Part 1 of the series can read here.
Part 2 of the series can read here.
Every home schooling family is different. Some families are large, having many children, while others have just a few children. There are families who want to bring school home, while others want to ban anything that has to do with school and do all the learning from life experiences. These are some of the differences which make homeschooling so wonderful. Education can be adapted to each family. There is no right or wrong way to do it. What's even better is the fact that the children's education can be adapted from year to year depending on which trials or real-life experiences God is placing in your family.
There are several different methods that frequently come up when you speak to home schooling moms. Terms like "classical", "traditional textbooks", "Charlotte Mason", "unit-studies", and so on. To learn more about each of these methods click here. Looking at our home school, I can see different methods taking place. We use some textbooks, follow a bit of the Classical model, read some "living books", and include some hands on and tons of life skills. This has really worked well for our family.
Through the years we have tried many curriculums, changing them to fit into our season of life. However, despite all the changes, one thing has remained constant. Our home school is based on the Word of God. If our children are growing in their knowledge of Scripture and are striving to glorify God and living according to His Word, then we are accomplishing our roles as parents and educators.
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 John 1:4
All this is not to say that academics don't play a part in our home. They just aren't our #1 priority. Academics tend to be further down the ladder somewhere after God, Biblical living, and family relationships.
Whenever home school moms get together, the topic usually will turn towards which curriculum is best. There is no "best" curriculum. The "best" is the curriculum that works for your family. This may remain constant through all the years of schooling, or they may change as family dynamics change. Over the last few years we have had medical issues, a move, and a baby be born. This has led us to make a few changes in our curriculum choices and schedule. That's what is so great about home schooling. We are able to be flexible, while still giving our children their education.
Here is a brief overview of what we are using for each child this year.
Justin (10th grade)
Jesica (8th grade)
Ashly (7th grade)
Josiah (3rd Grade)
Cara (1st grade)
Mathias (pre-school) – Mathias is just working on various little workbooks that we have picked up. His schooling is nothing too formal as he has been learning best from playing and working alongside his family.
There are several great companies to buy curriculum from. One of our favorites is Rainbow Resource. Their prices are great and so is their customer service. We also buy a lot of our curriculum from vendors at our local home school convention. Attending a convention allows for opportunity to page through books and talk to the vendors about their curriculum. The IL State Convention also has workshops by the vendors, so you can see the product in action. Buying curriculum used is another great way to get the books you need to a great price. Support groups host them or you can go online to sites such as HSLDA's curriculum market.
Part 1 of the series can read here.
I am a first born, thus I tend to have some first born qualities that lend themselves to being very useful in homeschooling. Scheduling is one of them. However, sometimes I schedule so much that I don't allow for any freedom. This is something I have to work very hard on.
One of the products that I started using, back when it first came out, was Managers of Their Homes. The Maxwell's put several schedules in the book and then they teach you how to make a schedule. I found this very useful as I was beginning our homeschooling. Plus having a spreadsheet made me feel so prepared to face the day! I still use what this book teaches, but have branched out a bit and made the schedule more my own.
Confession time…since we moved in October, I have been having a very hard time getting our schedule back on track. Several things have caused this. First, Daniel is home in the morning until about 8am. I really enjoy this time, but it does slow the children down a bit. Second, my baby still isn't sleeping through the night. This causes me to be very tired in the morning. Therefore, it is rare for me to be out of bed before 7 am. It's usually closer to 7:30 am. Third, all the children (except the baby) sleep upstairs where I don't go very often. So they don't get up right away and then leave such a mess that takes me being a drill sergeant to get it picked up. Fourth, it's cold and dark in the morning and takes great discipline to get up. Right now I just don't have it.
So I really need to talk to my husband and get things figured out. A realistic schedule needs to get set up so that our family can function and look like we really have purpose in our day.
Here is a brief and condensed look at the general schedule that we have. Each child has his/her own schedule broken down inside this main schedule.
Some things to think about when making a schedule.
A schedule can be a good thing; just don't schedule your life to death. Take the time to enjoy and have fun with your children. Let them see the blessing in having a good balanced schedule.
Home education is a subject that is dear to my heart. We are currently in our 10th year of home schooling. Our 7 children range in from 15 years to almost 11 months. So we are in the process of teaching high school, jr. high, grade school, and preschool. That sounds like a lot, especially in a day and age when most parents look forward to sending their children off to school.
