Summer Reading for the Kids

While we are on the topic of reading, let me share with you several thoughts on selecting books for kids. I really love what Andrew Campbell has to say in LCC:

"When selecting books, look for three things: literary language; worthy stories and characters; and quality illustrations. Ask yourself, "Does this story ennoble the child's mind? Does it speak to her heart? What aesthetic, intellectual, and moral models does it place before her? Will she be a better person for having read it?" (p.75)

Quality illustrations factor in pretty heavily when it comes to my purchases, and some of my favorite illustrators for young children's tales include K.Y. Craft (breathtaking fairy tales), Paul O. Zelinsky (beautifully illustrated Grimm's tales), A.A. Milne and Beatrix Potter (my three year old is totally infatuated with Peter Rabbit right now, nap time cannot begin without a short story about Peter, Jemima Puddle Duck or Jeremy Fisher). Milo Winter's version of Aesop's fables is simple and beautiful. I also love Arthur Rackham, but some might consider Rackham a bit dark for the youngest.

Many people struggle with making decisions about literature, especially when it comes to fairy tales, mythology and fantasy literature. A Landscape with Dragons is a wonderful resource if you are unsure about how to approach these genre, and how to determine whether a book puts forth moral models (not every "good v. evil" story is a positive moral model!). It is written from a Christian perspective, and discusses the usefulness of appropriate fairy tales, while comparing older stories with some of the currently popular myth adventures, pointing out that many can appear "Christian" or moral, while in reality they are often subtly undermining true Christian values. While I don't agree with everything the author writes, it gave me some insight into many of these issues. That said, here is a list of what the kids will be reading this summer:

"the crocodile hunter" - age 9
Wonderbook for Boys and Girls (he needs to finish the last 2 stories from school year)
Black Ships Before Troy - Sutcliff
Wanderings of Odysseus - Sutcliff
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Lewis

"the little princess" - age 7
Reading-Literature: First Reader - Yesterday's Classics

Read Alouds:
Swiss Family Robinson (I have been reading this to them for over a year, they love it, but we just have not been able to finish it, so this summer we will finish the last few chapters)
The Secret Garden (I am planning to plant a "secret" garden space for the kids in addition to our vegetable garden, so I thought this would be a fun read)
The Jungle Book
Among the Pond People - I cannot say enough about how much fun this series is! - great living books science!

Summer Reading List

I love to read. I mean, I really, really love to read. And I am one of those people who will pick up a book and not put it down until it is finished. Prime example: this past Christmas my mother loaned me her copy of Atlas Shrugged . I had just had a baby in October, and much of my time was spent sitting and nursing (and very little leaving the house), so I decided I would read the book over our Christmas break. I read it in 4 days. The book has 1200 pages. For four days I sat in my kitchen and read. I read while I nursed, I read while the kids fixed their own lunches, I read all day. I could not put it down. Thankfully, there are not many 1200 page books out there that I care to read, or my poor family would be in trouble. That book reminded me though of just how little I get to read these days. And what I do read is almost always school related. That is a good thing, but I decided I need to get back to reading a broader range of books. So here is my summer reading list. Many of these I am rereading, because they help me to re-center and begin a new school and church year with a fresh reminder of why I am doing the things I do.

For School:
The Latin Centered Curriculum 2nd edition - Andrew Campbell - finally arrived, and I have already read most of it :)

Laying Down the Rails: A Charlotte Mason Habit Handbook

Keeping a Nature Journal - Leslie & Roth (need to get motivated and inspired!)

Climbing Parnassus - Tracy Lee Simmons (need to reread)

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain - Betty Edwards

For Me:
Seven Habits of Highly Successful People (started this one a while back but I need to go back through it again)

Quotidian Mysteries (I like to reread this 2-3 times a year)

A Mother's Rule of Life - (need to reread this and revamp my "rule")

Letters to a Beginner - Abbess Thaisia

The Mission of Motherhood - Sally Clarkson

Raising Them Right - St. Theophan the Recluse

Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home - Anthony Coniaris

Thirsting for God in a Land of Shallow Wells - Matthew Gallatin - (love his podcasts on Ancient Faith radio!)

