Mother4Jesus

With Summer quickly approaching, many of us are looking forward to the break from the school year.  We are year-round homeschoolers, which means that we only take off the month of July.  This year, because of Sarah's gym schedule, we may be changing that.  Looks like she'll be going from 9am - 12 am 4 days a week. So getting school work done in the morning may be a bit harder.  I love the freedom of homeschooling and add to that year-round homeschooling and we've got PLENTY of extra time to play with. This shouldn't be too big an issue because Sarah is great at managing her time. That's one thing that homeschooling is great for teaching, *Time Management*.  One of the biggest issues we've had is keeping track of everyone's schedules. I know that many keep their appointments on their phones. Some keep a planner, etc.  I keep all my appointments on my phone, which is great. The problem is that my husband doesn't. My children don...

I couldn't help but sing that title. 😊 This is a video that I made. It goes over what ACE is,  (In the simplest form), How we use it, and how we use it with our Classical curriculum.  Ace can be used with any Other curriculum.  You can use all or part of it. It's a great core curriculum.  Here you have some ideas on how to add to it.  All About ACE **Quick Note** I use reusable goal cards. I laminate them and write on them with Sharpie, then wipe off with alcohol. Many can be found here on my blog  or onthe Facebook Group page for free in the files section,  ACE Homeschool Moms Lounge.  I'll be making more goal cards in different themes in the future. I'll post them here on my blog. Please click the link and subscribe to my blog. My documents are always free and I don't require that you subscribe but it makes it easier for you to get a notification for each new blog post. 

What a great and busy weekend we had!! I can't believe that my 4th child, my baby, my gentle giant turned 8 years old!! It seems like just yesterday I held him in my arms trying to decide a name for him. It took my husband and me a few hours to name him.  We had purchased tickets to see the Kratt brothers months back. We knew Sarah had a gymnastics meet that weekend but never thought it would be on the same day as the tickets!! Turns out it was!! She had her meet, the Brittany Coppedge Invitational in Raleigh at 1pm. The show started at 4:30.  We made it!! David had no idea that we had gotten him tickets. We had also gotten him a new video game for his Ninetendo Switch!! He found out at the meet about seeing the Kratt Brothers.  He is such a sweet young man. I was so happy to surprise him with this.  Sarah had a great time with her event. She didn't do as well on the floor as she had in the past. I saw her face when her team mate KILLED it o...

It's been dreary and rainy here in NC. Time to share something colorful!!!  I think this is my favorite attendance sheet and Goal Card ever!!! Mermaid!! it's so pretty!!!  My daughter is too old for this, but I thought someone else might enjoy it!!!  It's bold , it's bright... I love it!!  You can download this for free!!! No need to Join my blog, or even follow me. I would appreciate if you did follow me. You can also follow me on Instagram. #Mother4Jesus Print out the matching goal card and laminate them together for the year!!!  I print these out on cardstock. Laminate and fill in the dates with a sharpie. At the end of the year, make a copy and file away. Clean off with alcohol and reuse for the following year.  Your student will have a great time marking off her school days and her daily work.  Don't forget to celebrate your 100th Day!!! **Please do NOT share this file with anyone. Send them here to downloa...

I have two adult children that I homeschooled through high school.  Can we talk curriculum reviews??  In the 20+ years that i've been homeschooling, i've tried many, many curriculums. Different types, different styles, different prices, etc.  When I started homeschooling, I had many STRONG opinions. Which is really funny, considering I had very little experience.  That is the reason for this post.  With 20+ years of experience what i've learned is what i'm going to share.  Ready?  I don't know that much. Yup.. The older I get, the less I know.  Also,  There is NO bad curriculum.  I'm going to say that again.  THERE IS NO BAD CURRICULUM!!!  I've used, A lpha Omega lifepacs, switched on schoolhouse, Sonlight, My Father's World, Bob Jones, Abeka, Logic of English, Teaching Text Books, Math-u-see, Kahn Academy, Easy Peasy Online, Singapore Math, Apologia Science, Hooked on Phonics, Teach your chil...

A few years ago, I posted a review of ACE .  Since then we moved from NY to NC and a few people have asked for an updated review. Here it is...I'm still using ACE. We still love it!! It's a great curriculum for us!!  Sarah , also known as Flippin Princess is 10 now. She's in 5th grade. This year we decided to join a Classical Conversations Community. We used a Classical Curriculum with ACE, Claritas in the past, but wanted the community for David, my 7 y/o son.  David, also known as Daveman2011, is now in 2nd grade and doing all ACE and Classical conversations Foundations.  Sarah is doing Foundations and Essentials. ACE and our other classical curriculum, MORE than prepared her for Essentials. She is fitting right in, doing her diagramming and loving it!!  David is enjoying ALL of ACE 2nd grade and Foundations memory work. It's a lot but because ACE is so easy to implement, we've not had a problem  We also school year r...

