Quote from Forum Archives on July 28, 2003, 10:16 am

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE HOPE CHEST HOME SCHOOL NEWS

Issue #59: Teaching & Training Scripture

July 28, 2003

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WELCOME TO THE HOPE CHEST!

The Hope Chest Home School News is a free e-mail newsletter with encouragement and practical teaching tips. The editor is Virginia Knowles, wife of Thad, mother of nine children, and author of Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade, The Real Life Home School Mom, and The Learner’s Journal lesson planner and record keeping log. (Ordering information is at the end of the newsletter.)

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends, and check out reprint permission information at the end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ISSUE’S SPONSOR!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Hope Chest issue is sponsored by Schoolhouse Source, supplier of BJU Press, Alpha-Omega Life Pacs, Horizons (my all-time FAVORITE math curriculum) and Switched on School House (software). Visit them at: www.schoolhousesource.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TABLE OF CONTENTS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Hope Chest Contact Information
• From My Heart to Yours: Teaching is Easy, Training is Hard!
• Integrating Bible Across the Curriculum: An Excerpt from Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade by Virginia Knowles
• Teaching the Sequence of the Books of the Bible
• "Grace to You" Web Site
• Digging Deeper: Scriptures about Scripture
• What’s New at the Knowles House
• Resource Ordering Information
• Reprint Permission

   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HOPE CHEST CONTACT INFORMATION

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Web site: www.hopechest.homestead.com/welcome.html

Resources: www.hopechest.homestead.com/resourceorders.html

Personal e-mail: [email protected]

Subscription address: [email protected]

Unsub address: [email protected]

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FROM MY HEART TO YOURS:

Scripture: Teaching is Easy, Training is Hard!

by Virginia Knowles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Virginia’s note: This is the final section of a summer series on What I’ve Been Learning. The first three topics were Sovereignty, the Spirit, and Salvation.]

        As a new home school mom a dozen years ago, I had high hopes for how I was going to use the Bible to raise my children to be spiritually mature. Since then, as I’ve done my best to make that a reality, it has struck me over and over again that teaching my children to know Scripture is much easier than training them to live it. I can teach my children with words, but to train them, I’ve got to back it up with action. I’ve got to get up off my chair to enforce something I’ve told them to do. I’ve got to insist that they treat other family members with kindness and respect. I’ve got to muster up the courage to confront, the daring to discipline. I’ve got to notice and praise their good habits, while at the same time routing out the bad ones. I’ve got to pray for my children unceasingly. I’ve got to restrain myself from shoving the Bible down their throats (figuratively speaking, of course) but still gently come alongside them to share a relevant verse in time of need. Hardest yet, I’ve got to live what I want them to do. I have failed at this more often and more recently than I would care to admit. It’s been a mixed bag, hour to hour. Sometimes I taste the bitter fruit of my neglect in consistent compassionate training, while other times I do get to enjoy the sweet fruit of my attempts at faithfulness. Truly, whatever good has come about is what God has done in shepherding my children past my mistakes. I could ramble on about this, but I’d rather let you be inspired by others:

        "It has been said that the essence of teaching is causing another to know. It may be similarly said that the essence of training is causing another to do. Teaching gives knowledge. Training gives skill. Teaching fills the mind. Training shapes the habits. Teaching brings to the child that which he did not have before. Training enables a child to make use of what he already has in his possession. We teach a child the meaning of words. We train a child in speaking and walking. We teach him the truths which we have learned for ourselves. We train him in habits of study, that he may be able to learn other truths for himself. Training and teaching must go on together in the wise upbringing of any and every child. The one will fail of its own best end if it be not accompanied by the other. He who knows how to teach a child, is not competent for the oversight of a child’s education unless he also knows how to train a child." H. Clay Trumbull in Hints on Child Training, 1891

 

        "Discipleship of your children is at best anemic without a loving example of what a follower of Christ looks like, acts like, thinks, says, and does. I cannot overstate it enough that one of your highest priorities in discipling your children should be that they will imitate your life (Phil. 4:9). Of course, that raises the bar pretty high. If I want my children someday to be mature Christian adults, then I must be committed now to giving them a living example of what a mature Christian adult looks like." Sally Clarkson in Seasons of a Mother’s Heart

        "I am much afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, and engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures to not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not unceasingly occupied with the Word of God must be corrupt." Martin Luther

