Wednesday, February 27, 2013

My Book Boost Review and Giveaway

Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you walk into the library?  I love going to the library, but I have often found myself not knowing which books are right for my needs or where to find them.  I have spent many hours (over the years) sitting on the library floor searching though children's books looking for just the right ones.

My biggest problem was finding beginning readers when my son was just learning the sounds that each letter made and how to put them together.  I wanted to find him books that he could confidently read and not get discouraged by.  I would look in the 'reader' section, but most of the books I would find were based off of sight words.  I am a huge proponent of learning to read using phonics, so those books were not what I was looking for.  I could have spent countless hours looking through each book and I'm sure that I would found a few books that fit the bill, but honestly, I just gave up.


The Answer That Would Have Solved My Problems


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About a month ago I learned about My Book Boost.  It is a list of 150 books, broken down into 15 levels that increase in difficulty.  I have spent the last month looking up these books at my library and bringing them home for my children.  I look them up online at home and write down where to find them.  Once I get to the library, it's as easy as pulling them off of the shelf!  If you are luck enough to have a library that pulls books for you, all you would have to do is place them on hold and pick them up =)

I really enjoyed the books on the My Book Boost list.  I was introduced to many new books that I had not known before.  My 4 year old son thoroughly enjoyed each book that I brought home.  Best of all, my 2 year old daughter was able to read her first book ever!  The very first book on level one of My Book Boost is Hug by Jez Alborough (You can see a few of the books on the list in this sample.)  I had never heard of this book before, but it is so sweet and my daughter loves it.  The book has a total of three words in it (repeated) and she is learning the sounds of letters, so she was able to confidently read the book!  She read it to everyone who would listen =)


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About My Book Boost


My Book Boost was created for young children who are just learning to read.  This could be a preschooler, or an elementary student who needs some practice.  These books are prefect for children looking to master kindergarten and first grade reading levels.

You, as the parent, simply start at level one and slowly work your way through the list as your child masters each level.  If your child is already reading a bit, you may choose to start at a higher level.  This is why you can conveniently choose to purchase the whole 15 level list, or just levels 4-15 (you can also just purchase levels 1-3 if you want to get a taste of what this list is about).  I love that there are suggestions and tips along the way so that you can help your child as they are learning to read.


My thoughts about how the levels progress:


Level one - These books are almost at a pre-reader level.  While some books have words that are very simple to sound out, others have words that can be recognized based on pictures (dog, cat, etc.)  These books get very young children comfortable with the idea of reading.

Level two - These books have lots of simple cvc words for you child to sound out.  Some still have words that need to be deciphered by the picture (ex. an animal).  I found some of these books in the young readers section at my library, and some in the picture book section.

Levels four and five - These books have nice short sentences so your child can confindently read each page.  The words are not crowded and will not overwhelm him.  Most of these books are from the young readers section.

Level six - These books are full of great simple sentences.  Many use repetition so that your child can anticipate and read with confidence.

Level seven and up - As the levels increase from here, the sentences grow and there are more than a few words on the page.  Duologue is introduced, challenging your young reader with following simple conversation.


Do you have a youngster who is learning to read?  Check out My Book Boost for much more information and enter to win a copy for yourself!  Please enter the giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #46

Welcome to Trivium Tuesdays!  This is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.


This week I am featuring a post from Homeschool Mosaics.  It is an introductory post for a series called The Classical Home.  It is going to be a monthly series sharing the benefits of using classical methods to teach your children.  This week covered the basics about classical schooling and also some must-read books on the subject.  I am looking forward to the rest of The Classical Home series!

I also wanted to take a minute to share what Jessica at Designer's Sweet Spot is doing.  She linked it up last week, but in case you missed it, she is going starting a series called Anything Goes on Monday.   Her children are near grown and she is clearing out her closets and blessing her readers with the bounty!  Each Monday she will be having a giveaway of something that she does not need any longer.  Last week she had a set of nature books and this week a collection of Holling Clancy Holling books.  I hesitated to share this with you because I want to win =) but in the spirit of generosity and love, I want to give you the chance to win too.  Make sure you check in each Monday to see what she is giving away!



