Favorite Speakers from this Year's NCHE

I'm excited to share today some of my favorite speakers from last week's NCHE conference. Sometimes, just even hearing the title of a seminar will inspire and encourage. At the end of the post, I'll let you know how you can listen to all of these seminars on audio yourself!


The Downers - Phil (Dad), Paul (Son), and Anna (Daughter)
Website: DNA Ministries

First off, isn't it great to have a homeschooling family including graduated children speaking for a homeschool conference. The longer I homeschool, the more I appreciate those who have reached the finish line of schooling their children. And these children have turned out pretty well.

Paul (the son) Downer's seminar on parenting the strong willed child (entitled Homeschooling the Strong-Willed Child–I Am One!) was very enlightening. It allowed you to have the child's perspective and yet, filtered through the perspective of maturity. In a practical sense, he mentioned how his parents, and especially his mother reached his heart and guided his steps.

Bert enjoyed sitting in on Phil's seminar "The Keys to Godly Discipline", as well as Anna's (the daughter) seminar entitled "Perfectionism and Grace in the Christian Family".

There were two seminars that we couldn't attend due to scheduling conflicts that we bought on audio entitled, " Teaching Your Children How to Work with Godly Diligence" and The Homeschool Marriage, from Surviving to Thriving!", so I'll share in a few weeks our thoughts on these.

Mark Hamby
Website: Lamplighter Publishing
If you're not familiar with Lamplighter Publishing, they republish classic books from centuries before that teach character and faith. The books are captivating for young and old. This year, we also purchased our first Lamplighter audio story and I was enthralled, along with our children. I was especially impressed with the audio quality - It was like you were listening to a movie.

One of the seminars I sat in on was "The Education of a Child—The Wisdom of Fenelon". Francois Fenelon was the priest who was charged with educating the grandson of Louis XIV. This young man, apparently, was quite the handful. Hamby's words were very challenging on how to win your child's heart.

In a separate seminar, he also spoke on the role of media ("A Great Awakening: the Mind, Media and Moral Imagination") and basically said that TV is turning us into vegetables. The talk was not profound, but a good reminder about the reasons why we don't watch much television.


Tomorrow, I'll share more about writing, nature, and the biology of learning - All topics I learned about at the conference.

In the mean time, if you would like to purchase any of these or one of the many other seminars and key notes from the conference, you can go to Manna Recording and click on their Online Store.

Homeschool: Why Conferences are great

This next week we will be heading as a family to the North Carolinians for Home Education Conference in Winston-Salem.

Why should you go to a conference?

Encouragement
Anyone who has homeschooled through a year knows that there are certain times and points when you need to remember why you homeschool. There are times when you need some new resources to overcome the obstacles. You need to know where to turn. You need to know that your situation is not unique and impossible.

Conferences give you just those things. There are speakers that help you fine tune your purpose and goals for schooling. There are "how-to" seminars that teach you the mechanics of writing, math, history, etc.
There are also classes on running your house in the midst of schooling, maintaining your marriage, and shepherding your child's heart.

Resources
There are vendors that have resources that will jump start your kids. Speakers and vendors come from around the country to you. You can see products in person and purchase them, many times at a discount.
You can talk with representatives from the vendors that are knowledgeable about their material and using it.
You can find fun "extras" that make learning exciting and engaging.

Time
Time to reflect on your year - the success and failure. Time to renew your vision and plan it out for the following year. Time to rest.

Fellowship
Conference is always a great time to meet up with other families who homeschool. There is time to go to dinner, sit and chat, and get to know them better. At our state-wide conference, there are even activities for children including a sports and chess competitions, as well as a talent show and graduation.

Some favorite vendors from conferences past:
Doorposts - character training material for children
Lamplighter Books - classic books for your family
Sonlight Books - the particular curriculum that we use
Miller Pads & Paper - great prices on the basics
Artistic Pursuits - art curriculum
Simply Charlotte Mason - Charlotte Mason resources
Vision Forum - books and products for purposeful living/teaching
Well Planned Day - the organizer that we use for school
YWAM books - missionary books and resources

Some favorite speakers from conferences past:
Norm Wakefield - pastor, father, homeschooler who speaks on purposeful relationships in light of the Cross
Jennifer Schmidt  - mother, Blogger who speaks on frugal living
Sonya Schafer - Charlotte Mason writer and speaker, homeschooler
Jim Weiss - artist who narrates fabulous stories for children

If you are outside of our area, here is a link to a list of homeschool conferences across the US.

