Home Education ~ Two More Questions

In my last post, I sought to answer the first 
of three questions my friend had asked about home education.

This post addresses questions two and three.

Question Two ~ What Curriculum do you use?

Answer ~ Over the years we have tried many different curricula.

I have *loved* a few, strongly disliked some, 
and never got around to using others.

Interesting how that works, isn't it?
I would caution any parent just beginning down the road 

of home education not to get carried away.

It is SO easy to do!  

My advice?  Don't buy up everything that appeals to you.
Just buy what you need, borrow what you can, and make do with the rest.
Take it one year at a time and enjoy the journey.

Last year, I shared some of my favourite resources on this blog ~
Click here if you wish to view that post.

Initially, the most important thing to do is to read,

and read, and read some more.

Try to get outside and enjoy some fresh air daily ~ exercise together.

Explore God's creation in the great outdoors and then come inside 
(or stay outside) and read about what you've discovered.
It's a great blessing to direct the attention of our children
to our Great God throughout the day. 
Make much of Him and His Word ~ you will never regret it.

Encourage creative play with sand, water, paint, etc.

Life really is one big giant classroom.  It's unlimited in its scope.  
There is so much to glean from just observing the order of it all.

Keep it simple.  In the early days, especially.

It's a wonderful thing to in-still a love of learning and discovery in your child.

There is no need to reproduce the classroom setting.

Learning takes place all the time.  In many ways.  Through many sources.

We maintained the idea that the basics were most important.

Establish in your child a love of reading.

Teach them to spell and write and figure numbers.

It's simple, really.  These are the basics.

Other things stem from that.
There will be a natural progression from the basics into the other subjects.
One thing very often does lead to another and another.
It's a beautiful thing, really.  :)

Science experiments are easily done in the kitchen or back yard.

History is learned about in books and through audio and visual media.
Your child may choose to demonstrate learning by acting it out.
Opportunities for art and music and sport can easily be incorporated into life.
It's not difficult to add things in, but, it can be challenging to remove them.
Build your home school carefully and thoughtfully.  You won't be sorry you did!

If things need to be tweaked, don't despair.
Each year of our home education journey we have changed 
at least one thing.  It's normal.  Even healthy.
But, if something is working well ~ don't change it!
Rejoice that you have found what works for you and enjoy it.

Question Three ~ How do you connect with other home school families?

Answer ~ Oh, the ways and means are so varied!
How wonderful it is that, should you choose to travel this path,
there are many that have gone before, and many will be on the road with you.
There are local homeschool groups that can be joined.
They will have a variety of programs available for both parents and children.
There will be field trips and mom's groups and support for all manner of concerns.
The opportunities are endless...you may avail yourself to all of it or none of it.

We are linked to a school that has many parents who like to do
field trips and outings throughout the school year.
There are times we have opted in or out depending on the season
we found ourselves in as a family.



Another option is to build your own circle of friends through
meeting other moms on outings such as these.  
I have friends who met weekly for a number of years
when their children were small.
It was a wonderful support group for them all.

God is Good.  He supplies our every need.
He will be Faithful to supply the needs of our children as well.
Each year, it seems, those needs will have a way of changing.
One thing to keep in mind as we home educate our children
is to recognise that things will not stay the same.  Life changes.
We must be flexible and go with the flow.
We ought to seek the Lord for wisdom through it all.

Trusting Him each step of the way!

With Love,
Camille

Home Education ~ Where Should We Begin?

I have a sweet friend who is interested in home education.

She is in the planning stages and has asked some questions.

I thought perhaps some of you might be wondering some of the same things.

That's why this post has been written ~ I trust it will be helpful.

First off, please let me share this thought ~
Home education is not necessarily for everyone.

I do not believe that it is a sign of ungodliness if you do not home educate.

There are godly parents in our circle of family and friends who

send their children to both public schools and private schools.

We do not intend our views on these things to be taken as judgement

on what they have chosen before the Lord to do in their own families.

It really is a decision that we each must come to 

through much prayer and waiting on the Lord.

It's not an easy one.  Especially in this day and age.

We all desire the best for our children.

For us, the best included home education.

For others, it means public or private school or a combination of both.

