TOS Fall Promotion..... Even better!!!

Did you ever dream of getting a horse for Christmas? You can get a sneak peek of our Fall issue and see Nancy Carter's first horse! Oh, and she's not the only one sharing her childhood pictures. You'll see photos from the 50's through the 80's.

But, you'll need the Fall issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine to go on this walk down memory lane.

Plus, do you like to create holiday memories? The brand new TOS holiday E-Book can be yours, too. It's all about the fall and winter holidays - mainly Thanksgiving and Christmas. But it's not even for sale yet. This is your chance to get it first  - for FREE ($12.45 value)!

Normally when a person subscribes, their subscription starts with the upcoming issue which can take a while. But, TOS thought about that when they planned their  Fall Special.

If you subscribe now with their Fall Special, you'll get

Almost 50% off the cover price for 2 years The current Fall issue as soon as it is ready

6 Bonus gifts

12 months of Teacher's Toolbox, which contains a FREE E-Book every month PLUS, the new E-Book, Homespun Holidays for FREE!

This is over $250 worth of product for only $39!!

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE NOW!!!!

HelpMe2Teach.com

    This is our 9^th year homeschooling our children. And every year, we wonder, where is it, we are going to find our curriculum. How is it the Lord will provide it this year.  And every year, while, I do go out and purchase some of what I need. Some of my curriculum, I never get around to “purchasing” because the Lord provides it in a different way. This year is no different.

 

  As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I have had the privilege to  begin to preview products, for the express purpose to review. The product I am about to review, I will honestly tell you, I probably would have never just purchased sight unseen. However, after spending, many hours, perusing the offerings of Helpme2teach.com, I am sold!

 

HelpMe2Teach.com is a subscription based search engine site. I know, it does not sound glamorous, and you may be thinking, I can just use good ole google. Let me tell you, they are not even in the same league.

 

Elaine at HelpMe2Teach.com, has 40 years teaching experience. She has turned that experience into this wonderful site. It has over 2000 prescreened websites. All of them are safe and relevant. Each entry has a code, letting you know what age the site is geared for. There are 4 possible categories. P= Primary ( Pre-K – Grade 2) ,  E = Elementary (Grades 2-5), S= Secondary ( Grades 6-12)  and T= Teacher or Supervising Student.  What a huge help! You are not wasting time on sites that are not appropriate for your kids. Also, since these sites are pre-screened, you can feel comfortable allowing your children to search on this site!  

 

On the front page of the website, it states that you can use this site for a full curriculum or just to supplement.  So I decided to search in that vain. I started to search with terms like, Grammar curriculum, and Reading curriculum, and continued through all the subjects, math, history, science, and even included Spanish. What I found was a plethora of sites that even to this seasoned, internet savvy homeschooler, who has found much of what is used in our homeschool on the net, I found new and different sites that I had never seen before.

 

During this search, I found, a site that had free downloadable books to help my struggling dyslexic reader. There are printable books and worksheets for the beginning reader.  I also found full grammar and spelling curriculum for grades 1-6 .   There are online games, ( that I have never seen before) for math, as well as worksheet generators.  I found a full curriculum for middle school and high school, covering US History, including 16 videos that go with it. And there was a wonderful world history site that would  be a wonderful resource.  There were also 2 sites that offered free Spanish Curriculum. While there was no one site for a complete free science curriculum, there were so many sites listed, with experiments and information on specific areas of interest. And even a site for virtual E field trips.  In addition, there are many pages to the teacher, on how to teach a certain subject. So if you are stuck, there is help!

 

 

You could easily use this site to design a curriculum for your children. And there is an added bonus that I think is a huge asset. Elaine, the designer of HelpYou2Teach.com, really has offered to be your research assistant. If you have purchased the 1 year subscription, and are going through her site, and you are not finding what you are looking for, simply use the “contact us” button and let her know. She will research that topic and will send you what she finds, as well as, then including it on the site for future homeschoolers. You can go on teaching your kids, while she is doing your foot work! Or should I say, your finger work! And she does this very quickly, and has proven this, by listening to other members of the homeschool crew and then finding and adding what they were looking for! What a blessing!

 

Now down to the brass tacks!  Pricing! There are 4 possible subscription options.  

1 yr = $29.95

3 months = $15.95

1 month = $9.95

 3 days = $4.95

 

If you are unsure, then by all means, use the 3 day subscription. You will get hooked, and want to sign on for more. However, Elaine is offering, a wonderful opportunity, to the readers of this review. When you subscribe for 1 year at $29.95, she will include a second year for free. Simply use coupon code TOS.   If you are able to you use even just one subject on this search engine, that will more than pay for itself.  And remember, if you subscribe for 1 year (and get one free), Elaine will be your research assistant for both of those years!

