One of the frequent posters over on the Sonlight Forums recently shared an article that caught my eye. It was a piece titled The sad, sad state of college English from a recent edition of the Baltimore Examiner. Take a few moments to read this short essay written about a college English professor, now retired, who relates some of the horrific writing he experienced from his students.

What especially struck me was this statement … Most students make it clear that they don’t like to read, and they don’t want to read. Many struggled tremendously with their reading. So they just wouldn’t do it. And yet it’s so important. When you read, you get to see the language used correctly, and you’re exposed to a range of vocabulary far beyond your own. I listen to students today, and the number of words they use is limited to slang and colloquialisms.

I remember as a young mother, cherishing the time spent reading to my children, little realizing what a great impact that special time was to have on them later in life. While I do suspect that good writing benefits from solid training, I am convinced that the ability to verbalize and then write well thought out responses is impacted tremendously by a lifetime of reading quality literature. That love for reading begins early, and if my children are any indication, never leaves!

My childhood memories of holidays are so sweet that for as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to create long-lasting holiday traditions for my own children. I was reminded the other day that some of our holiday traditions have always centered around good books. During a recent chemistry lab at our house, one of the moms was gazing at a couple of our many bookshelves (I too love checking out peoples’ books) and remarked on a group of obviously older books on one of the lower shelves. I explained that this was a well-loved collection of holiday books with which I refuse to part. It is a group of books that I someday hope will become as much a part of my grandchildren’s holiday traditions as they were of ours.

I thought I would share a short list of some of our holiday titles. These aren’t necessarily award winners or what I would classify as “classics”, but we have enjoyed them over and over as our children grew …

• Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin
• Jotham’s Journey: A Story for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide - This advent favorite was used over and over in our home.
• The Story of Holly & Ivy by Rumer Godden
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg - which was made into a movie not long ago, but the kids and I agree that the book is still better!
• Becky’s Christmas by Tasha Tudor
• An Amish Christmas by Richard Ammon
• Winter Poems selected by Barbara Rogasky and published by Scholastic
• A Story a Day Til Christmas published by Current - this was a series published by Current in the late ’80s and early ’90s. We owned Volumes 1 and 3.

Each year as our kids were growing I would create holiday “units” that included some of these books as well as two or three craft projects and some yummy baking. One craft project I remember in particular involved creating paper snowflakes. The Internet has some wonderful pattern ideas which combined with a little creativity of our own, resulted in some gorgeous snowflakes decorating our home one year. Check out the free patterns at Craft Ideas, Paper Snowflakes.com
, and Dave’s Snowflake Patterns (these are quite intricate). Use some colorful origami paper and glitter to spice up your designs.

Maybe I’ll share some of our favorite holiday recipes in my next few blog entries. There are some phenomenal holiday recipes changing hands over on the Holiday Forum on the Sonlight Forums site. A one-month subscription is definitely worth the $4.99 (if you don’t qualify for a free subscription) for all the great recipes and holiday ideas.

I hope you enjoy the holiday season with your family!
~Judy

Depending on which direction your politics lean, you’re either smiling or shaking your head this morning. But either way, this is certainly an important time in our nation.

I was thinking, last night as my kids and I were watching news reporting on the election results, that this is another one of those HUGE teachable moments. As important as your political convictions are (and yes, this is a great time to share them with your kids), I’ve been thinking about what an awesome opportunity this is to discuss the process. I must admit that though I can mutter and sputter with the best of them about the economy and government, I live in a country that has a pretty amazing process in place when it comes to electing government officials.

Now my kids have learned American history over and over again, and we’ve discussed the process of a presidential election myriads of times. But I was reminded again last evening that often those facts don’t stick until you see them in action (i.e. the teenager who asked what’s the electoral college again mom?).

So now is a great time to put some shoes on those facts. Help your kids to see the process (if you haven’t already) that led to last night’s election results. Talk with them about what happens now? We had a rather interesting discussion last evening about how “powerful” President Bush will be for the next two months or so. Can he really accomplish anything now that the next president has been elected? How does the transition between this administration and the next take place?

