Quote from Forum Archives on June 15, 2002, 10:04 pm

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

 

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Virginia Q Knowles <[email protected]>

To: [email protected]

Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 21:02:06 -0400

Subject: Common Sense Excellence is here!

Message-ID: <[email protected]>

 

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HOPE CHEST HOME SCHOOL NEWS
NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT!
JUNE 15, 2002
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Dear Hope Chest friends,

For those who have just joined the list, I do apologize! I really don't
send out ads all of the time, but this is a special occasion!

The next regular newsletter will come out in July. If you would like to
contribute an article on any topic related to home education, please send it to me by July 1.

And now, here is the official announcement of the publication of Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Education for Preschool to 5th Grade. It was a mammoth undertaking, but my new 231 page book is hot off the press and ready to order! I think it is one of the most comprehensive subject-by-subject home education guides available.

Common Sense Excellence is $20. Shipping is $2.50 (10% on orders over $25). Florida residents add 7% tax. You can order by sending a check to: Virginia Knowles, 1925 Blossom Ln, Maitland, FL 32751

If you really must order by credit card, you can do so using PayPal.
Please contact me for details.

In a separate e-mail message I will send information on the other
resources I have available at the moment.

Here is the table of contents for Common Sense Excellence, followed by an excerpt from the first chapter:

PART 1: COMMON SENSE EXCELLENCE
What is Common Sense Excellence? ... 7
        Common Sense ... 7
        Excellence ... 7
        Introduction to the Author's Family ... 8
        The Book's Format ... 9
Faith-Filled Education ... 11
        Goal #1: Glorify and Serve God ... 11
        Goal #2: Nurture True Godly Character ... 12
        Goal #3: Put Jesus at the Heart of Your Life & Home School . 13
Through the Years ... 15
        Treat Your Children as Blessings! ...15
        Set Solid Foundations for Life ... 16
        Respect the Ages and Stages of Childhood Learning ... 17
        Settle Your Mind About Grade Levels ... 21
        Figure Out How to Handle Multi-Level Teaching ... 22
Choosing Your Approach to Education ... 25
        Where Are You Coming From? ... 25
        Common Home Education Approaches ...27
        Synthesizing Your Own Style ... 29
        Duty and Delight ... 30
        A Time and a Season for Everything ... 32

 

PART 2: ACADEMIC SUBJECTS

Bible ... 36
        At the Start ... 36
        Bible Stories and Doctrine ... 37
        Bible Memory ...40
        Personal Devotions ... 42
        Character Building ... 43
        Evangelism ... 44
        Integrating Bible Across Curriculum ... 45
Literature ... 48
        Choosing Great Literature ... 48
        The Beauty of Reading Aloud ... 51
        How to Read Aloud and Enjoy It! ... 52
        Beyond Picture Books ... 53
        Literature Comprehension ... 55
        Poetry in Life and Education ... 56
        Integrating Literature Across Curriculum ... 57
Language Arts Skills ... 60
        Oral Language ... 62
                Listening ... 62
                Speech ... 63
                Oral Composition ... 65
        Reading ... 67
                Learning to Read ... 67
                Reading to Learn ... 71
        Writing ... 73
                Handwriting ... 73
                Spelling & Vocabulary ... 76
                Grammar ... 81
                Written Composition ... 82
                Making Books ... 91
        Foreign Language ... 92
Math ... 95
        How to Choose Math Curriculum ... 96
        Math Concepts and Skills to Teach ... 97
        Math Equipment and Supplies ... 100
        Using Math Flash Cards ... 101
        Math Teaching Tips and Techniques ... 102
        Integrating Math Across the Curriculum ... 107
Social Studies ... 110
        Culture ... 110
        Civics ... 114
        History ... 117
        Geography ... 126
        Economics ... 130
Science ... 134
        General Science ... 134
        Life Science ... 137
        Earth and Space ... 148
        Chemistry ... 152
        Physics ... 155
        Technology ... 159
Health & Safety ... 163
        Nutrition ... 163
        Physical Fitness ... 164
        Hygiene ... 167
        First Aid ... 168
        Handicaps ... 168
        Medical Care ... 170
        Safety ... 171
The Arts ... 176
        Visual Arts Appreciation ... 176
        Visual Arts Application ... 179
        Performing Arts Appreciation ... 183
        Performing Arts Application ... 185
Life Skills ... 188
        Decision Making ... 188
        Courtesy ... 190
        Hospitality ... 191
        Household Chores ... 191
        Home Organization and Decoration ... 193
        Clothing Care ... 193
        Meal Times ... 195
        Money Management ... 196
        Office Skills ... 198
        Household Tools ... 199
        Gardening and Yard Care ... 200
        Travel and Transportation ... 201

