Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart

"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children."  Deuteronomy 6:6-7

These words clearly instruct that God's word should be committed to memory and passed on from generation to generation.  Committing portions of scripture to memory is vital in retaining knowledge of the scriptures.

In Psalm 1 and Joshua 1:8 share that prosperity and success in life come from scripture memorization, as it creates familiarity with God's word and causes the learner to meditate upon the principles of God which promote these things.

Memorization takes discipline, and that can become tedious if not handled with some creative care.  A teacher-mom or dad can help speed along the process of memory work by building fun and interest into the process.   In her book, Building Your Child's Faith,  Alice Chapin outlines some great techniques for accomplishing this.  She recommends:

*Set up contests between adults and kids.  Offer fun prizes.  Draw up a "contract."  For instance, if the kids memorize the verses more quickly than the adults, the adults will take out the trash for a week.  But if the adults memorize them first, the kids will do the supper cleanup for a week.  Be sure to sign the contract to make it official!

*Help little children learn by repetition.  Review while rocking, bathing, and playing with them.  Repeat while driving or waiting in line at the grocery store.

*Post current memory work on the refrigerator, closet door, or kitchen bulletin board.  Or stretch a "clothesline" and clothespin verses for the month to it.

*Have memory charts.  Award stickers, stars, or seals for each learned verse, prizes for every five stickers.

*Purchase a Scripture songbook, and sing Bible verses right into the minds of the family.  Or make your own music for favorite verses.

*Use flannel-graph letters or verse flashcards.  Mix up letters and words, and take turns straightening them out.

*Write the verse on a chalkboard.  Take turns erasing one word at a time.  Repeat the whole verse after each erasure.

*Print different verses on 5x8 cards,  Cut each card into pieces.  Put the pieces for each verse in an envelope.  Pass out the envelopes, and use a timer to see who can put the verse-puzzle together the most quickly.  Have each member read his or her assembled verse.

*Let the leader begin quoting a verse, stopping after every few words to ask another person to add the next four words, or two words, and so on.  Have a stick of gum or a lollipop ready for the first person to identify where the verse is located.

*Let the small children use magic markers to print the verse of the week on sheets of construction paper.  Add stickers or magazine pictures and use for placemats at dinner.  

*Give each youngster an empty photo album with see-through plastic pages.  Insert weekly memory cards for an individual record of verses learned and for easy private review.

*Once in a while assign short Scripture verses to be memorized by the following day.  Celebrate completion of the assignment with a yummy treat.

Cupboard Door Learning

Alice Chapin has written a book filled with creative ways to stimulate interest in Bible study.  She includes many encouraging and practical suggestions for creating a nurturing home environment.  Many of her ideas teach not only Biblical truths, but encompass daily life and learning.  Here's one of her ideas that can help encourage learning on all levels.


"Keep a constant round of new things posted on the cupboard or refrigerator door.  Quotes from the Bible or well-known Christian leaders human interest items, and cartoons all work well.  As long as you keep changing them, your family will keep noticing." 


Great idea!  Post it notes and a marker, magnetized letters used to create words, or letters and words cut out of a magazine and glued onto construction paper to express a thought can provide colorful, attention capturing verses and quotes that will help you to instruct and teach.  Spark an interest by using words posted in strategic places throughout your home.

*Building your Child's Faith by Alice Chapin

Growing Children Naturally

It is natural for parents to want the best for a child.  So many resources are available which can help them grow and develop.  Opportunities range from classes in baby gymnastics, to early childhood music lessons, and instruction in how to teach your baby to read.  Although intentions are good, sometimes efforts to provide the best for a child are counterproductive.  Children grow naturally, and a parent who is in tune with their child and their individual pace and abilities will find a rhythm in instruction that best understands what the child needs.  Pushing too fast or in an unnatural way can cause frustration, stress, and missed developmental opportunities.  Thelma Beem in The Dignity of a Child states that forced growth is seldom beneficial to plant or animal.  Natural development is beautiful at every stage of the process.  Children are no exception to this law of growth.  The book, Education, speaks of this concept as well.  "Children should not be forced into a precocious maturity, but as long as possible should retain the freshness and grace of their early years.  The more quiet and simple the life of a child, the more free from artificial excitement and the more in harmony with nature, the more favorable it is to physical and mental vigor and to spiritual strength."  Children are only children once.  Give time time to savor the precious years of childhood, allowing for learning through life around them.  Through daily work, service to others, walks in nature, innocent play, and lessons by a parent's side, children can experience the full benefit of natural growth.  This natural growth will help them excel in all areas of development.