You can read what the rest of The Homeschool Crew is saying here   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/597840/

Have a Happy Homeschooling Day!!!!! 

 

TOS Fall Promotion, The Best One Yet!!!

 I just LOVE  The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.  I think it is by far the best homeschool

magazine out there.  It is unashamedly Christian!  And between it's covers you

will find such valuable information. So much so, that if your anything like me,

you will keep all of your copies for future reference.  I have even pulled an issue out

 from a couple of years ago, and read an article that was exactly what I needed that day!

Well, I wanted to tell you all about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Fall
Special. You can get two years of the magazine, 6 fabulous physical
gifts (no downloads!) worth over $120, plus the current issue of The
Old Schoolhouse Magazine that is full of ideas for the new school
year, so you start receiving your magazine in a flash!

It really is one of their best deals ever and you don't want to miss
out. In fact, they've got a really cute Homeschooling with Heart tote
bag (valued at $13.95) for the first 1000 to subscribe. About half of
them are gone, but you should still be able to get one if you hurry!
(They will remove the info from the subscription page when the bags
are all gone.) The total value is over $212, but you receive it all
for only $39 - 50% off of cover price! Plus subscribers get their
online monthly Teacher's Toolbox which focuses on a different topic
each month, giving you words of encouragement, hands-on teaching
ideas, book recommendations, field trip ideas, and a bonus download
item.

If you have been on the fence about subscribing, or if you are one of our

brand new homeschoolers, this is a wonderful time to take advantage of

this special.  You get so much "bang for your buck"!

For you new homeschoolers,  it is really encouraging to get this

magazine delivered to your doorstep.  When you are unsure of how

to do something, or need curriculum  ideas and reviews, or just to

 read about how other homeschoolers  are doing it, this is the place for that.

 

What to Do When You Fell Overwhelmed

 

Fall is upon us, and if we are not careful, we can become “weary in well doing”. Our planning for the upcoming year, should be done, and now it is time to put action to those plans. As our calendars fill up with class schedules, and field trip dates, and all the wonderful activities available, it would be easy to become overwhelmed, asking ourselves, “How will we get this all done?” Those thoughts are not of the Lord. We talked about "Worry and Fear? Or Fatih?" , in this entry I would like to look at what we should do when we are feeling overwhelmed.

 In Psalm 61:2 the bible says, “ From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” First and foremost when we are filled with that overwhelming feeling, we need to turn to the “Rock of our Salvation”, Jesus Christ. Below, you will find some ideas on how to keep on task, while finding comfort in our Lord.

 

Organized-   “Let all things be done decently and in order.”, 1 Cor 14:40. Know your priorities! Write them down, the Lord should always be first. Develop a system that works for you. We all remember the story of Martha and Mary.. Luke 10:40-42, Are you a Martha or a Mary? Focusing on the Lord, or focusing on the meaningless tasks. When we take our eyes off the Lord, that is when that cumbered feeling comes over us.

  

Visualize- Visualize your day, week, and month. Visualize the completion of the school year. Make a time line for larger projects. And work that timeline backwards. Start at the complete date, and work towards the start date. Being sure to create mini-deadlines along the way. Proverbs 29:18, “ Where there is no vision, the people perish: but her that keepeth the law, happy is he”.

Enlist Help and Realize Your Limits Really go hand in hand. - Acts 16:9, “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”  Delegate. Do you know your limits, remember, everyone has them. Don’t allow pride to get in the way of allowing someone to help. Pray! Allow the Lord to lead you, He will guide you to the perfect “helper”. Exodus 18:18, says “ Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: thou art not able to perform in thyself alone." 

Work a plan- II Kings 11:5-7, Ask yourself, Who?, What?, Where?, When? And then refer to that timeline you created and set goals. Reevaluate and adjust to keep yourself on target with the end goal.

 Hide God’s Word-  Psalm 119:24, “Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.” Choose your verses, memorize them, and claim them. There is nothing as comforting as being able to recall God’s promises from His Word, and to have them tucked away in your heart to depend on, and guide you , just when you may need it the most! God is so good that He will meet us, right where we are!

 

Everything Happens for a Reason-  Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” Learn from those errors. Ask the Lord, “What is it that you want me to learn from this?” and “ Help me Lord, to be wiser at the end of this”.

 

Learn How to Say NO!- Genesis 33:13, “And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them, all the flock will die”. Do you struggle with telling people no? One of the ways to do this is by letting people know, what you can do. Respond something like this, “ I can’t do ___, however, I can do_____. With that said, do not say no, when you do have the ability to be a blessing.

