Changes! Changes Everywhere!

Heidi and I are shaking things up. 

ALL of our great Products are found exclusively at Currclick.com  !!  We no longer have a website but will instead be loading up new items and maintaining our other products solely at Currclick.

We also have changed our email address.  You can still contact us with any problems at: ffybooks@yahoo.com

Thanks for being such great customers through our 10 years of business!

~Kelly

Today's Desperate Giveaway- KitchenAid Mixer, Mom Heart Conference Ticket, and a Copy of the Newly Revised Heartfelt Discipline!

Up for Grabs:

• A KitchenAid Artisan Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, 9-Cup

• A ticket to a Mom Heart conference of your choice (Sarah Mae will be speaking at the CA and TX ones!)

• A copy of the revised version of Clay Clarkson’s book, Heartfelt Discipline (available in February!)

Enter by using the form HERE! 

 

Also, today is the LAST day to get the free gifts for those who purchase 5 or more copies of Desperate. So if you plan to run a group, I would definitely purchase today so you don't miss. Be sure to go HERE to find out the details on how to do it.

Today’s Giveaway for Desperate Launch – $300 Target Gift Card and an iPad Mini!

Today they have a $300 GC to Target and an iPad mini up for grabs!Go HERE to enter.

And be sure to buy the book if you haven't! The Desperate book has now reached #64 on Amazon's list!!!

FREE COFFEE FOR A YEAR GIVEAWAY!!

 

Who doesn't love coffee??? I am a much happier person when I have some, especially when the afternoon rolls around. Well now you can win a year's worth of FREE coffee delivered to your door as part of the Desperate book launch this week. 

 

To enter go HERE:

 

And don't forget to go out and buy the book!!

 

~Heidi

3-day/2-night Personal Spiritual Retreat at The Cove Giveaway!

 3-day/2-night Personal Spiritual Retreat at The Cove!

 

 The Cove is a 1,200 acre getaway in Asheville, North Carolina where gifted Christian leaders, teachers, and speakers guide people in studying God’s Word. The giveaway today is for 3-day/2-night stay where you will have a self-directed opportunity to experience a private spiritual retreat with the focus of growing your relationship with God. There will be one winner, but that winner can take a friend or spouse (their retreat is covered as well). Airfare is provided for the winner, but if you take someone they will have to cover their own travel expenses.

 

To enter the giveaway, go HERE.

A Year of FREE Massages!!

www.sarahmae.com

 

 

Today’s giveaway from Sarah Mae is a year of FREE massages!

 The Desperate book releases today in book stores. Be sure to go and get a copy. You won't regret it! These giveaways are all part of her launch week.

If you have an aching back and the desire to have an hour to just relax and be pampered, this one’s for you. The details:

• One year of free massages, once/month
• Once a winner is randomly chosen, a gift certificate will be given to you from Massage Envy or a local spa if you don’t have a Massage Envy near you.
• This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Enter the massage giveaway by going here.

I sure could use this one!!How about you?

Who wouldn't want a year of FREE housecleaning??

It's the Desperate Launch Week! Giveaways all week long!!

Today is a YEAR OF FREE HOUSE CLEANING!

The details:

• One year of free house cleaning (once/month) or 6 months of free house cleaning (twice/month) – your choice!
• Once a winner is randomly chosen, a gift certificate will be given to you from a local house-cleaning service.
• This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

To enter this giveaway, please go HERE.

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe Book Review

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe

Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson are two wonderful women that have done a fabulous job writing a book that truly relates to moms everywhere! Sally is an expert who has been through the trenches and Sarah shares her experiences from going through them right now. Seeing both perspectives at the same time really does give you hope. If you have been a mother for any length of time, I’m sure you understand what the title “Desperate” means.  This book has great honesty that will inspire and motivate you.  There are helpful tidbits of advice throughout the book, my favorite being about what the word meditate means and how to apply it to a busy mom’s day.  I look forward to reading it again slower and taking it all in!

(The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.)

 

Also, be sure you DO NOT miss out on the launch week giveaways at SarahMae.com

 

You can find the book here.

