The Heart of a Child

As I officially embark on my second year of home schooling, I am reminded of one of my main reasons for continuing this experience: the heart of my children.

Last year, my children and I were great at working through our choice of curriculum. However at the end of the year, I felt like I had minimized the effort and time put into instilling God's truths into their hearts.

During this past summer the phrase "Lessons are caught, not taught" kept crossing my path. It's not scripture, but it sure got me thinking.

The most important lessons that I want my kids to catch are the one's about their relationship with God. But the question is, how do these types of lessons get caught? After pondering for a time, the answer became clear:

How I live out my relationship with God (along with my husband) is huge in helping our children "catch" this type of learning.

During this upcoming school year my goal is to become more conscious of how God is present throughout each day. I want Him to filtrate through general conversation. I want His truths to be acknowledged through what we view and read. I want my family to begin seeing others and the world around them through His eyes. Hmmm... it sounds like some pretty big lessons are in store for us.

Young Naturalists' Club of BC

The Young Naturalists' Club of BC is an environmental action program for children ages 5-14. There are many BC communities that provide this club to families. To see if there is a YNC near you, click here: YNC

Children will discover "nature in their own neighbourhoods, explore local ecosystems, learn about native wildlife and plants and take part in environmental actions to protect their habitat."

A family membership for a year is $15 and includes: a welcome pack, explorer days (fieldtrips), awards, and a quarterly subscription to NatureWILD magazine.

It sounds like a great opportunity to encourage some nature lovin' within your family!

Here is the link to the Young Naturalists' Club of BC website: YNC Home Page

Mrs. Holder's Top 10 Tips for a Successful Homeschooling Year!

1. Choose a Homeschooling Scripture ~ Scripture is filled with tons of encouragement for the homeschooling family. Choose a scripture that fits into your goals and heart’s desires for this upcoming school year. A scripture that I have had in the past is: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap”. ~ Galatians 6:9

2. Write out your Homeschooling Convictions ~ On a recipe card write out your reasons for homeschooling your child. Place the card on your fridge or inside your kitchen cupboard door for easy access on those days when you need a reminder of why you have chosen to homeschool.

3. Pray for Daily Grace ~ Homeschooling is filled with blessings, but can sometimes be challenging and tiring. Thank goodness that God is bigger than all of our weaknesses. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” ~ 2 Cor. 12:9

4. Take Some Time for a Devotional ~ A great way to start your day is with focusing on God, either with a personal or a family devotion. Make it a part of your homeschooling routine.

5. Read Books from Veteran Homeschoolers ~ One of my favourite ways to get inspired is to read a great book from someone who has already travelled the road of parenting and homeschooling before me. Some of the authors that I have enjoyed in the past include: Ruth Beechick, Ted Tripp, Sally Clarkson, and Jessie Wise. Most of these authors also have great websites that can be an encouragement to you throughout the school year.

6. Plan with Flexibility ~ This is one of my biggest challenges – I tend to plan too much and then feel pressured to complete it all. I am learning the art of picking and choosing and letting go.

7. Guide with Gentleness and Encouragement ~ When your levels of frustration and stress start rising, stop whatever you are doing and come alongside your child with a gentle word and a helpful spirit. Nothing can calm a stressful situation quicker than a softly spoken word. “[E]ncourage one another and build each other up”. ~ 1 Thess. 5:11

8. Make Changes – It’s okay! ~ There’s a quotation that says, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” If something in your homeschooling paradigm is not working, then pray about it and make changes. Take time to assess how you and your child are doing and keep your eyes and ears open for ideas and resources that can help make your homeschooling experience the best that it can be for your family.

9. Find some Quiet Time ~ Schedule quiet time into your day. Right after lunch can be a good time for everyone to find a comfy corner and spend some time reading, resting or reflecting – that means mom and dad too!

10. Be Joyful and Have Fun! ~ Homeschooling is a huge blessing. Delight in the specialness of everyday moments that you and your child get to experience together. “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” ~ Psalm 90:12

Baby O' Mine

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Journal Writing ~ Fruit of the Spirit

Journal writing is strongly encouraged for Grades 2 and 3 students. Grade 1 students are welcome to start participating in journal writing once they are able.

Throughout the 2009-10 school year I will be providing journal writing ideas relating to the Fruit of the Spirit. These journal ideas will be posted on this blog near the beginning of each month. Throughout the month feel free to pick and choose from my journaling ideas or to design some of your own. (The Fruit of the Spirit journal writing ideas for September are provided at the bottom of this post.)

Please note: Last year I provided journals for students to use. However, this year I am leaving the journal choice up to you. For students who like to include drawings with their journal entries, you may consider providing a Hilroy notebook that has the pages split in half with a blank space on the top and lines on the bottom.

********************************
Some Other Journaling Thoughts ...
Journaling should be a joy, not a burden. Usually at the end of the year your child will delight in going back through his/her entries.

Journaling should be flexible. You are welcome to implement journal writing in whichever way you see fit. Below are some ideas to encourage a variety in your child's journaling:

Copy Work ~ Have your child copy quality literature into his/her journal. "Quality Literature" may include scripture, poems, quotations, hymns, etc.

Journal Prompts ~ Provide an idea or prompt for your child to write about in his/her journal. Some journal prompts can be found here: Journal Prompts

Shared Writing ~ This process is accomplished by passing the journal back and forth between the parent and child. Each participant takes a turn to add to the journal entry until both concede that the entry is complete. A more interactive way of writing!

Personal Journaling ~ Journal writing can be a very personal experience. Your child may desire to use his/her journal to record words and images that are meaningful just to him/her. Ideas may include: writing out goals, hopes, dreams, birthday lists, responses to changes in his/her life, drawing images from a vacation or outing, etc.

********************************


Fruit of the Spirit ~ September Journaling ~ LOVE

Copywork ~ Have your child copy the following scripture into his/her journal:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." ~ Galatians 5:22,23a

Copywork ~ Love Scripture ~ "Let us love one another, for love is of God." ~ 1 John 4:7

Music and Journaling ~ Choose a worship song from your own music collection that talks about God's love or loving one another. Play the song once and have your child listen and move to the worship music. Play the song a second time and have your child draw a picture in his/her journal to represent the song. Encourage your child to write a sentence at the bottom of the journal entry that describes his/her drawing.

Webbing, Charting, or Listing ~ Have your child brainstorm words and phrases that are descriptive of LOVE. Encourage your child to record ways that he/she could show love to others. (Here is an example of a web layout: Webbing)

Prayer Journal ~ Have your child write a prayer asking God to help him/her to demonstrate love to others.

Love Response ~ Throughout the month encourage your child to record, through drawing and/or writing, ways that he/she has demonstrated love to family, friends, neighbours, and strangers.