Realistic Homeschool Schedule

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February 10, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 7 Comments

I struggled with *getting it all done* when the kids were young.

I thought I had to get up before the crack of dawn and read Bible devotionals and do high impact workouts before the kids woke up.

I wondered why I was so stressed and tired all the time.

My kids are 19, 14, 13, and 10 this year.

I would love to say that life’s a breeze now but that would be a lie.

I could paint a rosy picture of everyone being super independent and getting along 100% with all chores and work completed to excellence and in a timely manner all day, every day.

But that’s not reality for anyone.

Our schedules have evolved over the years:

I update my philosophy for homeschooling and living priorities frequently. I prefer relaxed, streamlined, stress-free to busy, rushing, and cluttered. I thrive with a slow schedule.

If a chore or assignment doesn’t get completed today, there’s always tomorrow. My kids don’t need harsh deadlines right now.

We clean what needs to be cleaned without a strict chore chart. We all live here and we all pitch in when we can. Some things get tidied almost daily and others weekly. Some things get forgotten until it’s embarrassing. I’ve made sure to encourage my kids to be helpers from a very young age and they almost always have great attitudes when asked to help with a task.

We all live here all day, every day. I won’t apologize when it seems most people who work full time and have their kids go to school have spotless homes because they’re never there and/or hire maids.

I like getting up when my body is ready and feeding the birds while I wait for my coffee. I enjoy the ease of snuggles on the sofa during read alouds every day. I don’t mind postponing dinner to look at sunset or the moon or because they don’t want to come inside just yet.

This is my mission field. This is my church.

I am raising life givers, world changers, lovers of nature and humanity, laughers at the impossible, greeters of the birdsong.

Our Realistic Schedule:

My eldest works a part time job at a local bank typically Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturday mornings. I drive her and sometimes pick her up for her lunch break and my husband or I pick her up when her shift is over.

She shares our VW Beetle, and my husband drives it to work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We also have a minivan for the family.

She takes college courses Tuesdays and Thursdays. She drives herself to class in the VW and my husband takes the minivan to work those days.

I don’t have access to a car those days. It works fine for us for now. I just schedule appointments and make sure to run errands and go grocery shopping Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.

Every weekday

My son and I usually get up around 8 AM.

I make a hot breakfast for my younger three kids.

I get the middle girls up.

My youngest daughter never wants to get out of bed. Her breakfast is usually cold by the time she comes downstairs, no matter how proactive my planning might be.

I unload the dishwasher and usually start a load of laundry. Doing a load of laundry every day keeps me on top of it. It’s mostly pajamas, loungewear, workout clothes, and my husband’s uniforms. I really don’t wash the towels and bedding as often as I should.

I plan dinner if it’s not already thought out and thawed.

After breakfast, I do read alouds – religion, history, literature, science, and Life of Fred math.

Then the kids individually work on their science, vocabulary workbooks, foreign language, notebooking pages.

I switch the laundry to the dryer. I catch up on writing and social media.

Lunchtime is usually leftovers or something quick and easy.

Afternoons (usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday) are reserved for errands, shopping, or finishing up school work. I help the kids with notebooking or maps.

When Dad gets home from work, he does the math lessons and reviews science and completes any demonstrations or experiments with the kids.

I often go on a walk (about 1.5 miles) in the evenings, before dark, so earlier in winter and later in summer. The kids and my husband sometimes accompany me.

We all eat a hot dinner together every night.

When it’s nice out, the kids play, ride bikes, roller blade, scooter, go to their friends’ houses in the neighborhood, play catch or scoops in the front yard. Otherwise and in addition to that, the kids read, play video games, watch shows after dinner.

Almost every night, I take an Epsom salt bath before bed – with chamomile tea. It’s me time.

Bedtime is usually around 10 PM. iPads are plugged in to charge in my bedroom and wifi is turned off at midnight so we sleep better.

Sundays

These are usually easy days. I have little responsibility on Sundays. We have a big breakfast and usually a nice relaxing dinner. When it’s nice out, we go on nature hikes. Some seasons, there are soccer or baseball games.

Mondays

I feel most productive on Mondays. I clear away the stress and mess of the weekend.

Tuesdays

This is our boring day. Nothing special and I’m ok with that.

Wednesdays

My husband takes our son to ninja lessons. Dinner is after that.

Thursdays

The two oldest girls have aerial gymnastics. Dinner is after that.

Fridays

Homemade pizza and movie night!

Saturdays

We don’t really have a weekend schedule. Saturdays are for yard work and big chores. Relaxing with movies if it’s rainy or very cold. Catching up with math and science and projects. There are sometimes baseball or soccer games during those seasons. We often like to grill and have a relaxed dinner.

I keep our schedule flexible so we don’t get overwhelmed.

I like having a lot of free time to be spontaneous like hiking in the woods near our backyard creek or baking brownies. We can go for a walk or watch a movie together.

I do not limit screentime or food. I make suggestions. I try to model healthy behavior. Some days, it’s a down day because someone doesn’t feel well or whatever. If someone tries to get a lot of junk food right before a meal time or bedtime, I ask if they think that’s a good idea. I also don’t buy a lot of junk food except on special occasions. If someone doesn’t like a meal or misses it due to an event, she is free to eat whatever they like afterwards.

We don’t stress over any academics because they will always get done one way or another. Academics aren’t the most important thing to me. I am not striving for my kids to get perfect scores on standardized tests or into the best college. Since we don’t follow a public school schedule, we don’t do grades or levels or testing, and my kids are happy.

I prefer to focus on guiding my kids in their critical thinking and being kind and loving to everyone.

We flow along with the seasons and I love watching my children grow and change as I guide them along with life and learning.

Linking up: Little Cottage, Kippi at Home, Create with Joy, Home Stories, Confessions, April Harris, LouLou Girls, Maryandering Creatively, Our Home, Mary Geisen, InstEncouragements, Purposeful Faith, Ducks in a Row, Grandmas Ideas, OMHGW, Worth Beyond Rubies, Soaring with Him, Welcome Heart, Gingersnap Crafts, Fluster Buster, Girlish Whims, Penny’s Passion, Katherine’s Corner, Apron Strings, Crystal Storms, Debbie Kitterman, CKK, Marilyn’s Treats, Try it Like it, Chic on a Shoestring, Answer is Choco, Simply Sweet Home, Della Devoted, Momfessionals, Pieced Pastimes, Fireman’s Wife, OMHGF, CWJ, Being a Wordsmith, Mostly Blogging,

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Homeschool Space in Texas

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January 25, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We began homeschooling in 2005, in San Antonio, Texas.

We didn’t have much of a clue what we were doing at that time and that ended up being the best thing!

We had no formal homeschooling space.

Liz used the kitchen table and a little plastic desk for a couple years to do workbooks and crafts.

We had an easel with a whiteboard on one side and a chalkboard on the other side.

We had a little aquarium on the other side of the half wall. Seamus the cat was always fascinated with it.

We had a little backyard garden.

We had lots of books. We spent most of our time on field trips, park days, playgrounds, libraries, running errands.

We cooked and cleaned and did chores. I sewed curtains and crafts with Liz.

I had two babies those two years in Texas, and Liz learned how to be a mama’s helpers with two new little sisters.

I love that we were actively living and learning the most during our first two years of homeschooling rather then the formality I explored for a few years. We went back to a more unschooling life as soon as a I knew better!

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Teaching Cinema History

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January 20, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 13 Comments

We live in an era of wonderful technology with streaming videos that I never imagined as a kid.

I look back on the history of movies and I am in awe of the imaginations and wonder and inventions that made it all possible.

I would spend my time after school and during summers watching classic films on AMC and TMC. I roamed Blockbuster and indie rental shops. I collected favorite films. I love having access to various films with streaming.

I love sharing my love of movies with my children.