Meditate- Psalm 119:15, “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.” Take time to pray. Not only should we pray as we have needs, we need to have a designated time for prayer. Don’t let yourself get so busy working for God, that we are not spending time with God.

 

Engaged and Determined- These last two really do go together. If we are not engaged, how will we be determined? In I Thes 4:11, “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.” Are you spending too much time visiting? As homeschoolers, the phone and the internet, can be the biggest drain on our time. We need to eliminate our time wasters, in order to be determined and focused. Read II Tim 2:1-5, and then look at II Tim 4:7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” The Lord will bless our time, when we keep Him first in all things.

 

 

Worry and Fear? Or Faith?

In the world we live in today, it is easy to get carried away in our fears. With the falls of the banking institutions, with the stock market so volatile and even closer to home, the struggle to keep food on the table and gas in the cars and to pay the bills that are due. Not to mention, will we be able to keep educating our children at home, while living on the single income that most of us live on. With all of these very valid concerns, we can easily be consumed with what our future holds.

   Friends, we need not fear, in John 14:27 the bible says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not, your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” In 1 Kings 17, we are told of the widow woman Zarepath who sustained Elijah through the famine. We all know the story, the widow woman only had enough meal and oil to feed her and her son, just one meal, then they would eat and then die. And what was Elijah’s response? See in verse 13 it says, “And Elijah said unto her; Fear not; go and do as thou hast said, but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son” and it continues on in verse 14… “For thus saith the Lord God of Isarel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.” We know that the widow woman did just that, and we know that the Lord was faithful in His promises. However, what strikes me, is that the Lord did not just fill the barrel to the top with meal, nor did he just fill the cruse. Why is that, do you suppose?   He wants us to see that it is He that is providing for all of our needs. Every morning, when she went and scooped out the last handful of meal, and used that last bit of oil, she knew that meal had been provided by the Lord.  The Lord could put a million dollars in each of our bank accounts, if He wanted to. Though, He created us, He knows our nature. We would be come “self” centered, and “self” reliant. Or so we would think. We would lose sight, “that every good thing is a gift from above”. When you have to get down on your knees and pray in your next meal, or your next years curriculum, or for the bills to be paid, when those things are provided, it is clear, the Lord has met your needs.

 I think what Jesus says in Matthew 6 sums it up beautifully, verses 30-33… “ Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

 May the Lord bless you and your family, richly!

 

Do I Really Need All the Therapies the P.S. Offers Special Needs Kids??

Let's start with the fine print. This is not intended to be medical advice. Please check with your own healthcare providor to determine what is appropriate for your child.

Now, that that is out of the way. My oldest son was in the public school system from the age of 3 until I pulled him out at the end of 1st grade ( with two years in Kindergarten). So, we had experience with what the school systems will offer, if they decide to pay for therapy for spcial needs kids. And he got most of what is offered, speech, OT, PT,  and an educational one on one aide.

So, to seperate from the public school system and still give our son what he needs. That was a daunting task.  And I will admit to you, over the years  I have wondered, am I doing all that I can do for my son, is there anything else I can do for my son?

Well, the answer is yes I am doing all I can for my son. And the school system could not do it any better than I am. Yes I say that with great confidence. A few years back, I really was questioning what we were doing, so we took a few school tours. I took 2. One was the local school district. I was taken to the lower level classroom as well as the high functioning classroom. The two options I was offered.

He would not be able to function at the higher functioning class. So I was looking through the lower functioning class. Well, there was nothing in that classroom that I was not already in my home. I am talking about the resources they were using. I either had the exact same thing, or in my opinion a superior version of that same item. The difference would be that while he is at home, he is not stuck in a room with other children with learning disabilities, but rather he is being taught at his speed, with typical learning kids, and kids with some struggles ( his siblings).

At the other school we looked at, I must admit, if I were to ever need to send him to school, this would be the school I would want to send him to. However the cost is $25,000 a YEAR. I cannot pay for it, and the fight it would take to get a school district to pay for it.. I do not think I would win that one, not in this school district. But even with that school, lots of what they did, we did as well. But they were able to deliver those services far superior than the local school district.

But still at home we were addressing all of the same areas, with the same kinds of resources, if not exactly the same.

One last little story, before I tell you how we have addressed some of the ways we handled therapy. I had a friend who works with special needs kids in the local high school district, who said to me, why don't you put him in school, they will teach how to use the computer, and life skills. I told her that I can teach him the computer, and he is already learning life skills. And he is already out in the community doing community based learning.