Prayer for a Homeschool Mother

Lord God Almighty, I commit (homeschool mother) into your care and safekeeping. May your ministering angels watch over her. I place her hand in yours with the confidence that comes from knowing that you will take good care of your property.


You said, Lord, that you would be a wall of fire round about her, and that you will be the glory in the midst of her. Praise your name.


The angel of the Lord encamps around all those who fear you, and you deliver them. Assign a guardian angel to (homeschool mother), Lord, so that no evil will befall her. Protect her from the evil one.


I lift up (homeschool mother) to you and I ask you to watch over her like a mother hen watches over her chicks and a shepherd watches over his sheep. Teach (homeschool mother) that he who dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. You are her fortress. May she learn to trust in you implicitly.


Cover her with your feathers so that under your wings she will safely trust. Let your truth become her shield and buckler so that she will not be afraid for the terror by night nor the destructions that wastes at noonday.


Bless (homeschool mother) with a knowledge of your presence, Lord. Let (homeschool mother) know that when she calls upon you, you will answer her. You will be with her in trouble. You will deliver her and honor her. Satisfy her with long life and show her your salvation.


Author unknown

Developing Social Graces

How do children learn social graces?  It is by our example and emphasis of the manners and of that which is thoughtful and appropriate by which our children develop positive social skills. We should model to them kindness, thoughtfulness, tact, forgiveness, generosity, and love which is for others.  It is a parent's responsibility to teach them how to stand tall, listen closely, and to speak graciously.

Live wisely among [others] and make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.  Col 4:5

Recipe for Homeschool Teaching

Recipe for Homeschool Teaching


The requirements are not complex.


Parents need only be loving, responsive, and reasonably consistent, and salt these qualities with a little imagination, common sense, and willingness to follow a few simple suggestions.


Don't worry about the opinions of neighbors who don't know or care about the real needs of children.  Just be kind to them.


Have your children be helpful in your home and in the neighborhood.  Visit the old and infirm and ill.  Do favors for others without asking any in return.


Teach all your waking moments, as models to your offspring.


Work with your children doing physical tasks.  Teach them practical skills and the nobility of work.  By precept and example, teach manners and social graces.


Use academic materials from excellent sources, teaching formally two or three hours a day.


Apply the golden rule.  Remember that home is its finest nest.  It is the person who understands this well who is the most able creator of a family school.


~ Formula from Dr. Raymond Moore in Home-Spun Schools ~
~ Photo:  Katie ~

Family Activities for Summertime

Summer can be a busy time.  Family vacations, tending gardens, canning and freezing fruits and vegetables, swimming lessons, and more take up our days.  For most homeschool families, the pace of home education changes during this time.  Even for those who school year-around, the more traditional academics are usually set aside while my active pursuits take precedence for education.  Even though we are busy with our children during these days, sometimes individual time and attention can be lost unless specific attention is given to spending time doing things together that promote communication and togetherness.  In her book, Survival for Busy Women, Emilie Barnes shares a list of ideas that promote planned family events.  She suggests that these be combined with a family conference (discussion time where family issues are discussed) on a weekly basis.  Here are some of her suggested activities:


*Make a collage on love.
*Make and fly kites.


*Assemble a puzzle.
*Write and produce a play.


*View family movies or videos.
*Have family celebrations.


*Exercise together.
*Have a make-up party.


*Have a fix-it night.
*Make a terrarium.


*Write letters to grandparents.
*Cook and bake.


*Make and sail a boat.
*Play board games.


*Tell stories.
*Put on a puppet show.


*Go on picnics.
*Model clay.


*Ride bicycles.
*Play charades.


*Visit a farm.
*Have discussions and debates.


*Have a fire drill.
*Make Christmas ornaments and candles.


Emilie Barnes shares that a list of family activities is limited only by our imagination!  These times play a valuable part in establishing harmony, respect, and pride in the family unit.

