In my post on affording the large family homeschool, I talked about using free stuff to homeschool.  One of the free things I mentioned was public domain works.  Now that I have an iPad these are a little more enticing to me.  I never wanted to use these before because I didn’t want to lug my 17″ laptop all over the house with me.  But having a much smaller and more portable device and the ability to use the Kindle app (works for PC too!) to store the books on Kindle until I am ready for them gave me the idea that I ought to search through my list of books for next year and see what I could find that was public domain.

By the way, we have decided to use Tapestry of Grace Year 2 for next school year, so the book list I was searching was from there and primarily for my junior high and high school aged children.  And yes, I promise to write a post about our choice to go back to Tapestry of Grace after all these years.

Please remember these books must be previewed by you, the parent.  Also be aware that you do not see HOW I use these materials in our homeschool.  I may be skipping sections, giving an overview of the work, or reading the entire book aloud.

So, here’s what I found!

I went with this version of Arabian Nights because one review called it the “sanitized children’s version”.

For those of you unfamiliar with the real “unsanitized” version of Canterbury Tales, this is not a book you read straight through.

Beowulf is not an easy read and I didn’t read it until I was in college, so I plan to skim sections with my children. There is a children’s version available, but not for free.

Not a light read I am sure!

This book, set in the middle ages, is one that I am very excited to be putting in the hands of my oldest son!

Frankly, I’m looking forward to reading this! I’ve heard it is a good read.

If you buy this in the complete version it is $.99, but if you get the two volumes separate, it is free. Go figure.

My oldest son will be earning a Government credit next year. This is part of that credit.

We own a hardcover version of this book as well (picked up from a used book sale!), but I wanted the opportunity for two children to read the book at the same time without needing to share the book.

In order to get Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, I had to get this selection rather than just the sermon itself which costs $.99.

The reviews on this particular book won me over as this being the sort of thing I was looking for.

Again, we own this in hard copy, but I wanted to give both my older children the chance to read this at the same time and not have to share a book.

As for the other books on my list, I am saving up Amazon gift cards from being an affiliate and as Swagbucks prizes. I’m starting to list what I need on PaperBackSwap as well with the hopes I can find some there for cheap too. I also plan to utilize my library as much as possible!

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Children see the world through a fresh lens. It’s almost as if they have a better understanding of creation than we adults who are racing and organizing and pushing. They have the time to see the vibrant colors of a butterfly, the fluffiness of a cloud, the funny gait of a “watopillar” (otherwise known as a caterpillar…otherwise known as a roly-poly). They wonder at the world around them almost as naturally as they breathe.

Having children has taught me something beautiful.  It has taught me a sense of wonderment.

As homeschool moms we need to harness this wonderment.  We need to take the natural curiosity and joy of learning our little ones possess and choose curriculum and ways of infusing information that correspond with this.

You will find I am not a big advocate of preschool “curriculum” because I don’t think preschoolers NEED curriculum.  They need mama and daddy.  They need books read to them and smiles and hugs.  But, it seems moms and dads who are new to homeschooling are eager to add their preschooler to a rigorous school day (I know I was!).

So, I beseech you to consider The Wonderment Curriculum.

No, this isn’t any particular curriculum, it’s a general frame of mind, if you will.  It’s the homeschooling frame of mind that says

Young children need only the opportunity to explore and learn from what they discover with mom and dad at their sides to guide their learning.

It is Delight-Directed for little ones!

So, if you must “do school” with your preschoolers, here are my top picks for building a Wonderment Curriculum for days full of delightful learning!

Free Ideas:

• Your local library – choose a topic and grab up as many children’s books as you can!  Take books you already own and supplement with library books, cookbooks, and online videos and information!
• Out of doors – There is so much to explore outside no matter where you live.  Take regular nature walks and keep a journal of what you find!
• Less electronics – Less entertainment-driven media (which almost always creates an environment where the child is told what to think) will easily and cheaply foster creativity.

Toys that encourage creativity:

• Playsilks – Oh, the possibilities!
• Dress Up Clothes – This doesn’t have to be fancy and definitely doesn’t need to be store-bought!
• Critter Catcher or other safe way of catching and observing bugs.
• Kitchen sets – this can be anything from stuff you pick up at a thrift store to the nice play kitchens you see in stores.  There is just something about kids and the opportunity to concoct with dirt and water!

