Homeschooling as a way of life
I am so thankful that God has shown to me, through excellent, godly examples, that I am to teach my children daily. Teaching them ought not to be rigid, but it should come as natural as breathing. Last week, we went to an aquarium as a family. This was such a wonderful teaching experience. Our children learned so much merely by observing the captivating fish and other sea creatures. One sign said, "Why does mother nature make such colorful looking fish?" All I could think about and tell my children was, "Look at the amazing creativity of our God." I could not help but turn their little hearts and minds towards their Creator.
I find this to be extremely important because God commands parents to instruct their children in Deuteronomy 6. "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deuteronomy 6:7) We are to seize the opportunity to teach them first and foremost to love the Lord with "all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." We are also to teach them about the world God made.
Recently, I ordered Lily a few workbooks for three year olds. They are to help her to learn the basics of drawing straight lines and other writing fundamentals. She had an extremely hard time and was not ready yet. So I put the workbooks away until I feel she is more mature. If it is stressing us both out and making us frustrated, it is not God's Will. I want her to love learning. If I make it dull and dry, she will be burnt out and despise learning. How I want her to savor learning throughout her whole life!
I feel that God wants me to teach my daughter as naturally as I can. She is very bright and will learn things as long as she does not feel the stress of being forced to learn. She adores books and I try reading a lot to her throughout the day. I try to pick excellent reading materials rather than "twaddle". I read to my children a Proverb a day along with another passage in Scripture. I
have made Lily a bible memory booklet with her verse to learn. She is so precious reciting and acting out her verse.
Recently, I purchased a field guide teaching how to identify birds. When the children and I take a walk with me, we can bring the guide along and learn about the birds we meet. (I love the vast assortment of guides that you can find on subjects such as: birds, insects, butterflies/moths, and trees) I want them to experience nature firsthand. This is the way our Lord intends for parents to teach their children. One can make almost any trip into a learning adventure.
Lily enjoys learning about numbers by counting out beans or playing with an abacus. We count animals in books and play with a vast assortment of manipulatives. In the midst of all of this, Lily thinks she and mommy are just having fun. This type of learning is not such a chore to her.
This past weekend, Lily and Stephen learned so much at the beach. They enjoyed finding shells and I tried teaching them the difference in textures. They seem to better understand rough and smooth. They enjoyed learning the basics of fishing. They got to see up close the crab and fish mommy and daddy caught.
I try to include Lily in many of the household duties since she will (Hopefully) one day be a wife and mother. She loves helping me prepare the meals. She loves sweeping up the kitchen. Earlier today, she thoroughly scrubbed down one of my showers. Bless her heart, it has never sparkled so! There are so many things she is learning at the mere age of three that I have only recently learned. So many people graduate from high school not knowing these invaluable skills!
Imagine the potential our children have to learn a vast amount on any number of subjects. Homeschooling grants you the luxory to find and pursue interests unique for each child. So many children at such early ages learn about farming, crafts, homekeeping, music, and art because they have been surrounded by these things. It is essential that we challenge ourselves to learn more and to teach what we learn. I have even heard of a young child who prepares the room for her mama before she births. She gathers the necessary supplies and loves helping.
One of the most critical elements in educating children is cultivating their imagination. They need ample, unhindered free-time to best cultivate their imaginations. Also, read books to them which encourage imagination. (Like original Fairy Tales) Albert Einstein said if you want bright children, read them fairy tales. If you want extremely intelligent children, read them more fairy tales. One cannot reap a vast imagination if nothing has been sown to reap from.
There are so many beneficial ideas for free play for your children. Take a few pieces of lumber and purchase some play sand and make a large sand box. Plant a tree together. Hang a bird house. Make models of planes, cars, trains, etc. together. (Visit Hobby Lobby for a vast assortment of crafts.) Don't just buy your produce pre-packaged; pick your next bushel of blueberries from a farmer's field. Take your children to a farm for a field trip.
Rather than reading dull Geography facts from a book, read exciting books about diverse places to your children. As Americans, we are definitely in a comfort zone. Read missionary stories to your children to educate them about geography and God's Heart for diverse people. Help your children to think outside the rut. Hang a laminated world map in your home and mark on it where certain missionaries live(d). When a world event happens, show and mark its locale on the map. Teach them about directions, maps, seasons, and clouds.
If you are feeling stressed out with your current homeschooling methods, maybe you might need to recharge. Maybe use one day a week to visit a nursing home or to go on a field trip. Homeschoolers are blessed to have the opportunity to "think outside the box". Let's remember the big picture and seize the moment to teach our children something new, today!
For a very interesting article, please read:
http://www.kevinswanson.com/Articles/TheBox/Index.html
May you and your family be blessed as you think outside the box! How can you best use your children's time now to prepare them for the rest of their lives and eternity?
