Is it the end of October already?!? Wow!! Where has the time gone? Just yesterday it was May and we were making our move back to Texas. Now we are getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. One day I'll blink and Zachary will be leaving for college!!
Fall is my most favorite time of year. I love the cool weather, the wonderful colors and the yummy smells. It is harder to enjoy fall in Texas - it doesn't get as cool and brown just isn't the same as yellow and read on the trees! I do my best. I like Saturday afternoon college football (lately I can watch all week in the evenings, too). I look forward to sweater weather and wearing sweat pants. I love fall.
One of the things that comes with fall is Halloween. What is a Christian to do with October 31? I grew up with a "Halloween" carnival at church, complete with a haunted house (haunted boiler room?) that had cold spaghetti and peeled grapes to touch. It was great. I never thought of it as evil or bad - just lots of fun. Things have changed since then. Now there are people who believe that the very day, October 31, is evil. "Satan's High Holy Day," I heard someone say. I've heard many people say that Halloween represents everything that God is against. I've heard people say that is the history behind Halloween. Maybe...
I won't get in to the history of the day here, but The History Channel has a great article on the Real history and beginnings of Halloween. Actually, the references to Satan have come about more recently, as people have perverted the day. I'm sure a person could find a website to support whatever they believe about Halloween. I respect that.
I have a BIG problem with people judging me and my Christianity (and my family) on what we do on October 31, or the days around 10/31. Our family does not "celebrate" Halloween like we would another holiday but we do participate in some of the activities. Our children wear costumes and get candy. We attend Fall Festivals/Trunk or Treats. We go to the pumpkin patch and we decorate pumpkins. We emphasize fun, family and friends.
Here is what we don't do: we don't play tricks on people, we don't worship satan, we don't talk about evil (or do any evil), we don't take part in any activity that would imply that evil is going on. What else don't we do: WE DON'T JUDGE OTHERS IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO DO ANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES. I just wish we were extended the same courtesy.
My boys know right from wrong, good from evil. They know and love God and want to live for Jesus. In fact, each of them proudly proclaimed who they were upon entering the Fall Festival at church on 10/25 - "I am a (ninja, swamp monster, race car driver) who LOVES JESUS! They know.
On the school front: we made bread. It was bad. We'll have to try again. Oh, well.
Zachary has been very excited about history this week. We are learning about Benjamin Franklin. Yesterday before we made our own version of "Poor Richard's Almanac" Zachary ran upstairs and got a book he had about Benjamin Franklin. He read it out loud to me and Ryan. He was excited to get to share something he knew.
And finally - Ryan's Tiger Den in Pack 344 sold the most popcorn and won the pack pizza party.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (NIV)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
I'm Not Sure I Signed Up for This!!!
We are well into our school year now - have I said that before?!? We are finishing up week 7 of our curriculum. I'm don't know about the boys but I am learning a WHOLE lot...mainly that I am probably not the best person to teach this curriculum. Why?! Because God did not gift me with the artsy-craftsy gene, the baking gene or the Susie Homemaker gene. Just today Ryan's Bible lesson required drawing a map of the various bodies of water in the Holy Land, so they are familiar when the Bible history teaching begins. Drawing a map - by hand - with a tiny picture as a guide. At least I will be able to tell where the bodies of water are in relation to one another but I am fairly certain they don't actually look like my map in real life!! Tomorrow we make "play dough" and Friday we are making bread. I am going to make the bread by hand and not in the bread machine. I'll let you know how it turns out.
One of the aspects I like most about the curriculum - the hands-on activities - is also the one that is giving me the most difficulty. I often wonder if they tried some of these things (paper wigwams come to mind) with 8 and 9 year old children before they are put into the lesson. I am not looking for perfection but I am wanting the directions to work. Some of the projects are not suited for people like me; you know, with no artistic ability whatsoever. Maybe they need a "dumbed down" version of the projects for people like me. I do the projects - to the best of my ability - and, honestly, Ryan's turn out better. Oh, well. At least I can say I am giving my children a well-rounded education.
