goals in mind.
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Questions, Comments, or Concerns?