Since I have chosen to study Early American History, then what do I do for Language Arts?  To start with, I make my own copy work book.  This article does not have enough room to explain the benefits of copy work.  For the best explanation, read Charlotte Mason or Ambleside Online.  It is simply copying portions of great literature to not only model excellence in literature, but also to practice handwriting, spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

The rule of thumb is for every year of school, he/she should be able to copy a sentence.  So the typical third grader would be given three lines of a poem or prose from a great book.  Obviously the passages would grow in length as the student matures.  I personally use this ” rule” as a guideline, not as if it were set in stone.

Since I want my children to use their copywork as handwriting practice, I looked for a similar font to their handwriting style.  The best style for my children is Modern Cursive or D’Nealian.  The font name is Learning Curve.  You can download it for free.  At one time, I tried Italic, and its font name is Jarman.  It is also free.  Once you download the desired font, you just have to unzip it and install.  Now the student can try to emulate correct handwriting while simultaneously copying great literature.

For Early American History, I chose to find great quotes from our Founding Fathers.  Some are short and others are lengthy.  For example, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately,” upon signing the Declaration of Independence.  The preamble to the Constitution is much longer.  An even longer passage would be the lyrics to the National Anthem.

Gather as many quotes and/or passages as you will need.  If you plan on your student doing copywork daily, then you will need 180 passages.  As the teacher, you can require more or less.  I used a variety of sources, and am very pleased with the collection of passages I found as they all pertain to Early American History.

You can make your copybook as fancy as you want.  You can add drawings or photographs to the pages.  For example, a sketch of George Washington’s face is appropriate when you are quoting him.  You can add lines or dotted lines.  All the extras make a nicer book; it just takes time.

Another way to make seamless lessons is to turn what you are studying in history into the topic of your writing assignments.  Fortunately, the History of the US by Edward Eggleston, which was published in 1888, is a resource I am using.  In addition to being a joy to read, Mr. Eggleston added discussion questions, narration ideas, geography lessons, and/or writing assignments at the end of each chapter.  He has made my job very easy.

I can take a narration idea like “Tell about the Indian Wars in South and North Carolina” (pg. 85) and turn it into a writing assignment.  Instead of having my daughter, for example, orally narrate her answer.  She can complete a  written narration on paper.  Occasionally, this history book gives composition ideas like: You are a settler in one of the colonies.  Write to a friend in England telling them about the Indians, especially their customs and trade with the colonists (pg. 78).

It is not difficult to make your own copywork notebooks or writing assignments.  It just requires a little time.  Regardless of what you are studying, from Bible to Science, you can find appropriate verses, passages, and/or quotes sufficient for a copybook.  By being your own curriculum director, you can come one step closer to seamless lessons.

Kyla's horse project. I loved how she colored in the word "Appaloosa" with the markings of the breed.

As I shared with you last week, my life recently has become quite chaotic.  We have so many different things going on simultaneously that our normal life seems completely chaotic.  I have been so busy that I have not had time to sit down with my children and carry on with our schooling as usual.  I did not want to take a break, so I made necessary modifications.  And, I am pleased with the results.

I realize that life can disrupt a home school easily and for a variety of reasons.  The birth of a child, an illness, visits from family or friends, and/or a seasonal need like farming or hunting are all examples of when schooling either takes a back seat to life or has to be modified.  Therefore, I felt the need to share what I did with my children to keep them learning without my constant supervision for the past week.

I assigned a project to my oldest children.  The youngest is nine, and I am not sure that any younger children would be able to handle the assignment without much help.  My children are completely interested in horses.  For science, they have learned the parts of the horse as well as the life cycle of a horse.  So, I allowed each child to choose a specific breed about which they wanted to learn more.  Kyla chose to study the Appaloosa and Jake chose the Missouri Fox Trotter.

Then I purchased a small tri-fold display board for each of them.  As I presented them with the display boards, I gave them specific requirements for the project.  First, I gave them a deadline.  Friday immediately following lunch, they were expected to present their newfound knowledge on the breed along with their visual aid.  They must have the name of the breed as well as a picture or pictures of the breed on the display board.  I wanted to know the following information, too.

