Sonlight Homeschooling Blog

Oct. 25, 2011

Life Experience and Literature

By Karla

The thing that drew me to Sonlight originally was recognizing titles of books I had read and enjoyed as a child. Probably my favorite genre as an emerging reader was pioneer stories. One of my all-time favorite novels was Caddie Woodlawn, so I was very excited to realize it was part of Sonlight's Intro to American History program (Core E). I remembered what exciting adventures Caddie had in the 1860s on the Wisconsin frontier. I can't tell you how many times I read it when I was growing up, because I was an avid reader even then, and re-read my favorites over and over. I couldn't wait to share this wonderful story with my own children.

Finally, it was on our Read-Aloud schedule--and it was every bit as good as I remembered. What surprised me was what I got out of it. Even though I had read it several times as a young person, this time through I was reading it through the eyes and life experience of a mom.

For those of you who haven't read the book, it is based on a true story. Caddie is a young girl (about 11, I think) who was permitted to pretty much grow up as a tomboy running "wild" with her brothers. She had a sister who was sickly and died when she was younger, and her father thought that she might grow up to be healthier if she was allowed to run outside in the fresh air with the boys rather than have to stay in the house doing "girl" things all the time. But then, one day, the children were rude to a visiting cousin and Caddie got into more trouble than the boys. She was sent to her room without supper. After she had been there for several hours her father came to her room to talk to her. I love what he had to say to her:

"Perhaps Mother was a little hasty today, Caddie," he said. "She really loves you very much, and, you see, she expects more of you than she would of someone she didn't care about. It's a strange thing, but sometimes we expect more of girls than of boys. It is the sisters and wives and mothers, you know, Caddie, who keep the world sweet and beautiful. What a rough world it would be if there were only men and boys in it, doing things in their rough way! A woman's task is to teach them gentleness and courtesy and love and kindness. It's a big task, too, Caddie--harder than cutting trees or building mills or damming rivers. It takes nerve and courage and patience, but good women have those things. They have them just as much as the men who build bridges and carve roads through the wilderness. A woman's work is something fine and noble to grow up to, and it is just as important as a man's. But no man could ever do it so well. I don't want you to be the silly, affected person with fine clothes and manners whom folks sometimes call a lady. No, that is not what I want for you, my little girl. I want you to be a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind..."

As a young girl, that passage went right over my head. I didn't remember it being part of the story at all. As a mother with young daughters, it brought tears to my eyes.

That experience helped me realize that the differences in how a person interprets or is a affected by a book are not based on age or grade level, but rather on life experience. Later I re-read Jane Eyre, and the same thing happened. I was amazed at how much I got out of it as an adult that I had either forgotten or didn't register when I read it as a teen.

Think about a book you enjoyed when you were younger. If you read it again today you would take very different things from that book, because of where you are in life today and because of your life experiences up to this point. That's what makes Sonlight so flexible for using with multiple ages--and what makes read-aloud time so rewarding for the whole family.

What childhood favorites have you re-read lately?

Enjoying the adventure,
~Karla Cook
Lifelong Learner

Tagged books, life experience, literature, read-alouds | 3 Comments

Oct. 24, 2011

Never Tease a Weasel [Character Training, part two]...

By Jill

Previously I talked about the problems that I had trying to teach my children important character traits by reading books written specifically for that purpose. I believe the stories did not translate into real life because they didn't make any sort of positive impact on my children. They might know to never tease a weasel, but brothers were fair game!

I believe character traits are caught not taught! But, I think we can do something to make catching them a bit easier. It is somewhat of a secret, but I will share it with you....read real books! Not books designed to teach character--kids are too smart for that. But when you share real, living books with your children you will have many opportunities to talk about the characters in the books--what they did right, what they did wrong, what they should have done.

I remember when I read Little Britches to Kari and Scotty. That book is full to the brim of character lessons-most of them learned by the author, Ralph Moody when he was growing up near Littleton, Colorado around 1910. This autobiography is a wonderful account of growing up on a ranch; about responsibility and honesty and about the relationship between a father and son.

Ralph is an amazing storyteller who weaves his story like a fine tapestry. It is amazing how he remembers so well what it was like to be a child. And the lessons Ralph learns in the book are as applicable today as they were 100 years ago. Whether you homeschool or not, this is a delightful book to read aloud to your children. It will make a lasting impression on the whole family.

And who can forget about the elephant who is "Faithful, 100%"? Horton Hatches the Egg is another story where you can talk about doing what is right, about responsibility and friendship, about love, adoption and what makes a good parent. This is a great read-aloud book that brings up many character issues for you to discuss with your young children.

There are so many wonderful stories with great story lines and characters worthy of emulation or of scorn. One of our favorite biographies was Eric Liddell --the athlete the story "Chariots of Fire" was based on. He was dedicated to running and to God, yet he had to make a choice between the two. His story is inspiring and humbling; a great book to read-aloud to older elementary and middle school children.

