Legos Don’t Build Themselves, You Know!
Monday, 30 April 2012
Recently, when a missionary friend was visiting from Japan, I offered to keep his son for a day to free him up for some appointments. Since Rees was alone, I invited my grandson Eli over as a playmate, hauled out a huge crate of Legos, and set the boys loose. I could barely pull them
- Published in Writing
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Journaling Your Life Stories: "Down on the Farm"
Monday, 30 April 2012
My husband, Robert, grew up on a farm in the 1950s. He attended one of the last one-room schoolhouses in northern Illinois, and his days were filled with the kind of adventures that happen to a little boy living in a rural setting. Our children never tire of hearing “Daddy’s” farm stories–like the time an
- Published in Writing
But it’s so… so… Awkward!
Monday, 30 April 2012
Awkward. Even the spelling of the word is disturbing. If we look back, we likely have memories of high school or college teachers having scribbled the ugly “Awk” word in the margin of our paper, leaving us with the tremendously helpful insight that whatever it was we were trying to communicate didn’t quite work.
- Published in Writing
Tactile Ways to Practice Spelling
Monday, 30 April 2012
The best methods of teaching spelling cater to multiple learning styles. They address all three of the main learning channels: visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), and kinesthetic (doing). Unfortunately, the kinesthetic (or “tactile”) channel winds up neglected in many cases. There are a number of effective tactile ways to practice spelling. Some of these include: Building
- Published in Language Arts
Am I Really Supposed to be Homeschooling?
Thursday, 26 April 2012
God knows that homeschooling can be tough sometimes. Some days are wonderful, and you can see the fruits of your labor. Your child’s handwriting is neat, the answers are correct, and his attitude is cooperative. On those days, you know why you homeschool. We all love those days–reading together as a family, working together on
- Published in Encouragement
Encyclopedia Dad
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Although Encyclopedia Brown is famous for what he did know, Encyclopedia Dad is famous for what he doesn’t know. Knowing so little, how did I earn that nickname? You may have guessed it-by my pernicious habit of stopping whatever I’m doing, leaping out of the chair, and bounding over to the bookshelf to grab a
- Published in Encouragement
Writing Success the Classical Way
Monday, 23 April 2012
By Amy Hastings Olsen A Primer for the Progymnasmata Two boys are working on their writing assignments. Nathan stares at a blank page, chewing on his pencil; his assignment is to write a cowboy adventure story. Jimmy, next door, bends over his paper scribbling away. His assignment is to rewrite the story of Sir Galahad;
- Published in Classical Homeschooling
What is a Classical Education?
Monday, 23 April 2012
For those of you who have no clue what classical education is, I will attempt to explain it in lay terms. You will hear the word, “Trivium” which is basically a breakdown of learning stages into three main levels: The Grammar Stage–From K through elementary, the focus is mainly on memorization of the facts of
- Published in Classical Homeschooling