I bought this book a year or so ago and wanted to give a review of it. Actually it will be more of a “why I like this book” kind of post. 

Beyond Numbers: A Practical Guide to Teaching Math Biblically by Katherine Loop is the most helpful introduction to teaching math with Biblical principles that I have come across. She packs a lot of food for thought into less than 100 pages, and as a busy mom I appreciate that I can read it in one night.Chapters include “Where Did Math Come From and Why Does it Work?,” Math is Not Neutral,” and “Teaching Math Biblically.” It is a concise synopsis of math’s origin, exactly how to discover principles and how to teach them to your children of all ages. She also offers  curriculum suggestions, supplement resources, and help to overcome challenges (which we all have with some child at some time).

BPA requires you to internalize the principles and ideas in order to teach them to your children and she does a good job of helping you do that.If you have a hard time with math yourself or if you struggle to get your children when math lessons come around, this book will bring the subject alive for you. As she states in the chapter “Adopting a New Heart Toward Math, “…I would encourage you to do more than just add Bible verses to your curriculum. Let God change your heart toward math….As you begin to see and use math Biblically yourself,you will be able to teach math Biblically to your children so that they too, can behold God in math.”

For more info on this book visit Christian Perspectives. They offer many mathematical resources.

Due to personal reasons I have to put the brakes on my handmade books business for the forseeable future. I am giving you all one last chance to get a one-of-a-kind book by moi at a good price. Color choice is mine (to use up my materials) but you may specify light or dark colors.

Optional hard cover binding:

Elizabeth: 5X7 coptic stitch $25

Soft over books:

Mimi: 4X5

Jane: 5X7

Any of these above books are $20, which includes shipping and cute wrapping.

I will take orders only through about July 15, so place your order now. I accept Paypal at hawthornefive at hotmail dot com and please contact me at that address, as these are not Etsy listings but personal ones here.

If you have The Easy French or the Noah Plan Third Grade Lessons and are willing to trade for handmade books, please let me know and we can negotiate a fair price.

My most exciting times as a home educator have come under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Without the help of the Holy Spirit my lessons become dry and frankly pretty boring. I thought I would share some thoughts concerning this.

If you are a Christian teaching your children at home, you probably already have experienced spirit-led lessons, even if you didn’t know it or call it that.

When you are teaching multiple grades together you can relax. Just as happens in a church full of individuals, the Holy Spirit has a wonderful way of tailoring the lesson to fit the needs of the hearer. I never cease to be amazed that a room full of people can hear the same sermon, the same words and scripture, and get something intimately personal from it. Only God’s living Word can do that.

The Holy Spirit is here for, among other things, education.  John 14:26 Jesus says that when He left the Holy Spirit would come and “will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” “All things” there means in the Greek just that–all things. So rejoice that the Holy Spirit is there to teach you, to teach your kids, and to teach you to teach your kids all things.

If you are struggling in an area such as math or history or even how to schedule your day or deal with a difficult character issue, help is a prayer away. God gives wisdom liberally if we will only ask (James 1:5). And when we don’t even know what we need the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26) and Jesus (Rom. 8:34) both are praying God’s will on our behalf. Praise God! If you are weak in an area let God show Himself strong. I can tell you from experience those are the most exciting lessons of all because I cannot do that in my own ability. (2 Cor 12:9)

I encourage you to be careful not to put your lessons in a box and think there will be amazing revelations every day in every subject. That won’t happen. Many days will be pretty average. But that’s what makes the special times so special. And God’s grace is in the every day, speaking in quiet whispers through His Word in every subject.

With the Biblical Principle Approach that places God’s Word at the center of every subject, you can’t help but have Holy Spirit inspired lessons each time you pick up your Bible and read His life-giving words to your family. It’s rhema.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.      Hebrews 4:12

It’s so easy as a home educator to “feel guilty.” There’s no shortage of stuff to feel guilty about concerning our kids (whether the guilt is deserved or not): too much free time, not enough social time with friends, not enough rigorous academics, too much sugar, too late getting to bed, too little spiritual discussion/application, too little fun and games, too much yelling…

The Holy Spirit reminded me of a scripture today and I wanted to share it here, just in case a reader may struggle with feelings of guilt and/or condemnation.

18 My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. 19 This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality.

20 It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. 21 And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! 22 We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him.                  1 John 3:18-22 The Message

It is so comforting to know that God knows our hearts (Jer 17:9, 10) and He is greater. With God’s grace we can be free of guilt, whether it is appropriate or not. Guilt keeps us focused on ourselves. Self-criticism keeps us swirling in our own thoughts and actions. Our worried hearts keep us from resting, physically and mentally.

What is the key to freedom from guilt? L-O-V-E. This passage says to practice real love and that it will “shut down debilitating self-criticism.” Mature love (God’s kind of love) is the key to many things, like:

freedom from fear–

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror!        1 John 4:18 AMP

stability–

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.             Eph. 3:17-19 KJV

God is love (1 Jn 4:8). All you need is wrapped up in Him (Eph 1:23). He sent Jesus to us (John 3:16) and He continues to love us as He always has (Eph 2:4-8).

