Getting Back to School

Its really difficult to get back into school after taking some time off to adjust for the twins. But, we are getting there.

I'm still digesting some "research" I have done for the last few months. I had started writing again, and I was looking for some details to add to my writings and ended up on a very interesting side venture, to say the least. So, as I'm working those thoughts out of my head and onto paper, I've been contemplating the various subjects we will be studying this year. ;)

The kids all voted to study various inventions and inventors. That sounded great to me too, so that's where we will start this year. I'm looking forward to looking a bit closer at Da Vinci. He had some amazing ideas. I think we are going to make a few models of his drawings, depending on the interest level of the kids.

My older son will be studying the book, The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I had heard about this book before, but had not read it yet. After reading several summaries, I find it fascinating. You could use the strategies in this book to approach almost any subject. It's amazing.

French will move from a side subject, to a main subject this year. I really want the kids to be almost fluent in french by the end of the year. I'm fairly confident they can do it.

And of course logic and reasoning. That's a given. I think that's one of the major subjects anyone should study. Not quite sure what books or games/puzzles we will be using for that so far.

On the school front . . .

Today we are going to wrap up lesson 11 in the Mystery of History Vol 1, and move on to the Minoan Civilization. We study history together as a family at breakfast/lunch and dinner. We have a timeline that runs the length of our dining room wall, and we add events and famous people as we go.
Jacob has some more pond water to look at under the microscope in biology. Two lab reports due, and a test to take.
Sarah has to decide on the seeds she wants to plant for Botany. We need to set up her light hut and get those planted today.
They all have math to do. And Critical thinking skills. I love those books.
Caleb is reviewing his letters on the refrigerator, he's always the first one up in the morning.
Noah has made great progress in math. He is a natural with numbers. For reading, he is working with the an, it, ag, and at families. He has finished all of the first color of level 1 Bob Books.
Sarah has a soccer game today at 5:30pm and we have co-op tomorrow.
And somewhere in this day I plan to get the laundry done and take 30 mins for myself to go get a manicure. A totally unnecessary thing for me to do, but, that is the one treat I allow for myself. I don't drink pop, smoke, drink or do drugs, I have limited myself to only two TV shows; Grey's Anatomy and The Unit. I deserve a manicure every two weeks or so. My blog time doesn't count, because I can do that while I cook, clean, feed and give out/grade assignments. Multi-tasking!

Words of Wisdom on Education

Noah Webster :
“In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”
[Source: 1828, in the preface to his American Dictionary of the English Language]

“The Bible was America’s basic textbook in all fields.”
[Noah Webster. Our Christian Heritage p.5]


“Education is useless without the Bible”
[Noah Webster. Our Christian Heritage p.5 ]


Let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God [Exodus 18:21]. . . . If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted . . . If our government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws. [Noah Webster, The History of the United States 1832, pp. 336-337, 49]


“All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.” [Noah Webster. History. p. 339]
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Benjamin Rush:
"Let the children who are sent to those schools be taught to read and write and above all, let both sexes be carefully instructed in the principles and obligations of the Christian religion. This is the most essential part of education”
Letters of Benjamin Rush, "To the citizens of Philadelphia: A Plan for Free Schools",
March 28, 1787
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Thomas Paine:
“ It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences, and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles: he can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.”

“ The evil that has resulted from the error of the schools, in teaching natural philosophy as an accomplishment only, has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism. Instead of looking through the works of creation to the Creator himself, they stop short, and employ the knowledge they acquire to create doubts of his existence. They labour with studied ingenuity to ascribe every thing they behold to innate properties of matter, and jump over all the rest by saying, that matter is eternal.” “The Existence of God--1810”

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Jedediah Morse:
"To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys. . . . Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present republican forms of government, and all blessings which flow from them, must fall with them."

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Samuel Johnston:
• “It is apprehended that Jews, Mahometans (Muslims), pagans, etc., may be elected to high offices under the government of the United States. Those who are Mahometans, or any others who are not professors of the Christian religion, can never be elected to the office of President or other high office, [unless] first the people of America lay aside the Christian religion altogether, it may happen. Should this unfortunately take place, the people will choose such men as think as they do themselves.
[Elliot’s Debates, Vol. IV, pp 198-199, Governor Samuel Johnston, July 30, 1788 at the
North Carolina Ratifying Convention]

_____________________________________________

Thomas Jefferson:
“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever.”
Vol. IV, p. 289. From Jefferson’s
Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, 1781.

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Patrick Henry:
"This is all the inheritance I can give my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.”
—The Last Will and Testament of Patrick Henry

“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”

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John Jay:
“ Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” Source: October 12, 1816. The Correspondence and Public Papers of John
Jay, Henry P. Johnston, ed., (New York: Burt Franklin, 1970), Vol. IV, p. 393.

