Usually during the primary grades, a child is first asked to pen a composition. This sort of written expression is not unlike personal essays which appear in anthologies like Chicken Soup for the Soul or magazines like Guideposts. The same steps an adult might take to inspire herself and prepare […]
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Math—it often comes across as an abstract textbook exercise, especially in algebra, geometry, and calculus. Manipulate variables; formulate a proof; find derivatives, etc. What’s the purpose? Well, math is a way of describing the quantities and consistencies that God created and sustains all around us. Here’s a tiny glimpse at […]
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Creativity can seem mysterious and daunting. For example, you may have seen a piece of art and marveled, “How do they do that?” or maybe you have said, “I could do that,” only to fail miserably trying to make a simple sketch. But whether you are a budding artist or […]
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In a world where most of us have in our pockets the capability of capturing an image, the field of photography is more accessible than ever. Gone are the days of finishing a roll of film and then waiting for it to be developed—hoping a few good images were captured. […]
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I’m always more than ready to go outside and dig in the dirt at the first sign of spring. Planting flowers in pots and small flower beds just makes everything beautiful again! The fresh air, crisp wind, and sparkling sunshine are good for my soul. Children naturally love the outdoors. […]
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Mission: revamp the way we look at grammar! I would not have thought this possible if I had not become an ESL teacher myself. Years ago, when I embarked upon my teaching journey, I thought teaching grammar had to be taken seriously. No fun or games. I was so wrong. […]
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When to Begin As homeschooling parents, we know that we are essentially “teaching all the time.” Our preschoolers are exposed to math by counting their fingers and toes, singing songs, reading stories, and many times by listening to older siblings discuss their math lessons at home. We count steps, chairs, […]
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“Grammar? Argh!” Have your children ever moaned those words? Completing endless pages of grammar exercises often elicits that very response. Direct, sequential grammar instruction is important for helping students to understand sentence structure (and thereby to improve as readers and writers), but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun […]
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Does thinking about teaching math keep you up at night? Do you wrestle with wondering if your child is ready to begin formal math lessons? Or are you wading through a mountain of curriculum catalogs looking for that perfect math curriculum to help your struggling student? I hope this article […]
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Growing up in Southern California, I was fortunate to live not far from the Pacific Ocean. I spent many summer days at various beaches, but my mother would also take us on day trips to witness the yearly migration of the California gray whales. Ocean excursions like these are just […]
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