Actual Curriculum:

• Five in a Row Series – literature-based in an easy style.
• Unit Studies – A quick Google search of “Free Unit Studies” will net you huge results!

Books for mom and dad that facilitate Wonderment:

And don’t forget to infuse your little ones with the Bible!  Everything you do and say and teach should be out of the overflow of a heart that loves the Lord!  He is the Creator of these little ones and their sense of curiosity.  Lead them to Him!

{photos by thegodlyphotographer.blogspot.com}

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“We don’t go to homeschool conventions to buy our curriculum.  We go to buy our next curriculum.”
~Voddie Baucham

We have been homeschooling from the beginning.  You’ve heard how I only knew of one homeschool catalog that first year and how I managed to teach my son to read with only the resources from that catalog.

From there, I began purchasing new curriculum nearly every semester…trying to find the perfect one.  I became a little less frantic after I passed the three year homeschool learning curve (that post is a Must Read, in my opinion!), but still I find myself tweaking even today.

And somehow knowing Voddie Baucham‘s family is tweaking too makes me feel better.

That’s why I wanted to address this subject with all of you.  I’m sure some of you wonder why nothing ever seems good enough.  You wonder when you will find something you can stick with.  You wonder what must be wrong with you that you can’t seem to make one curriculum work for everyone.

I’m here to reassure you and tell you that you can’t find that curriculum for three reasons:

1.  Your children change – They were little, now they are big.  There were 2 of them, now there are 6.  They used to be interested in dinosaurs, now they are interested in engineering.  And the list goes on and on and on.  This is the beauty of homeschooling.  You don’t have to remain static and continue to teach from the box.  You get to grow with their needs and interests.  (Read The Christian Home School by Gregg Harris for more information on delight-directed learning)

2. You change – Of course, a homeschool mom can have physical changes in her life that cause her to need to change things up in her homeschool day, but let’s talk about the spiritual changes a homeschool mom goes through.

I am not the same spiritually as I was 10 years ago when we began this homeschooling journey.  Homeschooling causes you to dig deep and teaches you more than you ever realized you would learn.  The biggest lessons you learn are the spiritual ones.  You learn more about your Bible and your God and you learn how utterly dependent you are on Christ.  You go from milk to meat, ever-growing and ever-changing.

Because of that, your ideas about curriculum change too.  Often, you find yourself playing it safe and sticking close to the public school guidelines in the beginning, but as you mature spiritually, you find yourself less concerned with academics and more concerned with your children’s spiritual growth.  You find you want to bring out different things in your homeschool day…things that lead your children to Christ.  And sometimes this means a change in curriculum.

What a wonderful reason to change!

3.  You family changes – Circumstances change for families all the time.  Rarely do family dynamics remain the same all throughout your homeschooling years.  You have to accept these changes and do what needs to be done to work with these changes.  Perhaps you started homeschooling with one small child and now you have 10.  Perhaps your husband doesn’t have a job right now or you are sending a child to college.  Perhaps you are entering the foreign mission field or returning home after years away.  Perhaps you have a child who needs some serious shepherding or a family member who must come live with you.  All of these things will effect your homeschooling.  You have to be ready to adjust as needed.

Ultimately all of this is God.

God guiding and directing the paths of you, your children, and your family.  God growing you up.  God piercing hearts.  God revealing Himself to you each and every day.

You must be willing to say, “Where He leads, I will follow.”

No curriculum will ever be better than God.  We aren’t searching for “good enough” because good enough won’t do.  We are seeking a God Who satisfies our every need and yes, sometimes He will lead us to new curriculum…our next curriculum

{photo credit Shutterhacks}

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I am so very excited to be teaming up with Lauren from Mama’s Learning Corner today to bring you a FREE Fruit of the Spirit devotional and printables for your little ones!

Little children love memorizing Scripture and the Fruit of the Spirit is a great place to start!

Lauren has created some wonderful printables to go along with each lesson as well as a Fruit Chart where you can track each time your child displays a Fruit of the Spirit!

I also recommend you purchase this CD as a supplement to the devotional:

I have owned this CD for many years and we love it!  The songs are beautiful, simple and catchy without adding to or taking away from Scripture.  A perfect fit with this devotional!  {Click here for more information on the CD.}

I hope you enjoy teaching your children the Fruit of the Spirit!

Click here to download your devotional!

Click here to download your printables!

Feel free to share this post with others!  We’d love to share this with as many families as we can!

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Just as I have only one “middle“, I also have only one “big.”  He’s 13 and a wonderful young man.

