Fear Not

It's time for a Christian lesson on fear and anxiety, for my son Peter's OCD is so severe he can't get through his daily responsibilities, though as a testament to God's power, Peter still manages to be concerned with the neighbor children's salvation. God can work through any circumstances. Whatever infirmities and disorders we have, he can still use us. Hallelujah!

I urge you, if you are paralyzed by fear of any type, to list all your cares and them meditate on the verses below. When you are done with these verses, click here to see more.

My fears are:

~ that Peter has a treatment-resistant type of OCD;

~ that he won't be able to work;

~ that he won't be able to marry and have children, which is something he dearly hopes for;

~that he won't be able to finish high school on time, since it takes him 3 hours to do a whole math lesson due to the concentration involved, complicated by nearly non-stop rituals. I break up the lessons as much as I can;

~ that even if I could get him into a residential treatment program, he isn't ready to give it his all. Adolescence is a difficult time for battling fear and some patients are better able to tackle OCD in their twenties.

~that he won't be able to finish any exams and will flunk, even if he does get to college or vocational school;

~ that he will get so exasperated with the religious rituals, it will cause him to turn from the Lord's fellowship--for it already makes it difficult for him to pray and read the Bible. His grandfather, age 92 and similarly affected, does not pray or read his Bible anymore due to the stress of the rituals, and he isn't even aware of his disordered condition.

It's very difficult to homeschool students with disabilities, but I know the right direction and focus for me, as mom and teacher. It's a hard road requiring an unwavering faith, which requires an unwavering commitment to the Scriptures and to personal and corporate prayer.

When spirits need reviving, it's time to bathe in every Scripture we can find on fear and anxiety. I pray these will help you with whatever affliction you may suffer, for one thing is sure--we are all suffering in some respect:

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Philippians 4:6-10 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ...

Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Psalm 27:1 Of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Romans 8:31-39 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ...

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Psalm 55:22-23 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.

Weekly Homeschool Wrap-Up 3/13

Outside my window:

Last week it was below-freezing winter in which we craved a blanket at every turn. What a change a week makes when it's March! In like a lion indeed; out like a lamb, thank the Lord. There is still snow on the ground, for it started in mid-January and really didn't stop, so there are layers and layers of melting to accomplish, but this week's high thirties to mid-forties certainly made a dent. 

Underneath of course, is mud, which will last a while. The kids are already bringing mud in on their clothes and boots. Spring is exciting but messy in Ohio.

On my mind:

I couldn't help feeling discouraged this week regarding school. I felt like we didn't accomplish enough. We were back at the hospital for Beth's infusion Tuesday (after this we go to thirty-day increments), and Wednesday I had a much-needed eye appointment. Friday morning we take husband to the airport for his trip to Florida to check on and visit his 92-year-old father.

Running around because of an over-scheduled week is fine for families in which everyone is working ahead, but with dyslexia and OCD and ADHD making things more difficult here, we can't afford the luxury of frequent outings, no matter the reason. So there's that.

I turned 49 this week so there's that too. Getting old is cruel. It just is, unless your children have left or will be leaving the nest soon. I am trying hard to trust God for the future and for today's peace. I never would have chosen to start a family so late, but I wasn't saved until age 31 and not married until 33, so this is my life and mostly, I do love it immensely. 

I was emotionally lost in my twenties, even though I had a professional job and took good care of myself and didn't drink, smoke or take drugs. I was still lost due to having grown up with an addicted parent. Lost people ideally shouldn't get married, so I am grateful the Lord, even though I didn't know Him yet, kept me single until I was saved and ready.

So...forgive me for that sob story. The Lord is good all the time, even when you have messed-up parents. I am going to be okay and so are my children.

The other discouraging thing is that the girls are just not making progress with their numbers (or at least it's extremely slow), and I've given up hope that the addition facts will be memorized according to Saxon math's plan, in which you memorize all the doubles and build on from there. 

Saxon seems like a curriculum that must be supplemented...but then, I've never met a math curriculum, other than Teaching Textbooks, that didn't need supplementing.

Spending the money was painful, but I bought some TouchMath which will allow Mary and Beth to add and subtract numbers quickly without memorization, without fingers, and without objects being necessary. I use this method myself when I have a long column of numbers to add. Not having a mathematical mind myself, I can only keep so many numbers in my head before messing up.

