Something to think seriously about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifnJEFRvYus&feature=share
Friday, December 30, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Precious words from my little 3 yr. old grandson...
Yesterday, my little grandson and I attempted to make Christmas cookies. As you can see from the photos posted here on my blog, he had a blast! It didn't matter that the cookies (after baking) didn't look quite like what we had intended. He was more interested in eating them!
Later in the afternoon, after we had cleaned up our cooking mess and had snacked on those Christmas cookies, my grandson said to me, "I'm gonna be like you, Mammaw."
"You are?" I replied.
"Mmm hmm," he said, "I'm gonna cook like you!"
Bless his heart! I hope he grows up to be a MUCH better cook than me! lol!
By the way, he also wants to be like his Poppaw and build with tools. He is "hands-on" little guy.
Later in the afternoon, after we had cleaned up our cooking mess and had snacked on those Christmas cookies, my grandson said to me, "I'm gonna be like you, Mammaw."
"You are?" I replied.
"Mmm hmm," he said, "I'm gonna cook like you!"
Bless his heart! I hope he grows up to be a MUCH better cook than me! lol!
By the way, he also wants to be like his Poppaw and build with tools. He is "hands-on" little guy.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Dyslexia & ADD / ADHD...A modern-day problem?
"...in 1941, the principal in my school read the 23rd Psalm at our assemblies. Children were taught to read with phonics, write in cursive, and learned the arithmetic facts by rote memorization. So, dyslexia was unheard of, and there was no such thing as 'attention deficit disorder'. The teacher stood at the head of the class...we all sat at desks bolted to the floor, and everyone's attention was focused on her. Or else! So, you weren't allowed to have 'attention deficit disorder'."
- Sam Blumenfeld, educational author; creator of Alpha Phonics and the How to Tutor series.
- Sam Blumenfeld, educational author; creator of Alpha Phonics and the How to Tutor series.
Monday, December 19, 2011
The dangers of having an elevated self-esteem...
During the past 30 years or so, the public schools have done a fantastic job of elevating the self-esteem of their students. ( "Self-esteem" - thinking highly of oneself , sometimes to the point of feeling superior to others - has been confused with the term self-respect. "Self-respect" is having a high standard of moral conduct. Having self-respect leads to having respect for others. ) Beginning in pre-school, public school students are repeatedly taught the concepts of "I am special.", "I can do no wrong.", "It's not my fault.", "My feelings come first.", "Everyone gets the prize (regardless of the quality of effort involved).", "Everyone gets promoted to the next grade level and eventually graduates. No Child (is) Left Behind regardless of whether he/she has mastered the subjects for his/her grade level at school." Kids are taught that they have a "right" to "not be offended" (which exists NO WHERE in the U.S. Constitution), and are encouraged to "tolerate diversity", which actually is a guise to support immorality. Oh, and don't forget "The world (parents, strangers, the government, etc.) owes me.", "It's the government's job to take care of me - to see to my needs."
John Rosemond - family psychologist and author http://www.rosemond.com - has revealed that research has proven the higher a person's self-esteem, the lower his regard for others. The highest self-esteem scores have been from those who are incarcerated in maximum security prisons.
Dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Fidel Castro, and Saddam Hussein (to name a few), all had very high self-esteem.
When I was growing up, and in the generations before me, kids were taught right from wrong - to feel badly for the wrongs they'd done - to confess and make restitution. They were taught to put the safety and well-being of their family and friends above themselves. They were taught to help folks in need, who were unable to help themselves. Kids were taught that they would be punished for wrong-doing. They were taught to be ashamed for the wrongs they had committed and to make an effort to do better. Kids were taught their proper place in the family and in society. They were cherished, but not catered to. They did not rule the roost in their household. Parents knew what was best for their children, and children were expected to abide by the wishes of their parents WITHOUT QUESTION! Kids were taught to be confident in their abilities without being prideful. If kids got sassy due to temporarily elevated self-esteems, then they were quickly humbled down by their parents or teachers. These kids grew up to be decent, law-abiding citizens.
