Homeschool Grading: Don’t spend too much time grading your kids’ papers!

Homeschool grading should not take all evening. Don’t spend too much time grading your kids papers! Honestly, I can hardly believe I’m writing this but it is true. If you are trying to get your 6th grader to write a perfect essay and so you correct every.single.thing. that you can find, re-write all the sentences, and re-arrange the content YOU ARE DOING TOO MUCH.

The curriculum we use (BJU Press Homeschool) comes with rubriks* to help us grade each writing assignment. There are points for content (Did the students get the point across in the essay? Did the ideas have logical progression?) and points for technical skills (Capitalization and punctuation, etc.) Those 2 scores are combined and a grade is assigned. This way both the student and the teacher know what is expected!

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June 19, 2020June 19, 2020

The Issues vs. The Problem: We Need God’s Help

I think none of us want to be purposefully offensive. But in today’s world, saying the truth is seen as offensive. We still need to speak truth because really, that’s the most loving thing we can do for people.

All people have a sin problem they cannot fix themselves and they need to know that the Lord has provided the solution, getting right with God by accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins. The individual issues only get fixed when hearts get right with God.

Homeschool Christian Mom has a lot to offer you: Homeschooling information, tips for meal planning, child training methods, scheduling and grading suggestions and more!

BUT what is the best thing we can offer you? God’s help.

We can offer the same thing that we have found: God’s help in getting through life. We can share God’s free gift that He offers you. He wants to rescue you from the power of sin and create a right relationship with Him.

If you need to be right with God, you can!

God tells us the following in His Word, the Bible: Man has a sin problem that separates him from God. Sin is anything we do, say or think that is morally wrong.

Sin is the bad things we do: lie, cheat, steal, use God’s name in cursing. We cannot be smart enough or good enough to overcome sin.

God provides forgiveness for us. God provided His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the perfect sinless sacrifice in the place of our sins when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus was buried. To prove His power over sin, Jesus rose from the dead 3 days later. By accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin, you can be right with God and get to go to His Heaven when you die.

How do you accept this gift from God?

Romans, one of the books in the Bible, in chapter 10 verse 9 explains “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

The Bible also says in Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

God wrote down His promise so we would know “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) God wants to help you. He wants you to be saved, forgiven and right with Him.

The Bible is God’s Word. It is a collection of 66 smaller books that shows the unfolding of God’s plan from the beginning. It is a lot of reading, but how wonderful that God wants to communicate with man and help people with their time on earth.

There is a lot of wisdom in the Bible. If you are new to the Bible, I would suggest My Prasso Bible study. This study not only focuses on learning God’s Word, but also how to put God’s wisdom into practice into your life.

Oh that you would ask God to rescue you and change your life!

My own life

has been completely different since I made the personally decision to follow Him. I was running towards trouble because it had disguised itself as “freedom” and “my life” and “independence.”

Who wouldn’t want these things? But God opened my eyes to see that the end of my choices would be much different. “Empty”, “alone”, “addicted” and “used” would have been the reality.

That night that I gave Him my life did not lead me into perfect bliss. Most of my life has been tough everyday fights to do right but now I could win because God was fighting for me! God provides His Spirit to live within me and help me live for Him. I could not do that before.

God does not promise a life of ease but a life of peace knowing that He is always there to help and take care of me.

Do you have more questions or need clarification? Please feel free to contact us at homeschoolchristianmom@gmail.com. We’d love to rejoice with you in this decision and grow together to be more like Christ.

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June 5, 2020June 22, 2020

Homeschool: Notebooking Pages

I’m happy to introduce you to Mama K and her Notebooking pages. I have enjoyed her devotionals. Now more from Mama K:

We love using Notebooking Pages!

**Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my coffee drinking habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me supplied in caffeine. It’s a win for everyone, really.**

We use Notebooking Pages from Productive Homeschooling, formerly known as notebookingpages.com. Debra Reed has done an amazing job creating these pages and they are a big hit in our family! The reason I love using the notebooking pages in our Homeschool is because they give Kool Kid Number One and Kool Kid Number Two the freedom to write.

