Sometimes homeschooling begins wonderfully, but other times it can seem an overwhelming challenge. What can you do if you don’t WANT to homeschool but you feel guilty about it?
I tried homeschooling my 4 & 5 year olds. My daughter is a strong-willed little girl who stands up against authority figures. I don’t feel called to home school this year mostly because last year went so badly and in the middle of the year I just stopped doing school by the book and focused more on my health goals. I registered them both for school. They will spend 45 mins each way on the bus. That means my boy in 1/2 day Kindergarten will be in school about the same amount of time on the bus. I can’t help but feel a little guilt about not wanting to do it. I did a co-op for 4 months and hated it. I also have now a 2 year old who wants all of my attention which was very challenging when trying to teach as well. Any words of wisdom? I actually think others can teach my children the basics better than I can. I bring God into every aspect of our lives – but I don’t feel cut out to homeschool my kids. Thanks for any thoughts.
~ Feeling Guilty
You don’t have to do ANY formal education until 8 years old, when you are living in Washington. You can keep them at home and not even fill out a declaration of intent until they are 8. Once they have been enrolled in school, then you do need to complete a declaration of intent, but that doesn’t mean you have to get all intense and “schoolish.” For more information on Washington State Homeschool Law, please visit this website: Washington Homeschool Organization.
You can try schooling gently and naturally, using literature. Instead of “doing school” you can just experience education. I love Sonlight Curriculum. Use their curriculum for 5 year olds, and it will only take about 1 hour per day, and you can share it between both kids. Perhaps you can do that during the nap time. Here is the link to Sonlight.
To handle babies and toddlers underfoot, my favorite tip is the book “Managers of Their Homes” by Teri Maxwell. It made a HUGE difference in my life and homeschool. In fact, that book is the reason why I have been (mostly) consistent with my quiet time, because she really focuses on putting God first and everything else will fall into place. She is not as academic as I am, but I found that to be a nice balance, because I tend to do too much at times. Here is the link to her book.
Guilt is a horrible feeling. It’s difficult to decide what to do, and many people will have strong opinions in opposite directions. The best advice is what my midwife told me the day my oldest child was born. She said, “Know your child and trust yourself.” Only YOU know your child and your situation. Move forward without guilt, trusting your own judgment.
If homeschooling went that bad, then probably it was a curriculum mismatch, and you were using a curriculum that was great for someone else, but wasn’t a good fit for you. My guess is that you were making it more intensely academic than is necessary or desirable at that young age. If you want to try homeschooling again, then completely change gears, and back away from the heavy academics to focus on the love of learning.
Early high school credit in middle school? Are you kidding? How does that happen?
You mentioned (The Best Time to Start Your Homeschool Transcript) about middle school students taking high school courses and not realizing it. How is that done? Wouldn’t a person know what grade level book they are using, typically. My twins are going into 8th grade next year. Are there any courses that we could do to help us get a step ahead in high school? Thank you for your help.
~ Sharon
Not all homeschoolers use graded textbooks, so it can be difficult to tell when your homeschool student is doing high school work. The most common early high school credits are algebra and foreign language. However, math textbooks rarely say “High School Algebra” it usually says “Algebra.” And a foreign language curriculum may say “French” and a parent using it in middle school may not realize they mean high school level French.
If you are using a graded curriculum that is clearly labeled “WARNING: HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL” then it’s pretty easy, but it’s usually not that clear. As long as parents know that it can happen, that some junior high classes really are high school level, then they can keep their eyes open.
The best classes to prepare for high school are reading, writing, and math. Reading and writing are fundamental skills that everything else will hinge upon. Math is a skill that builds incrementally, so you have to be consistent in order to become successful.
Middle school is a time to focus on fundamental skills in some things, and work ahead at a high school level for other things. That’s the great thing about middle school – you really can’t be behind. Since the purpose is EITHER remedial OR advanced, and each subject can be taught separately, you can provide exactly what your child needs and still be at just the right level in everything.