Now onto this week's link-up!

Here are the rules:
  • Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
  • Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
  • Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
  • Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
  • It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
  • Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.         If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)


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Monday, February 25, 2013

Wise Words from Pharaoh Akhenaton - Man is Never so Happy...

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If you are industrious to produce wealth, be generous in the disposal of it.  Man never is so happy as when he gives happiness unto another.          ~Pharaoh Akhenaton

This is another amazingly wise quote from Pharaoh Akhenaton and once again, it makes me think of God's wisdom in the Bible...


The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the RIGHTEOUS is GENEROUS and GIVES.     Psalm 37:21

It is well with the man who deals GENEROUSLY and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.     Psalm 112:5

Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but BLESSED is he who is GENEROUS to the poor.      Proverbs 14:21

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is GENEROUS to the needy HONORS HIM.     Proverbs 14:31

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them...THE ONE WHO CONTRIBUTES, IN GENEROSITY...  Romans 12:6-8

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a in a WEALTH OF GENEROSITY on their part.  For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and BEYOND THEIR MEANS, of their own accord.        2 Corinthians 8:1-3

You will be enriched in every way to be GENEROUS in every way, which through us will produce THANKSGIVING to GOD.        2 Corinthians 9:11

As for the RICH in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, not to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.  They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be GENEROUS and READY to SHARE.    1 Timothy 6:17-18


WOW!  The Bible has so much to say about being generous!  Pharaoh Akhenaton had it right, the generous man is BLESSED (Prov. 14:21).  What he probably didn't understand is that being generous honors God (Prov. 14:31), produces thanksgiving to God (2 Cor. 9:11), and is a characteristic of a righteous man (Psalm 37:21).

It is so easy to hold on to money when we have it, but we would do well to remember these scriptures and bless others with it!  Man will be helped, God will be honored, and we will be blessed!

Like last week, I want to share with you a copywork page for this quote.  Use it with your teenagers to give them some great food for thought.  It will be available for you to download for FREE THIS WEEK ONLY.  If you like it and would like more, I have a whole copywork pack of quotes, like this one, from Pharaoh Akhenaton for just $1.00 at Classical Copywork.





Learn more or purchase the entire Wise Words from Pharaoh Akhenaton copywork pack from Classical Copywork for just $1.00.  This pack contains 15 quotes, each having a print and cursive option.  Five of the quotes have the option of a colorful graphic or a black and white one.  This totals 42 pages of copywork.


Don't miss any of the posts from this series!


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Would you like to be inspired by other great quotes?  Over 20 bloggers at the iHomeschool Network are sharing quotes on a variety of subjects over the next few weeks.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Ancient Roman History Books - FREE on Kindle

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Amazon has an incredible amount of e-books available for free.  If you have a kindle, or even just a kindle app on another device, you can have a plethora of great literature at your disposal.  My goal here is to group titles in ways that will be helpful to you, allowing your to easily find titles that will aid in what your are teaching.  This week I have a great list of...

Ancient Rome 

 

History of Julius Caesar by: Jacob Abbott

Cleopatra by: Jacob Abbott

Hannibal by: Jacob Abbott

Nero by: Jacob Abbott

Romulus by: Jacob Abbott

A Story of the Fall of Carthage and Corinth by: Alfred J. Church

Roman Life in the Days of Cicero by: Alfred J. Church

History of the Destruction of the Jerusalem by: Flavius Josephus

The Life of Flavius Josephus by: Flavius Josephus

Stories from Livy by: Alfred J. Church

The Story of Rome by: Arthur Gilman

Young Folks' History of Rome by: Charlotte Mary Yonge

Tales of Ancient Rome by: S. J. A. Turney

Byzantine Empire by: C. W. C. Oman

Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans by: Plutarch

Plutarch's Lives - Volume 1 by: Plutarch

Plutarch's Lives - Volume 2 by: Plutarch

Plutarch's Lives - Volume 3 by: Plutarch

The Boys' and Girls' Plutarch by: Plutarch




If you think I have placed a book in this list by mistake (whether it be for not fitting well in the category, or for being inappropriate reading material), please let me know!  I try my hardest to make these lists accurate and beneficial, but I am not perfect =)  Thank you for your help!

