Flip 3 Pancakes with 1 Spatula by Cheryl Bastian is book filled with hands-on learning ideas for teaching math without a textbook. It's a handbook to teach to the heart of your child, who most likely LOVES your kitchen and is constantly asking if he can "help." Cooking is fun. Math can be learned by cooking with mom in the kitchen. Ergo, learning math can be fun. That sounds logical to me!

You will love this book! Set up like a cookbook, it is divided into the following categories: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks & Desserts, and Holidays & Celebrations. Each page contains a complete math lesson set up unit study style with a yummy recipe. You start out by reading one or two picture books. After gathering the needed materials listed on the page, the math lesson takes place while you are cooking. There are also Add Ons. The Ad Ons include additional math lessons, social studies activities, more books to read, science projects, writing or language assignments, and art projects. All are easy and fun!

We started doing Grace Home Schoolers Friday Enrichment Classes when my oldest daughter was in middle school--back in 1997. We have enjoyed the addition to our education at home. My teens have made friends and gotten to dissect, act, sing, paint, debate, and learn psychology from a Christian perspective. 

This year, we have a great line up of classes for the 2013/2014 school year. I thought I would share them with you in case you are looking for enrichment classes. 

Interested? Contact Grace Homeschoolers through their website: http://gracehomeschoolers.com/

My children have never attended public or private school but have been educated at home.  Homeschooling is a HUGE source of JOY in my life. I enjoy spending time with my children so much that I never wanted them to be at school for six hours a day instead of at home with me.  They are curious and interested and excited--easy to teach! I love learning together with my children--there is always something new to discover!

My educational goals tend to be higher than anything except the most expensive of private schools. What a privilege for my students to have a personal curriculum scope chosen specifically for them according to their strengths and giftings. I can focus on my children’s interests and strengths, targeting their education so that they are ready for the life God has called them to live.

They have had the privilege of reading many, many excellent works of literature. Living books practically breathe—they are interesting and exciting. Our home is filled with books. My children can pull a book off the shelf and get lost in an adventure that takes place in another time or place.

"When do you want to go home?" I asked my almost-college grad daughter, Julianna.

"Mom, we just got here," she chided.

"It's freezing, Julianna," her best friend, Marla backed me up.

But, Julianna was determined. It was the first day of spring break and she wanted to ENJOY the beach. Hah! It was chilly and windy. But, I had promised to go, so I slid my sweat pants down to my bathing suit. Immediately, goose bumps rose and I felt chilled to the bone. I grabbed a winter blanket and cuddled inside of it, wondering why Christians have to keep their word anyway.

The hours dragged on unmercifully until it was time to leave. Now, keep in mind, the beach is my very favorite place on earth and had I been wearing a parka that day, I would have enjoyed myself. But, timing is everything.

In homeschooling, timing is everything too. Just like Julianna tried to rush summer fun ahead of schedule, we can rush into teaching subjects ahead of our children's time table. Children are unique and learn at different times and paces.

When to Start Formal Education

 Katie Beth, my oldest daughter, was ready to learn her to read at the age of 4. How did I know. Well, I copied pictures of each of the letters from the phonics program I intended to use and hung them on the wall in the dining room of our small seminary apartment. I made paper, scissors, glue, markers, crayons, and other art supplies available for her in a large drawer in the china cabinet. When she began to copy the letters on her own and ask to write her name, I knew that interest was there.

I had been reading aloud to her several times a day and she loved to pretend to read books to her dolls. We started a fun phonics program that involved learning phonics rules through songs.

Another daughter was not ready to learn to read until the age of 6, almost 7. I tried a couple of times to start reading instruction and she was just not ready. But when she was finally ready, it went smoothly.

The Early Years

The early years of childhood are the perfect time to prepare children for a lifetime of enthusiastic learning. Reading well-written, beautifully illustrated storybooks aloud, picnics at the park, and playground fun can fill your days. All the things mothers do naturally: teaching animal sounds, make up silly rhymes, singing songs together, and talking to children about family history introduce your little ones to learning in a fun way. Baking together, cleaning together, setting the table together, and shopping together introduce educational concepts to your sons and daughters. You can stop and look at leaves, bugs, flowers, and small critters when you go on natures walks. Or bring along a sketch pad and fill it with your discoveries.