The HomeScholar Gold Care Club will give you the comprehensive help you need tohomeschool high school.
My husband found this ethical dilemma online at http://ethicsscoreboard.com/ and I thought it would be an excellent tool for homeschoolers (especially those with kids in little league) to engage their kids in a real life ethical discussion. After you read the story and before you read the discussion, please add a comment with your vote and a brief explanation. Then read the analysis and let me know if you change your mind. This is really interesting and engaging material.
Take the Little League Baseball Ethics Challenge!
Last month’s tournament leading up to the Little League World Series included one game with an unusual series of events that set the stage for a fascinating ethical debate. The Situation: On August 11 in Bristol, Conn., a Little League team from Colchester, Vt., only had to retire its Portsmouth, N.H. opposition in the top of the sixth inning (Little League games are six innings rather than nine) to win the game 9-8 and move on to the New England regional championship game.
But there was a problem. The Vermont team had made its third out in its half of the fifth inning before player Adam Bentley got to the plate. The Little League has a strict rule that requires every player to bat at least once a game, and the penalty for violating it is forfeit. Vermont’s coach Denis Place realized, to his horror, that even though his team had the lead entering the last inning the only way it could avoid losing by forfeit was for Bentley to get an at bat. For that to happen, the New Hampshire team would have to tie the score or take the lead, requiring the teams to play the last half of the sixth inning.
Place held a meeting of his players at the pitcher’s mound and instructed them to let New Hampshire score a run. The plan: walk the first batter, and ensure that he made it home with the assistance of wild pitches and intentional errors so the game would be deadlocked at 9-9. Then, hopefully, win the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, with Adam Bentley getting his mandated turn at the plate.
Not so fast. The New Hampshire team’s coach, Mark McCauley figured out what was happening and ordered his players not to score. So after a walk and two wild pitches allowed a New Hampshire runner to reach third base, the player refused to advance to the plate despite another wild pitch and a fielding error. McCauley also told his players to strike out intentionally, preserving Vermont’s lead but guaranteeing a successful New Hampshire protest that, under the rules, would require that New Hampshire win by forfeit.
This obviously led to a ridiculous spectacle: one team trying to give up a run while the other team was trying to make outs and avoid scoring. The perplexed umpires understandably chose to end the debacle by ejecting Place and his pitcher from the game. Vermont won 9-8…and then New Hampshire was awarded the victory by forfeit, because Adam Bentley never got his turn at bat. The New Hampshire team advanced to the next round.
The Question: Whose conduct was unethical?
Possible Answers:
1. Place, the Vermont coach
2. McCauley, the New Hampshire coach
3. Both coaches
4. Neither coach.
So what’s your analysis? Before you read the discussion below, enter a comment to this post. If you change your mind after you read the discussion, please let us know. And remember, neither coach had much time to consider their options.
Analysis:
A pair of sports ethicists (yes, there actually are such people) chose 3. Both coaches. Both coaches acted unethically, said Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, at the University of Central Florida. “Anytime a coach changes how the game is played and orders his players to do something that’s not a natural at-bat or pitch, it crosses that line.” Daniel Doyle, executive director of the Institute for International Sport, in Kingston, R.I., agreed. “The lesson is anytime you’re coaching kids, you never make a decision to use strategy to impair the integrity of the game. You follow that principle and you’re going to be fine.”
