Why Do You Homeschool?

"Why do you homeschool?"  Ask that at a park day or parent's meeting and you'll get a wide range of answers.

I have two purposes in home schooling. I strive to teach my children righteousness, instructing them in Scripture so they know it inside and out.  That way, if they hear a falsehood, even dressed up really pretty as if it was Biblical, they will spot it immediately and not be deceived.  I desire that they walk with the Lord all of their days and bear much fruit in their lives.

Secondly, I want to teach them how to learn.  That's the purpose of our academic studies.  It doesn't really matter if they commit Boudiccia' story to heart. It doesn't matter if they know every element on the periodic table.  It's doesn't even matter if they can multiply four digits of numbers by four more.  When  they are adults and need to know something new, I want them to know how to go out and get that information. We'll never be able to teach every fact and figure.  Did your years at school give you all the knowledge you needed for your entire lifetime?  Of course not. But you learned what you needed to know at the time you needed to know it.  If you learned how to learn, that process was automatic and you did it with ease.  If you didn't, you probably struggled more when faced with new responsibilities.

Don't get weighed down with the details of education.  Look ahead and see that bright future of watching your child succeed with the skills you have instilled in him or her, not the facts!

Essentials by Greg Laurie

We do a lot of Scripture study in our family.  We attend Calvary Chapel and go through the Bible book by book, verse by verse with our church family.  We have read through the Bible aloud at home.  We've also read through Catherine Vos' great story Bible.

My Lambies are old enough to do some real thoughtful Bible application now, so we are adding other interesting books to our Bible study. On their own, they're reading classic devotional books, like More Than A Carpenter and A Year With C. S. Lewis.  They're reading apologetic books like Know What You Believe and Know Why You Believe. We spent half of last school year and the first couple of weeks of this year reading Essentials by Greg Laurie.  We've enjoyed it very much and had many great discussions sparked from its pages.  I highly recommend adding this book to your family's library!

The Tower of Babel

We are using Mystery of History this year and are studying Sumer and the Tower of Babel. Among other activities, the younger kids created ziggurats using Lego. I love how each has their own personal style, yet all are similar to the pictures we looked at online.

 
These are the remains of a ziggurat in the ancient city of Ur. Abram might have walked past this!

This is an imprint of a seal from ancient Babylon showing a ziggurat. I love history.

Teaching Christian Witness

Teaching about Christian history is important to me. I want my children to know what being a Christian can cost. I want them to know what it has cost many and what it still costs today. Being a Christian in America isn't hard. It costs little, if anything, most of the time. Perhaps this will change sooner than later. We are promised tribulation in this life, not from God, but from man. I want them to be prepared for this eventuality. Will they see physical persecution of Christians in America in their lifetimes? Will I? Only God knows.

After studying the deaths of the Apostles, who can help but be inspired to die for God's Word, should circumstances demand it? Who could bear the thought of denying our Lord? The lives of Polycarp, Tyndale, Luther, Bonhoeffer, Jim Elliot, and others show that the Holy Spirit gives grace in times of need.

"And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And every one who speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." Luke 12: 8-12

Here, in no particular order, are some of the resources that I either use, have used or plan to use to keep my children aware of past and current Christian reality.

The Religion of Peace (may show graphic images, I read this myself and verbally share some stories with my older children, but never all!)

Stephan's Test of Faith (available on Netflix instant play)

Jesus Freaks Vol. I and II (we read through these aloud in school)

VOM Torchlighters (also available on Netflix at the moment)

21st Century Martyrs (a collection of true stories missing from the nightly news)

Trial and Triumph (used in Ambleside Online)

Voice of the Martyrs (we get their free magazine monthly, along with the quarterly Kids of Courage insert)

Foxe's Book of Martyrs

Martyr's Mirror (similar to Foxe's Book; free online)

Have you any resources to share? Please add them in the comments!

Bible Reading

I love encouraging my children in their independent Bible reading. My daughter Trixie is reading through the book of Matthew right now. She asked me to print something to help her record her progress. I searched (using swagbucks, of course) tonight and found this great chart:

Books of the Bible Check Off

She was excited to get it. Hopefully it will be helpful to some of my readers, too!

Truth and Grace Memory Book

I received my most recent Amazon order today. Using the search engine Swagbucks, I earned $25 in gift cards that I used to purchase "Truth and Grace Memory Book" (#1, #2 and #3!), edited by Thomas K. Ascol. I also bought a few other books that I might share about another time.

The Truth and Grace books are going to be my scheduling spine for Bible study next year. We'll continue reading together through the Bible, book by book, chapter by chapter, as we always do, but we will add in the suggested verses, hymns and catechism work for our memory work. I have looked them over and am excited about them.

Book One contains verses and catechism for age 2 to grade 4, Book Two, grades 5-8, and Book Three, grades 9-12. There's a line after each verse to record when it has been memorized, but I will not be marking in the books. That is a habit that I dislike very much.

