Monday, September 20, 2010

Attempting to Inculcate

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 admonishes us to "love Jehovah your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your vital force. And these words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart; and you must inculcate them in your son and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up."
I try to impress upon the children how important it is to do all things out of love for God and with Him in mind. This includes taking to heart Ephesians 6:1-3, "Children, be obedient to your parents in union with the Lord, for this is righteous: 'Honor your father and your mother'; which is the first command with a promise: 'That it may go well with you and you may endure a long time on the earth.'"
I'm finding it a bit more of a challenge right now to have the children's cooperation. I haven't been pushing too much, since we have all been through quite an ordeal this summer. Things are 'strange' this year, for sure. However, our number one concern should always be our relationship with Jehovah.
Adding to the difficulty, is the barrage of negative influence in our neighborhood. I remind the children that they need to be leaders, rather than followers. To remember to do things that make God happy, and to keep close in mind the potential impact our decisions can have in our lives.
Learning, both theocratic and secular, is very important and must be taken seriously. It is my job, as the spiritual head of our family, to inculcate these things in my children. It is their responsibility to be obedient and hold within their hearts the promise God made as a result of doing so.
I hope I'm doing my part effectively and continue to pray for holy spirit to guide me. I know this year has certain complicating factors, but "with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Finally ~ a classroom!

The Little Boy and I were finally able to get Suaemoc set up today. :)
Since the Young Lady will be doing the bulk of her high school work on the computer, Suaemoc is now completely in the hands of the Little Boy. It's all decorated to his preferences and ready for learning and creativity.
This doesn't mean that he hasn't gotten started on his fourth grade studies. He's done quite well with his pretests and seems very excited about this year's curriculum. He said he loves his Social Studies book, Regions. He spent quite a bit of time looking through all the interesting historical information it contains.
The next endeavor for Suaemoc will be the purchase of a newer, more efficient computer. There are many extra online activities which correspond to the Little Boy's curriculum. The Young Lady will definitely benefit from a better system with which to work on her studies, as well.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

I'm like a kid in a candy store!! :P

The Little Boy's Calvert School materials arrived today. My goodness!! It's overwhelmingly amazing! :P
The curriculum is so organized. I'm in love with the Lesson Manuals!
There was an awesome Science Kit included. It has all sorts of different rock samples, metal filings, insulated wire, and other cool items that aren't commonly available in order to do experiments and research. The Little Boy's going to love this so much! He really does have a natural enthusiasm for hands-on activities.
Also included was a handy checklist of materials we'll need to stock our classroom with. We have quite a bit of the things we need, but we'll have to take a field trip to Staples to get some additional supplies. ;)
I'm exited about the online activities that go along with the lessons, too. There are videos, games, and quizzes which were developed in accordance with national and state academic standards to improve learning and provide assessments.
Don't think I'm not thrilled about the experience the Young Lady's getting! She completed her first assignment, which she had to do twice because our computer's so ancient. :S I felt bad. I was hoping to have a new computer by the time she started her course.
The instruction she's receiving online is wonderful. I love the fact that it's challenging her to express herself. There's a lot of reading involved in her curriculum, too, which is fantastic. She has one big novel assignment due within a few months. It was a bit of a bummer for me because the book's such a good one, I had her read it last year! They mailed her a copy of her own for the course, though. It'll be a great addition to our classroom library. There is another book by the same author that she's required to read, though, so we'll have to get to the public library and try to pick that one up. The assignment for that book doesn't have as much weight in her assessment as the other book does. Good thing for her she already had to read it and do a report on it. ;) (I won't allow her to use what she already did, however. She may use it as an outline or a rough draft, but she will be completely redoing the assignment.)
I'm very pleased with the children's curriculum this year. It's going to be a terrific homeschool year at Suaemoc!! :)