During the last 30 years, Biblical morality and principles have been taken away from the public arena, and particularly they have been taken out of our public schools. They have been replaced with the modern-day "I am special; I can do no wrong; don't hurt my self-esteem" propaganda spouted by liberal, atheistic child psychologists. Jesus said, "Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (Matthew 23:12) "A man's pride shall bring him low..." (Proverbs 29:23)
The Bible tells us to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (see Galatians 6:3) - to be humble - to esteem others above ourselves. The Bible also teaches us to "Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth..." (Proverbs 27:2) Jesus told us that if we want to be great, then we must become as servants to help those who are in true need (as opposed to those who are just too lazy to help themselves) - to do for others (and for ourselves) instead of expecting others to do for us. (see Mark 9:35)
John Rosemond - family psychologist and author http://www.rosemond.com - has revealed that research has proven the higher a person's self-esteem, the lower his regard for others. The highest self-esteem scores have been from those who are incarcerated in maximum security prisons.
Dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Fidel Castro, and Saddam Hussein (to name a few), all had very high self-esteem.
When I was growing up, and in the generations before me, kids were taught right from wrong - to feel badly for the wrongs they'd done - to confess and make restitution. They were taught to put the safety and well-being of their family and friends above themselves. They were taught to help folks in need, who were unable to help themselves. Kids were taught that they would be punished for wrong-doing. They were taught to be ashamed for the wrongs they had committed and to make an effort to do better. Kids were taught their proper place in the family and in society. They were cherished, but not catered to. They did not rule the roost in their household. Parents knew what was best for their children, and children were expected to abide by the wishes of their parents WITHOUT QUESTION! Kids were taught to be confident in their abilities without being prideful. If kids got sassy due to temporarily elevated self-esteems, then they were quickly humbled down by their parents or teachers. These kids grew up to be decent, law-abiding citizens.
During the last 30 years, Biblical morality and principles have been taken away from the public arena, and particularly they have been taken out of our public schools. They have been replaced with the modern-day "I am special; I can do no wrong; don't hurt my self-esteem" propaganda spouted by liberal, atheistic child psychologists. Jesus said, "Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (Matthew 23:12) "A man's pride shall bring him low..." (Proverbs 29:23)
The Bible tells us to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (see Galatians 6:3) - to be humble - to esteem others above ourselves. The Bible also teaches us to "Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth..." (Proverbs 27:2) Jesus told us that if we want to be great, then we must become as servants to help those who are in true need (as opposed to those who are just too lazy to help themselves) - to do for others (and for ourselves) instead of expecting others to do for us. (see Mark 9:35)
Thursday, December 15, 2011
What Babies Learn Before They're Born...
The information on this video just confirms what our grannies of long ago used to tell new, expectant mothers. Somehow, this knowledge was lost in the last 40 years or so. When I was growing up, this knowledge was considered to be nothing more than old wive's tales. Not anymore! Those old grannies knew what they were talking about!
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/11/opinion/paul-ted-talk/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/11/opinion/paul-ted-talk/index.html
Monday, December 12, 2011
Artificially Induced Dyslexia...
"Traditional phonics - learning to read by sounding out letters and blends of letters in order to read the word - went out the window in favor of 'look-say' reading - where students supposedly learn to read by memorizing 'whole' words or by associating words with pictures." - Mel & Norma Gabler (What Are They Teaching Our Children?)
In their book, the Gablers reveal how students' test scores dropped significantly in the United States after the 'look-say' reading method was implemented in the public schools. As early as 1974, college textbooks were being rewritten at 8th & 9th grade reading levels due to the large number of college freshmen who were unable to understand the language of college-level texts.
Also, the Gablers' research into dyslexia has brought to light the possibility that dyslexia can be artificially induced in students who are taught the 'look-say' method of reading, rather than a phonics-based method.
