Flashback

A little over 4 years ago, I posted about our yummy project for studying Nests in My Father's World Kindergarten.  Last week, with a new set of littles, we revisited the fun!  Of course, the big kids had to join in... and it amazed me when I compared the "then and now" pictures.  When we did it the first time, it was just Isaac, Ezra, and Joel (and they were so little!). This time there were two (actually, three, but she didn't get a nest) extra participants!  Wow, how 4 years changes things!  Here's some pictures of the yummy messiness:

Nathan, Joel, Ezra and Isaac, waiting to start!

Rachel got to try a chocolate chip.  She didn't like it!  I'm not sure whose daughter she is!

And it begins!

One of the completed masterpieces!

Judah loved the mess (and the chocolate!)!

Not-Back-to-School Blog Hop - 2011-2012 Curriculum Plans!

I'm joining in with Heart of the Matter Online's "Not-Back to School Blog Hop"!  Week 1 is Curriculum Week, so here's a look at what our plans are for the 2011-2012 school year!

We've officially completed our 180 days of school, as required by our state.  Since we prefer to school year-round, we're jumping right into another "year", starting next week.  We still have odds and ends of our 2010-2011 curriculum to finish up, here are our plans for the upcoming year for each of the boys!

I've mentioned this a ton of times, but our main source for Bible, History, and Read-Alouds will be Sonlight's Core E.  We also do Science as a family, and once we've finished up Apologia's Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology, we'll be switching gears and studying electricity, inventions, magnetism and magnification with Sonlight's Science E.  This will be our first year away from Apologia and trying something new, so I'm excited to see how it goes! 

Isaac is 10, and technically be starting 5th grade!  (That's so weird to me, because I have very vivid memories of my 5th grade year, how is it possible that I have a child there now?  Is this how old people feel all the time?)

Here are the subjects he'll be studying in addition to the above:

• Math - Math-U-See's Epsilon, as well as ALEKS for supplementation, and drills using MathRider or Math Facts Now (his choice)
• English - Rod & Staff's English 4 - I have found Rod & Staff's English to be rigorous enough that even though it's technically "behind" his grade, it's quite sufficient.
• Writing - Writing Tales (finishing up Level 1, moving on to Level 2)
• Spelling - All About Spelling, Level 2 and beyond - so far, he's been able to breeze through a couple lessons a week, but I'm sure as we progress, it will slow down some, so I'm just following his lead for now!
• Bible - Core E includes an independent Bible Study, which he'll be using. If need be, we will supplement or switch out with studies from Quiet Times for Kids.
• Spanish - Rosetta Stone, Level 1
• Computer Programming - I purchased KidCoder from the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op for a great price, and Isaac is so excited to get started!

I won't be having him do any more formal handwriting, as his subjects include enough written work now that he gets plenty of practice through that.

Ezra will soon be 9 and is considered a 4th grader now!

He's actually doing almost all of the same things as Isaac, except the levels are different, of course!  Here are the adjustments... everything else is exactly the same:

• Math - Math-U-See Delta, along with ALEKS and drills with Math Facts Now
• English - Rod & Staff English 3
• Reading - along with Core E Readers, he'll also be doing Rod & Staff Reading 3.  This is the last year of formal reading instruction with Rod & Staff for him
• Handwriting - Handwriting Without Tears Cursive - this is doing wonders for him! He would previously struggle through handwriting in tears... this curriculum definitely lives up to it's name!  He loves it and his handwriting is much improved!

Joel is 6.5 and is now officially on our Attendance Form!

I consider him going into 1st grade, so he's got a little bit more "real" schoolwork, but not much.  As I've mentioned before, I prefer to keep things light in the younger years, so they have plenty of time for imaginative play and exploration.  Here's what's on his plate this year:

• Reading and Phonics - he's going to start Rod & Staff's Grade 1 Reading!  He's also chugging along with Reading Kingdom online.  He doesn't particularly care for it anymore, mostly because it is a challenge for him... which I consider a good thing!  Our subscription for that is up in February, and I'm not sure if we'll do anymore online programs after that.
• Math - Math-U-See Alpha
• Handwriting - A Reason for Writing, Book A
• We might venture into All About Spelling, Level 1... depending on time and need
• He'll also be joining in with Nathan's Kindergarten plans (listed below!)