Don't rush this time or turn learning into hard work. Enjoy living life together with your family, knowing they are learning so much in their memory-making moments with you. There will be plenty of time for formal education in the future. Fill the preschool years with precious memories that last a lifetime.

Your Child's Pace

"There is just so much to cover this year!  How can I get it all done?" has been asked of me more times than I can count. 

  My favorite subjects to teach are music and history!  What fun we have had exploring these subjects over the years. But I have found that it is important to "major on the majors" and "minor on the minors."

There are subjects and then there are tools and skills that are needed to learn all subjects.  When we give our children the tools of learning, they can explore every subject to their heart's content. 

After homeschooling for 21 years with a sixth, eighth, and eleventh grader still being educated at home, I have found that there are seven things (7 R's) that make a big difference in the success of our family's homeschool.  From Kindergarten through twelfth grade, I try to keep these things predominant in my homeschooling: relationships, rhetoric, reading, (w)riting, (a)rithmetic, research, and right living.  I weave them in to all that I teach or that our family explores through unit studies. These are not the only subjects in our homeschool curriculum, but they are the ones that get priority.

Relationships

Lives are changed in the context of relationships!  People, including your children, hunger and seek to be loved and understood.  The security that comes with healthy relationships allows people to learn and grow, reaching their full potential and destiny. 

The most important relationship that your child will ever have is his/her relationship with the Lord. Let your little ones see how much you love the Lord, especially by setting aside time each day to spend in prayer and Bible reading. Be committed to church, tithing, obedience, and serving because you love Jesus with all your heart.  Teach your children to have a relationship with Him too!

Children (and adults too!) want to model people they admire and trust, especially if they believe those people have their best interest at heart. When your child enjoys a healthy relationship with you, he/she is more likely to try to imitate your life, as well as attempt to please you!  This desire to please parents is present in almost all children, but ebbs away in teenage years if the relationship does not remain strong.

Rhetoric (verbal communication)

Rhetoric refers to communication both written and oral, but I'll use it to refer to verbal communication from casual conversations to formal speeches. 

Casual conversation, questions, and answers are the beginning of education for young children. "Why is the sky blue," your toddler asks you and prattles on with more questions.  From the time your little ones can talk, engage them in conversation. "Did you like the pretty pictures in the book?" you might ask after you finish reading them a book.  "What was your favorite part of our day," you query as you and your toddler set the table.  Don't shoo children away--talk to them about everything!  Speaking requires thought processes that stimulate intellectual growth! Ask questions and answer them!  Put down what you're doing if you need to and give your child undivided attention. But learn to talk with your child as you wash dishes, run errands, and cook dinner.

Before formal speeches, give your children plenty of practice reading the Bible, stories, and poetry aloud.  Encourage expression, inflection, and enthusiasm in the presentation. It is a great idea for older siblings to read to younger siblings, especially for the three years after they've learned to read. 

Eventually you will graduate to speaking in front of people to formal speeches to debate.

Reading

Listening to well-written beautifully illustrated story books make toddlers and pre-schoolers look forward to the day that they will read for themselves. As Christians, what joy there is in reading and obeying the Word of God!  No matter what career they choose or lifestyle they live, we all want our children to be Bible readers, understanding everything the Lord has to teach them. Reading is a necessary skill for growing in your walk with the Lord!

Phonics is the method I have used to teach all my children to read (Sing, Spell, Read, and Write) and they have all learned in about a year's time. The goal was to get them reading!  My son was less enthusiastic about reading then all his older sisters, so I had to "make him read."  I had to search for books he liked.  The "Three Cousins Detective" series and "Childhood of Famous Americans" were both series that he enjoyed, so I bought every book I could find in the series. 

To foster a love for reading, I allow the children to choose the books the want to read within parameters.  I have book lists for various ages (feel free to download these lists:  http://joyfulandsuccessfulhomeschooling.com/readinglists.aspx ) that are based on my actual bookshelves. 