Here’s a rundown of his studies for the year:

Bible Study: A House for My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament

Since we are working our way from Creation to the Romans for our history for this year, this correlates nicely.  After he finishes this book, he will move to Thinking Like a Christian and Bible Doctrine for Older Children.

Math: Teaching Textbooks: Algebra 1

My brain does not think in numbers, therefore discovering Teaching Textbooks last year was a tremendous blessing!  Each lesson has both a video lesson and a textbook lesson.  My son typically only reads the textbook portion unless he’s really struggling with a concept.  Any problems that he misses can be looked up on the CD and worked through step by step.  Totally self-taught and self-corrected!

Science: Apologia General Science

The Christian worldview and academic standard of these textbooks is unsurpassed by any other science curriculum!

Foreign Language:  Latin for Children

Go here to read how my son ended up learning Latin and why we chose this curriculum.

Writing:  As I mentioned in my middles curriculum post, grammar has been one of those homeschool subjects that has caused me much angst.  This year we are doing Institute for Excellence in Writing’s program Teaching Writing:  Structure & Style and Student Writing Intensive Level B.  So far, I am quite impressed.  I’ll be reviewing this more in-depth after we’ve had more time with the program.

Spelling:  A few years ago we realized Blake was not a strong speller, so I went on a quest to find the best spelling program out there.  Phonetic Zoo from Institute for Excellence in Writing is that program.  You can read my post where I rave about this product too!

Blake’s extracurricular activities include piano, Boy Scouts, and a million other pursuits, including his new blog: The Camping Guy (this kid knows his stuff, so I’m excited to see where he goes with this!)

Well, that’s our homeschool year in a nutshell! I’ll put links to all of these curriculum posts on my Homeschooling Mother page, so they are readily available.

Here’s to a wonderful school year!

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While I have lots of “littles,” I only have one middle.  She’s 10 and in some circles she would be called a “tween.”  However, being a person who really doesn’t like overused labels that tend to take on negative connotations, I will stick to the “middle” tag and leave it a that.

Here’s a list of what my rather unique “middler” will be doing this coming year:

Bible Study: After Breakfast & Bible time, my two older children split off for their own study time.  Megan is currently working through Victor Journey Through the Bible.

This is a fabulous book that really opens up the Scripture to the time and the place each book and chapter were written in.  Powerful learning and understanding!

After she finishes Victor, she will move to Rick Boyer’s Proverbs People

Math: She is her mother’s child and math is an absolute conundrum to her.  So, rather than move her to Saxon, as we did with her older brother at a certain point, she is sticking with Horizons where the pictures are colorful and she has room to doodle (yes, I do let her doodle in her book.)

Science: This was a no brainer…Apologia all the way!  She loves these books.  {click here to read more about how we homeschool science.}

Foreign Language: You might remember how Megan just decided to teach herself Spanish one day.  Well, we decided to go ahead and give her a formal curriculum and yes, Rosetta Stone is THE premier foreign language program and yes, Megan is doing fabulously with it.

History: We are currently working our way through my homemade Creation – Flood Unit {you know, the one I keep promising all my subscribers will get for free…not too much longer!}  So far, her favorite book has been A Child’s Geography: Explore the Holy Land.

Writing: This is something new this year.  We ditched a formal grammar program in favor of a more natural approach.  I’ve had a love/hate relationship with grammar for years (I have a degree in English, you would think I would LOVE grammar, but instead I find most grammar books to be tedious and overdone.)  So, this year we decided to go with Institute for Excellence in Writing.  I hope to have a more formal review for you as we continue to use the program, but so far, I am impressed with how engaging and practical it is without being monotonous and obnoxious.  We are using the Teaching Writing:  Structure & Style and Student Writing Intensive Level B.  {I am using this for both my 10 year old and my 13 year old}

Extras: Megan continues to be very interested in photography and has started a blog: The Godly Photographer, to hone both her writing and her photography skills.   She takes horseback riding lessons through our local parks and recreation department and piano from a homeschool graduate in a neighboring town.

That rounds out the middle homeschooling years here at…

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I am going to divulge what our homeschool curriculum choices are for the upcoming year.

I understand his reasoning (we might use a particular curriculum in a different way and for a different purpose and thus receive much different results than if you were to use the same thing), but I also see merit in offering ideas so that others can see what is working and what is not working for you in order to aid in their curriculum decisions.

