When strong winds buffet a tree, it develops strong fiber and relies on its deep root system to withstand storms.  This is how we develop fortitude, persistence, and the strength of heart that enables us to meet adversity, pain, and persecution ... There is no greater challenge, no higher calling than to persist in the things of God. ~ William and Nancy Carmichael

A simple slideshow of beautiful learning taking place outside of the workbooks.

Have you celebrated your learning year in some way yet?  Blessings as you do ... 

Make a picture slideshow

Related Post: School Year Memories

So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thank to the Father ~ Colossians 1: 10~12

A few word thoughts to encourage us as we go through these final weeks of this learning year together ...

How to End Your Homeschool Year ~ "So, how to end this homeschooling year? Ask questions that lead you to celebrate, and not just evaluate the year."


Beautiful Things ~ "But today, could I suggest another way of evaluation?  Instead of relying on externals of achievement test scores or the affirmation of family & friends ... Pause, and review how you did beautiful things this year."

Teaching Tip Tuesday ~ Bringing the Rhythm of the Arts into the Home

I've read it before that every child is an artist.  Being intentional about art has become a priority.  Beauty in the mundane; a splash of colour in the routine.  It helps us to see beyond ourselves while offering glimpses into our deepest deep.  It fills our minds with excellence, and isn't that a part of the goal?

Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things. ~ Philippians 4:8

Language and numbers tend to top the ladder, but is it possible for the Arts to become a part of the daily meditations of the home?   A daily ebb and flow of the family's rhythm?

Discovering Art Within Your Home

Perhaps your home already abounds with the Arts?  Maybe on the walls, on the book shelf, in the closet, or in the basement?  Here are some ideas for finding the Arts right within the comforts of your own home:

Music:

~ Listen to song on CD, YouTube or Live 365 ~ play music during meal time, draw a song while listening, move to the beat or interpret through dance, use body percussion or homemade rhythmic instruments to play along.

~ Listen to and read about the Great Composers ~ great inspiration.

~ Use your library to gather songbooks, CDs, DVD, and books related to music.

~ Sing along.

~ Be intentional about joining the church choir or participating in Christmas and Easter concerts.

~ Be intentional about finding out about and attending concerts in your church and community.

Visual Art:

~ Hang art on the walls of your home.  Art from the great artists of the past can be sought out, framed, studied, and discussed as they decorate your home.

~ Choose art books from the library to lay out on your coffee table.  Choose books from the junior nonfiction section of your library and do a preview before bringing them into your home.

~ Gather art supplies and have them available to be used often.  Perhaps use a shower caddy to organize supplies and include an assortment of interesting materials.  The basics include: scissors, glue, felt pens, crayons, pencil crayons, watercolour paint, watercolour pencils, pastels, acrylic paint, construction paper, white paper, watercolour painting paper, etc....

~ Take note and photograph community art.  Stop and admire wall murals, mosaic tilings, sculptures, etc. that are often proudly presented within even small communities.

~ Visit your community art gallery.  

~ Introduce a handicraft to your child that can be worked on during quiet time or family read alouds.

Dance:

~ Move to a variety of music.

~ Watch the Nutcracker movie at Christmas.

~ Be intentional about attending a dance performance.

~ Tell a story through movement. 

~ Learn a folk dance to go along with a country that you are learning about.

Drama:

~ Bring out the dress up box and try to add new materials on a regular basis.

~ Practice playing ~ turn your living room into a Pet Shop, a Grocery Store, an Explorer's Ship, a Doctor's Office, a tent, etc.

~ Act out Bible stories.

~ Act out favourite picture book stories.

~ Be intentional about attending a dramatic performance.

~ Be intentional about participating in a church Christmas or Easter drama.

~ Make homemade puppets and retell stories or make up some new ones.

Integrating Art into the Rhythms of Learning

Perhaps blending the Arts with the learning that is already taking place is what creates peaceful rhythms in your home.  Here are some resource suggestions that take the Arts and weave them together with other learning:

Canada is for Kids Music CDs {Canada, Music}

Seasonal E-Books ~ Handbook of Nature Study {Science, Music, Art}

Nature Study ~ Five in a Row {Science, Language Arts, Music}

A Few More Resources to Help Add Art to Your Home

Music Ace Maestro

Classical for Kids

Worship Steps Dance Videos

How Great Thou Art ~ Art Curriculum

A Year in Art: The Activity Book

A Related Link:

Visual Art Helpers

A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul. ~ Johann Wolfgang con Goethe

Some word thoughts from Rachel Jankovic:

Mothering is a Calling {And Where Your Children Rank}

  A Sneak Peek:

Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.

Motherhood as a Mission Field 

  A Sneak Peek:

At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the people that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field.

Motherhood is Application 

  A Sneak Peek:

The good news is, you don’t need to have been through some elite mother’s training camp to apply the gospel in your life. You need to believe. Trust God, give thanks. Laugh. Believe — and that will feed your children.

Teaching Tip Tuesday ~ Spelling Simply

Can I make a quiet confession?  

I have never included spelling as a part of my children's curriculum.  I can't say that this is the "right" thing to do or not, but it is what I have done.

I've read a collection of thoughts on spelling and they differ, as so many learning philosophies seem to do. Knowing that my load in life was already quite full, I decided to choose what I considered the "easiest" of the methods and what seemed to fit our home better.  Some, with more skills than myself, would call this method natural spelling.

Natural spelling recognizes that spelling practice is actually occurring whenever your child is reading and writing.  It also discourages a child from practicing spelling words that he already knows and focuses on the words that he is struggling with.

I thought that I would sit myself in front of the camera and share with you how I am teaching spelling with my grade 3 daughter using the works of A.A. Milne.

Free slideshow design made with Smilebox

Other natural spelling strategies that are easy to implement:
*** Pay careful attention to your child when he is writing and take note of words that he is needing help with when spelling. Make a personalized spelling list of about 5-6 trouble words and have your child practice these words in a variety of ways until they are learned.  Fun ways to practice spelling include writing in rice, using a whiteboard or chalkboard, using magnet letters, using alphabet stamps, posting the words on the bathroom mirror for frequent viewing, and playing hangman.

*** Take note of words that may be from a word family.  For example, my daughter spelled "stair" like this: "star".  I recognized that she needed practice with the "air" word family.  So along with her spelling words, I shared with her other words that ended with "air" such as fair, chair, lair, pair, etc.

*** Give your child a spelling test that includes 50% of all written language.  This list is presented in Ruth Beechick's book The Three R's, but I have made a printable copy of it here: 50% of Written Language ~ Spelling Test.


Related Readings:
Homeschool {Natural Spelling} ~ @ Herban Homestead {This post recommends using Simply Spelling starting in grade 3.}

How to Teach Spelling ~ @ Anne's Coffee Break

Teaching Tip Tuesday ~ Spelling List of Resources