Views from My Rearview Mirror - Part One

Over the past eighteen years, our family has experienced a circus of life-changing events—actually, just life itself. We moved twice, launched our homeschooling adventure, survived raising three toddlers, wrote over 90 books, survived teaching three teenagers to drive, traveled across the country encouraging homeschooling families, launched three children off on college pursuits, and experienced farm life firsthand—and we have loved it. Through it all, we have homeschooled, and are blessed to have been able to pursue this course.

People ask me how I can stay so calm and upbeat through it all and I respond that I have learned three very important lessons. First and foremost, my faith has never failed me—never. Second, always stay flexible and expect the unexpected. Third, this day is a gift—and I will never, ever, have this time to spend again—I must use it wisely.

What do I know now that I wish we had known when we first started homeschooling?

The things that count can’t be counted.

1. Time goes by too quickly to worry about or obsess over small things, like whether or not my child can read by the time they are five years old, etc.
2. Keep the big picture in the forefront—getting from point A (beginning homeschooling) to point B (finish homeschooling)—remember that perspective is key to success. While we might miss algebra for this week due to family illness, we will still focus on the desired outcome, a well-rounded and enthusiastic learner by the time high school is complete.
3. Homeschooling is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep your eye on the big picture, not what happened or did not happen today or this week.

What would you add to my list?

Blessings,

Amanda B.

It’s Up To You . . . They Are Watching!

When our children were younger, one of my favorite things to do during campaign season was to teach them about elections by getting involved in the process as a family, using a unit-study approach. J From reading about the childhoods of some of our presidents, the stories of the Founding Fathers, volunteering to help with campaigns when the kids were old enough, and taking them along to vote from when they were tiny tots to their first time voting as adults, we set the pace and stayed involved in the process. After all, they learn by watching us!

There are so many wonderful lessons about government and responsibility, and they finally begin to understand that we ARE the government. Government is not some separate company or corporation like Wal-Mart or McDonalds—it is a group of people that we elect to represent our family. This vital concept is one that they will share with the next generation and on and on.

The upcoming elections present a great season to learn about government, elections, heroes, and American history, and I’m thrilled to be able to share some of our family’s lessons along the way.

Main tips:

1. Keep the learning simple and matched to the age. Hold mock elections at home, voting on dessert or family vacation destinations to give them an idea of majority rule. J

2. As they grow older, start discussing some of the major local, state, and national issues that will be part of this year’s election. Challenge them to investigate the issues and form their own opinions, and listen with open ears and minds to what they discover.

3. Have fun with these topics, letting them see that candidates and elected officials are real people who were once children full of fun and laughter, and most of them raised families as they led our country.

4. If your area has town-hall type meetings, take the older children to attend some of them so they can listen and learn how the process works.

5. If at all possible, take them with you when you vote. This is a great activity for many types of learners, and it’s unforgettable!

Now take off and enjoy the learning adventure—this can be SO much more interesting and important than any dull, boring textbook on government!

Blessings, 

Amanda B.

Freedom, Government, and Elections - Teach Your Children Well

Political parties. Debates. Platforms. Electoral College. You and your family are going to be hearing about these over and over again in the next 11 weeks. So, what do these terms mean, and how will America decide who gets elected?

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a simple-to-use collection of Amanda's best American government resources on hand in the months ahead? These tools are so easy for the whole family to use.

For a limited time, we are offering the American Government 2012 Resource Library which includes: 

• THREE four-week unit studies:
  • American Government,  Patriotic Holidays,  Elections 2012
  
  
• ONE two-week unit study: Inauguration 2013 December 2012 Release!

• ONE exciting story collection: Heroes of American History

$54.75 value

On sale this week $25 

That's not all...

Don't miss this fantastic giveaway . . . 

This week the folks at Christianbook.com have generously donated a $100 gift card for our giveaway! Whether you're shopping for curriculum, music, fiction books, or even gifts, Christianbook.com has a HUGE selection of wonderful products.

A Reason to Study Geography!

This great big wide world—what a place to roam and explore! When God created earth, He created a place that is custom made for us, filling it with all kinds of plants and animals living in amazingly different places. As we homeschool, we have the perfect opportunity to explore His world and its geography through the lens of faith and the Great Commission.

Geography can be such an exciting part of learning. By studying the many places of the world, students can get to know the power and creativity of our heavenly Father. From the top of Mount Everest to the depths of the Mariana Trench, they will begin to understand the astounding variety of people, places, climates, and cultures around the world.

Before launching into geography, take time to help your students develop an understanding of the Great Commission, where Jesus instructs His disciples to go to ALL nations:

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

(Matthew 28:18–20 NIV)

This passage captures the heart of His will for Christians around the world, and it is important for your children to understand what it means. When you are teaching them this passage, and you get to the “all nations” part, take a moment to show them where ALL the nations are on the world map or globe. They need to see just how big the world is and how many nations there are that need to be reached!

 

Blessings,

 

Amanda B.

 

PS - Our Classic Geography Collection is a great way to introduce your children to the World!

 

 

Back to School Classics - Geography!

First impressions are long lasting.

Download N Go Expedition studies make those first experiences an exciting journey that they will always remember.