Why You Should Be Watching the Presidential Debates

I've heard excuse after excuse about people uninterested in the Presidential Debates.  I've heard that it will only make you mad.  I've heard that you already know who you're voting for so there is no point in tuning in.  I've even heard--who cares?!?  To these people I say that you are missing an opportunity to learn, to grow in knowledge, to rightly divide truth and falsehood.  You are giving yourself a pass on knowing more about this great country.  Not every country gives their people an opportunity to get to know "their" candidate more, well, candidly.  Do you know everything about each candidate?  Really?  If you answered honestly--the answer would have been, "no".  We will never know every little thing about each candidate but it should never be said it was for lack of trying.  We should know more of their character, their moral compass, their closely held beliefs.

Here are FIVE reasons you should be watching.

1)  Little eyes are watching you.  What lesson are you teaching your children when you decide to pass up opportunities such as this?  One thing it will teach your children is apathy.  Oh, apathy I am convinced is the the reason our families, countries, and churches are suffering.  People just do not care any more.  Whether it be out of selfishness or an attitude that you could never make a difference, this trait is dangerous.  It has created a generation of "dangerous" voters.  Most young people won't even bother to vote while the others won't care and without conviction will fill in their ballot.  You've had a hand in that, parent, as they are exactly who they have been molded to be.

2)  To know more about every party involved.  Come on parent--you need to know more!  Just because we are out of school doesn't give us the right to stop learning.  Debates tell us so much about each person.  Watch how they act and speak-- How they carry themselves.  This will tell you a lot about the character of a man!  Listen to their words--Do they answer the question or dodge it?  Do they pander to certain organizations or class of people?  Oh what you learn when you watch and Oh what you miss when you decide to watch Family Guy instead.

3)  Who lines up better with your moral beliefs?  I've heard people say "my faith and politics are separate."  I shake my head because true faith drives your political self.  If you have true faith you can't set it aside while you put men and women who are YOUR voice into government.  Your voice (through your representative) should echo your convictions and beliefs.  This won't be popular among some of you but it is something that troubles my heart.  I have many a friend that will stand shoulder to shoulder with me at a Pro-Life rally and then cast their vote for someone who clearly has no conviction of the sanctity of life.  Remember, these men before you at the Presidential debate are going to be the ultimate voice of the USA.  One of them will be YOUR voice.  What do you want that voice to say?

4)  This is one of your number one rights.  Voting.  Do you take it as seriously as it needs to be handled?  The debates will invigorate you to step out on November 6th with a passion!  Men and Women from our country are fighting for this very right, right now.  How dare we treat it as something that is bothersome or something that will only make you mad.  This country is losing its favor through the world because of that little word, apathy, and people who take for granted the rights of this great nation.  Are you counted among the apathetic and those who have forgotten or just don't care about the rights millions have fought and are still fighting for? 

5)  Lastly, you should be watching because really-- What else is more important?  God of course is more important and everything spiritual takes precedence but of earthly matters--what is more important?  This IS about your family--This IS about your faith--This IS about the future.  Times are tough and will only get tougher.  Who is the man for the job?  You won't know unless you watch, unless you learn.  Who has a plan that will keep our founding principles in place, the very statutes that made this country great?  You won't know unless you watch, unless you learn.  Who is it that you want leading your children?  You won't know unless you watch, unless you learn.

Parents, I plead with you to get a firm grasp on each candidate BEFORE you hit the voting booth.  I encourage you to be passionate about your rights and to put away any apathy.  I implore you to watch these debates with me so that we can stand in our voting booth with conviction and cast our ballot.

God Bless the USA!
~Kelly

THE OLYMPICS ARE COMING!!  Great freebie files and discounted items including some great FFYB products.  Check it out!

Leading up the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Currclick will be hiding 12 Olympic torches all around the site. Each of these torches contains a new freebie. They will also be having a 10% off sale on tons of awesome Olympics curriculum!


http://www.currclick.com/cclick_olympics.php

Wisdom From the Wardrobe REVIEWED

Wisdom From the Wardrobe is a unit study for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. It is a complete curriculum but users will want to supplement Grammar and Math. It includes all instructions and suggested readings to complete the unit study and make a portfolio of the student’s work. A notebook and dividers will be needed to complete the portfolio. Also needed are the book The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, supplemental books (can be bought or borrowed from the library), paper, pencils, and lots of imagination. The authors suggest a membership to www.enchantedlearing.com and Giant Science Resource by Evan Moor Publications would also be helpful. The product also has websites for the use of the student and teacher. This is a faith based program but should be reviewed by individual families to make sure it goes along with their own beliefs.