For Fun:
A Tale of Two Cities

Secret Garden (going to read this one aloud to the kids this summer)

A Lesson in Patience?

No, I am not referring to the fact that it has been a little while since I posted! I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my copy of Latin Centered Curriculum (the revised and updated version). I placed my pre-order back in April, sold my old copy of the original, and patiently waited for the end of May to roll around (all the while trying to NOT buy any new curriculum until I at least saw the new LCC). So, joy of joys, I received an email on Monday saying it had shipped. I check the mail each day with the anticipation of a child waiting for Santa to come. But is hasn't come. I just checked the mail today, thinking, surely it will arrive in time for me to read it over the weekend (I mean, after all, it's not like I live across the country - in fact, if gas didn't cost so much I would be tempted to take a "field trip" to go pick up my book!). It wasn't there. And I don't suppose it will be there before next week now, since I just checked my email notice - which informs me that is was shipped media mail. MEDIA MAIL!!!! And a holiday weekend!!!! So, I will patiently wait until next week, unless some wonderful mailman miracle occurs and it shows up tomorrow. Usually by this time I have most things generally planned out in my mind for the next school year. This year I forced myself to not do that. I did go to our local homeschool fair, and yes, I did buy something :) but I feel that I restrained myself quite well overall. I really am looking forward to spending a few weeks this summer reading a number of books, and preparing for the next school year. I will post my summer reading list the next chance I get.

Scheduling: Part 2: My Teacher's Planner

Someone asked at WTM about teacher's planners, and what people include in them so I thought I would post some information on my planner as a part of my posts on scheduling. Now, first let me say it has taken several years to get my planner to where it is now. Second, not everyone needs or wants a planner. If this includes you, you have my permission to ignore this post :) I say that because I think we as homeschoolers get so caught up in things sometimes, and we start looking at what everyone else is doing, and worrying because we may not be doing it too! So if you homeschool without a planner, you will hear no complaints from me. For me, it is a natural tendency to want to have everything all laid out, and I really like checking off my little boxes! I do NOT like feeling behind! That is why programs that come with a weekly schedule turn me off - I know I will not be able to stick to someone else's schedule, and tend to set myself up for failure if I have that expectation for myself. That is part of why I created this planner; it relieves that feeling, and it gives me something to show if others ask what we are doing. It is my map which guides and gives me a sense of progress through the year. I use a 3 ring binder (I think it is a 2" binder?) with the plastic on the front and back so I can personalize the cover and back. Here is the table of contents in my planner:

Table of Contents
Prayers & Inspiration
Morning & Midday Prayers
Daily Schedule & Calendar
Weekly Lesson Plans
Attendance & Assignments Record
Lesson Plans by Subject
Overview for Year
Christian Studies
Icon Study plan
Grandma’s Stories
Greek Myths
Mathematics
World and Modern Studies
Middle Ages plan
Middle Ages Art plan
Explorers Unit Study
Explorers Readings
Colonization Unit Study
Paddle to the Sea & Seabird
CM Geography plan
English Studies
Fifty Famous Stories
Wonderbook & Tanglewood Tales
Classical Writing: Aesop
Grammar Study
Science
Poet Study
Art Study
Composer Study
Spanish
Field Trip Information
Homeschool Information
State Laws
Socialization Articles
Recitation/Memory Work

In the next few posts I will explain what each of these sections are, and give more details on how I use my binder.

CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

What a beautiful evening it was - the darkness, the soft glow of candles, the joyous shouts as normally sedate priests run up and down the church aisle shouting "Christ is Risen," each one trying to "one up" the last with the number of languages they can say it in! If you have never seen an Orthodox Paschal service, you cannot imagine the joy contained within one room, the sleepy but excited faces of children who are seeing it for the first time, the realization that this is why we have done what we have over the past 40 days, the long services, the fasting, the preparations - this is WHY. It is more than a remembrance, more than a commemoration, we are living the resurrection - we are for those few hours brought up into heaven to sing with the angels, to rejoice in the triumph of Christ over death, to revel in this defeat which frees us from the bonds of death, to taste of that glorious eternity to come. My words cannot possible do it justice, so I leave it to the "golden-mouthed" to express this joy. The following is the Paschal Homily written by St. John Chrysostom over 1600 years ago, and is read in every Orthodox church on Pascha.

