Home-school Revamp

Written a few months back, I am sharing a post that hadn't been published but was saved as a draft. Since I wrote it, we have been working mostly on reading and some neat science projects the kids have enjoyed. 

I feel like I'm running out of time. My pregnancy appears to have progressed rapidly and I realize what this means. It seems that very soon the time spent with our schooling will be affected greatly. I know from past experience, that immediately after giving birth and for some time later, our schooling time diminishes considerably. As it is, my days are spent driving my college-aged girls to and from school, making our schooling schedule choppy and shortened.

 I could have really used a schedule, but never did get around to it. Instead we have mostly done lessons from workbooks for the youngest. Occasionally I prepare a more elaborate lesson with a project which I know my kids enjoy much better. The oldest ones have more freedom choosing what and when to study. Usually they spend most of their time reading something they are interested in, this could be anything from history, biographies, science, or literature. Later, they might work on some math and writing. I haven't been as consistent as I would like, but I try to keep them accountable. To do this, I periodically ask, what they are working on at the moment, and I encourage them to make sure to dedicate time to different subjects.

It's important to check through the work they do, in order to get a better idea of the progress made. This helps me see where there is need for improvement. As it is, I see a need to spend more time reading with my younger ones. My older kids could also benefit from putting more emphasis studying grammar. 

I think this coming week is a good one to make some major changes. We need more structure and better accountability. Maybe the best way to accomplish this is keeping a written record of our daily school work. My older home-schooled kids have planners, but haven't used them much. This however seems like a good time to start using them again. If I purpose to check their planners daily, and record the lessons worked on by my younger ones; I believe we can make some noticeable improvement.  

Accountability is important for me as well. That is why I'm grateful for the times my husband asks if and how, our kids schooling is progressing. I also feel gratitude for my college students. They see and understand the importance of education, and will regularly question their siblings schooling improvement (or lack of improvement). This helps keep me on my toes and helps me focus better on our educational goals. 

I'm excited for the coming weeks. Maybe, I'll even take some time to post some of the things we work on. I do love being a home-school mom, even though I admit to being guilty of slacking off a bit.
My goal for the next few weeks is to revamp our home-school! Any ideas or comments are appreciated. 

~Blessed@home

Making some progress

  It finally feels like we are making some progress. Presently, I have three kids in college and one preparing for his GED exam. We're hoping he is enrolled in college for his first semester this coming fall, by the way. Amazing how time flies. It seemed only yesterday when our firstborn enthusiastically begged to be home-schooled. Now he is attending a university and doing rather well in meeting his educational goals. We have two children that are studying to be physicians and one from the picture above planning on becoming a nurse. 

  Life can be difficult at times and there can be periods that seem progress is no where in the horizon; but if we hang in there, we will see the the results of our labor. We are far from done, as we have seven more kids home-schooling and are due for our twelfth child in about a week. Looking back however, it is such joy to see our kids dedicated to their education and working on their goals. 

  It is by no means an easy thing raising children and deciding a home education is the only way to go. We made this decision years ago and have stuck it out, and now are beginning to see the fruit of our labor. Education is definitely a priority to our family, even though I am the most likely unqualified fit for the job. At least it's how I've felt all along. My thought has pretty much been, a hope not to ruin their education to the point they hate it or give up. But I have learned some valuable lessons along our educational journey. Maybe one the best lessons I've learned, is that teaching the basics and a love of learning, is enough to get them well on their way; and they then take off on their own. Give them the tools, and then give them room. That's basically what it takes. 

Feeling accomplished and,

Blessed@home!

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...Beautiful day enjoyed greatly by my children playing in their tree house.

I am thinking...Soon my kids finals will be over, and I will not need to drive them to school; but will stay home instead. I'm so proud of my kids hard work and good grades. I'm especially proud of my third born daughter's first semester at college. She is realizing she can really do this, despite her being hesitant at first.   

I am thankful...that I am magnificently blessed with a wonderful husband and amazing family

In the kitchen...Some cleaning, then I'm hoping one of my boys will make some of their yummy oatmeal cookies.

I am wearing...Still in my PJs they are so comfy!

I am creating...A to-do-list for my home schooling and house work.

I am going...To drive my kids to and from school 2 more days.

