Homeschooling November 2013 Part 4

Something to think about...

Montessori Sensorial: The Pink Tower

Montessori Sensorial: The Pink Tower

The Pink Tower consists of 10 blocks, starting with the smallest (1cmx1cmx1cm) to the biggest (10cmx10cmx10cm). There are many activities or extensions with this manipulative. We did them all today.

Presentation: Show all pieces and teach how to carry them. Discuss size differences between cubes (blocks).

Put all blocks in order on the floor (see picture above).

Montessori Sensorial: Brown Stair and Extensions

Montessori Sensorial: Brown Stair

The Brown Stair has 10 prisms. 

Length and Width of the biggest prism are 10x10cm. 

The length and width of the smallest prism is 1x1cm.

Presentation: Show child the 10 prisms in the right order.

Show child how to hold/carry them (with both hands and slowly, carefully).

Extension 1: Put Brown Stair together, ask child to close his/her eyes and remove one of the prisms. Push all prisms together to not show the gap that the prism was taken out of.  Show it to the child and have him/her say where it belongs.

Extension 2: Same as Extension 1, but this time, put the prism behind you so the child will rely solely on the rest of the stair, not on the prism removed.

Homeschooling November 2013 Part 3

This year, my father will be celebrating 40 years of working for the same company (he's moved around in different division within the company, but he has had the tenacity, diligence and discipline to work with the same company for that long. What an accomplishment! We are so proud of him! We couldn't be there for his celebration/ceremony, but we sent this video to him. :)

Mr. Potato Head Sequencing Cards Activity (Set 1) *Free Printable*

Sequencing is the process of putting events, ideas, and objects in a logical order. 

Why is sequencing important? We sequence all day long—we divide our time into what we need to do first, second, and last; we understand events in our lives by understanding the order in which they occur. 

For some children, sequencing can be a hard concept to grasp, especially when they are trying to tell a story. Using good key words like “first,” “next,” “then,” and “finally,” cue your child as to what is coming next. 

This is an activity that I put together for my kids at home. My sister-in-law helped me with the pictures. This is Set 1 of 5 that I have, but haven't shared all of them yet.

"God Made All Flowers" Craft (For Toddlers and Preschoolers)

Are you looking for a super fun, quick, cheap and meaningful craft for a rainy day (like in our case)?  Look no further! Here it is!  "God Made All Flowers"

                                   

Homeschooling November 2013 Part 2

Co-op Thanksgiving Party

Juice box Turkeys (this idea was taken from the blog Sugar Aunts)

Best Natural Moisturizing (Shea butter & other goodies) lotion

Make sure to click here to look at my post with a beautiful way to package this lotion for a gift. Pictures at the bottom of this post.

Homemade and Natural Facial Cleansers

My two favorite homemade cleansers are here below. The reasons why I like these so much is because they are so easy to use, they are natural and I usually always have all the ingredients on hand.

Homeschooling November 2013 Part 1

Field Trip: Outdoor Military Tank Museum

Homeschooling October 2013 Part 7

Food for thought...

3 + 5 Minutes Delicious Oatmeal (natural, GF, DF, no sugar added)

This oatmeal recipe is super easy. I just came up with it in a flash, since I had no clue what to make for dinner. It can be great for breakfast, too.
This recipe is 
gluten free
dairy free
no sugar added

Sounds glorious, doesn't it?
                        

Why in the world I homeschool my children

If there is one post worth reading on my blog, I'd say this is it, hands down. This is the core of my beliefs (about education and faith) and it explains why I do what I do with so much passion. I hope you enjoy my material and don't hesitate to leave feedback.

In this post, you will read about:

Our Homeschooling Beginnings

Truth about Homeschooling

Benefits of Homeschooling

Our Educational Path

Our Homeschooling Core: God

Are You Considering Homeschooling?

More Information on Homeschooling

Our Homeschooling Beginnings

There have been many things that have come my way in my 34 years of life that have taught me lessons, many tough, unforgettable and life-changing. I want to be wise and make sure to not forget or let go of those lessons learned and be able to grow as a person. And not only that, but to pass that wisdom on to my children so someday they may be better than my husband and me combined.  At least one can try and hope and pray.

At first, I never dreamed of homeschooling my children, not because I didn't want to, it just never occurred to me. I always dreamed of someday opening my own school and that is why I got a Master's Degree in School Administration.

Little did I know, God had much better plans for me during my children's very important formative years. 

When our son was about one and a half, he was loving to learn at home with me so much that he was above and beyond his age in many things. When my mother-in-law (who homeschooled all seven of her children all the way through high school) saw what he could do, she said, "You are going to have to homeschool him! He will be so bored in school!" And that marked the beginning of this wonderful journey we have.

I think that the biggest hurdle I faced was myself. I knew I was a successful and capable teacher, but I wasn't quite believing that about me as a homeschool teacher/mom.

After much prayer and deliberation, I approached my husband and asked him what his thoughts were on the matter. His response was short and sweet, "I cannot think of a better teacher for our children than you." I was sold! If he believed in me and my Heavenly Father believed in me because He gave me this calling, then who am I to doubt? In I went! I took the plunge and have never looked back. I am loving it so much and I feel very blessed to have had an obedient heart. I would be missing out on so much! I really and truly love my life. 

