Let me take you back in time to when my oldest daughter, Katie Beth was 12 and her younger sister Julianna was 9. Jimmy was a newborn baby, Shine was almost 2 and Jenny Rose was 6. With four daughters to prepare for motherhood and homemaking, I had set aside Thursdays to teach my daughter homemaking skills such as sewing, cooking, baking, hospitality, needlework, laundry, interior decorating, and card-making. Our homemaking days were precious days. This, of course, was before the hustle-bustle of high school. For several years I enjoyed my homemaking days alone with the girls. But other years, other homeschooling moms joined me and we have co-oped. What fun and fellowship for the girls as they learned skills that I don't have such as knitting and cake decorating.
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I love having my children turn an essay into a blog post. It's such a great assignment! Essays and blogs posts are completely different genres of writing. One is often formal, while the other is casual and personable. Essays are often long, while blog posts are short. Blog posts target a specific audience. Turning an essay into a blog post because it involves summarizing and focusing on a new audience. When you write an essay, it has a thesis statement that you are proving with examples, illustrations, facts, and subjective feelings. Essays are often lengthy. In contrast, blogs posts are short, straight to the point, without any fluff. When you give students a word limit (I often give them a 500-800 word limit), students are often looking at reducing a paper to a quarter of its length. The theme of true love in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice goes beyond the mere fairy tale happily ever after. The author truly believes that people can overcome their moral failings to see others as valuable. In Miss Austen’s time not all people were Christians, but a Christian worldview dominated the culture, giving clear moral guideposts. Though her novel is set in a society with diverse social classes and prescribed ways of living that are quite unlike our culture today, her message is one as old as time. Life comes down to interactions between individuals who make the choice to see one another as valuable because they are created in the image of One True God or to be filled with pride, seeing themselves as superior. The author believes that true love can blossom when moral failings are dealt a death blow. Jane Austen takes us back in time to Georgian England where life is slower, manners matter, and people know their place in society. Like today, young people are looking for a spouse and parents are eager to be right in the middle of the courting and wooing. In this delightful tale, we meet Elizabeth Bennett and the wealthy Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy views himself superior to Elizabeth and her family, but against his will, he is attracted to her. Elizabeth finds Mr. Darcy smug and prideful. Rank or birth does not negate a person’s worth. As a pastor’s daughter, Jane Austen places high value on personal accountability for one’s actions, especially how people treat other people. Bad behavior is bad behavior whether it is performed by Elizabeth’s own mother being indiscreet or Mr. Darcy refusing to dance with the ladies who are not attractive enough to arouse his interest. Both display selfishness. What are the most important books to read in your lifetime? Different folks have different ideas on that. Here are the 100 books I think everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. So many books; so little time. The Holy Bible is the only book written by God. Yes, God wrote through men, but He is the Author. The Lord has so much love, truth, and wisdom to reveal to every heart in the world through His Word. In fact, this is the only book you could read for five hours every day of your life and glean new insights each day. God is so good! I love the Bible! Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan is a timeless classic written in the 1600's by a Puritan preacher who was arrested for his faith. Now, here's what's so cool about this book: John had a dream and wrote the dream down. Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory, a tale within a tale. The surface adventure is full of action with every place, character, and action representing a spiritual truth. In Colonial America and Early America, every household had at least two books: The Holy Bible and Pilgrim's Progress. Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a timeless classic written in the Victorian Age and set during the French Revolution. Moving between England and France, this story is the best historical fiction story ever written with a beautiful picture of genuine love as a man gives his life for another. Wow! This book is an exciting story with characters you will love and others you will hate. And of course, it begins with the classic "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe is mentioned in every history book I've ever read, but so few Americans actually read this classic. "Is this the woman who wrote the book that started the Civil War?" Abe Lincoln asked when he met the author. Find out why it is such a powerful book by reading it! You will love Tom. He is an amazing Christian man who returns evil with good. What a great story! Florida is a great state to homeschool in! We register with the county and have enjoyed a great working relationship with everyone we have communicated with here in Seminole County. We have graduated five homeschoolers who have attended Stetson University or UCF on Florida Bright Future scholarships. Our experience with college administrators, state government bureaucrats, and local country officials has been pleasant. Everyone has been kind, helpful and supportive. Many people took went out of their way to help me in the sometimes-confusing maze of applying to colleges and searching for colleges. We started in eighth grade mapping out a flexible high school plan. There were changes and adaptations each year as we took advantage of opportunities that arose and sharpened the focus for each teen. You determine the requirements for homeschool graduation if you are registered with the county. If you homeschool under an umbrella school, the umbrella school will have its own graduation requirements. Many parents like to know what public and private schools require to help them with their planning. Colleges also have expectations and requirements for admissions. After graduating three homeschoolers and sending them to Stetson University or UCF on Florida Bright Future scholarships, I have had the privilege of dealing with college administrators, state government bureaucrats, and local country officials. I have not had one negative experience. Everyone has been kind, helpful, and supportive. Many people took time to help me through the maze of the college application process and the grand scholarship hunt. Why do colleges love homeschoolers? Colleges see homeschoolers as innovative thinkers. Homeschool grads arrive on campus with a lot of experience working independently on schoolwork, as well as projects. Hey, they are just awesome! Who wouldn't love a homeschool grad? "History is cyclical. It is doomed to repeat itself." "History is linear, with a beginning and an end." Which statement is true? One statement represents a secular humanist worldview and the other a biblical worldview. Do you know why? In the Bible we read that this world's history has a beginning in the Garden of Eden when God spoke the world and everything in it into existence. In the last book of Scripture, there is an ending, after a great battle, Satan is destroyed and there is a new heaven and a new earth. History has a starting point and an ending point. At the center of history is Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, who was born in Bethlehem, lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death on the cross, rose again from the dead, and ascended bodily into Heaven. Though there are similarities in historical events, we realize that history is marching on to its final destination in a linear fashion. Does everyone believe that? "Coloring to learn in high school? You've got to be kidding! Young adults don't want to color—that’s for little kids!" Hold on; just hear me out! I want to introduce you to some wonderful coloring books, yes coloring books, that high school students can using as effective learning tools. No, they won't be using crayons for these coloring books, they will need colored pencils. I said this when I wrote this review nine years ago. Now, coloring is popular for teens and adults. Coloring to learn has always been popular in our house. The teen years are an amazing adventure that can be filled with joyful exuberance one minute and angst the next. So much is going on in the heart, mind, and life of a teen. While there can be challenging moments, parenting teens is awesome! We can enjoy a deep friendship with our beloved sons and daughters while we pass the baton of faith to the next generation. Let’s explore the teen years so we can understand and enjoy our teenagers. A Time of Fluctuating EmotionsThere are so many ways to teach high school courses in your home school. We have had a blast learning about all kinds of things in all kinds of ways. My teens have learned independently and learned in group settings. We love both options! The sky is the limit when it comes to options. If I forgot something, please add it to the comments below. Okay, are you ready? Here are some great options to teach high school courses to your teenager. Mom or Dad-Designed Classes Taught by Mom or Dad |
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