I am wondering...Which book to read next, once I'm done with the one I'm currently reading. So many choices, most likely means I'll wind up reading two.

I am reading...Cheaper by the Dozen, it's turning out to be one of my favorite books. 

I am hoping...All goes well with the arrival of our baby. I'm about 5 weeks away from my due date. 

I am looking forward to...Organizing my bedroom and possibly a new paint job.

I am learning...To read more fluently in Hebrew. 

Around the house...I'm enjoying our family room that my husband has worked so hard to finish. Fresh paint and new furnishings make our family room and library a better, more pleasant place for homeschooling. 

I am pondering...How to go about getting more exercise into my day, and taking better care of my health. 

A favorite quote for today..."Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."  -Winston Churchill

One of my favorite things...Praying early in the morning with my children. 

A few plans for the rest of the week: Drive my girls to school and take two of my boys to the library. Get more accomplished during our homeschooling.

A peek into my day...

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Of Raising Children

When it comes  to children I consider myself far from being an expert. So when my daughter asked me to right a book on raising children, I chuckled at the idea. I know, I have a family which many may consider big and this definitely results in many opportunities for learning; yet while I think, that the time I have invested in my family has taught me many things, there's so much I've yet to learn. My thoughts at this moment, are toward the younger moms out there.Those struggling through those first years and even through the later years. If I could take this opportunity I'd like to just share some of the things I've learned. 

The years spent raising a family seem to have passed rather quickly. Never did I imagined that I'd have a family of eleven children. The fact that I have been able to be a stay-at-home raising a family has been such an amazing blessing in my life. Many lessons have been learned; sometimes through mistakes and others through success brought about by the godly and wise examples in my life. 

More than anything I want to advise young mothers, to make the best of these years. Don't do things without first considering the consequences. What I mean to say, is that when it comes to children, you can never afford to take things lightly. What can seem unimportant  at the present time, can affect your child in unimaginable ways. We as mothers can influence by building up and encouraging; or if not careful our treatment of our children can quickly become a source of discouragement. 

Taking time to try and see life through a child's eyes can be key in successful upbringing. It's the little things that make a difference with time when there is consistency. It's always best to put other things aside when possible. Your child needs to know how important they are to you. This is not to mean that you give in and spoil in any way. Instead, what this means, is that we need to listen. Investing time not only to teach our children but to play with them as well and taking time to work on their diverse interests, is necessary.

One important goal we should have is our relationship with them. Not only would it matter to have them know we love them, but that we actually want to foster a relationship of mutual love, respect, and something along the lines of a discipleship. We need to consider this an immense investment. This is very much a matter of sowing and reaping.

I will stop writing for now, but will continue with the topic as I find more time. As I write this post, I am about a month and a half from giving birth to our twelfth blessing. This is a joyful and exciting time for me, and I hope to make more time to share more posts.

Happily,
Blessed@home

Home School, Hebrew Class & More

Today’s homeschooling went rather well I think. Early in the morning my thirteen-year-old and I worked on his Hebrew and Aleph-Bet studies and made good progress. First of all, I prepared breakfast for the both of us. Everyone else was still sleeping with the exception of one of his brothers (my early bird). This was a good thing, since he had all my attention and no distractions. He was actually reading and understanding the story Yesh Lanu Llama a Hebrew story book we bought for my older kids some years ago. About a week ago, He took a day to learn all the letters of the Aleph-Bet. Today, we worked on combining the sounds and actually reading a few short paragraphs. We were both so happy to see what a little effort in study can accomplish. For anyone wishing or better yet, planning to study conversational Hebrew; I highly recommend using the lesson books Hebrew & Heritage Modern Language 1-4 published by Behrman House. I used them with my older children and found them to be an excellent course for the subject. 

later in the day, after my kids had finished with their regular schooling, I worked with my other son on a project he'd been anxiously waiting to work on. Except for loosening a few screws, I mostly watched as my son took apart an old computer monitor. You see, I love books. So, one day when I stopped by a store on my way home, we found a really neat book. 

We had a few old computers that we needed to get rid off, so, voila! Here's how it all went.

   

       And lastly, the final product is seen here.