TouchMath is the only multisensory, hands-on program out there that includes a manipulative you always have available--the touch points on the numbers 1 - 9. The numbers one through five have single points to touch and count, and 6, 7, 8, and 9 have a combination of double-count points--a dot with a circle around it--and single-count points.

If you want to add 9 and 7, you say the nine and count the seven dots onto it to arrive at the answer. So, you're teaching the counting-on method, but with a "manipulative", and with a visual cue of what the number means, rather than two random symbols, which kids aren't necessarily ready for in the primary years. All kids can be taught to add, but can they really visualize what they're doing, with the numbers being mere symbols?

Special-needs kids need another option, other than memorizing or using fingers, to solve facts. It may take years for the memorization to occur, and in the meantime, they need to be able to cipher.

To subtract using TouchMath, you say the top number, and count backwards using the dots on the bottom number. So if your top number is 9, and you want to take 6 from it, you touch and say the 9 (without actually counting nine) and then touch the dots on the six, counting down to the answer. "Nine--eight, seven, six, five, four, three.

I also like the way it teaches double-digit addition/subtraction and place value. Saxon is weak in these two areas, especially.

Like Saxon, it doesn't feature overly-busy, overly-colored worksheets designed to impress parents and overwhelm kids. Simple is better, when it comes to a worksheet.

It may seem like the dots can be confusing, but kids take to them quickly. The school I taught at bought some of this program and my first graders took to the number dots in less than a week. Because it's ideal for special-ed and for dyscalculia/dyslexia students and not necessary for regular ed, my school didn't use it for long. 

TouchMath offers traditional school packages and homeschool packages (as downloads), but let me warn you, they charge an awful lot for their materials--so much that it angered me, but I felt my girls really needed another option. My advice is to buy the supplemental workbooks rather than a whole-grade package, at least to start. They do have a money-back guarantee on their products.

Saxon first grade worksheet

Mary feels like crying when she sees this Saxon page. She can't remember the answers, and there are too many on the page for a frustrated dyslexic. And what's with the way Saxon writes 9's and 4's? I hate it. To a dyslexic, that 9 looks exactly like the 6. The Saxon four is featured on the Saxon hundred's chart above.

Paul works with Beth on her AWANA verses, and he likes to make up a dance for them, because Beth loves moving and dancing, being a tactile-kinesthetic learner. Here they are, working on a "routine" together.

This leftover chicken noodle, prepared the night after we had a whole chicken, was the only yummy lunch served this week. Just cheese sandwiches or PB&J the other days.

Last Saturday Daddy took the girls to a women's college basketball game. They wanted to know what it was like, and husband had free tickets from an elderly lady at work who can't use many of her season tickets. The games are super loud, which the girls didn't like. The band plays loudly, and there are other loud noises as well.

Thank the Lord for Teaching Textbooks Math! It leads to peace and harmony and learning each day without a glitch. Okay, so maybe it does over do the long division, but most kids need the repetition.

We checked out a Magic School Bus DVD, and afterwards the kids went crazy with catapults. They had a ball and tried out different styles and used different objects to catapult. It was a hoot.

Beth doing some personal reading practice.

Thank God for this little bottle, because Peter's OCD was rampant this week and my nerves and hormones were frazzled. My doctor says it is the caffeine in over-the-counter headache medicines that cause the rebound effect. She said coffee drinkers get rebound headaches too. I don't drink coffee and drink tea almost never. Do you get a headache if you don't have a morning cup of coffee (coffee drinker question)? It is hard to believe that every coffee drinker suffers awful headaches from missing a cup. Without the caffeine, the headache lasts far longer, so I can't quit these Excedrins just yet. Thank goodness they came out with a milder version, which has just regular strength acetaminophen and caffeine, nothing else.

While at the waiting room in the infusion center, Beth was delighted at this toy from the playroom.

There are computers in the waiting room as well, which kept the three older ones busy so I could go back with Beth and support her during this trying time. She hates these infusions.