Photo Credit (used in top graphic)

Monday, February 18, 2013

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #45

Welcome to Trivium Tuesdays!  This is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.




Today I am featuring an article from Blue Manor Education called What is the purpose of Education?  Blue Manor is from Janine who blogs at True Aim Education.  I was struck by this article because it inspired me to think about how things are running in my home and to re-focus.  It made me want to click around on the site to learn more.  I discovered a must-read book list and a must-watch movie list full of great classics, a preschool and kindergarten curriculum that is full of phonics and quality images, and a free Virtues for Children download that is visually stunning.  These look like great resources for any of you who have children age 5 and under who you want to lead into a classical education.

Now onto this week's link-up!

Here are the rules:
  • Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
  • Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
  • Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
  • Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
  • It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
  • Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.         If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)

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Wise Words from Pharaoh Akhenaton - Be Upright in Your Whole Life ...

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Be upright in your whole life; be content in all its changes; so shall you make your profit out of all occurrences; so shall everything that happens to you be the source of praise.         ~Pharaoh Akhenaton

This quote is so full of rich thoughts to dwell on.  It makes me think of a few Bible verses...

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, UPRIGHT, and godly lives in the present age... Titus 2:11-12

For I have learned to whatever situation I am to be CONTENT.  Philippians 4:11b

REJOICE ALWAYS, pray without ceasing, GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I don't know where Pharaoh Akhenaton got all of his wisdom from, but the truth in this quote is so profound.  Learning to be content is something that we all need to work on continually.  Being able to give praise (to God) in everything that happens is difficult at times, but so necessary!  Being upright in my whole life is a monumental task, but once again worth striving for.

I want to share with you a copywork page for this quote.  Use it with your teenagers to give them some great food for thought!  It will be available for you to download for FREE THIS WEEK ONLY.  If you like it and would like more, I have a whole copywork pack of quotes, like this one, from Pharaoh Akhenaton for just $1.00 at Classical Copywork.

 


Learn more or purchase the entire Wise Words from Pharaoh Akhenaton copywork pack from Classical Copywork for just $1.00.  This pack contains 15 quotes, each having a print and cursive option.  Five of the quotes have the option of a colorful graphic or a black and white one.  This totals 42 pages of copywork.


Don't miss any of the posts from this series!


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Would you like to be inspired by other great quotes?  Over 20 bloggers at the iHomeschool Network are sharing quotes on a variety of subjects over the next few weeks.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Ancient Greece History Books - FREE on Kindle

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Amazon has an incredible amount of e-books available for free.  If you have a kindle, or even just a kindle app on another device, you can have a plethora of great literature at your disposal.  My goal here is to group titles in ways that will be helpful to you, allowing your to easily find titles that will aid in what your are teaching.  This week I have a great list of...

Ancient Greece 

Cyrus the Great: Makers of History by: Jacob Abbott

Darius the Great: Makers of History by: Jacob Abbott

Pyrrhus: Makers of History by: Jacob Abbott

Xerxes: Makers of History by: Jacob Abbott

Old Greek Stories by: James Baldwin

Callias - A Tale of the Fall of Athens by: Alfred J. Church

Stories from the Greek Tragedians by: Alfred J. Church

The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles by: Padraic Colum

The Story of the Greeks by: H.A. Guerber

Famous Men of Greece by: John Haaren

Tanglewood Tales by: Nathaniel Hawthorne

A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys by: Nathaniel Hawthorne

A Book of Myths by: Jeanie Lang

Old Greek Folk Stories Told Anew by: J.P. Peabody

Spartan Twins by: Lucy Perkins

Aesop for Children with pictures by: Milo Winter

Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by: E. M. Berens

The Iliad by: Homer




If you think I have placed a book in this list by mistake (whether it be for not fitting well in the category, or for being inappropriate reading material), please let me know!  I try my hardest to make these lists accurate and beneficial, but I am not perfect =)  Thank you for your help!