Reading aloud is fun to do together as a family or with only one child at a time. We love reading aloud and snuggling. Reading and speaking lay the foundation for writing.

'Riting

Writing concretely, concisely, and graciously is the goal of Understanding Writing, the writing curriculum I have used through the years. Written by a homeschool mom, she stresses writing to glorify God. We have added poetry, stories, journalizing, and other fun writing assignment to our writing lessons over the years. 

Reading good writing and expressing yourself clearly through speaking set children up to write well. You need both to lay the foundation a writer needs. 

Start with sentences. A sentence has five things. (noun, verb, complete thought, begins with a capital letter, and ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point) Teach your children to examine their sentences for these five things.  Once that is down, help them to write clearly. Teach them to use adjectives and adverbs to express themselves and to avoid clutter words such as very, a lot, and really.

The next step is paragraphs. My children write a paragraph once a week from second grade until sixth grade.  Sometimes they write longer papers, but they always at least write a paragraph, I correct it, and then they rewrite it. Re-writing should be part 2 of every writing assignment. A good writer always rewrites! Don't be negative about it, though. Praise their papers and then move on to the next part of the assignment--making their paper better!

'Rithmetic

They were the best of times, they were the worst of times! 

College years are so exciting with friendships, opportunities to meet new people from all over the world, and the thrill of learning and growing. But, college can be stressful--those exams and papers! I have three people living in my house right now who are attending college. The end of the semester is crunch time around here, and sometimes stressful. 

But, my kids are successful in college! They make good grades, share their faith, and build strong friendships. Mike and I managed to not just survive college years, but to thrive! How can you be successful in college? Here are some tips that work for our family!

Put Christ First

When the pressure of crunch time comes--a paper is due, an exam is on the horizon--don't neglect your relationship with God. More important than your GPA and keeping your scholarship, walking in the favor of the Lord must take high priority. 

My daughter, Jenny Rose, sets Saturday aside for the Lord (we happen to meet on Saturday right now because we don't have our own church building). She prays, reads the Bible, encourages her friends, practices with the worship team, goes to sound check, and sings on the worship team at church. She realizes that this means losing an entire day that could be devoted to studies, but she doesn't care. She knows the truth, life goes better when you put Jesus and His Kingdom first.

Work Hard

If you are in college, school is your job. Learning is your vocation. Be excellent at it. Don't just try to "get by" or "pass the class." Make up your mind to be excellent at all you do. Set aside time to study and treat those times as if you are heading off to work. Be diligent. 

Zack is working two jobs and going to school. Some weeks the only time I see him is at LIFE group and at church. He works hard writing papers, doing projects, and studying for exams. Yes, he misses out on some fun things and will have to wait until the end of the semester to see certain movies, but Zack knows the truth: All Hard Work Brings a Profit!

Know Your Professors

Every instructor has preferences and expectations that are different from every other professor. Learn about your  professor's teaching style and expectations by reading the syllabus and paying close attention in class during the first few weeks of the semester. Ask questions if you are unsure of what his/her requirements. 

Go see your professor during office hours when they are available. My oldest daughter teaches English at UCF and she loves for students to ask for help or just come by to chat during office hours. One on one conversations will help you clarify information. Professors are happy to help students with difficult concepts or assignments.   

Take Assignments One Phase at a Time

Why is it that we complain about our husbands, children, and homeschooling? Why do we struggle to be content? Why do we love the idea of homeschooling, but have days where we hate educating our little ones?

The answer to these questions is not simplistic, but we do need to address these issues in our lives because this behavior grieves the Spirit of God and hinders successful home education.

A joyful mom instills delight in her child for acquiring knowledge and wisdom. We cannot foster a lifelong love of learning if we are not filled with the joy that Jesus brings.

