Archive for January, 2008
“A Mother’s Joy” price reduced
Author: principledmom
I have reduced the price of A Mother's Joy, a compilation of three years here at my blog. Click the cover to order and instantly download your copy right now.
read comments (2)Crafty fun in every subject
Author: principledmom
In our house we LOVE all things artsy and craftsy, so I thought I would share some links to help you add more arts and crafts to your daily lessons. If you would like to add a link to this list, please share it in the comments section.
Bible
History
Science
Mathematics
- Math Cat's Math Crafts
- About.com math crafts
- Danielle's Place math crafts and games
- Tessellations
- Tangrams
Geography
Literature and English
Music
American Sign Language
The rewards of notebooks
Author: principledmom
Notebooks are not a new idea. Many of the founding fathers kept notebooks of their lessons and discoveries. What is so special about notebooks, as opposed to, say, workbooks? I say a lot.
Production. A notebook is not simply a container of a child's work. It is a tool for learning and self-government. It requires the child to be a producer of education and not a consumer of information. The child is an active part of the learning process.
Developing character. Notebooks are also a tool for character development and an excellent education. These traits include stewardship, diligence, patience, perseverance, faithfulness and satisfaction.
Self-education. The child must learn how to learn, and a notebook will do that. These notebooks are filled with their own thoughts and reasoning. I encourage my children to take ownership of their ideas. When they are comforatable with that concept it will be easy for them to take on more of their own education
Scholarship. The child must write and produce their own work, as opposed to consuming a workbook. They are required to write down their own thoughts and ideas and to do it well. Neatness counts! Standards are a good thing. Children like to know what is expected of them, and notebook standards give them a goal and parameters, which also foster scholarship.
Reasoning. It requires thinking, and sometimes a lot of it, to produce and to learn. I know my kids sometimes act like their brain froze up when they are required to use their "reasoning muscles." But I also have noticed that my 4th grader has come a long way and doesn't shut down like she used to. She wrestles hard sometimes to reason out an answer. That is encouraging and wouldn't happen if I were not using a notebook.
Reference. Hopefully your notebook will be filled with things, especially as they get into the upper grades, that will help them in other subjects and other areas of interest. I know one young lady who came home for a break from college and went to find her French notebook. She said it was to help her in her college class because some of the material was already there, giving her an edge. Another young lady I know has made notebooking such a lifestyle that even though she is out of high school she still makes notebooks for her interests. When she went on a missions trip she created a notebook her whole team could use as a reference, with maps, history and more on the country they were visiting.
Mastery. We are not slaves to the notebook, but masters. It is our tool to use as best fits us. It will help strengthen our weaknesses and highlight our strengths. And also a notebook helps us to master a particular subject.
Individuality. Of course notebooks are an expression of our unique thoughts and are our own intellectual property. My children love to peruse their notebooks from time to time and appreciate all the hard work they have done. They enjoy reflecting on projects and lessons they enjoyed, and also to remind me of things they weren't crazy about. Some families keep electronic notebooks, some keep more like a scrapbook. There are lots of ways to express your individuality and education. Notebooks don't simply have to be filled with written papers. You can include CD's of audio, DVD's of movies you make, printouts, foldouts and pockets, photos, art of all kinds, the list is really endless. Celebrate your family'e education, don't just endure it.
HisStory lesson planning
Author: principledmom
I know I've already addressed planning lessons and all sorts of other things for HisStory, so please check the topic in the sidebar for all that good stuff. What I want to discuss is what your lesson should contain.
I like parameters, boundaries, limits. I like to know expectations and standards (which is another post coming soon!) so when I plan lessons I like to know what it is I'm supposed to do. I want to be a more spontaneous educator, but right now I have to work with the personality God gave me, which seems really boring at times. I love A Guide to American Christian Education for many many reasons, but one of them is all the suggestions and lists and helpful lesson planning stuff that's in that great book. One thing is the handy list that Mrs. Ruth Smith put together regarding HisStory lesson plans.
If you plan your HisStory lessons (and it works with any subject really), then you will have structure and hopefully the results you are after. The lesson should include 5 things:
- Goal(s): (see GACE p. 204)
- Content: what the lesson is to be about
- Principles: one or more of the seven principles of America's Christian History and Government
- Methodology: sources, notes to be taken, etc (recording)
- Assignments
When I use the goals, together with this simple list, my planning is simple and focused and my lessons get results. Planning your own lessons is not a mysterious or overwhelming process. It is simply a matter of taking things one step at a time.
Individuality of subjects
Author: principledmom
The first Biblical principle we study, and the overarching principle as well, is "God's Principle of Individuality." This principle can be seen everywhere, and we focus on seeing it in the subjects.
If God cares about individuality, then if we study the subjects individually we are enjoying the distinctiveness of each subject. There is a rich history, diverse vocabulary and important principles that each subject contains. A goal of learning with the Biblical Principle Approach is not fact mastery but subject mastery (through principles).
We are not discussing facts but principles, so multiple grades are able to learn together. There is no need for complicated lesson plans for each child. A little modification and all your children can learn at the same time.
How can we understand the unique vocabulary and rudiments of a subject if they are all lumped together? Each subject has its own language and foundation. It is important for children to learn these in order to master the subject.
When you understand the rudiments of a subject, along with its vocabulary, you are able to see how the subjects naturally overlap and fit together. There are common principles that bring the subjects in harmony and bring a richer appreciation of all the subjects.
For more reading on the subject, these two PDF handouts are available for download.
Selected Quotes Concerning the Individuality of Subjects
My personal notes concerning unit studies vs. individuality of subjects
I have nothing against unit studies per se, I just prefer a distinct subject methodology with natural subject integration. What I mean is I do not rally around a topic but around the principle of a subject. I may pick a certain topic that several subjects will naturally fit into but I do not try to contrive lessons to fit a topic.
Once or twice a year I will do a study on a subject and the subjects will naturally integrate, such as a study on Bach (which we are starting this week). HisStory, geography, literature, English and music are all naturally covered as we read through the book, adding to our enjoyment and understanding of the life and times (and character) of Bach. The subjects add to our understanding of cause and effect, of the things that made Bach who he was. They are not disjointed facts but parts of the whole under the principle of individuality. We see how, where, with whom and when he lived contributed to his character. Along with this study we continue our math, Bible and science separately.
The subjects are beautiful and unique. I don't want my children to miss out on the treasures that each subject contains.
I hope this post will spark some conversation regarding the topic. I will begin over the next several weeks to go over each of the individual subjects, beginning with history. Our Thursday chat will also correspond to the weekly subject.