Thoughtful Thursday Week 43 – Service

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Of all the things we do in our homeschool, nothing is harder to schedule than service. We visited a nursing home once. We attended a fundraiser for Sevier County Food Ministries. We sorted through toys and clothes and donated them to a Thrift Store nearby, for kids who could use them. Other than that, I am clueless.

Service

After a column I wrote for The Mountain Press about my Halloween dilemma, i.e. about not knowing how to avoid observing this obviously occultish holiday, one of my readers emailed me about an event at Brookdale Assisted Living in Sevierville, on October 29th. Children can come dressed up in different costumes, they get candy, and the residents get visitors. It’s a win-win. There will be snacks, too.  Continue reading »


Why Parents Should Consider Homeschooling Their Children

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More and more parents are opting to be more involved in educating their children. Home education, or most commonly known as homeschooling, has increased its popularity over the years, especially in the United States. Homeschooling is where you or a tutor teaches your kids at home, instead of sending them to the more conventional classroom setting in public and private schools.

Parents cite many reasons why they choose to homeschool their children. The most prevalent reasons they cite are:

Lack of confidence in the conventional school system

Parents are not convinced the curriculum, teaching method or the quality of academic instruction is appropriate for their children. The conventional school system treats every children in the same level alike, ignoring the varying needs of each child. In contrast, homeschooling focuses on children as individuals. This is consistent with the notion that every child has unique needs and degree of aptitude. One method might be effective for some children in the class, but ineffective for others.

Flexibility of teaching methods

Homeschooling is also more dynamic and flexible. With homeschooling, teaching methodologies can be tailored to fit the capabilities and personality of one’s children. Parents can choose the teaching method or instruction that would fit the aptitude of their children, and better facilitate learning. By doing so, they can better cater for the varying individual aptitude of each children.

Homeschoolers have access to and can use varying teaching materials that are more appropriate for their children. They can select the teaching method and materials based on a child’s individual needs and capabilities. Homeschooling can also be used to teach responsibilities to your children. Parents can incorporate household chores in their teaching method so that children are taught to be responsible at home.

Photo Credits to sheknows.com

Interest in participating to their children’s education and learning

Other parents prefer homeschooling so that they can have greater control and supervision over what and how their children are taught. Hands-on parents will want to come along their children’s educational journey. Homeschooling also allows parent to focus on their children’s strengths and weaknesses. They can further enrich their children’s strengths and supplement their weaknesses. In addition, parent-teachers can adjust the pace of how each subject is taught. They can go as fast or as slow in teaching a particular subject, depending on the ability of their children’s needs.

If their child excels in a subject or a particular are, they can accelerate his or her education in that subject or area. Non-conventional materials can be used to help their child learn a particular subject where he or she struggles. Parents can assess the strengths and weaknesses of their children and they can use this knowledge to design future homeschool plans and educational activities or instructions. Homeschooling also allows parent to focus on their children’s strengths and weaknesses. They can further enrich their children’s strengths and supplement their weaknesses.  Continue reading »


Outdoor Playsets Give Kids a Head Start

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Encouraging your children to play outside has never been more challenging. A new age of technology has begun, with the younger generation becoming more familiar with computers and video games than ever before. Whilst this provides a platform for development and learning, it can reduce time spent on activities outdoors.

Playground rings

My children love to hang from similar rings.

This sedentary lifestyle can be the cause of many health related issues such as childhood obesity. The solution is very simple and Continue reading »


Story of the World, Vol. 2, Chapter 10

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The Bottom of the World or Chapter 10 deals with the first people of Australia and New Zealand. The coincidences in our homeschool keep on coming. When we went to the Pigeon Forge Library last week for Meet Mr. Lincoln, my daughter picked up a packet containing a book about McGillyCuddy, a kangaroo stuffed animal with a joey in its pouch, and an activity page based on kangaroos. The next history lesson dealt with Australia and New Zealand. Hmmm…

Mock moths (peanuts) and popcorn, held together by honey

Mock moths (peanuts) and popcorn, held together by honey

The children thought the coloring page looked strange – it is a Maori with all his war or decorative paint. The map was fun. We sang the continent song and I reminded them Australia is also a continent, not just a country.  Continue reading »


Science 4 Us Review Coming Up

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Over the next 30 days, I will be reviewing www.Science4Us.com. Science4Us is an engaging, elementary science curriculum that teaches science using a fun, interactive approach. If you have your own blog and would like to review Science4Us, check out their homeschool review program. Make sure to come back and read my full review.


