Category Archives: Homeschooling

The One Thing You Can do Today to Radically Improve Your Homeschool

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When I began homeschooling some 18 years ago, I set out to have the best homeschool possible.

I read books on education. Lots of books!

I attended homeschool conventions.

I spared no expense on homeschool curriculum. Lots and lots of homeschool curriculum.

I poured my life out for my kids believing that it would produce excellence in them.

And then everything fell apart.

I’ll spare you the gory details but suffice to say that by neglecting my husband (he was a ‘big boy’ after all, right?) I was not saving time, I was undermining our whole family structure.

God describes the ideal family dynamic in Colossians:

Colossians 3:18-21: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”

Although adhering to these principles may go against our natural inclinations, well, they work!

When I put the needs and concerns of my husband over those of my kids, he is a blessed guy.

When my husband is a blessed guy, guess what? He wants to bless his family!

This is not meant to be a legalistic statement. You’re not going to hell if you neglect your husband.

You just may, however, experience a little bit of heaven if you do.

Here is what I mean. When I honor and bless my husband by putting his needs first, I may not get the house completely clean or finish that great, life-changing family read aloud on schedule. Honestly, this can bother me. I like to get my list checked off.

However, if I put aside these types of things, say by putting my kids to bed earlier, in favor of spending more quiet time with my husband, he feels important.

When my husband feels important and valued, he is more interested in pouring into our home and school. I find that he begins to anticipate my needs and help me in ways that I never would have asked.

Four Ways to Bless Your Husband Today

Forgive his shortcomings quickly, just as you want your shortcomings to be forgiven.
Stop what you are doing, ahem, and listen to him.
Admire him for what he does well – let him know you appreciate him!
Pray for him everyday. It isn’t easy supporting and leading a family.

As a young mom, I believed that the more I did for my kids, the better our family would be. Now I have come to understand that if I want the best for my family, I need to put my husband first by loving and honoring him within our home.

How about you? Have you seen a difference in your home by putting your husband first?

10 Picture Books for a Christ Centered Easter

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Just like Christmas, Easter can be a hard time for helping our kids to stay focused on Jesus and the reason we celebrate Easter. I like to pull out these favorite books each year, a few weeks before Easter and read one each day with my kids. You may have additional books to add to this list, please leave us a comment letting us know what your favorite Christ Centered Easter books are!

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1. Journey to the Cross ~ this book is not so much a picture book that you would sit down and read in one sitting. But I LOVE using this book ALL throughout the Easter season! This book has the entire Easter story split up into 40 readings (which would also be perfect to start around the time that Lent starts.) Your elementary kids could also use this book as reading practice to mom during the Easter season!

2. The Parable of the Lily ~ this might be my favorite picture book for Spring and Easter! I love Liz Curtis Higg’s parables for children! This one is the story of a mysterious gift that ends in a joyous discovery weeks later just in time for Easter. I love that Scripture is incorporated into the pages of these children’s parables!

3. Easter Bunny, Are You For Real ~ I love these gentle books by Harold Myra that do not make you feel any condemnation for having easter egg hunts or having FUN with the holiday. He mentions that spring IS a time to get excited about bunnies and new flowers growing, etc. But, he gently points out that the REAL reason we celebrate is because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

4. The Easter Story ~ from “Peek-A-Bible” and ZonderKids ~ we have had this book since my kids were 2-3 years old. There are flaps the kids can lift up and I have to admit, even as an adult, I get excited lifting that huge rock and seeing that the tomb is EMPTY!!

5. Amon’s Adventures ~ this is another book that is not particularly a picture book, but a story that you can read aloud to your whole family throughout the Easter season!! These read aloud or chapter books by Arnold Ytreeide are just fabulous. The stories grab you and have such depth to them. I would say these are probably not for your early elementary kids, maybe save them for upper elementary and older.

6. Benjamin’s Box ~ this book can be used along with the Resurrection Eggs or on its own, you could even be creative and use this in a totally different way if you chose. Benjamin is a curious boy that lives in the time of Jesus, he keeps a treasure box of all these treasures he finds — these treasures are the same things you will find inside the Resurrection Eggs.

7. The Legend of the Easter Egg ~ another fabulous “legend” book by Lori Walburg with MANY references to special events that take place around the time of Jesus death, the cross and the resurrection.

8. The Tale of Three Trees ~ a beautiful story of 3 trees with stories of how they are used to bring glory to God through their “lifetime.” You could add in nature study, as well, to this lovely story! This story is a very creative and a bit unusual way to tell the Easter story! You and your kids won’t forget it!

9. Miracle in the Morning ~ discuss with your children what it would have been like to go and find the EMPTY tomb on Easter morning!!