She always starts with a drink to wash down the Benadryl, which prevents an allergic reaction to the Orencia (rheumatoid arthritis drug). Mom doesn't buy chocolate milk cartons, so she was delighted. They put patches on both hands to numb them for the IV insertion (takes 20 minutes to do the numbing) and then we need an hour and a half after that before we can go home. I make these appointments for 3 PM, but leading up to them Beth is out of sorts. If I make them in the morning, the Benadryl would make her too sleepy for school, so there's no easy solution. We will be doing them indefinitely once a month now.

I think she enjoys being alone with Mommy. The first couple times the other three children were in the room too and that was harder. The nurse said they were welcome to stay in the waiting room to use the computers and toys, so that will really work out for us. They do a little school work out there too, and Peter and Paul keep a sharp eye on Mary, who at eight years old is a little young to be in the waiting room without a parent.

Some good books to read:

Look at my Book: How Kids Can Write and Illustrate Terrific Books by Loreen Leedy

Kirkus Reviews: Kids can write, edit, illustrate, and bind their own books. Leedy answers every young author's questions in this abundantly illustrated how-to. Readers follow three authors, a boy, a girl, and a dog, from idea to storyboarding to editing to layout through illustration methods and finally to binding their creations. Most topics get a page; a few fill a two-page spread. Leedy's signature illustrations, bright and friendly, use vignettes to show each author thinking and working through the writing process with text of thoughts or speech in cartoon bubbles. The young authors instruct by doing and a list of tips complements each of the lessons. A page of further reading, resources, and publishing ideas completes the package. Most youngsters will need help with some vocabulary and ideas, but elementary teachers couldn't hope for a better invitation to the art and craft of writing. (Nonfiction. 4-10)

A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins (Published February, 2015)

Goodreads Synopsis: In this fascinating picture book, four families, in four different cities, over four centuries, make the same delicious dessert: blackberry fool. This richly detailed book ingeniously shows how food, technology, and even families have changed throughout American history. 

In 1710, a girl and her mother in Lyme, England, prepare a blackberry fool, picking wild blackberries and beating cream from their cow with a bundle of twigs. The same dessert is prepared by a slave girl and her mother in 1810 in Charleston, South Carolina; by a mother and daughter in 1910 in Boston; and finally by a boy and his father in present-day San Diego. 

Kids and parents alike will delight in discovering the differences in daily life over the course of four centuries. 

Includes a recipe for blackberry fool and notes from the author and illustrator about their research.
My note: We loved, loved, loved this! A beautifully illustrated book and a very clever way to teach American history.

Make Your Mark, Franklin Roosevelt by Judith St. George

Goodreads Synopsis: Young Franklin Roosevelt grew up knowing the finer things in life— sailing, horseback riding, and foxhunts on his family’s large estate. Growing up wealthy meant he could live a gentleman’s life, like his beloved papa. Yet gentlemen weren’t supposed to go into politics, right? But why not? As young Franklin learns from a famous uncle and a famous mentor, there is more to the world than he thought. And about politics? Well, maybe there is more to that, too. Complete with lively illustrations by new illustrator Britt Spencer, this third book in Judith St. George’s Turning Point series reveals the turning point for the young man who would become one of America’s most honored presidents.

Anne Frank in Her Own Words by Caroline Hennon (Published September, 2014)

Goodreads Synopsis: Anne Frank's youthful optimism was a stark contrast to the terrible monstrosities of World War II. While Anne and her family hid from the world in a secret annex, she confided in her diary, nicknamed Kitty, providing the world with an inside view of what it was like to grow up fearing the wrath of Nazi Germany. This biography uses Anne's moving writings to highlight the events of her short life. Her diary is a powerful tool and reminder of the unjust hate that caused the Holocaust. Sidebars and fact boxes offer more information about this time period.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner (Published March, 2015)

Synopsis: In this exuberant and lyrical follow-up to the award-winning Over and Under the Snow, discover the wonders that lie hidden between stalks, under the shade of leaves . . . and down in the dirt. Explore the hidden world and many lives of a garden through the course of a year! Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt exists a busy world—earthworms dig, snakes hunt, skunks burrow—populated by all the animals that make a garden their home.

How was your week? Has spring arrived in your town? My kids are aching to spend whole days outside.

Homeschool Mother's Journal 

Day in the Homeschooling Life, Part 2

Today I'm sharing our Tuesday-Thursday homeschool schedule. Last Tuesday I shared our Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule, but I've made some changes since then to accommodate something the girls requested, so I'm sharing the revised M-W-F schedule following the Tues-Thurs schedule, below. Our master schedule is on chart paper on the wall, in pencil, so it's easy to make changes.

