Free One-Year Magazine Subscription

I found a way to get a free one-year subscription to Biblical Worldview Magazine. This is a $25 value. This is an information-packed magazine containing thought-provoking articles on current events, American history, biblical worldview issues and more. Simply go to www.americanvision.org/bwsignup No obligation or purchase necessary!

Blogs For Kids

It's always been a challenge to get my children interested in writing. Lately, my daughter has shown an interest in creating her own blog. I thought that was a great idea! When there is a tangible purpose for writing, the motivation is there to push through the writing process. I found an interesting article on blogs for kids by Sharon Housley. You can read it at http://www.rss-specifications.com/kids-blogging.htm

My daughter completed her first poem that she will be posting on her brand-new blog today! I'm excited to see her be excited about writing!

The Power Mall

Do you ever shop online? I just found out about The Power Mall. If you click on my link below you will learn what it is about. Basically to sum it up, you sign up for free, no gimmicks or tricks involved. You buy from your own mall things that you would daily, monthly...You have over a thousand stores, tons of name brand stores like Target, Linens & Things, Gap, Nike, etc. You buy from your own store online and earn interest back. So you get paid to shop at your mall. If you get people going under you, you get a % of what they buy. It is exciting when you really check out the stores, free shipping, and the %. It makes sense. I’ve heard of people recently quitting their jobs because they make enough from their mall. I am learning to make a list of what I need instead of running to Walmart, get them online from my own store and make money.

I am new with this one, but I do see the potential for growth by just purchasing things online rather than going to the store. So I am excited about this, and I am passing it on to you as well as others. If I see or learn of any glitches, I will be sure to tell you. For more information, go to http://www.mypowermall.com/Biz/Home/33639

Easy Grammar

I have really been pleased with Easy Grammar. It truly does make grammar easy. I was amazed today when I gave my 10-year-old son the following sentence:

A hiker grew thirsty in the afternoon.

He told me: "Well, we cross off 'in the afternoon' because that is a prepositional phrase. And if we don't cross it out, it will mess us up. 'Hiker' is the subject, and 'grew' is a linking verb because I could say, 'A hiker IS thirsty', and it would make sense. 'Thirsty' is a predicate adjective because it describes the subject, 'hiker'." I just had to step back in amazement. My 10-year-old son gets this! This is stuff I learned in college! That is really exciting. Kudos to Easy Grammar!

History Curriculum For Sale and Wanted

History Curriculum For Sale:

Heroes of the Faith series: David Livingstone: Missionary and Explorer. Grades 9-12. For 32 years Scottish missionary and doctor David Livingstone carried the message of the Christian gospel as he trekked more than 40,000 miles from Cape Town through central Africa. This very detailed biography in the Heroes of the Faith series gives a strong sense of his commitment to his missionary work and his courage as an explorer. This book will create a desire to do further reading on David Livingstone. Very good condition. Gentle shelf wear only. $2.00.

The Light and the Glory For Children: Discovering God’s Plan for America from Christopher Columbus to George Washington by Peter Marshall. This interactive children's edition of the best-seller, The Light and the Glory, reveals how God worked through America's founding fathers. Ages 9-12. This book uses a Christian perspective to examine the history of America from the first voyage of Columbus to the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, with an emphasis on faithfulness to God's word. This book is a must read for children to get a proper perspective of history. Public school textbooks will not reflect our Christian roots. Parents should read the regular version. Very good condition. A small amount of writing, but otherwise a very clean copy. $7.50

From Sea to Shining Sea For Children: Discovering God’s Plan for America in Her First Half-Century of Independence, 1787-1837 by Peter Marshall. This book can be a marvelous gift for a youngster. It can also lay the groundwork for that child to be able to combat the attacks of others who disregard the Christian heritage of the United States of America. This book tells America’s story during its first fifty years. These were the days of Benjamin Franklin and Daniel Boone, Francis Asbury and Charles Finney, Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston. The Louisiana Purchase and the Oregon Trail expanded America’s boundaries from sea to shining sea. But God was also at work in the young nation, giving its settlers exciting opportunities to shape its history and to be His people. This book, written primarily for young people in the middle grades, includes study questions for each chapter and helps its readers see God’s part in American history. "Review" questions stimulate deep thought about the moral responsibility each one of us has to our country and our God. As with the first book, this is a great character building tool for our future citizens. Gently-used clean copy in very good condition $7.50

