There are several reasons I blog about our home school:
1. To have a kind of a year book to look back on when the boys are older.
2. To remember when I get to the younger boys what works and what I did with big brother(s) .
3. This process is new to our extended family and it's an easy way to let them know what we do
4. I enjoy the research part of finding educational treasures almost as much as getting to see my favorite little people during the day.
5. Since our oldest is not yet old enough to qualify us for co-op, this is a great outlet for nerdy home school talk. (We do play dates, etc with our good friends. It's just that everyone else in our close circles are just on different educational paths than we are)
So, I place a monthly order of home school supplies and get excited about some of my finds. On unit 3, I came access a Take-Along Guide for Leaves.
For each unit, I've been looking for three living books. One fiction, that is usually covered with the literature package I bought from MFW. The other two I am looking for are a non-fiction, science book, preferably faith based, but I'll accept neutral non-evolution based and also a specifically faith base one usually having to do with the bible verse tie in.
As I was researching for this week's Nest unit, I discovered the Take-Along books are a series of 14 books covering a wide range of nature topics . It's neither liberal or specifically faith based, just great information. I love the reference nature of these resources. They can be relative for several years, for all the boys and used for different angles of topics. Huge bonus, My Father's World has a few of them listed future years curriculum. So, I bought a few more this month.
Mail, a favorite site is seeing the Amazon smile on my porch :
Take along books so far:
9 of the 12 deliveries that came today for November learning.
The main reason we opted out of more structured programs like a classical conversations group I was interested in, the University model for homeschooling or even our church's great preschool MDO is because I had to chose for financial reasons to be able to go with hand picked resources I wanted or someone else's program. My nerdy research side won :-)
As I'm narrowing down our search for God honoring Easter books, I started with a few favorites of the other Holiday books to see what Easter offering if any, they provided.
Books Honoring God in our Holiday Celebrations:
The Parable Series for Liz Curtis Higgs. Each one takes a symbol of the holiday and beautifully ties it in with the heart of Christ including several scriptures.
Let's ..... On...... Holiday series. This series says it so well on the back cover of the Valentine's book.
"Discover how holiday celebrations can help develop your child's Christian faith. Beginning with familiar customs and traditions, this book reminds children that although Valentine's Day is a special holiday that celebrates love, God's love is something can celebrate all year long."
Other Happy Day supplemental books:
The Story of.... Either by Nancy J Skarmeas or Patricia A Pingry. Tons more available!!
God Gave Us by Lisa T Bergren
Not specifically an Easter book. It's about death which will
be brought up when we talked about the Cross.
A series of die cut shaped books by Crystal Bowman, that are not only beautifully illustrated with bold, bright eye catching shape of the book itself is focused on Christ....
What Is.....by Michelle Medlock Adams. This series I've gone back and forth on. I thought about not including it now and shying away from our family stand on this but, it seemed disingenuous. These books are spent talking about many of America's customs of Holiday celebrating. If you don't chose (like us) to include traditions like Santa, Trick or Treating or the Easter Bunny for example, just know they are pointed out individually and presented right along with Jesus. I know these types of issues can be divisive. I grew up participating in all of them. We believe God is calling us down a different path for our boys. I chose to utilize resources like these as an introduction for conversation to explain what others chose to do when they ask. We currently only have the Thanksgiving one. The first half of the book is spent on traditions. The last half centers on directing our thankfulness to God. I'm thinking when the boys are old enough to have that dialogue, this series will be a helpful tool. I have found many fun God centered activities to enjoy while giving purpose and meaning to our celebrations. I do not feel they are missing out on anything. Our reasons for these decisions include their age, forming expectations, development of faith and living out the scriptures that we are a stranger in this world, that we are not to be of this world and that we are set apart for God. We also don't want distractions or to have that primary message of bringing all glory, honor and praise for God watered down.
After months spent searching for Faith based books, I've found great publishing sources. I pinned a few on my Children's Books board on Pinterest. A few I couldn't find websites for the actual publishers or they couldn't be pinned so I decided to post an entry here. I have not been able to find quality faith based books for toddlers through craigslist, the library or half price book stores. Ebay was the most successful shopping site. Even Amazon can be a bit too helpful and overwhelming and yet not specific at the same time. This process is an investment worth the time and money pursing for several reasons.
First, I enjoy reading and want to encourage that for my boys. I read the dictionary ( I know, nerd alert) when I was in 5th/ 6th grade along with every biography I could get my hands on.
Second, What a child reads begins to frame expectations, world views and values.
Third, In all ways Christ comes first in our family
So for me, this is worth the monthly school supply budget. I've polled friends on Facebook and had discussions with fellow moms about Christ centered children's books. It's been a bit frustrating at times searching. I finally hit a jackpot when I started going to the publisher's sites. I've spent weeks looking for Easter books focused on the Resurrection for Toddler/ preschool age. This is a big concept to break down and begin to explain life, death and the sacrifice of our Lord. It's one of the main pillars of which our faith, the capstone. I had almost resigned myself to the fact that maybe it would just need to wait a year or two to have the support of books to help introduce these concepts. Then, today I happily came across more titles than our single monthly homeschool budget can handle :-) I pinned my finds on my April/ Resurrection Board, feel free to check it out.
Here are the Publisher's of the current books we have. It was fun to catalog our library books :-)
I realized I had been favoring a few choice authors that I highlighted on my Children's Books board namely Patricia Pingry, Michelle Medlock Adams, Crystal Bowman, Lisa Bergren and Liz Curtis Higgs.