There is a plethora of topics in film. It would take years to learn all the details, but I can outline a few that I discuss with my kids.

I like to watch movies like I read books. We discuss archetypes, themes, symbolism, method, theory.

Film is a great way to learn history, science, review literature, and enjoy science fiction and speculative fiction topics.

We often check out DVDs from the library. We stream movies and shows on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and Disney+. We also have a vast collection.

Cinema Topics Discussion:

McCarthyism and blacklisting during the anti-Communist hysteria of the 1950s.

How is the use of propaganda and advertising in film and video media used?

The Bechdel Test, or Bechdel–Wallace Test, is a measure of the representation of women in fiction. It asks whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the two women must be named is sometimes added.

The #MeToo Movement and Weinstein (and others) sexual assault cases.

Minority representation – race, gender, sexual orientation and stereotypes portrayed in film. We need to talk about how people are portrayed in film. Compare films from decades ago (and there’s sure to be another dang remake or reboot soon) and recent films. Did they improve their stereotypes or dialogue?

How is mental illness portrayed? Is it accurate, stereotyped, toned down, or acceptable?

How are villains idolized? Has the good vs. evil theme changed over the decades? Is it more gray or blurred now?

Censorship has evolved over the decades. Should films with questionable or offensive or outdated content be censored or unavailable?

Awards events are popular to watch, even if it’s just to see the red carpet costumes. Which movies are most represented and nominated for awards? Who are the sponsors, judges, announcers?

Cinema History

Early Cinema

In 1891, the Edison Company in the USA successfully demonstrated a prototype of the Kinetoscope, which enabled one person at a time to view moving pictures.

The first to present projected moving pictures to a paying audience were the Lumière brothers in December 1895 in Paris.

Silent Film Era

The work of Muybridge, Marey, and Le Prince laid the foundation for future development of motion picture cameras, projectors and transparent celluloid film, which lead to the development of cinema as we know it today. American inventor George Eastman, who had first manufactured photographic dry plates in 1878, made headway on a stable type of celluloid film in 1888 of sensitized paper roll photographic film (instead of metal or glass plates) and a convenient “Kodak” small box camera (a still camera) that used the roll film. He later further improved the paper roll film with his 1889 invention: perforated celluloid.

From the mid-1890s to the late 1920s, a pianist, theater organist—or even, in large cities, a small orchestra—would often play music to accompany the films.

Sound

The first feature-length movie incorporating synchronised dialogue, The Jazz Singer in 1927, used the Warner Brothers’ Vitaphone system, which employed a separate record disc with each reel of film for the sound.

Technicolor

The Technicolor process, perfected in 1932, originally used a beam-splitting optical cube, in combination with the camera lens, to expose three black-and-white films. Each image was captured simultaneously on a separate band of black-and-white film.

Hollywood

During the 1930s and 1940s, cinema was the principal form of popular entertainment in the USA and is considered The Golden Age.

The House Un-American Activities Committee investigated Hollywood in the early 1950s. This decade marked a “golden age” for non-English world cinema, especially in Asia. Television caused many film theatres to close.

The 1960s saw a rise in British and French film.

The production code was replaced in 1968 by the MPAA film rating system.

The 1970s saw an increasing popularity of the auteur theory, which assumes a film director’s films express their personal vision and creative insights. Also, a rise of West German cinema. Called the “post-classical” era, films from this decade are characterized by shady protagonists, endings with a twist and flashbacks. Adult cinemas also were popular, but died out in the 1980s when the VCR allowed home viewing.

Bollywood was coined for the growing Hindi film industry in Mumbai that dominates South Asian cinema. Hindi filmmakers combined the Hollywood musical formula with the conventions of ancient Indian theatre to create a new film genre called “Masala.” These films portray action, comedy, drama, romance, and melodrama all at once, with “filmi” song and dance routines thrown in.

The 1980s saw the rise of Hong Kong action cinema and huge blockbuster Hollywood hits.

First British multiplex at Milton Keynes in 1985. The rise of the multiplex cinema did not allow fewer mainstream films to be shown, but allowed major blockbusters to get an even greater number of screenings. Films that were overlooked in cinemas were increasingly being given a second chance on home video.

The 1990s saw popularity in indie film to finance and produce non-mainstream fare. Special effects films were spectacular. DVDs replaced VCRs for home viewing media.

The 2000s saw increasing globalization of cinema.

After 2010, the largest film industries by number of feature films produced were those of India, the United States, China, Nigeria and Japan.

3D and IMAX

3D films have existed in some form since 1915. The earliest confirmed 3D film shown to an out-of-house audience was The Power of Love, which premiered at the Ambassador Hotel Theater in Los Angeles on September 27, 1922.

The standard for shooting live-action films in 3D involves using two cameras mounted so that their lenses are about as far apart from each other as the average pair of human eyes, recording two separate images for both the left eye and the right eye.

The first IMAX cinema projection standards were developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Canada. The IMAX film standard uses 70 mm film run through the projector horizontally.

3D films were prominently featured in the 1950s in American cinema, and later experienced a worldwide resurgence in the 1980s and 1990s driven by IMAX high-end theaters and Disney-themed venues.

Animation

Wow, this is a whole other unit study. My youngest daughter is fascinated by animation and we love learning about it.

Timeline:

Shadow play
Magic Lantern
Mechanics
Stop Motion
Traditional
Silent
Sound
Cartoons
Feature films
TV

I want my kids to have a wide range of knowledge of cartoons in all their joy. They’ve watched all the stuff I watched as a kid. We really love Anime like Studio Ghibli and how gorgeous the drawings are.

Television/Cable/Satellite

Television networks are in control of the most valuable prime time slots available for programming, so syndicators of independent television films have to settle for fewer television markets and less desirable time periods. This means much smaller advertising revenues and license fees compared with network-supplied programming.

Cable television originated in the United States almost simultaneously in Arkansas, Oregon and Pennsylvania in 1948 to enhance poor reception of over-the-air television signals in mountainous or geographically remote areas.

By 1952, 70 “cable” systems served 14,000 subscribers nationwide.

By 1962, almost 800 cable systems serving 850,000 subscribers were in business.

In 1972, Charles Dolan and Gerald Levin of Sterling Manhattan Cable launched the nation’s first pay-TV network, Home Box Office (HBO). This venture led to the creation of a national satellite distribution system that used a newly approved domestic satellite transmission. Satellites changed the business dramatically, paving the way for the explosive growth of program networks.

Deregulation provided by the 1984 Act had a strong positive effect on the rapid growth of cable services. From 1984 through 1992, the industry spent more than $15 billion on the wiring of America, and billions more on program development. This was the largest private construction project since World War II.

In 1998, America On-Line moved on an historic merger with Time Warner and its cable properties to form AOL Time Warner.

In 2001, AT&T agreed to fold its cable systems with those of Comcast Corp., creating the largest ever cable operator with more than 22 million customers.

The digital TV transition leapt forward in 2003, as substantial gains were made in the deployment of High-Definition Television (HDTV), Video-on-Demand (VOD), digital cable, and other advanced services.

Cable Operators have reinvented television, creating TV that goes where customers go. Wherever you are, on whatever device you choose.

VCR/DVD/Streaming

The first VCR player was developed by the Ampex Corporation – VRX-1000 in 1956.

The first DVD player was the Toshiba SD-3000. It was first released over in Japan November, 1996, and was crazy expensive.

“Streaming” was applied in the early 1990s as a better description for video on demand and later live video on IP networks. It was first done by Starlight Networks for video streaming and Real Networks for audio streaming.

It’s amazing how technology has changed and how much movies mean to us throughout history.