We answer to the Lord for the choices we make,

not for the choices others make.
They do not answer to us, and we do not answer to them.
On matters such as these, we must allow conscience to dictate.

How liberating this is!

Having established all the above, please know that this post
is meant to give answers to those who are looking for them.
It is not my intention to change the minds of those who
have already decided one way or the other.
I really do believe that these things are between you and the Lord.
I just had to clear the air on that.  :)

Question number one ~ Where should we begin?

Answer ~ With the Word of God and Prayer.

He is the One that will lead and guide and give wisdom.

We all ought to seek Him as to what He would have us to do,
and then, be willing to follow wherever He may lead.
If He leads us to home educate, He also will give the strength 
and grace that will be required day by day to carry it out.

Then, if the decision to commit to home education is made,

or, if you are still unsure of the way forward for your family ~
begin by getting your hands on a copy of this book.

I cannot recommend "When You Rise Up" by RC Sproul Jr. enough!

It is a wonderful book to revisit each year of the home 

education journey ~ it's just so affirming and encouraging.

Ask the Lord to guide you to those who have gone before
who you may glean from ~ this is so valuable.
Even if you are the only home educating family in your church
or neighbourhood, there will still be those who may be of assistance.
You may just have to get a little more creative in how you find them.  

The specific practical answer to the question is as follows
(assuming that prayer and seeking the Lord has taken place first) ~

In Canada, each Province has its own set of rules.

Apparently, it's like this in the States as well.  
In our Province, a child is to be registered with a school

by the time they are in grade one. 
It is not a requirement to register your student for Kindergarten.

However, you may register or even enroll them for that year
if that is your preference.

There are basically two types of home education streams in our Province.

Stream One ~ You just register your child and do your own thing.

In this stream, you are not accountable to anyone 
and do not have to submit anything.
You can be as structured or non-structured as you like.
No one will be checking up on you.
You keep your own records if you are interested in doing so.

Stream Two ~ You enroll your child with a school and 
are answerable for meeting learning outcomes 
as determined by the school board.
You receive a report card created for each child
based on work accomplished ~ this is done by your support teacher.

In this instance, you submit a portfolio of 
evidence for learning accomplished throughout the year.

Usually, this requirement is met by weekly contact 
with a support teacher via email and three larger portfolios at 
approximately three month intervals September to June.

Under the umbrella of the second stream,

there are three general ways of accomplishing your home education goals.

When your child is enrolled, you may choose from the three following options.

Option One ~ Fully online studies or live streaming of classes or DVD courses.

In these instances, a teacher is assigned to your child, and they do their work from home.
Your child would need his/her own computer as he/she would be on it much of the time.
The parent acts as a facilitator, but, is not required to teach the child.  
The parent is there to help the child, and the teacher helps them both.
There are many schools and curricula to choose from to fulfill this option.



Option Two ~ Fully Individualised Course of Study.

In this instance, the parents choose the curriculum.
There are literally thousands of options in this department.
You work with the teacher assigned to you from the school you choose to enroll
with to facilitate the needed outcomes for each year of school.  
There are many, many ways to fulfill these demands in creative ways.
In this option, the parents are the ones facilitating and guiding the course of study.
This has been the option we have used for most of our children's education ~
especially in the elementary years.

Option Three ~ Integrated Course of Study.

In this instance, the parents choose some of the curriculum, as above,
and the child is also enrolled in some online courses.
This may be viewed as *the best of both worlds*,
in that the parents still have autonomy to decide what the child studies,
while making use of online support from teachers in various subject areas.
We have tended to use this option for the high school years.

A little while back, I did a series of posts covering 
some of our home education journey ~
The first in that series may be found by clicking here.
There are five posts to read...just follow the links from one to the next.

The following questions are answered in the next post ~ Click here to find it.
Question Two ~ What curriculum do you use?
Question Three ~ How do you connect to other home educating families?

May the Lord bless you all as you seek to follow Him
wherever He may lead.  He is Faithful!

Many Blessings,
Camille

The Rhythm of Our Days

School has begun in earnest.
We are currently in our seventh year of
home educating our children.
They are growing up so quickly!
Oh how I wish I had known it would be like this!