I’ve found the Internet to be a wealth of resources for presidential election education. Here and there I’ve seen people refer to sites that helped them better understand the process. A few that impressed me:

• History Central has a phenomenal site that provides information on every presidential election back to the late 1700s. Find out who the candidates were, how the electoral votes played out, and what the major issues were.
• Wikipedia has a great explanation of how the electoral college works, and some interesting links and maps to back up the information.
• There’s a nifty interactive electoral votes map found at 270 to win

.

So whether your candidate of choice won or lost last night, don’t miss this tremendous opportunity to help your kids understand the process, and how it came to be.

Keep on keeping on …
~Judy

After so many years of homeschooling, I often have the privilege of talking with folks who are just considering or researching the possibility of educating their children at home. One of the first choices they evaluate is which homeschool curriculum to use. They’ve either spent some time researching homeschool curriculum on the Internet or they’ve attended a homeschool convention … and it’s at that point that I end up talking with them … the glazed “deer in the headlights” look still in their eyes. The choices out there seem endless.

I usually try to simplify the task just a bit by asking them to look at curriculum products based on teaching style. I’m sure there are more categories, but I usually break it down to five:

• Traditional - This style relies heavily on the textbook/workbook approach to education. Similar to the classroom experience many of us are familiar with from our own childhoods. Some publishers: Bob Jones, ABeka, Alpha & Omega.
• Unschooling - Essentially the opposite end of the spectrum from traditional homeschooling. This style recommends providing a variety of experiences and resources to stimulate a child’s in-bred desire to learn. Delight driven learning is a common phrase heard among unschoolers. John Holt is a name often associated with the unschooling approach.
• Unit Studies - are topic driven units that intermesh history, literature, writing, science and other subjects around a common theme. These can be accomplished by purchasing pre-packaged units or designing your own by making liberal use of your library. Some publishers: KONOS, Amanda Bennett’s Unit Studies.
• Classical - is a term synonymous with The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer. The premise is that children move through different stages of learning, each requiring a slightly different approach. There is a heavy emphasis on the use of living books, study of logic and a chronologic look at history. Some publishers: Veritas Press, Peace Hill Press.
• Literature Based - falls somewhere between unit studies and a classical approach. Relying heavily on the writings of Dr. Ruth Beechick and Charlotte Mason, this teaching style relies on exposing children to great ideas found in classic literature with a goal toward developing a love for learning. Some publishers: Sonlight Curriculum, Tapestry of Grace.

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it does help to narrow down the choices a bit. There are a couple other resources which I think are very helpful in making choices about homeschooling (though I admit to being somewhat biased about these!):

• Podcast - You Can Homeschool
• Podcast - How to Do It: How to discover the homeschooling vision that best fits your family’s needs

Hopefully this brief “Homeschooling 101″ will give you somewhere concrete to begin as you consider homeschooling.

Best wishes on the journey …
~Judy

I was reminded last week why I have always found homeschool co-ops to be so valuable. In a word: CHEMISTRY. There’s no way you can possibly hear the distaste in my voice/mind as I type that word, but it’s there nonetheless.

Let’s face it, no homeschool mom is an expert in every field she has to teach. Over the years I’ve seriously doubted that I’m an expert in any, but some are certainly easier to teach than others. One of my favorite subjects has always been Biology. I love studying and investigating the intricacies of the human body which the Creator has so marvelously designed. And even more, I get excited over passing that love on to students. Even the most squeamish come away from dissecting frogs and earthworms with a new appreciation for how amazing the creation truly is.

I’m afraid, however, that my love and excitement for Biology does not extend to Chemistry, which relies so heavily on math (another subject that has the ability to make me squirm). As I watched and listened to our small chemistry co-op (just 4 students) puzzle over measuring the specific heat of a chunk of metal last week, I patted myself on the back for once again expending the energy to seek out moms of other high school sophomores who needed a chem lab. None of us is really an expert in the field, but there is one among us who has an innate sense of how chemistry works, and is a whiz at math. So she leads our little group, and the rest of us help and cheer her on.