Made especially for homeschoolers, Wisdom from the Wardrobe is written for students in first through sixth grades. It can be used with a variety of learning styles and parent teachers should tweak the curriculum to fit their students. Keep in mind that younger students will not be able to do all the activities and may need to be read to. Older students should be able to do many activities independently.

I really like that this is a complete curriculum. The only things I have to add are grammar and math. I can supplement history if I choose to. This really worked well for our homeschool because of it being complete and being a unit study. My children learn best from a unit study approach. I also like that it includes Bible! That is a huge selling point for me.

Wisdom From the Wardrobe is highly suggested for the homeschool families who enjoy digging into a good unit study.

~Gidget Pettey.

Wow! Fortunately For You Books has published Wisdom from the Wardrobe, a unit study based on C.S. Lewis’ classic The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This is an amazing compilation of material. Over 300 pages of cross-curricular unit study material are provided. Virtually every subject a student needs to study is addressed in this unit study – vocabulary, reading, life skills, science, history, and more! Math would need to be supplemented separately. Grammar is not addressed specifically; however, students have plenty of writing assignments through which grammar skills can be reinforced. As with most unit studies, Wisdom from the Wardrobe is appropriate for children of many ages. Activities can be selected and adapted according to the age and ability of each child. There are tons of worksheets, handouts, and other templates included to use with various activities. The activities are broken down by chapter and the instructions are very easy to follow. I think this would be an awesome companion resource for both homeschoolers and classroom use. I give it a five-star rating. Wisdom from the Wardrobe is available from the Fortunately For You website and is available on CurrClick. It is a must have for any family reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.


~Sarah Dugger

Benefits of Family Vacations

Whether it is to the beach, to the woods, or to a theme park, family vacations are important and benefit the family in more ways than you can number. Do not just dream of a vacation or wish there was more money for adventure. You can buckle down and make it happen. Vacations do not have to expensive to make them count!




There are 5 TOP benefits to family vacations (in no certain order):

1. Memories that last a LIFETIME. Do you remember a family a vacation from when you were younger? My family was very poor when I was young and I can count on one hand the vacations we went on. However, I remember EACH one like they were yesterday. I remember the fun, the close calls, the smells, and the stories that were told. I often recall them with fondness and when the family gathers together we reminisce about those times. Your children deserve to have these memories too. They will last forever and will be remembered with fondness—even if it was a total flop! (i.e.—the tent flooded in the storm, the hurricane chased you out early, etc…)

2. Time with Family is PRICELESS. Is there a better way to spend your time outside of serving the Lord? Your family was given to you to hold close, to laugh with, to minister to, and to be a blessing to each other. Time with these people is needed and should be craved. It is fleeting—the time with our kids. One day they are tiny, needing everything from us and the next thing you realize is that you only have a few short years or months left of their childhood. It is a wake-up call when you one day stand there and wonder where time has gone. It makes me think of the song from “Mamma Mia”:

What happened to the wonderful adventures?
The places I had planned for us to go.
Well some of that we did, but most we didn't and why I just don't know.

3. The mental break is NEEDED. Yeah, as adults we know this fact. We know the wonderful feeling of leaving stresses and burdens of work and everyday life behind. Our children too need the break. They do not realize it but we certainly should. They need to break free from their everyday thoughts and troubles. They should have some time where all that is on their mind is, “What fun thing can I do today?” Family vacations are the times we “recharge” our batteries to prepare us for the rest of the year. We count down to vacation and when we are home we start the countdown again until the next family vacation! Our bodies and minds want that time—it needs that time.

4. The bond with family and friends is STRENGTHENED. This is worth repeating! The bond with your friends and your family is strengthened with every moment of every vacation. You learn more about one another in these times than any other time during the year. Your appreciation and love for each of these individuals grows deeper because the time has been taken to know each other better. True, we learn the quirks that we may not like in our friends and family members. In the end, it is what makes them—them. We see past their weaknesses and focus in on their strengths and their character and just have fun and adventures together.