Nathan is 4.5 and sort of Pre-K-ish, I guess?

He spent last year sitting in on Joel's K activities, which has put him a little ahead of the game.  While I don't push a lot of academic stuff at this age, I do love getting into their world through lots of reading aloud and fun activities.  I have to admit, Preschool and Kindergarten are my favorite years to "teach"! Here's what my (very flexible) plans are for Nathan:

• Sonlight P 3/4 - we did this at the beginning of last year with Joel and Nathan, but it's so good it's worth repeating!  We all enjoyed it very much!
• My Father's World Kindergarten - I won't be using the phonics portion, but the Bible and Science activities are lots of fun, and nice, light learning.  Both Joel and Nathan will be joining together for this!
• He'll be starting Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons!  He's almost finished with the Get Ready, Get Set, Go! for the Code books, so he'll be ready very soon.   He's also been doing Click N' Read Phonics (another great buy from the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op) online, and I am very pleased with this program for beginning readers.  He's having a lot of success with it!

The great thing about homeschooling several children is that I didn't have to buy anything except the Code workbooks for Nathan, and his subscription to Click N' Read (which is a lifetime subscription, so it will be used for all following children!).  If I were trying to afford everything I just listed above in one purchase, it would easily be close to my entire year's homeschool budget!  But I've picked all of them up as we've gone along over the years, and he, being child number 4, is reaping the benefits (as is our bank account!)

Judah is 2,

and will be working on potty training!  Honestly, I think potty training is my least favorite parental duty. But, once it's done, it's always good.  So I have to bite the bullet and get it done!  He's definitely ready now!  He's also at the age where he's into everything (did I say everything?  I mean everything!!),  so we'll be spending our days keeping his little hands and mind busy.  Lots of stories, drawing, music, blocks, outside time and attention!

Rachel will just be doing her thing - growing, learning, eating, sleeping, and getting lots and lots of love!

We're so excited about the upcoming year!

If you are curious to see how this all falls into place during a typical day, be sure to check out my post, "Fitting It All In" - where I explain!  If you're interested in seeing how I organize everyone's assignments, I've got a post on my homemade homeschool assignment sheets, too!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great 2011-2012 homeschool year!

Sometimes its OK to Admit Defeat

I find there are two extremes in the homeschooling world: Parents who are constantly changing curriculum, looking for the "next best thing" and lured from one thing to the next, and then parents who pick something their first year into homeschooling and stick with it devotedly... even if it isn't really doing the job it needs to within their homeschool - they picked it, and they're keeping it.

While I like to peek at the latest and greatest, and am often tempted, I tend to be more one of those "devoted" types. This past year, after using My Father's World from K-3rd grade, I had to admit to myself that it wasn't exactly all that I was hoping it to be for our family. It was a very hard revelation for me. I know something was out of whack, but I couldn't figure out what to do about it. MFW is what I liked from the onset of our homeschooling, and it was... safe. I know what to expect from it, I know what I like and don't like, etc. But I didn't feel like we were "thriving" and I was scared to take a leap into something different. But, after much prayer and discussion with Michael, I went ahead and made the switch to Sonlight.

Another "revelation" has occurred to me regarding a homeschool product I've been using since the beginning. We love Apologia Science, however, I am not so good at the notebooking aspect. Thinking that lapbooking would be a lot more interesting and hands-on than notebooking, I've used Live N' Learn Press' "Learn N' Folders" for both Astronomy and Botany. *I* love them! I think they're fun and a great way to help the boys recall what we've discussed in each lesson. However... the boys, not so much.

I'm not the kind of mom that at the first complaint from my child I instantly adjust things to make life easier and more fun for them. Nosiree! Life isn't all about fun, and sticking things out even when they're not "fun" is an important character trait, in my opinion. However, we have tried lapbooking for 3 years now... and it just isn't working. Much to my disappointment. But homeschooling isn't all about ME, now is it?

So, in another moment of revelation and reevaluation, I've realized... you know, we really don't need to do the lapbooks. There won't be a huge gap in their education without them, and as long as I work on their narration skills, I'll know that they're learning and retaining things I'm teaching them. We've done Science all week without them and its much more relaxed and enjoyable, even for me!