If any man be devout and loveth God,
Let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast!
If any man be a wise servant,
Let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.
If any have laboured long in fasting,
Let him how receive his recompense.
If any have wrought from the first hour,
Let him today receive his just reward.
If any have come at the third hour,
Let him with thankfulness keep the feast.
If any have arrived at the sixth hour,
Let him have no misgivings;
Because he shall in nowise be deprived therefore.
If any have delayed until the ninth hour,
Let him draw near, fearing nothing.
And if any have tarried even until the eleventh hour,
Let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness.
For the Lord, who is jealous of his honour,
Will accept the last even as the first.
He giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour,
Even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour.
And He showeth mercy upon the last,
And careth for the first;
And to the one He giveth,
And upon the other He bestoweth gifts.
And He both accepteth the deeds,
And welcometh the intention,
And honoureth the acts and praises the offering.
Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord;
Receive your reward,
Both the first, and likewise the second.
You rich and poor together, hold high festival!
You sober and you heedless, honour the day!
Rejoice today, both you who have fasted
And you who have disregarded the fast.
The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously.
The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.
Enjoy ye all the feast of faith:
Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.
Let no one bewail his poverty,
For the universal Kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one weep for his iniquities,
For pardon has shown forth from the grave.
Let no one fear death,
For the Saviour's death has set us free.
He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.
By descending into Hell,
He made Hell captive.
He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh.
And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry:
Hell, said he, was embittered
When it encountered Thee in the lower regions.
It was embittered, for it was abolished.
It was embittered, for it was mocked.
It was embittered, for it was slain.
It was embittered, for it was overthrown.
It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains.
It took a body, and met God face to face.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.

O Death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life reigns!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead,
Is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be glory and dominion
Unto ages of ages.
Amen.

(Edited 4/28 - for those of you who would like to see some video snippets of the services -a friend has posted some beautiful moments from her church here)

Martha or Maxine?

A little detour from the scheduling post, but I wanted to share what I was thinking about today. We are coming up on Pascha (Easter) this weekend, so blogging is not top on my list of things to do, but this struck me as worth sharing, especially as I prepare my family's Pascha basket and collect all of the special things that are needed for the services this week. A week or so ago someone forwarded me one of those emails that seem to cycle eternally through cyberspace. This one is titled "Martha or Maxine" and contrasts the solutions that Martha Stewart and Maxine the cartoon (you know, the slobby, grouchy old lady :) would give to common problems such as what to do with leftover wine. It is an amusing contrast, but it struck me today in a different way. I will freely admit that my leanings are to the "Martha" side of things (except for her solutions to headaches and leftover wine :), while most of my friends would consider the Martha solutions a waste of time. Granted, I don't usually take the time to wrap my celery in foil to help it keep better, but the point of the email was to imply the ridiculousness of Martha's way. My response to that is colored by the fact that I am currently reading The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer. I had not read this particular book before (though I have read others written by her) and thank you to Jennifer at Doing the Next Thing for sending me after it. Much of what she writes about is not new to me, but she communicates it most eloquently. The focus of this book is on the 'hidden art' in our lives. As creations made in the image of God - the ultimate Artist (just look around you and you will see the beauty of his creativity) we are all called to some expression of art or creativity. She insists that we all have it within us - not the ability to be famous for something, but the ability to creatively add beauty to our home and world - whether it is through a mural on the kids bedroom wall, a dress lovingly sewn for a daughter or simply a single flower in a vase at the table. So while many look at the infamous Martha as an annoying overachiever, I see beyond the perfectionist tendency her desire to take the everyday, the boring and sometimes even ugly moments of life and turn them into "art". And before you protest "I am just not that talented" or "I don't have time for silly stuff like that", take a minute and think about the difference it makes to sit down to a meal on real dishes compared to eating on a plastic plate (yes, it can be as simple as that, or putting your liquid soap into a pretty glass bottle instead of the ugly plastic one it comes in, or serving lemonade out of a china tea cup as an afternoon snack for the kids). How often do we offer the uninspiring to our family and children, and justify it by saying "oh, my kids would never notice that" or "my husband could care less" ? So, rather than get discouraged by perceived lack of "talent" or laugh off more 'artistic' solutions in life, perhaps remember that we are called to grow in the image of God, and one of the most visibly present facets of that image is reflected in the amazing beauty He created. As an Orthodox Christian whose life is focused on living the sacraments, this rings very true to me. As Matthew Gallatin puts it, we are called to dance with God(7/5/07), and learning to create simple moments of beauty can be a first step. I will leave you with a few thoughts from the book, a truly inspiring read.