“Whether our religion permits Christians to vote for infidel rulers is a question which merits more consideration than it seems yet to have generally received either from the clergy or the laity. It appears to me that what the prophet said to Jehoshaphat about his attachment to Ahab ["Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord?"
2 Chronicles 19:2] affords a salutary lesson.”
The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, 1794-1826, Henry P. Johnston

Math

I have resigned myself to the fact that I am going to have to master the subject of math. Isn't that a horrible thing for a homeschool mom to say? I can hear the tongues starting to wag. "How can she think that she's qualified to teach her kids how to do math, if she isn't that good at it herself?"
Hello? I learned how to do math, I just didn't like it, except for some parts of it that were more interesting than others. I just don't rattle off every fact and figure when a math related question comes up in conversation, they make calculators for that sort of thing. I enjoy topics like History, English, Science, and topics that aren't so cut and dry . Stuff you can talk about.

Okay, math is not exactly my favorite subject, but I would like for my kids to enjoy it, so they don't loathe it the way I do. Perhaps loathe is too strong of a word?


I know how important it is so, I really want my kids to have a good solid foundation in math, so they won't have any doubts or trouble later.

We use a program called Math U See. I really like it and more importantly the kids really learn from it. It has DVD lessons, teacher book, student textbook and test book and of course manipulatives. The program is levelled, and does not spiral, like most other math programs. That means that they learn all of one area before they move on to the next. So in some grades they won't necessarily score as high on standardized tests because they have not been taught to the test. This program is for the benefit of the students mastery, not the testing community. I prefer to go with what works best for my kids.
Another thing I like about the program, is once the student knows it, you just move to the next lesson, you don't have to keep doing worksheet after worksheet, and bore the kid to tears.
I look for my Sarah and my Noah to whiz through this sort of program quickly. They are naturally good at math, and enjoy it. It has such a straight forward progression, it makes it easy to grasp and move on to the next concept.

It does require some parent preparation time, about 30 mins per lesson per kid. That can be time consuming. Especially if the kids progress quickly.

Math U See
Reviews of Math U See
Another family who loves MUS

Here is a great interactive site for learning factor trees:
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_202_g_3_t_1.html

Huge clearance sale

Has anyone out there used Teacher Created Resources? I have used some of there stuff. They have a great clearnance "room."

Save up to 75% in our Clearance Corner!

College options for homeschoolers

I have been looking at the cost of college tuition for my oldest who is almost 12 yrs old. I can't believe how much the projected cost is suppose to be. We didn't even pay that much for our house. He better get busy and start studying for some AP courses.

I have heard of some dual credit high school /college programs. But, I don't personally know anyone who has experience with it.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

My rant/reaction to The Field Museum & Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

This is an email I had written the night after the kids and I went to theChicago Museum of Science and Industry and The Field Museum. Keep in mind I hadn't travelled much recently and I am used to the museums in our very conservative area.
Looking back, I was completely in shock for two reasons. First the massive amounts of artifacts they have there, second, the total ani-Christian undertones of the entire museum. I just wasn't prepared for it. Didn't think I had to be prepared to go to a museum. I guess this would sound silly to most people, but I was just amazed at what I saw.

(I have been back there now three times, I am just more prepared to ad-lib the signs and we go just for the actual artifacts.)

Dear friends,
When we arrived in Rockford, I looked everywhere for something neat to do with the kids. Finally realizing Rockford holds very very little as compared to DC, I began to look to the closest large city - Chicago. Also, I have never had the opportunity to travel like this in my life, ever. So, the kids and I were discussing this very fact, and I told them that we should be watching out for something really special that we should be seeing or learning about. And innocently Sarah asks, "Is there something here that Dad isn't telling us about?" I had to laugh, then I explained to her that I just thought it was strange how easy everything has been working out with homeschooling and us being able to travel and get to see the sights that we have been able to see to the extent that we were able to see them. And that we should consider ourselves very blessed. And perhaps God would allow us to learn something special that he wants us to learn. And so I prayed. "God, if there is something here that I should see, or some unique experience in this town that our family should experience please help me to find it, because I'm not finding anything here." This may sound silly to you all, but I am in a hotel room with 5 small children, keep this in mind. Plus, I believe very strongly that God has His hand in every aspect of our lives, and if we fail to yield to his guidance, then we are ignorant and arrogant to believe we can succeed at even the smallest chore, let alone homeschooling.

Anyway, we decided to drive two hours east to take in some Museums in Chicago. To the Museum of Science and Industry we go. It was such a neat place... for the most part. Everything was just so unique and covered every aspect of industry and physical sciences. Then, we got to a section that I didn't realize that I wasn't prepared for. I've taken my children to many many places and felt fairly confident that I could explain as we went. I was very overwhelmed. And felt very unprepared.