But, we face joy-stealers every day from traffic jams to weight gain.
​

Living in a Fallen World

Imagine if Adam and Eve had never eaten the forbidden fruit. Think about your world without the results of sin. Clear blue skies (no rain!), peaceful communication between people and nations, perfect weight, perfect self-control, joy, love, patience, and constant fellowship with the Lord. Your world would have no pollution, no traffic jams, no wrinkles, no worries, no death, no illness, no headaches, no difficult people, and no clutter.

You were created to live in a perfect world. Just because the world (including each of us!) is in a fallen state doesn't mean that there isn't a longing inside our hearts to live in that perfect world for which we were created. The fallen world with its headaches and heartaches never feels quite right.

"Things should go smoothly," we insist and we are right. The world would look a lot different in its natural state. This causes constant turmoil within us. When I understood this, freedom came because I no longer berated myself for frustration. Instead, I turned the longing for perfection toward the perfect place I will one day live in:  Heaven!

Longing for Heaven

"Read this one, please," Katie Beth's chubby hands held the book up to me. I adjusted Julianna who had finished nursing and was asleep on my lap. I opened the lovely Christmas picture book and began to read aloud. Katie Beth and I smiled at each other and the baby slept peacefully.

Fast forward 20 years. My baby is a grown up lady. Katie Beth and my third baby, Jenny Rose, are cuddled up on the couch reading Anne of Green Gables aloud. They have both read the book several times, but there is something wonderful about reading a good book together aloud.

This summer I went to visit my aunt with two of my daughters. The four of us enjoyed an Agatha Christie short story together. We took turns reading aloud. My aunt wrote me a note the next week about how much she had enjoyed that sweet time reading aloud together.

What is it about reading aloud that is so wonderful? Is it the story? Is it the sound of someone you love reading aloud? Or is it the sense of togetherness? There are several Christmas picture books out there. Which are the best for reading aloud?

​I love summer: the beach, the sunshine, the lazy days, vacations, and chilling out. We do NOT homeschool during the summer, except for reading books. Here it is the beginning of August and it's almost time to gear up for the next school year.

Evaluate the Past Year

​"The best part of this past year was history day," Shine shared enthusiastically. "I liked the Diana Waring tapes."

"I thought history was boring," Jimmy interrupted. "But I liked the food. (We had eaten our way through history with some delicious lunches at history co-op)

Look back over the past school year. What went well? What do you hope will go better next year? Pray about these things. Thank the Lord for all the great things that happened. Focus on the positive, not the negative. But, ask the Lord to show you how to be more effective in your homeschooling this coming year.

Choose Priorities for the Coming Year

Jimmy really grew as a reader this past year, but I still want that to be a priority next year. Shine grew so much in the Lord and now I want her to start passing on what she's learned.

If reading was a weakness this past year, you might want to make reading a priority next year. If there was a lot of rebellion in one or more of the children, then relationships and child training should be a focus in the school year coming up. 

Choose What You will Study and How

 What do you want your children to learn this coming year? One year we decided that we wanted to learn about England and British history. Though I had been homeschooling for 12 years, we had never studied English history in an in-depth way. We were excited to learn about our "mother country." What do your children want to learn about? What are their interests?

How do you want to teach these subjects? Do you want to use traditional textbooks or on-line classes? Do you want to do a unit study with lots of time for open-ended studies?

Choose Curriculum

Last time, in Building Your Homeschool Library I, we talked about shopping for children's picture books, classic literature, Christian literature, and historic fiction. Today, we will talk about more genres to add to your growing homeschool library.  The following categories of books will make great additions to your homeschool library, so be sure to investigate these genres. Talk to other homeschool moms about their library suggestions.

Biographies

This is my favorite way to learn about people from other times and places. Biographies, like historical fiction, introduce us to the time and place we are studying by seeing it through the eyes of one person, the subject of the biography. When I close a biography, I feel like I have a new friend. Of course, usually this new friend lives somewhere far away and is no longer alive! When I was a little girl I read every single Childhood of Famous Americans, a series of biographies written for children, that I could get my hands on. Soon after he learned to read, my son Jimmy gobbled them up too. Autobiographies are biographies written about the author. Two autobiographies that our family enjoys are Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin. Closely related are diaries and journals. We read The Log of Christopher Columbus in US History class, his personal account of his famous voyage across the Atlantic in 1492.