A Beka, Of America II (sixth grade). 2001 edition, softcover. Small amount of writing, but otherwise this book is in really good condition. Tight and bright. Add this to your homeschool library today! $6.25

Art Curriculum For Sale and Wanted to Buy

For Sale:

The Lamb’s Book of Art I and II by Barry Stebbing Teacher’s Manual. Grades 3-8. This delightful introduction to art covers color theory, drawing, anatomy, perspective, nature studies, portraits, cartooning, lettering, creative writing, and more in a one year curriculum. This is the teacher’s manual that goes with the student text below. $4.00

The Lamb’s Book of Art I Student Art Book. Lessons can be done directly in the book, which includes a sketchbook in back of the text. I have two copies of this available. One copy has a small amount of writing on the cover and the title page. The first 4 lessons are done, but the rest of the book are perfectly clean (lessons 5-69). The other copy has some scribbling on the front cover and coloring on the back cover. There is some drawing on the inside of the cover and the first 4 lessons are done. The rest of the book is perfectly clean and usable for lessons 5-69. I am selling these for $8.00 each.

For Sale and Wanted

For Sale:

I have four copies of What Your 6th Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good Sixth-Grade Education by E.D. Hirsch Jr. This is part of the Core Knowledge Series. I have four copies in acceptable to good condition for $6.50 each plus shipping.

SaxonMath Homeschool 5/4 Solutions Manual ISBN 1591413257 paperback 2004. This is a clean copy in good condition Cover shows some wear, but pages are clean and bright. I am selling this for $21.03 plus shipping.

Alpha Omega Horizons Math 4. Student workbook 2 in like new condition for $6.75 plus shipping.

Caring for Sexually Abused Children: A Handbook for Families and Churches by Dr. R. Timothy Kearney. Dealing with sexual abuse is painful, especially when it involves a child you care about. Dr. Kearney shows how the healing touch of God can come, frequently through God's people in the Christian community. This is a paperback in like new condition for $6.50 plus shipping.

Math U See

We started using Math U See today. We had been using Horizons math for the last two years, so it was pretty different using Math U See. I like it. I like that we can watch the DVD. The kids get better understanding being able to watch the DVD with me before I teach the concept. I also like the way this curriculum is so hands-on. The use of manipulatives makes math so concrete and reinforces the concepts in your mind. I appreciate that there are so many practice pages available. It's nice because those who get the concept right away don't have to do all of the practice pages, yet those who are slower learners can practice until they get it. So far, I am pretty impressed with this curriculum.

The Circuit Rider's Story

Well, we've taken five weeks off of school, and we are starting back up gradually. My plan is for us to gradually increase the subjects we study each day until we are at a full schedule again in September. This way we get to enjoy a lighter summer schedule yet don't have to go from nothing to a full schedule all in one day. It's nice to have such a light schedule. Right now, we are just focusing on reading comprehension. Today we read "The Circuit Rider's Story" which is an excerpt from Magical Melons by Carol Ryrie Brink.

What a heartwarming, faith-building reading that was. I love to have the kids read stories that are filled with biblical teachings. Today's story was based on Ecc 11:1 and how when you put your faith in God, He will provide. This is a great story about a circuit-riding preacher who had unwavering faith in God. He was a good Samaritan to an Indian that he found on the road who would have frozen to death had it not been for him. What a great example of obedience to God in the face of people telling you to do otherwise.

Many times it seems that obedience to God will require disobedience to others. I admire a person who will step out in obedience to the Lord at all costs. It's amazing how God is so faithful to provide for every need for his people. And he is always on time!

This reading inspired great conversation between me and my children. It is such a blessing to be able to have them read stories that will encourage them to be doers of the Word and to have unwavering faith in God. Obedience and faith...a winning combination.