Four Main Points of the Project

• the origin of the breed
• a description of its appearance
• its uses (For example, thoroughbreds are known for racing.)
• what makes it unique and/or interesting information about the breed

My children spent part of their day while I was working with my husband nearby researching their breed on the computer and in books.  They printed off several photographs and decorated their display boards.  Both of them spent their time wisely.

To my surprise, they both chose to research an additional breed.  I did not know that they were such over-achievers.  They really aren’t.  I think that it just shows that when you are interested in something, you go the extra mile.   Kyla chose to also learn about Thoroughbreds.  Jake chose to learn about Palominos. 

Of course, I monitored their progress daily.  I made sure they were on task and not procrastinating.  Thursday when I saw that they were not done with their projects, I began to wonder if I needed to extend the deadline to Monday.  However, I decided that it was important for them to learn to work under a deadline so I let it stand. 

They worked into the evening on Thursday, which is unusual for them.  Friday morning when I awoke, Jake was at the dining room table putting on the finishing touches.  Seeing him at work and taking pride in his work made me so proud.

Following lunch on Friday afternoon, my family sat in the living room as each of our presenters taught us about two horse breeds.  I was impressed with their projects and even learned something myself.  Did you know that Saladin presented his arch-enemy, Richard the Lionheart, with a Palomino during the Crusades?  Trigger is the most famous Palomino in the world on display in Branson, Missouri.  When Secretariat died, they cremated his body, but buried his head, heart, and hooves because those are the parts that he used to win the Triple Crown.

As interesting as those pieces of information are, the most important thing I learned is that my children can work independently under a deadline.  They can use technology and resources to learn.  And, they can communicate what they learned effectively with others.  It was a great week of learning for all of us in the midst of chaos.

We have a tandem saddle for each of the little boys that attaches to the back of a regular saddle  so the boys can ride along with us.  Isaac rode behind his big sister, Kyla, for half the ride.  Considering he was practically sitting in the splits with his legs spread over the horse’s rump, it only made sense that he wanted to sit in front of his dad on the way back. 

I seized the opportunity to have just one child to care for that afternoon.  Andrew and I made lunch for ourselves and decided to go on a picnic.  I let him carry an old plastic tablecloth to act as our blanket.  Days before we had a big rain shower so I knew that the ground might still be damp.

I told Andrew, who will be three in two months, that he could select anywhere on which to picnic.  Seeing that we had hundreds of acres at our disposal for the picnic, I was brave in saying this.  He immediately chose the “water, the big water.” 

So we walked down to the largest tank on our neighbor’s property.  When we arrived, Andrew wanted to go to the other side of the tank and sit under the lone tree.  Of course, I agreed.  Our dog and one of our cats accompanied us on our picnic. 

We enjoyed our time soaking up the sun on the cool January day.  I know that I said this before, but it really was beautiful.  Andrew has great taste when selecting a place to picnic.

When we had finished eating, I noticed that the tablecloth had sketches of farm animals, a farmhouse, the sun, and moon.  I pointed to a cow and asked Andrew what it was and what sound it makes.  Following my lead, he pointed to the other sketches and named them.  Like any boy raised on a farm, he made a very authentic sound for each animal on the tablecloth.

With great excitement, he shouted that he had found the moon.  He pointed out many of the moons printed all over the tablecloth.  I asked him if he knew another name for it.  He looked at me quizzically.  

I explained that in Spanish it is called “la luna.”  He repeated the sounds over and over again.  I think he liked the way it felt on his tongue.  I asked him if he could see ”la luna” in the sky right then, but we could not.  Then he pointed to the sun on the cloth and appropriately called it by its English name. 

I loved that he was making connections between real objects and likenesses.  The moon was not in the sky, but the sun was making everything bright and lovely.  His reaction was to point to the drawing of the sun.  I could just see the gears in his mind working.

Next, the picture of the farmhouse caught his eye.  He pointed to it and said, “house.”  I told him that another name for house was “la casa.”  He repeated the word.  I asked him if he was ready to go to “la casa.”  He nodded.  On the way home, he repeated his two new words over and over as he carried the tablecloth back to our house. 

So why am I sharing this story with you?  Learning does not require expensive curriculum.  It does not require hours of preparation nor long hours of lessons.  You also do not have to wait to begin teaching when your child turns five or six. 