"Children growing up in an atmosphere where beauty is considered an important part of daily life cannot help being inspired to develop their own original ideas in these areas, nor can they help being prepared to live aesthetically themselves." p.104

"The Christian should have more vividly expressed creativity in his daily life, and have more creative freedom ... 'Hidden Art' should be more important to one who knows and admits that he is made in God's image, than to those who do not." p.29 (emphasis is the author's)

My Favorite Subject: Scheduling Part 1

This seems to be the time of year when this topic gets hot - as everyone is trying to select next years books, plan lessons and decide what they can and cannot accomplish next year. So I am going to put down a few of my thoughts on how I schedule, since it is a topic I love (weird, I know). And really, I should say, this goes way beyond simply scheduling out school subjects. What I have learned is that my life needs a rhythm, and my kids need a rhythm, and so when I talk about routines, I am really talking about our daily life, not just our "school time." Of course, then we could get all philosophical about how really all time is "school time" and that LIFE is our school which makes the previous statements completely unnecessary, but we won't go there :)

First, let me share some of the wonderful resources that have helped me develop routines for our day. Managers of Their Homes (MOTH) is a great resource for anyone with multiple children who is trying to find sanity in scheduling. It is a complete system of how to prioritize duties, schedule children and their interactions with you and each other, and managing household duties while still having some time for yourself. MOTH can be intimidating, especially for those who are not into planning every moment of the day, but I love the giant planning schedule with colored blocks they have to help you plan what everyone will be doing throughout the day. Along the same lines as MOTH, but on a bit more relaxed scale, is a wonderful book A Mother's Rule of Life. Holly Pierlot was introduced to the concepts of MOTH at a time when she was in despair about her homeschool chaos. After struggling to find peace in her home, she wrote this book that really goes in depth into what she calls the 5 P's of our lives - Prayer, Person, Partner, Parent and Provider. This book is something of a spiritual journey, and I love her approach to a schedule, which revolves around first establishing the times of prayer for the day, then working all of our other roles around those moments. This has been a special blessing for me as our women's study group has been reading Beginning to Pray by Anthony Bloom.
Finally, the other book I really think all women and homeschool mothers especially should read is The Quotidian Mysteries. If you have ever felt depressed about not being able to "get it all done," or you feel sometimes that the daily chores of a stay-at-home mom are looked down on in the world today, this book will give you some wonderful encouragement. The term "quotidian" is from the Latin for everyday or daily, and in this little book author and poet Kathleen Norris speaks about her journey of realization that the "everyday" is what really matters, that here is where we find the things that God has given us to struggle with in order to turn our minds to Him. It is a quick read, and one I keep handy to give me a lift in those moments when I can't bear the thought of folding another load of laundry! What gave me the most peace from this book was the realization that I can never "get it all done." I am a "list" person, I like to check things off, finish them. The tasks I struggle with the most emotionally and spiritually are those that can never be finished (like the laundry :). So I have come to terms with the fact that I can never "catch up" or really finish my work, but rather this work has been given to me as a way to draw closer to God.
I will post again on more of the nitty-gritty of my own personal schedules, but I wanted to share these books first. They are the resources that slowly led me to develop the routines that are working for us and serve as an inspiration and encouragement to me as I stumble along trying to find my footing as a mother and homeschooler.