Home Education ~ Two More Questions

In my last post, I sought to answer the first 
of three questions my friend had asked about home education.

This post addresses questions two and three.

Question Two ~ What Curriculum do you use?

Answer ~ Over the years we have tried many different curricula.

I have *loved* a few, strongly disliked some, 
and never got around to using others.

Interesting how that works, isn't it?
I would caution any parent just beginning down the road 

of home education not to get carried away.

It is SO easy to do!  

My advice?  Don't buy up everything that appeals to you.
Just buy what you need, borrow what you can, and make do with the rest.
Take it one year at a time and enjoy the journey.

Last year, I shared some of my favourite resources on this blog ~
Click here if you wish to view that post.

Initially, the most important thing to do is to read,

and read, and read some more.

Try to get outside and enjoy some fresh air daily ~ exercise together.

Explore God's creation in the great outdoors and then come inside 
(or stay outside) and read about what you've discovered.
It's a great blessing to direct the attention of our children
to our Great God throughout the day. 
Make much of Him and His Word ~ you will never regret it.

Encourage creative play with sand, water, paint, etc.

Life really is one big giant classroom.  It's unlimited in its scope.  
There is so much to glean from just observing the order of it all.

Keep it simple.  In the early days, especially.

It's a wonderful thing to in-still a love of learning and discovery in your child.

There is no need to reproduce the classroom setting.

Learning takes place all the time.  In many ways.  Through many sources.

We maintained the idea that the basics were most important.

Establish in your child a love of reading.

Teach them to spell and write and figure numbers.

It's simple, really.  These are the basics.

Other things stem from that.
There will be a natural progression from the basics into the other subjects.
One thing very often does lead to another and another.
It's a beautiful thing, really.  :)

Science experiments are easily done in the kitchen or back yard.

History is learned about in books and through audio and visual media.
Your child may choose to demonstrate learning by acting it out.
Opportunities for art and music and sport can easily be incorporated into life.
It's not difficult to add things in, but, it can be challenging to remove them.
Build your home school carefully and thoughtfully.  You won't be sorry you did!

If things need to be tweaked, don't despair.
Each year of our home education journey we have changed 
at least one thing.  It's normal.  Even healthy.
But, if something is working well ~ don't change it!
Rejoice that you have found what works for you and enjoy it.

Question Three ~ How do you connect with other home school families?

Answer ~ Oh, the ways and means are so varied!
How wonderful it is that, should you choose to travel this path,
there are many that have gone before, and many will be on the road with you.
There are local homeschool groups that can be joined.
They will have a variety of programs available for both parents and children.
There will be field trips and mom's groups and support for all manner of concerns.
The opportunities are endless...you may avail yourself to all of it or none of it.

We are linked to a school that has many parents who like to do
field trips and outings throughout the school year.
There are times we have opted in or out depending on the season
we found ourselves in as a family.



Another option is to build your own circle of friends through
meeting other moms on outings such as these.  
I have friends who met weekly for a number of years
when their children were small.
It was a wonderful support group for them all.

God is Good.  He supplies our every need.
He will be Faithful to supply the needs of our children as well.
Each year, it seems, those needs will have a way of changing.
One thing to keep in mind as we home educate our children
is to recognise that things will not stay the same.  Life changes.
We must be flexible and go with the flow.
We ought to seek the Lord for wisdom through it all.

Trusting Him each step of the way!

With Love,
Camille

Homeschool Favourites

Getting Started in home education?  Want some idea of where to begin?
I was asked (via email) by two friends of mine a similar question.
And so, this post was born.

Six years ago, we began our own journey in home education.
The home school world was SO BIG.  And it still is.

We sought to keep things simple.
We tried to refrain from doing everything all at once.
Initially, we thought it was a good idea to stick with the basics.
As time went on on, we were able to add more things to our repertoire.

We also found that some things were not necessary,
and we discontinued them.  It was (and is) a process. :)

"When you Rise Up" is a *must read* for any Christian homeschool family.
If you are beginning your own homeschool journey,
I would encourage you to prayerfully read this book!  It is SO encouraging!