In short, the 'look-say' method treats a word as if it were a picture or an image to be 'interpreted' by the reader. Not every 'look-say' reader will interpret the word the same. No true reading is being done. It is more like a guessing game. The method is similar to a toddler/preschooler learning to recognize the word McDonald's mostly because of the golden arches which make up the first letter of the word. The word is not being 'read'. Instead, the word is seen by the 'reader' as a symbol which means McDonald's. The 'look-say' method of reading may work for some words - short, familiar words; but there will soon become a time when there will be too many letters in a long, unfamiliar word that has not been memorized. What then? Without a knowledge of phonics, those words will be impossible to decipher.
It is critical for students to master phonics in grades K-2. Without proper phonics instruction, a child will never become a skilled reader, and certainly will never be able to spell or write. A child who cannot read well due to this lack of proper phonics instruction, will soon be labled with a 'learning disability', regardless of the fact that he or she may not really have a disability.
Author, Samuel Blumenfeld said this, "Never have we had more reading experts, remedial specialists, and doctors of education devoted to reading. Never has more money been poured into reading 'research', and never have we had more illiteracy affecting every level of society."
Blumenfeld goes on to quote a Columbia University professor who said the first two years that students spend at college "has been, and remains, reparative." The high number of college freshmen who must take remedial math and English courses is a testament to that.
It is obvious that the teaching of the 'look-say' method of reading that is being done in many of our public schools has raised up children who cannot read and cannot spell, and are unjustly being labled as 'learning disabled'.
In their book, the Gablers reveal how students' test scores dropped significantly in the United States after the 'look-say' reading method was implemented in the public schools. As early as 1974, college textbooks were being rewritten at 8th & 9th grade reading levels due to the large number of college freshmen who were unable to understand the language of college-level texts.
Also, the Gablers' research into dyslexia has brought to light the possibility that dyslexia can be artificially induced in students who are taught the 'look-say' method of reading, rather than a phonics-based method.
In short, the 'look-say' method treats a word as if it were a picture or an image to be 'interpreted' by the reader. Not every 'look-say' reader will interpret the word the same. No true reading is being done. It is more like a guessing game. The method is similar to a toddler/preschooler learning to recognize the word McDonald's mostly because of the golden arches which make up the first letter of the word. The word is not being 'read'. Instead, the word is seen by the 'reader' as a symbol which means McDonald's. The 'look-say' method of reading may work for some words - short, familiar words; but there will soon become a time when there will be too many letters in a long, unfamiliar word that has not been memorized. What then? Without a knowledge of phonics, those words will be impossible to decipher.
It is critical for students to master phonics in grades K-2. Without proper phonics instruction, a child will never become a skilled reader, and certainly will never be able to spell or write. A child who cannot read well due to this lack of proper phonics instruction, will soon be labled with a 'learning disability', regardless of the fact that he or she may not really have a disability.
Author, Samuel Blumenfeld said this, "Never have we had more reading experts, remedial specialists, and doctors of education devoted to reading. Never has more money been poured into reading 'research', and never have we had more illiteracy affecting every level of society."
Blumenfeld goes on to quote a Columbia University professor who said the first two years that students spend at college "has been, and remains, reparative." The high number of college freshmen who must take remedial math and English courses is a testament to that.
It is obvious that the teaching of the 'look-say' method of reading that is being done in many of our public schools has raised up children who cannot read and cannot spell, and are unjustly being labled as 'learning disabled'.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
"You homeschool? Aren't you afraid your kids won't fit in?"
"No," says Rick Boyer of http://thelearningparent.blogspot.com , "I'm terrified they will. That's why I homeschool. We have a choice: our kids can fit in or they can stand out. Followers fit in; leaders stand out. As Max Lucado says, a man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd."
Alecia Wimer says, "Walk down the halls of any middle or high school and ask yourself what behavior do you want your children to imitate? Answer: none of it, basically."
Alecia Wimer says, "Walk down the halls of any middle or high school and ask yourself what behavior do you want your children to imitate? Answer: none of it, basically."
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Rendering to Caesar...
"If you render your child to Caesar, don't be surprised if he grows up thinking like a Roman."
- Rick Boyer http://thelearningparent.blogspot.com
- Rick Boyer http://thelearningparent.blogspot.com
Sunday, December 4, 2011
How will my child acquire a large vocabulary?