Photo Credit (used in top graphic)

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #44

Welcome to Trivium Tuesdays!  This is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.



This week I want to share with you a great post (series) from Kendra at Preschoolers and Peace.  She has found that planning a whole year of homeschooling at a time is a better idea for her than planning things out each week.  How do you plan things out for the year?  Take a minute to gain some wisdom from Kendra on this topic, and don't forget to read through the comments.  She always offers so much more insight in her answers to the questions that people leave.


Now onto this week's link-up!

Here are the rules:
  • Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
  • Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
  • Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
  • Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
  • It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
  • Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.         If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)



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Monday, February 11, 2013

Work and Service Re-Visited

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This past summer I wrote a series called Early Grammar Stage Focus.  In it, I took a close look at the article 10 Things To Do With Your Child Before Age 10  from Trivium Pursuit and challenged myself to do better in the areas that they highlight.  It is been a few months, and school is in full swing, so I want to check back in and see how I have done in each of the areas.  Every few weeks I will re-visit one of the 10 topics, so come back for more!

You can get this "10 things..." article plus SO much more information in the book Teaching the Trivium from the good people at Trivium Pursuit.

Today we are going to re-visit the subject of Work and Service.  If you didn't see the original post in the summer, or just need a refresher, take a minute to go read it first.

In the original post, we talked about needing to instill in our children (and ourselves!) a love for working and serving.  This is a big deal in our house and we have continued to work on it since we first talked about it in the summer.  Here are the goals that I had set at that time:

Goals:

  1. Be more consistent with Trevor's chores
  2. Work on diligence and instilling a love of work
  3. Formally start Mackenzie on chores
  4. Be purposeful about service

First I'll talk about the easy successes =)  Mackenzie is a great worker and is really quite good at what she does.  It has been easy to formally include her in the chore process.  She is amazing at folding towels, so that something that she often does.  I have made a few versions of "Daily Tasks" charts this year, and a few chores are always included on that (with an extra option of earning a coin for doing another chore after the mandatory ones are done).  Honestly, if we are not home all day, we don't usually get to doing everything on our task chart and that sometimes includes the chores.  I'm really not worried about it.

Typically, each day the kids need to tidy their rooms and make their beds, clear the kitchen table (Mackenzie clears the floor and Trevor clears the top) one time, and do one other chore.  That chore rotates each day and might be something like dusting, collecting garbage, wiping bathroom walls/doors, etc.  We set the timer for 5 minutes and they try to work diligently until it goes off =)

The problem we are still working on is the diligence and desire part.  There is an awful lot of grumbling going on around here.  I try to explain that if it gets done quickly, it would only take about 10 minutes of their day total and then they would be free to do whatever!  Hopefully we will continue to get better at being good helpers.  If anyone has any ideas for training in this area, I'd love to hear them!

We are also working on the service area.  We start by trying to remember to serve each other at home.  If we are out doing something for someone else, we try to help them take the focus off of themselves and remember that we are there for the other person.  Once a month we deliver food to low income elderly folks.  It is a simple task, but is yet another opportunity to turn the children's attention off of themselves.

As I'm writing this, I'm thinking about how dry and boring it all sounds!  I am definitely a black and white, straight and narrow kind of person.  I am not emotional, rarely passionate, and I don't even need much fun =)  This works fine for me, but I definitely see how I could stand to be a little different for my kids.  Trevor had often complained that doing work wasn't "fun" so he didn't want to do it.  I told him that all he had to do was make it fun by singing a song or making a game out of it.  This has helped him, but I should definitely be more proactive in making these things more fun for them.  Any ideas to help this boring ol' mom out?