Now, some of the ways we have addressed his needs are as follows, he has taken piano lessons for 5 years now. He is doing very well. He has to work very hard at it, but he has accomplished quite a bit and has performed before an audience at recitals which are held 2 times a year.

He took horseback riding lessons. This addressed PT needs as well as OT needs. This was not a developmental horse back riding program, but the same program his siblings were in. After a year, he was doing almost as well as his siblings, while riding. His posture is always difficult. But he really learned how to work his left and right brain simultaneously. And he was also able to groom the horse down to picking the shoes and putting the saddle on.

We also have him signed up in PE class.  He now goes twice a week. This is our 4th year of PE, it is great for him. Addressing all the PT needs he has. In fact after two weeks this year he has finally mastered how to do push ups correctly, his body was straight as a board, for the first time.

We also had him take Jujitsu, we signed him up for this class when the horsback riding classes ended. This was another way to address both the OT and PT needs.

One thing that is free that you can do as well, is take them to Home Depot or Lowes, whatever you have near you or both. Each one of them on 1 saturday a month has a day you can take your children to a clinic where they build something. They nail and sand and glue and follow step by step directions. A great way to get them working with their hands and they are having fun with mom or dad at the same time!!

As far as speech goes, we have addressed that ourselves at home. I have sat in enough speech sessions to know how to handle that. So I have continued and expanded where they left off.

Now I will say, if you have never had your kid evaluated, it would pay to have them evaluated to know where to focus your time and energy. There are places you can pay to have evaluations done.. one place I know of is www.ldhope.com

I have not used them, however I plan on using them when I need a new evaluation.

All of these things may not be available in your area, however I hope that these ideas will get you thinking outside the clinical therapy  unit when it comes to addressing the needs of our kids.

 

Happy Homeschooling!!

 

 

 

 

How in the World Can I Afford All of This????

In the community around me, I have heard rumblings of I can't homeschool, because I cannot afford curriculum. I can understand the sentiment, especially from someone who is new to homeschooling.

I am someone, who does not have a windfall of money to purchase curriculum. So I have to be creative. I have only purchased a "boxed" curriculum once in our 7 years of homeschooling. And even then I bought most of it used.

There are several ways we have been able to do this. For one, our first year of homeschooling, I knew a 1st grade teacher, who gave me all of her discards. I supplemented with the internet and a few small purchases. I tried to , whenever possible to purchase used. There are a whole host of used sites out there, not just ebay. One of my favorites is...

www.usedhomeschoolcurriculum.com

This one is run by a local ( to me) homeschool family.

I frequented yard sales, and always had my eye out, for good educational books. It is amazing how cheap they will sell educational books, because their children were not interested in them...

The local public library is a given, when you are on a tight budget. However, there are some years, getting to a library was difficult for us. Sometimes even that was out of reach for us.

So what I have done, is try to find things on the internet, that I could use to educate my kids. Also, when I did purchase, I did not want to purchase consumables, workbooks, etc.. because then I would have to keep buying those over and over. So I am more interested in something that can be used over and over.

I have purchased Ray's Arithmetic.

http://www.raysarithmetic.com/     this website is for a cd version for $59, however it can be used for years.

http://www.mottmedia.com/pages/publications.asp?Pub=rays  this website is for the printed version.  I purchased the whole set for $99. With 5 kids, and all the years oflearning we can use these for, I felt this was a wise investment.

I have come across some wonderful websites, that have lists and lists of things that you can do on the web to help you teach your children at no cost. If you are printing, then you will need to pay for ink and paper. I was blessed with a hand me down printer. It is about 10 years old, but it works!! It is a laserjet which is awesome, because you will not need to purchase ink nearly as often.  I had stopped printing altogether because of the cost of ink. I was just given this printer about 2 weeks ago.. and the amounts I have printed.. would have already run my ink out at least once.

I mentioned in my first post to the blog, that we are following Old Fashioned Education, loosely. Do check out her website

www.oldfashionededucation.com

Even if you do not follow her curriculum as she has designed it, there is a huge abmount of information there, and books that you can either read online ( for free) or print, on a myriad of subject matter.

This next website has a great list of free website items...

http://homeschool.withpurpose.com/

Now this is listed on at least on OFE, however I wanted to bring attention to the fact that Answers in Genesis,  has free curriculum on line for Jr High and High School age.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/cec/online_resources.asp

This link is also for AIG, however these are for videos of their speaker series. For Free.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/video/ondemand/

This is from Homeschool.com. They have a great list of freebies as well.

http://www.homeschool.com/Homeschool_Free_Curriculum/default.asp

Well, I think this is a good start of al lthe wonderful places you can get some quality curriculum for your learners!  Keep checking this space for more great sites!