That is one reason I linked up my Homeschooling Mother page to my friend Stef’s Show Off Your Curriculum Link Up. (you’re welcome to join in!)

So I don’t overwhelm you with everything at one time, I’m going to give you a list of just what I will be doing with my littles.

These are the littles:

ages 6, 5, 2, & 9 months

{my 5 year old has yet to learn what a “normal” camera smile looks like!}

I do not school my 9 month old nor my 2 year old.  The 9 month old is usually napping during school hours and the 2 year old plays with his Toddler Box until his older brother is done with school and can go play cowboys or soldiers with him.

While I could have put my 5 and 6 year olds in the same school books at the same time, I chose not to.  One reason is my 5 year old has speech delays and I wanted his speech to be a little better before I added him to the school day.  For that reason, he spent last year working his way through The Rod & Staff ABC Series.

These are the books we ALWAYS start with.  Wonderful resource and great start to school for little ones!

After that, we move to Horizons from Alpha Omega for math

and Phonics Museum from Veritas Press for phonics/reading/handwriting.

This is a bit different from what I did back in 2009 when I wrote my post on homeschooling preschoolers and toddlers, but I still cover the same basic areas and it takes us about the same amount of time.

This is all done in the morning after Family Bible Time (fondly known as Bible & Breakfast) and the littles Bible Study time with me.
{Our current Bible & Breakfast selections are Mighty Acts of God and Truth and Grace Bible Memory Books and the littles’ Bible Study is from A is for Adam.}

In the afternoon, our family meets back up corporately to dig into History/Geography/Literature.  This is something new this year (yes, our school year has already begun…or rather, it never stopped because we homeschool year round).

Remember, I said I was writing my own History curriculum?  Well, this is what we are doing during the afternoon hours and we are LOVING IT!

EXCITING NEWS!

I will be making each unit available FREE of CHARGE to Raising Arrows subscribers!  These will become available as we tweak and complete each unit in a very simplified format via a link in my posts that come to your inbox or your feed reader {I anticipate the first unit being available sometime in the next couple of months}.  Sign up today!

I’ve always done History during the afternoon hours, but I’ve rarely included the littles.  The reasons for not including them has been everything from not enough age-appropriate material, to not enough time.  The way I have solved this issue is to make up two lesson plans {one for bigs & one for littles} that coincide at different points.  If the littles have done all the things listed on their lesson plan and it is not yet time for their lessons to coincide with their older siblings’, they simply don’t have History that day.

You also might notice we don’t do formal Science lessons with our littles.  At this age, I prefer my children to be naturalists and observers.  There is time enough to cram oodles of information into their brains.

So, there you have it…the Littles Version of the 2011-2012 school year here at Heritage Arrows Homeschool!

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The pulling together of our own curriculum has been such a blessing.  We have only been at it 2 weeks and already I see fruit!  Dig deep into God’s Word, my friends, and let that be your main focus during the school day!  You cannot go wrong.

While studying up for our Creation through the Flood unit, I was introduced to a concept that surprised me and challenged me.  I’m still waiting to see how it will turn out.

That idea is that God owns the stars that make up the constellations that tell a story and man has perverted it.  It’s been a hot topic for discussion here as we search the Word for answers and understanding.

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;
~Genesis 1:14

The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
~Psalm 19

This concept was originally introduced to me from Christine Miller’s All Through The Ages.

We are reading another book entitled God’s Voice in the Stars and looking at the Scripture that points to stars providing knowledge and information…not the kind of information that man creates on his own, but the kind that speaks of God’s love for a lost world–a Gospel message in the heavens.  {My friend Dee sent me this article as a rebuttal to this concept: http://watch.pair.com/zodiac/ }

Is it possible that the stars that twinkle so beautifully above us as we gaze up at that endless expanse of night sky might be more than just a smattering of light?  Do they really “utter speech” and “reveal knowledge?”  And not random knowledge, but a real Gospel in the stars.

Is this truth?  Or another perversion?  Is this by God’s design or is this man trying to make God’s Word fit their corrupt ideals?

I will never, ever be able to wrap my finite little brain around the glory of God…but I will certainly keep seeking to know Him more.

Every day.

Every night.

Weekends in the Word is a ministry of Raising Arrows meant to offer a time of worship and encouragement specifically for those mommies who find themselves, due to circumstances beyond their control, unable to attend worship services with other believers. However, all are welcome here each weekend to feast on His Word.