Fave directors:

Alfred Hitchcock
Stanley Kubrick
Ridley Scott
John Carpenter
Sam Raimi
Tim Burton
George Lucas
Steven Spielberg
Robert Zemeckis
Jane Campion
Yimou Zhang
Jordan Peele

Resources:

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Linking up: Anita Ojeda, Little Cottage, Mostly Blogging, Kippi at Home, April Harris, Home Stories, Confessions, LouLou Girls, Purposeful Faith, Mary Geisen, InstEncouragements, Our Home, Happiness is Homemade, Over the Moon, Our Three Peas, Soaring with Him, Worth Beyond Rubies, Ridge Haven, My Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Ginger Snap Crafts, Ducks in a Row, Penny’s Passion, Apron Strings, Debbie Kitterman, CKK, TFT, Imparting Grace, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Crystal Storms, Answer is Choco, Simply Sweet Home, Della Devoted, Momfessionals, Grandma Ideas, Lyli Dunbar, Pieced Pastimes, Fireman’s Wife, OMHGF, CWJ, Being a Wordsmith, Create with Joy,

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A Mother’s Résumé

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October 28, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 16 Comments

I haven’t worked at a “real job” for at least a dozen years.

It’s frustrating that introductory small talk still focuses on “What do you do?” and is disdainful or even scornful of motherhood as a vocation. People even dare ask or mention that my education was a waste. It’s like my only worth is in a salary or job for pay outside my home.

These microaggressions don’t endear me to people whom I’ve just met. They dismiss me as unimportant because I don’t have a salary and it’s so frustrating.

Motherhood isn’t valued in American culture. Homeschooling is still considered weird.

There’s little purpose to keeping up my LinkedIn profile.

I can’t imagine going back to teach at any school, at any level. I sometimes miss the classroom, but the hassles and negatives don’t outweigh the few positives. I don’t have current state certification and I don’t have any desire to jump through hoops to recertify.

If you hired someone to do the work of maintaining a household, especially if you have children, the cost would be approximately $ 90,000 a year. This is what a “traditional” at-home spouse would get paid today to clean the house, be a personal shopper and personal assistant, run errands, and take care of the children.
Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman, Ph.D., Julie Schwartz Gottman Ph.D., Doug Abrams, Rachel Carlton Abrams M.D.,

Things You Didn’t Put on Your Résumé

How often you got up in the middle of the night
when one of your children had a bad dream,

and sometimes you woke because you thought
you heard a cry but they were all sleeping,

so you stood in the moonlight just listening
to their breathing, and you didn’t mention

that you were an expert at putting toothpaste
on tiny toothbrushes and bending down to wiggle

the toothbrush ten times on each tooth while
you sang the words to songs from Annie, and

who would suspect that you know the fingerings
to the songs in the first four books of the Suzuki

Violin Method and that you can do the voices
of Pooh and Piglet especially well, though

your absolute favorite thing to read out loud is
Bedtime for Frances and that you picked

up your way of reading it from Glynis Johns,
and it is, now that you think of it, rather impressive

that you read all of Narnia and all of the Ring Trilogy
(and others too many to mention here) to them

before they went to bed and on the way out to
Yellowstone, which is another thing you don’t put

on the résumé: how you took them to the ocean
and the mountains and brought them safely home.

~Joyce Sutphen

As a mother for the past 19 years, I can attest to having quite an impressive work history and specific skill set.

The mental workload of being a mother far outweighs any “job” I’ve ever had.

As a teacher in various school and classroom environments, then as a homeschool educator for the last 15 years, I honed my expertise by focusing on my students’ unique needs.

As a military spouse, I retained my skills and honed a lot of new ones over the last decade and a half.

There are no gaps in my work history. I worked constantly, year-round, daily, overnights, with no vacation days, through sickness and injury, and during two deployments with no assistance or support.

Experience

Director of Child Development

$39,744 average annual salary

Oversee social, academic, and emotional development of students from birth until adulthood
Develop educational programs and standards
Design program plans, oversee daily activities, and prepare budget for activities and curriculum
Support gross and fine motor skills
Maintain instructional excellence

Educational Leadership

$88,390 average annual salary

Knowledge of pedagogy and methodology
Relationship building
Continuing education in field regarding trends, concerns, issues
Global mindset
Plan cross-curricular lessons for various ages, abilities, interests
Conflict resolution
Extensive library
Use of technology
Personalize feedback on student assignments
Advise students regarding academic courses and career opportunities
Encourage students to present their views and participate in discussion
Share personal experiences and values
Record keeping

Project Management

$134,182 average annual salary

Initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria at the specified time.
Establish expectations
Be proactive
Organization
Risk management
Delegation
Teamwork
Growth Mindset

Life Coach

$46,678 average annual salary

Discuss needs and goals
Develop strategies and plans
Keep records of progress
Evaluation
Adjust goal strategies as needed
Assist manage stress and increase productivity
Excellent listening and questioning skills
Confidence to challenge in a caring way
Support goal-setting, personal growth, and behavior modification

Domestic Engineer

$59,496 average annual salary

Oversee operations of all systems and procedures
Budget for and allocated appropriate expenditures
Delegate operational tasks to promote equal labor division
Maintain cleanliness and sanitation of all work, play, and living areas
Food purchasing, preparation, and storage
Multi-tasking
Home economics
Laundry expertise
Basic mending ability by hand and sewing machine
Organization and efficiency

Religious Advisor

$58,130 average annual salary

Education about religion and faith through various books, activities, social justice, music, tradition, travel
Evolve faith through experience and learning
Help understand spirituality to promote peace, healing, and union with God and others
sensitivity, empathy, and understanding
Ensure proper growth and relational development
Spiritual counsel and advice
Meet their spiritual, emotional, and relational goals
Meditation and contemplation

Protocol Officer

$71,135 average annual salary

Research traditions and customs
Distinguish between time-honored tradition and mindless repetition
Knowledge of preferences and customs of each person
Prioritize welcome and respect
Educate daily on etiquette and customs for various situations
Minimize or eliminate any opportunity for embarrassment or offense
Establish and enforce consistency using logic
Develop itineraries and agendas
Identify security risks and create safety plans

Travel and Event Planner

$41,873 average annual salary

Research, suggest, and decide where to go, methods of transportation, car rentals, hotel accommodations, tours, and attractions
Advise about weather conditions, local customs, attractions, necessary documents, and currency exchange rates
Visualization
Organization and planning
Plan and execute ceremonies and special events

Budget Analyst

$71,590 average annual salary

Manage family finances, analyze and prepare monthly expenditures
Estimate future financial needs
Research of domestic economic and spending trends
Develop projections based on past economic and spending trends
Technical analysis, monitoring spending for deviations, and preparing monthly and annual reports
Analyze investments and their market performance
Education about financial terms, issues, trends, economic history

Historian

$55,800 average annual salary

Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance
Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as collect data sources such as books, pamphlets, and periodicals
Thorough investigative and research skills
Analyze and interpret information
Interest in human behaviour, culture and society
Enquiring mind

Personal Stylist

$50,346 average annual salary

Attention to detail
Analytical mind
Problem-solving ability
Knowledge of fabrics, colors, seasonal items, accessories, etiquette
Knowledge brands, designs, trends

Personal Chef

$62,282 average annual salary

Customize unique meal and snack plans
Skilled at recognizing flavors and judging the balance of seasonings
Knowledge of kitchen tools and appliances and their uses
Procure and organize various recipes
Shop for all groceries within budget
Prepare the meal in a timely manner
Clean up the kitchen to excellent standards
Store leftovers promptly

Chauffeur

$22,440 average annual salary

Transport people to various activities in a safe and timely manner
Stock vehicles with amenities
Keep vehicles shiny and clean
Vehicle maintenance and repair

Waste Management

$64,000 average annual salary

Plan, implement, and coordinate comprehensive waste systems designed to maximize waste prevention, reuse, and recycling opportunities.
Evaluate the success of plans and make changes as necessary.
Minimize the impact of waste to protect the environment.

