My Blog = My Life: curriculum reviews

I'd like to blame it on the winter weather, but I know better. A bad case of the Grouchies seems to be ruling our home lately. It has nothing to do with being snowed in, and everything to do with the sin that lives in the hearts of our children, just as it does in mine.

The last few weeks have been particularly trying. Boredom and sickness make a good breeding ground for poor manners, foolishness, and bad attitudes. It was time to recommit to some serious character building, beginning with myself.

My friend Caroline and her husband Sean created the Character Badges program around the same time as my resolve, and I was eager to give it a try.

Previously, I've shied away from using character building programs because we want to teach our children good character without making them believe that their "righteousness" can earn something. When they fail in their attempts to "be good" and cry, "But Mommy, I can't be good!", we need to point them to the Cross and say, "I know, honey. Mommy can't be good either and that's why we both need Jesus!"

Here's how the system works.

The Character Badges program comes with three charts (the Obedience Chart, Disobedience Chart, and Consequence Chart), flashcards that reinforce biblical characteristics with a Scripture verse and a simple illustration, and a series of badges to be rewarded for good behavior.

The Obedience Chart lists several good character qualities (and leaves a few blanks so you can fill in particular areas of concern), along with a row of check boxes to mark off when you notice your child exhibiting good behavior.

Throughout the month, you can reinforce positive behavior by allowing your child to mark off a check box when you notice they have done something kind, worked hard, told the truth, or were quick to obey. Our children are not allowed to fill in or ask to fill in their own check boxes and can only do so when we pick up on something and give them permission.

Once any one of their rows have been filled, they get rewarded with badge to wear for the day. The Character Badge creators suggest accompanying the badge with a special prize, outing, or gift to help keep your child motivated.

Also included are Disobedience and Consequence charts. They are similar to the Obedience Chart in that a check box is meant to be marked off when you pick up on poor behavior (i.e. lying, laziness, hurting others, etc.).

The first day we put the program to use was interesting. The badges were a great incentive to good behavior, and my favorite moment is when our daughter announced, "You know what? It's actually more fun when we're being nice to each other!" Imagine that.

Then the first infraction happened. Instead of disciplining like I normally do, I decided to utilize the Disobedience Chart. One offence led to another and the idea of having to mark down her sin completely stressed out our child-in-training.

I realized that she didn't need a long list of offences hanging over her head. She needed to know that when we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive it, and purify us from all unrighteousness. He removes our transgressions as far as the east is from the west, and we too should keep no record of wrongs. (1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12; 1 Corinthians 13:5).

So, we decided to use the Character Badges program a little differently then recommended. The beauty of this program is its versatility. You can make it work according to your own convictions and family's needs.

We've chosen to do away with the Disobedience Chart and stick to our normal method of correction that includes an immediate discipline, repentance, forgiving and forgetting. This is a great time to use the flashcards to remind your child how they should have responded in the situation. Regularly referring to the short, simple, Biblical lessons appropriate to the offence will help them remember what godly behavior looks like.

The Consequence Chart is privately kept by me to keep my own anger in check. By writing down what kind of consequences are appropriate for particular infractions, I'm less likely to fly off the handle and assign a discipline too severe for the crime.

The kids love wearing the badges and I definitely notice an extra effort on their behalf to behave. We tell them that the Obedience Chart is merely a tool to help them get into the habit of doing what is right because it is right to do what is right, regardless of whether or not they get a reward. The eventual goal of the Character Badges is to have no use for them at all.

As with any method of character training, it can be easy to fall into the trap of Pharisaical legalism. But, with regular reminders that good character must be more than a public display for Mom and Dad, the Character Badges can be a great tool in cultivating godly habits that will hopefully become natural, even when no one is watching, because they are ultimately rooted in sincere love for the Lord and a desire to obey His commands (John 14:15).

Homeschoolers kinda like snow days.

When icy roads result in cancelled choir practice, swimming lessons, or co-op, we relish the opportunity to focus on important parts of an education that sometimes get brushed off to the side when we're gallivanting all over town, making sure our children are being well socialized (wink).

Snow days are fun days where the kids look forward to long periods of uninterrupted reading out loud on the couch, the opportunity to work on projects that are more time consuming, and the folder of fun things (a.k.a. Pinterest) Mommy reserves for days when it's too cold to play outside.

Our read-aloud list includes:

• Wisdom and the Millers by Mildred Martin
• Storytime with the Millers by Mildred Martin
• Missionary Stories with the Millers by Mildred Martin
• The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• The Christopher Churchmouse Treasury by Barbara Davoll
• The Bronze Bow by Elisabeth George Speare
• The Door In The Wall by Margaret De Angeli
• The Tanglewood's Secret by Patricia St. John
• Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John
• Huguenot Garden by Douglas Jones
• The Minstrel in The Tower by Gloria Skurzynski
• The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day by Scott O'Dell
• Ink On His Fingers by Louise Vernon
• The Answers Books for Kids by Ken Ham
• The Way of the Master: Teaching Kids to Share Their Faith by Kirk Cameron

Crafts. Painting, beading, scrapbooking, card-making: these all take extra time and result in a big mess to clean up, but it's not so bad when you can devote several hours to creating something beautiful that will be appreciated and remembered for years to come.