Yes. I was told.
Yes. I tell others.
And so it goes.

Do we all think it will always be the same,
and then it changes?
Life can be funny. Don't you think?
 

As I type this, Fraser is playing the piano.
Emma is clattering in the kitchen making cookies.
Austin is at Grandpa's doing a wood working project.
Calvin is at the airport taking photos of airplanes.
Howie is painting.

 It's Saturday.

 The rhythm of life alters for these lazy/crazy weekend days.
During the week it's a different story.
We are busy. Life is busy. But, it's good.
 

It's all good.

 Austin is in Grade 12 and Calvin is in Grade 10/11.
They do much of their work online.
They hope to go on for further studies beyond high school.
We seek the LORD for what HE has planned.
This year they are working in the office space with Howie.

 It was part of the switching up we did.

 Fraser and Emma have their own little space with me.
It's been a blessing to get back to some of the basics with them.
Just like it was in the early days with Austin and Calvin.

We've come full circle.

 We open the day with private devotional times.
Emma still has hers with me.
Then breakfast, clean up, and a run/walk at the beach.
We return home for academics after having burned off some energy!

The mornings are reserved for English and Math.



Fraser and Emma take piano lessons, so practicing must be done.
Quiet reading hour is reserved for the end of the school day,
it's meant to be done at the same time after lunch ~
usually between 2:00 and 3:00.

 I'm doing Science and History with
Fraser and Emma together this year.
It's more fun that way.
 We are seeking to fit these subjects in twice per week.
Each evening after dinner we gather for family worship.

And so it goes ~ The Rhythm of our Days.

 God is a God of order.
We seek to keep order in our home.
Does it come easy? Sometimes. And sometimes not.
Do I follow *the plan* perfectly? Not always.

But, God's Grace is always sufficient.
And HE is always there.
"And tomorrow is always fresh...
with no mistakes in it yet."
(From "Anne of Green Gables" by Lucy M. Montgomery)

 What a blessing!

 With Love, Camille

Faith-Building Stories for Kids

I've been using these

books for devotional times
with Emma.
We read the suggested passage
of Scripture and discuss it.
The stories provide further
opportunity for teaching
and encouragement.

The boys have,
at one time or another,
used them too.

The stories are based on
true events and are
encouraging and uplifting.
They often reveal something
Great about our
Wonderful Saviour.

He truly is Great.


This "Building on the Rock"
series of books would
make a wonderful gift.
It would also be a great
addition to any home library.


Click Here to find them on
Christian Book Distributors.
At the bottom of the page of the link provided,
you will find the books listed individually
for purchase separately.


We are thankful that
they were given to us! :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

**I am not compensated in
any way for this review ~
I share because these books
have been a blessing in our own home.

Homeschool Favourites

Getting Started in home education?  Want some idea of where to begin?
I was asked (via email) by two friends of mine a similar question.
And so, this post was born.

Six years ago, we began our own journey in home education.
The home school world was SO BIG.
And it still is.

We sought to keep things simple.
We tried to refrain from doing everything all at once.
Initially, we thought it was a good idea to stick with the basics.
As time went on on, we were able to add more things to our repertoire.
We also found that some things were not necessary,
and we discontinued them.

It was (and is) a process. :)

"When you Rise Up" is a *must read* for
any Christian homeschool family.
If you are beginning your own homeschool journey,
I would encourage you to prayerfully read this book!

It is SO encouraging!


The LORD is Faithful.  If you belong to Him,
He will guide you.

I found it very encouraging to know that there are many options.
It was also a comfort to realise that I could change from 
one curriculum to another, if necessary.

What a relief!
And what a blessing!

A gracious friend allowed me to copy what she was doing with her children.
She gave me links and suggestions.
As you may (or may not) know,
there are M.A.N.Y. ways to home educate.
No two home school families are carbon copies of each other.
And that is good.  Variety, after all, is the spice of life.

Over the years, I have gathered some of my own favourites.
You will find links to many of them within this post.
If you are just beginning, and you have young ones,
these are a few of the resources we use.


We have been thrilled with our elementary math program.
Professor B Math demystifies many of the concepts
I struggled with as a child.
Click Here to get to the home page of their site.