5. The rest of the year is MORE PRODUCTIVE! Yes, studies have shown that the person who vacations and takes time for themselves and for their families is a more productive worker, student, and citizen. A well rested mind and body can function more efficiently. Even before the vacation hits, knowing that date on the calendar will help you work productively and with minimal distractions. Your vacation becomes a reward for a job well done not just time off.

So, if the idea of a more productive year, stronger family ties and friendships, mental relaxation, priceless time with our aging family, and memories that will make you smile until the day you die, is something you must have—Sit down and start planning. Remember, a vacation does not have to be two weeks. It can be a weekend. It does not have to be expensive. It can virtually be little to no money needed. You don’t have to stay at the Four Seasons when camping in the back yard will do. The possibilities are endless! Leave a comment and let us know what you have planned or what you will be planning for vacation this year!

Review of Remember Me Pockets

Haven't tried our Remember Me Pockets?  Oh what you miss!  This review is specific to October's RMP but all of our RMP's are similar in layout!

Review of Remember Me Pockets – October

Recently, I was given a copy of Remember Me Pockets October free, in exchange for my honest review. Remember Me Pockets is a series of monthly unit studies unique to Fortunately For You Books. Because they use lots of graphics (but don’t worry: they offer both black and white and color images for those who like to watch their color ink usage!), these unit studies are ideal for several kinds of learners. Very young students can use the studies with a parent’s aid, and older students who tend to shy away from schoolwork with too many words will similarly be drawn in. Further, unlike many unit studies currently available, Remember Me Pockets gives you all of the information that you need contained within the study itself. There are no external links required to complete the study, although there are some links that are suggested as extensions of a particular topic.

What exactly is Remember Me Pockets? Essentially, each monthly study uses as its base the important dates and themes of a given month, in this case October. Because October is stamp collecting month, there is an imaginative interview with a mailman and a template for creating a stamp series. Because Michael Landon’s birthday is in October, there is an imagined interview with him. When you realize that there are six or so important birthdays in a given month, and at least five themes for any given month, all of which are covered in Remember Me Pockets, you begin to get a sense of how much you are getting with this monthly study.

What differentiates Remember Me Pockets from any other monthly-themed unit study then? First, the variety of the activities is noteworthy. From labeling the parts of a squirrel, to matching quotes to their famous speakers, to learning the “10 codes” used by police officers, Remember Me Pockets October has subjects and activities to suit many different ages and both genders. What makes Remember Me Pockets truly unique, though, is its namesake: the creation of pockets. Something like a cross between a lapbook and a notebooking page, but really more creative, the “pockets” will be a welcome change to moms who want a different approach to schooling, but who need someone else to do the heavy work for them.

Using different sizes and shapes, students will make their own little arsenals of facts as they create “Tags of Time,” “interview pockets,” and more. At the end of the month, your child will have a tangible keepsake of his study of the month of October. More likely than not, he will continue to “play” with his pockets, thereby reinforcing what he has learned.

Remember Me Pockets are targeted for elementary through middle school students, but both younger and older students can benefit from them, depending on their personality type and ability level. If it sounds like these monthly studies are hard to describe, that’s because they are! For $4.99, though, it is well worth the money to purchase one and find out what pockets are all about! Delivered to you in ebook format, as seen on Fortunately For You Books’ website (http://fortunatelyforyoubooks.com/remember-me-pockets-october.html), you will be creating your first pocket in minutes (instructions are included and detailed). If your school day needs a little excitement, tactile learning, or just a booster shot, give Remember Me Pockets a try!

Product Review by Laura Delgado, Ph.D., Fortunately For You Books, LLC, November, 2011

Turning Your Child into a Picker

Turning my child into a—what?!?!? A picker? A picker of what you may ask. Let’s define the word picker. A picker is a person or thing that picks, especially that gathers fruit, crops, etc… Ah, but there is a new type of picker in town—the junk picker.

Have I lost you yet? I went from making you think of nose picking to dumpster diving didn’t I? What if I told all you homeschoolers out there this kind of picking opens the doors of many fun history conversations and lessons? Does that clench your attention? Read on, my friends! Read on!

The History Channel has a great show out called, American Pickers. It features two pickers, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, and their hunt to find America’s lost treasures. This show I would recommend for Middle-High Schoolers but the idea can be implemented into an Elementary aged child. (Just to cover all bases, I recommend the parents watch the show beforehand to establish that all content is suitable for their young viewers.) Mike and Frank set out to find treasures they can clean up and then turn around and make a few bucks on but they are also finding things for their own personal collections because they love history.

