Habits – we all have them.  Probably 99% of our day is based upon the habits we have established whether they be good or bad. My post on habits is going to be not so much on establishing habits in my children but in myself.  I have habits I want my children to have but I also must show a willingness to establish good patterns in my own life. Now I’m not advocating that we leave our children to themselves while we create new habits in our own life.  I just know  that so many times it’s easier to focus on someone else and how they need to change than to face issues in our…

Our Homeschool Speech Day is over and went very well.  About 75 people attended (including those participating) so it was a good audience for the children.  We have a really nice group of hard-working parents.  Since we put so much effort into the day it’s nice to work with others who are like-minded. This year I didn’t do much with the planning but left it up to another mom.  I told her it would be good for her; she’d be stretching her wings, trying new things.  I don’t think she was too convinced but she did a great job none-the-less.  There were a few things we could have did differently but…

Each year a few families in our church plus one other family that drives 3 hours, get together to plan a Homeschool Day.  We pick/vote on a topic for our day and the kids choose a sub-topic that’s pertinent.  They then prepare speeches, poster boards and/or backdrops.  On our homeschool day, besides all the speeches, we have activities for the kids to do (just a few).  We prepare little booklets with questions and the kids answer them by reading the posters or listening carefully to the speeches.  We invite all kinds of people to come hear the kids so it gives them some real incentive to do a good job. We started this as a…

A friend asked me a few months ago about what I would suggest for grammar. I finally got around to answering her question and then just this morning was asked the same question by someone else. So I thought I would share the letter I wrote to my friend. Dear ….., I have taken entirely too long to get back with you. So sorry!   Presently two of my boys are using Easy Grammar but I don’t think I would really recommend it. They don’t seem to learn too much or maybe I should say it doesn’t seem to really stick with them for some reason. Easy Grammar Plus for…

Recitation or Interpretive Reading achieves several things.  It helps you to learn to read aloud with feeling and meaning, clarity and volume and to practice making good eye contact when speaking. Each term my children have one poet they study and each week they are given a new poem to practice.  They are to read this poem aloud with feeling, practicing clarity as well.  Then once a week we get together and have Poetry Tea.  Julie at Brave Writer  gave me this idea.  I make a few snacks along with some tea, of course, and that’s it.  It’s not fancy, although a few times I went out of my way to do something extra special.  My…