A Spiritual Garden

First, plant six rows of peas:

Pardon
Patience
Preparedness
Promptness
Politeness
Perseverance

Then plant four rows of squash:

Squash criticism
Squash gossip
Squash laziness
Squash indifference

Next plant six rows of lettuce:

Let us be faithful
Let us be loyal
Let us be unselfish
Let us be truthful
Let us love one another
Let us read our Bible

No garden is complete without turnips:

Turn up with a smile
Turn up with a testimony
Turn up with a real concern
Turn up with a willing spirit
Turn up with encouragement

Planting instructions:

Plow the furrows of the heart deeply and water daily with the tears of heartfelt prayer. Note: due to the ideal climate in which we live, these seeds can be planted at any time of the year. Plant where they are exposed to the Son.

Author unknown

Animal Alphabet Game

 Grandpa shares a picture from his vacation.

In the age of information and technology, many resources are available to homeschool families.  These resources assist in education.  Computer, iPads, smart phones, X-boxes, Play Stations, and other electronic gadgets can be used to teach anything from reading and math facts to providing practice for eye-hand coordination.  The typical home life of most families has changed with these new technologies.  But, technology can bring isolation, even when together in a group.  Interaction through planned activities is encouraged in an effort to bring families together in a positive way.  Although they can be considered "old fashioned", planned family activities like the one below can be fun, educational, and interesting.  Why don't you give it a try?  Adapt the game rules to fit the ages and abilities of family members.


ANIMAL ALPHABET GAME


1.)  Use index cards and a marking pen.  Write one letter of the alphabet on each card.  Shuffle the cards.


2.)  Have each family member draw a card from the stack.


3.)  Discuss the letter each person chose.  Practice making the sound the letter represents.  Have the person who drew the card write the letter in upper and lower case (or trace the pattern with a finger or draw in sand with a stick).


4.)  The person who draws the card thinks of an animal that begins with the letter they draw.  Each person in the family chooses an animal whose names starts with the letter they drew.


5.)  Using nature books, encyclopedia, or the Internet, have each child research the animal they selected.    Each person should share (orally):


a.  name of animal
b.  where the animal lives/habitat
c.  tell what features make it unique; describe how it looks
d.  what are the eating habits of the animal
e.  describe the typical habits of this animal, both day and night
f.  what is the origin of the animal; what country can it be found?  identify on a world map
g.  tell how this animal protects itself?  who are it's enemies?
h.  what are the off-spring of this animal called?  what are the babies like?

6.)  After sharing about animal, have the others ask questions about the research done.  


7.)  Go around the circle, having each family member sharing their research.


Follow up activity:  color a picture of the animal; read a book about the animal; find a poem or verse about the animal; write a story; draw a sketch; draw a map of the country where it lives.  Make a giant collage, using the pictures and information shared about the animal each person researched.

Understanding Cognitive Development

Cognitive development is a process dependent upon interaction between the individual and his learning environment. Within reason and without strain, the child should be matched with the learning tasks most suitable for him at a given age. We would not expect a child to run before he can walk. In the same manner, we must also know when he is ready to learn various intellectual or cognitive tasks.  

By understanding the cognitive development of the young child, we can avoid pressuring him to learn something before he is ready or missing the golden moment when he is ready.

Dr. Raymond Moore in School Can Wait

A Creature of the Creator

"Man was created in the image of a Creator.  Man was created that he might create.  It is not a waste of man's time to be creative.  It is not a waste to pursue artistic or scientific pursuits in creativity, because this is what man was made to be able to do.  He was made in the image of a Creator, and given the capacity to create - on a finite level of course, needing to use the materials already created - but he is still the creature of a Creator."

~Edith Schaeffer ~  

Nature Provides Object Lessons

Nature provides many object lessons that can be taught in the homeschool.  Values and principles can be taught and reinforced by looking at things around us in nature.  Character traits can be developed as children relate nature's objects with the choices they make and how they choose to live.  Here is one activity that can be used as an object lesson from nature:


The Faith of a Mustard Seed


Buy whole mustard seeds at a health food store.  Fill a small, clear jar with them and add a lid.  Sit down with your children and look at the jar of mustard seeds.  Pass it around and observe the size of the seeds.  Open the jar and give each child one seed.  Discuss how the seed looks and feels.  Let them taste the seed and chew on it if desired.  Drop a seed and see if it makes a sound.  Have the children describe it in detail.


Then look up Matthew 17:20.  In the NIV version of the Bible it says:  He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Ask the children to tell what they think this verse means.  Talk about literal meanings and analogies.  Discuss.


Find examples in nature that illustrate what the verse is trying to teach.