Now, I'm sure the kids didn't catch on at first, because I read a bit faster than they do, but I was shocked at the one sided approach to the origin of life explanation at this museum. I thought to myself, I can't wait to visit the Creation Museum so the kids and I can discuss the existence of both views. This way they will learn why we believe what we believe and they won't be ignorant of the existence of opposing views on the issue. So, I quickly took pictures of all the exhibits in that section so I could really look at it later and have a chance to let it sink in. But, in all honesty I felt sick. I actually couldn't shake it, and I kept going over in my mind the way they had it set up (the ungodly origin of life and then prenatal development, actual dead babies in containers at each stage of development) and the very subtle way they detached religion, specifically christian religion, from science. I left there with very mixed emotions. It was a great museum is so many other areas. Why couldn't they just have left out there comments on creationism? I can respect others views, I cannot respect subtle attacks on God, in the name of anything, science or otherwise.

I knew I was going to a secular museum and that there would be an obvious evolutionist view, but, I think there was more to it than that. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Here are some of the actual exhibit explanations from the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry that I saw for myself:

Titled: "Is it Science?"
The sign starts out saying what science is:
"Science is a special way of knowing, different from other approaches to understanding."

"Like everything else, science has its strengths and limitations, which are seen by comparing science to subjects that are sometimes confused with it."

"Creationism is not science because. . . "
"Creationism accepts the Word of God, as written in the Bible, as a factual account of simple historical truths."

"Evolution is a science because. . ."
"the data which test the theory are collected in the real world through observation and experiment." Real World?
"Evolution is the basis for all modern biological sciences"

By the time you are at the end of reading the sign they give another definition of science:
"Science is a body of knowledge gathered from observation and experimentation in the real world. Scientists accept these explanations because they can be tested and repeated."

I thought that I may just be tired or over reacting, but, after being inspired by what I saw at this museum to go ahead and look into scheduling a trip to the Creation Museum, after the kids went to bed I looked on the Internet and I found this: on the Answers in Genesis website. A group called Defcon encouraging "educators, media and citizens to exercise critical thinking" and to sign a petition. In the name of America's Freedom!! Against the Creation Museum. A private organization with private funding and Christian beliefs. Was that a coincidence or God?

http://ga3.org/campaign/creationmuseum

Did God answer my prayer of letting me see something he wanted me to see? I think so, and here is why, if I had not been homeschooling, I wouldn't have been able to go to DC, and as a Christian homeschooling mom I learned about reading original source documents, instead of relying on textbooks, and had I not been studying them to be able to make sure the kids were learning what they needed to learn I wouldn't have read the actual documents about the founding of our country, and realize what had been done to our textbooks. I don't think I would have been on guard as much to notice the very subtle attacks on God, or the evidence of His removal from every educational aspect of our country. It's not really us as Christians here that is being attacked, it's God. To say that the very beings that he made by hand actually began with bacteria and some heat, is an absolute attack. And implying that the belief of the Bible as factual, is why creationism is not science, is that not a very direct attack on God Himself and anyone who believes His Word as fact?

Now, after being in DC a few weeks ago, and reading up on the role God really did play in our American History and seeing how much of history I have missed because of political correctness' opposition to anything considered "christian" being allowed in our history textbooks, and realizing how free we really are not, I think I am really concerned.

Of course I know that the theory of evolution has been a heated debate since the 1800's, the only thing that I see that has changed is that within the last 50 yrs, in America, there have been more opposing than defending. Our freedom of religion country has made laws against allowing religion in education, and regulating others who choose to not attend public schools. There have been many small things that have been gradually separating our belief in God and the idea of being "educated". And the underlying stigma that in the field of science, you have to choose your belief in God, or a good science education, and that you can't have both. And the fact that when we all hear the word science, we instantly separate it from any belief in God, and relate it to a class we had is school or a field of study for professionals (usually not christian). Since they have succeeded in separating the two in the mind of the common person, we tend not to get involved in those issues when they arise. And in separating the two we have allowed medical abortions, stem cell research, cloning and other immoral behaviors in the name of science, we have allowed God to be totally removed from all aspects of the education of our God given children and replaced by political correctness and evolutionary theories.

We need to start really praying about these issues. Not necessarily that everyone is persuaded one way or another, but, at this point, we need to seriously pray that we at least have the freedom to educate ourselves and our families without major opposition and regulation. Pray for our teachers to be able to pray with students, be able to add God into their classroom, and to keep God alive in our schools through christian teachers. Let's face it, this is an enormous issue that only God will be able to help with.