This quote couldn't be more true. It feels like it was just last year my son turned one, but he's actually almost four! And it feels like it was last week that my baby girl was born and she's actually almost two years old! Spending as much time with them as I can (while also learning independence) is paramount to me, especially because we feel that our family is now complete.

Benefits of Homeschooling

Let me talk about some of the benefits of homeschooling...

Imagine being able to tell your children, "Hi, I'm Teacher-Mom... I love you more than anyone in this world. We will learn and grow together and I will make sure you learn in the best way possible for your learning preferences so you can be successful." What a wonderful thought for me to know that I won't be missing out on any of their developmental and educational milestones! I will be the one to help them reach them and not a stranger.

Homeschooling is a wonderful thing for our family. I understand that it might not work well for certain families, but we feel blessed that it has worked very well for our family. It is overwhelming to come up with a schedule where we can cover all of the material we need to, we can keep a clean house, we can get out of the house, and be involved in church and volunteering activities. But God has given us so much grace. It is by trial and error that we have come up with a decent schedule. 

I love the fact that homeschooling is so flexible. Our schedule changes every 8-12 weeks, almost. And you know what? It's ok. We adjust to changes, we find a way to make it work and we re-evaluate our priorities.

Our Educational Path

Here, we get to the core of education, especially from a homeschooling point of view.

I have put two Maria Montessori quotes back to back because she was a very influential woman in her time in the field of education. She revolutionized the system and helped so many children learn and discover the world in a very special way. I love teaching my children using the Montessori Method, along with Classical education and ACE (a Christian curriculum). I can't think of a school that would be so accommodating to my children and finding the exact curricula that meet their needs. That's another reason why I love homeschooling.

Our Homeschooling Core: God

Our legacy...make a difference in this world.

This quote has been going around for a while. No author has claimed writing it, but it is a wonderful thought. I chose to use my own graphics (a tree in our backyard) to bring it closer to home. May we live by the statements above!

We are very strong Christians and we believe that children should be raised with a strong Biblical base and an understanding of God as well as a close and personal relationship with Him. Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. My husband and I strive to teach our children about God and who He is in regards to us and the world around us.

Boom! This lady rocks! I love her wisdom and gift in writing. I highly recommend reading her book.

Are You Considering Homeschooling?
If you have been contemplating homeschooling and have lots of questions (How do I get started? Is it right for our family? What textbooks do I use? Do I need textbooks at all? What method of teaching is best for my children? and so many more), just know that it is ok. You have more time than life to decide. 
The four things I can tell you are:
1. Pray. Ask God if this is the right thing to do for your family right now.
2. Consider the pros and cons. Make a list and a tentative schedule. Pray over it. Sleep on it.
3. Look for support around you. Get your family on board with it. Find other homeschooling families in the area. Find co-ops, look at what your church does with homeschoolers, ask local community centers and libraries to find out more. Join groups on Facebook and other media outlets that can offer support.
4.  Be honest. What do you honestly feel deep down inside about homeschooling? 

Feel free to email me if you have questions, doubts, or simply need support in prayer. This is a big deal and it is a big decision that shouldn't be taken lightly.
I hope this post has helped you see homeschooling from a mom's perspective. And even if our points of view are different or our reasons for homeschooling aren't the same, I am positive that we can find common ground in the fact that our hearts are for our children and their best interest is paramount. Be blessed!

More Information on Homeschooling

***UPDATE:  Another great read that I found (June 2013) and love it: 

But You Went To Public School and You Turned Out Fine.
Watch this video (click here) if you have 45 minutes to spare. He really hits home with this.
Click here to look at a very informative chart about homeschooling

Homeschooling October 2013 Part 6

Great News!

The Natural Homeschool now has a domain of its own! We are no longer www.naturalhomeschool.blogspot.com. Now, we are www.thenaturalhomeschool.com.

You may still see a few referrals to the blogspot account (especially in images), but that will soon phase out. We are so excited and feel more official now.

Please, like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TheNaturalHomeschool) and Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/nathomeschool/) and share us with everyone you know! Thank you!

Inspiration...

God's Love and Gift to Us: The Plan of Salvation through Ribbon

Note: The Natural Homeschool owns its own domain now, so it is no longer under blogspot.com. As we make the transition to www.thenaturalhomeschool.com, you may still see some pictures with our old blog address. We should soon phase this out. Thank you for understanding.

God's Love and Gift to Us: The Plan of Salvation through Ribbon

God's love, grace and forgiveness are such wonderful and unmerited gifts to us. We treasure these in our family and we make sure to raise our children in God's ways. My husband and I want for our children to love God and to want to be close to Him. To do that, they need to understand how to do that.

I made one "gift of grace and salvation box" for each of my kids (a toddler and a preschooler) and they are having a lot of fun with them. The ribbons are tied to one another and they pull as they describe each step. It is a great way for little ones to understand the gift of grace and what our part is in it.

You will need:
- a box with a lid
- a card to describe each step
- ribbon (about 1 foot of each)
  black
  red
  white
  green
  gold

The black ribbon represents the sin in our lives. Pull.

The red ribbon represent the blood that Jesus shed at the cross to die for our sins. Pull.

The white ribbon represents the new and clean life that we find in Christ after our sins are forgiven. Pull.

The green ribbon represents growth in our lives. We share the message of Christ with others and grow out love for Him. Pull.

The gold ribbon represents the golden crown we will get in heaven when we meet our Maker. Pull all the way out, open the lid and put the ribbon back in the box.