A Bit of Schooling Here and There

As I had mentioned before, we are trying to get back to doing homeschooling more regularly after the birth of my baby girl. While some days are pretty good and we get the work done, others are rather slow and we hardly accomplish what I'd like. In such cases, I like to get a little creative and spontaneous about choosing what to study, things not necessarily found within our basic curriculum at the time. Our basic curriculum consists of workbooks purchased from Christian Light. They are very practical and require very little lesson prep time in my opinion. The kids seem to do well working independently and can do the work, for the most part, without my help. I do however, enjoy sitting with them and going over different topics and subjects. I like to see them learning new things and taking interest in them. Last week, we brought out the old microscope and had a blast using it. The idea was to get them to learn how to use it while learning to identify its parts easily. To make things easier I used a small chalk board in which I drew and labeled a drawing of a microscope and then hung it near our kitchen table. Having it in the kitchen gave me the opportunity to work on preparing lunch as they worked on their schooling at the table. On other occasions our study/library works out better. Within a short time of having drawn the microscope, they had successfully memorized the parts, and were intrigued by the subject of exploration. I was lucky to find and buy a copy of the Scriptures, written in microscopic size, at our local market. I bought a couple for only a dime a piece, which was a deal hard to resist. The kids were amazed to see how such a small copy of the Scriptures could be printed. It was intriguing to all. This was one good day in our home school; and one they're likely to remember well.

The Dreaded Struggle with Reading

   Homeschooling may be more of a challenge on some days than others. With the difference in learning styles among other factors, finding a teaching method that works for both student and teacher can be difficult at times. Despite any difficulties and challenges that may arise from the task before us, we can be sure that we can certainly succeed with the help of perseverance and dedication. Naturally every child can have different strengths and weaknesses which will need to be identified. There may be a child that is especially quick at learning new things and with a gifted memory, while another may seem to struggle and present an uncooperative attitude.

   

    I believe that with the several homeschooled children I've worked with, I've had my share of challenges. As a matter of fact, I once found myself in a situation where all hope seemed to be lost. My child was uncooperative and miserable on a daily basis. I'm not sure how I got through those days, all I remember is they seemed to go on forever. At the same time I was also teaching the opposite type of student, which only made things appear to be worse than they really were with my struggling learner. Time did pass by though, and struggle as we were, we continued on our homeschooling endeavor. The days were long and difficult, as at the time I was also raising toddlers and pregnant for the most. My child was in tears each and every day, and basically any time we were working on any kind of formal reading, writing, or arithmetic exercises. While I can't give much details on how we overcame our challenges, I would like to give a word of hope to any struggling parent trying to homeschool with similar challenges. One thing that I will tell you is DON'T DESPAIR! There is always hope and without a doubt, light at the end of the tunnel! Success is all the sweeter when it's something you've worked hard and longed for all along. This time of struggles were a learning time for both my child and me. It definitely was a lesson in patience for me; I can tell you that much. 

   We continued studying and though it may seem illogical, I never tried to water down our lessons or making them any simpler; if anything, we constantly reached for higher goals. Naturally, there had to be much encouragement along the way. I had to not only convince my child of the certainty of success, but I had to believe it myself first. We read and eventually the tears stopped. We mastered the basic math concepts with even greater ease. Little by little we moved forward making progress as the days and months went by. Today this once struggling student is unrecognizable. Not only did reading become bearable but it's become somewhat of a hobby as reading is done voluntarily and even for pleasure. I can honestly say this is my ideal kind of student. My child did not only learn what we aimed for, but embraced learning as a goal and a way of life. This days, when I need help on proofreading any kind of writing guess whom I turn to. Even when I need to refresh my memory concerning any math concept I'm covering with my other children, my once struggling learner is there to the rescue.

   I've got to admit, that I'm far from being the best teacher. I don't have all the answers and I'm still learning and trying to improve my teaching skills. Every chance I get, I want to learn from good teachers and their methods. At the moment I'm happy to say, I'm in the middle of reading Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire after having just finished There are No Shortcuts which are both a great inspiration to me. There is no special method that I follow, just a desire to be there for my children and watch them succeed. I may do a lousy job at times, while have great days on others, but my focus is not on the immediate results. My goal is to do the job I've been called to as helpmeet, mother, and teacher; hopefully to the best of my ability. If you find yourself struggling or desiring to give up, remember there is hope, and sometimes the first kids to be labeled are the very ones to prove to excel among the rest. I would encourage you to read about Einstein's childhood.   Even when every child is not necessarily a genius, we can know that they are teachable and that we can reach our goals.  So don't give up and most of all don't lose sight of why you began homeschooling in the first place. Remember that success is waiting right around the corner.

