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                 Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement
    From a Distinctively Christian Perspective of Home Education
Cindy Short and Sue Welch, Co-Editors   /   http://www.TeachingHome.com
_______________________________________________________________

Table of Contents
August Conventions
Summer School
     Year-Round Schedules
     1.  Get a Head Start on Next Year's Studies
     2.  Shore Up Weak Areas with Daily Learning Habits
     3.  Explore New or Favorite Interests or Add an Elective
     4.  Enjoy and Learn about Nature
     Summer and Socialization
Recommended Resources
     Rhea's Entrepreneur Days
     AVKO Dyslexia and Spelling Foundation
     My Homeschool Store
     The Teaching Home Back Issues
Sunnyside Up: Humorous Anecdote

Greetings,

     We hope that you and your family are enjoying the change of
pace that summer brings with its relaxation, renewal, and special
joys!
     Many home-school families find it beneficial to keep a
structured, if more relaxed, schedule during the summer in order
to make good use of their time and to make it easier to get back
to a school schedule in the fall.
     In this issue we offer academic suggestions for using the
balance of your summer to good advantage and will bring you a
newsletter full of Summer Reading tips next issue.
     Besides the academic activities suggested below, consider the
following opportunities:

Evangelism and Service
     With more time available and good weather to be outdoors,
take opportunities to obey our Lord's "Great Commission" of
evangelism and His instruction to "do good to all men" in some of
these or other ways:
1.  Participate in your church's vacation Bible school.
2.  Teach a 5-day club in your neighborhood.
      •  Child Evangelism Fellowship Resources
     http://www.cefonline.com/ministries
3.  Help man an evangelistic booth at a fair.
      •  Amazing Grace Mission http://www.agm-ffci.org
     (E-mail: tom@agm-ffci.org to volunteer to help.)
4.  Do door-to-door visitation or personal evangelism.
      •  See evangelism resources at http://www.LivingWaters.com.
      •  Order free copies of the Gospel of John (in KJV, NIV, NLT,
     or Spanish in 17 attractive covers).  Includes plan of salvation,
     free Bible correspondence course, and follow-up tracking.
     http://www.PocketPower.org/code/products.php?group=Gospels.
5.  Visit shut-ins.
6.  Do lawn care for seniors.
7.  Volunteer to help with various other work as needed.

Please Help Us Spread the Word!
     We would appreciate help in getting the announcement below
to as many home-school families as possible.  Please forward it
by e-mail and/or print it in your home-school publication.
     We want to be sure our previous subscribers send us current
addresses, as the magazine cannot be forwarded, and we do not
want anyone to miss the first issue when we resume publication.
Thank you for your help!

     Announcement
          The Teaching Home publishers plan to resume
     the publication of their print magazine this fall, by the
     grace of God.  For complete information see
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/custserve.

     May the Lord bless you and your family for His glory.

Cordially,
The Pat Welch Family, Publishers
Pat, Sue, Heather, Holly, and Brian
The Teaching Home is a home-school, family-run business
operated in our home since 1980.

________________________________________________________

Mark Your Calendar To Spend 3 Jam-Packed Days
with Experts Who Will Teach You and Your Teens
8 Different Home Businesses Anyone Can Do!
Plus, meet author Sharon Lechter.  Phoenix, Aug. 26-28!

     If you want to bring dad home or motivate your teens to
have their own business, register for our bonus education calls
to learn how!  We'll help you learn to tailor the high school years
to include financial education and your teen's own business!
http://www.EntrepreneurDays.com

________________________________________________________

August Conventions

State Home-School Conventions
Oregon Christian Home Education Association Network
     August 19-20  http://www.oceanetwork.org
Texas Home School Coalition
     August 11-13  http://www.thsc.org
North Texas Home Educators Network
     August 5-6  http://www.nthen.org