America has an amazing history. It is a short one compared to other nations, but the story plays out as if it were on the silver screen. We’ve been through innovation after innovation and the history of these “things” get forgotten until they are discovered in some barn under piles of boxes, at a garage sale, or in an estate sale. You’ll find yourself saying, “I remember these!” or “My grandmother used this when I was little”. Do you see how not just American history comes into play but YOUR own history does as well? What an amazing thing to pass onto your children.

I’ve never met a child who doesn’t like to hear their parents or grandparents stories of when they were younger. I know the older they get, they will pretend not to care, but their interest is still there. They are still listening. Children have a natural desire to know history. It is just all the monotonous book learning that has taken the joy out of it. They need to see it, touch it, and experience it to gain appreciation for it.

I’m setting up a challenge for you (and for my kids as well). Yard, garage, tag, and estate sales are all gearing up for their busy summer months. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. You don’t need a lot of money, just a keen eye for a good deal. Go out to these sales and look for pieces of American history. These can be found if you are diligent and widespread in your effort. Learn their history from the seller or if they have no clue—start scouring the internet.

Lastly, you are going to want to know what on earth to do with all your treasures. You can keep them and display them, start your own collection, clean up and consign them to antique dealers, or even sell them on Ebay. You may even have family and friends that are willing to buy your found treasures.  Your finds can also be turned into gifts if you know that person's interests and history!  However, please know your limits!! I do not want you to end up on an episode of Hoarders.

~Kelly
Fortunately For You Books

Links:
http://www.kidpickers.com/pages/parents-and-teachers
http://antiquearchaeology.com/

Middle Name Pride Day

If you were to do a search on your name, you would a lot of people with a name just like yours. Or so we would think. But there is one way you can be sure that you have found yourself- and that is to check the middle name. That middle name makes you unique. 

Some people say that you were given your middle name just so you know when you are in really big trouble. It seems that way. 

But most of the time, a middle name is chosen to honor a special relative or a special friend. Ask your parent about your middle name and list three qualities about this person that made them special enough to give you their name. 

Every time you use some ones name today, add their middle name- just let them know they are not in trouble! 

Here is a link for a little more research about how middle names came to be. 

How it came to be- click HERE  (dates are off but information is correct).

Fun activities for today:

1. Make your 1, 2, 3 list of qualities from your namesake.

2. Every time someone does NOT use your middle name, shout "Middle Name Day!"

3. Ask everyone you talk to day what their middle name is. 

4. Write your full name out on all your paper work today.

NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER MONTH

Such a delicious creation as peanut butter should indeed be celebrated all month long. We should be quite up in arms that there is not a festival that lasts a full year. This jar of wonder is a staple in our home and deserves some love, people. Some honor. Can we get some respect for ground up peanuts?! 

Question: What could you do if you had one acre of land?

Answer:   Grow enough peanuts to make peanut butter  for  30,000 peanut butter sandwiches!

 Who do you think made the best use of a peanut?:

A. Adrian Finch of Australia threw a peanut 111 ft. and 10 in. for the World Record in 1999.

B. George Washington Carver studied agriculture and made an unknown crop such as a peanut 

     famous.

 Which one sounds the most fun? Which one was the most helpful?

Southerners put peanuts into soda bottles to enhance the flavor. MMMM, salty AND sweet.

**************************

There is a down side to peanut butter.

                  Allergies.                        

Here are a few links to aid in your research if you think you or a loved one has an allergy to peanuts.

Peanut Allergy

Mayo Clinic Peanut Allergy

Allergic Child Website

(This man's name was mentioned above. Can you name him?)

Want to see how a homeschooler made Peanut Butter Play Dough? Did you hear what I just typed? Peanut Butter Play Dough. I am drooling. There is also a little review about this book shown here.

(vegan pad thai)

And because peanut butter is for more than just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, here are some recipes that just look so yummy I needed to share.

Peanut Butter Recipes- international flair

Peanut Butter Lovers Blog- recipes galore

The site is called I Love Peanut Butter- recipes are more savory

18 Ways to Use Peanut Butter in your Cooking- yum!

Celebrating National Peanut Butter Month is just one activity in our

 Remember Me Pockets for March

click HERE to see this file at Currclick

which is on sale NOW!