I wrote all of this out not to bash the lapbooks or MFW, (I think both are WONDERFUL companies and products, just not the right fit for us) but just to point out that it is OK to change your mind about something you thought or hoped would work perfectly in your homeschool but just isn't. While you wouldn't want to swing to the other extreme of changing curricula every semester, it is important every so often to really evaluate where your sticky points may be, and what could be done to improve them. Sometimes its just an attitude change, but sometimes true, genuine change is what's needed. And that's OK. That's the beauty and freedom of homeschooling - we're not stuck in a curriculum box. We are blessed to have choices, and to be able to modify things so that they do work for our family.

Haiku Mania

We are finishing up studying Japan in My Father's World Exploring Countries and Cultures. We've talked a little about the art of Haiku, a style of poetry that originated in Japan. In Haiku, there are three lines in the poem - the first line has 5 syllables, the second has 7, and the third has 5 again. I have always loved Haiku because it is so simple, but can be so beautiful.

However, the boys didn't exactly share my enthusiasm... that is, until I broke the ice and tried my hand at writing one:

Apples
Crunchy, sweet and red
Sweet juice leaks out at each bite
Delicious snack - yum!

Yes, I know, its nothing prize-winning, but it got the kids so excited that they started a torrent of writing! The best part is, I didn't even ASK them to! Once they saw how easy it really was, they grabbed paper and pencils and started scribbling away. I could see them mouthing words and counting on their fingers... and within 10 minutes, they each had one written.

Here are two from Ezra:

Mom
Mom is nice to us
She makes good food to feed us
I know she loves us

Homeschool
We have to do school
Sometimes it is a bit fun
I do not like Math!

And here are two of Isaac's:

Ada
Ada is black and white
She is so hyper, so fast
Then she falls asleep

Molly
Molly is so black
Black as a crow's wing at night
I love our black dog

Even Joel did one!

Math
My math is so fun
Because you do it with me
I like my math blocks

I love how quickly they caught on to the idea and gave it a go. Just another one of those moments when I sigh dreamily and say "This is why I love homeschooling!" :-D

(Oh, Isaac posted a few others on his blog, if you want to check them out)

An Update

Its been a while since I've been posting or even visiting many blogs. My resolve to stay off the computer more has been blessed as I went to the Lord for His assistance (isn't it amazing how much we try to do in our own strength, but only when we realize how utterly hopeless and weak we are and turn to Him do we actually achieve victory?!) I have found my days more full than ever, especially with the onset of spring and the desire to be OUTSIDE!! :-) So please forgive me for not being as "social" as usual.

I did want to stop in and give a general update on things, for those who are interested!

• Joel is chugging along with learning how to read! That boy was READY. He's on lesson 20 of "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" and loves it! He begs me to do several lessons a day, and I usually oblige. When it comes to learning how to read, I'm all about allowing the child to go at their own pace - fast or slow - because I know its what works best. He's also working on Math-U-See's Primer, which he really enjoys, as well.
  

• Judah started taking his first steps last weekend, and while no actual walking has ensued, he loves the attention it gets him and is always happy to show off his new skills for some applause! He's also trying to talk up a storm - he's always chattering away, and sometimes there's actual words we can understand!

• I fell off the running wagon for about 2 and a half weeks because of a rough chest cold I had gotten. This week I've started back up again, and also decided to alternate days with the "30-Day Shred". I think I need to be building more muscle. This morning I had sleep envy as I looked at how comfy Michael looked, sound asleep, in our dark, cool room, while the glaring red numbers of my clock showed 5:05 am. But overall I really do prefer getting up early and having the time I need to exercise and be in the Word before my busy day begins.

• We've been using Core P3/4 and P4/5 (the preschool Cores) from Sonlight with Joel and Nathan for a few weeks now, and I looooovvvveee them. The boys do, too! They always want MORE, even after we've sat on the couch reading for 45 minutes. 45 minutes! For a 3 and 5 year old?! Yes, the stories are that good. Even the older boys rush to finish their independent work so they can sit on the arms of the couch to listen in. I've also been reading through the books we'll be using once the older boys start Core 3 at the end of the summer, and I have alot of confidence we'll be loving it, as well.