Zachary is busily finishing up some math basics we skimmed over last year. He will complete the Fractions 1 book in the "Key To" series tomorrow, after having started it at the beginning of the month. I am thankful that he learns math quickly but that is also the reason we are going back to some of the "basics" like fractions, multiplication and division. I even re-taught addition and subtraction with multiple digits and "carrying" because he didn't quite grasp the concept. He is in such a hurry to move on that he doesn't pay much attention to the "easy" stuff that the "harder" stuff is built on. I am going to spend some time making sure his multiplication and division facts are solid before moving on to another curriculum...probably 4th grade.
Ryan is another story. He is so much like me. Math does not come easily to him. He is smart but math just gives him fits. He has been working on addition and subtraction facts since the beginning of the school year. He does well with the smaller numbers but the larger ones are a struggle to him. I chose a workbook for him for these first few weeks so I could get an idea of where he needed the work. Now I know. He finishes the workbook next week and I have decided the best course of action is to spend some time on fact families. Also, I will make sure he has access to a lot of manipulatives. He used Hershey's Kisses today and that helped with his work - and his work attitude. I will probably stick with what works. :)
I am fortunate that both boys are good readers and they both like to hear stories, too. I have started assigning silent reading to both, usually a few pages of one or two books. Zachary does better with his reading when he goes into the living room and reads out loud while Ryan can sit at the table and read silently. I am using the assigned history passages from Zachary's curriculum with both boys - these I read out loud to them. I do have to keep their hands occupied while I read, though. I will give them paper so they can draw or something to "fidget" with while I read. This week they have made paper clip snakes. It always amazes me that they can tell me the general idea of the story, if not specific details.
I am still very happy with My Father's World and what the boys are learning. While discussing math texts for Zachary today I told Chris that I would like to try "Teaching Textbooks." He asked if I meant just for math or for everything. I said, "Just for math! I love our MFW curriculum." I hope I feel the same way at the end of the year. I'm thinking I will. :)
RYAN AND THE GLIDER
Changing the subject, I have to brag on Ryan. Wednesday nights is when the church we attend, Arapaho Road Baptist, has Bible studies for adults and activities for children. Zachary attends the ARBC Production Company where he is learning about God while practicing for the Christmas program. Ryan and Joshua attend Patch the Pirate Club, where they do art projects, learn about the Bible and sing. Each night they have the opportunity to earn a "treasure" from the Treasure Chest. Tonight both Ryan and Joshua were able to choose a treat. Ryan chose a glider from the chest. Joshua LOVES airplanes but that was the last one in the chest. Ryan gave the glider to Joshua and chose another treasure for himself. What a sweet boy!! The story could end there and be great but it gets better. Tonight Ryan showed me his treasure and told me it was his "good luck charm" necklace. His treasure? A neon green plastic cross hanging from neon green string. The reason it is his "good luck charm?" "Because," he said, "Jesus died on the cross for my sins."
I Timothy 4:12 says "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." (NIV)
One of the aspects I like most about the curriculum - the hands-on activities - is also the one that is giving me the most difficulty. I often wonder if they tried some of these things (paper wigwams come to mind) with 8 and 9 year old children before they are put into the lesson. I am not looking for perfection but I am wanting the directions to work. Some of the projects are not suited for people like me; you know, with no artistic ability whatsoever. Maybe they need a "dumbed down" version of the projects for people like me. I do the projects - to the best of my ability - and, honestly, Ryan's turn out better. Oh, well. At least I can say I am giving my children a well-rounded education.
Zachary is busily finishing up some math basics we skimmed over last year. He will complete the Fractions 1 book in the "Key To" series tomorrow, after having started it at the beginning of the month. I am thankful that he learns math quickly but that is also the reason we are going back to some of the "basics" like fractions, multiplication and division. I even re-taught addition and subtraction with multiple digits and "carrying" because he didn't quite grasp the concept. He is in such a hurry to move on that he doesn't pay much attention to the "easy" stuff that the "harder" stuff is built on. I am going to spend some time making sure his multiplication and division facts are solid before moving on to another curriculum...probably 4th grade.