10. The Legend of the Sand Dollar ~ a trip to the beach reveals the story of Easter in a sand dollar! A small, hidden treasure reveals the miracle of the Resurrection.

I love adding just one new book to my Easter and Christmas collections each year. That makes it a little more affordable. By the time my children are grown, we will have a lovely collection of Christ-centered holiday books that someday I hope to share with my grandchildren!! These books we read each year become a part of our traditions…my children remember them…and I pray these seeds are planted deep in their hearts as they grow and mature in the Lord!

I have some free cursive copy work to go along with the Resurrection Eggs over at my place if you’d like to add that to your Easter school work!

Delight-directed Learning for ANY Homeschool — Part Two

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Welcome back! Did you catch the first installment in this series last month? I shared about how talking to your kids (or listening to what they talk about) can give you many ideas about how to incorporate delight-directed learning into your homeschool. If you missed that article, be sure to click over and read more about that.

This month, we’re going to take a look at another great idea for accomplishing the same goal of adding delight-directed learning to ANY homeschool.

Another effective method to encourage delight-directed learning is to simply notice when your student gets excited by something you are already teaching.

Many homeschool moms are intimidated by delight-directed learning because they believe it means that everything has to be done from scratch. But that is not necessarily true. You don’t have to create an entire unit study or do anything else particularly labor-intensive. In fact, our journey into delight-directed learning began when we veered off course from a pre-written, pre-secheduled, pre-purchased, boxed curriculum because something we were already studying piqued the curiosity of my son. And it happened more than once!

It really can be as simple as giving your student some extra time to follow a rabbit trail. You can do this by providing a themed book basket filled with picture books, chapter books, nonfiction resource books, and DVDs. Or you can add arts and crafts, projects, lapbooks, notebooking activities or website searches for their chosen topic. How much you give your student access to will depend upon how much time you are willing to veer off course.

We’ve had rabbit trails take just a day to satisfy the need to know more. Others have literally taken weeks, even months. If you suspect this new interest will be ongoing, you could simply create another “class” for your homeschool and offer that option for continued study on a daily or weeky basis. Then resume your usual lesson plan.

However you decide to indulge your student, there can be great rewards. Being willing to stop and follow rabbit trails can delight your student, and creating an atmosphere of delight does wonders to encourage a love of learning.

Isn’t that our goal as homeschool moms?

Don’t Turn Away: Trouble in the Homeschool Movement

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Oops. It happened again.

Another “pillar” of the homeschool movement has resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior.

“In allegations going back decades, Gothard, 79, and unmarried, is said to have specifically targeted young women and teen girls to perform administrative duties for him at IBLP’s headquarters, where he eventually would make unwanted and inappropriate physical contact while also manipulating them emotionally.” (Christian Post.com)

This comes just months after a scandal at Vision Forum forced the resignation of Doug Phillips. Of course, I’m troubled by this. But what’s more troubling to me is the lack of concern that the homeschool community seems to have for the victims of Gothard’s and Phillips teachings. There seems to be more concern for protecting these men and their “ministries” because it may have a negative impact on homeschooling than for the lives of the people who have been hurt and abused.

What in the world are we thinking?

I’d like to make something very clear: Bill Gothard and Doug Phillips are not the spokesmen for the homeschool movement. They represent an ideology that has somehow, over the years, gotten much more attention than it ever should have received.

These men have told us how to dress, what to say, when to use birth control (or not) and how to school our children. I say it’s time we had a discussion about it. There’s an elephant in the homeschool movement.

Someone said I was making a “mockery” of a fellow Christian by posting a link to the scandal on my page. I disagree. No one is making a mockery of a fellow Christian. Pretending that it didn’t happen is not helping anyone. Is it painful and embarrassing? Yes. Where there’s sin, pain is sure to follow. My heart breaks for the families, especially the women who have been hurt by the patriocentric, hyper-legalistic, hard-core fundamentalist mentality that has erroneously come to represent the homeschool movement.

Am I sorry to have to say names? Yes. But I’m even more sorry this has been allowed to continue unchecked for so long. Enough is enough. The number of women I have spoken privately to over the years who have been deeply wounded by these teachings compels me to break my silence about the ugly side of a movement that I love. The trouble is not homeschooling. The trouble is false or extra-biblical teaching that has infiltrated large parts of the homeschool movement.

Having been directly impacted by this teaching myself, I hope that others may finally find some release from the legalistic, man-centered teaching that these men and others like them espouse. This latest scandal has proven once again that we MUST NOT, we cannot, put our faith in men.