The Ethics Scoreboard emphatically does not agree. Denis Place not only did not behave unethically, he made the only ethical decision open to him. But his rival manager, McCauley, indeed was unethical. Ethics Scoreboard Analysis: The dilemma arose in part because of the special objectives of Little League baseball, which are embodied by rules that occasionally work at cross purposes. Winning is important (remember that the game in question took place during an international tournament designed to determine the best team), but excellence of play is even more important, and excellence includes good sportsmanship. Co-existing with these straightforward objectives are the organizational goals of ensuring that all the young participants have a rewarding experience that includes the opportunity to play, learn and improve. Looming over all of this is the Little League Pledge, a statement that dates from the Eisenhower administration and is recited with reverence by the players before every game:
I trust in God
I love my country
And will respect its laws
I will play fair
And strive to win
But win or lose
I will always do my best
The most important aspect of the Little League’s values is this: the kids…their health, safety, happiness, development, socialization and growth, physical, mental and emotional… come first. This is why the rule that caused all the trouble exists. Coaches, particularly in games like this one in which the winners are rewarded, will naturally want to put their strongest team on the field (recall Walter Matthau’s moment of truth in “the Bad News Bears”). The rule ensures that even the weakest players will get a chance to play in every game, and it establishes a hierarchy of values by the proscribed penalty for violating it. The kids come first: if all of them don’t play, your team loses no matter what the score. The problem with the rule, like some laws, is that the punishment is effective as a threat but unjust and excessive in execution. If a game is really forfeited, the coach isn’t the only one punished; so are all the kids on the team and their families. Worst of all, perhaps, is the fate of the unlucky child whose failure to come to bat resulted, through no fault of his own, in his or her team losing a victory. The guilt and blame that will follow from the enforcement of this rule are far more damaging and long-lasting than the pain of sitting out one game.
Nobody thinks Coach Place intentionally kept Adam Bentley from batting in the fifth inning. It was simply bad luck; a hit or two by his team mates and Bentley would have come to the plate. When Place realized that his team was doomed if he didn’t find a way for the game to last into the home half of the sixth, he had three options, all of them bad:
- He could explain his plight to the umpires and the other team, and ask them to waive the rule. In seeking this result, he would have been invoking a Reciprocity ethical analysis: “Wouldn’t you want me to be generous and merciful to you if our positions were reversed?” This would be futile, and should be futile. Changing a rule mid-game, even by consensus, is both bad practice and a bad lesson for the players. It is inherently unfair. It is not a proper application of the Golden Rule.
- He could go ahead and let his team win in the top of the inning, have victory taken away by forfeit, and take full responsibility. This is apparently what the sports ethicists and the League felt he should do. It is essentially an Absolutist approach: a pledge is a pledge, and not even unanticipated and unique circumstances justify going around it. Teams do not, can not and must not intentionally let their opposition score. No exceptions.
- He could instruct his team to allow New Hampshire to tie the score, and hope that his team could win by scoring in the bottom of the sixth or in extra innings.
In choosing the last option, Coach Place was applying the balancing approach of Utilitarian ethical systems. Using that method of analysis, his course was obvious. True, allowing the other team to score intentionally was superficially a violation of the League’s “strive to win” ethic, but in this odd instance it was really the opposite: only by allowing a run to score could his team win. The Scoreboard would like to hear the argument that he
was telling his players not to “strive to win” when what they were doing was
essential to having any chance at victory. They were not throwing the game.
Doing nothing would be throwing the game.
On the positive side, extending the game meant that Adam Bentley would bat, an objective so important to the Little League that it had passed a rule mandating a forfeit if it wasn’t met. Getting to play would be a benefit to Adam, and an even greater benefit would be that he would not feel responsible when his team missed a chance to advance in the tournament because of him. It also would give his team a chance to get credit for a victory it had earned by outplaying the other team. (It is worth pointing out that Adam’s failure to bat did not give Vermont any unfair advantage or contribute to the team’s lead. One therefore cannot argue that Vermont’s coach’s miscalculation in any way entitled New Hampshire to a victory.) It would avoid the anomaly of an inferior team advancing over a superior one, and avert a forfeit, always an unsatisfactory resolution of a game except to the beneficiaries of it, and often not even them.