1.   By faith birds...(build nests, migrate, etc.)
2.   By faith squirrels...(gather nuts, walk along high wires)


3.   By faith bears...(hibernate, protect their cubs)
4.   By faith raccoons...(wash their food)


5.   By faith dogs...(protect and be a companion)
6.   By faith bees...(     )


7.   By faith chicks...(     )
8.   By faith ducks...(     )

9.   By faith whales...(     )
10. By faith we...(are saved by grace)


Conclusion:  Like the animals, we should "do" the action first.  The action is faith.  Then we should "expect" a response.  The A,B,C's of prayer where we ask, believe, and claim is a concrete way in which our faith can be put into action.


Activity:  Find pictures of a mustard seed and of a mustard plant that is blooming.  Plant a mustard seed and observe how it grows.  Guess how many seeds are in the jar and then count them.  Write a descriptive paragraph about mustard seeds and relate it to having faith.


Although this lesson is likely a part of a class in character development or Bible, this theme could be expanded upon to create a mini-unit study that incorporates other areas of the curriculum.  How many subject areas can you think of that could be included in this lesson?

CrEAtiViTY Found in Nature

As homeschool parents, we generally think of nature study as a way to learn about science, or to learn about God through it, His second book.  Sometimes we view time in nature as a means for recreation and physical activity.  But this time can also provide impetus for creativity!  Nature study can produce creative results, stimulates creativity, and refreshes ideas.  It becomes a means of creating and achieving artistic expression.  Nature as a means of creative expression requires time that is spent in quietness and observation.  It is a time that happens without motors and gadgets.  A good pair of walking shoes, binoculars, a sketch pad and pencil, a bottle of water, and a small backpack to carry things in are the only resources needed.  Hiking through fields and meadows, climbing mountain trails, observing on the ocean shore, and meandering along a stream or river provide opportunity to gather, collect, and observe.  The process brings refreshment to the tired and weary, eliminating the stresses of daily life.  Even children find respite from daily stress as they spend time in nature.

How does nature observation provide a means to creativity?  It stimulates creativity in many ways.

*Nature contains every color palette ever created.  Complimentary,
analogous, and monochromatic color schemes can all be found with a
little effort and an impromptu treasure hunt.

* Nature provides a plethora of ideas for creative writing.  Subjects
can be found for story, verse, or poem simply by looking around.

* Nature shows variable subjects for sketching and watercolor.

* Nature presents objects for sculpture.  A collection of rocks,
twigs, dried plants, and sand can be glued together to make
magnificent displays.

* Nature brings many things that work together to create a centerpiece
or focal point for a space indoors.  Twigs, rocks, moss, and flowers
can create whimsical scenes on the kitchen table.

*  Nature is a perfect place to practice photography.  Waiting quietly
for a bird or animal to come near, or staging a scene, give the
participant quiet time in nature as creative abilities are enhanced.

The opportunities nature provides are endless!  Children can gather rocks, leaves, flowers, bark, and sand.  Or they can search for feathers, arrowheads, egg shells, and nests.  They can draw what they see.  They can tell about their observations by writing in a journal.  When they "glass" what they see with binoculars or scope their perspective changes.  Children can build forts or blinds.  They can observe wild animals, birds, tadpoles, frogs, salamanders, and snakes.  They can picnic on a point, or build sandcastles on the beach.  They  can sleep in a tent in the woods, or hike trails and post markers along the way.  Every experience in nature replenishes the soul and stimulates the creative aspects of the brain.

God created a universe that is personal, alive, vibrant, and ever changing.  As we experience it with our children, we reinforce appreciation for Earth and the creativity it fosters in each being who takes the time to notice it.  Through experiences in nature our children gain a better understanding of an infinite God as He speaks to the soul.

Nature and Creativity

"It is in nature, among the things which God has created, designed and brought forth himself, that we are in the most natural atmosphere to be inspired. Creative ideas are apt to flow in the midst of the creativity expressed in God's creation, as one is temporarily from the confusion of conflicting voices..." 

The Hidden Art of Homemaking Page 169 - 170

Homemade Bubbles

Homemade Bubbles


1 pint soap flakes (not detergent)
2 tablespoons glycerin
1 pint water


Stir ingredients together.  Heat mixture, then shake and strain.  Cool.  Store in a covered jar until ready to use.

Photo:  Linda, Levi, Alma, and Katie