Ryan is another story. He is so much like me. Math does not come easily to him. He is smart but math just gives him fits. He has been working on addition and subtraction facts since the beginning of the school year. He does well with the smaller numbers but the larger ones are a struggle to him. I chose a workbook for him for these first few weeks so I could get an idea of where he needed the work. Now I know. He finishes the workbook next week and I have decided the best course of action is to spend some time on fact families. Also, I will make sure he has access to a lot of manipulatives. He used Hershey's Kisses today and that helped with his work - and his work attitude. I will probably stick with what works. :)
I am fortunate that both boys are good readers and they both like to hear stories, too. I have started assigning silent reading to both, usually a few pages of one or two books. Zachary does better with his reading when he goes into the living room and reads out loud while Ryan can sit at the table and read silently. I am using the assigned history passages from Zachary's curriculum with both boys - these I read out loud to them. I do have to keep their hands occupied while I read, though. I will give them paper so they can draw or something to "fidget" with while I read. This week they have made paper clip snakes. It always amazes me that they can tell me the general idea of the story, if not specific details.
I am still very happy with My Father's World and what the boys are learning. While discussing math texts for Zachary today I told Chris that I would like to try "Teaching Textbooks." He asked if I meant just for math or for everything. I said, "Just for math! I love our MFW curriculum." I hope I feel the same way at the end of the year. I'm thinking I will. :)
RYAN AND THE GLIDER
Changing the subject, I have to brag on Ryan. Wednesday nights is when the church we attend, Arapaho Road Baptist, has Bible studies for adults and activities for children. Zachary attends the ARBC Production Company where he is learning about God while practicing for the Christmas program. Ryan and Joshua attend Patch the Pirate Club, where they do art projects, learn about the Bible and sing. Each night they have the opportunity to earn a "treasure" from the Treasure Chest. Tonight both Ryan and Joshua were able to choose a treat. Ryan chose a glider from the chest. Joshua LOVES airplanes but that was the last one in the chest. Ryan gave the glider to Joshua and chose another treasure for himself. What a sweet boy!! The story could end there and be great but it gets better. Tonight Ryan showed me his treasure and told me it was his "good luck charm" necklace. His treasure? A neon green plastic cross hanging from neon green string. The reason it is his "good luck charm?" "Because," he said, "Jesus died on the cross for my sins."
I Timothy 4:12 says "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." (NIV)
Friday, October 9, 2009
I'm Not Sure *That* Is From Hebrew!
The Learners' School has been in session for a few weeks now. It is going fairly well. Ryan is liking all of the science lessons and Zachary is going to be ready for advanced math before I know it!!! The curriculum is good - the boys are really learning a LOT! I'm learning a lot!! It is fun to see their faces when they learn something new.
Well, today *I* learned something new. I'm pretty sure the wording is not the correct translation from Hebrew. Zachary's Bible lessons this week have been centered on John 8:12 and how Jesus is the Light of the World. His science lessons have been on space - gravity, constellations, light years. Today we read from the book of Job (one of my favorites). We read from the Bible that came with Zachary's curriculum - the NIrV. In this version, Job 38:32 says that God commands the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper (very paraphrased from me). I found this odd. This evening Chris and I did some reading from other verions of the Bible (NLT, NIV, KJV) and found that each of those translations mentioned specifici constellations. I am not doubting the Bible or God. This is just something I have never noticed before.
Yesterday I met with a good friend who is now translating the Bible. He shared with me a book on Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Son of Solomon. He translated these scriptures from the Latin Old Testament. He gave me the book because I am struggling with life and my faith right now. The book of Job is a hard read but a good (and necessary) one. How wonderful it was to realize - just a few minutes ago - that I could read in this book Job 38:32 and find the translation from the Latin OT. It really helped to bring some clarity.
I am anxious to see what next week brings in our curriculum. I *know* what we will be studying but what will the boys be learning? It is always amazing what they learn - and sometimes it has absolutely nothing to do with what is written in the book we are reading or the paper we are doing. For those moments, I am truly - TRULY - thankful I have chosen to homeschool.