Just David - A Beautiful Story

For a second time now, I began reading a book titled Just David with my kids. I first got this book a while back as a gift when I purchased some things from Timberdoodle. I had never heard of this book before this, but decided to read it, since I had it. I read it together with my kids when my oldest son David was about 13-years-old. It's been about five or so years since and now I am reading it with my younger children. Once we started reading, I realized what a beautiful story it is; from that moment, it became one of my favorite books from our library.

The story of Just David is a story of innocence and beauty. It is a moving story about a delightfully sweet boy, whom after being lovingly brought up and surrounded with all things good and pure, and sheltered from all else, finds himself suddenly plunged into a world he has never known. It is through the various circumstances, that David finds himself in and his peculiar and unexpected way of dealing with them, that makes for quite interesting reading. The author draws, one, through a journey along with David to find his place in this world and a search for an unknown family. He touches many lives along the way, mainly teaching other characters from the story, along with its readers, valuable lessons. I highly recommend this book for reading along with the family, or alone if you like a good book. It brought many smiles, laughs, and even a few tears to our family. I hope you enjoy it, and comment on it if you do. Happy reading!

Keeping Busy at Home

So many things have been on my mind lately but I’ve had very little time to write. My time is spent mostly on housework and cooking. I have to say though, I’m really enjoying cooking. My kids are constantly telling me they like my brown rice among other things, which is a big relief. I still think my daughter Ruth makes the best rice.

 At the time I’m working on reorganizing my bedroom and closet. There is so much left to do. Maybe if I get it all done this week or next, I’ll have time to repaint before the month is over. There is also a sowing project that I’m anxious to work on soon (new curtains for our family room). If all goes well with organizing, I’m planning to move on to our family room/home library next.
Lately what’s been mostly in my heart is how I can be a better wife. I have been so blessed with an amazing husband, that I wish also to be a blessing to him. My heart’s desire is to truly be the proverbs “woman of valor”. Throughout the day while working around the house, I’m meditating on Hashem’s Word on the subject. Listening to Doug Phillips’ message on The Wise Woman’s Guide to Blessing Her Husband’s Vision has inspired me. I pray Hashem gives me the wisdom to be the helpmeet I was created to be.
Also lately, I gladly have spent more time with my firstborn, David. I drove him to a campus nearby where he registered for college. Later that week, I had to drive him back for his assessment tests. Every moment I spend with him is an opportunity to share G-d’s Word, which is one of the things I like best. I love when we talk about the Scriptures and how he can serve Hashem in his life. His books were ordered online, and are now on the way soon to arrive. We are so happy for him and know he’ll do great.
My daughter Chava has been keeping busy lately practicing on her keyboard and learning music. This week, we drove her to practice with our congregation’s music team and I was amazed at how well she did for it being her first time. Soon she plans to leave the dance team to join the music team; which also means I’ll be driving her to practice every week. It’s so great to see her enthusiasm for music and how her hard work is paying off.
So many things are going on that I need to slow down and take some time to plan my schedule better. Besides my chores and homeschooling my kids, I need to always make time for prayer/devotions and personal reading. I’m so blessed to be free to stay at home and serve my family in their various needs. I’m also especially thankful for my husband’s hard work and support;  which does free me to stay at home to begin with.
 

Chava at Zion’s music rehearsal

A Full Day's Work

Usually with everyone's help we get things done around the house. Some days are good and some not so much. Work can quickly get behind in a home of twelve people, especially when the majority is yet quite young. That's why I've come to appreciate my daughters' help so much. Lately though, things around the house have changed a bit. Ever since, about a little over a week ago, when my oldest daughter broke her foot work has been somewhat challenging. Now she needs to be cared after, as she's unable to do most things on her own. On the bright side, it's my opportunity to serve her and for the rest of the family too. We're praying for her recovery. 