The Decision to Homeschool

The decisions that we make regarding the education of our children are important ones. When trying to decide between traditional school and home education, it is a good idea to talk to others who have had to make that decision in the past.

I stumbled upon homeschooling in the mid-1990’s. It was not as popular as it is today. I remember hearing about a family who homeschooled and wondering what was wrong with the kids that they couldn’t go to regular school. I thought it was odd that they didn’t go to school, and I imagined them suffering socially by being at the kitchen table all day. I had a misconception of what home education actually looked like. Home education has become more and more acceptable throughout the years. Supporters say that 1.5 million children in the United States are being taught at home; independent researchers put the figure closer to one million (http://members.iquest.net/~macihms/Education/acesat.html).
I have always been interested in education. I have a Bachelor’s degree in education because my plan was to teach in the school system. When my first-born was three years old, I started to teach her how to read. In six months, she was reading at a 2nd grade level. I was amazed, and I thought about how she would excel in all areas if we homeschooled her. Plus, since she was already reading, I couldn’t see putting her in preschool or kindergarten.

My husband still wasn’t sold on the idea. He was amazed at how well she learned to read, but he still felt like she might miss out on something if she didn’t attend traditional school. Then one day he was doing yard work, and a school bus dropped some kids off. They were pretty young. And my husband said that he heard the most vulgar language coming out of these kids’ mouths. It was so bad that it made his jaw drop. He immediately came in the house and said, “We are homeschooling.” And that is how we came to decide to homeschool.

Others have come to this decision in other ways. Some have mentioned wanting to homeschool because of educational gaps that were evident in their children. They felt their children were not being challenged academically and felt that the school system operated with low standards.

Some people decide to home educate their children because of a lack of discipline and supervision in the schools. With the increase of drugs and school shootings, it seems more people are considering home education. Some have said that even the Christian schools have become dumping grounds for discipline problems in the schools. Home education allows for a broader and richer educational experience, and the time spent with your child is precious.

Some people home educate their children because they do not agree with the anti-Christian values being taught in the schools. They want to teach their children what is real and true by allowing them to see the big picture by learning about the God who is left out of public education. They view home education as a godly calling to train their children up in the way they should go. They don’t want to relinquish this responsibility to the state.

For some, the decision to home educate their children is the very reason that others shy away from home education. It’s known as the “S” word…socialization. Whereas some people think that home education would stifle a child socially, others choose to home educate their children so that they can teach their children not to be so peer dependent and to be able to move at their own pace. Home education enables a child to grow up with less peer pressure and to think for themselves.

The decision to home educate your children really doesn’t have to be a lifetime commitment. Even though there are tremendous benefits to home education, it is not for everyone. What I always suggest to people who are considering this option is to try it for a year. If it doesn’t work for your family, you can always put them back in school. But you’ll never know until you try.

How to Find Homeschool Curriculum Inexpensively

The biggest expense of homeschooling is curriculum. Every year we are faced with the same question: How are we going to budget for next year’s curriculum? Homeschooling doesn’t have to be expensive. Over the years I have found many places on the web where you can get affordable curriculum. If you can get your curriculum used instead of new, you will save quite a bit of money, and if you can sell your curriculum from the previous year, you will save even more because you can use the money from your sales to offset the cost of the curriculum you need.

Here is what I do when looking to sell last year’s books and purchase next year’s books:
Once I look through home education catalogs and decide what curriculum I want to use in each subject, I go through my old curriculum from the previous year looking for items that I can sell. I make a list of the items that I think other people may be able to use with the prices listed. I usually ask for half of what the new price is. Then I start searching the web for places to sell my used curriculum and purchase the curriculum I need for next year at the best possible price.

My first stop is the library. Many times, I can find what I am looking for in the library system and even request what I need via inter-library loan. Then I get my curriculum for free!

For the rest of the items, I first go to half.com. At the home page, I click on “sell your stuff”, and I list all my items for sale. It costs me nothing to list my items, and it is easy to list them by the ISBN numbers. Once I list my items for sale, I search for the curriculum I need for next year and jot down the going prices.