Have you been working on teaching your children to be willing workers and servants?  What ideas have worked for you?  I'd love to hear any of your successes, failures, or ideas so we can all help each other!


This post is a part of the following series:



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Friday, February 8, 2013

American History Living Books - FREE on Kindle

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Amazon has an incredible amount of e-books available for free.  If you have a kindle, or even just a kindle app on another device, you can have a plethora of great literature at your disposal.  My goal here is to group titles in ways that will be helpful to you, allowing your to easily find titles that will aid in what your are teaching.  This week I have a great list of...


American History Living Books


The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

The Life of Abraham Lincoln 

Speeches and Letters of Abraham Lincoln 1832-1865 

Lincoln's Yarns and Stories 

Gettysburg Address by: Abraham Lincoln 

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography

History of the United States vol.3 by: E. Benjamin Andrews

The United States Constution

The United States Bill of Rights

History of the United States vol. 2 by E. Benjamin Andrews

History of the United States by: Charles and Mary Beard

History of the United States vol. 4 by: E. Benjamin Andrews

History of the United States vol. 5 by: E. Benjamin Andrews

History of the United States vol. 6 by: E Benjamin Andrews

The War if Independence by: John Fiske

The Frontier in American History by: Frederick Turner

Up From Slavery: and autobiography by: Booker T. Washington

Kit Carson by: John S. C. Abbott

King Philip by: John S.C. Abbott

Adventurres of the Chevalier De La Salle by: John S. C. Abbott

Four Great Americans by: James Baldwin

Stories of American Life and Adventure by: Edward Eggleston

Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by: Edward Eggleston

Blackfeet Indian Stories by: G. B. Grinnell

When Buffalo Ran by: G. B. Grinnell

Uncle Remus, His Songs and Sayings by: J. C. Harris

On the Trail of Grant and Lee by: Federick T. Hill

The Famous Missions of California by: William Henry Hudson

Uncle Tom's Cabin, Young Folks Edition by: Harriot Beecher Stowe

Richard of Jamestown by: James Otis

The Puritan Twins by: Lucy F. Perkins

Four American Indians by: Frances Perry

Boys' Book of Frontier Fighters by: Edwin Sabin

Gold Seekers of '49 by: Edwin Sabin

Boys Book of Indian Warriors and Heroic Indian Women by: Edwin Sabin

Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts by: F. R. Stockton

Up From Slavery: an Autobiography by Booker T. Washington

This Country of Ours by H.E. Marshall

 

If you think I have placed a book in this list by mistake (whether it be for not fitting well in the category, or for being inappropriate reading material), please let me know!  I try my hardest to make these lists accurate and beneficial, but I am not perfect =)  Thank you for your help!

Photo Credit (used in top graphic)

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Who was Pharaoh Akhenaton?



Today starts a series titled "Wise Words from Pharaoh Akhenaton."  Starting Monday, February 18th, for five Mondays I will feature a quote from him, share my thoughts, and have a free copywork printable of the quote!  I was pleasantly surprised with what I found as I researched him and hope that you will come back to let me share what I found!

Today I would like to share with you a bit about Pharaoh Akhenaton before we start looking at some of the things that he said.  I am by no means an expert on Egyptian history, and so much of the past remains a mystery, but it is fun to research, learn, and think about new things!  Here are some of the things that I discovered.

Pharaoh Akhenaton was a part of the 18th dynasty of Egypt.  At the beginning of his reign he was known as Amenhotep IV, but as he sought to change Egypt's polytheistic religious system into a monotheistic one, he changed this name to honor Aton, his deity of choice.

This monotheism of his is what I want to focus on during this series.  In Egypt, worshiping one god was unheard of both before and after his reign.  This concept, along with the quotes from him that I am going to share with you over the coming weeks, fascinated me so I wanted to learn a little more about who this man was.