We Light the Candles:Devotions Related to Family Use of the Advent Wreath Ausburg Fortress
Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children and Jesus is With Me by Debby Anderson Chariot Victor Publishing
The Story of ....(Daniel and the Lion's Den, Joseph, Baby Jesus, David and Goliath, Moses, Noah's Ark, Adam & Eve, Jonah & the Whale. 2 for $1 at Dollar General.
God ... (Will Bless, Always Helps, Always Forgives, Watches Over) Us
Series of 4 books that tell the words to the songs... "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands", "Jesus Loves the Little Children", "This Little Light of Mine" and "If You're Happy and you Know It" Clever Factory (The) by Cuddly Duck Productions distributed by Greenbrier International. Found at the Dollar Store
Mary's Christmas Story
When Jesus was Born
Three Presents for Baby Jesus Concordia Publishing House Arch Books
My Little Bible Stories (David & Goliath, The Story of Moses, Noah's Ark & The Ten Commandments)
Dear God Kidsseries.... Flying Frog Publishing
The Story of ....(Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day) by Patricia Pingry
If Jesus ... (Lived Inside my Heart , Walked Beside Me) by Jill Roman Lord
What is... Thanksgiving by Michelle Medlock Adams
Happy Birthday Jesus by Michelle Medlock Adams
The Christmas Story by Patricia Pingry Candy Cane Press, an imprint of IdealsBooks - A Guideposts Company
I Can Learn Bible Stories: Match and Learn by Gwen Ellis Kregel Publications
Let's Shine Jesus' Light on Halloween
Let's Celebrate God's Blessings on Thanksgiving
My Merry Christmas by Sally Lloyd Jones
Life and Look, Jesus Loves Me
The Best Thing About Christmas by Christine Harder Tangvald Standard Publishing
100 Ways to Know God Loves Me by Stephen Elkins
The (Pumpkin Patch, Pine Tree) Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs
You Are Special, You are Mine, If I Only Had a Green Nose & Best of All by Max Lucado Thomas Nelson
Jesus Loves me More Than That by Dandi Daley Mackall
God Gave Us ... ( You, Two, Love, Christmas) by Lisa Tawn Bergren WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing
The Beginners Bible
The Story for Little Ones by Max Lucado & Randy Frazee
VeggieTales
My Valentine Story by Crystal Bowman
Berenstain Bears books by Jan & Mike Berenstain
My Thanksgiving Prayer by Crystal Bowman
Give Thanks to the Lord by Karma Wilson
Who Was There on Christmas Night by Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton
Jesus, Me and My Christmas Tree by Crystal Bowman
Christmas Angels by Crystal Bowman
The Star for Jesus by Crystal Bowman
J is for Jesus by Crystal Bowman
The 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle ZonderKidz
I will give a mention to one other Publisher for their focus on boys and the additional support via printable they provide:
Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland. Penguin Publishing
Family tradition: We are starting this year an Advent involving the names of Jesus. In future years I foresee expanding on this as the boys get older. Below is a screen shot of my folder of Advent ideas. I really like the idea of adding to the Christmas tree every day that we've done this year. I hope to make ornaments for each year's and eventually just have an Advent Tree in our front dining room.
TV shows: We enjoyed watching a Charlie Brown Christmas especially as Linus quotes directly from Luke 2.
Movies: This year we've seen so far, St Nicholas and The Toy That Saved Christmas by Veggie Tales and God Made Christmas by Baby Faith. We own the Nativity Story which I'm looking forward to watching Christmas Eve.
Picture: Every year since we got together in 2004, we'd had our picture taken in front of a Christmas Tree. It's been fun the different ones we've stood in front of and a friend made ornaments out of them a couple years ago and gave me the matching fabric to continue that tradition. I have more, these are just the ones I could find the fastest to post here:
2004, our first house
2008, Christmas Party at the Taylor's
2010, our current house
Events: In our area, they include a living Nativity scene that an area church does every year. It's beautiful.
Activities from Advent chains to coloring and preschool packs we don't lack anything fun in this department. They come from 1+1+1=1, Confessions of a Homeschooler, Musings of Me, 2Teaching Mommies, Spell Outloud and Over the Big Moon.
Books we read: This has been so much fun finding books that recall and bring along the birth of Christ. Our Tiny Bear Bible, Preschoolers Bible, My Very First Bible and Beginner's Bible all tell the story of Christ's birth. The Busy Bible has a felt Nativity that tucks away in the stable within the book.
This year we've added "J is for Jesus", God Gave us Christmas", 2 different books entitled "Happy Birthday Jesus", "The Beginner's Bible: My Christmas Manger" and "The Pine Tree Parable" . (3 are being shipped as I type) I bought "The Story of Christmas" last year.
I have a current plan to add one Christmas book each month with my regular supply order so that next year, the boys can unwrap a book each day to read in the month of December. Here's my wish list in progress going forward in alphabetical order. Several suggestions came from other Christian Homeschool sites and I also just searched through ZonderKidz store on their website:
Crafts: I found a great Nativity puzzle, Make a Nativity Scene Sticker Set, Color Scratch Star Ornament, Happy Birthday Jesus bags and stamps from Oriental Trading Company as well as a Happy Birthday Jesus fun foam ornament to put together.
Nativity and angel window clings at Walmart. Coloring and Activity pages from all kinds of online sites for free!
Our favorite toy is a little people Nativity set that I admit to keeping up year round, because after all we should be recognizing Christ and His birth every day :-) We got ours last year at Target. Munchkin plays this game where he brings me every person from the Nativity except Jesus. I say "No, that's not Baby Jesus. Where is Baby Jesus?" until he does. He giggles every time.