Vocabulary Matters

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On the birthday of Noah Webster, a quick post about how much vocabulary matters, how reading to your child today is just as important as giving him three healthy meals before the night falls, and how to download a free book by New York Times best-selling author and marketing guru Seth Godin.

The single most important indicator of future success is a student’s vocabulary. How to develop it? Read a ton of books on a variety of subjects. It’s that simple. Your library card just became your most valuable possession… Homeschooling does not have to be expensive or stressful. Take a trip to your local library, pick up a handful of books your child likes and another handful of what you think he should read. Sometimes the two lists are not the same.  Continue reading »


Thoughtful Thursday Week 42 – Mr. Lincoln

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Today we went to the Pigeon Forge Library for a program called “Meet Mr. Lincoln.” For about 40 minutes, Dennis Boggs told us the story of Abraham Lincoln from birth until his assassination. The costume, hair and makeup were perfect. The delivery was superb. It’s easy to overdo impersonations, but I am happy to tell you that this one is just right. One can tell Mr. Boggs has extensive theater experience.

Meet Mr. Lincoln with little girl

My daughter with Mr. Lincoln at the Pigeon Forge Library.

The whole point of this presentation is to encourage children to read and “stay in school.”

Mr. Lincoln

Mr. Lincoln comes to schools, libraries, conventions, homeschool groups and any other gathering interested in history and literacy. You can find all the information and rates on his website.  Continue reading »


Thoughtful Thursday Week 41 – Chattanooga

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Since we have a membership at The Muse in Knoxville and we heard so many good things about the children’s museum in Chattanooga, we decided we should put our membership to work for us. The Muse and Chattanooga’s Creative Discovery Museum are part of the ASTC network – American Science and Technology Centers. If you get a membership with one, you get free admission elsewhere.

Creative Discovery Museum Chattanooga

The four of us in front of the Chattanooga CDM

We have already been to the Discovery Place in Charlotte, NC. I decided that October would be the month to visit the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga.

Chattanooga

For your information, there are two different networks of museums for children (besides zoos and aquariums): ASTC and ACM. The ASTC network is different from the ACM network. ACM is the Association of Children’s Museums. ASTC is the Association of Science and Technology Centers.

Your membership card should have the logo of the network of which you are a member. Chattanooga’s Discovery Continue reading »


Wonderful Wednesday – Prickly Lettuce

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Another weed I have been going by on my walks is the prickly lettuce. Thanks to Barbara from this blog, now I know what this plant is. Apparently, we could even eat it and use it for medicinal purposes, but I will not try that any time soon. I am not that brave.

It’s just good to know names of plants I go by though. I took the kids on a short nature walk to show them this plant just past our neighbor’s house. They drew it and filled out the rest of their notebook page.

Boy and girl sketching a prickly lettuce

My children sketching a prickly lettuce on our street

We split open the stem to see the milk inside, but it had dried up. I guess we got to it too late in the season. However, it was not too late to observe the seeds and the dandelion-like white puffed up flower.  Continue reading »


Story of the World, Vol. 2, Chapter 9

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Chapter 9 deals with Japan but, of course, one cannot discuss Japan without China and Korea. The map work was helpful and, in another one of our coincidences, our Adventures in Odyssey CD this week told a story about a Japanese American who lived in Pearl Harbor during the infamous attack which resulted in America’s involvement in World War II.

The kids don’t know yet about World War II – not that much that is. So I had to separate for them what was real and what was fiction in that story.

We read some of the books recommended. The Crane Wife was the most interesting. I had no idea this story is so influential in Japanese culture. Fiction books celebrated in different cultures can teach us so much about those countries and the way their people think and view the world.

Spinach tossed with sesame seed dressing

Spinach tossed with sesame seed dressing

Again, I decided that the best crafts were the ones we could eat. I made a Japanese meal according to the instructions. Rice, mushroom soup for breakfast, sesame seed dressing for green vegetables (spinach in our case), teriyaki sauce for our veggie meat (Frichik), and stir-fried vegetables.

The mushroom soup was not consumed for breakfast. I pride myself in having a tolerant palate and a flexible approach to eating, as long as it did not have a mother or eyes before it got to my plate. However, I have long lost the desire for soup for breakfast, if ever I possessed such a desire. I had my soup for supper one night. Continue reading »