One of the many reason I love teaching my children at home

Today, Peter and I were studying phonics, going over the "when two vowels go a-walking, the first one does the talking, and he's usually saying his own name" idea.
I wrote down lots of words for him to sound out....boat, road, toad, goad, shoal, goal and so on. Beside those, I faintly wrote the words again and it was to be his task to form the letters atop my faint examples. He did well on the first page. And then it happened...overwhelm! The second page loomed in front of him like a mission impossible. I even think I saw little traces of tears rising up in his eyes.
                                                    
 Inspired and moved with compassion, I stopped. I know too well that pushing a little boy beyond his limits does not work. Pulling him close, I whispered in his ear..."Peter you know what? You are now at the point in your reading where you're ready to read from a real book!" You should have seen the change that came over him. The glistening is his eyes turned to gleaming as he buried his face in my neck and said "Oh, thank you Mom" and held me tight. And so, we two sat in a big comfy chair by the fire and he read from McGuffey's Primer. He read several pages too, for he was really enjoying this landmark occasion. When we were finished, I gave him a special bookmark that was crafted by his great-grandmother. He proudly placed his book in his drawer, ran back to the school table and finished his phonics work.

These are the moments that make all of my efforts worthwhile! I love having the freedom to stop, assess, discern and improvise in order meet my children right where they are and take them where they need to go.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

The Daily Log

I am so thankful for my husband and the godly and practical wisdom that God has given him.  I go to him with "problems" that I cannot resolve. Oftentimes these are "issues" with the children, young and old, and I am at my wits end. Always, when I heed his counsel, (for I know that God makes it works this way so that He will get the Glory), things turn around.

In California we are required to keep attendance records on the premises. I had tried and failed to keep attendance records again and again.  I could not figure how to mark someone "present" who is always present nor how to mark someone absent on a day that we didn't "have school" when it is on these days that the children often learn the most while we clean, organize, bake, cook, garden, shop etc... Furthermore, how could I ever account for Ruthie helping me with lunch, Mary reading a story to Peter,  Sarah instructing Joe in his Math or Seth helping a neighbor feed his cows?

 When I poured out this whole mess to my dear husband he simply and without delay replied "Just have them keep their own records"!  He suggested to get them each a small notebook in which they would be responsible to write down what they did each day for "school".

Of course, I ran right out and got them each tiny spiral bound memo-pads. What a great idea! They love to see how much they can "log" into their books. Eager to jot down lots of entries, they include anything that I say can count for "school". Once again, Jeff to the rescue. I am completely off the hook to keep attendance records. We use one memo-pad per child, per year.

 I have yet to have them logging through the summer, but I should; that's when alot of real learning happens too...swimming, camping, gardening, building forts, ball games, bike rides, star-gazing, yard-work, barbecuing and so much more :) Maybe this summer. :)

Out of the mouth of (sisters) babes :)

Joseph is a wiz at Math but he doesn't at all relish wielding a pencil and transcribing his knowledge onto paper. Not at all! Well, today while doing so he got a bit discouraged and posed the question: "Who made up Math, anyway?" Ruth quickly replied with this: "All things were made by Him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" which she quoted from our recently memory work in John 1. Yeah!
That did the trick, Joe swallowed hard and got back to work.

And Jesus said unto them, Yeah; have you never read, Out of the mouth of babes and infants you have perfected praise? Mathew 21:16


Isaiah 55:11
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.



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