History of Homeschooling Quick Look
Source: stephenslighthouse.com via Bobbi on Pinterest
Homeschooling by the Numbers Statistics
Source: offers.degreesearch.org via Bobbi on Pinterest
The Home Advantage Statistics
Source: coursehero.com via Bobbi on Pinterest
Some Interesting Statistics on Homeschooling
Source: offers.degreesearch.org via Bobbi on Pinterest
Developing an Attitude of Thankfullness by Stephen Stillman
Developing An Attitude Of Thankfulness
By Stephen Stillman
As Christians we should naturally have an attitude of thankfulness, but sometimes we are just the opposite. Look at the following scripture text, Numbers 11:4-6 and you will find a group of happy, thankful people. ”Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ’who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!’ ”
Don’t these people sound happy? Are they not a happy group? No, these people are just the opposite. They are complaining miserably. They are crying, ”who is going to give us to eat?” These people had just left Mount Sinai after receiving God’s travel instructions through Moses. God had been very good to them. Every morning the Israelites were able to draw back their tent doors and witness a miracle of white round flakes of manna covering the ground. It was food from heaven! But now God’s goodness and mercy was not enough for them.
Why had these people become so disatisfied? It was because their attention shifted from what God had given them to what they didn’t have. They were no longer noticing what God was doing for them. They were not seeing that God was setting them free. They were not seeing that God was making them a nation and giving them a new land. They were no longer noticing these things because they were so wrapped up in what God wasn’t doing for them. They could only think of the delicious Egyptian food they had left behind. They were beginning to feel that God wasn’t doing enough for them and felt they had the right to ask for more. They began to demand meat and stopped trusting God to care for them, ”who is going to give us to eat?” Somehow they had forgotten the cost of the food they had left behind, that it was at the expense of the brutal whip of Egyptian slavery.
These people were becoming terrible. Before we think about how awful these people had become and judge them, we may want to think about what occupies our attention most of the time. Are we grateful to God for what he has given us, or are we always thinking about what we would like to have? We should not allow our unfulfilled desires to cause us to forget God’s gifts of life; food, health, family, friends, work.
How do we change our attitude of disappointment and unthankfulness to an attitude of being thankful and happy? Do we become thankful just because we get the things from God that we ask for? When we ask God for something, He might grant our request, but if we approach Him with a sinful attitude, getting what we want may prove to be costly. When we have become so unthankful God might put us through an experience more costly than we want, to bring us back into a state of thankfulness. The Israelites got the meat they demanded, but they paid dearly for it later when a plague struck their camp.
Isn’t it odd how it works? The more God gives us the more unsatisfied and disappointed we become. Zaccheus is a man of the New Testament that we can relate to this type of situation. Zaccheus could buy about anything he wanted, but the way he got his money made him so unpopular that no one would have anything to do with him. Zaccheus could afford to have his clothes all tailor made, but his lack of height made him feel inconsequential and insecure. His business of collecting taxes forced him into the public eye, but the fact that everyone knew that the way he made so much money was by over taxing the people made it uncomfortable for him to move around town. Zaccheus was a man for who everything he had ( his career, his possessions, his status in the government) brought him no satisfaction.
If Zaccheus was at peace and satisfied with himself because of his career, possessions, and status, why would he go to such lengths to see Jesus? Idle curiousity would not account for a grown man to act like a little kid, climbing a tree and clinging desparately to a branch. Here was a man who recognized that life was not all that it could be, and that the answer to his disatisfaction was to be found in something other than his possessions. Zaccheus was a man who had to find out if Jesus was the answer. Sometimes we are like Zaccheus and have to go through the fire of searching out happiness by gathering all the world has to offer us, and then finding out that true happiness is not there. Zaccheus, like many today, cannot be thankful for what they have, because they are so dissatisfied and unhappy.
Thank God, Zaccheus did find peace and happiness in his life when he found Jesus. He found happiness when he looked beyond himself and the things of the world.
Zaccheus not only gives us a lesson in how to find happiness, but he also teaches us how to say thank you. Zaccheus knew that his gratitude to Jesus would not be expressed simply by saying how grateful he was that he had all of the things he had. His gratitude would best be expressed by using those things he had to help others. Zaccheus didn’t promise to give back what he had taken and to give the other half of everything he owned to the poor in order to get Jesus to like him or to approve of him. Zaccheus did it because of what Jesus had already done for him by just coming into his life. This is the best way to say thank you Lord for what you have given me, to give up some of the good things that you have.