        "When I was a young child, my love, respect, and interest in the Bible increased when my dad read Sunshine Country by Kristiny Royovej (translated from the Czechoslovakian as Cristina Roy). Another book inspired the same wonder, Mary Jones and Her Bible by M.E.R. (author’s full name unknown). Both of these books stand out in my mind. I still feel as if I too had tramped barefoot for miles to secure the greatest treasure -- a Bible. I imagined also finding the amazing story in a cave. Before listening to these books being read, I’d taken the much-quoted Bible for granted." Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (daughter of the L’Abris founder Francis Schaeffer) in For the Family’s Sake: The Value of Home in Everyone’s Life

        "But if you love your children, let the simple Bible be everything in the training of their souls; and let all other books go down and take second place." J.C. Ryle in The Duties of Parents, 1888

        As you read the rest of this issue on using the Bible in your home school, please remember that home schooling is more than filling the brain with academic knowledge, even about Scripture. It is about living life -- theirs and ours together -- in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Go with God!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Integrating Bible Across the Curriculum:

An Excerpt from Common Sense Excellence:

Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade

by Virginia Knowles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Virginia’s note: This is a section from the chapter called "Bible" which also has these sections: At the Start, Bible Stories and Doctrine, Bible Memory, Personal Devotions, Character Building, and Evangelism. To see the table of contents and introduction to this book, click here: www.hopechest.homestead.com/cse.html]

 

INTEGRATING BIBLE ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

 

"Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law." Psalm 119:18

 

"The unfolding of your words gives light;

it gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130

It’s often been said that the Bible is not a complete text book about academic subjects, but it sure has a whole lot to say about them anyway! The Bible is a gold mine of a teaching resource. Here are some ways you can use it in your home school.

Reading practice: Use the Bible as a primer for a child who has recently started reading even just a tiny bit. Give him a chance to work into it little by little, a word here, a sentence there. One of our daughters actually had some of her best reading instruction working through John 1. Somehow, just being in God’s Word motivated her to want to learn it! We read it out loud over and over again, and she followed along with the words. She was able to sound out the shorter words, and her auditory memory helped her to recall the longer, more complicated ones in context. I also made a list of every word in the chapter, organized by phonetic group, number of syllables, etc. We practiced these words to see if she could read them by sight "out of context" rather than just as a part of a verbal flow. What an accomplishment it was when she read the whole chapter by herself! After days and weeks of hearing these essential truths over and over again, I was not at all surprised when she announced on Easter that she wanted to pray to Jesus to save her from her sins. This was the sweet fruit of a Christ-centered reading education!

Unit study topics: If you are studying a certain topic, such as farming, music, birds or Egypt, use your concordance or Bible software to locate related Scripture passages. A good resource is The Encyclopedia of Bible Truths for School Subjects by Dr. Ruth Haycock.

Handwriting and grammar: Assign verses or short passages to copy, especially those related to school subjects or character needs. Bible copywork should be on-going (as in regularly for a lifetime!), and deserves a special spot in your child’s school notebook. If your child can spell well enough, you can dictate the verse out loud and have her write it out. You can also use Bible verses for a short grammar lesson:

• find the nouns and verbs
• capitalize the first word and proper names
• put comma, period and quote marks in the correct place, etc.

Creative writing: Pick a verse from Proverbs and have your child write a story that shows the truth of it. For example, Proverbs 10:19 says, "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." The story could be about someone who got into a lot of trouble because he talked too much. Proverbs 28:6 says, "Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse." What story can your child think of for that? You could also have your child rewrite a Bible story or parable in a modern setting.

 

Drawing: Some children like to illustrate scenes from the Bible. It’s interesting to see what details they include in a picture. What do they remember from the story? This exercise also incorporates reading comprehension.

 

Science experiments: Do science explorations based on the Bible. Plant seeds among rocks, thorns and good soil to demonstrate the truth in the Parable of the Sower. Build a block house on sand and rock to show the wisdom of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 about obedience. Bleach a shirt stained with spaghetti sauce for Isaiah 1:18, which says, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

 

Geography: Look at maps of the Holy Land during Bible times and compare them with modern maps of the area. Point out the locations of events recorded in Scripture. Trace the travel routes of Abraham, Moses and Paul.

 

Basic thinking skills: Use the Bible to learn how to categorize items or ideas. Copy Proverbs 15 into a word processor file, print it, clip apart the verses, and tell your children to categorize them under the headings such as SPEECH, DISCIPLINE, CONTENTMENT, WISE/FOOLISH, RIGHTEOUS/WICKED. Sometimes a verse could easily fit under multiple headings.