However, we mustn’t “throw the baby out with the bath water.” There are many good teachers out there who are stewarding God’s gift to them wisely and with great humility. But even a good teacher’s message is not above scrutiny. As individuals, we should hold all things up to the authority of Scripture. We must study the Bible for ourselves rather than relying solely on the words of others, even if they seem like good words.

There are many flawed teachings at ATI and Vision Forum. The worst of them have deeply hurt women and young Christian girls who were vulnerable and whose parents were desperately searching for a formula that would produce the desired result. After all, who doesn’t want that perfect family, that obedient child, that perfect marriage? Formulaic teaching produces one of two things: pride (if/when we get it “right”) or discouragement, disillusionment, and guilt when we don’t.

Once again, thousands of parents who were looking to men have been disillusioned and wounded. Once again, we are left to weep and wonder why it was allowed to get this out of control. We must speak out.

By not speaking out, we become guilty by association. For example, it pains me that the seven children God has blessed me and my husband with automatically associates us with the “quiverfull movement.” Frankly, I’m embarrassed to be associated with such a movement. I have finally decided to be brave and just say it: I don’t believe this movement is biblical.

Movements like this start with a true biblical premise, the fact that the Bible says children are a blessing. This is truth! This is the message we should be sharing! However, “ministries” like the ones Gothard and Phillips started tread deeply into areas of personal conviction, in an attempt to make others feel responsible to believe what they believe, even to the point of teaching things the Bible does not clearly address as fact.

My husband and I believe that homeschooling is a wonderful option for families. In fact, I’d go so far as to say we believe it is the best option. We are grieved to see how it has been hijacked by ideologies and legalism, especially since homeschooling affords us and our children so much freedom to learn and grow together. Homeschooling allows committed parents to provide an excellent education for their children. Homeschooling is not the problem.

The bottom line? Unless we begin to study the Bible for ourselves rather than blindly following the teachings of charismatic personalities, we will continue to see these kinds of abuses happen. Until we say collectively that “enough is enough” and talk about what has happened, it will continue.

Don’t turn away. Like a virus, sin festers and grows when it is ignored. Where forgiveness is needed, I pray we will forgive. Where repentance is required, I pray there is repentance. I don’t want our children to think that their father or I rely on anything but God. We don’t have all the answers. There is no formula, only faith guided by God’s truth.

The moment we begin to trust that God really can finish the work in our children that He began through us will be the moment we will truly learn to trust God and stop leaning on formulas. If you ever listen to a teacher or minister who directs you beyond the grace and love of Jesus alone, run. Our hope is in Jesus. No where else.

I’m praying a little more urgently for leaders and pastors and mothers and fathers tonight.

God knows we need His healing touch.

For more information about Jay and Heidi St. John’s ministry:

Saint Patrick’s Day Learning Ideas

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I hope you didn’t click over hoping for lucky green leprechauns. 🙂 Did you know that Saint Patrick was actually a missionary? Have you shared with your children about the real Saint Patrick? Today I’m going to share with you a few ideas for doing just that! Of course, having a little fun along the way makes the learning a little more memorable, but our focus won’t be on luck or leprechauns.

According to tradition, Patrick, as a young boy or teen, was sold into slavery. As a slave, his job was shepherding. As a shepherd in the fields, his prayer life blossomed and grew and his life became a witness for us all. What man intended for harm, God used for good. Genesis 50:20.

Through many events in Patrick’s life, he eventually felt God calling him to return to Ireland and tell people the good news of God.

I encourage you to do a little bit of research, check out a few books from the library on this man and learn more about who he was and why we celebrate him!

Here are 5 of my favorite picture books for sharing Saint Patrick with children:

Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie DePaola – if you are familiar with DePaola’s children’s books, this one will look familiar, with his unique illustrations.
The Story of Saint Patrick’s Day by Patricia Pingry – this book is great for the younger crowd and shares about Saint Patrick’s Day traditional symbols as well as where the holiday came from, as well as a short narrative on Saint Patrick himself.
St. Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons – Gail Gibbons books are great for homeschoolers! You can pick up this book and do no more lesson planning! 🙂 This book will tell you how the holiday is celebrated as well as some of the legends told about Patrick today.
The Story of Saint Patrick by James Janda – another children’s book that tells the story of Patrick.
Count Your Way Through Ireland by James Haskins – this book will help your family to learn a little more about Ireland and not just Saint Patrick himself.

In addition to reading some favorite picture books, add one or two of these FUN activities and your kids will definitely remember a lot more about Saint Patrick!