This time of the year, we're finishing up this years work with the thought of next year in the back of our minds.  For some, like myself, we already know what we're doing. I will be organizing and rearranging our school room to better fit what we really use. Nothing like having tons of books around that we never used. It makes me feel inferior that we never got to all those great literature books. I know that It's ok, but still, having them around bothers me. I'll be putting them away, so that my guilt goes with it. (Just keeping it real) One way that I reorganize is new notebook covers for the kids. My son loves to have covers that reflect his personality. Same for my daughter. These are some standard covers that I use in binders. I've used standard binders but I find that heavy duty binders are the way to go. Yes, you can save a few dollars, but usually those binders have to be replaced. Either the rings tend to open, or the pocket inside rips, or the cover...

February is the shortest month of the year but can feel like the longest for homeschoolers!! Spring fever sets in!! Looking forward to the fresh smell of the spring flowers!! I created this cute attendance and matching goal card set.  Print them out and laminate them together or slip them in a dry erase pocket to reuse.  Please do not share these files directly with friends. Send them here to my blog to download.  Many Blessings,  Laura Click Here to download Click Here to download

For many homeschoolers, February is a dreaded month!  It's been a long school year and by this time, we're tired.  What a great time for some new goal cards!!  This fun print can be used any time of the year. I added in some hearts for fun.  You can always put the date in the hearts and your students name in the label box.  Just Print, laminate, or stick in a dry erase pocket and enjoy.  I use mine with sharpie markers and clean them off weekly with alcohol.  **Please do NOT Share the file with anyone. Send them here, to my blog to download.  I downloaded these graphics from Chantahlia Design. Please visit her site to create your own documents.  Click Here to Download!

The title of this blog post sounds VERY Serious!! It's not. 😁 One thing that's true, is that we want to teach our children to take control of their school work and chores. As a mom and teacher, this means that not only do I teach them HOW, I also give them the tools they need.  For moms using ACE or Accelerated Christian Education at home, the goal cards are great. I enjoy being able to reuse them by laminating them. I also LOVE to add a little color to life. I love seasonal goal cards.  One benefit of the goal cards is that the students can set their own daily work goals. While this doesn't seem important, it REALLY is. I can't tell you how my daughter's ability to organize her day and get her school work done has helped her. She's a gymnast and spends about 12 hours a week at the gym.  She goes 4 days a week for 3 hours. This doesn't include the exercising and drills she does at home. This keeps her very busy. The goal cards help her to hold ...

I haven't blogged in a long time. For those that don't know, we moved from NY to NC last February. I love NC. Homeschooling here is so much easier and the numbers are so high, we're actually in the majority !!  That brings me to my topic for this blog: Whether you homeschool or send your child to conventional/private schools, each choice has it's benefits and....problems. That includes homeschooling. There, I said it!! Out loud!! Homeschooling, while a great choice and I LOVE IT, has it's problems, or potential problems.  It's time that moms and fellow homeschoolers discuss these issues OPENLY. I certainly don't feel judged but i'm sure there are many that do. We can't help each other with these issues if we don't discuss them.  My issue that I'm going to tackle today is "Screen Time". So many moms confide that they let their children play video games and watch tv but do so secretly. Why?? Why all the secrecy??  ...

I had planned on blogging a list of topics that ACE Covers for Social Studies and Science for 3rd grade. The problem is that I kept going back to my Usborne collection. Every topic we went over , I could find in their Internet Linked encyclopedias. I love those books!!! Over the summer the kids and I started another "Classical" type curriculum called "Claritas Press Academy". For our memory work, we were learning about the Great Pyramids of Giza near the Nile Delta. I cracked open my Usborne World History and with a few clicks of the mouse, we were taking a virtual tour of an ACTUAL pyramid in Egypt. You should of seen the look of excitement on my 5 y/o's face. Do you know how hard it is to get a 5 y.o interested in history?? It's HARD!!! This did it. He was really enjoying learning about the Pyramids. Thank you USBORNE!!! I quickly realized that I didn't need a list of sites, I had my Usborne Internet linked encyclopedias. I made a video for a frien...

it's that time of year again. All us homeschoolers are getting ready and prepped for the new year. Some of  us, like myself, start early. We will be starting on Aug. 1st this year. Sarah is going into the 3rd grade and David into the 1st grade. He's suppose to be going into Kindergarten but having an older sister means that he was exposed to more phonics than he needed. So 1st grade it is!! This year Sarah and David are both using Accelerated Christian Education. ACE. They love it. I love it. So it's a win-win. We are also using a new curriculum called Claritas Press Academy. I'm using it through www.CrossSeven.Org This is like Classical Conversations only more affordable. We started this over the summer and the kids were both having a great time with it. They both really like the Latin. Imagine my 5 y/o doing addition with Latin numbers?? Well, he was. Here is a quick video of what and how we're using it. Enjoy!! Our School 

I know my title may upset many but there are times where homeschooling isn't a good choice. There...I said it. When I had my younger two children, there was no doubt that i'd be homeschooling. I had already homeschooled my older two through high school and I simply love doing it. My reasons for homeschooling my younger two is that I simply love being with them and teaching them. This however, is VERY different than the reasons I homeschooled my older two. With my older two, I was going to give the a better education, more God-centered. I was going instill in them the biblical and moral values I felt were important and more importantly , I was keeping the government from instilling their political and social morals to my children. This is what I would tell people....Now, here are some of the reasons in my heart. *I was going to be a perfect parent. *I was going to keep them from making the same mistakes I made *I was going to have perfect teens who never rebelled. I...