Well, the more I read, the more confused I was =) Some have suggested that Akhenaton was the Pharoah during part of Moses' early life.  Some say that Akhenaton was Moses.  I am no one to say what the truth is, but I do know that I have to hold to what the Bible teaches, so I'm going to rule that second opinion out.  I'd like to read the book Unwrapping the Pharoahs to see the conclusion given there.  I read the book Unveiling the King's of Israel by the same author and found it fascinating, so I'm sure the one about Egypt would be insightful as well!

Perhaps Akhenaton had heard stories of Joseph's God since he had been prominent in Egypt for some time.  Maybe he did live in Moses' day and was influenced by his faithfulness to the one true God.  Maybe there is some other undiscovered connection that still allows the Biblical text to be accurate.  I do not know, but the wisdom in many of his words are worth pondering, so that is what we will do!

Please join me, starting Monday, as we look at Wise Words from Pharaoh Akhenaton.

If you would like to be inspired by quotes on all sorts of other topics, you can look forward to hearing from the other ladies at the iHomeschool Network as well!  I'll point you their way as soon as the series officially starts.



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Monday, February 4, 2013

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #43

Welcome to Trivium Tuesdays!  This is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.


Today I am featuring Inspire Your Child With Poetry from Harrington Harmonies.  I really enjoyed reading what Stephanie had to share about incorporating poetry into your school day.  She offers 10 suggestion on how to do this.  I was loving her post from the beginning, but it didn't hurt that I found my recent copywork series and my site Classical Copywork featured as part of her #9!  (Thanks, friend!)  If you are looking for some encouragement or fresh ideas on the subject of poetry, make sure you stop over to Harrington Harmonies after you link up below!

Now onto this week's link-up!

Here are the rules:
  • Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
  • Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
  • Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
  • Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
  • It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
  • Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.         If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)



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Friday, February 1, 2013

Field Trips Re-Visited


This past summer I wrote a series called Early Grammar Stage Focus.  In it, I took a close look at the article 10 Things To Do With Your Child Before Age 10  from Trivium Pursuit and challenged myself to do better in the areas that they highlight.  It is been a few months, and school is in full swing, so I want to check back in and see how I have done in each of the areas.  Every few weeks I will re-visit one of the 10 topics, so come back for more!

 You can get this "10 things..." article plus SO much more information in the book Teaching the Trivium from the good people at Trivium Pursuit.

This week we are going to talk about field trips again.  Fun!  If you missed it last time, or just need a refresher, take a minute and read my first post on the subject.

Last time we talked about how children are designed to move.  They need to explore and discover, not sit still.  (Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe that children should be able to sit still for a period of time, but that is another subject =)  The article linked to above suggests taking your kids to concerts, museums, fairs, plays, etc. and making frequent trips to the library.  Last time I made a few goals for my family, let's take a look...

Goals

  1. Go on at least one field trip a month
  2. Find other opportunities than the standard outings we are used to.
    1. concert
    2. play
    3. museum
    4. other?
  3. Go to the library at least once a month and actually read books!

Looking back at these, I can tell you that we had mixed results.  Let's start with the good!  I am happy to report that we have been taking frequent trips to the library.  We recently moved to a new city, so we got a new library to explore!  We find books related to what we are studying and also books to read just for fun.  My son has really started enjoying books more, both reading on his own and listening to me read to him.

As for the other two goals, I'm sad to report that I have not met them.  A big part of that is, like I mentioned above, we moved to a new home this summer and along with that comes lots of 'new house' fun.  We went from a condo with no land whatsoever to a home on an acre, so most of our summer and fall was spent exploring our new land!  So while technically we did not go out on many field trips, we definitely did a lot of exploring and discovering! 

We did go out to a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, and I'm sure something else, but hopefully this winter I will be able to be more purposeful about finding other kinds of cultural opportunities to share with my kids.  I would love to find a concert or children's play to go to this winter.  So I guess that is my new goal =)

What kinds of field trips have you taken with your kids this year?  Any favorites or recommendation? 


This post is a part of the following series:



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