Our home school journey began in 1999, more out of necessity than conviction. As the years have gone by that has changed. Having our children at home is now a conviction, not a necessity. Our family believes that home education follows God's commands found in Deuteronomy 6:1-9:
"Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you—'a land flowing with milk and honey.'"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
As homeschoolers we can easily lose our focus. Pressures arise from friends, family, and even other homeschoolers which make us lose confidence in whether we are doing the best for our children. Their children are involved in this activity or studying that subject and are excelling in all that they do. We on the other hand can barely get the kids through their assignments, get a meal on the table, or the laundry finished. We begin to think that everyone else has it all together while we are failing. That is why it is so important to know the foundation of why we are homeschooling.
Why are you homeschooling? Your curriculum choices, scheduling, extra-curricular activities, and even choice of support groups are all built upon the answer to this question. So pray and study Scripture. Talk with your spouse. Examine where God is leading and you will find the answer to "why?".
One of my commenters has asked for some posts on home education and how it works in our family. Even before she had asked, my desire was to write up a few posts. The comment just spurred me on to write the series of posts sooner that I had intended.
My goal was to have the first couple posts out already. However sickness overtook me and then the issue of the CPSIA. Please read up on this legislation and how it will affect you and your family. The first post will be up sometime this weekend, with the others following every couple of days or so. Feel free to leave your comments or questions. Emails are also welcome. My address can be found in my profile.
"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
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| Christmas 2008 |
Christmas Letter 2008
Some of you may be wondering if we dropped off the face of the earth since we didn’t get any Christmas cards or letters sent out last year. With everything that was happening in our lives, it felt like we had! If you are interested, our 2007 letter can be found here.
Throughout 2008 the Lord continued to bless our family and lead us along the paths He wanted us to take. The path was not always easy, but God was our guide and by trusting in Him, we made it safely through.
2007 ended with a job interview and 2008 started with follow up interviews and a job offer. On February 4th, Daniel started his new employment with Symantec Corp. out of OakBrook, IL. However, job deals with pre-sales in computer security and his only customer was/is based in Bloomington, IL. Those of you familiar with Illinois geography know that Sugar Grove and Bloomington and about 2 hours apart. So Daniel began to commute the 2 hours, 3 days a week, to Bloomington.
This long drive gave us a bit of concern. Our 7th child was due February 19th and we were planning our first home birth. We thought of all the “what-ifs” , but God had everything in His control. At 11:15 pm on February 9th, labor began. 2 hours later Sara Elizabeth Ryken was born.
The midwife made it with 10 minutes to spare. All the other medical persons did not make it. Having a home birth was such a wonderful experience! There is nothing like snuggling up to your husband and newborn in your own bed just hours after birth….
The excitement of the year did not stop there. The first week of March we put our home on the market. It was a hard thing to do, but we felt that the Lord was calling us to move to Central IL. With the housing market the way it was, we knew that He was going to have to sell our home. Showing after showing, but no bites. Summer came and went and on a day early in September, we finally got an offer. We accepted and 3 weeks later were moving out.
During those 6 months we kept wondering why our home wasn’t selling. We really felt that He wanted us to move and if He did why didn't our home sell? The reason was because our new home just wasn’t ready for us yet! The home we bought had been on the market for almost a year, but was out of our price range. 2 weeks before our home sold, they lowered the price into the range that we could afford. God worked everything out in His perfect timing.
Justin is now 15 and 6’2”, which makes him officially taller than Daniel. Being 15 also means driver’s ed. It has been a good experience so far and we are looking forward to having another driver next summer.
Jesica is 13 and as tall as Mom. She is continuing to play the violin and do a lot of sewing. She is currently making costume dresses for her and Ashly. Jesica also started an etsy shop to sell her handmade items. Please visit her account at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6444468
Ashly is 12 and loves help Sheri in the kitchen and take care of Sara. She also is a very avid reader and piano player. Over the last year she has tried her hand at different crafts, but still hasn’t found her niche.
Josiah is 8 and loves to have boffer wars or sword fights with Mathias who is 4. The two of them are such good buddies. They love to work hard along side Dad and Justin chopping and carrying wood. They also worked hard at picking the apples on our property.
Cara (7) and Sara (10 months) we call our rhyming sisters. Cara loves to help take care of and play with Sara. Cara also loves to help Mom in the kitchen and always greets everyone with a hug and big smile. Sara is crawling all over the place and loves to laugh with the rest of the family!
Daniel and Sheri have each gotten a year older and hopefully wiser! We just love spending time with our family and the new friends we have made here in Central IL. Home educating is going well, with Daniel taking over some teaching at night. Daniel has been doing a lot of yard work, wood chopping, and organizing in the shed. Sheri has been trying to get the house organized and filled with our family touches. Our home is starting to feel more like it’s ours, but it will still need some extra special touches.
Several more things happened throughout the year. This blog is a great way to keep up with the happenings in our family. The children also have blogs (Justin, Jesica, Ashly). Daniel and Sheri can also be found on Facebook.
“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”
Numbers 6: 24-26
