What Do You Have for Breakfast on the First Day of School?

ICE CREAM!!!

That's right. I started a tradition several years ago of serving ice cream sundaes for breakfast on the first day of homeschool. Hey, now everyone has something to look forward to when school starts again. BTW, having ice cream once a year for breakfast won't ruin your kids for life.

You can't imagine their expressions when they saw ice cream on the breakfast table for the first time. It was priceless! Even though my kids expect it now, it is still fun to see them come to the breakfast table full of toppings and ice cream!

Do you have a tradition of serving something special for breakfast on your first day of homeschool each year?

Kerry

Truth Quest & Story of the World - ON SALE

We have overstocked on some of our history guides and books. Cruise on over to our website HERE and see what we have on sale. You'll be surprised to see Truth Quest History Guides and Story of the World on sale.

Kerry

What is Humanities?

Our humanities class is a study of a specific time period, not just history but all the aspects one can learn about that period. For instance, we finished antiquities last year. We studied the civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel, Greece and Rome. During each of these civilizations we learned their history, art, music, architecture, literature, businesses, philosophy, science and so on. I have chosen to study humanities when my kids are in high school. We use a core curriculum for humanities called Gileskirk, by George Grant. After listening to the first few lectures a couple of years ago, my husband and I decided that all our kids will go through this 4 year course. My husband usually listens to the audio lectures 2-3 time each year. They are that good. If you want to read more about it HERE

Kerry

Early or Late Start in School

In discussing kids starting school subject at an early age (5yo) or when they are naturally ready at an older age (10 or so). Are kids just doing "nothing" if they wait to start school?

When I speak of “late camp”, I am definitely not saying that kids do NOTHING until they read 9 or 10 years of age. When I say that kids can wait until they are 10 to do math, I mean they are not doing formal, workbookish school. That is not to say they are not learning. Learning abounds with kids under 10 and we should arrange our homes so that learning is natural.

The Bluedorns have a list of things to do with your kids before they are 10. These include phonics (reading, copywork), oral narration, memorization, hearing/listening (read alouds, history, timelines), family worship, arts/crafts, field trips (library and others), work/service, discipline (socialization), and play/encouragement. This does not look like nothing during those early years. But, it is not textbooks and workbooks for school. For more info about this approach, read Teaching the Trivium, by Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn.

BTW, until this century kids did not go to school until they were 8 or 9 and their studies were much more rigorous than ours today. Kids did not study math in the early years (5-10) until the twentieth century (you know- when public school begins)

Blessings,
Kerry