It, however, does not cover the *extras*
such as measurement, geometry and graphing.
Those aspects of the child's math program would need to be
taught by using supplementary resources.
We have not found this to be a problem at all.

Answers in Genesis seeks to defend the
Biblical account of creation from a scientific stand point.
We have found many of their resources to be such a great
blessing to our family over the years.


Click Here to view the
Biblically sound Science curriculum we
have used for the elementary and
junior high school years in our home.

I *love* this program for spelling ~
It's been such a blessing to know
that the children are kept on track by it.
And they learn to spell! :)

Emma Serl's Language Lessons for the elementary grades
truly are wonderful! We are enjoying them immensely.

Excellence in Writing is a terrific resource for those
who want their children to learn to write well.
It is something that I have turned to for each of our
children along this homeschool journey.
They have a variety of products at a variety of levels.

History lessons are a real pleasure with "The Story of the World"
by Susan Wise Bauer.  Click Here to find the first book of the series.
We all gathered around on the school room couch in the
early days and the children listened as I read.
I have happy memories of that
special time spent learning together.
She does include the legends and stories from various 
cultures from around the world ~ it's always best to be in tune
with what is going into your child's mind.
These books are a pleasure, but, they do require discernment.

If you are interested in reading a little of the
*why* behind our decision to home educate our children,
please Click Here.

And, if you are not just beginning,
and you are happy with what you are using....don't change!
Enjoy the benefits and blessings that come with continuing to use
what is working well for you! :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I am not compensated in any
way for these recommendations.
These products have been used
successfully by us in our home,
and I delight in sharing them with you.

Paper Route ~ A History

We have lived on our street
for over 17 years.
When the children were little,
I observed the paper route
family as they dutifully delivered
week after week.

Two papers per home.
Twice per week.

One family was employed
by both papers.
They were delivered
on the same days
to the same homes.

I was intrigued.

As they passed by our home,
on occasion, I let it be known
that if they were ever going
to give up the route,
we would be interested.

At the time,
our children were very young.
If I remember correctly,
Emma was just a newborn.
She may not even have been a
part of the family yet ~
I cannot recall.

But, I could see the potential.
And, I was right! :)

It was something the children
and I could do together.
The routes were
eventually given up.

But, not to us.
Two papers.
Two different families.

And I was back to square one.

This time around,
I called the papers
and got my name on the list.
If ever the routes should become vacant,
we were in line for the take-over.

It took time.
First, one paper became available.
And then, about six months later,
the other one.

Seven years ago this June
was when we began.
Austin was 10 years old,
Calvin was 8, Fraser was 5,
and Emma was 3.

It was busy.

But, we did it.
Together.
The five of us.
Rain, snow, hot sun, and
everything in between ~
We delivered.

And we saved.
I paid the children a small
amount each time,
and the rest was socked away.

After two years and four months,
we had enough money to
go on a family vacation.
All the way to Florida!

The children were very excited that
they were able to take
Daddy on a holiday!
Very excited ~
And so was I. :)

(Of course, travel rewards
were used and whatever we could
get for *free* was secured ~
BUT ~ the cash portion of the trip
was paid for with our paper route savings).

That was in 2008.

When we arrived home from
our holiday, the boys
took over the route as I was no
longer needed.

The boys were old enough to
do it all by themselves.
Emma was still too little.
Her paper route days were over.

Until recently.

Austin withdrew himself from
the roster last summer,
and Emma took his place.
(Thoroughly protected by her
brothers, of course)!

She's pleased to be able
to earn a little money again.
Actually, it's more than a little.
Since the children do it without my help,
they equally divide the proceeds.

It's a sweet deal.

Unfortunately,
that means I am out of work.
(Is a Mum every really
out of work)?!

Currently, I'm trying to
figure out a way to build up
my reserves ~ LOL!

Many Blessings,
Camille

Spelling Worries?

Spelling a struggle?
A Worry?

Having trouble remembering
all those *rules*
to teach to your children?
Looking for a program that
will cover all your bases?

The Phonetic Zoo
is a wonderful resource.
It has been a great program
for our family.

There are three levels ~
A, B, and C.
Level A begins with words such as either,
neither, and peacock.
Not really *beginner* words,
but it is where this program starts.