Plumber

$50,620 average annual salary

Unclog sink drains and pipes as needed
Replace salt in home water softener
Humidify and/or dehumidify the air in home
Repair water supply lines, waste disposal systems, and related appliances and fixtures

Special Skills

Good at untying knots
Feeding picky children and spouse
Finder of lost things
Making shoddy rental houses comfy and homey
Empath
Introvert
Comforter
Creativity
Innovation
Initiative
Time management
Stress management
Interpersonal relationships
Excellent verbal and written communication

Research

I can research anything. I enjoy researching. I loved researching literary, psychological, and educational analyses in university – and all the details of citing the sources properly. I can find anything on Google. Over time, I just have learned the best keywords for a search. I can find the best whatever we’re looking for in minutes, before we move to a new base or city. I research what we’re learning about in our homeschool and design my own curriculum.

Frugal

We have learned to thrive with one income. We’ve learned to survive with one vehicle. I’ve worked with very tight budgets as we’ve raised and homeschooled four kids all over. We focus on eating well and traveling and living life to the fullest. We’re investing for the future with 529s, IRAs, mutual funds, life insurance, and retirement plans. We’re paying down debt.

Multitasking

I can do it all and do it well. When life gets hectic, I’m in charge to streamline everything. I have a great memory and seldom get sidetracked for long.

Adaptable

Things change. We’ve received written orders that have changed last minute. We had to cancel plans to travel on vacation in order to PCS. We’ve had extensions fall through. We’ve experienced deployments. I have to stay flexible. I have to be strong for my kids.

Critical Thinking

I don’t want my kids just to regurgitate information and blindly obey. I want them to know right from wrong and question everything – me, tradition, reality, authority – why? why? WHY?

Observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and decision making

Understand the logical connections between ideas.
Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.
Recognise, build, and appraise arguments.
Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.
Approach problems in a consistent and systematic way.
Reflect on the justification of their own assumptions, beliefs, and values.

Education

M.Ed. secondary English education, gifted endorsement

B.A. English literature with minor in psychology, cum laude

Summary

As a military spouse, I have some unique skills.

I may have developed these abilities anyway.

But my life is very different than it could have been because I married an Air Force officer, my dad retired from the Army Reserves, and both my parents worked as GS employees since forever.

Being a military spouse can be like having a full-time job. Much of the expertise I’ve developed over the years are highly transferable and marketable in the workforce.

All in different seasons and different bases, I have worked outside the house, stayed at home, worked from home, and considered going back to school. I have a master’s degree in education, so that’s essentially an expensive piece of paper at this point since I don’t want to go back to teach in a school.

Every day, I develop and further solidify impressive marketable life experience just by supporting my active duty husband, being a stay-at-home mom, and homeschooling my kids.

I may not have an impressive résumé or curriculum vitae, but I know what my abilities are.

My worth is not only in what I do. My value is not in the income I bring or don’t bring into our household. As a wife, mother, and homeschooler, I have intrinsic value in the efficiency of my household management.

The TRUTH about the military spouse job search.

There’s little to no personal fulfillment.

Linking up: Kingdom Bloggers, Anita Ojeda, Welcome Heart, Little Cottage, Mostly Blogging, Flour Me with Love, Kippi at Home, Twinkly Tuesday, Home Stories, April Harris, Modest Mom, Mary Geisen, Purposeful Faith, MaryAndering Creatively, Abounding Love, LouLou Girls, Uncommon Suburbia, Sarah Frazer, OMHGW, Anchored Abode, Soaring with Him, Wise Woman, InstaEncouragements, Ridge Haven Homestead, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Gingersnap Crafts, Home Away, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Penny’s Passion, Apron Strings, Crystal Storms, Debbie Kitterman, CKK, TFT, Marilyn’s Treats, Answer is Choco, Quiet Homemaker, Simply Sweet Home, Della Devoted, Momfessionals, Grandma’s Ideas, Lyli Dunbar, Counting My Blessings, Pieced Pastimes, Fireman’s Wife, CWJ, OMHGF, Life with Lorelai, Create with Joy,

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Our Curriculum for 2019-2020

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July 24, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

I have reached the apex of homeschooling where my kids are pretty much independent learners!

I highly recommend the books by Louise Bates Ames. A good guide to follow are the What Your ?-Grader Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.

I don’t have little kids anymore!

More and more, I just stand back in awe and watch them create and perform.

We love learning and exploring together!

My eldest daughter is 18 and beginning her first official year of college! She has a part time job as a bank teller.

My middle girls are doing 8th grade work.

Tori is 13 and doing Greek 2 and Katie is 12 and is continuing German.

We’re looking into private art lessons for Katie. She does fall soccer. She loves to cook and draw and create.

Tori practices weekly aerial arts at a local gym.

Apologia Biology and journals
finishing Singapore Math: New Elementary Math Syllabus D, Level 1
maybe Singapore Math: New Elementary Math Syllabus D, Level 2
VideoText Algebra
Spelling Workout H
Life of Fred: Fractions, then Decimals and Percents

My son is doing 5th grade work.

Alex is 9 and does fall and spring baseball and weekly ninja classes. He won 3rd place recently in a ninja competition!

Apologia Anatomy and journal
Singapore Math 5
Life of Fred: Fractions, then Decimals and Percents
Spelling Workout C
Studying God’s Word E
Latina Christiana I

We’re in year 4 of our history cycle.

We still do lots of morning read alouds together for Bible, church history, natural history, Life of Fred, world and American history, and literature.

I can’t believe how time has flown!

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Schedule with Teens

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July 23, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 10 Comments

Life has seemed to slow down lots now that my kids are older.

When the kids were little, it seemed like I constantly ran, was perpetually exhausted.

It’s so much easier now. But sometimes, it seems so difficult too.

We protect our time and space for peace.

Each child has only one or two activities so we’re not overscheduled.

My eldest daughter is starting college and does private art lessons.

My middle daughter practices aerial gymnastics and makes jewelry.

My youngest daughter does fall soccer and art lessons.

My son does fall and spring baseball and weekly ninja classes. He’s not quite a teen yet, but he’s sure not my little boy anymore.

They’re all so independent now. Time slips through my fingers.

I try to wake up early to make a hot breakfast, clean the kitchen, start laundry, get my writing completed for the day.

Bedtime is often haphazard. There is seldom snuggling, stories, and prayers anymore. Often, we still do reading and devotions after dinner on the sofas after evenings walks and before wind down. But something definitely is lost and I miss it.

I try really hard to do tuck-ins but it’s often spurned these days. I’m often ready for bedtime and sleeptime before they are.

The best times are when we gather to listen to owls or tree frogs, watch for backyard bats, notice the moon and stars and clouds, have a heron sighting, taste a fresh tomato and herbs that we grew, go giddy over first snowflakes, rolling thunder, the smell of rain on a hot summer day, the intricacies of a perfectly formed veiny golden leaf or butterfly.

I refuse to curate perfection for social media or have a showroom house.

I refuse to give up ties to Nature.

We cycle with the seasons.

We seldom set alarm clocks. We’re not rushed. We flow.

There are some things we do year-round for continuity.

It’s just good to be flexible.

Our Schedule with Teens:

In summer, we’re at play.

We sleep late, stay up late with the sunshine.

We eat breakfast or brunch whenever we get up, usually between 8 and 9. The kids pack themselves picnic lunches and hike into the woods. We have family dinners outside on the deck if it’s cool enough.

We catch up on Netflix shows.

We enjoy observing the hummingbirds and woodpeckers and other critters that come to our backyard feeders.

The kids often swim down the street with their friend at his pool. We play with water balloons and water guns.

They go on bike rides or rollerblading.

Boredom is a good thing and sparks imagination and creativity.