And then there is great historical fiction like Daughter of the Mountains, which teaches faithfulness and sticking with a job. There are antagonists you can talk about as well as characters who are good and kind. This book, like many others, gives you, the parent, an opportunity to talk about those core beliefs that you want to pass on to your children.

Another incredible book to read to younger children is The Bee Tree. It not only teaches natural science, but also the value of reading and the wisdom of older people.

I could go on and on because for every book I mentioned, there are scores that I didn't-- but basically I found that reading Sonlight’s read-alouds to my children was a natural way to talk about situations and characters. We could discuss their decisions and what they could have or should have done differently and what we would do if we were in their shoes. I believe this is character training at its best.

So read a book to children,
That’s my best advice...
Talking about building character
During family time is nice!

And, I would love to hear of books you have used to help teach your children the value of having a good character.

Take care,

Jill

Tagged books, character, Encouragement, reading | 2 Comments

Oct. 21, 2011

Holiday School

By Judy

Temperatures are dropping, the leaves have turned beautiful shades of red and gold, and I filled my wooden bowl with gourds to put in the middle of my table this week. Yes, there's no denying that the season has changed. When our children were younger, school became more and more difficult this time of year. Between the obvious changes outside the dining room window (where we did much of our school work), and the various stores who began putting up Christmas displays in late September, I fought a losing battle to keep their minds focused on spelling and math. So one year I decided to "give in" and go with the flow. Over the years I developed a "holiday school" schedule that was full of projects, celebrations, and secrets. We would set aside a couple days each week for these special activities.

Beginning in early October, we would spend Saturdays "cleaning up" our property in preparation for the coming winter months. The garden was emptied of the last root vegetables to be stored, dead vegetable and flowering plants were pulled, and a few perennials were mulched. We also spent afternoons in the kitchen making applesauce, baking bread and canning apple butter. All great Science projects!

Field Trip Suggestions: Local farm market to sample produce and pick pumpkins ... Apple orchard to pick apples for baking and saucing ... Honey farm to sample local honey and watch bees in action ... Library to find books on gardening, making applesauce, and honey bees.

Favorite Books: The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco, The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice Prevenson

In November we would begin preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday. Kids love to have their art work displayed, so this was a great time of year for doing leaf rubbings, making a Thanksgiving Tree, and practicing new recipes for the upcoming holidays. All great Art and Science projects! And of course, the days of Thanksgiving week were filled with housecleaning, baking and general preparation for the big day.

Field Trip Suggestions: Go back to the local farm market to get a variety of squashes to try, and more apples for pies, crisps and breads ... Rescue Missions/Homeless Shelters especially need volunteers this time of year to cook and serve ... Craft Stores are a great place to begin Christmas gift projects.

Favorite Books: The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh, Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende & Harry Devlin, One-Hour Christmas Crafts by Leisure Arts.

December was filled with holiday preparations and secrets. My kids had great fun gathering gift lists from family members (who always kept younger nieces, nephews and grandchildren in mind) and working on various projects that would show up under our tree. In addition to the various church activities that Christmas brought (i.e. play practice, choir practice, caroling) we would create gift bags for friends and neighbors. We would purchase inexpensive brown paper gift bags from the local WalMart and the kids would enjoy decorating the outsides, and then filling the inside with homemade ornaments, candies and baked goods.

Field Trip Suggestions: Go back to the local farm market (if it's still open) to get a variety of squashes, sweet potatoes, and more apples for pies, crisps and breads ... Rescue Missions/Homeless Shelters especially need volunteers this type of year to cook and serve ... Deliver small gift bags to neighbors ... Check with a local nursing home to see if they would welcome a small group of children to sing carols (this was one of our favorite activities in December).

Favorite Books: Jotham's Journey by Arnold Ytreeide (a wonderful advent book published when our kids were small), The Story of Holly & Ivy by Rumer Godden, Becky's Christmas by Tasha Tudor, Winter Poems by Barbara Rogasky.

So if your kids are getting caught up in the hype and excitement of the holidays, take control of how *you* want to celebrate and incorporate some fun "holiday school" activities into your October-December. And I would love to hear some of your favorite holiday projects and book titles ... I might find a new volume to add to my holiday bookshelf for someday grandchildren!

Still on the journey ...
~Judy Wnuk
Sonlight Customer Champion

Tagged art, Christmas, crafts, holidays, science, Thanksgiving | 3 Comments

Oct. 20, 2011

Identity Crisis ...

By Judy

This past year I've had the opportunity to sit with some heartbroken moms. As they poured their hearts out about bad choices their children were making, and the sorrows of watching their kids walk away from the Lord, I found my heart breaking along with theirs. They had done all they knew to do, and definitely had not seen the expected result.