 

Science, history and literature: If God is the source of wisdom and knowledge, then the Bible is the ultimate Brain Food. The vocabulary is rich and the principles will keep us pondering for a lifetime, yet even a child can understand the essential truths and use them to evaluate the stories and "facts" that he encounters in his other reading assignments. Do you remember the Bereans in Acts 17:10-15? The Apostle Paul called them noble because they examined their Scriptures to see if what he was preaching to them was true! The Bible helps us make sense of science and history. For example, if secular society says that we evolved from pond slime and apes, how does this theory affect human culture? For starters, if there is no intelligent Creator, then we don’t have any absolute guide to morals, and each man can do as he wants. After all, it’s the survival of the fittest, isn’t it? That doesn’t leave much room for selfless compassion! This secular mentality is played out on the pages of history, century after century. I find it helpful to bring up the Biblical principles that are either honored or disdained in each situation, and try to evaluate why something happened.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TEACHING THE SEQUENCE OF THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teach the sequence of the books of the Bible. This will help your child look up specific references. Wee Sing Bible Songs has tunes to teach Old Testament and New Testament books. I also made a set of what I call flip sticks. I took large wooden craft sticks (they look like tongue depressors), and using a permanent marker, I wrote the name of one book on each stick. On the opposite side, I wrote a sequence number at the left-hand edge (1 for Genesis, 2 for Exodus, etc.) To play, have the child put the sticks in order, lining them up like a ladder. To check the answer, flip them all over, and the numbers should be in order. (Make sure that you write the numbers so that they will be right side up when you flip them!)

[Virginia's note: This idea comes from my book Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Education for Preschool to 5th Grade.  www.hopechest.homestead.com/cse.html   You can also use this method to teach other sequenced fact sets such as months of the year, Spanish word numbers, etc.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"GRACE TO YOU" WEB SITE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grace to You is the radio ministry of John MacArthur. He is noted for verse by verse Bible study. His web site has lots of helpful resources on it.

Grace to You main page www.gty.org

Grace to You how-to-study-the-Bible page www.gty.org/IssuesandAnswers/archive/biblestudy.htm

Grace to You gospel presentation www.gty.org/Gospel/

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DIGGING DEEPER:

Scriptures About Scripture

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(All Scriptures are from the New International Version.)

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:14-17

        Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

        "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11

        Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God." Matthew 22:29

        "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word... I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you... Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:9, 11, 105

        "O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old -- what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done." Psalm 78:1-4

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHAT’S NEW AT THE KNOWLES HOUSE?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

        We’re quite grateful to be mostly healthy again! Since this issue is about Scripture, I wanted to share with you the role it played while I was sick in bed with a fever for several days. I was so ill that I couldn’t read much at all. Instead, I allowed many of the Bible verses that I memorized over the years minister to me. Sometimes it was just a phrase or so that would come to mind, but other times it would be a whole verse. I’m glad that I took the time to hide these precious words in my heart so that I could still meditate on them without even having them on a page in front of me. I often think of Martin and Gracia Burnham as hostages in the Philippine jungle, with no Bible of their own to read, but calling to mind those passages they had memorized over the years.

        People are incredulous when I say that I didn’t have to do ANYTHING for the house or family or even myself during my "down time." When the children were younger, it was much harder to keep the household routine going smoothly while I was sick. This time, I honestly didn’t even have to think about it. My older daughters are quite capable of running the household -- meals, laundry, childcare, etc. -- just as well as I can. My husband Thad helped as he was able, bouncing back and forth between his mother’s house and ours. Fortunately, his mother is comfortable and content in her hospital bed in her living room, and has even been out of bed a few times to walk with assistance. We know that harder days will come as the cancer invades more and more, but we’re enjoying her good days while we can. Yesterday, we celebrated her 68th birthday!

        We’re scheduled to start school on August 4, the same day as our county public schools. Actually, most of my children already started their work on their own, and chunked away a good bit while I was in hibernation. Many people ask what we do for school at the various age levels. Here’s what we’re up to this year:

        Mary (age 16, 11th grade) has started an internship at a law office several hours a week, which will give her one credit of Executive Internship. She begins dual enrollment Freshman Composition and Basic Spanish at Valencia Community College next month, and she’ll start weekly Algebra II and Philosophy tutorial classes at Metro Life Church in September. She’s also taking American Government and Apologia Anatomy. On the side, she plays around with textiles, such as sewing, designing, fabric dying, etc. She has also been or will be involved in a variety of volunteer activities such as building with Habitat for Humanity, delivering Meals on Wheels, serving dinner at Give Kids the World, helping with set up at the Crossroads outreach classes at church, and applying to write radio scripts for the Good News Jail & Prison Ministry. Yes, she’s hopping this year, and she likes it this way!