Here is the link for the NCHE Conference.

Homeschool Styles and our pick, Charlotte Mason



Charlotte Mason (1842-1923)


There are quite a few styles of homeschooling. I never knew there were so many until we actually started schooling. Here is a great quick link to give you an idea on the Styles of Homeschooling .


We follow the Charlotte Mason style of schooling in our house. Click HERE to learn more about Charlotte Mason, the teacher and writer.


Now, let me start write off by telling you that we haven't gotten this all down. We are still very early in our schooling journey and are trying to work out the day to day.

How did we pick CM?

When I read about the different styles of homeschooling and I read about Charlotte Mason I instantly "clicked" with it. I agreed with almost every facet completely. You will find one that fits you as well. It perfectly combines our reasons for homeschooling, along with my gifting and experience as a teacher. I know of families that "unschool" and that is perfectly right for them. Another family we know is using a more traditional approach. Each family has to find their way of doing school that works for them.

Some unique parts of the Charlotte Mason style that we focus on?

** Living Books: CM heavily prioritizes reading first hand books, even to young children, that make learning come alive. Biographies, First hand accounts, rich artwork.

** Character and Habit Training:  I feel that this might be one of the most important parts of what we do at home.

** Nature Study: CM celebrates and honors God through learning about His creation first hand.

** Fine Arts: CM encourages regular study of artists, composers, poets, etc.

** Narration: Challenging our children to be able to remember and express their thoughts on what they learn will help them so much in life.

Why is style important to know?
Because at the end of each year, it helps to know what you are shooting for. It helps to remind yourself at the start of the year what kind of school you want to have. It helps you to find resources in line with what you have already decided is important.


Some my favorite CM websites:
Simply Charlotte Mason : Sonya Schafer, head of Simply Charlotte Mason, is usually at the NCHE Conference. Don't miss their talks, even if you don't CM.

Ambleside Online has so many resources, from a full curriculum to pages on artists, composers, poetry, etc.

Handbook of Nature Study Blog

Karen Andreola's Blog: Karen is one of the foremost CM writers.

Free Water Summer Science Kit

In keeping with encouraging learning and conservation ....

PUR is giving away Safe Water Science Kits to help you teach how water is cleaned and purified for drinking in developing countries and disaster relief situations.

Each Summer Activity Kit contains:

• PUR™ Purifier of Water packet
• dirt/contaminant
• stirring spoon
• 2 liquid containers

You’ll also be able to download all the lessonss you’ll need to complete your research from the site.
Each Safe Water Science Lesson:

• Addresses scientific and societal issues related to global safe drinking water problems
• Teaches a method used to solve these problems
• Helps students develop an awareness of safe drinking water issues in our world today
• Addresses National Science Standards
• Contains hands-on activities, cooperative-learning experiences, multi-media resources, and research opportunities
• Uses inexpensive, everyday materials
• Explores social action extensions, allowing students to apply the science they learn to the world in which they live

Request your FREE Safe Water Summer Science Kit here!

Thanks to Saving Dollars and Sense for this link!

Homeschooling: The Why's

When we started homeschooling, I kept reading everywhere that you should know "why" you homeschool. At that point in time, it wasn't as important. The longer we have homeschooled, the more important I have learned it is to know your why.

Why do we homeschool?
We want our children to learn and know the world through the eyes of faith. At this point in time, we feel that the best way for us to do that is through homeschooling. In our homeschool, we value faith and knowledge of God and His ways, appreciation for the created world, and knowledge and skills used in His service.

Will we always homeschool?
I don't know. We have talked about putting our kids in school if we lived in other places, but for now, we feel the best choice is to have our kids home. As they get older and our family changes, we will continue to evaluate if this is the best choice for our family.

What is wrong with public school?
I will readily admit that there are some great public schools and teachers in them. Both hubby and I went to public schools and loved them. In our area, at this time, we have some concerns about what our children would be learning. 

Why is it important to know your "why"?
There are a lot of great days, but there will also be days when you wonder "Why am I doing this?". That's when you have to know, from your heart, why you are doing it. That statement, also, provides some anchor when you sense a need in your child or you are evaluating your curriculum and your daily schedule. It proves to be invaluable.