Baking. The kids love to help me in the kitchen. They often slow the process down, but culinary skills are important and snowy days provide us with lots of time for everyone to take a turn measuring, pouring, stirring, rolling, and of course, licking the spatula.

Writing. One of my goals for our children's education is to instill in them a love for writing. I want them to be able to articulate their thoughts and express themselves in a way that serves others. Perhaps the earliest, most practical way they can do this is by mailing hand-written cards of encouragement.

Our 4-year-old learned how to form her letters using the 1777 New England Manuscript Printable Set and adores being able to write the letters I dictate to send a message to her grandparents. When she's finished writing, she gets to decorate her letter and address the envelope (another necessary skill). Few things are more rewarding than discovering that Grandpa and Grandma received her card and loved it!
Our "FUN" list includes:

The January Printables by Kristy Howard. Our kids love Kristy's printables (She also has a set of Christmas themed printables that are a blast any time of the year)! They are just as educational as they are fun, and for $2.00, they provide many hours of productive enjoyment for kids between the ages of 4 and 6. The January set includes:

The ABC's For Godly Girls activities and crafts. We're working through Lindsey Stomberg's The ABC's For Godly Children Bible Curriculum this year (you can read my full review here), and snowy days are the perfect opportunity to work on the activities and crafts included with every lesson that we don't always get to otherwise.

If you need more fun, inspiring, educational ideas, Homeschool Enrichment Magazine always comes chock full of them. Among many other great ideas in the current issue, they suggest making it through the mid-winter "slump" by learning a handcraft, taking art classes with another family, hosting a games day, and operating on an alternative schedule.

Until the end of January, you can get a 1-year subscription for 58% off the cover price for a total of $14.95. In my completely biased opinion (it's the only homeschool magazine we subscribe to), that's a deal too good to pass up!

How do you like to spend your snow days? Do you dread or welcome them?

In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. Thank you for your support. If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox. Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed,, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family Time Warp Wife

Normally, I don't buy eBooks. I prefer a paperback to a digital file any day, and since you can't skim through an eBook before you buy it, I'm always skeptical of its content and value.
However, I had a leg up on The ABC's for Godly Girls by Lindsey Stromberg. I've been reading her blog for a while and soon discovered that not only are our theological views quite similar, but she is a great writer and her content is biblically sound.
So I downloaded The ABC's for Godly Girls to work through with our 4 year-old. I thought it might be a few pages; imagine my surprise when the printer spewed out an inch of material! All this for eight bucks? Score!

This is an excellent Bible curriculum for young girls. It explores twenty-six different virtues (one for each letter of the alphabet) from Scripture.

Each lesson includes a Bible story, a discussion guide, memory work, copy work, a flashcard, an activity, and a craft.

Also included are several games to reinforce the lessons in a fun way. These are the highlight for Charity, especially the paper dolls!

The ABC's for Godly Girls is also extremely cost effective since it's available as a digital download ($8.00 - $5.60 if you use the coupon code "Growing Home"). I printed mine off and had it coil-bound at Staples. It stays organized, and is easy to flip through and tear off pages as needed.
Also available is The ABC's for Godly Boys. Both versions are suggested for children ages 4-10.
Enter below for your chance to win a set of your choice (boy or girl), or: Use the coupon code "Growing Home" from now until December 2nd to save 30% off your purchase today! (That's just $5.60 a set!)

Winner will be announced Tuesday, November 26. a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.This post contains affiliate links. Sharing at: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family Time Warp Wife

I hesitated posting this today. I don't want anyone to think that what we're doing with our 4-year-old for school this year is what they should be doing with theirs. Neither do I want anyone to feel as though I'm trying to "cover my back" so the powers that be know we're doing "enough." Nevertheless, homeschool Moms love to glean from each other and it's good to do due diligence and be aware of the various teaching methods and curriculum available. So here's a general idea of what I'm hoping to work through with our four-year-old daughter this year.

Our number one goal in our children's education is to stress the importance of their salvation and the development of Christ-like character. We consider this more crucial than academics (notice I didn't say academia is not important!) because, as Douglas Phillips said:
"If you try to give people knowledge, and you haven't trained them in character, based on faith, they will become intellectual reprobates."To that end, you'll notice a heavy emphasis on Scripture memorization through different methods, Bible-based curricula, and classical read-alouds that reinforce life principles from Proverbs.

Memory work.

Our goal each week is to memorize 1 Psalter, 1 verse from Proverbs for Parenting, and 2 Q&A's from The Mother's Catechism.

Proverbs For Parenting. This is a wonderful tool put together by Barbra Decker to aid in the discipling of our children. She has categorized the Proverbs into chapters that deal with particular sins like selfishness, lying, anger, ungratefulness, etc. If we notice our children are struggling in a specific area, we focus on memorizing proverbs that correspond to their behavior and learning what God says we must do about it.

