Author Archives: Adriana Zoder

Nov 29 2015

Monosyllabic Answers vs. Full Sentences

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For my son’s yearly checkup, we took him to the pediatrician who has seen him since he was one day old. It’s one hour away from home, but it’s worth it. We make a day of it, or half a day of it. Everything looked great and the doctor especially remarked how well-spoken my son was.

Writing With Ease

This pediatrician sees a lot of kids these days who answer his questions with one syllable: yeah, no, uh, err… My son answers in long sentences, four or five of them, and gives many details. Sometimes I think too many. We have to stop him gently and let other people continue the conversation. Continue reading »

Nov 28 2015

Better Vision

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The blind man came to Jesus and shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” They told him to be quiet. They said, “Don’t disturb Him! Don’t make so much noise!” But he kept it up. He asked for mercy. Jesus heard him. The Savior wanted the man to be specific. “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man had prepared his answer. He was quick to say, “Lord, grant that I may see again!” And Jesus gave him his eyesight back. (Some translations suggest this man used to be able to see, but went blind at some point in his life.)

NaBloPoMo2015

For the first time, I am posting every day for a month.

We all need to pray this prayer as we homeschool our children. Not just a general prayer of “Lord, have mercy on me!” but a specific prayer for better vision. Our prayer needs to go along the lines of specific details. Jesus invites us to pray for certain specific aspects of our lives.  Continue reading »

Nov 27 2015

Illusion vs. Reality

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I have been reading Don Quixote and one thing is for sure: this book is about illusion vs. reality, which is a human dilemma through and through. At first, I saw myself in Don Quixote. Now, I see other people in him. Events in different people’s lives can be a certain way in their minds, when the reality is completely different.

What does all this have to do with homeschooling?

Don Quixote

For one, it’s a good argument for annual testing outside the home. We have chosen to test our children every year starting in second grade, using a national standardized test (Terra Nova 3, which used to be called California Achievement Test). I may think my children are doing really well while they may not. Illusion vs. reality.

They might struggle with particular aspects of Language Arts, for instance, and excel in Science. Or the other way around. Since we don’t quiz them incessantly at home, I don’t know how much they remember from everything we do.  Continue reading »

Nov 26 2015

Thoughtful Thursday Week 48 – Give Thanks

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To celebrate Thanksgiving, we went to Asheville, NC. The Omni Grove Park Inn serves a Thanksgiving Grand Buffet, plus one can take a look at the Top 10 National Gingerbread House Competition creations for 2015. Here are some pictures for you…

National Gingerbread House Competition

 

National Gingerbread House Competition

 

National Gingerbread House Competition Continue reading »

Nov 25 2015

When Tragedy Strikes

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My children’s friend died yesterday in a tragic backyard accident. Her little brother got struck by the same falling tree, but he will be alright. He does have three broken ribs and bruises, but he is going to come out strong. We went to Children’s Hospital today to see him and the family.

At this sad time, we cannot make sense of reality. All we can do is help the family with our presence, our hugs, hot meals, and a shoulder to cry on. The peace that passes understanding helps us and the family as we continue to lift them in prayer.  Continue reading »

Nov 24 2015

When Your Child’s Friend Dies

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Tonight we received the tragic news of a sweet angel’s passing. She was one of our children’s best friends from church and Adventurers. Her mom is the director of our Adventurer Club.

The daughter was eight and was going to be baptized next month. She sang for Special Music in church. She had a glow about her of innocence and purity.

Just two weeks ago, she stood at the church doors with our children, raising funds for Operation Christmas Child. She leaned over to our children and said, “My mommy said we should give a bookmark to the people who donate something.” She was always ready to obey. She was homeschooled until this year, when her parents enrolled her in our church school.  Continue reading »

Nov 23 2015

Story of the World, Vol. 2, Chapter 12

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The Islamic invation of Spain was a fascinating chapter, especially in the light of what is going on right now in Europe with the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis and the November 13 Paris attacks. As adults, we are aware of all these historic connections, but the children are not. Maybe they should stay this way for a little while longer. The world is turning into a scary place and I just don’t want them to know that yet.

Vegetarian arroz con pollo

Moorish food: arroz con pollo – vegetarian version

They colored the pages provided and we made arroz con pollo according to the recipe given for a Moorish meal. Except we don’t eat pollo, so we used Fri-Chik instead.  Continue reading »

Nov 22 2015

I’m A Kangaroo

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“I’m a kangaroo. Will you buy me?” said my five-year-old daughter as I entered her room and spotted her sitting up on her bed. She was in the process of folding her clothes. I suppose it helped to escape and become a stuffed animal kangaroo. I joined in. “Sure. I’ll buy you. How much do you cost?” I asked her in Romanian. She understands everything I say in Romanian, but answers me in English. “How much money do you have?” “$100.” “I cost more than that…”

McGillycuddy Could!

I had a lot of fun with this dialogue. It continued for a few minutes. Finally, she could not decide on a price for herself. Out of the blue, she  goes, “Do you got a kid or something?” “Yes,” I said, stifling another laughter. She said, “I think I’ve seen him in this store. He’s got brown hair and looks about this tall, right?”  Continue reading »

Nov 21 2015

Sex Education for Homeschoolers

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In my book, 101 Tips for First Grade Homeschooling, I dedicated an entire chapter to sex education for homeschoolers. Here’s a brief summary, Start early. Have age-appropriate conversations brought upon by their own questions OR by books which you read to them.

The Wonderful Way Babies Are Made

I have found the following books to be helpful:

Continue reading »

Nov 20 2015

Letter to A Teacher

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Teachers can make or break a student. They have a lot of power. Homeschooling teachers wield even more power over their students, because homeschooling teachers are the parents of their students. It is a deep relationship, one which can go really wrong or infinitely well.

Albert Camus, Nobel Prize for Literature, 1957

Albert Camus, Nobel Prize for Literature, 1957

For now, let us learn from a letter written by a Nobel-prize winner, Albert Camus, to his elementary teacher, Louis Germain. I am not sure if this is copyrighted text, but I found it on several websites.

19 November 1957

Dear Monsieur Germain,

I let the commotion around me these days subside a bit before speaking to you from the bottom of my heart. Continue reading »