Some great homeschooling websites for you this week:
Confessions of a Homeschooler Blog : Great Blog with all kinds of resources, including a preschool manipulatives curriculum

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine  Another great resource in the magazine and their email newsletters with tips on all kinds of homeschool topics

North Carolina Home Educators If you're here in NC, start with the NCHE website for guidelines on homeschooling in our state and for info on their annual conference in May


Next week ... 

"Let's talk Curriculum" or
"How do you know what to teach?"

Homeschooling: Our Story

In starting to share with you about homeschooling, I have to start by telling you our story.

Emily and Logan with cousins Shanna and Lauren (2009)

Even before we had children, Bert and I felt pretty certain that we would homeschool. Bert was very close with his cousin's family, who had 5 children (at the time). They were the most wonderful, mannered, polite, intelligent little people we had ever met. We only hoped that our children might turn out like them. We thought that homeschooling was a big part of it.

(Note: These kids are still homeschooled and are still turning out to be pretty wonderful young adults, I have to say. Kudos to Mark and Rachael for their great parenting and the grace of God!)

Emily working on spelling(2010)

We started Emily a year early in preschool, honestly, because we didn't have anything else to do. She was eager to learn, I was eager to figure out what this homeschooling thing was. Then, we followed with a year of kindergarten, then first grade. This year, we are doing first grade again because we changed curriculum, and I wanted to move Emily back to where her peers are in grade. We also added a new preschool student, Logan, to our school. Oh yeah. And we had a baby!

Here  are some of the questions to answer in coming weeks:
Why do you homeschool?
What is wrong with public school?
What curriculum do you use/have you used?
How do you organize yourself?
What does your typical day look like?
What about personalities?
What do you wish you would have known?
Has it been hard?

If you have other questions, I would love to answer them!! Just comment or email me!

Thinking Love download



Silas, Age 5



I feel so privileged to get questions about homeschooling from friends. I remember asking some of the same questions when our kids were smaller and we were thinking about school.

How do you know what to teach?

What do your days look like?

What about discipline issues?

What about differing personalities?

And then, there were things that I didn't even know to ask about that I have learned over the years. Yes, we are now in our 4th year of homeschooling!

Over the next few weeks, I hope to answer some of these questions on the blog on Thursdays.

To start you off, I'd like to direct you to this free e-book from Simply Charlotte Mason - "A Thinking Love"

Here is the description from their website ....

Join Sonya Shafer as she explores what “a thinking love” means and contemplates the various ways that Charlotte Mason encouraged thinking mothers to show their love to their children.

• Encouraging—The short, practical chapters will both challenge and equip you in your role as a thinking mother, dealing with topics like
  • The need for boundaries in our children’s lives,
  • Teaching our children the meaning of must,
  • A reminder of some simple laws of health,
  • A description of true education,
  • A caution against playing favorites,
  • Giving our children the best of Mother,
  • Dealing with faults,
  • Encouraging our children’s relationships with God,
  • And more!
• Christian—As was common in her writings, Charlotte’s comments grew from a strong love for her Savior and respect for God’s Word.
• Inspiring—More than seventy Charlotte Mason quotes on different aspects of being a thinking mother.

Click HERE to download the free E-book! Hope you enjoy!

Traveling Exhibits in Raleigh

Maybe, like me, you are looking for great educational field trips for your kids. Well, time is running out for a few great exhibits, so we will be getting out to these in the next few weeks!

Discover the real George Washington at the Museum of History ( Closes January 21st) See artifacts from Mount Vernon that rarely travel the country. Raleigh is the only city in the Southeast getting this exhibit. Check out the website for educational resources for young and old, not to mention great links to other resources.

Over at the fabulous Museum of Art is ... American Chronicles: The work of Norman Rockwell (closes Jan 30th) as well as Fins and Feathers: Original Children’s Book Illustrations from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art which highlights illustrations from children's books (also closes Jan 30th and is FREE!).
While you're there, you could also check out the works of John James Audobon in a standing exhibition which is unique in the country.

If you're more in to science, check out Animal Grossology at the Museum of Natural Science (through April). Looks like you need to have a strong stomach for this one! Maybe we should gather up and go as a group!

These are just a few of the temporary exhibits in the area that you will want to see!

** Please note: Some of these exhibits have charges that vary by ages of those participating.