We need to ask ourselves, do we have an attitude of thankfulness or do we have an attitude of dissatisfaction and unhappiness? If we are unhappy is it because we have stopped noticing what God has given us?
Remember, if you are not satisfied and demand more, God may give it to you but it may come with a price higher than you want to pay. But if you are happy and have peace and want to thank God, think of what you can give up that will help others or will help the Church.
Let us always remember to be thankful for what God has given us, that we don’t demand more from Him and have to pay the cost.
Stephen Stillman, owner of http://www.amazingchristianproducts.com a website that offers great Christian articles and a variety of religious products.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITER-MAKE A WEBSITE
“Big Book of History” Book Review
Big Book Of History: A 15′ Fold-Out Time-Line From Creation To Modern Computers by Laura Welch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The “Big Book Of History: A 15′ Fold-Out Time-Line From Creation To Modern Computers”
by Laura Welch is a color coded mix of secular history with Biblical history that will enlivened both your Bible studies and history studies.
The kids really enjoyed pulling this out to see what all was happening at a certain point in history and with the, “Big Book Of History: A 15′ Fold-Out Time-Line From Creation To Modern Computers”, it really does help bring a visual look at history that will help not only have kids interested in history but bring history more to life.
Hard bounded to extend the life of the timeline and safe for little hands to play with, homeschoolers and even teachers, will find the, Big Book Of History: A 15′ Fold-Out Time-Line From Creation To Modern Computers”, really found to use and a great, quick reference guide.
I was surprised at the amount of information that was included and it really helped the kids developed a sense of idea at the achievements that were happening in different parts of the world and do what history should do, bring a sense of wonder at what civilization has accomplished.
“Big Book Of History: A 15′ Fold-Out Time-Line From Creation To Modern Computers” by Laura Welch is a definite and convenient timeline to have in the home!
****Thank you to New Leaf Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book, in exchange for my honest opinion****
Homeschool Journal-November 17,2011
In my life this week…
The weather has become so much cooler and it’s been a much needed relief. Still hasn’t rain as much we would like, but can’t complain, since it could be so much worse.
It’s been pretty un-eventful but also not a bad thing and nothing to complain about. Next week it will be Thanksgiving, and it’s just hard to believe how much time has passed.
The year is almost over with….where did it go?
In our homeschool this week…
We were talking about frogs and tadpoles yesterday and it was great to see the kids pulling the books out to figure out questions about tadpoles, how did they develop, what did they like to eat, about their environment and even..did they have tales.
Other than working really on the basics (Math, Reading, Writing), the frogs and tadpoles took up a good portion of science discussion and we will began our North America unit for Geography.
For Social studies, we were talking about the Pilgrims and also talking about Gratitude.
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
There is a really great article that was shared by “Walking by the Way” called “Are You Behind?. It is a very encouraging article that is short but on the point to help lift up moms (or dads) who are concerned about where they are in lesson plans.
The beauty of homeschooling is the ability to be flexible and adjust to the moments in life that can happen and the article was just a great reminder that sometimes the best of plans can change at the last minute.
Be flexible.
I see posts by teachers who share, sometimes the best of lesson plans don’t already get follow and this is something that is experienced even by homeschoolers.
Don’t get discouraged or compare yourself to others; You’re not them, you’re you and chances are, you and the kids might be much further ahead, actually, then you give yourself credit.
And when in doubt, think about this:
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
(Philippians 4:13, New King James Version)
Take a deep breathe.
Grab some chocolate.
Keep on homeschooling….
My favorite thing this week was…
Watching the kids learn to discover, to research and to find information on their own about frogs and tadpoles. We can’t always hold their hands and with them learning how to find information, on their own, apply it and discover the information on their own…wow….I mean….wow.
Things I’m working on…
Haven’t gotten start on an alternate to the workbox system, but that is more, for the holidays, plan….in the meantime, the binder system is working pretty good for us.
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Source: mamahall.com via Lindsey on Pinterest
Come join “Coffee & Cookies Homeschool” and other homeschoolers, as we participate in, “The Homeschool Mother’s Journal“, each week, to share our homeschool journey.
Look at Homeschool Planners
Lesson plans © by hurricanemaine
Homeschool planners….