Place made the right ethical choice. The arguments of the sports ethicists quoted above are oddly detached from the actual situation of the Vermont team. Lapchick: “Anytime a coach changes how the game is played and orders his players to do something that’s not a natural at-bat or pitch, it crosses that line.” That is an invalid lesson for both baseball and life, and faulty ethics: an unconventional response to an unusual situation is not necessarily unethical. When a baseball player laid down the first sacrifice bunt some time in the 1880s, he was intentionally making an out…”unnatural” perhaps, but a valid and intelligent tactic that is now commonplace. Before something is declared unethical, there has to be a violation of some ethical principle. What is it in this case? The rules of baseball do not prohibit intentionally allowing the other team to score. Place was not failing to “strive to win;” on the contrary, he was striving hard, if unconventionally, while also striving to obey the Little League’s participation rule.
Doyle: “The lesson is anytime you’re coaching kids, you never make a decision to use strategy to impair the integrity of the game. You follow that principle and you’re going to be fine.” Mr. Doyle, don’t you think a result where the team that scores the most runs loses by forfeit “impairs the integrity of the game”? I sure do, and I’ll bet everyone in the stands that day agrees with me. The Little League rule that requires a player to bat at least once, while laudable in many ways, also impairs the integrity of the game (and it isn’t “natural” either, Mr. Lapchick). Following Doyle’s version of integrity in this case wouldn’t make everything “fine” at all: a victory overturned after the fact, victimized kids, a traumatized player, the inferior team advancing, a rule broken. That’s “fine”? Fine for whom?
Interestingly, Coach Place later said without elaborating that he could have accomplished his goal in a more subtle way, and he was correct. For example, he could have had all his players play out of position; a non-pitcher struggling to get a ball over the plate, his slowest players in the outfield, his weakest arms at third and short. Presumably playing an inferior team wouldn’t offend Lapchick’s definition of “natural” or Doyle’s version of “integrity,” which shows how shallow their analysis went. (Lest this sound too harsh, I should note that it is likely that neither of the ethicists were given much time to consider their opinions, and I think their AP quotes reflect that.) I regard this as a cosmetic difference only, what lawyers call “a distinction without a difference.”
He also could have waited to see if such strategies became unnecessary as a result of New Hampshire scoring a run without assistance. But the only way to make certain that his team would avoid a forfeit was to be proactive. Or so it seemed at the time. He was proactive, and his team still forfeited. Still, his plan was not unethical What about the conduct of the New Hampshire coach? Easy call: unethical:
1. His actions were aimed at ensuring that the rule would be broken, not followed.
2. He was ensuring that a young player would not get the opportunity to bat, which his own League had decreed was crucial.
3. He was asking his players to lose the game, while Place was seeking only to extend the game…a critical difference.
4. By doing the above, he was attempting to advance in the tournament through forfeit rather than merit, thus exploiting a technicality in a contest that is supposed to be a measure of skill.
5. His instructions to his team constituted an effort to block a colleague’s good faith attempt to avoid breaking a rule for the good of his team and the league.
McCauley could have reacted to Place’s desperate strategy by having his team play it straight, and either win the game by scoring as many runs as possible in the sixth inning or by proving its superiority by winning in extra innings. He wasn’t willing to take that chance, and preferred to win by forfeit. That’s bad sportsmanship. It violates the spirit of the Little League Pledge. And he was trying to lose the game.
Whose conduct was unethical?
The Scoreboard’s answer is
2. McCauley, the New Hampshire coach.
________________________________________________
Such situations are rare but have even occurred in major league games. Some managers have walked sluggers like Barry Bonds and Willy McCovey with the bases loaded, sometimes pushing across a tying or even go-ahead run, to avoid a potential grand slam. There have been games in which a home team was trailing by many runs in the top of the fifth inning with a thunderstorm approaching, and the home team’s manager realized that if the inning wasn’t completed before the rains came, it wouldn’t be an official game and the score wouldn’t count. So he instructed his team to stall, walk opposing players and refuse to make outs until the rains came.
The HomeScholar Gold Care Club will give you the comprehensive help you need tohomeschool high school.