Creative Snack Ideas

Fun Learning Activities

Roll a Leprechaun Dice Game
Gold Cauldron Counting, Shamrock Subtraction and more!
Free Ireland Lapbook & Unit Study
More Free Unit Studies For: Saint Patrick’s Day in the Morning, Patrick Patron Saint of Ireland, and several other Irish/St. Patrick’s Day titles!
Shamrock Name Game Matching
Green Daisy Science
Free Printable St. Patrick Number Puzzle
Flying Potato
Play Hot Potato
How to Make a Celtic Knot

Arts & Craft Ideas

I hope you and your kids have FUN learning about Saint Patrick and the country of Ireland! I always think kids learn more when it’s fun. 🙂 Enjoy!!

If you’d like to read more of my homeschooling ideas, please take a peek at some of our favorite unit studies!

Homeschooling Made Simple

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Even though we have eight children and are in our 18th year of homeschooling, the thought of writing a blog about it terrifies me. You would think after this many years, I would be some sort of professional. The truth is, I am easily overwhelmed by the scads of information and choices there are now. Everything from method to curriculum. If I were young again and just starting out or thinking about homeschooling, I’m pretty sure you would find me in a corner somewhere in the fetal position, sucking my thumb!

If you are thinking about homeschooling or just starting out, I encourage you to KEEP THINGS SIMPLE. Don’t overwhelm yourself with information, but pray diligently for God’s leading in schooling your kids. He knows them better than you do, and He will be faithful to show you what’s best for them. Ask God to BRING to you what HE wants for your family. Don’t spend time comparing yourself to others. Your family is unique and has it’s own “culture”. The beauty of home schooling is that we can customize our learning to fit our family’s lifestyle. That means we are NOT modeling the public school classroom.

It is important to nurture your children’s love of learning and that means, especially when they are young, we follow their lead and interests as much as possible. Especially with boys, there often seems to be a need to wait longer to start any formal schooling. It’s a delicate line to walk of encouraging, but not pushing. We have tried to do this so as to foster their love of learning. What has happened at our house is, about age 12-14, instead of being burnt out on learning, they suddenly start to “own” their education. They realize how much they are capable of learning, how many things they are interested in and begin to pursue accordingly, on their own. We have also taught our children to be resourceful: to know how to find out what it is they want to know. My thought has always been that if you nurture their love for learning and teach them to be resourceful, they will be able to do whatever they decide they want to do!

When our kids were little, I had a need to be able to tangibly see their progress, so I used some workbooks, but kept them to a minimum. To learn reading, we started out with Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. This book teaches to read phonetically and is broken up into short, easy lessons. It is simple enough for your older, reading children to use in teaching the youngers, which is very helpful if you have several children. When the kids were reading somewhat well and able to write their letters, I would start them in an age appropriate math and language book. The plan was to do a couple pages in each book every morning, but with so many little ones, much of the time we were doing well to get 3 days a week done.

My goal is to be as consistent as is humanly possible. But life happens and I am not consistent if we have too much on our plate. We keep our school plan simple so that we have flexibility to let the kids follow some interests on their own. What that looks like for us through the elementary years is to try to make sure that we do the basics each day: math and language arts (including reading, writing, etc). Science and history are something our kids, at this age, explore on their own. I try to listen for the things they seem interested in and have good books around for them to read. We can waste a lot of time at the library trying to find appropriate books, so a good book list resource is important. One of my favorite book lists is, “Read for the Heart: Whole Books for WholeHearted Families” by Sarah Clarkson. The books listed are not “twaddle”, but meaningful books, with good illustrations and listed by subject and age appropriateness.

I also love Five in a Row by Jane Lambert. This is more of a unit study that you can use for several age levels at once. You read the suggested books (which were carefully chosen by Jane) as a springboard. Then she does a beautiful job of explaining different activities and conversations for several subjects based on that book. You have the option of doing as little or as much as you want or need for that day. (They have a free complete unit available for download, so it’s really easy to try it out!)

When they get into jr. high, we start to be more intentional in adding science and/or history to the basic mix. Sometimes it works well to combine two subjects. For instance, right now, two of our boys are choosing a time period that they study (with resources they find) and take notes on for 2 weeks. Then they write a report about all that they learned and turn it in to me. By doing this, they cover history, reading, writing (sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, taking good notes, grammar) and meeting a deadline.

This plan worked well for all of our children…except the last one. He has had some learning issues and, in his case, it was important to get an earlier start. Dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc. require early intervention, so if you are suspect that your child might have some learning issues, make sure you get a diagnosis sooner rather than later.

The truth is that our kids will remember more from our example than from what we say. All the practicalities aside, what is our goal? Don’t we want to raise children who love the Lord and carry out His purposes for them? That means that school revolves around home, not home around school. I believe the best way to do that is to live life with our kids. Be authentic, be intentional and most of all, be gospel centered, growing right alongside your children.

You can read more by Durenda on homeschooling by visiting her at Simple Nourishing Home