As most parents would, these homeschooling moms began asking where they had failed. Did they do something wrong while wearing their "homeschooling" hat? Perhaps their academic expectations were too high? Or maybe their children made poor choices in friends because they were "under-socialized"?

Did they do something wrong while wearing their "mom" hat? Perhaps if they had spent just a bit more time talking with their child, instead of putting them off to get some housecleaning done? Or maybe their children were seeking love and acceptance elsewhere because mom hadn't loved them enough?

One mom I spoke with described that she felt as though her arms would break under the stress of trying to keep all the various "balloons" in the air that represented each of her children, her husband, and her multiple responsibilities for homeschooling, housekeeping, taxi-driving, and church.

I've found over my years of homeschooling that I often had to stop throughout my day and think about which "hat" I was currently wearing. There were many times when I would come to the end of a day and wonder if I had fulfilled each of those "identities" well, or if I had failed in any of them. Ultimately, I concluded that I definitely had failed, and would continue to fail in the out-working of each of those identities. I'm human and thus prone to being self-focused, prideful, and lacking in wisdom. But the good and encouraging news is that there is really only *one* identity that matters, and the rest fall into place. My identity as a daughter of the King, a child of my Abba Father, is where the rest of my identities draw their purpose and wisdom.

My response to those moms I sat with this past year was to offer hugs, to weep with them over their heartbreak, and remind them that their children are also fallible. Being a homeschooling, stay-at-home, church-going mom is not *the* recipe/guarantee for success. Our children are free to make choices (just as we are), and they will not always make the correct ones (just as we don't). But we can take heart in knowing that God loves them as much as (and more) than we do. And we can free ourselves from some of the burden by not comparing our "success" or "failure" with our children to other families. And ultimately, we can choose to believe that we have done the very best we are able, by God's grace. And that even where we've failed, God is able to work it all for good.

So take heart wherever you are on your homeschool journey. Keep your eyes focused on the one identity that truly matters. And remember that your children's heavenly Father never fails.

Still on the journey ...
~Judy Wnuk
Sonlight Customer Champion

PS ... if you're interested in chatting with other moms who are juggling multiple hats, be sure to register on the Sonlight Forums. It's a great place to meet fellow travelers on the homeschool journey.

Tagged discouraged, forums, identity | Leave a comment

Oct. 19, 2011

Catching Character...

By Jill

Over the years, I have had many people ask me questions about how to teach positive character traits to their children. And, raising children with good character was high on our family’s list of educational goals.

Years ago, when I was a young mother, I thought you could teach it through books specifically designed for this purpose. We checked out books with titles like "Let's Talk about Whining" and "Let's talk about Lying" from the church library. We still own a book called "Never Tease a Weasel." It has been well over a decade since I have looked at this book but I can still recite:

Never tease a weasel,
Now there's some good advice.
A weasel will not like it,
And teasing isn't nice.

But, you know what? While many of these books were fun to read, they did not help teach my kids not to whine, lie or tease. It was like the books were one thing, life another.

My husband went to a seminar once and brought home some beautiful books with animal lessons. Each animal was supposed to teach a Biblical truth, a character trait for the children to emulate. They were beautiful books with matching coloring books. The kids enjoyed the stories and learning about the various animals. One year I had Chad [then late middle school age] teach a lesson every week to Kari and Scotty for science/character training. The books were that good!

There were ducks and wolves and all sorts of interesting facts woven into the fiber of the underlying theme of teaching character. They loved those books! But, just because they learned that a baby wood duck has to obey his mother at the first call or he will be left in the nest of the hollow tree, it didn’t mean that my children obeyed when I first called.

But, if you follow the logic of the book, the mother duck had some serious character issues of her own if she would leave her own baby behind just because he didn't obey her the first time she called.

Then I understood! Character is caught not taught!

The way to teach children how to be honest is to be honest. I will admit, this is much harder than reading a book called "Let's Talk About Honesty," but I believe this is THE only way to teach character.

The way to teach children compassion is to be compassionate. The way to teach them not to gossip is not to gossip. The way…well you get my drift.

Scary--isn’t it?

You know it's true. Kids watch us like hawks and they don't miss a trick. They see if we give back the extra quarter the clerk gave us in our change. They see if we help a neighbor or look the other way so we can avoid them. They know if we pick up the phone when we know it’s our mother-in-law on the other end. They hear us gossip. But, don't get discouraged! Granted, we are not perfect and we make mistakes; but I think realizing that we are teaching character when we think our kids are not looking, will make us better parents-- better people- and better ambassadors for Christ [One of Sonlight’s Top 10 Goals] ! And, we don't have to be perfect to do a good job.