Answers in Genesis Conferences
     See a list of events to be held in the United States as well
as other countries at http://www.AnswersInGenesis.org/events.
Select by country (on sidebar) or "Show All Events" at the bottom
of the page.  August events in the United States include:
     Lake Ann, Michigan, Aug. 6-9
     Post Falls, Idaho, Aug. 7-8
     Portsmouth, Ohio, Aug. 8-13
     Mountlake Terrace, Washington, Aug. 11-13
     Petersburg, Kentucky, Aug. 13
     Chardon, Ohio, Aug. 14
     Covington, Kentucky, Aug. 14
     Athens, Georgia, Aug. 21-23
     Elgin, Illinois, Aug. 23-24
     West Chester, Ohio, Aug. 25
     Elmira Heights, New York, Aug. 27
     Englewood, Colorado, Aug. 27
     Brandon, Mississippi, Aug. 28-29
     Milford, Illinois, Aug. 28-29
     Breesport, New York, Aug. 28

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Year-Round Schedules
     Most home-school families continue learning during the
summer, either formally or informally.  Many families have chosen
to continue their studies throughout the entire year with
variously timed breaks.

Sample Schedules
1.  A four-day school week with three days off.
2.  Three, four, or six weeks of school, then one week off.
3.  Eight or ten weeks of school, then two weeks off.

     Depending on the number of school days required by your
state's home-school law (if any), all these schedules would
allow several weeks of vacation time each year.
     Vacation days can be spaced out evenly, reserved for
holidays or family vacations, or taken all at once in the
summer or whatever season is preferred.

Benefits of Year-Round Study
     Some of the benefits realized from a year-round schedule of
academics are:
1.  Continuity of knowledge acquired; retention of basic skills.
2.  More time to thoroughly cover a year's program and include
     enrichment activities.
3.  Consistency of disciplined habits and productive use of
     time year-round.
4.  More flexibility for other activities with a shorter
     school day or week.
5.  A more relaxed, but steady, pace during the whole year;
     this reduces stress for student and teacher.

________________________________________________________

Summer School
     The home-school lifestyle of learning in the context of
everyday home life will ensure that your family will continue
learning throughout the summer, whether you decide to adopt a
year-round school schedule or not.
     You can take a very casual approach to your summer studies
or make a class out of them.
     Here are some suggestions for you to choose from to
make the most of your summer studies.

1.  Get a Head Start on Next Year's Studies
     Select one subject from next year's courses (for instance,
history) and study it using your textbooks and/or a unit study
with your whole family.  Whatever method or combination of
methods you choose, include related reading, activities, and
field trips.  You may be able to do this in just one hour a day
or one day a week.
     With less to study next school year, you can have a more
relaxed schedule this fall; you might be able to have shorter
days or an extra day off each week.  This, plus the joy of
learning together at a slower pace, could provide incentive for
your family's learning all year.
     Even if you don't finish the complete course this summer,
you will still have a head start for fall!

________________________________________________________

AVKO Individualized Keyboarding
and Sequential Spelling
 •  Use the keyboarding program that teaches reading and
     spelling skills as your child masters the computer keyboard.
 •  Visit the AVKO websites for information on dyslexia,
     freebies, and our catalog of spelling and reading materials.
http://www.spelling.org  or http://www.avko.org

________________________________________________________

2.  Shore Up Weak Areas
     with Daily Learning Habits
     A little extra boost in a weak area during the summer can
make the difference between being even further behind when school
starts this fall or experiencing a breakthrough in a difficult
subject.
     The following regularly repeated activities can help your
child gain, review, or retain skills and give him a big boost for
the coming year.
     Each of the following academic habits can be done in a few
minutes per day.

A.  Basic Math Facts and Problem Solving
1.  Drill and review the basic math facts and operations (addition,
     subtraction, multiplication, and division) to learn them so
     thoroughly that they require no conscious thought when they
     are needed to solve problems.
2.  Solve one or more story problems or mental math
     exercises each day to apply math knowledge and concepts.

Free Resources
 •  Practice Sheets
     http://www.superkids.com/aweb/tools/math
 •  Softbasics Free Math Tri-Pak Software
     http://www.vgernet.net/sbasics/free.html
 •  Triangular Math Facts Cards.
     http://donnayoung.org/math/tricards.htm
 •  Math Challenge Problems.  http://www.figurethis.org

B.  Vocabulary & Spelling
1.  Learn a vocabulary and/or spelling word every day (choose
     one from your reading or writing or from the websites below).
2.  Read the word, pronounce it, and spell it together.  Then
     define it and use it in a sentence.
3.  Write the word on a small flashcard and place it where everyone
     can see it.  Then review the words often using your flashcards.