My boys are aged 13 and 11, and my girls are aged 8 and 6.

I have in my midst one, maybe two cases of dyslexia, one case of ADHD (accompanied by dyscalculia and dysgraphia), 2 cases of OCD, one case of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and lastly, one child suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. We need structure, and we need the All About Learning Press curriculum, which was written with dyslexics in mind. Having switched this year, we're making good progress with the addition of All About Reading and All About Spelling. We still continue to enjoy the Sonlight curriculum, using their Bible, History/Literature, and Science packages.

Brother-Sister Knitting Lesson

Tuesday-Thursday Homeschool Schedule

7:30 - Wake-Up 

I'm up at 7:30, in the shower at 7:40, after inserting a load of clothes. I dress, comb and scrunch my wet, permed hair, apply make-up and make my bed, and help the six-year-old with her bed.

The kids trickle out between 7:45 and 8:10, with Beth, age 6, often up first. They make their beds, get dressed, put their pajamas in the hamper, and then play with Legos, Hot Wheels, board games or whatever. It's basically free time until 8:30, but no computer.

Personal Bible Reading - Boys

If they get to bed late the night before for some reason, I let them sleep longer, and in that case they read the Bible before ending school for the day. The boys have a check-off sheet listing each subject, and that has to be checked by me before they're finished for the day.

8:30 - Breakfast & Devotions

We eat oatmeal or Cheerios or Shredded Wheat, and then we all rinse our bowls and gather for devotions in the living room. I'm reading from the Miller Family Series, currently in their Proverbs book called Wisdom And the Miller's, to which we all look forward.

After the reading we all take turns praying about our upcoming day, about the Proverb we learned, about various needs, after first giving thanks. 

The children will brush their teeth next, and I will fix the girls' hair.

9:30 - Quick Write Journals

They write in their journals for 15 minutes, with the kindergartner either using the Draw Write Now series of books, or working with me on Handwriting Without Tears. The kindergartner will often keep working into the next segment.

Quick Write

More Quick Write

9:45 - 10:35

Notes: The boys only do Science on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so they do a lot of science these two days. Last semester they did science daily. Since we school year round, we can still get through their Sonlight Science G this year without difficulty.

Sonlight Science - Peter

Sonlight Non-fiction History Reading & Sonlight Historical Fiction Novel - Paul

Saxon Math - Mommy and Girls

A free time creation

Science with brother Peter

10:35 - 11:25

Sonlight Non-fiction History Reading & Sonlight Historical Fiction Novel - Peter

Sonlight Science -  Paul

Puzzles, Painting, PlayDoh, Drawing - Girls

Melissa and Doug puzzle fun

11:25 - 12:05 Snack and Break


12:05 - 12:30

Sonlight Science B - Peter teaches Mary (Beth does well with experiment day, but has trouble listening to the other lessons, so for now she is not included.)

AWANA - Paul works with Beth on her verses, and does his own.

Mom does laundry and cleaning, or meal prep.

12:30 - 12:55

Sonlight B Non-Fiction History - Paul teaches Mary and Beth

Proverbs - Peter aged out of AWANA, so he's working on memorizing the Proverbs we're studying in Wisdom and the Millers.

12:55 - 2:05 Lunch Break 

We practice speech sounds for a bit after they finish eating. Beth is working on /th/ in the middle and final positions. Mary and Paul are working on conversational use of /th/ and /r/. If we don't do this here, we do it after dinner, before their nightly stories.

2:05 - 2:35

All About Spelling Level 1 - Girls and Mommy

Teaching Textbooks Level 7 Math - Paul

Easy Grammar - Peter

2:35 - 3:20 

All About Spelling - Boys and Mom

Library Movie - Girls 
The boys and I are diligently trying to get through the earlier spelling levels so we can get to their appropriate level. They have to learn all the spelling rules from the earlier levels, even though they can spell the words involved, because later rules build upon the early ones. I really need the girls fully engaged and not interrupting, asking for food or drink or whatever. I give them a drink, a small snack, and they watch something they picked out from the library the previous week, since we don't have a TV signal.