A Mother's Catechism. I wish I could reference this resource for you, but these ancient Presbyterian catechisms are nearly impossible to come by. However, I'm giving away 15 copies (yes, you read that right) at the end of this post so be sure to enter! It's the Westminster Shorter Catechism made even shorter so that our 2 and 4 year old are perfectly capable of memorizing the questions and answers. This is a great way for them to learn sound biblical doctrine that we pray will stick with them for life.

The Psalter. The Psalter, simply put, is the Book of Psalms for singing. It's a tremendous way for small children to memorize the Psalms. They are set to choral music and we sing the same one after each meal for one week. By then, it is memorized and Charity is allowed to choose two or three to sing again before bedtime. This is the same book we use in Church and our children love it when the pastor has chosen one they are able to sing along with.

Rod & Staff Preschool Curriculum
I absolutely love the Rod & Staff Preschool Curriculum. My mom used it with me two decades ago and I was tickled to see the workbooks hadn't changed at all in the last twenty years. I have fond memories of coloring, cut and paste, and singing jingles to help remember how letters and numbers are formed:
A straight line down and then you're done. This is how to make a one! Around and back on a railroad track! Two, two, two! Around and tree and around a tree; this is how to make a three!

Charity is a typical girly-girl and loves doing crafts, so this curriculum is perfect for her since it involves a lot of crayons, scissors, and glue-sticks! I've heard from other Moms that generally speaking, boys don't do as well with this curriculum because they lack the patience, interest, and fine motor skills at this age to find enjoyment in using all those things.

The set includes six workbooks and a Bible Story book complete with questions and answers. For $21.95 you can hardly go wrong!
1) Adventures with Books: This book aims to teach neatness and carefulness, how to follow simple directions (match with lines, circle, underline, cross out or mark with an 'X'), recognize colors and how to color correctly, practice cutting and pasting, drawing with lines and circles, regonize shapes, and practice words meanings (alike, different, left, right, big, small).

2) Bible Pictures to Color: This book includes 60 coloring pages that correspond to the Bible stories in Bible Stories to Read. Each story includes three questions and answers and a short memory verse.

3) Counting with Numbers: This book teaches your child to identify and write the numbers 1 to 10 and explains what they mean. It also teaches number sequence and basic math concepts like more (greater than) less (fewer than), same (equal to), first, last, empty (zero), full (whole), and one-half.

4) Do it Carefully: This book teaches discriminating shapes, letters, a few sight words, writing letters and your child's name, as well as several consanant blends.

5) Everywhere We Go: This book is basically a review of what has been taught in the previous four. It also introduces character concepts like personal responsibility and courtesy and observations about animals, birds, plants and children that live in different parts of the world.

6) Finding the Answers: This book concentrates on developing critical thinking skills through rhymes, sequence, understanding sentence meanings, making comparisons and associations, learning to follow multiple directions, considering the senses, and gathering supplies to make or repair objects.

Read-alouds One of Charity's favorite things to do is curl up next to me on the couch and have a story read to her (I guess that's probably on the list of every child's Favorite Things To Do, isn't it? :-). We're working our way through the Miller Family Stories, also published by Rod & Staff.
I love these books because the stories are so relatable and each one emphasizes a biblical principle or proverb in a way a child can easily understand. The four Miller children grow up in a Christian home and have experiences very similar to ours. They struggle with obedience, slothfulness, bad influences, lying, snooping into other people's business, gossip, and several other battles we face daily. Each situation is ultimately resolved with an experience that brings sobering consequences or the direction of a parent that leads the children to choose what is right in God's eyes.

Charity is fascinated with pioneers at the moment, so we're reading through Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House Series. Once we are finished the set, we plan to dress up and pay a visit to a pioneer heritage village in our area.

To help expand Charity's vocabulary, I like to read her old English classics such as the stories by Beatrix Potter. This is a fun way to discover big words like "presently," "twitched," and "puzzled," and understand their meanings based on the context in which they are written. A Beatrix Potter Treasury is a fantastic collection of her most famous stories including the tales of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-duck, and Benjamin Bunny.

Copywork

Charity's fine motor skills aren't quite where they need to be to begin learning cursive, but when she gets there, we'll start by using the set of printables I developed earlier this week based on the 1777 New England Primer.

The 1777 New England Primer Cursive Printable Alphabet Set includes 26 Scripture passages to correspond with each letter of the alphabet as well as the biblical ditties used by the Puritans to help enforce the Gospel message in the tender hearts of our children while they learn to write. You can purchase the entire volume for $2.99 here.

If you have any questions about any of the materials or where to get them (I've included links to most of the resources), feel free to ask! If you're interested in receiving a copy of A Mother's Catechism, enter below for your chance to win 1 of 15 I have available to give away.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In the interest of full disclosure, I was not compensated in any way for my review of Rod and Staff Curriculum The opinions expressed are strictly my own. Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. Thank you for your continued support!
Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, Time Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies, A Wise Woman., Hip Homeschool Moms, Living and Learning at Home, Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, The Focused Homemaker, Home Grown Learners, iHomeschool,