This morning we had an early start. The kids woke very early to complete their basic homeschooling lessons. We use Christian Light workbooks, which are very practical and can be done by the kids mostly on their own. Naturally, we also took the necessary time to read this week's Torah Portion. After lunch, we gathered around our kitchen table to work on History together. This took longer to do because of the different grade levels. Before I knew it, I had to rush to start cooking a meal before my husband got home and barely had time to get some laundry done. Time went by fast, and I didn't get to do all I wanted. I'm hoping for a much more productive day tomorrow.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
                                                                             Proverbs 16:3

                                    she's needing cruthes to get by

                                          
                                                some books we used today

                                                    looking at a book

Parasha Vayishlach: Torah Notebook

For this week we began our learning about Parasha Vayishlach through working on different activities.
As part of our schooling, we start the day off with Torah Class. In order to keep all the paper work neatly organized, each child keeps/ puts together a Torah Notebook. The note book is actually a three ring binder with six divisions in it. The divisions for the binder are as follows:

1. B’resheet/Genesis
2. Shemot/Exodus
3. Vayikra/Leviticus
4. Bamidvar/Numbers
5. Devarim/Deuteronomy
6. Moadim/G’d’s Appointed Times


Monday- We start the week with a Reading of the Parasha. We may or may not take some time for comments on the Parasha, depending on time available and length of the reading.
Tuesday-This particular week, we worked on various activities related to the Parasha, to be included in our Torah Notebook. The children picked the type of activity they want to work on from a list I prepared beforehand. For the most part, we use what is available to the family, including school supplies we already have, the Internet, and books from our home library.
Wednesday- The kids work on writing a summary of the Parasha, to be included in their Torah Notebook. Depending on the ages I may ask for a detailed to a simple summary. Also, dictation is acceptable for the younger ones.
Thursday- Scheduled copy work with the purpose of both remembering the Parasha better and working on penmanship. The younger ones may only work on a few sentences depending on their age.
Friday- To review the Parasha, we read it once again. This time we also take time to read on the Parasha from another source such as different books on the Torah Readings.

*To keep preschoolers occupied and participating in the older kid’s class, several options are available. We use the Children’s Torah Club printouts from FFOZ. They may also draw and color pictures related to the Parasha. Other handcraft activities can also be helpful, from cutting paper, gluing, and coloring. Also the use of puzzles and other age appropriate games works out fine.

◘The following is an example of our week for Torah Class. All activities were put in order from easy to (more) difficult.
Monday is not included in the chart due to limited space, but is taken for reading the parasha

Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Miniature matchbook of gifts sent to Esau by Yacob Used multicolored paper for each drove Included description and number of animals. •construction paper, scissors, pencil, glue, & Bible for reference	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateways to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Tree diagram of Yacob’s family; Wives, children, maidservants, and their children. •drawing paper, pencil, crayons, & Bible	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Study on goats: including facts such as shepherding, food products, and other things deriving from goats. Included a still live sketch/drawing. •drawing & lined paper, Pencil, crayons, animal encyclopedia.	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Diagram comparing the likeness and differences between Laban & Yacob. Included a drawing of Laban & Yacob. •pencil and drawing paper	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Study on the sinew. Bible references on the sinew. Facts about its use in making different products. Drawing of sinew. •drawing paper, pencil, crayons, Internet used for research.	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Paper on the events surrounding Dinah and her brothers. Learning about the biblical view on intermarriage and making covenants .	Summary writing for “ “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from Parasha using: Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.
Paper on the importance of the character trait of a peacemaker, viewed from Yacob’s life.	Summary writing for “Parasha Vayishlach”	Copy work- Work on penmanship while coping Parasha for 30-40 min.	Reading of Parasha and commentary/ lessons from   Parasha using:  Gateway to Torah, From Moses to Messiah Or other teaching material.