There are so many wonderful opportunities that it’s impossible to hear about them all, and even MORE impossible to actually participate in all of them! But if you have a teenager interested in politics, particularly the judicial system, the National Association of Youth Courts may be a good fit for your family. Here is the national website: http://www.youthcourt.net/
My member Karen wrote to share about the experience her children have had, and it sounded like a LOT of fun!
Congratulations to our boys after volunteering for weeks as jurors, they are officially attorney’s in training for the Hernando county youth court. In Hernando County when a youth offender commits a crime they are arrested and taken to the county jail. They will go before a judge who decides if they will be sent to youth court or continue with juvenile court. Youth court is only for first offenders. The offender must appear before a jury of their peers and may be appointed an attorney. There is also a prosecuting attorney. Kids from ages 10 to 17 make up the jury, attorneys, bailiff and court clerk. The judge is an adult and the coordinator for the family is also an adult.
The offender comes to youth court admitting guilt and it is the jury’s decision what punishments to give the offender. They are giving guidelines in which to do so. If the offender does not follow the punishments set by the jury then they are sent back to juvenile court. Youth court is their one and only chance to not have a record.
Youth court is not a mock court. It is very real. The boys have served on the jury the past few weeks and have shadowed the bailiff and court clerks. Next Monday they officially begin their law school in which they must take the youth bar exam at the end and they must do a presentation to show that they can defend or prosecute an offender. The boys are very excited and were excellent jurors. Christopher ended up being the jury foreman on several occasions. There are at least three courtrooms running with three cases taking place every Monday night.
Just wanted to let you know about this exciting opportunity the boys are participating. in.
Hugs
Karen
Check this out if your children are interested in Law or Politics. It would
have been a great fit for one of my son’s.
Shannon wrote to thank me, and she gave me permission to share her feelings…
Lee,
I just had to write and thank you for everything! Well, for the everything consuming my life right now! LOL!
I have had an epiphany lately. Why it took so long I’m not sure. I have been so focused on my 16 year old and making sure he was ready for graduating high school and set up well to go to the college he wants to go to that I’m ashamed to say I wasn’t putting as much focus on my 13 year old. I think I’ve finally discovered why I’ve had such frustration with my 13 year old and schooling. We decided to go back to homeschooling because of issues with him in Middle School and have experienced a lot of those issues since bringing him home. It is getting him to do the daily work. He fights me tooth and nail! He doesn’t want to sit and do any of the assignments I give, yet he can spout off information about so many things. I’m always asking him where he heard that or read that piece of knowledge. I’m now starting to get a clue!
When he was in school the teachers commented on how he passes the tests with A’s and sometimes B’s but his grades were not as good because he wouldn’t do the daily work. I’ve had those same issues as well. *I knew he was very intelligent I just never put the pieces together * to see he was gifted!! How can one be so blind? I realize now, it isn’t necessary to do busy work if you already know it!! I’m not challenging him enough because I’m not giving him material more to his level. Ughhh! All this time I’ve been wasting. Thank you for showing me the light. I kept thinking that your gifted information really didn’t apply to us because I kept focusing on my oldest. But it does apply to us! So, I have ordered your CD about teaching gifted children and look forward to receiving it soon.
By the way, thank you for your assistance with my college fair questions. Anything you could suggest so I could put the word out about you at the college fair would be good. I definitely want other homeschoolers here in South Carolina to find out about your services!!
Thanks Again!
Shannon in South Carolina
Later, after listening to the Gifted Education at Home audio course…..
I received your gifted CD. I am working on my second listen through. I’m trying to wrap my head around how best to school him now. I’m going to look into the Sonlight Curriculum you talk so highly about. I feel a little lost in this unfamiliar territory. I made the mistake of trying to teach him the way my oldest son and I learn best and that’s by being interactive with projects and worksheets with the material. I realize that is misery for Patrick. No wonder why he dreads schoolwork. I’m going to have to look at things in a whole different way!! I’m trying to learn, though. Thank you for all your wonderful help and advice.
~ Shannon in South Carolina
Remember, God made each of your children unique and what works on one may not work with the other. Be open to trying new strategies for each child.
