Space Unit: Sun, Planets, Moons, and Stars

We are now doing a unit about space in our homeschool.  We began this unit by learning about the sun, we will learn about each planets and their moons, and end by learning some of the constellations.  M6 chose this unit during the summer, when I asked each of them to choose one thing they would like to learn about this school year.

While studying this unit, we will learn when each subject was created by God in the seven days of creation, several facts about each of them, and will take a trip to the planetarium in Richmond, KY for a first-hand view of our solar system. We are also making a lapbook to go along with this unit, and have already made a petal book with facts about the sun.

M8 and M6 love making lapbooks, and because it is their own work, can remember the things we've learned much easier than if I were to just quiz them about the unit.  In addition to the space unit, M8 is learning compound verbs, several tenses of verbs, as well as helping verbs.  She is also learning to carry and borrow three-digit numbers, and her 1s and 0s multiplication facts. M6 is now reading (!) and is enjoying this new-found independence.  He is also learning to count by fives and tens, count money, and to tell time.

Parenting: Attitudes

With homeschooling comes a tightrope that a parent must walk between teacher and nurturer.  As a teacher, you must not coddle your child, nor be too rigid.  As a parent, you must be able to love your child, as well as discipline him.  But in both roles, there must be a balance.  As I have seen some of our days too full of raised voices, talking back, and selfishness, I picked up a book borrowed from my MIL, Dr. James Dobson's, The Strong-Willed Child.  From this book, I have found a wonderful chart that our family will begin using at the end of each day.

Until now, I would have never described either of my children as being a strong-will child. However, at times, they each have the tendency to be selfish, defiant, and - yes - strong-willed.  And this disrupts our classroom, and life.

Because my husband and I realize that we still have the dominant influence on our children's lives, I've decided to take a pro-active approach and hold our children accountable for their attitudes.  I pray the Lord helps us to use a kind and loving manner, no matter the end result, and that our children will become more aware of how their behavior affects others.  I will update at the end of the year as to what changes (if any) have taken place.