some books we used for our studies

looking up verses

getting a closer look at a goat

drawing the goat

tree diagram

Yacob's family

gifts sent to Esau (miniture matchbook)

research on sinew

drawing

lavan drawing

preschool work

One Godly Woman’s Legacy

My life has been touched by some very special people. I want this post to focus on one whom is no longer with us. One of the persons which has impacted my life the most, was  a godly woman. She was a woman of faith which was actually an encouragement to my own mother. While my parents grew up secular for the most part without a particular creed or religion, they did believe in the existence of G-d. This woman whom I will call Mary, made it her personal responsibility to share the Word with my mom. She constantly invited my mom to church, and when my mom was too busy to attend, she would ask if in her place she would send my older sisters. This woman never gave up, nor would she be turned away so easily by rejection. She was an amazing woman, always showing concern for the wellbeing of others.
Mary’s story was one of triumph. Her young years were filled with sorrow and sadness, but she never let that determine her destiny. She could have blamed outer circumstances as reason for bitterness and resentment. Instead she rose above it all and became the amazing woman who touched the lives of many. Mary grew up with a determined attitude. She knew what she wanted in life, and she fought for what she valued.
This woman had a family of five children. The oldest around my mom’s age. So the gap in age between her and me was quite a large one. For many years I only heard from her occasionally. Running into her and every now and then, we would exchange a few brief words. At the time around my engagement, something changed drastically. I found myself visiting her almost on a daily basis. It was during those visits, that I got to know her in a more personal way.
She was always welcoming and greeted me with a smile every time I came by. Usually during my visits, she would share things about herself with me. There were times that she would pull out a notebook of poems she had written and share them with me. Other times we would sit and just talk about things such as faith and family. The talks were always so interesting and lively, being that besides so much knowledge she had a good sense of humor as well. She would answer my many questions, as I sat there in awe at the wisdom of this elderly woman. I’m not certain whether  she realized an admiration on my part. Mary was a humble woman and many times wondered out loud why I would take the time to visit with her. Maybe it was the fact that I was in my late teen years coupled by the large difference in years between us that made her wonder. Yet she was always grateful and appreciative of my visits.
What I find so remarkable about this woman, is the fruitfulness of her life. She always shared her faith with the people she met along the way. And the thing I now wished I would have asked her about, is one that has constantly been on my mind. Three of her children which were her sons, the other two were daughters, went on to become ministers. One of them actually was the one that conducted my wedding ceremony. How, I wonder, did she raise her children. I know of her children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren; they have continued in the faith even many years after her passing away.
The impact this woman had is one I wish I had, at least on my descendants. It’s not so much the fact that she raised three ministers,  that is the most admirable. What left an impression on me is the fact that she taught her children well. How many times in Scripture we read of a new generation that did not know G-d.
^{7 “}And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.
⁸And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
⁹And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
¹⁰And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
¹¹And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
¹²And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
¹³And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.”  Judges 2:7-13
It’s heartbreaking to think that G-d’s children would not walk in his ways because the previous generation had failed in teaching their children. This is something I’m constantly repeating to my own children and one of the main reasons we chose to home-school. I pray Hashem gives me the wisdom and diligence to teach my children so that my future descendants will continue to love, serve Him, and walk in his ways.
This is a lesson I get from the Patriarchs. They took such special care to transmit what they valued (the fear of Hashem and love of His Word) to the following generations that even to this day they’re still baring fruit. How amazing is that! We read about Abraham:
^{19 “}For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Genesis 18:19 
Mary knew the importance of teaching the next generation too. She was diligent and loving, and while I may never know how she raised her children, I can to this day see how effective she was. She was a successful woman in my opinion. May Hashem grant us all, that love Him and are seeking to serve Him, the effectiveness in transmitting to the future generations the fear of the True and Living G-d. May he strengthen us and give us a vision to see past our immediate circumstances and instead focus on what counts to eternity.

Cooking Scarcely in a Large Family

This week I began cooking on more of a regular basis. What I mean by regular is actually daily. As strange as that may sound, for the mother of ten; I will proceed to explain how this has come to be the case around our home. Yes, of course we do have regular meals; although I'm not necessarily the one who prepares them.

The days when I used to cook daily are all a blur now. A faint memory is all that's left. Why and when did I stop cooking? The answer is quite simple really. As our family grew and our home education began to take on more of a formal approach, we began to teach the kids some basic cooking skills. With time they begin experimenting with new recipes. Mostly at the beginning, the cooking was along side mom or dad. But shortly after, the kids were allowed to cook on their own due to their progress in learning.