Free Resources
 •  Word of the Day E-Mail
     http://signup.dictionary.com/wordoftheday
 •  General Vocabulary Wordlist, 1160 words and brief meanings.
     http://www.uoregon.edu/~osmirnov/gre/list.html
 •  5000 Collegiate Words with Brief Definitions
     http://www.freevocabulary.com
 •  The Teaching Home, 15-Part Series on Basic Skills: Vocabulary
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_21.cfm
 •  300 Spelling Words that make up 65% of all written material
     http://www.rdale.k12.mn.us/ple/instant_words.htm
 •  1000 Most Common Words used in the English language
     http://www.johnsesl.com/templates/vocab/1000words.php
 •  Commonly Misspelled Words
     http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/misspelled_words.htm
 •  The Teaching Home, 15-Part Series on Basic Skills: Spelling
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_32.cfm

C.  Writing
1.  Ask your child to write a sentence, paragraph, or journal entry
     every day.
2.  Have him write a brief report of something interesting he has
     learned or done and read it to Father at dinner.

Free Resources
 •  Field Journal (for younger children).  Suggestions for keeping a
     nature journal, plus printable pages.
     http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/online_field_journal/fj/fj_menu.html
 •   Nature Journal Suggestions (for older children) and sample pages.
     http://www.susq-town.org/byer/New%20Reading%20Themes/keeping_a_nature_journal.htm
 •  Guide to Grammar and Writing Assistant
     http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar
 •  Paradigm Online Writing
     http://www.powa.org
 •  A+ Research and Writing for High School and College Students
     http://www.ipl.org/div/aplus
 •  The Teaching Home, 15-Part Series on Basic Skills: Writing
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_36.cfm
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_37.cfm

D.  Globe, Map, and Time-Line Study
1.  Have a globe, map, and time-line available in a central
     location.
2.  Locate times and places that you encounter in your reading or
     methodically work through a list of geographical or historical
     items from one of your school books.

Free Geographic Resources
 •  Operation World:  Prayer Requests and Information about a
     Different Country each day
     http://www.gmi.org/ow/country/liby/overvw01.html
 •  National Geographic Bee: Game, Maps, Lesson Plans
     http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographybee/resources.html
 •  CIA World Factbook 2005
     http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook
 •  Library of Congress Country Studies
     http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html
 •  Geographia  http://www.interknowledge.com

Sign Up for Free Daily E-Mails on History
 •  American Minute with Bill Federer with a Christian perspective
     http://www.AmericanMinute.com
 •  This Day In History from The History Channel
     http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=leadstory#

E.  Daily Reading
     (See suggestions in our next issue.)

________________________________________________________

Sell Used or New Curricula directly to other homeschoolers
at http://www.MyHomeschoolStore.com. Searchable, easy-to-use.

________________________________________________________

3.  Explore New or Favorite Interests
     or Add an Elective
     Summer provides more time to spend in areas that may get
crowded out by the basics during the regular school year.
     Do you have a student that wants to explore a subject or
area of interest more deeply than time allows during the school
year?  This is a good time to help your children learn how to
learn more about their interests through supervised internet
searches and/or library hunts.
1.  Work on Life Skills (chores, cooking, sewing, home, bicycle
     and car maintenance, driving lessons, etc.)
      •  The Teaching Home Newsletter on Life Skills
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_85.cfm
2.  Learn a Foreign Language.
     http://www.Speedy-Spanish.com
3.  Learn More Computer Skills.
      •  The Teaching Home Newsletters on Computers with many
     resources included.
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_58.cfm
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_59.cfm
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_61.cfm
4.  Locate and Prepare To Enter a Contest.
      •  The Teaching Home Newsletter on National Contests with
     links to information for more than 40 contests.
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_51.cfm

________________________________________________________

Read "How To Energize Yourself for Teaching This Fall"
http://www.TeachingHome.com/custserve/back_issues_copy.cfm

Never Out of Date:
Teaching Home Magazine
Back Issues

     Find information, inspiration, and support from 51 back issues
of The Teaching Home.
http://www.goemerchant1.com/index.cgi?ST=&Merchant=theTeachingHomen
Use the search box at the top of the page or the index below.

Topical Index of Back Issues
http://www.TeachingHome.com/custserve/bindex.cfm

________________________________________________________

4.  Enjoy and Learn about Nature

     "Great are the works of the Lord,
     they are studied by all who delight in them"
     (Psalm 11:1).

     Take the time to enjoy and study nature on trips or outings with
your family or together with another family.
1.  Take binoculars or magnifying glass to a park, on trips, or
     just around your yard.
2.  Buy a field guide book so that you can identify plant and
     animal life.
3.  Look up nature topics in a Christian textbook.
4.  Start a bird list and see how many different birds you can see
     during the summer.
      •  Free Online Bird Guide for bird species identifications and
     in-depth information, including sounds, video, and distribution maps.
     http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide
      •  Cornell Lab of Ornithology. http://www.birds.cornell.edu
      •  National Audubon Society. http://www.audubon.org
5.  Gather, study, and display insects.
      •  Beautiful photos and information on many insects.
     http://www.insects.org
      •  Teaching Tips on Insect Observation and Collection,
     Introduction to Insects, and Keeping a Bug Zoo
     http://www.HomeTrainingTools.com/articles/teaching-tips/life-sciences/acat_insects.html
6.  Make a collection of something: shells, stones, pressed flowers
     or leaves, etc.  Then learn all you can about each specimen.

Study the Stars
     "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1).
Summer nights outside are ideal for this pursuit.
1.  Study the stars with just your eyes and a $10 star finder which
     you can get in a bookstore.  The star finder will tell you what
     stars are visible from your latitude for each month and show you
     which stars can been seen on any date at any hour.
2.  Lie out in your back yard or on a hill on your sleeping bags
     while gazing at the stars.
3.  Visit a planetarium.
4.  Use binoculars and graduate to a telescope when you understand
     the basics.

Resources
 •  U.S. Naval Observatory, Astronomical Applications Department
     Data Services.  http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data
 •  More than 15,000 nature related books and products (including
     423 different field guides)
     http://www.WildlifeForever.org/store/default.aspx
 •  The Teaching Home Newsletter on Nature
     http://www.TeachingHome.com/newsletters/vol_2-no_115.cfm

________________________________________________________

Summer and Socialization
    Will this summer's "socialization" reinforce or undo last
year's character training?  Here is one family's solution:

      We have pondered the question of socialization.  How much
"socialization" should we allow, knowing:

     "Do not be misled:
     Bad company corrupts good character."
     I Corinthians 15:33

     "He who walks with the wise grows wise,
     but a companion of fools suffers harm."
     Proverbs 13:20

      I don't want any harm to come to my children, nor do I wish
to watch negative social pressures at work in our own yard!
     Our solution has been to limit our children's exposure to
other children and to closely supervise their playtime. In this
way, I can guide the play, correct attitudes as they arise, and
maintain the standards of our family.
     Interestingly, the rules at our house have piqued the
curiosity of more than one parent and opened doors to share what
God's Word says about children and their training.
     Many parents have been influenced by the popular psychology
of the day, and by contrast, what the Bible says is new and
refreshing.  Better than that: it works!
     We also enjoy inviting other families over for dinner and
games or supervised play for the children while the adults visit.
     This is how we handle relationships with others who have
different values and standards.  Happily, at least two of those
families are now Christians!
     You can be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) in your very own
neighborhood.  Strive to reach God's standards in your life and
in your home, plant the seeds of God's Word, and pray for the
harvest.  -- Melody G., Texas

Remember
     Children need to be supervised while playing together as
well as when they are on the internet, and nothing is as
effective as hearing and seeing them yourself.

________________________________________________________

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For the Love of Learning: Charlotte Mason and Classical Education
     http://members.aol.com/jennyks

________________________________________________________

Sunnyside Up:
     Glad that our 9-year-old son seemed to finally be getting
over his allergies for the season, I remarked one morning,
"Aaron, your cough sounds a lot better today."
     He answered proudly, "Yeah, I know.  I practiced all night."
     Submitted by Pam Clements

________________________________________________________

God Loves You.
     Because we have been separated from God by sin, Jesus
Christ died in our place, then rose to life again.  If we trust
Him as our Savior and Lord, He will give us eternal life.
     "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of
works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
http://www.TeachingHome.com/about/Salvation.cfm

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