Inevitable, at some point or another, homeschooling teachers, everywhere, turn their thoughts to using some form of planner.
Some uses online planners. Others use software and even then, others use paper versions…Whatever choice you use, the thing is, there are many planners out there, and like many other homeschoolers, something that even after all this time of schooling, I still find myself weighing the options out there…looking at the pro’s and con’s of this over that and debate, what will fit our school in a way.
I don’t think I will go into extolling the virtues of using a homeschool planner, because truthfully, that is a subject, well discussed, in forums, facebook, emails, homeschool groups, everywhere and even then, there is so much out there to choose from that it seems redundant but at the end of the day, the information does help, families make the best decision that they possible can.
When it comes down to it….really….using a homeschool planner is both a mix of is it needed, does it fit your school style, if you’re an unschooler, using a homeschool planner, really might not work, unless you just simply looking for a general guide of what to buy each year or each month.
Then there’s the fact of paper or paper-less…Now going paper-less is environmental friendly, but if you live in a state that may require proof of schooling, including turning in a portfolio each year, you’re still looking at some form of printed paper work….then there’s the prettiness factor.
Reality….homeschooling is often done more by moms and we like pretty….we like cute and it doesn’t hurt to have a cute, colorful planner, plus it makes us feel more guilty about neglecting the planner.
Of course, then there is the need for practical; A planner needs to be practical for use and that varies with each home and in each state. What’s the point of getting a planner that reality wise, if its not flexible to use for the current school need, its going to be difficult to use.
What do we use?
It varies and here’s a list of the different sources that is used to put our homeschool planner together…using the planner, is sometimes a different story.
- DonnaYoung.Org has always been a top favorite. Tons of forms to choose from,
Printables by Donna Young
each year she creates something that leaves the homeschool teacher going, “Hey I didn’t think about that”, and “I can use that”. Flexible, stylish and available at no cost, this is really the number one source for homeschool teachers to use.
If you use Apologia, I highly recommend going to Donna’s site; She has some great resources that can be used with the series.
I personally like her handwriting worksheets that has been invaluable for our school.
Cost: Free
- The Homeschool Planner,created in 2011, these are are a nice
The Homeschool Planner
set of forms that cost $4.95 to order theset, but I feel are a great starter for homeschooling families to start out using, particularly when they are just figuring out their homeschool style and learning how to adjust to homeschooling. Clean, easy to print and use, this is a must look into.
I really enjoyed using the art planner and science experiment planner, because it helped me see a week to two week ahead what we will be studying and what I need to make sure we have together, to do the science experiments or for that week’s art project. FYI: I’m not affiliated or get paid for, The Homeschool Planner” nor am I an affiliate, but I just really like her homeschool forms, she has created.
Cost: $4.95
- New Beginnings Curriculum Planner. You can print a full curriculum planner, including a student planner from them. Well laid out, examples include a,” how to put together your planner”, this is perfect for both novice to seasoned homeschoolers. Their attendence sheets work great for families with up to four kids being homeschool and I especially like the layout of their course of study, that for many, are a great source for use in portfolios. Cost: Free
- Mama Jenn’s Homeschool Planning Pages- I love her planning page and think the weekly layout is not only pleasing to the eye,
- Peace Creek Homeschool Forms-This is an excellent site for forms that will work, not only with just any homeschooler, but “large homeschooling families” or “families with a lot of kids”. Of particularly interest, is her, “Field trip report forms” to encourage kids to write a narrative of what they did during the field trip. Cost: Free
- Highland Heritage Forms-I have used these forms since our first homeschool day, and they are well made, pretty much you will find everything you will need and if not, I recommend checking with DonnaYoung.org, site before checking anywhere else and they are both not complicated but at the same time, detailed to use. Cost: Free
- Five J’s Homeschool: I forgot about this and need to add this link, but Five J’s created a great gradebook/lesson planner that is excel based and so worth checking out. Cost: Free
Of course there are plenty of other homeschool planners that are out there and it really just depends on finding a planner that YOU, are comfortable with and that you know will work for you.
As great as it is to jump on the bandwagon, don’t forget that your school needs, is still unique to you, and you need to find a planner that you can use and work with on a daily or weekly basis.
How do we go about using our planners?