Well, today *I* learned something new. I'm pretty sure the wording is not the correct translation from Hebrew. Zachary's Bible lessons this week have been centered on John 8:12 and how Jesus is the Light of the World. His science lessons have been on space - gravity, constellations, light years. Today we read from the book of Job (one of my favorites). We read from the Bible that came with Zachary's curriculum - the NIrV. In this version, Job 38:32 says that God commands the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper (very paraphrased from me). I found this odd. This evening Chris and I did some reading from other verions of the Bible (NLT, NIV, KJV) and found that each of those translations mentioned specifici constellations. I am not doubting the Bible or God. This is just something I have never noticed before.
Yesterday I met with a good friend who is now translating the Bible. He shared with me a book on Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Son of Solomon. He translated these scriptures from the Latin Old Testament. He gave me the book because I am struggling with life and my faith right now. The book of Job is a hard read but a good (and necessary) one. How wonderful it was to realize - just a few minutes ago - that I could read in this book Job 38:32 and find the translation from the Latin OT. It really helped to bring some clarity.
I am anxious to see what next week brings in our curriculum. I *know* what we will be studying but what will the boys be learning? It is always amazing what they learn - and sometimes it has absolutely nothing to do with what is written in the book we are reading or the paper we are doing. For those moments, I am truly - TRULY - thankful I have chosen to homeschool.
Monday, October 5, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!!
Ryan turned 7 on September 24. I can't believe it!!! It seems like just yesterday he came into the world, 3 weeks early but still plump. Ryan had the chubbiest baby cheeks and sweetest expressions. He always did things on his own time, in his own way. 7 years later not much has changed. While he isn't plump any more (in fact, he is a thin little thing), he still has the sweetest expressions. He still does things on his own time and in his own way.
Ryan is a sweet boy. He is loving and caring. He has a tender heart. He loves Jesus. Don't get me wrong - he still has his moments. He has a temper. He will fight with his brothers. He will be disobedient. I think *most* boys have those moments. They don't happen very often with Ryan.
Ryan wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up. He loves dinosaurs; he has for a long time. He loves all nature and all animals. He really wants a snake for a pet. He is curious about the human body and will give first aid to anyone in need. He went to his frist Tiger Cub Scout meeting yesterday. He sure is growing up fast.
We celebrated Ryan's birthday twice - a small family celebration and a trip to Sea World in San Antonio. Ryan hasn't had a birthday party since 1997 because we have moved the past two years the summer before. It is hard to make friends in the summer. Anyway, we opened presents at the house - Ryan got a Leapster2, a game, some books and some clothes. We let him choose where to eat (Cracker Barrel) and we had a chocolate frosted brownie for dessert. He had a fun day. The wish he made while blowing out his birhtday candle broke my heart..." I wish I had some friends."
We went to Sea World Sept. 26-28. We stayed at the Alamo KOA in San Antonio. My parents met us there with their RV. We stayed in a Kamping Kabin. The boys loved it. They had fun playing on the playground (until Zachary got a foot full of fire ants), swimming in the pool, chasing the ducks and sleeping on bunk beds. Sea World was a big hit. Ryan and Joshua fed dolphins with their daddy. We saw sharks, jelly fish, penguins and rays. We saw a cute pirate movie with 4D effects, the Cannery Row show and, of course, Shamu. They boys and their dad rode Shamu Express and Journey to Atlantis...well, Ryan didn't ride the last ride but he did get to mee the Spurs Coyote while waiting with me. All of us rode Rio Loco and got totally soaked - even my parents. We had a wonderful day.
Before we left San Antonio on Sunday we made a trip to the Alamo and the Riverwalk. Too bad the boys were still tired from Sea World and it was HOT. It was a short visit downtown. We took a quick tour of the Alamo and walked to the Rivercenter mall on the Riverwalk. We had lunch and decided to call it a day.
Ryan got his first "real" Bible for his birthday from my parents. He *loves* it. It is a Bible for boys. It has devotionals, life applications and little bits of "Grossology," which gives information about some of the less talked about aspects of certain Bible stories. It has his name on it - he could not get over that. He has been reading it in his bed every night and took it to church this past Sunday. I am so thankful he loves that Bible.
Ryan is such a joy. I am so blessed and honored to be able to call him "son." He is loving and caring. He loves the Lord. He wants to live each day to the fullest. He puts a smile on my face each day - in one way or another.