We look at the night sky. We watch thunderstorms.

I want to teach them a lifetime of wonder.

In fall, we begin a new school cycle.

We read together every morning after breakfast.

They complete their lessons and have the afternoons mostly to themselves to do what they want.

We cook more with cooler weather. It’s fun trying new recipes.

We go on nature hikes to look at leaves.

Learning is a lifestyle for us, but we are more focused and scheduled in fall and winter.

Family dinners are often rushed, later, or on the go with soccer and baseball season.

We enjoy celebrating the harvest festivals. Fall is a magical time.

In winter, we’re at rest.

While the world seems to go to sleep and become dormant, we snuggle up indoors with candles and blankets.

We read more and watch educational shows.

We practice Hygge.

We still go outside on walks to look at nature changes.

We make soups and stews and bake a lot.

Family dinners are more of an event. We have the time to be more elaborate.

We celebrate feasts and festivals.

In spring, we awaken.

We stretch towards the warm sun like flowers blooming after the winter.

We’re finishing up our school lessons for the year.

We look forward to summer while we watch the world wake up and be reborn.

We greet each new bud and shade of green with awe and joy.

We’re ready for playtime again.

How does your family flow?

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Teaching Kids About Money

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July 1, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 9 Comments

I’ve always talked openly to my children about money.

It never occurred to me to be any other way. My parents were open with me and I learned so much as a teenager, sitting in on their meetings with financial advisors, housing brokers, and bankers.

My husband’s family did not discuss finances and it shows.

It’s important that I actively teach my kids about finances.

State and federal salaries are public knowledge, so I’ve always been open with my kids about what we have, how we save, investing, and spending.

While I don’t necessarily expect them to maintain all my values explicitly, I want them to have the knowledge to make wise money decisions.

How I Teach My Kids About Money

Value

From as early as they express interest or show readiness, I teach about value.

Value isn’t just monetary worth. It’s the regard it is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.

I hold certain things with very high value that others do not. It’s about priorities.

When my kids accompany me while shopping, I constantly point out value to them, why we buy this item instead of that item. I’m not brand loyal, except for a very few items that have proven quality.

It’s important the kids assist me while shopping and conversations often come up about our purchases and shopping trends.

When our toaster went belly-up, I researched a good replacement instead of just ordering one or rushing out to the store to purchase what was in stock.

We also discuss waste and limits. We eat leftovers. We prefer sustainability practices.

As my kids grow, they will develop their own priorities and set their own value to goods and services.

Quality is better than quantity.

Saving

My parents opened savings accounts for each of our children when they were born.

We encourage our children to contribute to their savings when they’re older and start working part-time jobs.

We explain the importance of having some liquid emergency savings for contingency.

We teach about investments. We teach about insurance.

We have 529s for our children for higher education. We have IRAs and mutual funds for retirement.

Pay yourself first.

Giving

Philanthropy is important.

I believe being generous should be a life goal.

While we are not wealthy by any standard, we donate often to charities with our funds and handmedowns.

We look for needs to fulfill. We don’t expect recognition or thanks.

Giving is more than just offering money. It’s a way of life, an attitude. Generosity of spirit.

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ― John Bunyan

Spending

Many think spending is the easy part of money management.

After monthly bills are paid, investments funded, savings bumped, what is left over?

Sometimes, it’s not much.

I have a spending plan instead of a strict budget. We shop for groceries every week and clothing and miscellaneous as needed.

As my children get older and acquire their own money from gifts or small jobs, they learn how to spend it on items they want. They also learn about sales tax.

When teens get their first part time job, they learn first-hand about taxes and other deductions.

I recently had to have a conversation with my eldest about what she termed “our money troubles.” When I was confused, she explained she didn’t want to burden us financially. I was still confused. She asked why I always said we didn’t have any money.

When I say I don’t have the money, I mean that we have prioritized saving and investing over instant gratification.

I can afford almost anything.

I have the ability to accept risk of credit and debt, but I choose not to, so to me, that means I don’t have the cash money to buy something I consider frivolous or valueless.

I choose to make different financial decisions based on what I value. And I choose not to incur further debt.

Instead of buying another car, we are choosing to share vehicles right now.

Instead of choosing to travel or vacation, we are staying close to home and occasionally go on day trips nearby.

Opportunity Cost

It’s important to learn and teach the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen.

For instance, if my son wants to buy YuGioh cards with his birthday money, he can’t buy the BeyBlades. He has to make a choice.

I make harder choices all the time.

We batten down the hatches and get very frugal if an emergency comes up, like a car repair or pet surgery. We like to pay cash and not use credit cards whenever possible.

If I choose to get takeout for dinner one busy night, we have to eat home-cooked meals and clean out the freezer and pantry the rest of the pay period. It sometimes requires creativity.

We often wait for the hit movie to go to online streaming (even if we pay $5 to rent it) instead of paying so much for 6 of us to see it in the theater.

If my daughter needs new shoes, I wait to buy myself something, even if I “need” it.

It’s really important to learn the difference between needs and wants in our consumer post-capitalism society.

We discuss propaganda, marketing, and advertising. We discuss ads on social media and games.

I’m always last. I go without so they can have abundance.

Allowance or Commission

I don’t give my kids an allowance.

No one gives me an allowance.

We all complete chores that makes our household run smoothly.

Allowances aren’t natural. Commissions for small jobs work better and teach financial lessons.

My kids often ask if there’s some special task they can complete for some spending money and I almost always oblige.

Many banks offer teen debit cards that help them to learn how banking works. My kids all had savings accounts from birth and they added checking accounts when they began working part-time.

Often, I create little jobs they can do for a few dollars so they learn the value of working for pay. If they don’t do a good job, they don’t get paid. Sometimes, they have to go back over their work to do it well.

Debt

Living as a middle class American, we grew up thinking and believing that debt is just a part of life.

We live in an instant gratification disposable society. Advertisements are everywhere, affecting our emotions by telling us we aren’t good if we don’t have the newest smartphone, car, clothes, or toys.

Debt is a risk many accept as being a normal and expected part of our society.

Debt can also be slavery and devastating during financial downturns.

I actively teach my children that debt is typically bad in most, if not all, circumstances.

I know few people who are able to pay cash for cars or houses.

But we know many people who would be bankrupt or even homeless within a month if all their debt was called in or they lost their jobs.

I don’t believe in using credit cards except in emergencies.

Credit cards are ways to help teens and young adults gain credit, but they must be monitored well and paid off each month.

I don’t believe in student loans for college.

We have one car loan and one credit card. We are paying off a consolidation loan.

I teach my kids that by using loans and credit cards, you are paying twice.

You can’t pray debt away. I don’t buy into the prosperity gospel at all.

Personal Financial Goals

Everyone develops his or her own financial goals based on priorities, past history, income, and interests.

We choose to invest for our future.

We limit our instant gratification. It’s easier sometimes since we move around so frequently and can’t justify buying things just to sell them if we can’t take them with us.

We choose to travel rather than buy frivolous gifts, usually.

I choose to buy cut flowers every week to brighten my dining room. It’s something that makes me happy and I value that.

My kids seldom ask for things when we go shopping. When they do, it’s something super practical or for all of us. They understand the difference between needs and wants. They seldom ask to eat out.

I choose to buy the best quality food and cook most things from scratch because I enjoy it and it’s healthier for us. Yes, it costs more than beans, rice, ground meat. But we seldom eat out – which does cost a whole lot for a family of 6.

An acquaintance lives in a house valued at a $half million. Then I learned they haven’t invested anything for their kids’ college or for retirement. They just spend everything.

How do you teach your kids about value?

What are your financial goals?