These are starting to get fun!! I love looking up different things to add. Science: The sun, moon and stars Tides and the Moon The moon All about Stars Galileo Hubble Space Telescope There are so many youtube video's, I couldn't possibly list them all. I'll edit this list as I go. Social Studies: Continent Song   **I'm partial to this little gal** North/South/East/West Longitude and Latitude  Longitude & Latitude song Another great resource that I love are the Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedias. These are great , year after year. You can find most of the topics in one of their books. I am not an Usborne Rep, and I do not receive any compensation for my endorsement. If you have a local rep, I highly recommend starting a library of them. If you don't, here is a great mom that I use. She's helpful and quickly answers your questions. You can also find her on Facebook. Here is her link:  Jennifer Mason There are so many topics that you ...

Some of the topics covered in pace #1026 For Science Plants and seeds. Parts of a plant, crops. Pollination and seeds. Many of these topics you can dig deeper into. Here are some of the cute things I've found. Science: Parts of a Plant: https://youtu.be/ql6OL7_qFgU https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/gardening-children-schools/family-activities/fascinating-Facts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkFPyue5X3Q http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/grow.html Polination: https://youtu.be/V5yya4elRLw http://www.arkive.org/honey-bee/apis-mellifera/video-00.html http://www.arkive.org/common-dandelion/taraxacum-officinale-agg/video-09.html Social Studies: Natural Resources: https://youtu.be/071lUxclTBw https://youtu.be/zCheAcpFkL8 All about the Hoover Dam There are so many youtube video's on Dam's that if you'd like to watch some with your children, just go to youtube and type in "All about dams"...The video's are ENDLESS!!! There is one...

It seems that there are many topics covered in both Science and Social Studies. Both of these subjects are a favorite of my daughters. I don't want her getting bored and I LOVE the idea of going deeper in certain areas that interest her. I want to keep a running list of links that i'll be using to go deeper. These will be for fun and not all of them will be used. I just LOVE the idea of having them available. I thought others might too. Now i'm pulling out *some* of the topics I think we're going to want to dig deeper in. There are other topics that I may add and there are some YOU may find more interesting. This is NOT a complete listing. Lets get started. Science Pace # 1025 The starts with Creation (Of course). We've done Creation many times. It seems like every curriculum likes to start with Creation. That said, ACE takes it slightly further with talking about scientific principles in Creation. Here are some links to go with some of those topics. I lo...

My daughter loves to write stories. Some stories are more elaborate than others. Some are quite detailed with chapters and everything!! Did I mention that she's 7 years old and up until this year, she hated reading?? Yup...this was the kid who hated reading. What changed?? The curriculum I was using. I decided to try A.C.E Paces and she has just soared. Her reading has gotten better, she enjoys school and LOVES writing stories. My problem you ask?? When she shows me her work, my first instinct is to grade it. To correct the spelling, grammar, sentence structure and punctuation. It's pretty bad, because she's only 7. Seven with a large vocabulary and has much to put on paper without the skills to do it effectively. That said, a little voice in my head said, "For crying out loud ...SHUT UP!!!" That is exactly how my subconscious speaks to me. I don't listen to quiet whispers. My daughter is enjoying writing. She's enjoying reading. As much as it pai...

I don't usually post reviews because , like most people, we all have opinions but I felt compelled to post about A.C.E. **Disclaimer** I did not receive any compensation for my "Review". I did not receive any free products or curriculum for my review. I wanted to start out by saying that I allowed all the poor reviews of A.C.E. to influence my choice. Now most of the reviews were about the Christian content of A.C.E. and not the academic content. Some were from websites that were Atheists, so I took those with a grain of salt. Caveman is very proud of his grade!!  That said, before I tried A.C.E., I used a variety of curriculum. BJU, MUS, LOE..oh wait.. those acronyms might get annoying.. *Bob Jones Un. *Math u See *Logic of English *My Father's World *Son Light *Alpha Omega LifePacs Now all of the above curriculums are EXCELLENT.. They just didn't work for me. I could nit pick each one but honestly...why bother?? They're all good. If you ...

We are really enjoying My Father's World Adventures in US History. I can't say enough about this curriculum. It brings History ALIVE in a way I wish I had been taught. Both my children are enjoying it and i'm only doing it with my 7 y/o but my 4 y/o loves some of it as well. During Weeks 6 & 7 our Memory Verse is: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me is never hungry and he who follows me will never thirst."  John 6:35 We're also learning about Colonial days and how they lived. Among that, how they made bread. This happens to be an area close to my heart. Many years ago, a friend was milling her wheat and when I asked , "Why", she sent me this link . Enjoy.  We have since been milling our own wheat. So when MFW suggested a visit to a bakery or someone who mills wheat...I couldn't resist.  Here's a small virtual tour of milling wheat. Enjoy.  Virtual Wheat Milling Tour