For us, personally, I found that planning a year in a advance just wasn’t conducive due to the fact that there are realities of life does happen sometimes, doctor appointments may come up, field trips, vacations, something going on with the homeschool group that month comes up, so our school plans have to be readjusted to work around those events, or maybe an unexpected exhibit at the museum opens up and we plan to go during the week when crowds aren’t so bad.
So what I have planned and are doing, is instead of trying to plan a year in advance, and because we use the Weaver Curriculum that is already laid out for us there, is plan, instead on a month by month basis, so the lesson planner we use, generally are the ones I can print out.
Instead of having a year’s worth, toward the middle of each month, I essentially create a planner for just that month.Instead of having a year’s worth, toward the middle of each month, I essentially create a planner for just that month.
I print out a seasonal based cover, such as a “Thanksgiving based cover” for November and for the month of November, print out the number of weeks we are covering and relevant pages and because we invested, two years ago, in a comb binder, I bind the planner and that becomes my monthly planner.
This works for us, because each month, something always comes up (you know, field trips, unexpected field trip opportunities, work around the weather field trips, co-op classes that come up, homeschool group gatherings, etc.) and the planner is more flexible for our own use.
For others, they may choose a pre-made, spiral bound, commercial homeschool planner, or they print out a years worth, either way, the biggest thing, like from our example of how we plan, is come up with a homeschool plan, that works for YOU and YOUR family.
Each school is different with different needs and particularly if you are a large family, you’re planning needs will definitely be different from that of a smaller family and the same goes to,maybe your state requires something different from the state of another homeschool family.
****Update November 7, 2011****
Five J’s posted at the same time this posted, a really great post and look at how they planned for their homeschool that is a great read.
You can read it here:Homeschool Curriculum Planning: How to Create Daily Schedules
What about the popular planners that are out there?
I haven’t had a chance to try and/or preview the following planners, so I’m not able to share my personal opinion about them, but there are the following planners, that are worth the investment in buying. Hopefully, if I’m ever offer the opportunity to use them for review, I will be able to offer more insight into what I think about the planners.
Until then, I’m sharing mostly from what I have heard from friends who are using the following planners or via from what I read other homeschoolers are saying about the following planners.
1. Well-Planned Day Planner
I have friends who have ordered and are using this and they all have expressed how much they have enjoyed using them. For those who are using Weaver, it appears to be compatible with the curriculum.
It’s a spiral bound planner, so this is not something you print out yourself, although they do offer a digital download of the planner. Personally, I would much rather try out the spiral bound planner, if that was the case, then print out the entire planner.
On the other hand, for the system we use, printing out month by month, isn’t a bad idea, good for homes that are ink use minded, to preserve ink for printing other homework related items.
Cost: Varies. It depends on what you are wanting to buy, digital versus print and then there are accessories that goes along with the Well-Planned Planner.
2. Weekly Homeschool Planner by Homeschool Creations.
A reusable homeschool planner that is not dated, the “Weekly Homeschool Planner” features editable pdfs that can be used each year. A friend recently won a set, via a giveaway, so I’m curious of what she thinks about it.
I like the look of the “Weekly Homeschool Planner” its pretty inexpensive and when you consider the fact that its undated, so you can re-use this, year after year, a cost effective planner to invest in.
From the description of the “Weekly Homeschool Planner” a lot is offer to the homeschool family.
Cost: $20.00
As mention, I haven’t used the “Well Day Planner” or the “Weekly Homeschool Planner” so unfortunately I don’t have much personal insight on either planner.
Maybe in the future, if an opportunity comes up for me either to review the products, or to buy them for use, I will be able to offer up a better, more detailed, follow up review on them.
With that said, how about yourself?
I want to hear from other homeschoolers!
- What type of homeschool planners are you using or do you not use any? Feel free to share why?
- What do you like most in your homeschool planner?
- What do you look for in a homeschool planner?
Share your thoughts and what you are using, in the comment box and hope to hear from you soon!
Homeschool Journal-November 4,2011
In my life this week…we have dealt with changing weather, to something welcoming cooler versus frustrating hot with no rain.
In our homeschool this week…we are still working on our rocks and mineral unit and it was really fun using a hamburger (yes, a hamburger) to discuss about earth layers….plus it was quite tasty as well. I’m thinking we are going to wrap up about layers of the earth next week and move to astronomy….here we come oreo moon phases, I hope!
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…its easy to run out of printer ink when you least expect it, though if you need it the most, is when you are, more than likely to run out of printer ink.