Our children are learning all the time.  They learn from observing, from trying, from failing, and from living.  Life is our best classroom.  As parents regardless if you home-school or not, we must remember this important fact. 

Did I go on a picnic with the intention of teaching Spanish?  Not at all.  It was the furthest thing from my mind.  I did not have teaching on my brain either.  However, I used our environment to carry on a conversation with my youngest and followed Andrew’s lead. 

Our picnic lesson could have gone in a number of different directions.  We could have collected tadpoles from the water’s edge and taken them home to watch as they transform into frogs.  We could have observed the different animal tracks around the bank and discovered which animals had recently been there, especially since the rain had made the tracks clearly visible.  We could have had a lesson on cattails.  For example, they have edible roots, help start fires outdoors, and early settlers would dip the tops into wax to make temporary candles. 

Sometimes when you teach your own children, you find yourself going through a slump mid-year.  You need encouragement.  You need to be inspired.  As 2011 lays before us, remember to be open to opportunites to teach.  I personally enjoy the spontaneous lessons more than the planned ones.  And, my children seem to as well.

There are many negative outcomes and attitudes associated with learning when you are forced to do something.  For example, a student will learn to do the bare minimum.  They will not find pleasure in learning something new.  “Will this be on the test?” is a common question I heard when I was a public school teacher.  It seemed that nobody wanted to learn anything for the sake of learning.

You might be asking yourself, “How do you inspire your children to want to learn?”  “Is this even possible?”  Believe me, I had those questions, too.  Being an inspiration is one of the hardest parts of the Thomas Jefferson Education philosophy.  It is what separates this educational philosophy from all the others.

Another key in the Thomas Jefferson Education is “You, Not Them.”  For me, this key goes hand in hand with the former.  As the teacher/parent of my five children, I need to set the example.  I need to set time apart in my schedule to learn new things as well as explore my personal interests.  Focusing on my continued education and my interests has in turn inspired my children.

I love to write so I started this blog.  It is one of the first things that I did completely for myself since becoming a mother.  My family rejoiced with me as my writing received good feedback and my readership grew.  Soon Jake was begging for his own blog, which I helped him set up called Cross Creek Horsemanship.  He shares his love for horses with others not to mention the computer skills he is learning and the writing he is doing.  I realized that I had inspired Jake to start a website.

I published a cookbook, Texas Homesteader Wheat-Free Cookbook.  I am not ready to retire just yet, but it is selling.  My oldest son, Clayton, began writing a novel.  He has such a talent for writing and such an imagination.  He is actually working on two very different stories.  Seeing my published cookbook has inspired him to work on publishing his own writing.

Both of these examples occurred without me making a conscious decision to inspire my children.  I was simply doing something for myself.  I was pursuing my own interests.  After observing me and my work, they followed their own similar interests.

Nobody likes being nagged to do something.  The deadline for the Art for Homeschool art show was sneaking up on us.  It seemed like every time I mentioned to Jake or Kyla that they should finish their artwork, they would shut down and put up a fight.  It was an odd reaction, I thought, since they both enjoy doing art.

So I consciously focused on myself and not them.  I wanted to find a way to inspire them and not require them to do art.  Silently I began working on a drawing.  When I had sketched out the flowers, I began using colored pencils to create my art.

Soon I heard, “Whatcha doing?”

I answered matter-of-factly, “Oh, I’m just working on my entry for the show.”

“You are entering the art show?”

“Yes, and I am going to do a watercolor next.”

“You are?  Do you know how to paint in watercolor?”

“Nope, I am going to try and the judge will critique my work so that I can get better.”

The next thing I know, Kyla has pulled out the piece that she has almost finished and begins working on it.  The next morning with vigor she begins a colored pencil painting of a horse.  The difference in her attitude, her work, and her demeanor was unbelievable.

I inspired Jake, too.  He went outside to take pictures of our then baby ducks.  He scrolled through all the photographs and chose one.  Then he proceeded to sit down and start a colored pencil painting of a duck.

Instead of forcing them or nagging them to do an art assignment, I quietly worked on my own project.  Instead of trying to please me, my children pleased themselves and felt a great sense of accomplishment in the process.  I was now a believer.  It works!  You can inspire your children to learn and pursue their interests.