What do I mean by the “freedom to write” ?? Let me start from the top (insert giggle here)….Shayla and RJ both spent the first few years of their schooling years in the school system. Shayla (KK#1) is currently in Year 4 and was in Public School in Reception and Years 1, 2 and 3 were spent in Private School; RJ (KK#2) is currently in Year 3 and he spent his first 3 years of schooling in Private School. We are on our second year of Homeschooling and it has given my kids the opportunity to flourish in their own special and unique way!

Children are unique and need to be able to express themselves

Shayla is a bookworm, loves to write, is very, very smart and she will happily sit for hours either reading or writing. RJ is also a very, very bright kid but he doesn’t really enjoy writing or sitting for long periods of time, hence why he struggled sitting in a classroom all day. He also likes to do things a certain way and craves the freedom to do so – in a school setting all students have to do things the same way and in the same time frame. RJ couldn’t cope with this but Shayla, however, was quite happy to just do exactly what the teacher said to do.

Give kids the freedom to write!

So, now to my point! The first couple of times we used the Bible Notebooking Pages. We read the story of Cain and Abel in The Action Bible and when I gave the kids their pages they looked at me waiting for instructions. I told them to retell the story in their own words. Without hesitation, RJ began writing!

I was amazed because of his history at school!

This made my heart so full!

With my own eyes, I watched a 7yo boy, who really struggled at school, write the entire story in detail! He even wrote about the mark of Cain (WHOA!) and the difference in their offerings! I was blown away and so proud of him! And so thankful to God for giving me the opportunity to Homeschool with these Notebooking Pages!

Give kids the opportunity to grow in their creative thinking

Shayla, on the other hand, really struggled. Now, this was also a shock to me and absolutely blew my mind! Shayla was the all star child who got straight A’s and B’s (yes, they give A’s and B’s in Year 1 and 2 report cards nowadays!), was always a pleasure win the classroom and never struggled. But on this day, she did.

She looked at me baffled.

She just sat there.

Stuck.

I was confused.

She asked me again, “What do you want me to write?” So I explained again, “just re-tell the story in your own words.” And the next sentence that came out of her mouth stunned me! “Ok, but what do you want me to write? What do I write?” I asked her what she would do at school if she had to do writing and she said that the teacher would just either…

A) tell them what to write

B) give them 3 choices on the board and they pick one

I realized in that moment that Shayla was almost like a robot – she didn’t know how to think for herself. That crushed me! So, I had to explain it to my very bright 8 yo bookworm again, just write the story of Cain and Abel in your own words.

Watching kids struggle is hard

I watched as she sat there for a few minutes thinking and then she asked to read the Bible again…she read the story over and over for the next 5 minutes before she began to write. Eventually, she didn’t know how to put the story in her own words so I had her do Copywork. I couldn’t believe what just happened! The child who was the ‘struggling child’ at school was just smashing out these ideas, thoughts and words, while the ‘star student’ was lost for words!

Now, a year later (after using Notebooking Pages!!) Shayla can write pages and pages of work in her own words without the struggle! And RJ has learned that his own special and unique way is just as important as the teachers way! They have both learned how to think for themselves and grow in their creative thinking and writing! All because of Productive Homeschooling and their Notebooking Pages!

And these pages are not limited to older children – Kool Kid Number Three and Kool Kid Number Four also enjoy using Notebooking Pages! Ava is in Reception and enjoys using the Alphabet Pages and also likes to join in with the older Kool Kids!

If you want to give your kids the opportunity to be creative, click on the images below to check out Productive Homeschooling!

Or click this link here >>> See what Notebooking Pages are available!

You can sign up for free and get some of their resources or you can sign up for $10 a month min. and get access to a whole lot more! There are a couple of membership options and they are all worth it!!

Feel free to email me at mamak@mamakskoolkids.com if you have any questions.

Love and Blessings,

If you want to connect with me, Elizabeth Estelle, Homeschool Christian Mom, here are some links below:

Let’s connect :

Join me! Homeschool Christian Mom FREE Facebook group with tips on grading, scheduling and more!

Youtube: Homeschool Christian Mom These videos discuss homeschool scheduling, working with your Littles, thinking long term, and many other topics.

For additional home schooling support, work with me!