Children are all naturally curious about faraway places. They want to know about the people who live there, what the weather is like, what kinds of houses they live in, the foods they eat, the animals they see, and the kinds of games that the children play. Download N Go Expedition studies do just that, and all of the work is done for you--the studies are ready for immediate use, no prep required!

Fan the flames of curiosity by taking them on unforgettable interactive journeys to places around the world, sharing delights that will captivate them and turn the study of geography into a daily safari of fun learning. With seven titles to choose from, your students can experience these virtual travel adventures with videos, crafts, easy-to-make recipes, and the music of each country. To cap off the fun and reinforce the learning, they can build an integrated lapbook as the study progresses.

Classic Geography Collection
$42
Through 8/18/12 - ONLY $25
 (Just $3.57 Per Study)

Individual Download N Go Expedition Studies

$7.95

Through 8/18/12 - Just $5 Each

Africa, Australia, China, Israel, Ireland, Canada, Mexico

Make this year one that is a positive learning adventure for you and your child. As a mom of three, I know just what it is like to face a new school year and search for curriculum that will excite them AND not make our family life so very complex. When I write and create, it is to help meet both of these needs, and include geography, history, science, art, and so much more!

Blessings,

Amanda B.

Celebrate Back-to-School with our
Rosetta Stone Spanish Latin America Level 1
Giveaway! 

To help celebrate Classic Geography week, our friends at Rosetta Stone have generously donated one Spanish Latin American Level 1 Homeschool program, valued at $159.

Rosetta Stone Homeschool features a foreign language curriculum specially designed to provide homeschool students with a rich, fully interactive and engaging language-learning experience, while giving parents the tools and resources needed to manage student progress without extensive planning or supervision.

Olympic Reflections

Welcome back to Nicolene, our UK insider!  

If you missed her guest post about an Inside View of the Olympics 2012, you can read it here.  Today she's sharing her reflections on the Olympics.

All of a sudden, I find myself here in the final week of the London 2012 Olympics. A couple more days, and it will all be over. An event we have been anticipating for several years has now come to a close. It was certainly worth the wait.

Our family has had so much fun! We have gained a wealth of knowledge and a huge understanding of the wide range of emotions seen at the Games—compassion, determination, and pride being just a few.

Though the Olympics were just two weeks long, we have been enjoying the build-up for a lot longer, participating in almost every Olympic-themed event we could. The first and most enjoyable was the torch relay, an event we could not wait to be part of. We tracked the torch almost daily via TV and Internet from its initial landing back in May to the day of the opening ceremony. It was an activity that gave my children a much greater understanding of the geography of the country they live in. We were lucky enough to travel to three different towns to watch the torch go by, and each time was a truly unique experience and an emotional event. Each torchbearer with his or her own story and being part of the thousands of people there to cheer support and encouragement—amazing!

Though we were not able to attend the Olympics, we found ourselves blessed enough to experience a pre-Olympic visit to London just days before the opening ceremony. What an adventure it was—an experience we will never forget and a memory my children will hold forever. The streets were decorated with hundreds of flags to welcome all the athletes arriving from around the world. We bumped into uniformed Olympic workers complete with official name badges and saw soldiers brought in from Afghanistan in training for Olympic security. These were all wonderful learning experiences for my family.

Since the opening ceremony was way past our little ones’ bedtime, we brought down our pillows and blankets, nestled up on the floor with a snack picnic, and literally waited for the games to begin. The children were so excited, cheering along holding their Olympic mascot toys Wenlock, Mandeville, and the team GB lion. It was lovely to share the historic moment together.

Watching the games has been wonderful and truly inspiring not only for my children but friends’ children too. There has been many a lump in the throat when I hear the backstories of some of the athletes. And for the children to see their determination has added a little mortar to the building of their characters. Who knows how many budding young future athletes will come from these Games? We have already been discussing how old each child will be by the time the next Olympics comes around. We’ve talked about which of them would be old enough to participate in the Games, what sports they think they could achieve in, and the scientific makeup of the medals.

This has been an opportunity to give my children one of the richest learning experiences of their lives so far, and sharing it with others through the unit study Olympics co-op on Facebook has just been the icing on the cake.

Nicolene Barnes and family
High Peak, Derbyshire, U.K.

Classic Geography Collection Giveaway

Our giveaway will help keep the International Celebration going after the Olympics end!

 The Classic Geography Collection

Expedition Africa	Expedition Ireland
Expedition Australia	Expedition Israel
Expedition Canada	Expedition Mexico
Expedition China

7 studies
  retail value of $55.65

Download N Go unit studies are interactive and engaging one-week studies that are cross-curricular (include history, geography, science, etc.). They include integrated lapbooking components, and are ready to use immediately—no preparation required. Don't be surprised if your students wake up each day, asking what they will get to do for school that day!

These studies contain daily lessons and lapbook instructions designed for K - 4 students—woven together with eye-pleasing pages and interactivity based on exciting themes—ready for immediate use. There are no expensive resources required; these units are complete and very affordable. Many homeschoolers love this method because it works so well for simultaneously teaching multiple age levels.

Take a trip around the world and keep the celebration going!