Obviously science is not the only subject which lends itself to sharing teaching and learning, but the lab sciences do seem especially perfect for such a setting. And it’s really not terribly difficult to establish a co-op. You certainly don’t need a large group of students, nor do you need a special location, or experts on any given topic to make it work. What’s really necessary is a common desire to share the burdens of teaching and the excitement of learning. Sprinkle in a little bit of motivation and commitment to make it work, and you have a made to order “no frills” co-op. And you know, we’ve come us with some pretty amazing co-op classes and teachers in the past. One year we held a speech class and invited a homeschool mom who was an English teacher in her “past life” and had a passion for public speaking and drama. A friend of mine once hijacked an acquaintance who is a meteorologist to come and speak to her middle-school co-op science class. We’ve also invited “guest lecturers” by way of DVD and field trips. The sky truly is the limit.

So if one of the subjects in your homeschool seems to be lacking some excitement or “punch” … and you just can’t find the motivation to make it more interesting … why not consider a homeschool co-op to spice things up!

Keep on keeping on …
~Judy

PS … a couple of very practical “helps” I’ve found in my struggles with chemistry: Sonlight’s Chemistry Supplies Kit and a nifty web site called the Periodic Table of Videos which a friend recently shared. See, I really *do* look for ways to make Chemistry more palatable!

My husband and I got away for a couple of days to celebrate our 24th anniversary this week. We love to hike, so we escaped to a wonderful Bed & Breakfast on one of the Finger Lakes here in upstate NY. Across the road from the B&B was the entrance to an awesome gorge which was just ablaze with color.

Autumn colors in the Finger Lakes

Down the gorge out to the lake

Perfect for hiking!

Sunset over the lake

People tend to make more of someone’s 25th anniversary than they do the 24th. But for us, it’s a milestone … because this year we also survived the launching of our first homeschool graduate. Anyone who doesn’t believe homeschooling puts some strain on a marriage isn’t dealing in reality. While parenting in and of itself can be brutal on a relationship, tossing homeschooling into the mix brings its own unique stressors. While we both are extremely proud of the first one we’ve launched, we are also acutely aware that any success is entirely due to God’s grace and His daily provision of wisdom.

So if you’re new to homeschooling, or just considering the option, do be realistic enough to recognize the stresses and strains it will put on your marriage. Then establish some relationship “builders” to help shore up the foundation and strengthen the ties. Perhaps you’ll set a goal to have a date night every other week or once a month. Maybe a night away can be scheduled a couple times a year. For the short-term, consider a 2-hour break for mom or dad (whomever carries the bulk of the teaching load) once a week. Even an uninterrupted time for devotions or a chapter from a favorite book each day goes a long way toward maintaining sanity and a good attitude. Whatever you choose, just making the effort demonstrates to both parties that your relationship is worth the effort. And let me assure you, it is well worth the effort!

“Meditation Moment” is a title that’s been overused (IMHO) … and a moment can be quite a long time, if time is at a premium. So I have just a little tidbit to share (a nano-second?) … gleaned from my quiet time this morning.

From John Piper’s book Future Grace.

Patience is the capacity to “wait and to endure” without murmuring and disillusionment - to wait in the unplanned place, and endure the unplanned pace. … Impatient people are weak, and therefore dependent on external supports - like schedules that go just right and circumstances that support their fragile hearts. … The strength of patience hangs on our capacity to believe that God is up to something good for us in all our delays and detours.

Whew … tough (but good) to hear at 7:30 AM.

~Judy

The homeschooling mom’s perennial question. You know that kid’s “song that never ends”? Well this is the question that never gets answered. It is one of the most-often asked questions I hear from both new and veteran homeschoolers. It has also been on my mind of late since we recorded the goal-setting podcast I mentioned in my last blog entry.

I’ve read many of the time management books, done some speaking on the topic, and designed multiple Excel spreadsheets and chore charts … all in the name of getting it all done. But it occurred to me the other day that perhaps we’re asking the wrong question. Not that the “how” question isn’t a good one … but I think there’s a question we should ask before we ask how. I think first we should ask ourselves to define what ALL is.

Being a somewhat hyper-motivated individual in my younger years (I got over it), I remember well the struggle to say “no” to things. Every opportunity presented to me seemed to be a good thing, so I would think of course I should say yes to this! And before I knew it my plate was overflowing and I was asking that perennial question … how was I ever going to get it all done?