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Linking up: Kingdom Bloggers, Welcome Heart, Anita Ojeda, Pinventures, LouLou Girls, April Harris, Home Stories, Purposeful Faith, MaryAndering Creatively, Mary Geisen, Meghan Weyerbacher, Modest Mom, Uncommon Suburbia, Our Three Peas, Gingersnap Crafts, Grandmas Ideas, Sarah Frazer, Life Abundant, OMHG, Anchored Abode, Soaring with Him, 2Dishing Divas, Life with Lorelai, Quiet Homemaker, Chic on a Shoestring, Anna Nuttall, Answer is Choco, Mommynificent, Simply Sweet Home, Della Devoted, Momfessionals, Fireman’s Wife, CWJ, Apron Strings, Susan Mead, Counting My Blessings, Rachel Lee, Create with Joy,

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Year 2 History Resources

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June 17, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 7 Comments

Year 2 History: Middle Ages and Renaissance Times

It becomes really fascinating when you study world history chronologically and see how interconnected everything is, all the causes and effects.

We use Tapestry of Grace for book lists, but I also peruse Ambleside Online and other lists for a well-rounded history curriculum. I want all sides and perspectives.

We use this spine history text as a guide, especially for my younger three kids: The Story of the World: The Middle Ages: From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance.

I go to the library about every week and get what I can.

I shop thrift stores, yard sales, half-price and used bookstores to get books we love to read again and again.

Other books we use throughout our history studies – over several years, when it applies to our time period:

This Country of Ours by HE Marshall
Our Island Story by HE Marshall
The Struggle for Sea Power by MB Synge
Magic Treehouse
If You Grew Up…
American Girl Collection and Real Stories From My Time
The Royal Diaries
Dear America

We love Netflix and Amazon Prime for streaming. We sometimes view YouTube.

Famous Men of the Middle Ages is a good read this year.

Monks and Mystics is good church history.

See how we do history.

Year 1

Year 3

Year 4

I am trying to teach real history, from every perspective. I want my children to understand that the winners wrote most of the history I learned. I love learning along with my kids and opening my mind to new ideas.

I want to learn and teach my kids about accurate events and stories involving colonization, racism, religion, and war.

I’ve read these books to help me educate myself:

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen

A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn

It’s my job to teach my kids Truth and sometimes it’s really hard to face it and learn alongside my kids the issues my parents, public school teachers, and curriculum conveniently left out.

The Middle Ages and Renaissance time periods are fascinating and so many ideas during this time set the stage for our modern governments, literature, arts, and way of life.

We focus on exploration, colonizing, slavery, church missions and how European white supremacy created the world we are trying to salvage.

Unit 1: The Fall of Rome and Medieval Asia

History

Topics:

The Fall of Rome

Celts

St. Augustine

Byzantine Empire

Medieval Indian Empire

Hindu

Buddhism

Islam

Medieval China

Genghis Khan

Medieval Japan

Samurai

Medieval Oceania

Books:

Across a Dark and Wild Sea

Augustine, the Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste

Calligraphy by Fiona Campbell

The Story of Writing and Printing by Anna Baneri

I am Eastern Orthodox

Let’s Take a Walk through the Orthodox Church

Piece by Piece: Mosaics of the Ancient World

Step-by-Step Mosaics

The World My Church

Places of Worship in the Middle Ages

In the Heart of the Village: The World of the Indian Banyan Tree

Snake Charmer

The Usborne Book of World Religions

Muslim Mosque: Places of Worship

Mosque by David Macaulay (like City and Cathedral)

Empress of China

The Grand Canal of China

Heroes: Great Men Through the Ages

Heroines: Great Women Through the Ages

A Samurai Castle

The Great Wall of China by Leonard Everett Fischer

Literature

Beowulf (I love Seamus Heaney’s translation)

Augustine Came to Kent

The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica

The Man Who Loved Books

Marguerite Makes a Book

Moonlight Kite

Otto of the Silver Hand

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

The Last Snake in Ireland

The Abbot and I: As Told By Josie the Cat

How the Monastery Came to Be on the Top of the Mountain

The King’s Chessboard

Once a Mouse…

The Prince who Became a Beggar

The River Goddess: A Hindu Tale

Ali, Child of the Desert

Hosni the Dreamer

The Tale of Aladdin

Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac

The Legend of the Kite

The Lord of the Cranes

Maples in the Mist

The Warlord’s Puzzle (There’s a whole series!)

Cool Melons-Turn to Frogs!

A Carp for Kimiko

The Bee and the Dream

The Boy who Drew Cats

The Crane Wife

In the Moonlight Mist

Kongi and Potgi

Little Oh

Mr. Pak Buys a Story

The Rabbit’s Judgement

The Seven Gods of Luck

Sir Whong and the Golden Pig

The Sun Girl and the Moon Boy

Yoshi’s Feast

Animal Dreaming

Dingoes at Dinnertime

The Drums of Noto Hanto

The Inch-High Samurai

The Samurai’s Daughter

Sword of the Samurai

Three Samurai Cats

Fa Mulan by San Souci

The Hunter by Mary Casanova

The Legend of Mulan by Wei Jiang

Liang and the Magic Paintbrush

The Master Swordsman and the Magic Doorway

The Paper Dragon

Beautiful Warrior

Bitter Dumplings

The Donkey and the Rock

The Dragon Prince

The Emperor and the Kite

Kat and the Emperor’s’ Gift

The Weaving of a Dream

Activities

Music from this period

Art from this period

Visit museums

Make your own book

Calligraphy

Quill and ink

Illumination – see our project

See our St. Patrick Unit and Ireland Unit Study

See My St. Nicholas unit

Sand art – see our project

Weave cloth

Eat with chopsticks

Make or go out for Indian, Chinese, Japanese food

String block printing

Origami

Make a kite

Compose haiku

Make poppycock or Bombay mix as a snack

Learn to use a boomerang

Make a paper lantern

Church History

The Church: Life in the Middle Ages

How the Bible Came to Us

Movies

Unit 2: Middle Ages in Europe

History

Topics:

Clovis

Charles the Hammer

Charlemagne

Merovingian Dynasty

Franks

Moors

Vikings

Alfred the Great

Battle of Hastings

Bayeux Tapestry

Crusades

King Arthur

Saladin

Magna Carta

King Richard

Diaspora

Marco Polo

Ivan

Sulieman

The Plague

Joan of Arc

War of the Roses

Books:

Medieval Paris by Anna Cazzini Tartaglino

Paris by Renzo Rossi

Ten Kings and the Worlds They Ruled

The World in the Time of Charlemagne

Eric the Red and Leif the Lucky

Leif the Lucky

The Grandchildren of the Vikings

Cathedral by David McCauley

Great Building

The Tower of London

William the Conqueror by Robert Green

A Farm Through Time

A Street Through Time

A City Through Time

A Child Through Time

A Three-Dimensional Medieval Castle

Castles by Gillian Osband

Castle at War

Clothes and Crafts in the Middle Ages

The Medieval World

Knights by Philip Steele

Knights by Catherine Daly-Weir

The Middle Ages by Jane Shuter

Till Year’s Good End

Harold the Herald

Knights Treasure Chest

El Cid

Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Marcia Williams

Magna Carta by C. Walter Hodges

Ten Queens by Milton Meltzer

The Golden City: Jerusalem

The Silk Road by John Major

Suleyman the Magnificent and the Ottoman Empire

The Black Death by Tracee de Hahn

Life During the Black Death by John M. Dunn

Medieval Times by Giovanni di Pasquale

Plague by Katie Roden

Women in Medieval Times

Joan of Arc – my unit study

The Little Princes in the Tower

Literature

The Duke and the Peasant

Favorite Medieval Tales

The Beautiful Butterfly

Celeste Sails to Spain

The Three Golden Oranges

The Marvelous Blue Mouse

East o the Sun and West o the Moon

Hiccup: The Seasick Viking

Odin’s Family

The Mystery History of a Viking Longboat

Sword Song

Norman and Saxon poem by Rudyard Kipling

A Medieval Feast by Aliki

Castle Diary

Knight’s Castle

The Reluctant Dragon

Saint George and the Dragon

Knights of the Round Table

The Making of a Knight

Sir Cumference (There’s a whole series!)