Alexa skills: Subscribe to Homeschool Christian Mom News

Twitter @hmschchristnmom

Instagram

Do you need some extra homeschooling help? Use this link to get on my calendar and let’s chat! Move from being a hesitant homeschool mom to a happy homeschool family.

June 2, 2020June 4, 2020

Homeschooling: Teaching Your Children Biblical Truth

Amos 5:13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. Amos goes on in the chapter to say “seek good and not evil” and “hate the evil and love the good.”

We are truly in unusual times. There has been quarantine, social distancing and stay-at-home orders since March 2020 due to the global pandemic of Covid-19. Then this past week George Floyd was detained by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the officer kept a knee on his neck and he soon died. The video is difficult to watch. Soon after the video went viral, protests erupted concerning this incident. Then the protests multiplied rapidly throughout the country, which developed and changed into rioting, looting, burning businesses, turning over cars, attacking the police and injuring others.

Speak Truth to Your Children

What do we need to do? We need to teach our children biblical truth all the time.

We sin because we are sinners. Adam’s choice to sin had long-reaching dire consequences for his descendants.

We have seen this same principle recently in our country. One man’s actions (this police officer) have had grave consequences for many throughout the country.

God has provided for us to be right with Him. Jesus’ work on the cross provides salvation. We can be right with God. The work of ONE provides salvation for ALL who accept Him.

Now is the accepted time to accept Jesus and join His Kingdom of Life. you will never find the peace, rest, and life your heart craves by following SIN.

We need to teach this to our children. We need to share this truth boldly with others.

Live TRUTH in front of your children.

You need to be the example to your children. Be living out the Bible in your own life. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart and change you. Let the fruit of the Spirit grow in your life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5: 22, 23).

I am not a patient person. But I am saved! I am a new person in Christ. I am actively seeking for the Holy Spirit to work in my life and heart. Over time, the Lord has helped me and I am much more patient than I used to be.

Pray With Your Children

To you have a certain time to pray with your children every day? What do you pray for? Dear Lord, Please bless every one we know. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

We had two baskets. In one basket we had the names of our relatives on little slips of paper. We put in all the relatives that we could think of. Each of us would pick a name to pray for every morning. Then we put the slips of paper in the other basket until the first basket was emptied. That way we made sure everyone got prayed for and then we would start over again. Why was this important?

Our families are not a big cosmic joke! God put us in our families on purpose. And one of those reasons is that your family, no matter how unique, needs your prayers. They need to be saved. You need to pray for your weird aunt! And truth be told, we all have an aunt like that!

And we need to pray for our neighbors, our enemies, and our authorities. Why? Why is that important? It is commanded in Scripture and it shows God’s heart. The Lord is not willing that ANY should perish. We need to have that same heart for others.

Of course there are people we don’t like. We might even think that we don’t want those people in Heaven. But our heart needs to be like God’s heart- we need to tell all people that God has provided a way for them to be right with Him. They can accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to take away their sin and be saved.

We pray for all of them to have hearts that are tender to God and sensitive to sin.

Pray FOR Your Children

“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” – Max Lucado

There are personal things that we need to pray for our children. We pray for that one child to be a little more outgoing. We pray for the next one to not quite be so outgoing! We pray that if that one child lies again that they will be caught. We pray for our youngest to not feel lost in the hustle and bustle of family life.

Speak Truth to Your Children
Live Truth in Your Life
Pray With Your Children
Pray For Your Children

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith ✝️ without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love ❤️ and to good works:” Hebrews 10: 23-24.

Let’s connect :

Join me! Homeschool Christian Mom FREE Facebook group with tips on grading, scheduling and more!

Homeschool Christian Mom Facebook page: We discuss the ins and outs of our homeschooling days and offer great ideas to help each other succeed.

Youtube: Homeschool Christian Mom These videos discuss homeschool scheduling, working with your Littles, thinking long term, and many other topics.

For additional home schooling support, join my private client group.

Alexa skills: Subscribe to Homeschool Christian Mom News

Twitter @hmschchristnmom

Instagram

Do you need some extra homeschooling help? Use this link to get on my calendar and let’s chat! Move from being a hesitant homeschool mom to a happy homeschool family. Let’s chat!

I recommend the Internet accountability program CovenantEyes. Use code HSCM to get 30 days FREE!