Inspirational Books

These books are for all ages and help us grow closer to the Lord. Purpose Driven Life and Prayer of Jabez and wonderful examples of this category of books. My children have a deep desire to grow in their walks with Jesus in their teen years. They have enjoyed some of my favorite books and have discovered their own favorites. Here are some more Curtis favorites, both classic and modern, to inspire spiritual growth: A Christian's Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whittal Smith, Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hannard, Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy, I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Josh Harris, Prison to Praise by Marlin Carothers, Improving Your Serve by Charles Swindoll, Victory over Darkness by Neil Anderson, and Search for Significance by Robert McGee.

Cookbooks

Cookbooks are always fun, especially historical or geographical ones with recipes you can use to supplement history class. We have enjoyed The U.S. History Cookbook:  Delicious Recipes and Exciting Events from the Past by Joan D'Amico and Karen Eich Drummond. I have created a cookbook to go along with Ancient Times for those studying world history, Time Travel in the Kitchen: Ancient History Cookbook. Another great E-book cookbook is Aunt Sarah's Alaskan Cookbook. Cookbooks usually have interesting food facts and history tidbits to spice them up. Don't underestimate their value in the homeschool library.

Activity Books

Books, books, and more books! That's the way life is for homeschooling families. Every good school has a good library and home schools are no exception. But what books should you line your shelves with? Here's a quick overview of what kind of books will benefit your children and you during your family's homeschool adventure. 

Remember you can build a library slowly. Don't rush out and buy everything. Look for sales and become a frequent shopper at used book stores and thrift stores. I have picked up many classic books for 25 cents. My favorite place to get books is at public library sales. The libraries often toss out older, more conservative books to make way for modern silliness. That's great for us!  We can pick up expensive classic books for a song.

Here are the kinds of books that you should purchase with examples of quality reading material in each category.

Picture Books for Young Children and Early Readers

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman was my husband's favorite book as a child. It's on our shelves too and my children enjoy it just as much as he did back in the sixties. A picture book purchase should be based on the story and the illustrations. There are picture books in our library that are practically works of art. There is a list of our family's favorite picture books on our website, Joyful and Successful Homeschooling.

Picture Books for Older Children

These books are wonderful for read aloud in unit studies. Do you know that no one is too old to read a well-written, beautifully illustrated picture book? But there are actually picture books written for older children that our family uses for unit studies. The Library of Alexandria by Kelly Trumble is a lovely book about the largest library of the ancient world. The oldest living story, Gilgamesh, is available as a picture book, Gilgamesh, the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean, that our family has been delighted to listen to as mom reads aloud.

Classic Literature for Children

"Geography?  I don't remember ever learning much about geography. I'm not even sure what hemisphere the Mediterranean Sea is in," the mom of four elementary age boys bemoaned.  We were both watching our children play on the playground.

"I'm a terrible writer. I don't know where to begin to teach my child to write well," a young mother with two babies on her lap admitted to me over lunch.

"I don't know a thing about good art or good music. How on earth can I teach my children to appreciate fine art and fine music?" a mom who was considering homeschooling asked me as we discussed the possibilities for taking her children out of public school.

The biggest problem we face as homeschooling moms is not our ability to teach our children, but our confidence level in our ability to teach our children. We all have areas where we feel inadequate simply because no one can know all there is to know. In educating our children, we lay a foundation of knowledge in several areas and give them the tools of learning so that they can learn anything they need to learn.

So, know for the question, "How do I teach IT if I don't understand IT myself? That is a great question. Almost all homeschooling parents will encounter this dilemma. It might be that you've learned it, but forgotten it. Or it could be a gap in your education. Either way, there is an easy solution!

The solution to teaching something, that you don't know or don't understand yourself, is to delegate it to someone else or to learn about the subject quickly. I seldom delegate for this reason because I love to learn and I look at this situation as an opportunity to learn more! (I usually delegate because I just don't enjoy teaching something...like science experiments! smile).

Delegating