3:20 - 4:00

Teaching Textbooks Math Level 7 - Peter

Easy Grammar - Paul

Folding & Putting Away Their Own Clothes - Girls (boys do this before bed if their baskets are full.)

4:00 - 4:15 Afternoon Clean-Up

We tidy up the house. I wipe down the bathrooms or sweep, and finish up kitchen chores. The kids put away anything they've left out during the day. If it gets way too messy before this, we do five- minute pick-up segments during the day.

4:15 - 6:30 Free Time (and taking turns in shower)

Free time inside or out, depending on temperature and precipitation. In other seasons, they're outside during snack break and lunch break also.

Or, complete any unfinished school work.

Mom makes dinner and conditions the 6-year-old's hair. Kids clear off table for dinner.

6:45 Dinner

Husband joins us when he arrives home at 7:00 PM. Having dinner this late isn't ideal, but it works for families in which Daddy works late.


7:30 Family Devotions & Prayer

We're currently working through Leading Little Ones to God, recommended by Sonlight as part of their Core B package.

8:10  Take vitamins, chronic-condition medicines, and brush teeth. If there are a lot of clothes in the kids' individual laundry baskets, they fold those and put them away after teeth brushing.

8:30  Daddy reads to boys. Mom reads picture books to kindergartner, and some of their Sonlight Core B read-aloud selections, if I didn't do them during the day. I try to do some at lunch too, while they eat.

8:50 Bedtime for girls 

9:20 - Bedtime for boys (Takes them some time to settle down in there, so they actually fall asleep around 9:50 PM. They like to tell each other stories.)

______________________________________________________

Monday, Wednesday, Friday

7:30 - Wake-Up 

I'm up at 7:30, in the shower at 7:40, after inserting a load of clothes. I dress, comb and scrunch my wet, permed hair, apply make-up and make my bed, and help the six-year-old with her bed.

The kids trickle out between 7:45 and 8:10, with Beth, age 6, often up first. They make their beds, get dressed, put their pajamas in the hamper, and then play with Legos, Hot Wheels, board games or whatever. It's basically free time until 8:30, but no computer.

Bible - Boys

8:30 - Breakfast & Devotions

We eat oatmeal or Cheerios or Shredded Wheat, and then we all rinse our bowls and gather for devotions in the living room. I'm reading from the Miller Family Series, currently in their Proverbs book called Wisdom And the Miller's, to which we all look forward.

After the reading we all take turns praying about our upcoming day, about the Proverb we learned, about various needs, after first giving thanks. 

The children will brush their teeth next, and I will fix the girls' hair.

9:30 - Quick Write Journals

They write in their journals for 15 minutes, with the kindergartner either using the Draw Write Now series of books, or working with me on Handwriting Without Tears. The kindergartner will often keep working into the next segment.

9:45 - 10:30 

All About Reading Level 2 - Mary (age 8) and Mommy 

Teaching Textbooks Math DVD program Level 7 - Peter (age 13)

Sonlight Historical Fiction Novel from World History Part 1 (Core G) - Paul (age 11)

Puzzles, Painting, PlayDoh, or Drawing - Beth (kindergarten)

10:30 - 11:15  (Everyone switches from the subjects above. The boys use the same curriculum so they have to rotate with some of the resources.)

All About Reading Level 1 - Beth (Grade K) and Mommy (She can only concentrate 30 minutes tops, and that's pushing it.)

Teaching Textbooks Math DVD  program Level 7 - Paul

Sonlight Historical Fiction Novel from World History Part 1 (Core G) - Peter

Puzzles, Painting, PlayDoh, or Drawing - Mary

11:15 - 11:45  Snack and Break

Children might do crafts, such as make up a miniature puppet theater, or get out the construction paper/scissors/glue, or play board games or cards after having a quick snack. If they're highly involved in their creations, this can go 20 to 30 minutes longer, but usually we stay on track.

I shuffle laundry throughout the day, including at this time. I also try to unload and load the dishwasher during this half-hour.

11:45 - 12:30 

Writing - Boys and Mommy

Making Books at Writing Center - Girls
This was something we did in the past that the girls really wanted to do again. I put out writing and drawing materials (drawing instruction books) and stapled blank books of various sizes (homemade and simple) and the girls illustrate the pages. Later I help them write the story words they dictate to me. If there's a lengthy story, I write it myself as they dictate it to me.