*I am blessed by all of my boys*
Ryan is a sweet boy. He is loving and caring. He has a tender heart. He loves Jesus. Don't get me wrong - he still has his moments. He has a temper. He will fight with his brothers. He will be disobedient. I think *most* boys have those moments. They don't happen very often with Ryan.
Ryan wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up. He loves dinosaurs; he has for a long time. He loves all nature and all animals. He really wants a snake for a pet. He is curious about the human body and will give first aid to anyone in need. He went to his frist Tiger Cub Scout meeting yesterday. He sure is growing up fast.
We celebrated Ryan's birthday twice - a small family celebration and a trip to Sea World in San Antonio. Ryan hasn't had a birthday party since 1997 because we have moved the past two years the summer before. It is hard to make friends in the summer. Anyway, we opened presents at the house - Ryan got a Leapster2, a game, some books and some clothes. We let him choose where to eat (Cracker Barrel) and we had a chocolate frosted brownie for dessert. He had a fun day. The wish he made while blowing out his birhtday candle broke my heart..." I wish I had some friends."
We went to Sea World Sept. 26-28. We stayed at the Alamo KOA in San Antonio. My parents met us there with their RV. We stayed in a Kamping Kabin. The boys loved it. They had fun playing on the playground (until Zachary got a foot full of fire ants), swimming in the pool, chasing the ducks and sleeping on bunk beds. Sea World was a big hit. Ryan and Joshua fed dolphins with their daddy. We saw sharks, jelly fish, penguins and rays. We saw a cute pirate movie with 4D effects, the Cannery Row show and, of course, Shamu. They boys and their dad rode Shamu Express and Journey to Atlantis...well, Ryan didn't ride the last ride but he did get to mee the Spurs Coyote while waiting with me. All of us rode Rio Loco and got totally soaked - even my parents. We had a wonderful day.
Before we left San Antonio on Sunday we made a trip to the Alamo and the Riverwalk. Too bad the boys were still tired from Sea World and it was HOT. It was a short visit downtown. We took a quick tour of the Alamo and walked to the Rivercenter mall on the Riverwalk. We had lunch and decided to call it a day.
Ryan got his first "real" Bible for his birthday from my parents. He *loves* it. It is a Bible for boys. It has devotionals, life applications and little bits of "Grossology," which gives information about some of the less talked about aspects of certain Bible stories. It has his name on it - he could not get over that. He has been reading it in his bed every night and took it to church this past Sunday. I am so thankful he loves that Bible.
Ryan is such a joy. I am so blessed and honored to be able to call him "son." He is loving and caring. He loves the Lord. He wants to live each day to the fullest. He puts a smile on my face each day - in one way or another.
*I am blessed by all of my boys*
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A New School Year
My goodness! I didn't realize it had been so long since my last entry. I guess I should put "blog time" on my schedule to make sure it gets updated regularly.
Well, a new school year began for The Learners' School on August 31. We are using My Father's World Curriculum. It is wonderful. I can see us sticking with this curriculum for a while. It is heavy on Scripture, reading and history. I love the science books that are used...most of them are Usborne Books. From a teaching standpoint, everything is laid out nicely and it is easy to prepare for and follow the lessons. This year we are doing 2 different grade levels for Ryan and Zachary. Next year I will be able to teach one curriculum to them, minus math and grammar. They will do math and grammar on their own level.
Ryan is doing the 1st grade curriculum, which is probably a little easy for him. It is heavy on phonics and beginning reading while Ryan is a wonderful reader. I chose not to move him to another grade or curriculum because I really like the Bible content. Not only is he learning Scripture, he will learn Bible history, as well. The Science is wonderful for him - very hands on! Right now we are using a math workbook with him but he is zooming right through. We'll have to think of something else. I am teaching him the same history and science that Zachary learns. He gets double science but he is OK with that.
Zachary is doing the 2nd/3rd grade curriculum. It is for students who don't have an older sibling and who haven't done any other My Father's World lessons. He loves it. He is having a great time learning how our country was started. He enjoys the science classes. He is learning Scripture, too, and is making a poster with The Names of Jesus. He is finishing up his 2nd grade Singapore Math and Bob Jones English. He should be on to 3rd grade in both of those by January. He just started spelling and thinks it is great. He learns Bible and Science from Ryan's curriculum. I want to make sure both are learning as much as they can.