The LORD is Faithful.  If you belong to Him, He will guide you.
I found it very encouraging to know that there are many options.
It was also a comfort to realise that I could change from 
one curriculum to another, if necessary.

What a relief!  And what a blessing!

A gracious friend allowed me to copy what she was doing with her children.
She gave me links and suggestions.
As you may (or may not) know, there are M.A.N.Y. ways to home educate.
No two home school families are carbon copies of each other.
And that is good.  Variety, after all, is the spice of life.

Over the years, I have gathered some of my own favourites.
You will find links to many of them within this post.
If you are just beginning, and you have young ones,
these are a few of the resources we use.


We have been thrilled with our elementary math program.
Professor B Math demystifies many of the concepts
I struggled with as a child.  Click Here to get to the home page of their site.

It, however, does not cover the *extras*
such as measurement, geometry and graphing.
Those aspects of the child's math program would need to be
taught by using supplementary resources.
We have not found this to be a problem at all.

Answers in Genesis seeks to defend the
Biblical account of creation from a scientific stand point.
We have found many of their resources to be such a great
blessing to our family over the years.


Click Here to view the Biblically sound Science curriculum we
have used for the elementary and junior high school years in our home.

I *love* this program for spelling ~ It's been such a blessing to know
that the children are kept on track by it.  And they learn to spell! :)

Emma Serl's Language Lessons for the elementary grades
truly are wonderful! We are enjoying them immensely.

Excellence in Writing is a terrific resource for those
who want their children to learn to write well.
It is something that I have turned to for each of our
children along this homeschool journey.
They have a variety of products at a variety of levels.

History lessons are a real pleasure with "The Story of the World"
by Susan Wise Bauer.  Click Here to find the first book of the series.
We all gathered around on the school room couch in the
early days and the children listened as I read.
I have happy memories of that
special time spent learning together.
She does include the legends and stories from various 
cultures from around the world ~ it's always best to be in tune
with what is going into your child's mind.
These books are a pleasure, but, they do require discernment.

If you are interested in reading a little of the
*why* behind our decision to home educate our children,
please Click Here.

And, if you are not just beginning,
and you are happy with what you are using....don't change!
Enjoy the benefits and blessings that come with continuing to use
what is working well for you! :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I am not compensated in any way for these recommendations.
These products have been used successfully by us in our home,
and I delight in sharing them with you.

Spelling Worries?

Spelling a struggle?
A Worry?

Having trouble remembering
all those *rules*
to teach to your children?
Looking for a program that
will cover all your bases?

The Phonetic Zoo
is a wonderful resource.
It has been a great program
for our family.

There are three levels ~
A, B, and C.
Level A begins with words such as either,
neither, and peacock.
Not really *beginner* words,
but it is where this program starts.

Emma is currently in grade four
and is working on the first list.

The third list is considered
high school level.

One of the greatest things about it
(in my opinion),
is that it is student-directed.
The student listens to a CD.
The words are given.
They write them down.
The correct spelling is dictated
to them as they mark their own work.
The rule of the program is
that they do not advance to the
next lesson until 100% is achieved.

It really works!
And it is not something
I have to worry about any more.
Yippee! :)
I hope you enjoy it as
much as we do.

Click Here
to get to the Phonetic Zoo website.

Happy Spelling!
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I just share what
works for us and what we like.
I am not compensated in any way.

Fabulous Resource!

F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S.

We *love* us some history around here!
Presented from a Biblical standpoint and
delivered in a wonderfully engaging way,
these history lessons are definitely NOT boring!

History is interesting.
As it should be.


Diana Waring's History Curriculum
is wonderful.
We listen in the van as we drive.
We will listen again and again and again.
There is SO MUCH to digest.
SO MUCH to learn.

It's a beautiful thing
to witness God's Hand throughout
the history of the world.
It's a beautiful thing to give
HIM glory for the intricacies of it all.

And we are in the midst of
HIS great plan.
HE is still at work.
HE is accomplishing all that
HE set out to do.

What a blessing it is
to belong to HIM!

Happy Studies!
Camille

Just 10 Minutes A Day!

Our Fraser LOVES languages.
He is interested in everything from
Arabic to Hebrew to Chinese.


