• Today I’m offering a FREE DOWNLOADABLE for you to print off and use together.
• Print a copy for each of your chapters and keep them in a binder, or use them only when you know you’ll be tackling some confusing text.
• Encourage your kids to draw with detail and use their best spelling.
• Have fun together and please pass this worksheet on to another mom!
• Click and drag the image below to your desktop OR click this .pdf file.

How do you work with story details with your family?

Those of us who have the privilege of staying home with our kids have a unique opportunity to spend 90 days — 1/4 of the year! — being our kids’ teacher, taxi driver, nature discovery pointer-outer, adventure director, and spiritual guide.  Of course we’re always those things, but summer is a special time to be on the clock, ’round the clock.

That’s why we’re going into this summer with some goals. A goal sheet is not about deadlines and demands: it’s about dreams and doing life together. I’ve affectionately named our goal sheet a {beach} bucket list and I’d love for you to download your own!

Here’s your FREE DOWNLOADABLE CHART (.pdf) or simply click and drag the .jpg above!

What do you hope to do this summer with your family?

For reasons which I shall not divulge, this week the kids and I spent an *entire* day together away from school, reading and doing  things that usually stay on my “if only” list.

I highly recommend it; the list came to life, and it was glorious.

One of the things we did was some work on our current family read-aloud, The Twenty-One Balloons
I’ve loved the creativity and imagination of this book since I first taught it to my elementary class so many years ago. Opening the pages to my own children this spring has been a special treat.

For those of you unfamiliar with this Newbery Winner, the main character, William Waterman Sherman, attempts to fly around the world in a hot air balloon but ends up on the island of Krakatoa. Krakatoa is a real island between the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean, and is actually the volcano that the book purports it to be. After “the world’s biggest volcanic eruption” in 1883, diamonds were found on the island and the money they brought transformed the lives of the island’s inhabitants.

This income allowed the islanders to build creative homes with secret entryways and trap doors, convertible roofs and chairs that could travel the house and automatically deliver you to your desired destination. I can’t wait to see my childrens’ faces light up when they imagine these homes!

But before we moved on, I thought this book offered the perfect moment to study the setting of the book. Why not try it with the next book you read together? Whether you’re reading about central Minnesota through the eyes of Laura Ingalls Wilder or Texas through the pages of Old Yeller, taking a look at setting will enrich your reading.

poster in progress...

A few tips:

• Get out your largest world or U.S. map (or head to Barnes & Noble to buy one!)
• Spend time locating the region mentioned in the book. Settings are generally unveiled right away, so this is a great way to get kids hooked on your story in the first chapter.
• Use Wikipedia or another resource to read more about the area if it’s unfamiliar to you (as Krakatoa was to us)
• Have your kids draw their own map, including surrounding areas for reference. Make sure to label bodies of water.
• Ask each child to write down 3 facts about this location. These may include weather/climate trends, natural resources, or famous landmarks. At the very least, have your kids make statements of geographical reference (i.e., “This island is south of China.”).
• Teach your children how to use Google Earth to locate your book’s setting. When we found Krakatoa we got to see real photos which our kids loved! We then zoomed above our own home and down to Rockafeller Center in NYC. So fun!
• Make predictions about how the landscape might play into the story. Sometimes, as in western expansion stories, the setting is nearly a character in the plotline.
• Actually travel to the book’s location! An expensive venture, but one they’ll never forget! One of the reasons I still love the West so much!
• Create a “visitor’s guide” for this location! Even if you can’t really go, your kids can guide you on a “virtual” adventure! Use Keynote for a digital guide, Pages or Publisher for the graphic kid, or your video camera for the budding newscaster!

How have you explored setting with your kids? Have you ever traveled to a book’s setting as a family?

We’ve officially stepped into the vortex of spring: baseball games and school activities collide with daddy’s schedule and we’re left spinning, trying to keep our feet firmly planted.

Have you been there?

One evening this week we were left without dad to help with the grilling, so I bravely asked my (nearly) 10 year-old to stand in.

He was thrilled.

We both went outside and examined the grill. I turned on the propane tank and struck a match. He reminded me that I should always have a glass of water on hand in case of flare-ups.

Good to know.

And then I left him: alone with the meat, alone with the flipper, alone with the grill.