My next stop is ebay.com. I do not list my items on eBay because of the listing fees, but it sure is a great place to buy used curriculum. I type what I am looking for in the search box and see if what I need is up for auction. I sort the results by price: lowest first and note the going prices and the ending dates of the auctions.

Next I go to www.vegsource.com/homeschool On the right side, I see the swap boards. I post my items for sale on the appropriate boards. I also check the wanted boards to see if anyone is looking for something that I have. Then I check the Items For Sale boards to see if what I am looking for is currently posted for sale. Lastly, I post my Wanted to Buy list on the Wanted board.

My next stop is amazon.com. I click on “sell your stuff” and list my items for sale by using the ISBN numbers just as I did at half.com. Then I search for the curriculum I need and note the prices.

Then I check out an auction site. I choose one of the following: http://thislittlepiggystayshome.com and http://homeschoolbuy.com Both of these are auction sites similar to eBay, but there are no listing fees for homeschool specific auctions! Both sites are very user-friendly. I just list my items up for auction and search for what I need noting the going prices.

Next I go to http://homeschoolclassifieds.com This is not an auction site. I quickly list my curriculum for sale at a set price which is a pretty simple process on this site. I also check the wanted section for listings that are 0 to 2 days old, and I contact the people who are looking for the items I have for sale. Then I click “search” and type in the keywords for what I need to purchase. Lastly, I post my wanted list to the wanted board.

Then I go to Yahoogroups and look into three email groups: homeschool fleamail, thehomeschoolmomusedcurriculum, and homeschl-used-books. I make sure that I am set up to receive my mail in digest form. This enables me to see all the curriculum for sale in one email. I post my for sale/wanted list to all three email groups. I type out the first one, then I copy it and paste it to the other two. This saves a lot of typing time.

Then I also paste this list into an email message to my email loop. I have a home education email loop of approximately 100 families in Woodburn, Oregon and surrounding areas. If you are in these areas and would like to subscribe, simply send an email to jpalacio@wbcable.net with the words “subscribe MCH” in the subject line.

Now that I have gone through and posted my curriculum for sale and my wanted list in various places, I just wait several days keeping a log of the responses that I get. Then it’s just a matter of selling to the highest bidder and buying from the lowest price offered. I know this seems like a lot of work, but if you will follow this system, you will find that you save quite a bit of money on curriculum.

Regardless of which publishers you go with, there are a couple of free sites that I would like to mention. They are both excellent supplements to any curriculum. For math, there is a site called www.math.com It offers easy-to-understand explanations of math concepts. There is also a quiz at the end of every unit to ensure understanding. For science, check out http://school.discovery.com This is an excellent site to support all of your science lessons.

So don’t let the high cost of curriculum discourage you from homeschooling. There is a less expensive way. Homeschooling does not have to break the bank, and you can still give your child a rich, well-rounded education for a lot less by taking the time to find the best price available. Give this a try. You will not regret it.

Great Resources to Use With Dyslexic Students

Check out my squidoo lens on resources to use with dyslexic students!

http://www.squidoo.com/booksfordyslexics/

How To Make Money While Home Schooling

The easiest way to make money from home while homeschooling is CashCrate. This program is completely free, it has great member support, a great forum, high payouts and an outstanding referral program. I have found it very easy to make money each day simply by taking part in surveys and doing free offers. This is a very simple way to bring in some extra income from home while home schooling your children.

You earn 1 dollar for every U.S. referral that completes their first offer, from then on, you earn 20% (or more depending what your referral level is) of every penny they earn. So if they earn $100, you earn $20 for doing nothing. In addition, you earn 10% (or more depending...) of what your referral's referrals earn. This adds up quickly. They also have a "Daily Survey" where you earn 80 cents a day just for taking a quick survey about a product. You can earn an extra $24 a month taking 2-3 minutes out of your day and completing this. Still not sure if this is for real? Sign up, take 15 minutes to earn $10, wait until the end of the month and let Cashcrate prove to you that it is for real by receiving your check. For more information about Cashcrate,