These books
have helped to satisfy his thirst for
knowledge in this area.
And at only *ten minutes a day*
they are perfect!
Fun and interactive.
Engaging and interesting.

He has tried different programs
(some were strictly computer based) ~
but, he keeps coming back to this system.


This is not a school requirement.
He is doing this *just for fun*.
Not to say that it could not be for school,
just to let you know how enjoyable they can be.

These books are *introductory* in nature ~
The goal being to equip the child
with the ability to converse simply
in the chosen language.


This was his response when I asked what he would
like to try next, and I quote ~

"Anything to do with Bilingual Books...
it's always good!"

Imagine this being said with a great deal of
animation and enthusiasm.
As I previously mentioned,
he LOVES languages!


What does the LORD have in store?
My Mama heart wells up with tears
at the thought of where this might lead.
But then, I have to remind myself that
he is only twelve and we do have a few years left
to care for him in our home...up close! :)

The LORD is so gracious with us
and never gives us more than we can bear.
HE will lead and guide and give
the grace for whatever it is HE
calls our children to do.
What a blessing to rest in that!

In the meantime,
we are encouraging this love
for learning these languages by giving
him the tools to explore them all!
But, not all at once...
maybe just one or two at a time. :)

May the LORD bless you
all as you seek to raise up your
children for HIS glory.
And may HE give us each the grace to
allow them to flourish in HIS World!

Many blessings,
Camille

I'm Thrilled!

Tears over English lessons?
Difficulties getting through all those pages
and pages of workbook work?
Struggles and sad faces?

Look no further.
This may be just the solution you
are looking for.

These are WONDERFUL resources!
We have homeschooled our children for four years now.
But this is the first year I have used this set of books ~
and both Emma and I are LOVING them!

Real.
Old-Fashioned.
Honest-to-goodness.
Wonderful!

Primary and Intermediate Language Lessons
along with the teacher's guides are a
wonderful addition to any homeschool
that has little people in it!

I wish I had known about them sooner.
I am so glad I know about them now.
We are having fun!
Want to have fun too? :)

An Amazing Resource ~ For ANY Family

We have enjoyed looking at this
GIANT timeline of world history
with our children.
It's been a wonderful addition
to our home library.

It comes in a fold out format
with a cover, or not, depending on the
way you plan to use it.

If you have a large wall space (like a hallway or a playroom)
available for displaying a timeline such as this ~
you would want to order the book unbound.

We don't have a wall space as described above.
Our book is bound and we lay it out on the floor ~
The children read it on their tummies.

Adams World History ~
an accurate account of the history of the WORLD
chronologically laid out in a GIANT timeline format!

There is SO MUCH to take in!
Children (and their parents)
could literally spend hours studying the fascinating facts
which are laid out so beautifully.

REALLY, it is truly amazing and wonderful
to see the Hand of God throughout history ~
HIS story!

Elementary Math

What does the title of this post conjure up within your heart? Fear? Dread? Anxiety? PANIC?! :)

We began educating our children at home only a few years ago and I didn't know where to begin with curriculum. It was all so overwhelming. I asked a friend who was homeschooling six children at the time to advise me. Apparently she had tried many different types of math programs and books, but hadn't found what she wanted. She had been looking for a curriculum that would explain and make understandable the "why" behind the math. That's when she told me that Professor B Math had been a blessing to her family. One of her children, who had previously hated math, began to love the subject...now there's a "success story" for you! It definitely influenced me.

When we got the first package in the mail and began working through the course I wanted to hurry my older child through the process thinking that he was beyond the concepts and should begin in the middle somewhere. How foolish! While working with his brother, who was in grade two at the time, the light bulb went on in my head! (I actually got really excited...in a MATH lesson!!) I discovered that it was necessary to begin at the beginning and I was amazed with the results. Austin, who had been struggling in math, was finally "getting it"...and I was so excited. Here we are three years later, and he is still reaping the benefits of having used this excellent program.

**I have noticed that there are those that get reimbursed for their "reviews", which is just fine. But, I am not one of them...this (and all other recommendations that I have made) are completely unsolicited and represent my humbly submitted opinion**