| | Dear Friend,
I'm back into the swing of the school year-- how about you? Of course, the three boys I still have at home are in college now, two at the community college, and one in graduate school, but somehow, the school year continues to define our schedules. I'm finding that I occasionally still have the opportunity to coach one of them through a particularly challenging writing or speaking assignment, and that is a blessing.
One important thing I've noticed is that the skills used in writing about historiography in graduate school are the same skills your students will learn in high school-- it's just the complexity of the information that changes. The thought-patterns of analysis and organization that you teach now will be helpful for the rest of their lives! That's why language arts are such an important part of any curriculum. I plan to add my audio workshop on how to teach language arts to the website this week, so if you need a little help and encouragement with that, please be sure to check the site in a couple of days. I'll post a note on the blog when the audio is up.
Now that the weather has cooled beautifully, we're also continuing our informal studies in Forestry: Woodland Management and Horticulture: Division and Propagation of Perennial Plants. To a non-homeschooler, this would look a lot like yard work, but we know better, don't we;-)?
One little change-- rather than putting the whole article in the newsletter, I've just provided links to it on my site , as I know some of you have difficulty receiving long messages. I have also been using my blog for short articles that might interest you. You should receive a little note in your inbox whenever I add something to the blog. It will contain just the post title and a link, so that you can click if you want to read it, or ignore it if you don't. I hope you find that helpful!
I hope you're enjoying the new school year!
Sincerely,
Janice
| | | | | Writing Motivation! | Resources from 'A Clean Heart' | New Article Contest List If you haven't tried writing contests as a motivator for your students, here are some reasons that it works, plus an annotated list of exciting opportunities for students. Since it's so early in the school year, you have time to add one or more contests to your schedule (or let writing for a contest replace a few boring writing assignments).
I've seen amazing motivation as a result of contests, so I hope you'll try one or two! If you know of a good contest I haven't included, please e-mail me the information, and I'll add it to the article. | | I don't remember how I came across this very special resource, but it's something that might be just the encouragement you need for this school year. Amy Verlennich, a Christian homeschool mom has put together a site full of very helpful organizing and de-cluttering printables. She isn't actively adding to it at the moment, as she wants to focus her heart on home, but the resources are there, and can help you as you manage your own homes this year.
You'll find most of the information at her Homeschool Blogger site, http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/aCleanHeart/143987/ , and a few things are posted are posted at her website, A Clean Heart. http://www.acleanheart.com/
You've probably noticed by now that I often share information about homemaking, as well as homeschooling. That's because home is the center of our lives, and it can be a source of peace and rest, or a source of stress (and I know that no one's home is always one or the other-- but I believe it's worthwhile to seek more peace and less stress;-)). I hope that the things I share will help you make your home a place of serenity, where learning happens with daily joy.
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