Funny how helping mom make dinner is infinitely more exciting when he has a hand with the protein.

Funny how much more smoothly things go when mom can focus on the fruits and veggies without having to run outside every-other minute to check on flames and heat.

I’ve found that our son not only enjoys helping with these “big” jobs, but finds pride in doing so. He also moseyed on into the kitchen to chat, give me updates, and explain his techniques. You won’t find me complaining about extra time to talk or the fact that I might have the next Bobby Flay on my hands.

Allowing our oldest to stretch his wingspan, if you will, has built responsibility and encouraged selflessness by prompting him to offer to help.

So how can you engage your growing son in tasks that will develop him and teach him skills?

• Teach him how to mow the lawn. Use precaution and don’t be lackadaizical by letting him mow barefoot and without you in the house–of course. But still, let him try. Your husband will love you if he comes home to one less thing to do!
• Invite him to “man” the grill. It’s great if dad is around to provide some instruction, but even if he’s not, your son will feel like a celebrity. Just remember to keep that glass of water nearby.
• Ask him to wash the car. Extra credit if he vacuums the inside, too.
• Trust him with a knife and a fresh bell pepper: your dinner will be finished in no time! PS: cilantro is more difficult. I recommend a scissors  :)
• Place your supper devotions in front of him every once-in-awhile. Some of you may have strong feelings about dad leading devos, which I understand, however we’ve found better comprehension, heightened engagement when our son reads after dinner. The reading practice doesn’t hurt, either!
• Instruct him on laundry basics. If the bottle of detergent is new and heavy, I’ll quite often add the soap to our machine and walk away, only to ask the kids to separate and start the load. Small steps are better than none! (They do know how to measure soap, but those Costco bottles can be cumbersome!)

If you’ve never downloaded my chore chart, click HERE for your FREE copy! Read about how we use it HERE.

So, I’d love to hear from you! What kind of “Big Boy” chores have you tried with your upper-elementary aged sons? I’d love your comments!

What to do?

We correct with grace, we remind with kindness, but neither approach seems to be making a dent in this word choice issue.

So instead, I’ve resulted to threats.

(I’m kidding…kind of…)

I’ve threatened to make a worksheet, and I finally have. Fresh copies will be waiting for all three children this evening; we’ll make it part of family time and try to make it fun.

While I’ve not heard many other parents expressing a need for help with these two words, I thought I’d share my worksheet with you anyway. A natural extension activity would be to flip the page over after completing it and have your kids think of their own sentences!

Have “many” fun and make “much” memories together doing it!  :)  CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF or drag the jpg below onto your desktop to print.

Does your child struggle with his or her English? Please leave a comment…perhaps it will produce a worksheet we can share together!

As I started in with my pitch, I had barely finished sputtering out my concept when she interrupted me with a wincing rebuke, “Ya know…I just don’t think that everything has to be about learning. Not every moment has to be teachable. Kids need some time to just have fun!”

Point taken. I understand what she was trying to say (though an added measure of grace would have been gladly accepted).

Yet I wonder if there’s a nuance here that we’re missing.

Today my Bible Study teacher reminded us that “If you’re a parent, you. are. a teacher!”

It convicted me anew of something we all know to be true: Whether or not you intend to teach, YOU ARE.

You teach in your actions. So do I.

You teach in what you say;

In what you fail to say. So do I.

You teach in how you love;

In how you respond under trial. So do I.

You teach in so many ways, that whether you set out to design a teachable moment or not, rest assured, the moment is teaching them SOMETHING.

The question is, “WHAT?”

What do you think about the author’s response? Is it true?

Last week at this time my toes were digging themselves inches into the cool, wet seashore on Florida’s Gulf Coast. With a hand shielding my eyes from all the sun and gorgeousness, I sank back into my low-slung chair and let my legs rest from our family’s morning run.

Why we’re doing it

This year our oldest child decided to take part in his school’s Running Club which will culminate this May in a 5K race. Part of the requirements for the club include using a chart to record healthy eating, getting enough sleep, and doing the suggested workouts at home, among several others.

The caveat has been, do we allow our 4th grader to run down the road in any direction for 20 or 30 minutes without supervision? Or trust him (and crazy drivers) on busy roads? 

