We started our new curriculum this week. The first day left a very bad taste in my mouth. After spending 2+ hrs. on the phone with tech support I was finally able to get it all installed. The first day we used the curriculum it took us nearly 9 hrs to get all 3 boys through the courses. Needless to say, that wasn't going to work. We had to come up with a new way to make it work, before I started having serious regrets in our purchase. We have now worked out a new system and I think this will be such a great experience for the boys this year.
My boys, Jim and grandpa are away on a camping trip now and will be gone until the 13th of Sept. Although I miss them, I think it's just so cool that they get to go camping in the U.P. (that's waaaay northern Michigan for those of you that aren't from here) Ryan has an interest in hunting and received a bear license this year, apparently they are kind of hard to come by and you have to be on a waiting list to even get one. However, since he applied for a youth license and he could actually take the time off to go, he was thrilled when the DNR actually called him to tell him he had received it. While Ry is hunting, the others get to enjoy camping, fishing and all that fun stuff one last time before it gets too cold.
God has answered another prayer, so now we need more prayers. My brother, Michael, was just invited to a conference for possibly joining the mission board. I can't believe my little brother is going to be traveling overseas in just a few short months and will have the honor of telling other nations about our Lord Jesus Christ. This is just such a wonderful blessing, and he will be such an amazing witness for Christ.
"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you." Romans 1:8-10
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Friday, September 01, 2006
RIZ Homeschool
We are so excited to be starting our 5th year of homeschooling.
I love homeschooling and as a homeschooler I have been asked many times why we do this. Actually, not just why we homeschool, but there seems to be a list of questions that automatically pop into someone’s mind when they hear that you homeschool.
Questions like: Why would you want to do that? What about socialization? What about Chemistry? How can you teach them as well as a “real” teacher? How do they learn to deal with people that are different from them? The list goes on and on. Normally I enjoy answering questions on the subject, but occasionally I just feel like I cannot field one more “Aren’t you concerned that they are missing out on all the advantages of public school?”
Homeschoolers are showing up everywhere now. It is so exciting to see so many other families are taking a step and taking control of their children’s education. It wasn’t long ago and homeschoolers were labeled as fanatics, now it is becoming mainstream. No longer is socialization a concern because support groups are prevalent. Children that have been educated at home have excelled in S.A.T’s, in college, in the work force and more. We are educating our own children better than they can be educated in America’s schools.
Homeschool makes people curious. It makes them ask questions. As a homeschool mom, I love that. Questions are something I encourage in my children. I want them to ask whatever comes to mind when something interests them.
A very common question is “What exactly is homeschooling? What do you do?” Basically, homeschooling is parent directed education. In short, the parents take full responsibility for the education of their children. It’s that simple. Part two of that question asks what do you do. There are many ways to homeschool, and it means different things to different families. Some families recreate a school setting at home, complete with desks, chalkboards, textbooks and report cards. Other families choose Unschooling, which is more like child-led learning, where the children pursue their own goals and interests. Then there is everything in between. There are as many ways to approach homeschooling as there are families that do it. The wonderful thing about all this is that there are companies that supply all the materials you could possibly need for whatever method you choose for your family.
This year we are looking forward to some changes that we have made in our curriculum, and look forward to sharing our year with other homeschoolers and family members that don't live close enough to see what is happening in our home on a daily basis.
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as fontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates" Deuteronomy 6:7-9
I love homeschooling and as a homeschooler I have been asked many times why we do this. Actually, not just why we homeschool, but there seems to be a list of questions that automatically pop into someone’s mind when they hear that you homeschool.
Questions like: Why would you want to do that? What about socialization? What about Chemistry? How can you teach them as well as a “real” teacher? How do they learn to deal with people that are different from them? The list goes on and on. Normally I enjoy answering questions on the subject, but occasionally I just feel like I cannot field one more “Aren’t you concerned that they are missing out on all the advantages of public school?”
Homeschoolers are showing up everywhere now. It is so exciting to see so many other families are taking a step and taking control of their children’s education. It wasn’t long ago and homeschoolers were labeled as fanatics, now it is becoming mainstream. No longer is socialization a concern because support groups are prevalent. Children that have been educated at home have excelled in S.A.T’s, in college, in the work force and more. We are educating our own children better than they can be educated in America’s schools.
Homeschool makes people curious. It makes them ask questions. As a homeschool mom, I love that. Questions are something I encourage in my children. I want them to ask whatever comes to mind when something interests them.
A very common question is “What exactly is homeschooling? What do you do?” Basically, homeschooling is parent directed education. In short, the parents take full responsibility for the education of their children. It’s that simple. Part two of that question asks what do you do. There are many ways to homeschool, and it means different things to different families. Some families recreate a school setting at home, complete with desks, chalkboards, textbooks and report cards. Other families choose Unschooling, which is more like child-led learning, where the children pursue their own goals and interests. Then there is everything in between. There are as many ways to approach homeschooling as there are families that do it. The wonderful thing about all this is that there are companies that supply all the materials you could possibly need for whatever method you choose for your family.
This year we are looking forward to some changes that we have made in our curriculum, and look forward to sharing our year with other homeschoolers and family members that don't live close enough to see what is happening in our home on a daily basis.
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as fontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates" Deuteronomy 6:7-9
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
