I'm back

After months of no posts, I have returned to make some small contribution to my self-propelled blog. It's not much today, but I'm hoping it will get me back in the zone.

Toward the end of last school year, I was using this book to do daily breakfast devotions with the kids. They enjoyed it so much I wanted to continue it through the summer. We all know how that goes.

So, I'm finally finding my groove again and making efforts to get back on track with multiple previous projects and endeavors. Thought I would share with you all one of the things I'm picking back up and maybe it will inspire you to do the same.

Here is what came of this morning's devotions....



Blessings....

Fun to Share

We love to eat world foods at our house. If you do too, and you love to have your children be the ones to learn how to slice and dice, then here are two GREAT world cookbooks for kids.

Usborne Internet-Linked Children's World Cookbook
~with fantastic photos, information about food ingredients, and great peeks into the people of that region!

and

Eat Your Way Around the World
~with a section for notes and ideas on how to make it a real authentic experience!

Both of these are fantastic books for teaching children how to master the arts of the kitchen.

S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G and Language Arts

The hardest curricula I have tried to piece together in our home school experience have been Language Arts and Spelling. I have looked and looked for something that is complete and interesting. I have searched for something that is relevant. I finally found some things worth dealing with.

TOTAL LANGUAGE PLUS is a reading linked approach to language arts. Because I am such a HUGE advocate of reading (I often feel that if I can just get my kids to love books, I'll have done my job.), I love this approach. I believe that the most logical place to learn language is through reading good books. So, naturally, this approach made total sense to me. The cool thing is that it's a complete program, encompassing everything from vocabulary, spelling, and usage to comprehension, Bible application, and writing. It's a winner in my book. It eliminates the need for several separate workbooks or programs for each thing. Here is a link to some of the their freebies including 26 common spelling rules for download. The books are listed by grade level to help you choose ones that fit your child's learning level.

Also on my list of "good ones" to look at was ALL ABOUT SPELLING. I have a friend that uses this program, and it seems incredibly thorough and includes techniques for all learning styles (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic). Here is a link to some of their spelling rules.

I love that this program has scripted lesson plans. Some home school teachers struggle with how much to do with their students or how to instruct the lessons. This does it all for you and it's so simple. I think I might take the class just for myself!

Do you have others that should be on this list? Post links and a description in your comments. Or share with us how you feel about the ones I've already mentioned. Are there downsides? Share that too!

Today is...

While I know very little about the organization promoted on this banner, I hope and pray that all of us (especially those in the Church Body) will be educating ourselves about this very real problem and begin getting involved. There are tons of amazing organizations around the world dedicated to eradicating this problem.

Check out Samaritan's Purse. They've got a program designated to help rescue children from bondage and abuse. Make a Chain to Break a Chain is building safe houses to give victims a fighting chance.

There are zillions more out there like these. Find one you trust and start helping out! Amnesty International has a listing of organizations to help you out. There may be organizations in your area that need volunteers.

How does this have anything to do with home school?
50% of transnational victims are children. 80% are female.[1]
We need to educate our kids about this danger. We also need to raise our children with self-control and respect for God's creation and His people.

Get talking with your kids about how to be safe. What are the rules for your house?

Check out these kids videos, books, and resources*:
The Safe Side

• a company founded by John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted and Julie Clark,  creator of Baby Einstein
• free resources available for download

The Safe Side: Stranger Safety  
The Safe Side: Internet Safety
The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers

Get talking with your girl(s) about what is appropriate behavior with their bodies, clothing, and looking for a mate.
Get talking with your boy(s) about self-control and what the Lord desires for his body, his thoughts, and his urges as he grows into a man.

_________________________________
[1] Human Trafficking Statistics, Polaris Project

* There are many more out there, but these are ones that I can personally vouch for in content. There is such a fine line between frightening children and showing them an awareness of the world around us. Only you know what your child is capable of handling at his or her age. Use caution when talking about such matters.

Nurturing Readers

I wanted to share this recent post from The Homeschool Post.

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." ~Groucho Marx~

Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore? ~ Henry Ward Beecher ~

If you're an educator in any fashion (and yes, this includes us home schoolers!), you can get a 20% discount card at Barnes & Noble. They have a brief page you have to fill out and you have to prove that you're registered as a home school family, but beyond that they don't bug you much.
I went yesterday and bought a whole LOT of stuff (mostly from the 50% bargain bin) and found some wonderful things I'll post below for you to latch on to.

Rumis Game (Logic and Strategy) I only paid $8.00 for it!

Kumon Books (great for preschool kids)
My favorites are the cutting, pasting, and folding books, and also
My book of Mazes: Around the World

More favorites include Eyewitness books and anything by Usborne or Evan Moor publishers.