Emma is currently in grade four
and is working on the first list.

The third list is considered
high school level.

One of the greatest things about it
(in my opinion),
is that it is student-directed.
The student listens to a CD.
The words are given.
They write them down.
The correct spelling is dictated
to them as they mark their own work.
The rule of the program is
that they do not advance to the
next lesson until 100% is achieved.

It really works!
And it is not something
I have to worry about any more.
Yippee! :)
I hope you enjoy it as
much as we do.

Click Here
to get to the Phonetic Zoo website.

Happy Spelling!
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I just share what
works for us and what we like.
I am not compensated in any way.

Framework

I need a plan.
It's how I'm wired.

Framework.

I used to be opposed to the
alarm clock.
I would wake up at a reasonable
hour on my own.
Usually 7 AM.

But, not always.

Sometimes I slept in.
It was easy to let our schedule
fly out the window on those days.
The structure was gone.
Yes, we still got things done.
But, no one knew what to expect.

It felt horrible.

Hence, the need to revamp the system.
Revamp *the plan*.
My plan includes the alarm.
It has really been helpful.

It keeps me accountable.
Starting and ending
at the same time every day
is a BIG part of *the plan*.

Keeping it simple and
structured is imperative.

It's what works.
For me.

We homeschool.
Structure to our day is
so important.

Day after day.
The same.

My plan allows for flexibility.
Life happens.
I get that.
And there are seasons.
I get that, too.

But, as much as is possible,
*the plan* must be adhered to.

A time for rising.
A time for schooling.
Times for eating.
Times for exercise and worship.
Time for scheduled appointments,
work and play.
A time for resting.

A framework for the day.
Each day.

For me,
teaching is best done in the morning.
I have a block of time set aside for that.
Nothing is to interfere.
No chatting on the phone.
No computer work.
No appointments.

I need to be home.
And my mind must be too.

Afternoons are available
for appointments,
shopping and playing.

Liberty.
Freedom.
Peace.

We are all in various seasons.
My plan may not be what works for you.
Your *best* time to school might
be the exact opposite of mine.
(If you homeschool, that is).
Our days will be different from yours.
But, the principle is the same.

A plan is necessary to accomplish
what is necessary.

The goal?

A peaceful home.
Where we all know what to expect.
That we might bring Glory to God.
Each day.

By HIS Grace.

If you desire to implement a *plan*,
I would encourage you to pray.
Ask the LORD what HE would have you
keep and what HE would have you
eliminate from your schedule.
Ask your husband what his vision
for your home life is.
Together, make a plan.

And then,
be flexible.
Enjoy the life God has given you!
And live for HIS Glory!
Each day.

"But ye, brethren,
be not weary in well doing."
~ II Thessalonians 3:13 ~

Many Blessings,
Camille

Fabulous Resource!

F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S.

We *love* us some history around here!
Presented from a Biblical standpoint and
delivered in a wonderfully engaging way,
these history lessons are definitely NOT boring!

History is interesting.
As it should be.


Diana Waring's History Curriculum
is wonderful.
We listen in the van as we drive.
We will listen again and again and again.
There is SO MUCH to digest.
SO MUCH to learn.

It's a beautiful thing
to witness God's Hand throughout
the history of the world.
It's a beautiful thing to give
HIM glory for the intricacies of it all.

And we are in the midst of
HIS great plan.
HE is still at work.
HE is accomplishing all that
HE set out to do.

What a blessing it is
to belong to HIM!

Happy Studies!
Camille

The Syllabus Blues

Have you ever had them?
Do you know what they are?
I do.
First hand.

*The Syllabus Blues*

I'm recovering from a
moderate case of them.

Last night I was
in the midst.
And my Sweetheart listened.
And encouraged.
And calmed my worries.

He also countered the lies
I was telling myself.

It's true.
Things often do
look better in the morning.
Thankfully.

I think every Mum
at one point or another
second-guesses herself.

It's important to remind
ourselves what is true.
And remember what is truly
I.M.P.O.R.T.A.N.T.

Sometimes we need to
get back to the
B.A.S.I.C.S.