You will also find these interesting activities in this file:

Authors with Birthdays in March:

Dr. Suess

Patricia MacLachlan

Sid Fleischman

Kenneth Grahame

Marguerite de Angeli

Anna Sewell

Thomas Rockwell

Lois Lowry

Robert Frost

Biographies/Interviews:

Alexander Graham Bell

Yuri Gagarin

Albert Einstein

Wyatt Earp

Johann Bach

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Harry Houdini

Sam Walton

Special Days:

Deaf History Month

National Peanut Month

American Red Cross Month

Celebrate Your Name Week

Iditarod Race

American Chocolate Week

National Anthem Day

Congress Approves Mt Rushmore

Genealogy Day

Daylight Savings

Eli Whitney Patents Cotton Gin

Eiffel Tower Opens

World Day of Prayer

Michelangelo

Vinvent van Gogh

Learn About Butterflies Day

Andrew Jackson

James Madison

Grover Cleveland

Poultry Day

David Livingston

Maple Syrup Day

Because it's not just a peanut, it's a party.

The Attributes of God in Our Homeschool- Compassion

“And of some have compassion, making a difference.” Jude 22

If you have ever needed compassion and did not get it?

 Then you have a good understanding of how precious it is to be on the receiving end of compassion.

Compassion- noun  a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by as strong desire to alleviate the suffering.


Not just a feeling bad for someone and the plight they find themselves in, but wanting to help end the suffering. And I imagine wanting to help enough that something is actually done. That is the kind of faith with works James talks about. Real. Effective.

Think of the ways this can be applied throughout a school day. 

The definition will give you clues as to what to watch for: sorrow, stricken, misfortune.

Spelling, math, science, reading, writing, grammar…..pick your poison.
What is easy for you might be a source of suffering for your child. Compassion.

While compassion may not seem like one of the more popular attributes of God that we tell our children about, it certainly is one of the most frequent we moms rely on for ourselves. We need it and we seem to claim it without a moments hesitation. Or much thought. And certainly without much appreciation.

Psalm 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Psalm 111:4b The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
Psalm 112: 4 / Psalm 145:8


Today a certain frustration came between me and my son during school. He was struggling a bit and when he struggles, everything feels “off”. Tense. Anxious. It was within my power to diffuse the moment. I chose a moment of compassion- a gently hug, a light head/hair rub, a jocular moment, food (which always works with a teen son!). The issues were still there and needed to be addressed. But a moment of compassion did what an hour of teaching could have accomplished.

I am equally divided on which end of the compassion specter I like being on more: the giving or the receiving. I love being able to give that gift to my loved ones. Especially in school time.

As we are the primary representative of Christ in our children’s eyes for a limited amount of time, we need to be diligent to represent all of the Attributes of God to our children.

Hang the word COMPASSION up in key places around your home where you will be visibly reminded to represent this attribute to your kids. It is one of those things that can seem so small yet make such a wonderful difference in that swing moment between total frustration and suffering.

Applications:

• if a child is struggling in a particular subject, consider the curriculum. Should it be more tactile? Less colorful and distracting? Is the font size too small or hard to read? A look at the possibility of a curriculum change in that subject might set you back a few dollars, but alleviating the struggling shows compassion.
• schedules and lesson plans are guides, not the law. If your child is exhausted or worn out from either a busy weekend or a growth spurt, show compassion in adjusting the schedule. They are more important that the lesson plans. 
• if the struggle is spiritual, take the time to do devotions with the child. This requires more time and more accountability for you, but compassion here is shown by giving your time and effort instead of sending them to their room with a Bible and a list of verses.  

Related verses for further weekly study:
Matt. 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34, Hebrews 10:34, I Pet. 3:8

~Shannon

Latin, Anyone?

Visual Latin, huh? I thought I'd give it try. We did a few Latin courses that were workbook based.
Once again, with this very peculiar child, I wasted my very hard earned money. He does the work, he just doesn't absorb the information and let it become a part of him. So what I am saying is- he doesn't learn. He just filled blanks and boxes. And he did it well. But there was no connection.