So many benefits stemmed from this first decision to teach them cooking. To begin with, working with recipe books proved to be an excellent way for learning fractions. All I recall, is one day asking my daughter how she had come up with the correct quantities for doubling or tripling the ingredients. She went on to explain to my amazement how she had added the fractions. She was at the time around six or seven I think. This was such a surprise to me, specially since I had not deliberately introduced her to fractions. Besides learning a necessary skill for life which is great in itself, another added benefit was teaching character; for in preparing meals for others, one also learns to serve. As if this all wasn't enough we had the added benefit of more help to get things done around the house, which is actually pretty terrific.

Cooking and baking has been a natural learning process around my home. My older kids I taught, naturally, However my younger ones mostly picked up this skills from their older siblings. I don't think a week passes by without the younger ones 8-12 baking some cookies, trying a new recipe, or preparing a dessert for Shabbat. I have then come to the conclusion through personal experience that work and education go hand in hand. What an advantage it has been to us, the freedom to teach at home with more of a hands on approach.

To conclude, I'd like to add that I'm proud to say the students have exceeded the teacher. The food the kids help make is always tasty and prepared with such creativity. I want to specially give credit to my two dear daughters. They do an excellent job. I'm glad to think that in this area at least they are preparing well to be future homemakers. And as for the boys, it's great that they can depend on themselves when necessary too. So now I'm off to start my new week preparing dinners, and as crazy as this may seem, I'll be asking for my daughters' input and opinions. It seems to me they have a much better idea when it comes to deciding on the quantities I'll be having to cook. =)

Mi Vida Sencilla

Decidi con el deseo de compartir con los lectores de habla Hispana, escribir un poco de mi blog en este idioma. Mi vida es una sencilla, sin embargo, una que me llena de satisfacion. Soy casada y junto con mi esposo hemos abrasado la fe Judio Messianica. Tambien hemos sido bendesidos en grande manera con el privilegio de una familia de diez hijos. Por gracia de El Todopoderoso desde de que nuestro primer hijo era aun muy chiquito desidimos educarlo en casa. Esto ah sido una gran bendicion, mas de lo que podria esplicar en un pequeno blog como este. Esto de educar en casa aun que sea algo muy peculiar en algunos lugares, es algo permitido y legal en Estados Unidos. Claro algunos de los estados son un poco mas tolerables que otros. Lo bueno es que nos encontramos en un lugar donde somos libres de hacer esto. Mis dias los paso en casa libre para estar con mi familia, servirlos, y alludarlos en su educacion. Donde vivimos esto es algo fuera de lo comun, lla que la costumbre por aqui es de que la mujer tambien trabaje y aporte a las necesidades de la casa con un sueldo propio. Me alegra decir que mi esposo no comparte de este pensar, y me apolla en que me quede en casa. Como mastra de mis hijos soy responsable de lo que ellos aprenden o no. Para comensar nuestro dia, primer procuramos dedicar un tiempo a la lectura de las escrituras. Esto es vital, lla que la fe debe tener prioridad al conocimiento. Despues de esto, cada quien por su cuenta se pone a estudiar dependiendo de su edad y el material de estudio disponible. Sin entrar mucho en detalle, despues de el tiempo separado para "la escuela en casa" seguimos nuestro dia, cada uno con varias tareas del hogar. Me alegra decir que mis hijos mallores de dies anos pueden cocinar y hacer casi cualquier cosa que se propongan. En mi humilde opinion creo que la educacion es mas que conocimiento acumulado. Nuestro deseo es que nuestros hijos crescan en la fe y puedan ser personas de bien que puedan tambien aportar algo a la humanida para beneficio de otros. Para terminar quiro decir que aun que hemos decidido tomar el camino menos escojido y en ocasiones mas dificil, lo hacemos con alegria y el deseo en nuestros corasones de servir a HaShem con lo que el nos a encomendado. (Pido disculpas tambien a mis faltas de ortografia, lla que mi idioma principal es el Ingles.)

Comparto aqui un buen articulo sobre la educacion en casa:
http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/7_und_trs_hsing_spanish.php

Excelling Through Homeschool

In all labor there is profit, so goes the proverb. After more than a decade I'm seeing this fulfilled in our schooling efforts. Yes, I knew my child was learning. And yes, I was aware of his progress, but after hearing this afternoon of how well he was doing in his class I was overwhelmed with joy. I thought about how all those years of work had paid off. It wasn't in vain. We started homeschooling at my son's request at his tender age of four. From the moment we began it was clear to my husband and me that we wanted to do this in honor and obedience to Hashem and His Word. We wanted to raise up a G-d fearing young man that would serve him. It's been to us more of an investment in eternity. Having a close watch over the shaping of his character has been key in his education.