I am inspired by…I wasn’t homeschooled myself, but I was blessed with some really great teachers in public school, who inspired, encouraged, and challenged me and other students, to think outside the box, don’t follow the social norms, to be creative, to be willing to take chances and risks and to never, ever, stop challenging what we thought, how we thought and to keep learning and that there is NO such thing as learning enough.
It’s something that I try to pass on to the kids, that no matter what, if they are to take anything away, just like what my teachers challenged us to take away when we graduated, was a willingness to keep learning, and not just go with the flow of things, but be an individual and that meant, not falling into the group think, but into the what do i think, frame of mind.
They (my teachers) really challenged me to be confident, to be an individual, and that often meant, going against the grain and what others thought I should be, and to keep my horizons always open. I pray and hope the same, always for my my kids. That they never think they are limited, but that they have the whole wide world out there.
My favorite thing this week was…talking about artists with the kids….Art is a passion and to pass that on would be fantastic, but also seeing the kids, each week, growing and changing and seeing the unique, individuals that they are.
What’s working/not working for us…the workbox system is SOOOO not working for us. I’ve gotta change it and find something that is more slimline and workable and with another on the way, filling up workboxes on Sunday evenings, isn’t as feasible as before.
Questions/thoughts I have…is there another form of workbox system that is out there that will work!! Lol, there’s gotta be and plan on spending some time this weekend, researching, and working out the pros and cons of what I find. Updates on that in the future.
Things I’m working on…where do I start?
New workbox system for sure.
Looking for a good health curriculum to incorporate into the school year(s).
I’m reading…I review books so there’s ALWAYS a book to read…..
I’m grateful for…our Father in Heaven, He is a solid rock, our foundation for our family, as we grow and learn and mature; I’m grateful for my husband, always….Hubby is my best friend, and fun to compete against on Sundays via fantasy football; I’m grateful for my kids-They remind me to not take life seriously, to enjoy life and the blessings. life offers and they remind me that we are never too old to be kids at heart…..
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Come join “Coffee & Cookies Homeschool” and other homeschoolers, as we participate in, “The Homeschool Mother’s Journal“, each week, to share our homeschool journey.
How Do We Know the Bible is True? Book Review
How Do We Know The Bible Is True? by Ken Ham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“How Do We Know the Bible is True”? was a surprising read for me; I don’t know what I was expecting? Surveys? Hebrew and Greek backgrounds?
Instead, what I found in,”How Do We Know the Bible is True”? was a series of essays, that are written by different individuals, that are written in the form of questions, that were answered, with well wrapped up conclusions, summing up the individual’s perspective on questions such as:,
“Is the Old Testament Reliable”
“How do we know the Bible is true”
“How to properly view Evidence”,
to name, really a few of the questions that are posed in Volume 1 of, “How Do We Know the Bible is True”.
The book doesn’t go in depth with many of the challenging questions that are posed and at 296 pages, new Christians, those who are growing in the faith, maybe even those who are interested or have questions about the faith, will find this book, “How Do We Know the Bible is True”? to be a useful source as a starting point, in digging deeper into the bible and finding a direction to many questions that are asked by Non-Christians and Christians alike.
There are cartoon like illustrations that are peppered throughout the book, that help bring a tongue in the cheek humor to, “How Do We Know the Bible is True”? and the reader will find that this is not a book, just by Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, but rather a collection of easy to read essays that even a student in 5th grade and up would find resourceful.
With contributions from Dr. Joseph Lisle, Dr. Timothy Mitchell, Dr. Terry Mortenson, to name a few, to those who are more well known such as Dr. John MacArthur, Mr.Ken Ham, the readers will find a variety of insights in typical topics of discussions, that come up, regarding the validity of the bible.
I enjoy the honesty and ease of reading that, “How Do We Know the Bible is True”? , and along with it, a challenging look at, “How Do We Know the Bible is True”? .
For those who are seeking answers to common questions regarding the bible and its validity, “How Do We Know the Bible is True”?, makes for a very good start.
****Thank You to New Leaf Publishing, for the opportunity to read and review this book, in exchange for my own opinion****
Coffee & Cookies subscribers:
120 followers all together
Follow us on Twitter, FB and sign up on RSS, to keep up to date with the latest posts!Follow this Blog
Pin this Blog on PIninterest!
Participate in:
The “Coffee & Cookies Homeschool” Link Back Button!