Canterbury Tales

Chanticleer and the Fox

Bestiary

Saint Francis (see my unit study)

The Saracen Maid

Queen Esther (see my Purim unit)

The Rabbi Who Flew

Raisel’s Riddle

Snow in Jerusalem

The Tale of Meshka the Kvetch

A Perfect Pork Stew

Baboushka the Three Kings

Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave

Clay Boy

The Littlest Matryoshka

The Old Man and his Birds

The Girl Who Lost Her Smile

The King the Prince and the Naughty Sheep

The Legend of the Persian Carpet

The Seven Wise Princesses

Adventures of Tom Thumb by David Cutts

Three Sacks of Truth

Up the Chimney

Richard III

Activities

Music from this period

Art from this period

Visit museums

Fleur-de-Lis art

We visited Paris and saw Saint Denis

We saw the Tapestry of Bayeux

Thor’s Hammer clay pendant

See or make a tapestry

Make or go out for Spanish food

Make oat cakes

Play chess or checkers

Design a coat of arms

We visited London

Learn archery

Celebrate Passover

Jewish responsa

Make Charoset

Tzedakah

Make a Mezuzah

Make borscht

Make Faberge eggs

Make Gingerbread

We went to Cologne

We visited Prague

Church History

Early Saints of God by Bob Hartman

Movies

Arn: The Knight Templar

Kingdom of Heaven

Henry V

Richard III

Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse

The Crusaders

Unit 3: Renaissance and Reformation

History

Topics:

Mansa Musa

see my Shakespeare unit study

The Tudors

The Borgias

The Medicis

Martin Luther

The Reformation

Books:

Lives of Extraordinary Women

Outrageous Women of the Renaissance

Famous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation

Kings and Queens of West Africa

Sundiata

Anni’s India Diary

The Taj Mahal by Christina Moorcroft

A Medieval Cathedral by Fiona MacDonald

King Henry VIII by Robert Green

Reeking Royals

Tudor Odours

Copernicus by Catherine Andronik

Galileo by Leonard Everett Fisher

Galileo for Kids

Galileo’s Leaning Tower Experiment

Galileo by Jacqueline Mitton

The Planets by Gail Gibbons

Science in the Renaissance

Elizabeth I by Greenblatt, Carrie Hollihan, Carol Greene, Diane Stanley, Kate Havelin,

To Be a Princess by Hugh Brewster

Art History

See how We Do Art

Art and Civilization: The Renaissance

The Art of the Renaissance

Breaking into Print

Fine Print: about Gutenberg

The Printing Press by Richard Tames

How a Book is Made by Aliki

In the Time of Michelangelo

see my Michelangelo unit study

see my Bernini unit study

Italian Portraits: Images across the Ages

Lives of the Artists

Leonardo da Vinci: authors – Mike Venezia, John Malam, Sean Connolly, Norman Marshall, Diane Stanley

Leonardo da Vinci for Kids

Leonardo and the Flying Boy

Leonardo’s Horse

What? series Richard Muhlberger

The Fantastic Journey of Pieter Bruegel

Katie books by James Mayhew

Pish Posh Said Hieronymus Bosch

Literature

Bernal and Florinda

Three Swords for Granada

Africa Calling, Nighttime Falling

Ashley Bryan’s African Tales

Mansa Musa by Khephra Burns

Nanta’s Lion

Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta

The Foolish Men of Agra

Premlata and the Festival of Lights

The Rumor: Jataka Tale

Sacred River by Ted Lewin

Savitri by Aaron Shepard

Stories from India by Vayu Naidu

So Say the Little Monkeys

The First Story Ever Told

Jackal’s Flying Lesson

Koi and the Kola Nuts

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters

The Spirit of the Maasai Man

This for That

A Medieval Monk

The Inquisitor’s Tale

The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane

Brother William’s Year

Cathedral Mouse

Children of the Sun

Galileo’s Treasure Box

The Genius of Leonardo da Vinci

Starry Messenger by Peter Sis

Uh Oh Leonardo by Robert Sabuda

I, Juan de Pareja

She Was Nice to Mice by A E Sheedy

The Queen’s Progress

The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser

Shakespeare

Activities

Music from this period

Art from this period

Visit museums

Learn Latin

Learn Greek alphabet

Scientific Method

Potato Painting

Stained glass with tissue paper or craft kit

Solar system model

Pisa drop experiment

Look at constellations

We like castles

We went to Versailles

We went to Porto, Portugal

We went to Bruges, Belgium

We visited Amsterdam

We went to Venice, Rome, Florence

Church History

Saint Francis (see my unit study)

Book of Common Prayer

Manuscript Illumination

Places of Worship: Christian Church

Child’s Guide to the Mass

The Reformation by Fiona MacDonald

Reformation Sketches

see my Reformation unit study

Movies

Pillars of the Earth

World Without End

A Man for All Seasons

10 Things I Hate About You

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Unit 4: The New World

History

Topics:

Counter Reformation

Age of Exploration

Magellan

Vasco da Gama

Aztecs

Mayans

Incas

The Middle Passage

Walter Raleigh

Books:

A Long and Uncertain Journey

Henry the Navigator

Pathfinders

Around the World in 100 Years

The World of Columbus and Sons

Magellan’s World

The Discovery of the Americas

Forgotten Voyager: Vespucci

Maps and Mapping by Barbara Taylor

Roanoke: The Lost Colony by Bob Italia

Sir Walter Raleigh by Susan Korman

Sir Walter Raleigh and the Search for El Dorado by Neil Chippendale

Sir Walter Raleigh by Tanya Larkin

The Whole World in your Hands

Westward Ho!

Jacques Cartier by Donaldson-Forbes, Blashfield, Humble

John Cabot by Larkin, Shields

Newfoundland by Jackson, Beckett

A 16th Century Galleon

Defeat of the Spanish Armada

Pirates by Gail Gibbons

Ship by David Macaulay

See Inside a Galleon

Sir Francis Drake by Larkin, Champion, Duncan, Gerrard, Rice

Literature

The Boy Who Held Back the Sea

Huguenot Garden

Katje the Windmill Cat

Things Fall Apart

Barracoon

From Slave Ship to Freedom Road

Brendan the Navigator

Follow the Dream by Peter Sis

Encounter by Jane Yolen

Morning Girl

Pedro’s Journal

Secrets in the House of Delgado

To the Edge of the World

Cuckoo by Lois Ehlert

Fiesta Feminina

Mario’s Mayan Journey

Moon Rope by Lois Ehlert

Musicians of the Sun

Arrow to the Sun

My Song is a Piece of Jade

Rain Player

The Lion’s Roar by Stainer

Duncan’s Way

How Snowshoe Hare Rescued the Sun

The Huron Carol

Kayktuk

Rough-Face Girl

The Princess and the Painter

Shipwreck by Claire Aston

Activities

Music from this period

Art from this period

Visit museums

Make a compass

Make a boat

Eat sweet potatoes and cassava

Mayan math

Aztec hot chocolate

Church History

Mr. Pipes and the Hymns of the Reformation

Church History in Plain Language

The Age of Religious Wars

Movies

Pirates of the Caribbean

The Journey of August King

Sankofa

Lions Among Men

Tula, The Revolt

I’m still adding to my list. I love researching and learning with my kids.

