Home School Links

Hey, I just found a couple of cool links for you to check out. Both are given to you courtesy of The Old Schoolhouse magazine.

First, do you like talk radio? Well, here's a program just for homeschoolers. It's called Home School Talk Radio. Click on their button in the sidebar to check them out. You can listen to interviews as well as get tons of school-related information here.

Also, there is a new blog host just for home school bloggers. And, It's FREE! It's called Home School Blogger and is also provided by the publishers of The Old Schoolhouse magazine. If you're not familiar with this publication, why not check into it?! They're offering a fabulous promotion right now. You get 19 free gifts with a subscription. Click on the banner at the top of my blog.

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com

Sand Dunes

We just returned from a trip to Michigan where my daughter competed in a tumbling and trampoline tournament (in Grand Rapids). On the way home we veered off the beaten path and spent a day in the Saugatuck Dunes State Park area. This state park offered a fun and unique hiking experience. Trails take you up and over several sand dunes (one is 200 feet hight). On a scale of 1-10 the hiking is about a 7--achievable, but it left my daughter (age 10) and I out of breath. My son (in great shape) and my husband (a runner) had no trouble. One trail lands you on the beach of Lake Michigan. My daughter played in the sand and the cold surf while my husband and son skiied, slid, and jumped down nearby sand dunes which proved to be pretty hilarious entertainment for those of us watching.

We drove into Saugatuck after leaving the dunes. This quaint little town right on the water offers a variety of cute shops, restaurants, bed and breakfast establishments,and the like. We had a terrific lunch at The Mermaid Bar & Grill which features waterfront dining, fresh seafood, pasta and steaks. My husband raved about the steak he ordered. While a bit on the pricey side, he said it was one of the best steaks he's ever had. My son and I had fish and chips. Outstanding! My daughter opted for the grilled cheese (her meal of choice at nearly every restaurant).

The next time we go this area, however, we're going to try Silver City. The sand dunes there look to be more all-sand terrain (vs. sandy patches amongst the trees). This is where you can rent vehicles to drive over the dunes as well. Sounds like fun.

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com

Summer Madness

WOW!! Summer has come in like a tornado. I can barely keep my head above water. Our schedule is just so hectic, it's unbelievable. Every morning the children have swimming and diving lessons. Every Thursday there is a swim/dive meet from 3 pm until about 11:00 pm. Then we also fit piano lessons, dance lessons, baseball, and tennis into our weekly schedule (somehow).

My oldest left for a missions trip to Jamaica last Friday, or should I say Saturday, at about 3:00 am. He won't be home until the 18th. Then, my middle son went off to Dive camp this week. My daughter has a tumbling and trampoline meet in Michigan this weekend. And, so our life will go for the WHOLE summer.

We are also planning to complete some school this summer. My middle son will complete Algebra I in about six weeks. He is using McDougal Littell which is an outstanding curriculum (and it has graphing calculator exercises included in the book). The other two children are reading/writing/ and choosing some fun unit studies. I'll tell you more about our school related activities as the weeks progress.

I hope your summer is going swimmingly as well.

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com

Sentence Sermons

Here are some great sentence sermons. Ya know -- the ones you often see on church marquees. I like to collect these pithy words of wisdom. Ponder these Sentence Sermons:

"Don't give up. Moses was once a basket case."

"Prevent truth decay. Brush up on your Bible."

"The best vitamin for a Christian is B1."

"Under same management for over 2000 years."

"Soul food served here."

"Tithe if you love Jesus! Anyone can honk!"

"Beat the Christmas rush, come to church this Sunday!"

"Don't wait for the hearse to take you to church."

"Life has many choices, Eternity has two. What's yours?"

"Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due."

"Wal-Mart isn't the only saving place!"

"Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary."

"It's hard to stumble when you're down on your knees."

"What part of 'THOU SHALT NOT' don't you understand?"

"A clear conscience makes a soft pillow."

"The wages of sin is death. Repent before payday."

"Never give the devil a ride. He will always want to drive."

"Can't sleep? Try counting your blessings."

"Forbidden fruit creates many jams."

"Christians, keep the faith...but not from others!"

"Satan subtracts and divides. God adds and multiplies."

"If you don't want to reap the fruits of sin stay out of the
devil's orchard."

"To belittle is to be little."

"Don't let the littleness in others bring out the
littleness in you."

"God answers kneemail."

"Try Jesus. If you don't like Him,
the devil will always take you back."

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com

SAT Revisited

Today I spent five hours waiting in the lobby of the building where my son was toiling on the SAT exam. We arrived a little earlier than the required time of 7:45 a.m. Some students came late and were allowed to enter the testing room as late as 8:20. My daughter was dragged along (lucky girl) as well. That was the only way to get her to tumbling and trampoline practice right after my son was finished with his test.

She packed so much "entertainment" in her bag she couldn't carry it all. I barely could. We played cards (Phase 10, Skipbo, and War), read books, ate, and talked. My daughter also painted her nails and colored. You can accomplish a lot in five hours. Should have taken my laptop.

My son felt good about the test. He's just finished his sophomore year in high school. However, he wants to take six credits at a local Bible college next year. Therefore, he had to take the test earlier than usual.

He hasn't taken Geometry yet. That will come next year. So, that test was a bit of a stretch. But, he said he got through it.

The writing prompt seemed really silly. My son had to agree or disagree with the idea that repressed memories would help one become more successful. Wow! And, then he had to come up with 2-3 examples from literature, history, personal experience, etc. to support the position he took on this statement.

I liked the way my son answered the question. He disagreed with the statement stating ones memories and life experience are helpful to remember (not repress). He used Julius Caesar as an example of a leader who should have remembered why he first wanted to come to power (to improve the lives of the Roman people). Instead he got greedy, power-hungry, and consequently lost his life.

He cited President George W. Bush as a second example of someone who has successfully used his memories (his faith, Christian upbringing, etc.) to improve his leadership.

Not bad for a 10th grader. We'll see how he scores.


Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley


www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com

Learning Styles

How do you learn? Your children? Have you considered your child's learning style before you've settled on a specific curriculum? Have you picked a program that fits your style of communication?

I know I haven't thought about this nearly enough. My three children are very different in how they learn. My oldest is sedentary and enjoys TV and video games. He likes a set routine. Once he finds something he likes, he sticks with it. For all of these reasons the Abeka DVD program we use works well for him. However, my other two children are extremely active. It's hard for them to sit still for very long. They like change, variety. I'm seriously thinking about making some changes in their curriculum next year. Although, it might mean more work for me (Ahhhh, such is the life of a home school mom). I think a more hands-on curriculum choice will suit my younger two children's needs better than the DVD's alone.

There is a wonderful program that offers an online learning style profile that your children can take. This assessment evaluates how your child learns and then recommendations are made about the type of curriculum that would best suit your child's needs. I've just put up a new page about this program on my website. Check it out at Learning Style Profile. Let me know if you find this helpful.



Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com.