Simple, Little Things....by Theresa Johnson, Catholic Heritage Curricula

"Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God.
Do all that you do with love.”
—St. Therese of Lisieux

Have you ever taken a good look at a brick? Pretty basic, isn’t it? Rectangular, no decoration other than a bit of color: simple; a little thing. Yet, under the guiding hand of a master bricklayer, those simple bricks, artfully placed one by one can become part of a beautiful, unassailable whole.

So it is with the simple, little things in our homeschool. It is good to be reminded from time to time of their importance. For example, we may wish to incorporate the holy simplicity of participating in the Sacrifice of the Mass during the week, perhaps on ‘free Wednesday.’ Or we may wish to add a simple Morning Offering to the beginning of our school day. Little things, but building blocks of an eternal, unassailable whole.

Then, too, we can encourage little acts of kindness amongst family members. Perhaps your children can be enlisted some weekend to create a ‘gift box’ filled with slips of paper suggesting these kind acts. For example, ‘Keep your eyes open for a chance to be kind. Give a pat on the back and a smile to someone who needs it.’ or ‘Help someone who is younger.’ Or ‘Ask Mom, “What can I do for you today?” ‘

When the day begins, each child might draw one slip of paper and see if he can be the first to perform the assigned kindness. In time, these acts may become habitual. Little things, but not small in the hands of the Master Builder.
'Little Things Gift Box' Ideas
 

• help a younger brother or sister get dressed
• make someone else’s bed
• surprise Mom by washing the bathroom sink
• surprise Dad by taking out the garbage
• share a favorite toy with a sibling
• help a sibling with their studies [this might be flashcards, or reading to them, or quizzing them on their spelling list]
• at the dinner table, pass dishes to others first, allowing them to be served before you
• leave a note, perhaps on their pillow, telling someone what you love about them
• leave a note, telling someone that you are praying a decade for their intentions
• anticipate someone else’s need, and help with a smile

Homeschooling a Houseful (article by Tara Bertic)

I am often asked how I homeschool 3 children with a little baby toddling around.  Here is a link to a few ideas on how to begin homeschooling multiple children:  


http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/How_To_Homeschool/articles/homeschooling_houseful.php


Currently, we do a lot of our independent work in the morning.  The kids take turns working with me on math and science.  After lunch (and during the baby's nap), we tackle those subjects that may need some extra attention.  We usually rotate through each child's reading program one-on-one.  While the others wait, they finish independent work and work on special projects.  We also have the children work together on things, especially when the oldest can work with the youngest.  Of course, we pray that Baby Benjamin does not give up his afternoon nap anytime soon.  

Children of Fatima Shadow Box

Alaina's second study in literature this year was The Children of Fatima.  We always enjoy the books we choose to study, but this was very special.  It was easier for Alaina to relate to this book, because the children were close to her age and it happened less than 100 years ago.

Preparing the interior of her shadow box.

Decorating inside the shadow box.

Happy with her final product.









For more information on Our Lady of Fatima, go to:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/portugal/fatima-shrine-of-our-lady-of-fatima

October First Friday

Our homeschool group attends mass on the First Friday of each month at a local nursing home with the residents.  Each month, there is a particular theme that is presented along with games and crafts.  This month, the theme was St. Therese, the "Little Flower".  The younger children played an obstacle course game to represent the many obstacles St. Therese overcame in her life.  

Benjamin enjoyed the obstacle course too!

The older kids played a "girls vs boys" Catholic trivia game.  

Finally, everyone came back together for crafts.  They colored pictures of St. Therese and learned how to make sacrifice beads.  

Roller Skating

We went roller skating with a local homeschool group in mid-September.  This was the first time the boys have been to a skating party.  Alaina had not been to a skating party since we started homeschooling.  This was a lot of fun for all of them.

Enjoying Fall at the Nature Preserve

On September 17, we joined the St. Michael Mom's Club for an afternoon at a local nature preserve.  This was a special time for Jonathan, because it is not often that he gets to do something without the older kids.  In this particular group, he was the oldest child (by only a few months, but it is nice to be the oldest when you are five).  We had lunch together, games, and a nature hike.

Jonathan learned that Golden Rod is Kentucky's state flower.

  The afternoon ended with a pretty butterfly craft.

Letter of the Week

Each week, Jonathan works on a letter or two for the week.  He practices with several words that start with the letter-reading, writing, and coloring pictures about it.  We finish the letter with a fun craft that will eventually be an alphabet book.  The letter for this particular day was "P" and he made this yummy popsicle craft.

Systems of Classification

In September of this year, Alaina was studying classification systems in science.  She used a 16 bean soup mix to practice this.

Samuel has been learning about classifying animals and created a fun book.

Jonathan has been learning about patterns in his math class and had some fun with teddy bear counters.