Though it has been a painful lesson learned by hard experience, I regularly have to be reminded that not every opportunity, as good as each one may seem, is the best for me. And the process of determining what is best can be as simple as setting some well-defined goals. Decide what you’re aiming for in life … both short-term and long-term. Then as each opportunity presents itself, weigh it against your list of goals. Will this opportunity push you closer to any of those goals, or will it slow down your progress? A very practical way of practicing the Biblical mandate to redeem my time.

It’s a well-known fact (probably someone somewhere has done a study) that homeschool moms suffer from we’re not doing enough syndrome. Surely we need more sports, more music lessons, more field trips, etc… Perhaps what we really need is a prayed-over and well thought out list of goals!

~Judy
Galatians 6:9

It’s that time of year again when I inevitably slip into my winter hoarding mode.  Here in the infamous snow belt region of upstate NY, I face each winter wondering how many months it will be again before we see green grass and warmer temperatures.  And while we’re waiting for that first snowfall (which I love, by the way), we spend our days hiking hills through the multi-colored leaves that are falling, and harvesting vegetables from our garden to can or freeze for the coming cold months.  Autumn is my favorite season of the year … hands down.

I also find myself cleaning out bookshelves, storing or giving away books and curriculum we no longer need, sorting through summer clothes that have seen better days, and just organizing overall.  I think I know the dreaded months of January and February are coming (this homeschool mom’s most hated months!), and I’m subconsciously attempting to prepare for them in advance.

All of this canning, sorting and organizing definitely put me in the mood for recording one of our latest Podcasts over at Sonlight.com.  Jill, Kelly and I put together a fairly extensive series on goal setting, homeschool time management, conquering the clutter in your household, and overall organization.  We had a great time sharing practical ideas and swapping stories from our homeschooling and child-rearing memories. If you find this time of year inspiring you to sort, clean and organize, take a few moments to listen to some of our tips and suggestions. I think you’ll enjoy them!

And just to share some of the great “smells” floating around our household, here’s my time-tested spaghetti sauce recipe. I canned 42 quarts of this delicious sauce which we will enjoy over all sorts of pasta throughout the cold winter months to come.

Judy’s Spaghetti Sauce

(I use a combination of whatever canning tomatoes are available and Romas)

4 quarts (16 cups) of processed tomatoes (I remove the stem end and puree them in my blender, skin and all)
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
3 Tablespoons Parsley Flakes
1 teaspoon Basil
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Pepper
6 teaspoons Salt
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 chopped Onion

Combine in a large stock pot. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir in 1 - 12 oz can of Tomato Paste. Cook 30 minutes more (or longer) until sauce thickens to your liking.

Yields 7 pints of spaghetti sauce

ENJOY!!

Well … almost a month later I’m finally back to blog again!  A rather nasty case of the flu which morphed into strep throat knocked me off my feet for longer than I liked.  Why is it that I can’t bounce back as quickly as my kids do?

So you might be wondering how homeschooling is affected when the main teacher (aka mom) is sick in bed.  While some creative souls may use it as a learning opportunity (picture a field trip to the doctor, kids lining up to peer down mom’s throat, book reports on the history of modern medicine) I’m just not of that caliber.  I want people to serve me cold milkshakes or warm soup, cover me with a warm blanket and rub my feet.  And then leave me alone! I suspect reality is somewhere in the middle.

I do find that whenever I’m out of commission, we see both the best and worst come out in our family.  I’m always surprised by, and incredibly grateful for, how caring and available my kids and husband are.  I’m also very aware of just how little dirt and clutter bothers everyone in this family but me!  So yes, mom’s illness definitely becomes a learning experience for all of us.  I especially learn patience and a dependence on God like no other experience can generate.  My kids get to put to use those cooking and cleaning skills we’ve worked on all year long.  And I suspect my husband is reminded how much he appreciates going “off” to work somewhere!

And you know … homeschooling goes on.  Even mom’s sickness is a time for education.  Not of the academic kind necessarily, but definitely in practical life skills.  It’s also an opportunity to see just how well kids can work and learn independently.  So when life “happens” … even if it means that mom is side-lined for a bit, don’t despair that your chldren will fall behind.  See it as an opportunity for a different kind of “school”.