        Julia (age 14, 9th grade) has been devouring a college level Emergency Medical Technician text that friends lent to us. (She REALLY wants to be a paramedic.) Thad is planning to take her to Explorers meetings on Monday nights, with the goal of being able to ride with the ambulances in about a year. This all counts toward a half credit in First Aid & Safety. She’s also going back to EXCEL on Friday mornings this year for American History, Biology and English (supplemented with Daily Grams). Her other courses are Algebra I, Music (including Northland Community Youth Choir, piano performance, music appreciation, etc.), and Personal Fitness. Julia also volunteers with Meals on Wheels and Give Kids the World, an organization which provides dream vacations for terminally ill children. Our friends, the Gerritys, have been taking the girls for this.

        Rachel, Joanna, Lydia and Andrew are all doing a World Geography and Missions unit study using a variety of resources described in the last Hope Chest issue. I am ordering the last of my resources from YWAM at www.ywam.org. Our unit study will cover Bible, history, geography, cultures, missions, science (plants, animals, topography, climate), literature, creative writing, cooking, art, and music.

        Rachel (age 12, 7th grade) picked Saxon Math, Latina Christiana, the Write Source writing text and 8th grade grammar workbook, Word Smart Junior, and the first half of BJU Physical Science. She will sing in the Northland Community Youth Choir, and volunteer with Meals on Wheels and Give Kids the World. This week she is taking the Safe Sitter course at Florida Hospital. Rachel is very organized and likes school work!

        Joanna (age 10, 5th grade) is getting ambitious, considering she never much liked language arts workbooks. She has chosen Daily Grams, Latina Christiana, Word Smart Junior, Italic Handwriting, and an A Beka Spelling & Vocabulary book. She’s also reading the All Write creative writing text and taking a creative writing class at Metro Life. Yow! Add in Saxon for math, Master Drawing for art, a six week science class, Northland Community Youth Choir, and Meals on Wheels -- and she’ll be busy!

        Lydia (age 8, 3rd grade) is doing Horizons math, lots of independent reading, creative writing, and some sort of grammar practice from a variety of sources. She, too, goes on Meals on Wheels deliveries with our friend Charlotte Grogan.

        Andrew (age 6, 1st grade) will work on Horizons math, continued independent reading practice, First Language Lessons by Jessie Wise, a little handwriting, and a maps workbook. He will participate a little in whatever geography projects are going on in the house, as well as listen to me read related books.

        As you can see, the lower elementary years (K-3) are not a huge academic stress time in our house. My kids just do an awful lot of reading on their own, and start dabbling in writing as they are able.

        Our preschoolers, Micah (age 4) and Naomi (age 2 1/2) will continue to draw with colored pencils, play with Cuisenaire math manipulatives, do puzzles, and concoct whatever mischief they can while I’m not looking. Of course, I’ll also read picture books to them! Micah has already tackled the Comprehensive Curriculum workbook that I bought for him at Sam’s Club.

        Baby Ben (5 months) will major in Locomotion this school year. He’s been rolling onto his belly, and I imagine that he’ll be crawling this Fall and walking sometime in the Spring.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RESOURCE ORDERING INFORMATION

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Resource ordering web page:

www.hopechest.homestead.com/resourceorders.html

I am not including full descriptions of any of the resources in this issue. You can click on their individual web pages, or e-mail and ask for more information. If you want to order, e-mail me and I will give you instructions, information on quantity discounts, and shipping and sales tax charges.

Please remember that all Learner’s Journal profits will go towards Bibles for Malawi!

Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade $20 www.hopechest.homestead.com/cse.html.

 

The Real Life Home School Mom: A Book of Help and Hope $14 (discount price)

www.hopechest.homestead.com/reallife.html

 

The Learner’s Journal -- lesson planner and resource log $10

www.hopechest.homestead.com/learnersjournal.html

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

REPRINT PERMISSION

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You may freely copy material from this newsletter in other non-profit publications (unless otherwise marked in the article), but you MUST include the author’s name (not necessarily mine) and this entire notice:

Reprinted with permission of Virginia Knowles from the Hope Chest Home School News. For a free subscription, send an e-mail message to [email protected]  or visit http://www.hopechest.homestead.com/welcome.html

 

Please send me a copy of the publication which includes the material.

Virginia Knowles

1925 Blossom Lane

Maitland, FL 32751