• Speaking of homeschooling, we're just about to wrap up another year! We'll be done with all of our LA and Math by June, and our Geography (My Father's World Exploring Countries and Cultures) will take a little longer. Its been a fun year, but we took too many "little" breaks here and there and now I'm feeling like its dragged out a bit too long. But that might just be spring fever talking ;-)

I think that's about all the news that's fit to print here at the Robinson Household! I hope everyone is having a blessed Springtime!

Switching Gears

When we first started out on our homeschooling journey, I looked over ALOT of curriculum. (Can I just say as a side tangent that I actually think the amount of choices out there for homeschooling now is a detriment? There's so much guilt and worry involved, because of the fear that you might miss out on something absolutely essential that you never would have even thought of until you saw it in a catalog! I know its probably better than when homeschooling pioneers 20 years ago only had old public school text books, but I still think its overwhelming, especially for new or insecure homeschoolers.) There was one curriculum in particular that I had settled in my mind pretty early on that I would *not* be using, for a few various reasons that I believed didn't quite line up with our homeschooling goals. We wound up choosing our current curriculum, My Father's World, which I have enjoyed using - we've used it through several grades (K, 1st, 2nd, and now 3rd) and been reasonably pleased.

However, as the children have grown and I have grown in confidence concerning my ability to homeschool, some of my desires and goals have changed, as well. So while I've appreciated the curriculum MFW has put together, next year will be moving on. Here's the ironic part. That curriculum I mentioned wouldn't "fit" with us, the one I was completely settled on not using, so much so that I never even looked at their catalogs after my decision was made - I wasn't even tempted! - that curriculum is the one we will be switching to. (I think the Lord loves irony, lol!)

"That curriculum" is Sonlight. It was a very strange road that lead us to choosing Sonlight for next year. It started, of course, when I came to the realization that MFW wasn't quite fitting for us anymore. My initial thought was to piece together my own stuff. While researching available History programs out there, another homeschooler commented that she uses Sonlight, just the History portion. Then another mentioned that she loved the read-alouds from Sonlight. Then, totally unrelated to this, I noticed that this random guy who sometimes leaves comments here (Hi, Luke! You stand out as my only male commenter!) is actually from Sonlight. Also, another blogger, Kimberly from Raising Olives, has been posting about how Sonlight works for her family recently. Suddenly, Sonlight was everywhere!

So I decided to take a peek at the website. Which was a bit overwhelming, so I ordered a print catalog. The catalog arrived and I took it into the baby's room, because I get good reading time in while he's nursing. I spend the entire WEEK looking through the catalog, reading all of the articles, using their website, listening to podcasts, watching videos, reading reviews, etc. etc. etc. (OK, I'm a bit obsessive about researching things, but that is because: 1. I'm OCD, 2. I'm 1st born type-A personality, and 3. I hate jumping into something without knowing EVERYTHING there is to know about it. When we got Ada as a puppy, I took out every single book the library had about training puppies. I'm not exaggerating. Michael has come to understand this side of me and no longer thinks I'm crazy. Even though I might be.)

A few things that seriously impressed me about Sonlight:

• It truly is literature-based learning. Not just a few read-alouds combined with some seat work and some text-like books. Lots, and lots and lots of books. That you can order straight from Sonlight, instead of having to hunt around or hope your library carries them. We LOVE books. I had already been supplementing our current curriculum with extra read alouds because there weren't enough in the schedule to suit us. And oh, my, what GOOD books. Books I remember reading and loving as a child. True classics! One of our homeschool goals is to encourage the children to love reading, because reading opens up so many worlds of imagination and avenues of learning. Even if they retain nothing of actual "facts", if a child has a love and desire to read, a whole world of education is available to them as they grow!
  


• The customer service is excellent. From the mass amounts of information available on their website and in the catalog, to the emails I sent asking questions and getting replies in less than 24 hours that actually answered my questions perfectly, I have been very impressed with how well they run things.