Visual Latin. I have the first 10 lessons. Let me share with you why this program is working for us:

1. The instructor is engaging. I think he is a bit corny/funny, but Jesse loves him. He speaks slowly and clearly. The visual part is good. Nice big chalkboard. Visually, there are no distractions for my easily distracted son.

2. Jesse is reading Latin. This was the biggest reason I wanted this program. Reading. Latin. This is huge in helping Jesse with his dyslexia. When Jesse gets to a big word his eyes don't recognize or for some reason scares him, he makes up something and passes over it like that was indeed the word. Sometimes it is quite hilarious and other times it is quite frustrating. But he has to be trained to slow down and break the word apart. It is SO much easier for him to do when he sees a bit of Latin in the word. His temptation to speed over it is gone. His ability to slow and take apart the word jumps in and no one is embarrassed. This is exactly what I was looking for. This is why I wanted him to learn Latin.

3. Affordable. $30 for the first 10 downloadable lessons. We do 1-2 lessons per week. That is one day of all three videos, three worksheets, and then two days of quick review of every lesson. Building. Reading. Speaking Latin. This is worth the money. Quality and effective. Not too many products like that.

4. Independent. I only sit next to him and watch because I want to. Not because I need to. All Jesse's subjects are about independent learning this year. This is not to free me. Heavens, NO. I am still feeling lost without my 4 sons around the table and teaching 25 subjects a day. This is for him, because he is the baby. And because he doesn't know how or like to do things alone. Except hunting. I did offer to go with him and he said he wanted to be alone. But I digress. This is a good program for independent learning. The other Latin products I had- not so much. They never even heard their voice.

In our homeschool we have studied Farci and Spanish. I regret that I didn't invest more into Latin with the others. Farci. Yeah, wise decision here in West Virginia.

This one is going to carry over into adulthood. And THAT is how I pretty much have learned to gauge everything we do now for school. Thank you, Visual Latin.

Check out Visual Latin here.

Blessings,
Shannon

An SAT Course and A Dyslexic Son

I never, ever, in my wildest dreams thought one day I would be able to use a course for SAT prep for my son.
I am genuinely pleased that Master Books/New Leaf Publishing has issued this course. Well done, James P. Stobaugh, and I shall tell you why.

1. I will pick up any curriculum/book and give one glance. You can lose me as a customer in a mere 3 seconds. What am I looking for? Font size and spacing between the lines.  My functional dyslexic son needs a sized text that won't strain his eyes. Once we have eye strain, it's over. The concentration needed to just focus is all he can handle. There will be no comprehension. I will never again waste money on something he can't use. And that is pretty sad because there is a lot of good stuff out there. They just didn't consider anyone with any eye strain when printing their book. Thanks, James. Now this book is at least an option for us. I will now look further and see if this will benefit us.

2. A Christian perspective- I can't say with total certainty, but I do not think there is anything that has the focus on Scripture for SAT prep that this course does. Not a sporadic reference, or honorable mention.....but the Scripture is part (and a large part at that) of the resource to learning how to think. Just in case you may not consider the incredible implication I just made, let me explain. Once these little kids hit 18 (I know it's some stupid magical number and we never gave it any credence in our home), there are very few resources that are going to carry over into their daily lives. We hope reading continues, but the books will vary. Pretty sure a calculator is going to stay with them forever. They successfully learned the value of a dictionary and thesaurus. But the number one tool/resource I NEED for them to keep is the Scriptures. And I want them to learn from it. So I appreciate anything that uses the Scripture for learning. It is a simple concept  yet one that most publishers haven't learned yet. The quality education within their Bible. Nicely done, James.

3. The varying size of the daily lessons- most days are a one pager for the lesson. Every 4th or 5th day is a two pager. Life happens. I cannot sustain more than one page most days. Clearly, James Stobaugh has children.

4. Active reading is taught- a concept that is not natural to most children! This course is training and this concept is explained well on day one. While this course can be self taught, I am going to have to spend some time teaching this concept to Jesse. Connect, question, predict, visualize, clarify, expect, and evaluate. We spent a couple years overcoming the hurdle of just being able to get through pages of text or pages in a book as a dyslexic, now we need to connect. And it won't happen by me just giving him a book and having him read it. I have to teach this to him. Train him. I have no doubt of his ability and now I haven't a doubt about how to do this. Leading questions and purposeful activities within the course are given not to keep a student busy, but to teach him to think as he reads. And that is gold.