See my Pinterest board for Year 2 History:

Linking up: Anita Ojeda, Welcome Heart, Kingdom Bloggers, Let it Shine, Purposeful Faith, Mary Geisen, Abounding Grace, Home Stories, April Harris, Mostly Blogging, Worth Beyond Rubies, Soaring with Him, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Life Abundant, Sarah Frazer, Gingersnap Crafts, Our Three Peas, Apron Strings, Debbie Kitterman, Creative K Kids, Mommynificent, Marilyn’s Treats, Rachel Lee, Try it Like it, Quiet Homemaker, Chic on Shoestring, Anna Nuttall, Answer is Choco, Della Devoted, Momfessionals, Fireman’s Wife, CWJ, TFT, Susan Mead, Lyli Dunbar, Counting My Blessings, Life with Lorelai, Uncommon Suburbia, LouLou Girls, Create with Joy,

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Stop Making Everything So Educational

This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure. Check out my suggested resources.

May 20, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 12 Comments

I remember when I was a new homeschooler, another homeschool mom was at a field trip with her three kids and their notebooks.

My daughter didn’t have a notebook.

I kinda panicked. Should my daughter have a notebook? Was I a bad homeschool teacher?

We just came to enjoy the outing.

I’m over those thoughts now. I have developed confidence in my parenting and homeschooling over the years.

Why does everything have to be so educational?

Many of us are still so indoctrinated by the idea of school that we recreate it at home.

Everyone is so enraptured by STEAM activities, but it’s a st-r-e-t-ch to have a toddler or preschool STEAM unit study for kids who just want to play with blocks and magnets.

Trust me, they’re learning.

Psychologists and others have raised alarms about children’s high levels of stress and dependence on their parents, and the need to develop independence, self-reliance and grit…Children with hyper-involved parents have more anxiety and less satisfaction with life, and that when children play unsupervised, they build social skills, emotional maturity and executive function. ~Claire Cain Miller

Why must we have scripts and plans and printables for everything?

We speak of dreams as boundless, limitless realms. But in reality often we create parameters, conditions, and limits within which our kids are permitted to dream—with a checklisted childhood as the path to achievement.
Julie Lythcott-Haims in How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success

Stop Making Everything So Educational

Earlier Academics?

I’m concerned about the push for younger and younger kids to begin learning academics.

When I was in Kindergarten, I mostly played and had storytime. There wasn’t a chalkboard in the room. It was only a half-day program and we left before lunch.

My least favorite part was table time with teacher-led crafts and instructions on coloring within the lines and cutting out flower patterns cleanly.

I excelled with rule-following. I learned to be obedient and invisible.

I remember winning a coloring contest, which was just a printed page that I very lightly and neatly shaded inside the lines with colored pencils.

Free playtime was monitored and timed. It was very gender norm, with girls playing house and dolls and boys playing with building materials like blocks and Legos.

I’m not concerned about my toddler reading or doing math.

I want my kids to play and learn about themselves and the world.

Make Learning Fun?

Learning is fun!

Only unnatural learning has to be made fun.

Learning should take place naturally rather than with constant printables, YouTube videos, teacher-made crafts, box curriculum, scripts for teachers, tests.

I’m not interested in lessons on standing in line or raising hands. I’m not going to take my kids on a library field trip to learn how to use the library. My kids don’t want an etiquette course unless it involves dining with someone famous and somewhere in the UK.

Learning is fun when we’re interested in the subject.

It’s amazing to me how my children find subjects to learn about all the time – whether it’s an extension of our history and science reading, a video or song, exploring the creek and woods behind our house, or looking up trivia.

Coercive Learning?

Our school system is based on shame-based learning.

Children learn quickly to avoid punishment or humiliation. Then they learn how to take standardized tests, like little lab rats in a maze.

This is not real learning.

This isn’t passion for an interest to explore.

Teacher intimidation is encouraged in teacher education programs, coined “classroom management” and principals will mark a teacher down during evaluation for a student throwing away paper or sharpening a pencil since it cuts down “time-on-task.”

Coercion is the practice of compelling a person to behave in an involuntary way (whether through action or inaction) by use of threats, intimidation, or some other form of pressure or force.

Arguments are that society is coercive for success.

But we choose to follow speed limits, go to appointments on time, submit to work deadlines, eat healthier, exercise, etc.

By choosing not to do good things, there are typically natural consequences.

By speeding while driving, I could endanger myself or others. I am discourteous to others when I am late. My body will get sick or injured if I don’t eat well or exercise.

Grades, shame, and humiliation are not natural consequences.

Many kids are encouraged to work harder at school than ever before in our history.

But for what?

Children now often spend more time at school and at homework than their parents spend at their full-time jobs, and the work of schooling is often more burdensome and stress-inducing than that of a typical adult job. ~Peter Gray

Intensive parents monitor children so closely that there is no wiggle room for unorganized play.

We live in a punitive society, still based on Puritan ideals.

Zero-tolerance policies create a school to prison pipeline. Students are taught to combat authority instead of learning. They just learn from fear. They’re conditioned in avoidance. The ones who rebel or think outside the box are punished for nonconformity.

When is Playtime?

A child’s job is to play.

Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. ~Mr. Rogers

Exploration boosts creativity.

Pretend play boosts social skills.

Unorganized, unsupervised, undirected play is vital to children.

Loose parts and multi-tasking simple toys are best for healthy child development. They invite creativity more than single-use electronic teaching toys.

I wonder why so many children in the last few decades are developing issues with self-regulation and are on meds to help them with executive functioning and self-control?

We’re drugging our children so they can “succeed” in failing school models.

They’re cutting recess, music, and art from schools and replacing it with more and earlier academics and testing. This isn’t right or healthy.

These are the most important aspects of being human.

When I feel out of sorts, it’s because I need more outside time in nature, more music, more art.

I see parents at the park, directing their children how to play on the playground equipment.

I hear parents warning their kids: be careful, don’t play with the rocks, don’t go near the creek, don’t get dirty.

Kids are bombarded with warnings and aren’t allowed to be children, to explore, to take any risks.

Signs are posted in public spaces to stay off the grass, away from the water. No this, No that.

We live in a fearful society and kids are suffering from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

Having taught many children of all ages for over ten years – public and private, elementary, middle school, high school, and college – I have homeschooled my four children these past fifteen years.

We need to just let children be children.

Linking up: My Pinventures, Inspo for Moms, Mostly Blogging, Welcome Heart, Create with Joy, Anita Ojeda, Mrs. AOK, Abounding Grace, April Harris, Home Stories, Jaime Wiebel, Insta Encouragements, Mary Geisen, Meghan Weyerbacher, Purposeful Faith, LouLouGirls, Welcome Heart, Our Three Peas, Jessi’s Design, My Life Abundant, Sarah Frazer, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Worth Beyond Rubies, Soaring with Him, Gingersnap Crafts, Try It Like It, Penny’s Passion, Creative K Kids, Over the Moon, TFT, Mommynificent, Apron Strings, Unshakeable Joy, Debbie Kitterman, Crystal Storms, Rachel Lee, Anna Nuttall, Answer is Choco, Quiet Homemaker, CKK, Simply Sweet Home, Della Devoted, Momfessionals, CWJ, Crystal Waddell, Susan Mead, Counting My Blessings, Life with Lorelai, Being a Wordsmith, Kingdom Bloggers,

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Year 1 History Resources

This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure. Check out my suggested resources.

April 8, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 7 Comments

Year 1 History: Ancient Times

It becomes really fascinating when you study world history chronologically and see how interconnected everything is, all the causes and effects.

We use Tapestry of Grace for book lists, but I also peruse Ambleside Online and other lists for a well-rounded history curriculum. I want all sides and perspectives.

We use this text as a guide, especially for younger kids: The Story of the World: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor

For older kids: The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Civilizations and Warfare in the Classical World

I go to the library about every week and get what I can.

I shop thrift stores, yard sales, half-price and used bookstores to get books we love to read again and again.