• Their organization. It seems like they've thought of everything. This sort of ties in with the customer service point, but more so. My sister-in-law had an older copy of an IG that she let me borrow to look over, and I am impressed with the structure and thought that has gone into it. I love the flexibility of choosing a 5 or 4 day schedule (4 day fits our life perfectly, and I won't feel like I'm "behind" when I need a day for doctor's appointments or errands). They provide discussion questions and a sketch of the main points the children should be picking up and narrating back after readings. This is a funny point, and will demonstrate what I nerd I truly am, but they actually provide color-coded labels to put on your books, so they won't get lost on the bookshelf or jumbled in with other books. I love that! And even the point that their shipping boxes come with a castle outline that you cut out for the kids to play with... little details like that show me they've really put alot of thought into everything.


• Their 18-week "Love to Learn" guarantee. Seriously? I can use the curriculum for 18 weeks, and then if its not a good fit, send it back for a full refund?! How can that deal be beat, really? The scariest thing about investing in curriculum is the fear that it might not be a good fit and money will be wasted. That alone gives me confidence enough to at least give it a try!

So, that's our plans for next year. I'm still trying to figure out which Core we'll begin with (Isaac and Ezra combined - the littles will still be tagging along and having some preschool time as they do now), and I'll have to be diligent about saving up my homeschool budget, but I'm really looking forward to diving into Sonlight, come next spring!

Homeschool Ramblings

I thought I'd go ahead and update how our new year is going along! Ezra is using My Father's World 1st Grade, and we are really loving it. Isaac is weeks away from finishing Adventures, and then, for him, we're not going to jump straight into the next program (which would be Exploring Countries and Cultures (ECC), a year long focus on World Geography and Missions). Instead, I'm going to go back to a more eclectic style, until Ezra is done with 1st. Once Ezra is done with 1st (probably around January, or so) we are excited to start ECC!

For Isaac, some things we'll be using are 3rd grade Rod & Staff Reading (I really love how Bible centered Rod and Staff curriculum is!), Apologia Elementary Science (finishing the Astronomy we started last year), continue math with Math-U-See Beta and Spanish with Rosetta Stone, and also introduce some logic and typing skills! We'll also be getting some United States geography games to help hone everyone's skills in remembering states and capitals. While I'm looking forward to moving into ECC, I'm also excited to have a little time to do our "own" thing outside of the curriculum "box".

This was something I wrestled with for a while. I really enjoy My Father's World curriculum - I like how its entirely focused on learning about and serving the Lord, helping children and families become mission-minded. The lessons are wonderfully age-appropriate, short for young attention spans, the activities are fun but not overwhelming to prepare for, and overall, very enriching.

However, being the perfectionist I am, I really struggled with "marking off the boxes" - feeling pressured to get it "all" done, and if I somehow got thrown off schedule, trying to fit everything back in - while the daily schedule is a wonderful guide, my perfectionism has struggled with it and feeling like I have to do it all "just so". I also struggled with juggling two programs (first, Kindergarten and Adventures, now 1st and Adventures) for the same reasons - I didn't want to leave ANY of the wonderful learning opportunities out, which leads to a very full (and sometimes overwhelming) day!

I definitely feel this is an aspect of my personality that I need to tone down some in order to be a better homeschooling mom! So I freely admit its *me* and not the curriculum itself. That being said, I am both excited for some time "out of the box" and also looking forward to returning to that structure when both children can be in the same program together!

N-n-Nest

I've been meaning to post about this for weeks! For Ezra's school, we're using My Father's World Kindergarten. Its SO much fun! Each week focuses on a different letter, theme to go with the letter, and character quality/spiritual lesson to go with the theme. Our favorite week was the week we learned about N-n-Nest.

We started out the week learning about nests, how birds build nests, and how there are lots of different types of nests. We learned how, just as a mother bird cares for her eggs, God takes good care of us, too! Here are just a few of the scriptures we discussed:

Psalm 91:1-4a:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

Psalm 17:8-9:
Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings From the wicked who despoil me, My deadly enemies who surround me.

2 Thess 3:3:
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

and also,

John 14:2-3:
"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Praise the Lord! Its awesome to bring God's word into every aspect of our day, for He is a living God, with us continually!