This catechism is a Baptist work. I didn't know that anyone but Catholics used a catechism before I heard Voddie Baucham teaching about it in "Family Driven Faith". I'm really looking forward to adding this type of study to our days.

The Books of the Bible

Perhaps this will be Term Three's poetry selection...

The Books of the Bible

In Genesis the world was made by God's creative hand;
In Exodus the Hebrews march to gain the Promised Land;
Leviticus contains the Law, holy, just and good,
Numbers records the tribes enrolled, all sons of Abraham's blood.
Moses in Deuteronomy records God's mighty deeds.
In Joshua their rebellion oft provokes the Lord to smite,
But Ruth records the faith of one well pleasing in His sight.
In 1st and 2nd Samuel of Jesse's son we read;
Ten tribes in 1st and 2nd Kings revolted from his seed.
In 1st and 2nd Chronicles we see Judah captive made,
But Ezra leads the remnant back by princely Cyrus' aid.
The city walls of Zion Nehemiah builds again,
While Esther saves her people from the plots of wicked men.
In Job we read how faith will live beneath afflictions' rod,
And David's Psalms are precious songs to every child of God.
The Proverbs, like a goodly string of choicest pearls, appear;
Ecclesiastes teaches men how vain are all things here.
The Song of Solomon exalts sweet Sharon's lovely rose,
While Christ the Saviour and the King the rapt Isaiah shows.
The warning Jeremiah apostate Israel warns,
His plaintive Lamentations their awful downfall mourns.
Ezekiel tells in wondrous words the Kingdom's mysteries,
While God's great Kingdom yet to come Daniel in vision sees.
Of judgment and of mercy Hosea loves to tell,
Joel describes the blessed days when God with man will dwell.
Among Tekoa's herdsmen Amos received his call,
And Obadiah prophesies of Edom's final fall.
Jonah enshrines a wondrous type of Christ, our risen Lord;
Micah pronounces Judah lost - lost but to be restored.
Nahum declares on Nineveh just judgment shall be poured
When Christ our risen Saviour shall come to be adored.
A view of Chaldees coming doom Habakkuk's vision gives,
While Zephaniah warns the Jews to turn, repent and live.
Haggai wrote to those who saw the Temple built again,
Zechariah prophesies of Christ's triumphant reign.
Malachi was the last to touch that high prophetic cord;
His final notes sublimely show the coming of the Lord.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the Gospel story give,
Describing how the Saviour was born and died that man may live.
Acts tells how well the apostles preached with signs in every place,
And Paul in Romans proves that man is saved through faith by grace.
The Apostle in Corinthians instructs, exhorts, reproves;
Galatians proves that faith in Christ alone the Father approves.
Ephesians and Philippians tell what Christians ought to be;
Colossians bids us live for God and from all sin be free.
In Thessalonians we are taught the Lord will come from heaven,
In Timothy and Titus a shepherd's rule is given.
Philemon marks a brother's love as only brethren know;
Hebrews reveals Christ's priestly works prefigured long ago.
James teaches without holiness, faith is but vain and dead;
While Peter points the narrow way in which the saints are led.
John in his three epistles on love delights to dwell;
But Jude gives warning terrible of those once who fell.
The Revelation prophesies that tremendous day
When all the kingdoms of the earth with noise shall pass away.
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

Standard Bible Story Readers

My daughter, Trixie, has taken an interest in the lovely little Bible Readers by Lillie A. Faris. She is working her way through them for her free-reading books. I'm so glad she's discovered them! I love the beautiful illustrations and simple text.

I love even more that she's noticed a few liberties that have been taken with the stories. Yesterday, she asked for details about a story that mentioned Joseph and Mary returning to the first inn they tried to find a place to stay in when they arrived in Bethlehem, and being directed to the stable. She had heard the true story enough to know the Bible doesn't say that they returned to a previously visited inn. We looked to the Scripture and confirmed that is was an addition to the story. I explained that narrated stories sometimes add details that are not in the Bible and to keep an eye out for that. She's becoming a Berean!

Despite this little error, these Readers are well worth finding in their original editions. They are inexpensive, the art is beautiful and the poems, stories and songs are worth adding to your home library.

"It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible-reading people." -Horace Greeley

Exodus 20

(Originally posted on my other blog 9-17-2006)

I found this poem this morning and thought I would share it with you. It had no author attached, but if you happen to know who penned it, please tell me!

EXODUS CHAP XX
Thou shalt have no more Gods but me
Before no idol bow thy knee
Take not the name of God in vain
Nor dare the Sabbath day profane
Give both thy parents honour due
Take heed that thou no murder do

Abstain from words and deeds unclean

Nor steal though thou are poor and mean

Nor make a willful lie nor love it

What is thy neighbors dare not covet

I believe this will find its way onto our whiteboard early next week!