5. The Lesson: Grammar, Math, Sentence Completion, Critical Thinking (comparison/analysis).  Not each one every day, and not pages of one thing. Short. To the point. While I think my son is unlike everyone on the planet, he cannot be the only one with a "you lose me after 15 min." mentality. And this idea not only carries over into life- K.I.S.S.(keep it short stupid) but Twitter even understands it. We do not need 3 pages of one concept. Brevity. My son can handle depth. He cannot tolerate longevity. Unless he is in a tree stand in the woods. Then we can not move for hours. I digress.

6. Tips and Strategies- there are tips on the sides of most pages. And my sons are all about strategy. Teach how to beat the test. And from an offensive point of view. Jesse will respond to this. Specific strategy. Such as- "You must not miss any of the first ten questions on each portion of the SAT1. Remember- each question counts the same and the last questions are usually more difficult. The bottom line is that if you can get all the simple and average questions, you will make about 1250 on the exam. Getting a few hard ones will only put icing on the cake."  This information was unknown and OH, so valuable! This not only takes a tremendous amount of pressure off, but puts a positive approach to test taking- a touchy subject with dyslexics. Any advantage is a gift.

7. Books- I love the book list. Most of all I love that books that are a huge accomplishment for Jesse to read are on there! Some of our children are never going to read The Scarlet Letter. They are never going to be able to read Bonhoeffer's works. The Last of the Mohicans is going to be movie mode only. And the Illiad- we went to comic book mode. BUT...books that are a victory to our reading list are not given with any condescension at all. Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, The Call of the Wild, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...these are all books Jesse can conquer. We will have to go slow, but no one should be made to feel that their best is not good enough. One of the reasons for our success in teaching Jesse has been the change of the mindset that learning = suffering. We just aren't going to play that game anymore. And this curriculum doesn't require it. Bravo.

There are a few, wee, little things that I am going to have to tweak. And I am a tweaker. I will not forgo a tool because it is not perfect. I will adapt it to be as close to perfect as possible.

SAT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student can be purchased here.

Plan: We plan on completing the 3 year course. I am very thankful to have this in my hand early enough that we can take it slow enough. There are 2 and 1 year courses.

Blessings,
Shannon

Sizing and Spacing

I am pulling books off the shelves in preparation of Jesse's school year. I wish I had kept a more detailed list of which books were read by which children. Books I read aloud to sons #1-2 were sometimes forgotten about for sons #3-4. I had assumed they were listening when I read aloud!

And maybe they were, but comprehension for The Last of the Mohicans probably wasn't real strong when they were 4 and 2 years.

So now I have this HUGE pile of classics that need to be read by Jesse in the next couple of years. And alas, he is a slooooowwwww reader.

Not only is he a slow reader, but the size of the font in the book is terribly important to him. Jesse is mildly dyslexic- very functional- would never have known this was the problem except that if affected his love to read. If his eyes start to water then the text is too small. Too much strain. They tear up. Even within one or two sentences. Large print is too big and his little man ego would probably prevent him from reading something in the large print edition. Hmmph. Men.

Spacing between lines is also another issue I have to deal with. There needs to be some spacing between the lines.

So even the books I have on the shelf, and oh boy, do I have books- these aren't going to work for him. I considered the Kindle so that he could adjust the size of the font. He is really not too keen on the idea and I am not sure I want to share. I love my Kindle. I won't share it with anybody. And I am never more than 10 feet from mine. So this is an issue.

I had bought a new The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis last year and the sizing and spacing will be perfect. So that will go to the front of the reading list. My Side of the Mountain is also adequate. The Yearling, however, is not.

Robinson Crusoe is not.

The Deerslayer is not.

The House of Seven Gables is not.

I have to go book shopping. I can't even shop on my beloved Amazon because I need to see the books and decide if they will work for him. Jesse will need to go with me and test out a few sentences. I could go by myself. I know what will work. But I want to train him to make these decisions for himself in a book store.

Dyslexics who are understanding how their eye-to-brain function works have to learn how to learn. And that includes understanding how they are designed. Just different. Acknowledging design is liberating for us. A little more costly for me, but I would much rather have two copies of these books on the shelf and them both read by all the sons than one copy and one not able to read it.

This is why I need more bookshelves!