Some of these things are just subtle little digs that people keep telling me aren't that big of a deal and I shouldn't worry about it. Just worry about yourself and yours. But, isn't it the gradual little changes how it works? If you put a frog in boiling water he will leap right out, but if you slowly heat up the water he will sit still and look at you while boil him. What is our water temperature as Christians? And who is really turning up the heat? I think sometimes we live in such a conservative part of the country, we think this is stuff that happens in other places and we'll just let other people deal with these issues. I'm not so sure that's such a good idea.

Also, some food for thought:

What is Science? Are we trained to think that when we hear the word science, we instantly think of the separate subject we were taught in a school? The idea that science is beyond basic understanding and that it is reserved only for the "professionals to understand". And have we been taught that science and religion don't go together? In fact, they aren't even related to each other. Religion is a belief, science is proof. Right? I can study science separately without God and giving up my beliefs, right? And if I don't study evolution, I can't possibly be well educated in science, right?
Is Creationism Science?
If you are a christian, can you teach about science without always referring back to the Bible? (If you can let me know, I've tried)
How many Christians actually believe in creationism?
Have you looked up the actual definition of science? If so, can you trust your dictionary? Doesn't that sound like a stupid question? I thought so too, until I studied Noah Webster. This link talks about the evolution of our dictionary, it's not just the schools that God is being written out of. http://www.face.net/files/Articles/1828_Dictionary.pdf

The view from the Nation Academy of Sciences http://www.nap.edu/html/creationism/ Basically the real scientists population.

Article on What is Science - Answers in Genesis http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/ee/what-is-science

How far are we willing to let things slide by before we realize it's too late? I myself am praying to God to show me a way to stand up for Him. There has to be a way to prevent the gradual chipping away of our America. What is this country going to be like in the future? I hope that we all start praying for God to show us opportunities to stand up for Him and to give us the courage, knowledge, freedom and ability to do so.

Thanks for listening. If you get a chance, let me know if anyone else feels the same way I do or at least sees my point. Sometimes I do wonder if I overreact, but it just seems so different today than say even 20 yrs ago. And many of the Christians I have talked to either don't believe in creationism, or don't think it's a big deal either way. To me it seems huge. If we strip the Biblical based moral backing from the education of our American children, what will we have in the future? A highly educated society of people who will have no desire, or even ability to seek God. What a dangerous time that will be. Especially for believers.

It just starts to make you think when you see a cute little cloned mouse at the museum. What will my great grandchildren see when they go to the museum someday? God forbid.


Jane

Math Tricks

In doing math with the kids today I found some neat links to math tricks. Here's the link:
http://www.angelfire.com/me/marmalade/mathtips.html

It's good to hear why others homeschool as well

Bruggie Tales: Why we homeschool

Mummies @ The Field Museum

We were very impressed and a little weirded with the

out with the whole mummy exhibit.

This Summer's Field Trips

We had a great time investigating The Field Museum. They had an amazing amount of information. Almost too much to take in on one field trip.

Christian Logic

Here is a great link to a site regarding Christian Logic - and some recommended resources.
http://www.christianlogic.com/articles/suggested_course_of_study_for_logic.htm

I really like their stuff.

Introduction

Welcome to my blog, my thoughts, my ideas, my feelings. Homeschooling five children provides for plenty of "bloggable" moments. Much of this blog will be about our homeschool adventures. I feel you cannot separate learning or education from life. I cannot comprehend why a parent would choose to do so.

I have many reasons why I am writing this blog. One of them is because people consistantly ask me "How do you do it?" And I usually respond "Do what?" And they inevitably ask me a question pertaining to my children.

This blog is not intended to brag, although I am quite proud of my children, I cannot take complete credit for why they are the way they are.
There are many things contributing to the successes and failures of my children. For the failures I take complete responsibility, for the successes I owe completely to God. He gave me my children, for a time. They are ultimately His. He only entrusted their early years on this earth to me. He felt I would be the the best mother for them. If not, he would have given them a different mom.

I feel it is important to readers that they understand my point of view. If you aren't Christian, you will probably not enjoy reading this blog.

With all that being said, let me introduce myself:
My name is Jane and I am the mom of five children. Their ages are 11, 8, 6, 3, and 6 months.

Ever since I was expecting my first child I have been almost obsessed about early childhood education. My husband wishes he could have just $1 for every book I have read on the subject and just a penny for every "educational" toy I've bought. He swears we'd be millionaires.

Over the past 10 years I have read and researched many "professional" opinions when it comes to raising and educating my children. I don't feel that I am an expert, but, after five kids I would say I do have enough experience to form an educated opinion.

Feel free to post your opinions and ideas. I don't mind a good discussion with someone who agrees or disagrees with my ideas and opinions. Of course I hope we all can play nice together. :) I respect anyone who has personal experience and/or who have gone to great lengths to understand why they believe what they believe.

I look at every experience as an opportunity to learn. I look forward to hearing from everyone.