Never did I imagine that his academic progress was better off in my hands. I certainly felt inadequate to teach him most of the time to say the least. But since academic excellence was not priority we went ahead with confidence. Our goals were based on convictions. I knew that his education was my responsibility and I was not about to delegate it to someone else. This is the reason I was pleasantly surprised to find how well my son was doing academically. I can't explain how happy we are to see the young man he's grown to become. And now seeing him doing so well in his schooling gives me a sense of relief, I must admit. Not only is he a mature and faithful young man, but it's good to know that in his obedience he was able to excel in other areas as well.

Praise be to the Almighty. All I have is gratitude towards him for giving me the privilege of being a mom, the blessing of helping shape a young child, and the joy of it all.

Teaching Goals

Which is the best teaching method? This is a question I have often pondered. The answer to me lies in yet another question. What is the goal for teaching? To put it in an even more personal way, "What is my goal in teaching? There is so much at stake when it comes to choosing the appropriate method for one's children. Had my goal been intellectualism or academic excellence, I might have chosen a different route. If on the other hand I was focused on raising socially acceptable and adaptable children by worldly standards I would perhaps go with the public school option. Protection for my children is my duty, however it's not the reason for which homeschooling has become my perfect choice.

I am very much set on taking the homeschooling path. The main reason I have elected to do this is one of faith. The purpose for my choice, "Raise a generation of G-d fearing people, who will glorify God in their lives". Easily said, but not as easily put into practice. For those who know me and are surely aware of my flaws, I would say. Though the task is indeed monumental and I am but a feeble being I have high hopes of success. Why such confidence? It is because I am not relying on my own understanding and wisdom. Had I trusted in myself, I'd be on the road to failure no doubt. But I am determined to "trust in the Lord with all thine(my) heart". I will acknowledge Him from whom wisdom comes, and then only will I be able to succeed.

I have seen academic excellence, good character, and well mannered children that are all the product of schooling at home. All of which are commendable. Yet will I concentrate on obedience to God's word and seeking first His Kingdom. I pray for His guidance through the Ruach HaCodesh (Holy Spirit). After all "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom".

For this reason I decided that Torah study shall be first priority. We will concentrate on each child writing their own copy of the Torah. To this we will add other subjects, such as Language Arts, Reading and Math. Eventually we will cover other Jewish writings, such as Perkey Avot. The basic pattern we will aim to emulate is one found in Josephus' writings, that being God's chosen people's way of education.

I am so thankful for those who came before us and setting high standards. And mostly thankful to my Lord Adonai for all he has done and is doing in our lives. Praise be to Him, Baruch Adonai Atah Melech HaOlam!

Reading on Leadership

Among my favorite things to do is read, read, read. There is so many good books out there, that at times I find myself reading several at once. One great book I found that I'm currently reading is A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching A Generation Of Leaders For The Twenty-first Century. It immediately turned into one of my favorites, and I'm hoping to buy it at a later time since the one I'm reading is a library loan. This book focuses on learning by reading the classics, inspirational teachers, and mentoring. While the topic wasn't foreign to me, it did present some new points and some excellent tips to implement the method suggested. Many books are suggested in this book, which I am hoping to start reading soon. One eye opening topic discussed in the book was on the "conveyor belt school system". Little had I considered the ramifications of such a system being that I had no intention on relying on it for my own children's education; however the information will come in handy when talking with others in the future. Perhaps my favorite thing about the book is the emphasis placed on teaching future leaders, unlike the popular trend on teaching for the sole purpose of acquiring a job. From a spiritual view point I have to agree that this is the best method of learning for our family being that our calling is to lead and not be followers. In the Torah we are clearly taught that being the tail and not the head is a direct result of a curse that comes from disobeying Hashem's Holy Word. With this in mind leadership training should and will be emphasized in our everyday schooling. This book was clear, eye opening, and most helpful in the topic of education. Education is very important to us and the TJed system will no doubt be usefull to homeschooling.