The HomeScholar Gold Care Club will give you the comprehensive help you need tohomeschool high school. Remember, the price is increasing on April 4 to $47/month. You can lock in now at the current price of $27/month. Don’t delay!
Do you remember the anxiety of having a younger child? Sometimes when we homeschool high school, we forget the fears that ALL parents face. Will parenting be too hard? How can I do this? Sometimes parents with young children feel anxiety about high school even though it is still years away. That’s why I recommend parents of young children join my newsletter. Sometimes just seeing the heading, with the words “homeschooling high school” can be all the encouragement that is needed! It makes it seem so normal, and natural, like the perfect next step.
Amanda signed up for my newsletter, and contacted me for some support.
I have heard horror stories that I need to decide at what point I will put them back in public school. I hope to homeschool through high school, but many say it will be too hard and I need to research and have a plan? Others say not to worry about it until I get there. I guess I am a little in between. i don’t want to stress about it, but pray about it and allow God to guide us as we approach those years. What would you suggest I do now, to make things easier then? I just want to set a good direction as we continue to hear God’s voice, but know things will change a lot in this many years. Just wondering what approach I should be taking now and how much “future” preparation I need to be doing! Thank you so much, and I am POSITIVE that your info came across my computer at this point for a reason!
~ Amanda, mother of preschooler and kindergartner
Dear Amanda,
Thanks for writing! It’s nice to get to know you a little bit. Since you’re a woman of faith, I want to share a short video called “How do you know you can homeschool high school” because I think it will encourage you even now.
It’s easy to move in and out of the public school system before high school. It’s more difficult when they are in high school, I have to admit. This article talks about some strategies that may help. It’s called “When friends stop homeschooling”
I think it will also help you to remember the difference between accredited and official, when it comes to high school transcripts.
But Amanda, no matter what I say, or my opinions, just remember one thing: Know your child and trust yourself. God gave you this child for a reason – nobody else could do a better job.
Blessings,
Lee
Lee! Thank you for all of this help! I will get to watching / reading your links shortly! I appreciate your time and encouragement! You are more than welcome to use my question! Thanks for letting me know that other moms of young kids are asking the same thing! It is great to know that I am normal to wonder! Thank you for reminding me that my kids were chosen for me! As you can see in this picture, both were adopted from Taiwan, and there is no doubt that God had a plan for all of us to be together. You are an encourager for sure and I sooooooooooooo appreciate having met you! let me know if there is anything else I need to be doing and I will be watching your site! for further info! PS, oh yeah…I do love the Lord, my husband is a youth pastor and so is my dad. I have been blessed with great leaders in my life, and will serve the Lord by raising these beautiful kids to the best of my ability! Amanda
I did regular homeschooling 4 days a week. The 5th day was for delight directed learning, and my children did things for fun. It kept us focused, and helped us all enjoy homeschooling. But what does that look like in real life?
Lee
My boys have suggested to do core subjects 4 days a week and one day for what I believe you would call “Delight directed learning”. I was wondering what did your boys do on that day. I want to make sure it is not just a free for all because I know that my younger boy would play games on the computer all day.
~ Karen
Hi Karen,
First they did their school work, before anything else
Usually the day was completely filled with activities. That was the day I planned all of our out-of-the-home fun things. It wasn’t really an empty day, it was almost a “too full” day, because it included all our actiivities. Piano lessons, art lessons, field trips, skating and PE, perhaps a community class on history. Everything had to fit into that “free day” or we didn’t do it (with very few exceptions.) Because the day was filled with running around and stuff, there wasn’t much down time. I did make sure to have interesting things for them to do while we were running around. Alex brought economics or music courses from the Teaching Company with us while we waiting at Starbuck’s for Kevin to teach chess. Kevin brought courses on Russian History or read books about chess while I was driving to the different events and opportunities.
To prevent a wasted day, we had some fairly strict guidelines: no computer at all, not TV at all (unless it was a video lesson.)