Split Week - The segment below, 12:30 to 1:15, is split for the girls. Monday and Friday the girls do Saxon Math with me at this time, and on Wednesday they do All About Spelling with me. This gives them 4 days per week of Math, and 3 days per week of spelling.

12:30 - 1:15 (Monday and Friday Only)

Saxon Math - Girls and Mommy (Beth, the K student, doesn't work the whole 45 minutes.)

Easy Grammar Workbooks - Boys

Paul plays the piano after grammar. He's teaching himself with piano books, with the goal of being able to play music at Christmas for his family, or hymns for his family devotions. 

12:30 - 1:15 (Wednesday Only)

All About Spelling Level 1 - Girls and Mommy (They also have spelling on Tues. and Thurs.)

Easy Grammar Workbooks - Boys (same as Monday and Wednesday.)

1:15 - 2:30 Lunch Break 

If we need milk from the dollar store or have to go to the pharmacy window, that will usually happen at the end of the lunch break. I buy five gallons of milk once a week (2 jugs nonfat and 3 jugs 2%), but we need one additional milk run before a week is up.

2:30 - 3:00

All About Spelling Level 2 & 3 - Boys and Mommy 
We switched to All About Spelling this year. It's recommended that you take older students through all the levels so they don't miss any of the spelling rules. Level 2 is too easy so I try to cover both 2 and 3 at the same time, only covering words from Level 2 that are needed to illustrate the spelling rules they don't know well.

Free Time - Girls (Without interrupting Momma's spelling lessons with the boys.)

3:00 - 3:30  Read-Aloud

Mom reads aloud from the girls' Sonlight Core B read-aloud list. My husband reads aloud to the boys later at night from their Sonlight Core G read-aloud list. However, the boys also enjoy listening to the girls' selections. They're highly funny, engaging books! We just finished Owls In the Family by Farley Mowat, and now we're into Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary. On Fridays we read from Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.

3:30 - 3:45 Afternoon Clean-Up

We tidy up the house. I wipe down the bathrooms or sweep, and finish up kitchen chores. The kids put away anything they've left out during the day. If it gets way too messy before this, we do five- minute pick-up segments during the day.

3:45 - 5:30 Free Time 

Free time inside or out, depending on temperature and precipitation. In other seasons, they're outside during snack break and lunch break also.

Or, complete any unfinished school work.

5:30 - 6:30 Take Turns in Shower and Free Time 

Mom makes dinner, sometimes with kids' help, while also shuffling laundry and conditioning the 6-year-old's hair. Kids clear off table for dinner.

6:45 Dinner

Husband joins us when he arrives home at 7:00 PM. Having dinner this late isn't ideal, but it works for families in which Daddy works late.


7:30 Family Devotions & Prayer

We're currently working through Leading Little Ones to God, recommended by Sonlight as part of their Core B package.

8:10  Take vitamins, chronic-condition medicines, and brush teeth. If there are a lot of clothes in the kids' individual laundry baskets, they fold those and put them away after teeth brushing.

8:30  Daddy reads to boys. Mom reads picture books to kindergartner, and most often the 2nd grader cuddles with us too.

8:50 Bedtime for girls

9:20 - Bedtime for boys

Before bed I...read the Bible, get teaching materials ready for the next day, pay any necessary bills, research any curriculum or methods or books, order school supplies, or read blogs and/or write a blog. If there's a major news story ongoing, I read about that (we have no TV signal, so online news is all we have). I tend to stay up late because all of this takes time. My husband is on his feet all day, so he generally goes to bed by 10 PM. Two to three times a week, I also go to bed early.

My days are full and fabulous, despite the difficult health conditions we deal with. I couldn't be more grateful for this lifestyle. Being together so much strengthens and grounds us, and prepares us to serve God with joy when we go out into the world, at church, at the library, in the neighborhood, at appointments, on errands. We pray for each other and share each other's burdens, and remind each other to give it all to God. Even when things are messy and some are in bad moods, it's still all good, all building toward a stronger character as we stumble but keep trying to be like Jesus.