Even though we live in a fairly safe area, my husband and I didn’t feel comfortable with the prospect of opening the door and pushing him out without one of us along. SO…that means mom and dad are running, too.

We’ve discovered 4 Reasons for Family Fitness

1. Running together encourages your kids. Let’s face it: for as much running around as our children do, running without stopping and without balls to chase–for 20 or 30 minutes–is difficult. (Be assured it’s not all that easy for mom, either!!) But running as a family shows solidarity and gives you a great opportunity to encourage your kids. Remind them that when they feel weak, it’s a chance for Jesus to be strong within them! The joy comes full circle when you see them returning that same love to others: our son came home from school yesterday and told us how he encouraged a struggling classmate in the club. He has learned the power of encouragement!
2. Running with your children is the best way to model the healthy living you promote with your lips. It’s easy to say we want to be healthy, but when it comes down to it, we must ask HOW our kids see us LIVING IT OUT.  My husband and I have been called out more than a few times on our Coke-drinking and have had to pull in the reins a bit, opting for more water. The older the kids, the more they take notice of those little things!
3. Family fitness is a terrific way to spend time together talking and bonding: it’s a new shared experience. Moments outside without the distractions of ringing phones, TV sets blaring, and doorbells ringing provide precious moments to catch up on the day, ask about friendships, and show genuine interest in all parts of their lives.
4. Family fitness gives you the joy of shared accomplishments. We’re looking forward to our 5K next month, but along the way we have the satisfaction of small victories each time we run. The sense that we did it! And we did it together!…is a great feeling to share as a family.

I’m just posting a quick blog to let you know that I’m going to take a week or so off from my computer (GASP!). We’re planning a Spring Break adventure with our kids and I’m feeling the nudge to unplug for awhile. Have you ever been there?

Please stop back after Easter! May your Resurrection Sunday be blessed!

After our daughter was born, I was still in the hospital on our wedding anniversary. My husband and I lifted the lid on our battered blue box and balanced tiles on the rolling meal tray, playing “best of 5″ together.

And a couple of years ago when dates were expensive and babysitters rare, we had a running total going all summer long, carefully balancing our runs and melds on top of our living room ottoman while the wind blew through our open windows.

So when I had the opportunity to teach our children, of course I was thrilled. But as we played, I found a few reasons to consider Rummikub more than a game. It became an exercise in math.

While this post is not intended to explain the rules of the game, it is meant to help you see how it can be used to supplement and support math skills at home.

Here are 5 ways to make your playing time count!

1. Each player must begin with 14 tiles in their possession  Smaller kids will get practice counting them!
2. To begin the game, you must lay out with a total of 30 points. Players must evaluate their runs and melds to ensure the total of their playable tiles = 30. Younger kids can use a calculator while older ones will get practice with mental math.
3. Strategy is key in this game, so players must look for and create opportunities to lay their tiles. That means they’ll have to rearrange tiles and keep a keen eye on the board.
4. Little ones will gain practice with their consecutive numbers when they create runs. Furthermore, if a run of tiles is split apart and some are removed (see #3), kids will need to stop and consider which numbers are missing and which should be added back in.
5. The game ends when one of the players is able to use all of their tiles. The losing players must total the tiles left in their possession and record that number. After a pre-determined number of rounds, scores are totaled and the low score wins.

What games do you use to help reinforce math at home?

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Sam 16:7

As the mother of a young girl, my mind spins, at times, considering what may lie ahead of her. I don’t want to over-dramatize the pitfalls of our society, but I do want to be mindful.

I want to plant the seeds early, that while the mall says “clothing makes the (wo)man,” God says the heart matters more.

When the world says “your worth is wrapped up in your beauty,” God gently answers, “It’s just your heart I want.”

When Facebook says “popularity is key” or “you are measured in numbers,” God says, “No. I do not look at the things man looks at. I look at the heart.”

These are the things I tell my daughter.

These are the truths I so desperately want her to grasp before the world shouts in her small ears. Before the friends speak as loudly as mom does. Before Seventeen is lying next to her Bible.

I want her to hide all this in her heart and believe without a doubt, that the heart does matter to God.

~

How are you helping your young daughter begin to frame her self-worth?