A child begins to learn vocabulary/speech skills from birth. It is very important that parents and/or guardians speak often to their infants and young children, and that they always speak clearly and use complete sentences as well. Engage your children in regular conversation. Ask your child questions and encourage him/her to answer you in complete sentences. Also, reading to young children everyday, even from infancy, will help them gain advanced verbal and reasoning skills. Some parents have made the mistake of talking "baby talk" to their infants so much that when these children began speaking, they were unable to to pronounce their words correctly. Frequently, children who have heard mostly "baby talk" as infants and toddlers, will go on to have speech problems throughout their early grades of school.
After your child has learned to read, encourage him/her to read for pleasure. Set aside a time each day to be used specifically for "fun" reading. This is an activity that parents AND their children should engage in together. Each of you choose a favorite book, magazine, or newspaper and sit in the same room together and read. If young children see their parents enjoying reading, then they will probably pick up the habit as well. Make available to your child a variety of age-appropriate reading materials that he/she can have easy access to during the child's free time.
After your child has learned to read, encourage him/her to read for pleasure. Set aside a time each day to be used specifically for "fun" reading. This is an activity that parents AND their children should engage in together. Each of you choose a favorite book, magazine, or newspaper and sit in the same room together and read. If young children see their parents enjoying reading, then they will probably pick up the habit as well. Make available to your child a variety of age-appropriate reading materials that he/she can have easy access to during the child's free time.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Caution is needed when choosing a Bible curriculum...
Many well known Christian text book publishers produce Bible curriculum along with their academic curriculum. While this may be a good thing in some instances, it can also sometimes NOT be a good thing. Sometimes you may come across a doctrine or belief within the curriculum that really has no Biblical basis, and it may conflict with your own personal convictions. For this reason, I do not advise parents to purchase a Bible curriculum for their children unless they are absolutely sure that their views are the same as those expressed in the Bible curriculum that they are considering for use with their children.
While homeschooling my own children, I did not use a separate, pre-written Bible curriculum. Even now, while homeschooling my grandson and while teaching young children in my Sunday School Class, I do not use a pre-written Bible curriculum. Instead, I create my own. I use various Bible crafts and printable pages of Bible characters or events. Bible crafts can be purchased from Oriental Trading Company www.orientaltradingcompany.com . Also, you can purchase books of Bible crafts ideas from Christian Book Distributors www.christianbook.com and Christian Light Publications, Inc. www.clp.org . Type into their search engines words such as "Bible crafts", "Christian crafts", "Art", "Crafts", "Bible coloring book", etc. You could also type into your internet search engine the words "Bible characters printable pages" or "Bible coloring pages" and see what comes up. I use the printables and crafts as visual aids to which I add Bible verses or read scriptures to bring out a moral or lesson.
If your family regularly takes part in church services and has daily Bible study / devotions, then there really is no need to purchase a separate Bible curriculum for your homeschool. You can find other ways to include the scriptures into your academic lessons without risk of exposing your young child to a doctrine that you may not agree with.
While homeschooling my own children, I did not use a separate, pre-written Bible curriculum. Even now, while homeschooling my grandson and while teaching young children in my Sunday School Class, I do not use a pre-written Bible curriculum. Instead, I create my own. I use various Bible crafts and printable pages of Bible characters or events. Bible crafts can be purchased from Oriental Trading Company www.orientaltradingcompany.com . Also, you can purchase books of Bible crafts ideas from Christian Book Distributors www.christianbook.com and Christian Light Publications, Inc. www.clp.org . Type into their search engines words such as "Bible crafts", "Christian crafts", "Art", "Crafts", "Bible coloring book", etc. You could also type into your internet search engine the words "Bible characters printable pages" or "Bible coloring pages" and see what comes up. I use the printables and crafts as visual aids to which I add Bible verses or read scriptures to bring out a moral or lesson.
If your family regularly takes part in church services and has daily Bible study / devotions, then there really is no need to purchase a separate Bible curriculum for your homeschool. You can find other ways to include the scriptures into your academic lessons without risk of exposing your young child to a doctrine that you may not agree with.
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