This policy of one day out of the house was part of why we could accomplish so much in a year. When you spend a lot of time coordinating and going to activities, it’s difficult to actually spend time homeschooling. By combining all our activities into one day only, the other four days were actually devoted to JUST doing school each day. On those “school days” we almost never left until school was done for the day – again, with very few exceptions.
When Alex started working at the Think Tank, he had to leave for work at about 9:00am and got home about 5:00pm on Wednesdays. I didn’t have him do math or foreign language at that point – I didn’t even have him work on anything in the car! We just talked about what he had done during the day while we were driving. When Kevin started driving himself to his chess teaching jobs, he still had time to get his math done before he left.
I have a complimentary ticket to Heart of the Matter Online Homeschool Refresher Conference on February 22-25, 2010.
Are your feet dragging? Do you need a little pick-me-up? Winter is wrapping up and we are anxious for spring — for green, for sunshine, for life, for a little oomph in our homeschool day. It’s easy to get bogged down and for things to turn hum-drum.
A Woman Inspired and Heart of the Matter Online are excited to bring you a Homeschool Refresher conference that is sure to give you a boost. This conference will feature some speakers chosen specifically for their ability to revive, rejuvenate, and renew the hearts and minds of their audience. You are sure to walk away motivated and inspired to achieve great things! To be entered to win the tickets, just comment on this blog post and tell me your favorite part about homeschooling in the Spring. We will choose a winner on Sunday!. Good luck!
Listen. Learn. Discern. Get guidance. Sounds great! Now if we could just teach our children to have a quiet time and devotional with the word of God, they could listen, learn, discern, and get guidance too!
Proverbs 1:5
Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.
Sometimes kids will gobble it up, and love reading the Word. Other times… not so much. Same kid, just different stages. It doesn’t mean they have made a long term commitment to fighting you on devotions. In general it just means their brain is focused on other things.
There are two things that can help you train a child to have devotions. First, demonstrate a devotional lifestyle, but having a quiet time yourself. Show your children that real adults really read their Bible on a day-to-day basis, and that will become normal behavior for them.
We read it together, and discussed the scriptures we read. I called it “cozy couch time” because I wanted it to be a warm, friendly, non-schoolish environment. My goal was for them to love scripture. Like teaching them to love reading, I thought the best way would be to get cozy with the book.
Later in high school, I bought them each their own devotional. Rather than commentaries, I really liked The One Year Bible NIV
Each day it provides a section from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. It was a good fit for me, because sometimes I get bogged down in some sections (Lamentations and Revelation come to mind…..) and having a mix of Old, New, and Wisdom books really helped me have something each day that would spark my interest and keep me excited about devotions.
Books rule! We love books. We absorb books. Anything that we need to know can be learned in a book. Sometimes people ask me why our reading lists were so incredibly long. It wasn’t because I assigned all those books, I can tell you that much! For both of my boys, reading is their “love language.” Give them a book, and they will love you forever. Every Christmas, their wish list includes specific books. Our reading list is so long because that’s how my children learn best.
Try to identify the preferred method of learning for your child. Maybe they learn best by doing. Maybe they learn best when the hear something. Maybe they can imitate anything once they see it done first. It doesn’t have to be about books – just find the way they learn best.
Sometimes they’ll learn a subject no matter how your present it. But when you run into trouble, and they seem to just hate something, go back to their preferred method of learning. Try those strategies again, to learn the subjects they hate.
My kids were wonderful at math and science, so you might think that every subject came easy for them. It didn’t! My children positively hated art! Especially Kevin! In order to teach them art, after failing and failing at different hands-on projects, I finally got smart. I found BOOKS about art. I chose biographies of artists, and books with just the artwork of MC Escher (a big hit with my engineer) and art books with just impressionists (a big hit with my history buff.) We ended up doing pretty well with art, when I focused on teaching them HISTORY of art, and art through books.
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Thank you so much, and I am POSITIVE that your info came across my computer at this point for a reason!
Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
