I just got this link in my inbox...I checked out a few stories and wanted to share.
(Keep in mind that there are also activities to further encourage reading.)
http://www.storylineonline.net/
I just got this link in my inbox...I checked out a few stories and wanted to share. (Keep in mind that there are also activities to further encourage reading.) http://www.storylineonline.net/
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We just wrapped up a mini-summer sewing class with our 5 & 6 year olds and a few friends. I'm amazed at hour these few hours of dedicated sewing time has triggered regular sewing pursuits for our girls. They've gotten so creative with the little projects for themselves as well as for their dolls. This is a link to an old video we made to help encourage sewing creativity: http://youtu.be/Ly8w-7N486M Here's another link to a video where our oldest girls converted old pjs to make them a bit more modest: http://youtu.be/rPkKiJavklw This is an idea I had based on my daughters 4-H sewing class in Louisiana:
NOTE: The curved lines are more challenging. Also, when you practice the green lines, 1.Stop at each corner 2.Don't use the peddle, but turn the wheel so the needle is in the paper on the corner 3.Lift up your presser foot 4.Turn the page so you can continue sewing on the next line 5.Put the presser foot back down 6.Continue sewing This is good practice for sewing things like exterior square pockets
We just received our summer workbooks and I'm looking forward to getting back in the groove of our homeschooling. For those who want a simple resource to keep their children's academic lessons fresh, consider this series entitled, "Summer Bridge Activities." I bought ours at a discount from Rainbow Resource (www.rainbowresource.com) Additionally, I've set a goal with another mom to plan a few enriching field trips for our children this summer so we can explore more of our surroundings. Here's to summer fun!
It is truly wonderful that our creator has carefully and purposefully created each one of us. Each of us has gifts and passions that help make us who we are. I am daily becoming aware of my strengths vs. weaknesses and my passions vs disinterests. One such area of disinterest is studying literature. Although I thoroughly enjoy reading, I'm not fond of learning about literature and all it's many elements.However, I do recognize that as a parent, it's not all about "me" and what I like or dislike. For example, our oldest daughter is an avid reader and easily devours chapter books in a short period of time. This has been her passion since she was 3 years old and continues to resonate within her. If I were to enforce my disinterest for exploring literature on a deeper level, then I'd be hindering her natural passion. Instead, I believe it is part of my job to encourage her love of reading and support her in this area. One way that I've stepped out of "my" comfort zone, is by signing her up in the homeschool book club. This has been a great alternate way to introduce literature into her studies. I also recruited a friend who is extremely passionate about literary works to give a brief discussion on different genres of literature. As you see in the pictures, the children took notes and asked questions as he taught. We explored drama, fables, fantasy, folklore, fiction, poetry, mystery & science fiction. It even inspired me to purchase one if his recommendations at an used bookstore, "A Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Another recent literary endeavor was to attend the local homeschool theater production of "Romeo and Juliet." Our daughter has probably read more Shakespeare in the past few years then I did in my entire academic career! I'm sure this benefited her, (and all our children,) to experience. I find that these live productions really make the stories come to life and they're also great tools for discussion....thanks Mom for sharing your passion of theater arts in me :-) In short, I hope you will be prayerful as you seek to encourage the natural gifts/interests of your children.
"I Give thanks to You, For I am awesomely and wondrously made! Wondrous are Your Works, And my being knows it well." Tehillim (Psalms) 119:14 We're approaching our 3rd of week getting together with fellow homekeepers to encourage and support each other in our homekeeping pursuits (http://www.joyfuljunction.com/1/post/2011/05/encouragement-for-homekeepers.html). I've been really motivated to get things in order after meeting with these ladies and gathering the children, so I wanted to post some notes from the group. Perhaps you can glean from our time together and share some ideas from our topics of Couponing, Gardening & Meal Planning. ENJOY:
Do you delight in homekeeping? Or is it tedious position you take for granted? Since leaving the business world in August 2005 at the request of my husband, I've developed a passion for homekeeping delights. I figured, if this is my new focus, I might as well teach myself how to thrive in the art of being a homemaker. After months of seeking out examples of fellow homekeepers and resources to help me in this new endeavor, I began to appreciate the beauty of being a keeper of our home (Titus 2:5) Now, that we're in another phase of our lives (establishing ourselves in the northwest,) I've gotten a little off my path to homekeeping. So, with the accountability of a few fellow homekeepers, we began gathering on a weekly basis to encourage and share our experiences. We get together, discuss relevant topics, set goals and have some hands on activities (see pics.) Right now, our focus is simple:
Ultimately, my hope is to continue to delight in homekeeping and encourage others in this blessed position!
Any tips or resources you want to contribute will be greatly appreciated! Several months ago I posted our attempt at Virtual Education (http://www.joyfuljunction.com/1/post/2010/09/peak-into-the-future.html).
This experience really opened my eyes to how technologically advanced we've become in such a short period of time. It also taught me several other lessons regarding the education of our children. Ultimately, the experience confirmed that not all education programs benefit the dynamic of our family. I do believe this program would be a wonderful fit for some new home educators transitioning their older children from institutional learning or for those students wanting a challenging structured model of learning comparable to public schools. However, the primary reason for withdrawing our 2 students from this program was it put too many regimented academic demands on them which virtually killed their love of learning. Now that we've had our virtual education experience through the public school system, I've recently embarked upon a program introduced by my friend in New York. The program is entitled TIME 4 LEARNING (http://www.time4learning.com/index.htm) and it is a great supplement for after school or summer school students as well. Although, we've only been members for 2 weeks, it is a program worth checking out if you're seeking an affordable online curriculum to supplement your childs education: http://www.time4learning.com/index.htm P/S We're still enjoying the Prepare and Pray Unit Study :-) Last month, I signed up our 5 school-aged children in the local homeschool pe group. This has been an amazing outlet for our family and it's keeping us disciplined in many ways.
Gone are the days where I feel the need to join every other homeschooling activity. Thankfully, I've found a few great local enrichment programs that don't effect our main focus: Child Training Enjoy the pics My oldest daughter and I have enjoyed a few recent episodes of "Extreme Couponing." I've been so inspired & started slowing incorporating this into our homeschooling lessons. The positive part about it is she likes to shop and I like math--I think we'll make a good team!!
Please share some couponing advise for this newbie :-) |
This nook is a bit of reflection and inspiration from me, a Joyful Mommy of 10 with hopes of encouraging others along their journey :)A Few Family Pics: Categories
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