The LORD is Faithful.
HE leads us and gives us wisdom
as we seek HIM for it.

Are you in the midst of
your own version of the
*Syllabus Blues*?

Hold onto the Truth.
Go forward in HIS strength.
And in HIS Grace.

One day at a time.
Step by Step.
Moment by Moment.

May I encourage you to
seek the LORD for wisdom?
Seek HIM for the guidance you need
for the days that lie ahead.

I will too.

Many Blessings,
Camille

P.R.O.J.E.C.T.S.

What did we *DO* all Summer??

Well, we had some fun playing.

And, we had some fun working.

We all got in on the act.



One of the first things I did was

ask Howie to pick me up some of this...

To fix this...

Yes, I did it myself!

(Don't even ask how many rags I used up)! :)

And my Sweetie taught Calvin

how to do this...

And Calvin sanded most of it himself!

Emma got to try...

For about two minutes. :)

The finished deck...

(it's wet from being washed...

we didn't use a *high gloss* stain) :)

Meanwhile,

Austin did this...

And this...

Fraser and Emma tackled this...

And, after a LOT of this...

We got this (it's a lovely, creamy,

washable yellow).

Calvin did some of this...

To put into this...

Austin stacked and stacked and stacked...

Which my Dad built!

(Thank you Dad) ~ xo

My Treasures...





We are not always this productive in the Summer-time.

It seemed that MANY things needed attention

this year for some reason.

We are very thankful that we have

so many precious helpers! :)



Many blessings,

Camille

Just 10 Minutes A Day!

Our Fraser LOVES languages.

He is interested in everything from

Arabic to Hebrew to Chinese.





These books

have helped to satisfy his thirst for

knowledge in this area.

And at only *ten minutes a day*

they are perfect!

Fun and interactive.

Engaging and interesting.



He has tried different programs

(some were strictly computer based) ~

but, he keeps coming back to this system.





This is not a school requirement.

He is doing this *just for fun*.

Not to say that it could not be for school,

just to let you know how enjoyable they can be.



These books are *introductory* in nature ~

The goal being to equip the child

with the ability to converse simply

in the chosen language.





This was his response when I asked what he would

like to try next, and I quote ~



"Anything to do with Bilingual Books...

it's always good!"



Imagine this being said with a great deal of

animation and enthusiasm.

As I previously mentioned,

he LOVES languages!





What does the LORD have in store?

My Mama heart wells up with tears

at the thought of where this might lead.

But then, I have to remind myself that

he is only twelve and we do have a few years left

to care for him in our home...up close! :)



The LORD is so gracious with us

and never gives us more than we can bear.

HE will lead and guide and give

the grace for whatever it is HE

calls our children to do.

What a blessing to rest in that!



In the meantime,

we are encouraging this love

for learning these languages by giving

him the tools to explore them all!

But, not all at once...

maybe just one or two at a time. :)



May the LORD bless you

all as you seek to raise up your

children for HIS glory.

And may HE give us each the grace to

allow them to flourish in HIS World!



Many blessings,

Camille

Sweet Beginner Novels

Emma has been reading up a storm.
She seems to have been bitten by the
same bug as her Mummy was at that age.
What a blessing!

J.O.Y.

Some of the earliest novels I read featured
The Bobbsey Twins ~
two sets of twins in one family.

The stories are set in quieter days and portray a
loving family who make their own fun.
Emma has enjoyed meeting them and
the adventures they have are right in step
with her own imagination.
How lovely to be able to
share these with her!

Currently available are the first twelve books
from a much larger series.
If you can find any of these at used book stores,
snap them up, as they are treasures to build
any child's library with!


The Boxcar Children
are another series of books
that appeal to the younger reader.

I didn't grow up reading them,
but they have Emma's stamp of approval.
What I like about these books is that they were
written long ago and represent
many of the values we are seeking
to instill in our children.

One word of caution ~
I know that there are newer titles available and I am
not familiar with the quality of their stories.
They may be just fine, but in my experience,
there are times when a new author
comes along at a later date
to add to a series of books and
sometimes does not do the
original series justice.

What were some of your favourite
books growing up?
I'd enjoy hearing about them.
Please share!

Blessings,
Camille