PART 3: PRACTICAL MATTERS

Organization ... 204
        School Room ... 204
        Schedules ... 206
        Lesson Planning ... 207
        Record Keeping ... 208
        Evaluation ... 210
Problem Solving
        Challenge #1: Academic Struggles ... 213
        Challenge #2: Distracted Child ... 214
        Challenge #3: Poor Relationship ... 215
        Challenge #4: Resistant/Lazy Attitudes ... 215
        Challenge #5: Lack of Confidence ... 216
        Challenge #6: Bickering Children ... 217
        Challenge #7: Overwhelmed Mom ... 217
Education Away from Home ... 220
        Education in the Car ... 220
        Field Trips ... 220
        Classes and Other Learning Groups ... 221
How to Plan a Unit Study ... 224
        What is a Unit Study? ... 224
        Steps for Planning a Unit Study ... 225
        Long Range Planning ... 226
        Unit Study Topic List ... 227
Home School Suppliers ... 229

EPILOGUE ... 230
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 231

 

Here is an excerpt from the first chapter:

WHAT IS COMMON SENSE EXCELLENCE?

Common Sense Excellence is an approach to faith-filled education for the preschool and elementary years. There is nothing new under the sun, so I can't take credit for all of these ideas! This book is the ripe fruit of over a decade of research and practical application of Christian home education with my own eight children.

 

COMMON SENSE

I say common sense because I think that real education has often been obscured by educationalese jargon and artificial techniques. These may be necessary for a public school classroom in a pluralistic, bureaucratic society, but for educating my own children in my own home, I have found the need to go back and strip away my preconceptions about what education really is! What is effective rather than merely efficient? What are the most natural, uncomplicated, powerful methods of transferring information
and inspiration to a young child? It's really common sense, if we can dig away the layers and get back to the core. Education does not need to be difficult. It does not need to be left to the "experts." God has supplied you with all the IQ and love you need to be your child's prime teacher. You just need to tap into it and nurture it! If you are a brand new or prospective home school mom, please don't stress out about teaching kindergarten. The only possible way you could mess up is to put so much pressure on your child that he starts to dislike learning. If you relax and enjoy your child, and work at things bit by bit, you'll both learn together just fine. Trust me!

EXCELLENCE

What about excellence? This means giving our children the very best. Not the most expensive, not the fanciest, not chasing the 99th percentile on standardized tests. Just the BEST. This means an investment of our time and energy, and yes, some of our hard-earned money. This is the balance to my "relax" advice in the previous paragraph. Though we shouldn't stress out, we shouldn't veg out or tune out either. We can't have a laissez-faire (does that sound like lazy?) attitude toward our children's education, especially as they move into the upper elementary grades. Mediocrity is no testimony to God's working in us. We are to "study to show ourselves approved" so that we can be salt and light for the generations who need the grace of God. Though I believe home schooling to be the most promising approach to educating children, I have sadly seen
many parents who just let their children float aimlessly, and then wonder why home schooling has gotten a bad rap from their family and friends. Education must be intentional and focused. We must pursue excellence.

 

INTRODUCTION TO THE AUTHOR'S FAMILY

Before we get into the rest of the book, I'd like to introduce myself a
little. My name is Virginia Knowles. I guess you already knew that. OK, let's try again. I married Thad in 1985, and shortly after that, we moved from Florida to Maryland and joined a church full of large home schooling families. We were intrigued by the lifestyle, and the babies started rolling in. We now have 8 children: Mary (born in 1987), Julia (1989), Rachel (1991), Joanna (1992), Lydia (1994), Andrew (1997), Micah (1999) and Naomi (2001).