As the week went on, Isaac was thrilled when he found an abandoned bird's nest on our gutter pipe. He was able to get it down, entirely intact, and it was fascinating to see how it was made. We believe it was probably a Robin's nest, as it is a good solid mixture of mud and dried grass. It was surprising to feel how heavy it was!

For the finale of our week, we made our own nests. Not just any nests, but CHOCOLATE nests! Yum! This is how we did it: We melted chocolate chips in a pan, and I spooned it into individual bowls. Then I put a tablespoon of peanut butter (almond butter for Ezra) in the bowl and mixed it all together. The boys had pretzel sticks for grass, and marshmallows for eggs. Then we put the completed nests in the fridge to let harden. The end result was a messy, delicious treat! Here's our adventure in pictures!

The finished product:

Enjoying the treat (and the mess!)

Adventures!

The curriculum we're using with Isaac is called Adventures in My Father's World. We just finished up Week 5, and we're having alot of fun with it. So far, the most memorable week has been Week 4, when we learned about Native Americans. The timing was perfect, because all week we read about Native Americans, made Tepees and Wigwams, and at the end of the week was the annual Pow-Wow at Stone Mountain park, so the boys were able to see everything we had been learning about. Here are some pictures!

Our homemade Tepees and Wigwams

The boys in a real TePee

Isaac shot a bow and arrow

Our favorite part was the ceremonial dances!

Some books we enjoyed were The Rough-Face Girl, by Rafe Martin; Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims, by Clyde Robert Bulla; and Naya Nuki: Shoshoni Girl Who Ran, by Kenneth Thomasma.

The "Littles"

In so many homeschooling forums and support groups, the question always arises - "What to do with my Preschooler while schooling the older children?" (I like to call the preschoolers and toddlers, "the littles".) When I was looking at curriculums, a friend sent me a CD of a speaker, entitled "Occupying Toddlers/Preschoolers While Homeschooling Others", by David Hazell. It was a great talk, and he was very encouraging of two things - give the littles a bit of "mommy time" all to themselves, just for 15-20 minutes every morning, and then include the littles in everything that's possible to include them in. Ironically, two months later, I ended up picking My Father's World curriculum, which is written by the Hazells... I didn't even put the connection together for a while!

We have been having a great time in My Father's World Kindergarten. We've done seven lessons so far, with each week having a different theme. Joel is involved with every part of it. He has his own notebook, and does whatever projects the bigger kids do. He sits in on all the stories we read, and makes his own badge with each week's "words to remember" - Biblical truths and character building phrases to memorize each week.

Lesson 6, last week, our words to remember were "I don't quit - I persevere!" and we read several stories about perseverance. "The Little Engine that Could" was a favorite, as well as "Oops-a-Daisy", about a little bunny trying to learn new things.

This afternoon, while sitting at the park watching the olders play tennis, Joel's sandal came undone. He was struggling to refasten it, and I heard him say "I can do it, I can do it!" Sure enough, he was able to do it, and he came to me with a big smile and said "Mama, I persevered! Just like the little bunny!"

So, my answer to the question - what to do with the preschoolers? Include them, include them, include them!! They might be little, but they have big ears and growing hearts!

And So it Begins....

Our full-time homeschooling, that is! We now have the basics of what we need for Reading, English, Math, Science and History. We'll be adding on a few more things, but overall we're set to go!

For Science we are starting with Apologia's Elementary Science - Exploring Creation with Astronomy. The book came today, and the boys were SO excited! I love it because its Biblically based, easy to read/teach from, and has fun notebook pages and projects every week. After just leafing through looking at the pictures, Isaac said "Oh, I'm definitely going to be an Astronaut. Definitely! I can find moonrocks to bring home, and if I find any aliens I'm going to tell them all about my family and God and Jesus!"

We are waiting on the corresponding project kit from Creation Sensation, and we'll be off and running. Science is one of my favorite subjects, I'm really excited to be able to teach it!

The only thing left on our must-have list is the Kindergarten cirriculum from My Father's World for Ezra, Rosetta Stone Spanish for all of us, and maybe a few other things like a music program and handwriting helps.

For History, Michael will be spending time reading out of Bill Bennett's "America: The Last Best Hope" to the children.

I am so blessed to be able to learn with my children as we go through our day together. It keeps us always busy, but it is so much fun!