School has been hard for me this year. I have come close to quitting more than once - and we are only on week 5!! In fact, I got so frustrated that I sorted out all of our homeschool stuff in preparation to sell it or give it away. Some days it just seems as if the boys are working so hard against me that it just isn't worth the heartache. Then I remember why I homeschool and how much I love to see my boys learn. We set our curriculum aside for a couple of days and worked only on our basics. We had a fresh start last week. Things are better.
This leads me to: Why does the Parrott family homeschool? I may have posted about this before but I think it needs repeating. Although the curriculum and the circumstances may change, the real reason does not. It comes down to this: The Parrott family homeschools because we believe God is calling us to homeschool. We believe (we=myself and my husband) the best place to educate children is in the home. We can teach the values we believe. We can weave God into our lessons. We can cater to our boys' different learning styles. We don't have to worry about an agenda that we don't believe in being pushed onto our children.
Homeschooling started for us when Zachary was denied services for his sensory/autism issues in the public school district where we lived when he was 4. We were told to put him into kindergarten and once he *failed* there, steps would be taken to get him the appropriate help. Zachary had barely mastered using the toilet at this time. He could not stand loud noises, changes in routine or socks. He could not dress himeslf without help. He had no coordination, could not use scissors or eating utensils. Although he was a bright and curious child, I knew something was "off" with his development. I went home in tears, vowing not to send my child to public school. Fortunately, God had led our family to a church that was full of homeschooling families. I learned from them what homeschooling could look like and decided to try it for Zachary. We started in kindergarten and haven't had any (many? LOL) regrets.
We have been met with much opposition regarding homeschooling. Zachary has Asperger's Syndrome. I have had doctors, therapists and other parents tell me I am doing him a disservice by educating him at school. Why? Lack of opportunity for SOCIALIZATION. People mistakenly believe that the only place a child can get SOCIALIZATION is at school. People also believe that homeschoolers are locked into their houses, 24/7. No. Our children have plenty of opportunities for social activities with other children - sometimes we have to pick and choose or we would never get school done. And here is something else...google SOCIALIZATION and see what comes up. If you don't want that for your country, why on earth would you want that for your child?
Some people have asked why not private Christian school. Well, two reasons. First of all, we don't feel that God is leading us to place our children in private Christian school. The second, we can't afford private Christian school. Yes, Ryan (and now Joshua) attended a private Christian kindergarten. However, there is a big difference between $300/mo and over $15,000/yr. If we feel we need to put our children into a school setting, we will do what we can to make sure they are in the best environment possible. That may be Christian school. We would do what we needed to do to put them there.
No, I am not anti-public school nor anti-public school teacher. I don't like the limits placed upon teachers in regard to their teaching. I don't like the "requirements" necessary for Zachary to receive help in public school. I don't like the hoops that a parent would have to go through to make sure the school district is providing all of the services they are required to provide BY LAW. I realize that public school is not perfect. Neither is homeschooling. However, for our family it is certainly the better alternative.
I am not sure if we will be able to homeschool forever. I am hoping that all 3 of our boys will graduate from The Learners' School and go on to college. I don't know what the future holds; only God knows that. We will continue to listen to Him and His guidance. We know that He holds us closely and wants good things for us. We know that in ALL things He is there, even when it means we are not comfortable.
Micah 6:8
Jeremaiah 29:11
Well, a new school year began for The Learners' School on August 31. We are using My Father's World Curriculum. It is wonderful. I can see us sticking with this curriculum for a while. It is heavy on Scripture, reading and history. I love the science books that are used...most of them are Usborne Books. From a teaching standpoint, everything is laid out nicely and it is easy to prepare for and follow the lessons. This year we are doing 2 different grade levels for Ryan and Zachary. Next year I will be able to teach one curriculum to them, minus math and grammar. They will do math and grammar on their own level.
