Drama and Homeschooling!

This title could be deceiving! NO I'm not discussing family life, I know some of us have "drama" in our lives to last our life times, but I am actually talking about theater in the life of a homeschooler! 

Our children's personalities are God given and developed by everyone they encounter.  Parents have the major roles to play out, but everyone leaves something for everyone in this area...So some are naturally "out there" with gregorious laughter and not minding to be in the spotlight, while others snuggle shyly into our skirts or jeans leg as a new opportunity to present themselves is more than they want to encounter. . .

I have one of each.  Girl Thing One has danced her way to gospel music in church since she was old enough to walk.  When my children were preschoolers, my youngest son would set at our piano and finger the keys (any wonder he has natural gift for it??) and say to his sister, "Dance__! Dance!" And she did right along to his rhythms. . .on her toes, moving her feet as fast as she could with the biggest smile on her face.  He was grinning too~while he didn't want the spotlight, she did and his ability to "play" (this was light banging on the keys, really..." brought each of them joy.

Today as teenagers who are both musicicans, she is singing a hymn in Japanese, and he is playing it on his trumpet.  Again the stage is set for one to take a center spot and the other to accompany.  But not only has this continued in music, Girl Thing One is not in a homeschool drama club, well they both are~but she tried out for a part and got it, while he's happy working on props and costuming! Differences gallore for sure, but both active in their God given ways!

I want to encourage you to take your littles or bigs into areas that will bring confidence to them as they are exposed to this world we live in. 

It was interesting that yesterday in church because my daughter is reserved and very quiet most of the time that my Sunday School class was surprised to know that she is in a theatre production, and that this is her fifth or sixth.  She doesn't dance the church aisles anymore! But she does still enjoy the theature and performing~now a homeschool drama group. 

Please consider drama activities for your children.  The benefits can be huge in terms of their lives. . .will Boy Thing One continue to be a support and faithful back up to those who are more outgoing? But without opportunities, he may never take that center stage. . .and will Girl Thing One continue to work the parts?  Only the Lord knows the future of our children, but opportunities such as drama and other arts such as music are pieces in the building of positive life experiences.

If you don't have a drama group in your area, what about your co-op group? Can you along with them start one? Try your church too.  Often there are many opportunities for children in the form of Children's Choirs, Drama Teams, and more! I learned to sing in our church choir.  I've had about 2 years of piano most of which was as a seven year old, but I can sing and even simply play melody on the piano enough to get the notes for singing! Look around~there are opportunities~and often where was seek, we will find...but if not, let's consider starting!
BTW~the picture is an actual production with my daughter!
blessings,

Remembering 9/11~a tribute and film...

I remember it. Don't you? If you were near a television at that precise hour, then you along with many of us watched in horror as some of the most vicious attacks on our nation unfolded before our eyes...I was home with my children. Our daughter the had been in public kindergarten , and this day as I sat dismayed at what I was seeing, I offered up a prayer of thanksgiving in knowing both my children were home with us, and we were not in fear as many parents who were so concerned that they ran to the schools to get their children...homeschooling took on a new meaning for me. It was a new commitment in our lives, our second year!

Love of God and country has been a huge theme in our schooling. We believe in patriotism! We believe is a just, holy and righteous God! And we believe in our duty to serve both!! In home education is our mechanism for gaining and performing both~

A few years ago, I accidently found the film, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXnA9F 9/11 The Falling Man. This is a documentary about one of the photographs of a man who like many that day became known as a "jumper," and the attempts by some to identify him, put a dignity to his situation and bring closure by by finding his family and for them closure and dignity. THIS IS NOT for the faint or weak as this film shows many disturbing images of the horror of WHAT those no good devils did to our nation, our people and each and every bit of our way of life.

I am chosing to share such with you because it is my belief that to gloss over it's shock, tragedy, and horror does NOT serve us today, but will in the long run harm us in a way that can effect generations to come! Lest We Forget...we may be doomed to repeat the past! It's my prayer that God gives us all the courage, strength and integrity to stand against tyranny in whatever form we find it, to defend and protect our United States Constitution and to BOLDLY say:
God Bless America! Land of the Free and the Brave!

It will take you over an hour to watch. I could have put up a "nice" pic, but in our nation today, we all need to be reminded...Lest We Forget...

http://attacked911.tripod.com/ This was put up by Nichole and it's a tribute that will either make you mad or resolved to DO something in the name of freedom. Let's be patriots and stand strong for our nation!

Loving my country, my countrymen, and my God by remembering in solemness 9/11!

Singing to Learn~A fun and stress free way to enjoy schooling

I got purely giddy over a blast I got today from Homeschool Enrichment Magazine
http://homeschoolenrichment.com/
You can get a free sample too!

Today we are looking at homeschooling from an older age, we are now 8th and 9th graders, but way back when, in the early days when some of the conventional methods we tried, like workbooks and text books were not working, I found singing and physical activities~kinesthetic methods of learning to be very useful! VERY! Young children generally like to sing and dance! They are you know are much more active and hands on than some when they get older, while this learning style can remain, sometimes it will also "evolve" into visual and still auditory, but in different ways without a true need to move and sing...
but for the littles or
those who learn this way best~Sing to Learn
http://singnlearn.org/ is a resource site with LOADS of auditory singing learning materials...I saw Sing Spell Read and Write by Sue Dickson who we used with our struggling reader when he was second grade. It was fun, and most importantly it gave him a sense of accomplishment: It has a RACE TRACK board with vinyl magnetic cars that move around the track as each level is accomplished. It's colorful, durable, and we put it on the side of our fridge so my son could track his progress. There are learning games to accompany a reader, and writing phonics text which will focus on sounds, blends, diphthongs, and more...there is a spelling list and even songs to teach all of this...I adored it~and it WORKED! Another product I see they carry is called Skip Count Kid's Bible Heroes which was hugely successful in teaching the multiplication tables to my children with really cute songs~Bible based! There's a song about Noah and the ark with the animals coming on the ark by two's...we loved this one too! Go check out this website~you can listen to samples and order a catalog...the listening samples is HUGELY HELPFUL~

I found this so helpful when teaching my children in the early years and believe that these were very helpful in the foundations to learning that my children now possess!

Unsolicited, as most of my sharing is~It's purely for your benefit~I hope this helps!
blessings,

Free Museum Day Sept 26th~

The Smithsonian Museum is hosting a free day visit for a member of your household and a guest for a download free pass to many museums in the nation. I've visited the wonderful Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC several times over the years and their magazine has affiliate museums that partner with them for this event~but they don't guarantee that a museum listed is participating, so go to the site, find where you want to visit and give the museum a call before you set up your visit. I thought this is worth a shot for those of us who may have a participating museum in our areas~http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/index.html

Thanks Freely Educate: http://www.freelyeducate.com/2009/08/free-museum-day-at-over-1000-american-museums.html#tpe-action-posted-6a00e55098fdaf88330120a58c814f970c
You can check out her website for many many FREE educational opportunities for your child(ren)!

blessings