A Day in the Life Homeschooling Ages 6, 8, 11, and 13 (Updated)

We complete one set of subjects on Monday,Wednesday, and Friday, and another set on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with some overlapping. Today I'll share our Mon-Wed-Fri schedule, and later this week our Tuesday-Thursday schedule.

A Word About Vision and Goals

You might notice we don't have any extra-curriculars scheduled. We aren't big on them because they tend to crowd out family devotions and family dinners, which are what we feel strengthen families and provide kids with rock-solid foundations--something peers and extra-curricular teachers can't do for us.

If one of my children happened to be a gymnastics super star, or an exceptionally talented soccer champ, we might feel differently about extra-curriculars, but our children's God-given strengths and interests don't happen to be in organized sports or lessons. They play sports in the backyard with each other, which makes them happy. Free time is important to them.

Additionally, my children have each other to play with, whereas smaller families may need more outside stimulation. Each family has unique needs, and each home-managing couple has to find ways to meet those needs the best they can, in ways that uphold the family's vision statement (or philosophy).

Friday Changes On Friday afternoons things are different than what is scheduled below. We schedule two hours for art/crafts or baking, and then we go to the library, though this is subject to change if something special is going on at the library on another day. But generally, Friday works best.

One or possibly two of my children have dyslexia, and another has dyscalculia and dysgraphia. The All About Spelling and All About Reading programs both address those special needs. Also, I have one case of ADHD. two cases of OCD, and one case of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. My youngest has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. All of these needs together make it necessary to stick to a structured schedule. Everyone is happier with structure here--structure with room for creativity.

If there are doctor's appointments to schedule, I try to make them after 2 PM, but not too close to dinner. Appointments tend to be at least once a week between the arthritis and other needs.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday 
For our Tues-Thurs Schedule, click here.

7:30 - Wake-Up 

I'm up at 7:30, in the shower at 7:40, after inserting a load of clothes. I dress, comb and scrunch my wet, permed hair, apply make-up and make my bed, and help the six-year-old with her bed.

The kids trickle out between 7:45 and 8:10, with Beth, age 6, often up first. They make their beds, get dressed, put their pajamas in the hamper, and then play with Legos, Hot Wheels, board games or whatever. It's basically free time until 8:30, but no computer.

Bible - Boys (If they get to bed late the night before for some reason, I let them sleep longer, and in that case they read the Bible before ending school for the day. They have a check-off sheet for each subject, and that has to be checked by me before they're finished for the day.)

8:30 - Breakfast & Devotions

We eat oatmeal or Cheerios or Shredded Wheat, and then we all rinse our bowls and gather for devotions in the living room. I'm reading from the Miller Family Series, currently in their Proverbs book called Wisdom And the Miller's, to which we all look forward.

After the reading we all take turns praying about our upcoming day, about the Proverb we learned, about various needs, after first giving thanks. 

The children will brush their teeth next, and I will fix the girls' hair.

9:30 - Quick Write Journals

They write in their journals for 15 minutes, with the kindergartner either using the Draw Write Now series of books, or working with me on Handwriting Without Tears. The kindergartner will often keep working into the next segment.

9:45 - 10:30 

All About Reading Level 2 - Mary (age 8) and Mommy 

Teaching Textbooks Math DVD program Level 7 - Peter (age 13)

Sonlight Literature Reading from World History Part 1 (Core G) - Paul (age 11)

Puzzles, Painting, PlayDoh, or Drawing - Beth (kindergarten)

10:30 - 11:15  (Everyone switches from the subjects above. The boys use the same curriculum so they have to rotate with some of the resources.)

All About Reading Level 1 - Beth (Grade K) and Mommy (She can only concentrate 30 minutes tops, and that's pushing it.)

Teaching Textbooks Math DVD  program Level 7 - Paul

Sonlight Literature Reading from World History Part 1 (Core G) - Peter

Puzzles, Painting, PlayDoh, or Drawing - Mary

11:15 - 11:45  Snack and Break

Children might do crafts, such as make up a miniature puppet theater, or get out the construction paper/scissors/glue, or play board games or cards after having a quick snack. If they're highly involved in their creations, this can go 20 to 30 minutes longer, but usually we stay on track.

I shuffle laundry throughout the day, including at this time. I also try to unload and load the dishwasher during this half-hour.