This is what I believe with all my heart: Character is caught, not taught. [Next Monday, I will let you in on a secret of how to making “catching” good character a little bit easier.]

Take care,

Jill

Tagged character, education, goals, learning | 1 Comment

Oct. 17, 2011

Families Writing

By Karla

My mother saved a few of my school papers, as all mothers do, I suppose. It's interesting to see my little-girl handwriting, but to be perfectly honest, spelling lists and mimeographed worksheets are kind of boring to look it. My mother also saved letters. Boxes and boxes of letters. Now those are fascinating to me. They give a glimpse into relationships and activities our family was involved with all those years ago. It makes me sad that letter-writing is pretty obsolete these days. The boxes of letters pretty much end in the mid-1990s when everyone got email and flat-rate calling became so cheap.

As a grandmother, my mother marvels over the wonders of modern technology and instant communication. With her 5 children and 9 siblings scattered all over the country, each in a different city, she loves being able to stay in touch with all of us. She even has a Facebook account to stay up-to-the-minute with her grandchildren. But she, too, misses the written record that weekly letters provided.

I enjoy writing. Not everyone does. It is an effort. Often it's hard to challenge our children to write their school assignments, let alone "just for fun." They love to text one another and post inane Facebook status updates, but pick up a pencil? Are you kidding?

I'm old-fashioned enough to want a written record of our lives, so over the years I've incorporated some sneaky fun ways to get my family writing more.

One of my favorites is the dialog journal. Using a blank spiral notebook or journal, I will write a short letter to one of the children about something that is going on today. It might be about a school assignment, their chores, something they did well, or current events. I always include at least one question. Then I give the journal to my child with the understanding that I expect a response by the next day. She writes her reply in the same notebook and turns it back over to me. It's a challenge for both of us to keep it going, but it makes a precious keepsake and gives the kids good practice writing. We like to decorate the pages with stickers or doodles.

We also keep a journal in our travel-trailer. Each night that we sleep in the trailer we log where we are, what the weather is like, what we cooked for supper, and whether any friends were with us. We've kept similar journals for road-trip vacations we've gone on-- where we are each night, how many miles we traveled each day, places we visited and people we saw.

And then, of course, there's blogging. While I don't feel as comfortable sharing the nitty-gritty of our daily lives online as some people do, it's still a great way to record the highlights. I have set up private blogs for "family only" at various times. For my daughter's senior year, she and I set up a private blog where we dialoged about current events and other assignments in her Core 400 program. We have another private blog where my parents, siblings, and I share old letters, memories and photos that are pretty much meaningless to anyone else.

What about your family? How are you encouraging your children to write? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Tagged family, heritage, writing | 1 Comment

Oct. 13, 2011

Why did Nehemiah pray?

By Sarita

I imagine Nehemiah was excited to see Jewish travelers approach. Like most Jews at the time, Nehemiah lived in exile and must have been eager to hear news of home.

But the news he heard was not good: Those who survived the exile lived in disgrace. The walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins, the gates burned to rubble.

So Nehemiah fasted and prayed. It appears he prayed for four months, confessing the sins of Israel, asking God to remember his Covenant with His people, and asking God to grant him favor with the King. (Read his prayer here.)

And at the end of that time, Nehemiah was serving in his normal role as cupbearer to the king. The king noticed Nehemiah's long face and asked why he was depressed. Because he had spent so much time in prayer, Nehemiah was ready for this open door.

He told the King how bad things were back in Jerusalem. The king asked what Nehemiah wanted to do. So Nehemiah prayed quickly and replied with exactly what he wanted to do (go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls) and what he would need from the king to make this happen (letters to grant him safe travel and timber to rebuild the gates). Because God was behind the plan, the King granted his request.

Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls—in 52 days. These walls had been down for 100 years. In 100 years people had been trying to rebuild these walls and they couldn't get it done. The Bible doesn't say Nehemiah had wall-building experience or even leadership experience. The rebuilding process certainly was not easy, but God was clearly working to accomplish His goals. I think God could use Nehemiah to complete such a great task because of those four months of prayer and Nehemiah's courage in trusting the Lord.

If we ever think we're too busy for prayer, let's remember Nehemiah's story. I am convinced that we accomplish the tasks God has for us (whether homeschooling, managing a household or running a business) not in spite of taking time to pray, but because we pray.

Blessings,
Sarita

PS- I can't help thinking that Brother Andrew's story in God's Smuggler bears striking resemblance to the first and second chapters of Nehemiah's story. Brother Andrew was an ordinary man who prayed fervently and stepped out in response to God's continuous call. God protected and provided for him in astounding ways, and the Kingdom of God was advanced. If you've never read God's Smuggler, I highly recommend it. May we, like Brother Andrew, pray fervently and live courageously for the sake of God's Kingdom.

Tagged Bible, Meditation, prayer | 1 Comment