We have used many different teaching approaches and methods, which you will read about in the rest of this book. For now, I would just like to say that my three older children (middle school and high school grades) are now more independent in their school work, requiring minimal to moderate amount of help from me. What I am really enjoying now is becoming more of a Mommy and teacher to my preschool and elementary grade children. I am savoring again the sweet moments cuddled up on the couch with a pile of picture books, or pulling out the math manipulatives to demonstrate a new math concept, baking muffins with lots of young helpers, memorizing short Bible verses, and crouching down on the sidewalk watching ants.
I'm in the middle of a renewal of common sense excellence in our own home education experience, and I invite you to join me! Let me emphasize right here, before you get totally overwhelmed, that our home is not occupied by Super Family. We all squabble and misbehave. We make lots of messes, and don't always get them cleaned up promptly. We don't always follow through on our lesson plans. Just like anyone else, we need to work on our weaknesses, academic and otherwise. And lest you think that we do everything in this book every year with every child, please think again! These are merely techniques and approaches which have given us a good
measure of success at one time or another, or that we have seen work wonderfully in other families. So, if you are tempted to think that you could never do all of this stuff, you're absolutely right. Just pick and choose what will work with your family, and please don't call me Super Mom! (My own children know better!)

 

THE BOOK'S FORMAT

Let me give you a "heads up" about where we're going in this book.

Part 1: First, I will share some general educational philosophy, theories and approaches.

Part 2: Subject by subject, I will get specific with some easy-on-mom, great-for-the-children methods of home education which have worked for countless home schooling families.

Part 3: Finally, I will round out the book with a section covering school rooms, schedules, lesson planning, record keeping, evaluation, problem solving, learning away from home, and how to plan unit studies. I'm sure you won't agree with everything I say, but it should give you lots of food for thought!

Chapter sub-headings: These are listed at the very beginning of each chapter to let you know what you will be reading.

Scripture: You will find numerous Bible verses in each chapter. I know there is a temptation to skim over these quickly, but don't! This is the good stuff! Skip the rest of the book, if you have to, but read the Scriptures!

Work samples: Also sprinkled at several places throughout the book you will find boxes labeled A Page from a 3rd Grade Notebook, which are representative of assignments which my oldest daughter did one year. Mary, who is now 15, was gracious enough to let me include them.

Grade levels: I also want to clarify what I mean when I refer to various grade levels, especially since some readers do not live in the United States and may operate under different systems. For purposes of this book, preschool is from ages two to four, kindergarten at age five, 1st grade at age six, 2nd grade at age seven, 3rd grade at age eight, 4th grade at age nine, and 5th grade at age ten. That's as far as the scope of this book goes. When I talk about primary grades, that is generally from kindergarten to 3rd grade, while older elementary students are in 4th and 5th grade. There will obviously be some overlap in grade levels, since many topics are repeated and reviewed over the years, and each student is different anyway. You will be the best judge of what activities and skills are appropriate for your own child!

Suppliers: There is a long list of home school suppliers at the end of the book. I have also provided contact information for suppliers of various specific publishers of recommended resources throughout the book.

Vintage quotes: At the end of each chapter, I have included a vintage quote to inspire you. Methods and technology may have changed, but at the heart of it, real education stays the same!

1-2-3 Ideas to Remember: There is a very brief summary box at the end of each chapter to job your memory about the key points.

Enjoy the book!

"The entire object of true education is to make people

not merely to do the right things, but to enjoy them;

not merely industrious, but to love industry;

not merely learned, but to love knowledge;

not merely pure, but to love purity;

not merely just, but to hunger and thirst after justice."

John Ruskin, 1819-1900, English writer, art critic, professor, reformer

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Thanks for reading this far, folks! I look forward to sending this book
and others out to your home!

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles