I wanted to make sure you were all aware of few changes regarding Obama's speech on Tuesday in case any of you are planning to watch this.
1) Many private schools are also planning to air the speech. If you have friends whose children attend private school, you may want to make sure they're aware of this so they can ask if their school will show it.
2) According to several of the local schools, students will not be "forced" to listen to the speech, but they WILL have to stay in the classrooms. If you have children in public school (or you're discussing it with your friends) and their school plans to air the speech, you (or your friends) need to ask if the student will be allowed to bring an iPod or other device if you truly don't want them to listen to the speech, but also don't want them to miss school.
3) The speech HAS BEEN MOVED UP AN HOUR, which many parents are not aware of. It is now scheduled for noon (12:00) on Tuesday rather than 1:00 ET.
4) This part is actually good news! Due to all the backlash, the White House plans to release the written version of the speech on Monday. That can be found at www.whitehouse.gov . I'll post it to my website as soon as the link is released. However, people need to realize that it IS a live speech on Tuesday so that doesn't mean he might not vary from the original text.
5) Anyone can watch the speech LIVE on Tuesday at http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/ . We plan to watch it and discuss it as part of our homeschool curriculum, but thankfully, our children will actually be able to discuss it from the perspective of disagreeing with the president's comments as well as agreeing with anything that might be positive. Based on the lesson plans, I fear that children who disagree with anything in other school settings will be reprimanded or punished.
The original lesson plans actually encouraged students to read books about OBAMA and discuss OBAMA's policies and plans, etc. It was all about HIM, not urging kids to stay in school. The lesson plans have been toned down a bit, but they still very much make it appear that the students participating are to be servants to the president when in actuality, we are to serve the LORD. The President of the United States is elected to represent the PEOPLE, not the other way around. The lesson plans and the whole speech are now being presented as a way to encourage kids to stay in school, but that was not the way the original lesson plans appeared.
IF that is all Obama does in this speech - encourage kids to read, stay in school, be active in their communities, then that's TERRIFIC!! I don't like the guy, but how wonderful that he would take the time to do that and hopefully kids would listen! BUT, if he even remotely implies that students should talk with their parents about HIM or help push HIS health care plan, etc., then that is completely inappropriate and an abuse of the power given to him as the president who is supposed to listen to the wishes of the people, not the other way around.
Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Where have I been?
Several people have asked why I haven't been posting much lately. I even placed all my groups on temporary hold. (I still read them some on yahoogroups, but I just didn't have time to sort through the 300+ e-mails in my box every day so I put them on "web only" for a while.) Meanwhile, I'm staying busy. Here's what I've been up to...
- We're STILL trying to clean house.
- We finished all our foster / adoption paperwork and we're praying / waiting patiently for a referral.
- Hannah is learning to read. That's the most difficult task of homeschooling, I think, but once the child learns to read, I think 99% of your work is done! They can learn on their own if they only know how to read! : )
- Sarah entered ninth grade so we've entered our first official year of homeschool high school. Yikes! That's a lot of work just planning the classes, trying to collect appropriate books, etc. We're actually letting her use textbooks this year. (SHE has asked to do this so we're supporting her decision.)
- We have about 70 chickens to care for now. They're ADORABLE! All the children help with the food, etc., but Sarah takes care of the eggs, incubates them, and raises the baby chicks.
- I just finished a new book for Bethany House Publishers. I can't wait for this book to come out! I'm going to read and use it myself! : )
- I am working on a student workbook and teacher manual for The Heritage Foundation to go with their book The Heritage Guide to the Constitution. It is an AMAZING book and I am so pleased to be a part of the project. When we finish the student and teacher books, they will be wonderful tools for public, private, and home education settings!
- Sarah recently became involved with Civil Air Patrol, which we have been immensely pleased with. I'm so glad that we found something she can be passionate about.
Let's see... on top of all that, I am trying to teach the other children, clean house, cook occasionally, go to doctor appointments, run errands, etc. My life is very full right now and I just LOVE it! The children are growing each day. They are precious. The other evening Hannah was sitting in bed with me and she said:
"Mommy, if I married Nolan Nerrin (a boy at our church), my name would be Hannah Grace Marie Haskins Nerrin. Isn't that an awfully long name?!? If I married Zach, my name would be Hannah Grace Marie Haskins MOREland. That's too long, too."
She sat there a few minutes and then said:
"You know, I could marry someone with the last name 'Elf' and then my name would be Hannah Grace Marie Haskins Elf. That's shorter, but then we'd be Mr. and Mrs. Elf and you'd have to call me Hannah Elf. Isn't that funny?"
I just love kids.
Sonya :)
- We're STILL trying to clean house.
- We finished all our foster / adoption paperwork and we're praying / waiting patiently for a referral.
- Hannah is learning to read. That's the most difficult task of homeschooling, I think, but once the child learns to read, I think 99% of your work is done! They can learn on their own if they only know how to read! : )
- Sarah entered ninth grade so we've entered our first official year of homeschool high school. Yikes! That's a lot of work just planning the classes, trying to collect appropriate books, etc. We're actually letting her use textbooks this year. (SHE has asked to do this so we're supporting her decision.)
- We have about 70 chickens to care for now. They're ADORABLE! All the children help with the food, etc., but Sarah takes care of the eggs, incubates them, and raises the baby chicks.
- I just finished a new book for Bethany House Publishers. I can't wait for this book to come out! I'm going to read and use it myself! : )
- I am working on a student workbook and teacher manual for The Heritage Foundation to go with their book The Heritage Guide to the Constitution. It is an AMAZING book and I am so pleased to be a part of the project. When we finish the student and teacher books, they will be wonderful tools for public, private, and home education settings!
- Sarah recently became involved with Civil Air Patrol, which we have been immensely pleased with. I'm so glad that we found something she can be passionate about.
Let's see... on top of all that, I am trying to teach the other children, clean house, cook occasionally, go to doctor appointments, run errands, etc. My life is very full right now and I just LOVE it! The children are growing each day. They are precious. The other evening Hannah was sitting in bed with me and she said:
"Mommy, if I married Nolan Nerrin (a boy at our church), my name would be Hannah Grace Marie Haskins Nerrin. Isn't that an awfully long name?!? If I married Zach, my name would be Hannah Grace Marie Haskins MOREland. That's too long, too."
She sat there a few minutes and then said:
"You know, I could marry someone with the last name 'Elf' and then my name would be Hannah Grace Marie Haskins Elf. That's shorter, but then we'd be Mr. and Mrs. Elf and you'd have to call me Hannah Elf. Isn't that funny?"
I just love kids.
Sonya :)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Fun at the Pool
My friend invited me and the children to the pool today. We were the only ones there so my friend and I visited while the children had great fun playing in the pool. We were all thankful for an opportunity to have some fun out of the house. : ) It seems like we've spent a lot of our time lately cleaning and hanging out at home. Hopefully now that we've passed the prime allergy season, we'll be able to go out more often and enjoy this beautiful Northeast Tennessee scenery. Sonya
Monday, August 10, 2009
A six-year-old's logic
Hannah came up to me yesterday and said, “If all you had left was a piece of pie and a book, which one would you choose?”
Being a passionate bibliophile, I said, “The book, of course.”
“Yes,” my six-year-old self-taught logic student stated with authority, “you could do that, but without the pie, you’d die and then you wouldn’t be able to read your book!”
Sonya
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com
Being a passionate bibliophile, I said, “The book, of course.”
“Yes,” my six-year-old self-taught logic student stated with authority, “you could do that, but without the pie, you’d die and then you wouldn’t be able to read your book!”
Sonya
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com
Educational Games for Preschool / Kindergarten Age Children
Many parents figure out pretty quickly that their children don’t want to sit at a desk all day and do worksheets. Yet, how are you supposed to teach beginning counting and reading skills without using a worksheet or textbook? One of the best ways is to use educational toys and games.
In my last article, I talked about great toys that encourage imagination, learning, fine motor skills and fun. Today I wanted to mention some of the best educational games on the market. You can learn as much – sometimes MORE – from games as you can from any formal preschool or kindergarten curriculum.
Educational games encourage early reading skills, math skills (numbers, counting, skipping, etc.), and other skills. Children often learn or reinforce colors, shape and sequencing skills. They also encourage children to practice teamwork, taking turns, and learning to lose (and win) graciously.
Here are some great games for preschool / kindergarten age children:
- Hullabaloo (One neat thing about this game is that it can be played alone. This game makes a great gift and a wonderful game for ALL families.)
- Memory Match
- Candy Land
- Hungry Hungry Hippos
- Mr. Potato Head
- Hot Potato
- Cariboo
- Let's Go Fishing (I even like this one!)
- Sorry
- Checkers
- Chess
- Hi Ho Cherry-O
- Chutes and Ladders
- Two by Two Matching Game (Christian resource / game)
- In a Manger Matching Game (Christian resource / game)
- Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks
- Dominoes (You don’t have to play the game!! Just play with the Dominoes. J Children can learn to count the dots (math), match squares that are alike (math), make Domino trains (fine motor skills), etc.)
- Wooden Puzzles
- Puzzles in general
- Wooden maps of the United States and the World (My youngest son was always fascinated with the United States map and could completely put together a US wooden map in about three minutes when he was four years old.)
- Pattern blocks
- Bean Bag Toss
If your child likes to write, I would also encourage maze books. There are some really good ones from the following publishers:
- KUMON books (These are fabulous - our favorite by far! They have maze books on all sorts of topics.)
- Carson-Dellosa Publishing
- Dover Publications (They have little maze books that are VERY simple for even the youngest child.)
I’d also recommend the I Spy books to help young children develop visual acuity. These aren’t really games, but they’re kind of like game books.
Also, I don’t normally recommend electronic materials for young children, but if you really want to introduce electronic games to your preschool / kindergarten age child, you can’t go wrong with Leap Frog and Leap Pad products, including Leapsters. These are quite educational, but like with any electronic materials, it’s probably best to use them as rewards for good behavior.
Finally, remember that even if something is “educational,” it can be used as a reward for children. It’s all perspective. Young children in particular don’t need to know that most children are forced to do educational activities. If you train your child that games, books, and even electronic toys are rewards, then that’s what they will think. Soon, they’ll be asking to “play” math every day!
Sonya Haskins
http://www.thehomeschooladvocate.com/
In my last article, I talked about great toys that encourage imagination, learning, fine motor skills and fun. Today I wanted to mention some of the best educational games on the market. You can learn as much – sometimes MORE – from games as you can from any formal preschool or kindergarten curriculum.
Educational games encourage early reading skills, math skills (numbers, counting, skipping, etc.), and other skills. Children often learn or reinforce colors, shape and sequencing skills. They also encourage children to practice teamwork, taking turns, and learning to lose (and win) graciously.
Here are some great games for preschool / kindergarten age children:
- Hullabaloo (One neat thing about this game is that it can be played alone. This game makes a great gift and a wonderful game for ALL families.)
- Memory Match
- Candy Land
- Hungry Hungry Hippos
- Mr. Potato Head
- Hot Potato
- Cariboo
- Let's Go Fishing (I even like this one!)
- Sorry
- Checkers
- Chess
- Hi Ho Cherry-O
- Chutes and Ladders
- Two by Two Matching Game (Christian resource / game)
- In a Manger Matching Game (Christian resource / game)
- Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks
- Dominoes (You don’t have to play the game!! Just play with the Dominoes. J Children can learn to count the dots (math), match squares that are alike (math), make Domino trains (fine motor skills), etc.)
- Wooden Puzzles
- Puzzles in general
- Wooden maps of the United States and the World (My youngest son was always fascinated with the United States map and could completely put together a US wooden map in about three minutes when he was four years old.)
- Pattern blocks
- Bean Bag Toss
If your child likes to write, I would also encourage maze books. There are some really good ones from the following publishers:
- KUMON books (These are fabulous - our favorite by far! They have maze books on all sorts of topics.)
- Carson-Dellosa Publishing
- Dover Publications (They have little maze books that are VERY simple for even the youngest child.)
I’d also recommend the I Spy books to help young children develop visual acuity. These aren’t really games, but they’re kind of like game books.
Also, I don’t normally recommend electronic materials for young children, but if you really want to introduce electronic games to your preschool / kindergarten age child, you can’t go wrong with Leap Frog and Leap Pad products, including Leapsters. These are quite educational, but like with any electronic materials, it’s probably best to use them as rewards for good behavior.
Finally, remember that even if something is “educational,” it can be used as a reward for children. It’s all perspective. Young children in particular don’t need to know that most children are forced to do educational activities. If you train your child that games, books, and even electronic toys are rewards, then that’s what they will think. Soon, they’ll be asking to “play” math every day!
Sonya Haskins
http://www.thehomeschooladvocate.com/
Our History of Revolt
The American Revolution was not something that people just suddenly decided should happen. There were social, economic and political changes taking place in our country for decades that changed the relationship between the colonists and the King / the colonies and the country of England. Finally, the colonists decided that they would live under tyranny no longer and they began to revolt.
When a group of colonists were so frustrated by the Tea Act because it violated their right to taxation through elected representatives, they boarded ships and dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. Most of us understand their actions and no one dares to claim that this was “manufactured anger.”
Finally, war came in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. Colonists wanted freedom to choose their own representatives, create their own taxes, and reap the benefit of their hard labor and difficult lives in a new land. No one doubted their sincerity.
When a few women called a meeting in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, their Declaration of Sentiments began a struggle that argued equal treatment for women. This movement eventually led to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. This amendment provided the right to vote, regardless of one’s gender. No one would challenge that the women who held rallies, marches, and went to jail for this cause were dedicated to the cause.
In the late 1850s and early 1860s, slave-owning settlers became nervous about a centralized government with too much power – so much power that they could declare what the states could and could not do. A huge issue was slavery and while I am adamantly against slavery in any form, I can understand the desire for states to make choices without interference from a federal government. Today, we can see how the Southern states were certainly correct about the growth of the Federal government. Once it starts, it becomes a huge monster.
Before, during and after the Civil War, however, regardless of where you live or which side you would have fought for, no one would say that the deadliest war in American history was caused by “manufactured anger.” Nope. People on both sides were doggone mad and ready to fight for what they believed to be their undeniable rights.
When Malcolm X advocated “black power” in the early 1960s, he captured the attention of the media and the government – and both declared that this amazing man was exercising his right to freedom of speech.
He called white people “devils” and said:
“The day that the black man takes an uncompromising step and realizes that he's within his rights, when his own freedom is being jeopardized, to use any means necessary to bring about his freedom or put a halt to that injustice, I don't think he'll be by himself.”
No one said his anger was just “part of the Civil Rights Movement” and we should ignore him or report him to the White House terrorism office because he was advising the use of “any means necessary” to bring about reform.
When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger, no one said she was just doing what she was told as a leading member of the local NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons). While I admire Ms. Parks for her refusal to give up the seat, do we not think for a minute that this was a “planned” and “organized” protest against segregation?
While Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated non-violent protest, he nonetheless stirred up some of the African American population to riots and revolts. No one claimed that this was “manufactured anger.”
When protestors took to the streets and called for abortion rights, eyebrows were raised, but no one claimed that those people weren’t sincere about what they believed.
When people protested the Vietnam War, Korean War or the Gulf War, no one accused protestors of faking their anger. And the protests received more coverage than the rallies supporting our troops or the funerals of our American soldiers who came home in coffins.
When gays and lesbians take to the streets and demand equal rights – including gay marriage, which would give equal treatment under the law (i.e. – YOUR tax dollars would go to support the gay partner under insurance plans, etc.) – NO ONE has said, “Gee, they’re just doing what they’re told as part of that left-wing liberal agenda.”
When you see photos of the riots, rallies, and marches or when you consider the fact that the LGBT community has DEMANDED a repeal of Proposition 8 – something that was voted on legally according to our Constitution and passed to deny homosexual marriage in California – NO ONE says, “Boy, they sure are SORE LOSERS!” Nope. They don’t say that. They say, “The vote was unduly influenced by a high turnout of a population of voters who normally don’t vote so that’s really not fair to them….”
Yet, the media has suddenly decided that the millions of people protesting the suggested reforms to health care are exhibiting “manufactured anger.” Not only is this insulting, but I can assure you – all of you liberal media, reporters, bloggers, lobbyists, congressmen, and you, Mr. President – that the anger we are experiencing is a lot of things, but it is not fake.
Our disgust with the health care package and the other things we see going on in Washington is quite sincere. The problem is not that the “right” is promoting anger amongst the people.
The problem is that you are in trouble because citizens have started to wake up and smell the stench coming out of Washington – the reek of wasteful spending, spoiled congressmen, laws stained with the blood of unborn children, and odors of something worse around the corner.
Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com
When a group of colonists were so frustrated by the Tea Act because it violated their right to taxation through elected representatives, they boarded ships and dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. Most of us understand their actions and no one dares to claim that this was “manufactured anger.”
Finally, war came in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. Colonists wanted freedom to choose their own representatives, create their own taxes, and reap the benefit of their hard labor and difficult lives in a new land. No one doubted their sincerity.
When a few women called a meeting in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, their Declaration of Sentiments began a struggle that argued equal treatment for women. This movement eventually led to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. This amendment provided the right to vote, regardless of one’s gender. No one would challenge that the women who held rallies, marches, and went to jail for this cause were dedicated to the cause.
In the late 1850s and early 1860s, slave-owning settlers became nervous about a centralized government with too much power – so much power that they could declare what the states could and could not do. A huge issue was slavery and while I am adamantly against slavery in any form, I can understand the desire for states to make choices without interference from a federal government. Today, we can see how the Southern states were certainly correct about the growth of the Federal government. Once it starts, it becomes a huge monster.
Before, during and after the Civil War, however, regardless of where you live or which side you would have fought for, no one would say that the deadliest war in American history was caused by “manufactured anger.” Nope. People on both sides were doggone mad and ready to fight for what they believed to be their undeniable rights.
When Malcolm X advocated “black power” in the early 1960s, he captured the attention of the media and the government – and both declared that this amazing man was exercising his right to freedom of speech.
He called white people “devils” and said:
“The day that the black man takes an uncompromising step and realizes that he's within his rights, when his own freedom is being jeopardized, to use any means necessary to bring about his freedom or put a halt to that injustice, I don't think he'll be by himself.”
No one said his anger was just “part of the Civil Rights Movement” and we should ignore him or report him to the White House terrorism office because he was advising the use of “any means necessary” to bring about reform.
When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger, no one said she was just doing what she was told as a leading member of the local NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons). While I admire Ms. Parks for her refusal to give up the seat, do we not think for a minute that this was a “planned” and “organized” protest against segregation?
While Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated non-violent protest, he nonetheless stirred up some of the African American population to riots and revolts. No one claimed that this was “manufactured anger.”
When protestors took to the streets and called for abortion rights, eyebrows were raised, but no one claimed that those people weren’t sincere about what they believed.
When people protested the Vietnam War, Korean War or the Gulf War, no one accused protestors of faking their anger. And the protests received more coverage than the rallies supporting our troops or the funerals of our American soldiers who came home in coffins.
When gays and lesbians take to the streets and demand equal rights – including gay marriage, which would give equal treatment under the law (i.e. – YOUR tax dollars would go to support the gay partner under insurance plans, etc.) – NO ONE has said, “Gee, they’re just doing what they’re told as part of that left-wing liberal agenda.”
When you see photos of the riots, rallies, and marches or when you consider the fact that the LGBT community has DEMANDED a repeal of Proposition 8 – something that was voted on legally according to our Constitution and passed to deny homosexual marriage in California – NO ONE says, “Boy, they sure are SORE LOSERS!” Nope. They don’t say that. They say, “The vote was unduly influenced by a high turnout of a population of voters who normally don’t vote so that’s really not fair to them….”
Yet, the media has suddenly decided that the millions of people protesting the suggested reforms to health care are exhibiting “manufactured anger.” Not only is this insulting, but I can assure you – all of you liberal media, reporters, bloggers, lobbyists, congressmen, and you, Mr. President – that the anger we are experiencing is a lot of things, but it is not fake.
Our disgust with the health care package and the other things we see going on in Washington is quite sincere. The problem is not that the “right” is promoting anger amongst the people.
The problem is that you are in trouble because citizens have started to wake up and smell the stench coming out of Washington – the reek of wasteful spending, spoiled congressmen, laws stained with the blood of unborn children, and odors of something worse around the corner.
Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Forest Owlet
If your family enjoys bird watching or if your child is particularly interested in animals, you might enjoy this article from Cornell University. It's an older article, but it's about the Forest Owlet that was thought to be extinct and then was rediscovered in 1997. There was theft, fraud, and international espionage involved. It's a pretty cool story - for adults or children. It would make a great addition to any textbook or unit study of birds.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/LivingBird/spring98/OwletSp98.htm
Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/LivingBird/spring98/OwletSp98.htm
Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com
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