How does this apply to your life?  Well, you might not care about art shows, novel writing, or websites, but “Inspire, Not Require” will work for most anything.  If you want your child to study Chemistry, then begin studying it yourself.  Show your children how much fun you are having, talk about what you have learned, and soon you will have a student volunteering to study it with you.

This is not the easy way out.  Like I said before, it is one of the hardest parts of this educational philosophy.  It requires time, study, and effort on the parent’s part.  It requires biting your tongue and focusing on yourself for a change.  Soon you will be more cognizant of what you are teaching your children.  I encourage you to sit back today and reflect on this question.  What are you inspiring your children to do?

Technology enables home-schoolers to broaden their world.  Used safely and responsibly, technology can be a great asset to any home-schooling family.  My daughter takes harp lessons via Skype.  My children do research on the internet.  My son, Jake, has his own blog about horses, his love.  It is called Cross Creek Horsemanship.  I purposely try to use technology as an aide in our education, which is why I was excited to let my children make a video.

Jake was the most excited about learning how to make a video.  Therefore, it was only natural that he made the first video.  He wanted to do something that he could use for his blog.  He decided to do a how-to video.  Jake did a method demonstration on cleaning horse hooves.  He did a great job, and most importantly he learned a lot.  His video is below.

I was very fortunate to have my mom visit for a few weeks.  While she was here, my mom devoted a whole day to helping and teaching Jake how to make and produce a video.  It is not a small task, but it is doable even for an eight-year old.

In the Texas Homesteader Wheat-Free Cookbook, I have a wonderful gluten-free pie crust recipe.  Working with gluten-free dough is much different than with a traditional wheat crust.  Typically, the dough is more wet and harder to spread.  Clayton has agreed to film me demonstrating how to roll out a gluten-free pie crust.  He will then be responsible for editing the video, producing it, etc.

Video making can play a fun and exciting role in your schooling.  Allow your child to choose what he/she wants to do.  They can write a script, design and construct sets and/or costumes, and act.  He/She can choose to do an informative video like Jake.  It can be an activity for the whole family.  One can direct while the others are filmed.  The possibilities are really endless.

Don’t forget you can then upload to YouTube.  This is not a requirement, of course.  Some might have issues with YouTube, but Jake loves to see how many people have viewed his work.  It is fun for him to see the number grow.  Depending on the video you make, you can always produce a DVD and give them away as gifts.  Check out My Creativity Blog for more creative ideas.

Living in the country while raising my family of four boys and one girl gives me a lot of material from which to pick and choose.  I usually do not write about the days when I want to pull my hair out because those are not days I want recorded for everyone to see.  They are days that I do not wish to remember.  My grandmother had four children in five years.  Needless to say, she had her hands full.  Today and as long as I have known her, she has always maintained that her children never fought.  Do I believe her?  No.  Do I believe that is what she remembers?  Yes.

Isaac found a purple marker.

Regardless if you home-school, pay for private school, or send your kids to public school, you are going to have bad days.  The question is: Are you going to dwell on them?  My grandmother obviously does not and I try not.  Otherwise you are not going to enjoy your role as a parent.

I am not going to name this particular magazine, but there is one in the homeschooling community that through its articles the family seems perfect.  In fact, they seem to poke fun at other families with problems.  When I was new to home-schooling, I honestly yearned for their supposed life.  A life where everything went well because the parent always did the right thing.  I quickly learned that that cannot possibly happen.

What I found instead through personal experience is that a parent should take his/her responsibility seriously.  He/she, in my opinion, should study the Bible to understand the parental role.  Then try.  Focus on the positive and highlight the really precious moments and/or events.  Most importantly be an active participant.  Do not let the television baby-sit the children.

I have re-read some of my posts and it dawned on me that I might come across as having it all together.  Some days I do.  Some days I do not.  Therefore, I felt a need to admit the obvious.  I am not a perfect parent.  My children are not perfect either.  Some school days are very frustrating.  My children and/or I have bad attitudes.  Interruptions throw the whole day off track.  Fortunately we have more good days than bad.  And in the end, I love my choices.  I love the fact that I live in the country.  I love working hard homesteading.  I love the fact that I read and research natural cures.  Most importantly I love my family.  So, it turns out that my not-so-perfect life is perfect for me.