Ryan is doing the 1st grade curriculum, which is probably a little easy for him. It is heavy on phonics and beginning reading while Ryan is a wonderful reader. I chose not to move him to another grade or curriculum because I really like the Bible content. Not only is he learning Scripture, he will learn Bible history, as well. The Science is wonderful for him - very hands on! Right now we are using a math workbook with him but he is zooming right through. We'll have to think of something else. I am teaching him the same history and science that Zachary learns. He gets double science but he is OK with that.
Zachary is doing the 2nd/3rd grade curriculum. It is for students who don't have an older sibling and who haven't done any other My Father's World lessons. He loves it. He is having a great time learning how our country was started. He enjoys the science classes. He is learning Scripture, too, and is making a poster with The Names of Jesus. He is finishing up his 2nd grade Singapore Math and Bob Jones English. He should be on to 3rd grade in both of those by January. He just started spelling and thinks it is great. He learns Bible and Science from Ryan's curriculum. I want to make sure both are learning as much as they can.
School has been hard for me this year. I have come close to quitting more than once - and we are only on week 5!! In fact, I got so frustrated that I sorted out all of our homeschool stuff in preparation to sell it or give it away. Some days it just seems as if the boys are working so hard against me that it just isn't worth the heartache. Then I remember why I homeschool and how much I love to see my boys learn. We set our curriculum aside for a couple of days and worked only on our basics. We had a fresh start last week. Things are better.
This leads me to: Why does the Parrott family homeschool? I may have posted about this before but I think it needs repeating. Although the curriculum and the circumstances may change, the real reason does not. It comes down to this: The Parrott family homeschools because we believe God is calling us to homeschool. We believe (we=myself and my husband) the best place to educate children is in the home. We can teach the values we believe. We can weave God into our lessons. We can cater to our boys' different learning styles. We don't have to worry about an agenda that we don't believe in being pushed onto our children.
Homeschooling started for us when Zachary was denied services for his sensory/autism issues in the public school district where we lived when he was 4. We were told to put him into kindergarten and once he *failed* there, steps would be taken to get him the appropriate help. Zachary had barely mastered using the toilet at this time. He could not stand loud noises, changes in routine or socks. He could not dress himeslf without help. He had no coordination, could not use scissors or eating utensils. Although he was a bright and curious child, I knew something was "off" with his development. I went home in tears, vowing not to send my child to public school. Fortunately, God had led our family to a church that was full of homeschooling families. I learned from them what homeschooling could look like and decided to try it for Zachary. We started in kindergarten and haven't had any (many? LOL) regrets.
We have been met with much opposition regarding homeschooling. Zachary has Asperger's Syndrome. I have had doctors, therapists and other parents tell me I am doing him a disservice by educating him at school. Why? Lack of opportunity for SOCIALIZATION. People mistakenly believe that the only place a child can get SOCIALIZATION is at school. People also believe that homeschoolers are locked into their houses, 24/7. No. Our children have plenty of opportunities for social activities with other children - sometimes we have to pick and choose or we would never get school done. And here is something else...google SOCIALIZATION and see what comes up. If you don't want that for your country, why on earth would you want that for your child?
Some people have asked why not private Christian school. Well, two reasons. First of all, we don't feel that God is leading us to place our children in private Christian school. The second, we can't afford private Christian school. Yes, Ryan (and now Joshua) attended a private Christian kindergarten. However, there is a big difference between $300/mo and over $15,000/yr. If we feel we need to put our children into a school setting, we will do what we can to make sure they are in the best environment possible. That may be Christian school. We would do what we needed to do to put them there.
No, I am not anti-public school nor anti-public school teacher. I don't like the limits placed upon teachers in regard to their teaching. I don't like the "requirements" necessary for Zachary to receive help in public school. I don't like the hoops that a parent would have to go through to make sure the school district is providing all of the services they are required to provide BY LAW. I realize that public school is not perfect. Neither is homeschooling. However, for our family it is certainly the better alternative.
I am not sure if we will be able to homeschool forever. I am hoping that all 3 of our boys will graduate from The Learners' School and go on to college. I don't know what the future holds; only God knows that. We will continue to listen to Him and His guidance. We know that He holds us closely and wants good things for us. We know that in ALL things He is there, even when it means we are not comfortable.
Micah 6:8
Jeremaiah 29:11
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