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Ty and I feel the main focus of our children’s schooling needs to be God’s Word.  The resources we purchased this year are ones we hope will facilitate in-depth study of the Bible by every member of our family.

(Some of the following links are affiliate links.  Also be aware that I have not actually used any of these new purchases, so I am not able to fully endorse them as yet.  I only list the links to them so that you can search them out for yourself.)

Bible Memory

This is an area we haven’t done very well in.  I’ve struggled to know how to teach my children to memorize Scripture and then stay consistent with that teaching.  So, I purchased this little book:

Purchase from Amazon HERE or from Grace & Truth Books HERE.

Bible Study

My 10 year old will be reading through Victor Journey Through the Bible, but I needed something for her to work on after that.  While I don’t want to make the Bible some sort of To-Do List, I do want her to learn more of the wisdom and truth that lies within its pages.  What better place to start than with Proverbs! (Not to mention her daddy’s favorite verses are from that book!)  So, we went with this little nugget:

Purchase from Amazon HERE or from The Learning Parent HERE.

For my 13 year old, I wanted something deeper.  I ran into Betty from Peace Creek on the Prairie with a copy of this in her hand (she had the younger children’s version):

Purchase from Amazon HERE or from Grace & Truth Books HERE.

I already own the Bible Study resources I’ll be using with my youngest children, so I did not buy anything more for them.

Worldview

I’ve had my eye on this book for a long time:

I happened to find it hiding in a shelf at a booth that sells nearly new homeschool curriculum at great prices.  The price I found at Amazon was just a little over what I paid.  This will be what I use for Worldview for my 13 year old.

At the same booth, I found this book:

A couple of years ago this book was recommended to me, and since I really like Starr Meade’s Mighty Acts of God, I thought this might be a good book to move on to after we finish that.

Purchase from Amazon HERE or from Grace & Truth Books HERE.

Resources for Mom & Dad

I have wanted this book for a long time, but it took having the author himself there to sign the book for us to finally purchase it!

Purchase from Amazon HERE or from Voddie Baucham Ministries HERE.

We also purchased this book from Voddie:

My husband and my oldest son attended Voddie’s session on Biblical Manhood in the Home.  This book is one you want your sons to read as something they can aspire to.  I saw my friend Michelle purchasing copies for each of her sons.  She told me she had read it aloud to them already, but wanted them to have their own copies.  A great idea!  {Purchase from Amazon HERE or from Voddie Baucham Ministries HERE.}

Lastly, I purchased a book from a favorite author of mine:

Years ago, I lead a study of Tedd Tripp’s Shepherding a Child’s Heart.  It was wonderful, so I am really looking forward to reading through this book!  {Purchase from Amazon HERE.}

I didn’t actually set out to purchase so many Bible resources, but this year’s homeschool conference really cemented the things the Lord was already bringing to my attention.  It just made sense.

We are discipling our children.  They are part of the Great Commission within our very home.  It’s imperative that we don’t just SAY the Bible is the most important aspect of our homeschooling, but that we actually MAKE it the most important thing in our home.

What resources are you using to further the Kingdom in YOUR home?

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But Latin can be hard on the homeschool mom. I don’t have the time to teach a living language, let alone a dead one!  This is one of those subjects I have to outsource.

While Visual Latin is not the Latin program I use, it is very similar.  That is why I feel confidant offering this giveaway to you.  I think you will find this program is just what you need to teach Latin because you don’t teach it at all!

That’s right!  Someone else teaches it!  And that someone is Dwane Thomas.  {Watch a lesson here.}  Dwane mixes wit and wisdom and teaches your child Latin in short downloadable videos and worksheets. {Get free samples here.}

So, if you want to teach Latin in your homeschool, but haven’t a clue how, this product is for you!  It’s outsourcing at the click of a mouse in the comfort of your own home!

Want to win a FULL YEAR of Latin 1 from Visual Latin!?

How to enter to win:
(leave a comment for every one you do!)

1. Leave a comment telling me if you have ever taught Latin and if Latin scares you as much as it scares me!

2. Subscribe to Raising Arrows (If you subscribe to Raising Arrows, you will receive a 25% Off Coupon Code good on any Visual Latin product!  Just look for the code at the bottom of my post in your feed reader or email!)

3. Like the Visual Latin facebook page.

4. Facebook this giveaway.

5. Tweet this giveaway.

Winner will be announced on Thursday!

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