11:45 - 12:30 

Writing - Boys and Mommy

Making Books at Writing Center - Girls

Split Week - The segment below, 12:30 to 1:15, is split for the girls. Monday and Friday the girls do Saxon Math at this time, and on Wednesday they do All About Spelling. This splitting gives them 4 days per week of Math, and 3 days per week of spelling.

12:30 - 1:15 (Monday and Friday Only)

Saxon Math - Girls and Mommy (Beth, the K student, doesn't work the whole 45 minutes.)

Easy Grammar Workbooks - Boys

Paul plays the piano after grammar. He's teaching himself with piano books, with the goal of being able to play music at Christmas for his family, or hymns for his family devotions. 

12:30 - 1:15 (Wednesday Only)

All About Spelling Level 1 - Girls and Mommy 

Easy Grammar Workbooks - Boys (same as Monday and Wednesday for boys.)

1:15 - 2:30 Lunch Break 

If we need milk from the dollar store or have to go to the pharmacy window, that will usually happen at the end of the lunch break. I buy five gallons of milk once a week (2 jugs nonfat and 3 jugs 2%), but we need one additional milk run before a week is up.

2:30 - 3:00

All About Spelling Level 2 & 3 - Boys and Mommy 
We switched to All About Spelling this year. It's recommended that you take older students through all the levels so they don't miss any of the spelling rules. Level 2 is too easy so I try to cover both 2 and 3 at the same time, only covering words from Level 2 that are needed to illustrate the spelling rules they don't know well.

Free Time - Girls (Without interrupting Momma's spelling lessons with the boys.)

3:00 - 3:30  Read-Aloud

Mom reads aloud from the girls' Sonlight Core B read-aloud list. My husband reads aloud to the boys later at night from their Sonlight Core G read-aloud list. However, the boys also enjoy listening to the girls' selections. They're highly funny, engaging books! We just finished Owls In the Family by Farley Mowat, and now we're into Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary. On Fridays we read from Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.

3:30 - 3:45 Afternoon Clean-Up

We tidy up the house. I wipe down the bathrooms or sweep, and finish up kitchen chores. The kids put away anything they've left out during the day. If it gets way too messy before this, we do five- minute pick-up segments during the day.

3:45 - 5:30 Free Time 

Free time inside or out, depending on temperature and precipitation. In other seasons, they're outside during snack break and lunch break also.

Or, complete any unfinished school work.

5:30 - 6:30 Take Turns in Shower and Free Time 

Mom makes dinner, sometimes with kids' help, while also shuffling laundry and conditioning the 6-year-old's hair. Kids clear off table for dinner.

6:45 Dinner

Husband joins us when he arrives home at 7:00 PM. Having dinner this late isn't ideal, but it works for families in which Daddy works late.


7:30 Family Devotions & Prayer

We're currently working through Leading Little Ones to God, recommended by Sonlight as part of their Core B package.

8:10  Take vitamins, chronic-condition medicines, and brush teeth. If there are a lot of clothes in the kids' individual laundry baskets, they fold those and put them away after teeth brushing.

8:30  Daddy reads to boys. Mom reads picture books to kindergartner, and most often the 2nd grader cuddles with us too.

8:50 Bedtime for girls

9:20 - Bedtime for boys

I do the dishes, sometimes with my husband's help, but he often has to talk on the phone with his 92-year-old father, who lives alone in Florida by choice. I also check for any last laundry loads to shuffle.

Before bed I...read the Bible, get teaching materials ready for the next day, pay any necessary bills, research any curriculum or methods or books, order school supplies, or read blogs and/or write a blog. If there's a major news story ongoing, I read about that (we have no TV signal, so online news is all we have). I tend to stay up late because all of this takes time. My husband is on his feet all day, so he generally goes to bed by 10 PM. Two to three times a week, I also go to bed early.

My days are full and fabulous, despite the difficult health conditions we deal with. I couldn't be more grateful for this lifestyle. Being together so much strengthens and grounds us, and prepares us to serve God with joy when we go out into the world, at church, at the library, in the neighborhood, at appointments, on errands. We pray for each other and share each other's burdens, and remind each other to give it all to God. Even when things are messy and some are in bad moods, it's still all good, all building toward a stronger character as we stumble but keep trying to be like Jesus.

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.