So we are free from guilt because of the work of Christ. If He, as the only one who has a right, does not condemn us, we should not do so ourselves (Rom 8:31-34). Rom 8:31-39 is blessed confirmation of God’s commitment to love us:

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rejoice that you are set free, even from your own worried, self-criticising heart. Nothing you have done, or have yet to do, can separate you from Him and His love, His love that covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Now you can walk free in boldness and get busy living for Christ. Praise God!

Today is Israel’s 60th birthday. What a miracle this little country is! To celebrate this momentous occasion, there is lots of activity at the Jerusalem Post you can take part in, from sending Israel an E-card to viewing highlights of the last 60 years. You can also check out celebrations happening all around Israel.

 Our city has a sister city in Israel: Tiberias. This isn’t really public knowledge I guess but I was glad to learn about it at last year’s A Night to Honor Israel. If there is one planned anywhere in your area, consider going. It is a wonderful night to show solidarity with the American Jewish community and Israel as well.

Please take time today to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. For more info on how to get involved with Israel, visit CUFI or ICEJ.

In my studies recently I happened upon a type of “notebooking” that was fascinating. It combines two of my favorite things–notebooks and traditional books (which I happen to be passionate about making!). I am such a book geek that I had to learn more.

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines it as:

Commonplace-book, a book in which are registered such facts, opinions or observations as are deemed worthy of notice or remembrance, so disposed that any one may be easily found. Hence common-place as used as an epithet to denote what is common or often repeated, or trite; as a commonplace observation.

It’s taking a topic, such as sewing, literature, a branch of science or cooking and creating your own special book about it. It may include tables or charts, definitions, clippings, quotes, measurements or your observations. Some well known commonplacers included Thomas Jefferson, John Locke and Ben Franklin.  Jonathan Edwards also kept a commonplace book. 

Read more here here and here.

Some modern uses for commonplacing may be for remodeling your home, landscaping or gardening, scrapbooking, reading an important literary work, fiction writing or Bible study. They can be invaluable resources for a life full of learning. And they can become treasures that your kids can fight over after your funeral!

 And of course, I will endeavor to make some commonplace books that are uncommon. If you are interested in a unique commonplace book customized to your special topic, please contact me for details and I’ll make a one of a kind commonplace book you will treasure for years to come. anna at annahawthorne dot com

Anna Hawthorne Studios

I am hosting a history study here on my blog beginning Monday, April 7. The resources you need are these two books here (click the pics to purchase), along with a Bible. I also recommend a notebook, lots of notebook paper, 8 dividers and a nice pen. Since we use the notebook method in BPA, you know we always need more notebooks!

I will post on the week’s lesson and then (hopefully) you will leave comments regarding the lesson, or link to your blog’s post on the topic. My hope is to generate positive, insightful conversation regarding America’s Christian history as we learnfrom these lessons.

There are 8 lessons, so we will take one each week and discuss it here and at our weekly Thursday night chats. I will add a new topic to my category list to make these lessons easy to find in the future, which is helpful if you can’t study with us right now. I hope you will prayerfully consider joining me for this exciting study.

In our house we LOVE all things artsy and craftsy, so I thought I would share some links to help you add more arts and crafts to your daily lessons. If you would like to add a link to this list, please share it in the comments section.

Bible

• DLTK
• Making Friends
• Teacher Help
• First School

History

• History for Kids
• Suite 101 printable crafts

Science

• Kids Create
• Science Crafts
• More Science Crafts

Mathematics

• Math Cat’s Math Crafts
• About.com math crafts
• Danielle’s Place math crafts and games
• Tessellations
• Tangrams

Geography

• Enchanted Learning
• Family Fun

Literature and English

• Suite 101
• Preschool: fairy tales
• Language arts crafts

Music

• Enchanted Learning
• About.com
• DLTK Kids
• Kaboose

American Sign Language

• Signing Time
• ASL 4 Kids
• ASL coloring pages

I know I’ve already addressed planning lessons and all sorts of other things for HisStory, so please check the topic in the sidebar for all that good stuff. What I want to discuss is what your lesson should contain.

I like parameters, boundaries, limits. I like to know expectations and standards (which is another post coming soon!) so when I plan lessons I like to know what it is I’m supposed to do. I want to be a more spontaneous educator, but right now I have to work with the personality God gave me, which seems really boring at times. I love A Guide to American Christian Education for many many reasons, but one of them is all the suggestions and lists and helpful lesson planning stuff that’s in that great book. One thing is the handy list that Mrs. Ruth Smith put together regarding HisStory lesson plans.

If you plan your HisStory lessons (and it works with any subject really), then you will have structure and hopefully the results you are after. The lesson should include 5 things:

1. Goal(s): (see GACE p. 204)
2. Content: what the lesson is to be about
3. Principles: one or more of the seven principles of America’s Christian History and Government
4. Methodology: sources, notes to be taken, etc (recording)
5. Assignments

When I use the goals, together with this simple list, my planning is simple and focused and my lessons get results. Planning your own lessons is not a mysterious or overwhelming process. It is simply a matter of taking things one step at a time.

As we prepare to get back to our lessons next week, I’ve been prayerfully considering what to do and what to avoid this year. These are some things I’ve realized:

less is more. I don’t have to teach a lot to teach a lot.

• it depends a lot on my preparation as a teacher. I am not confident when I just open a book and try to teach. I must internalize what I am teaching.
• My kids need things in small bites, and our schedule reflects that.
• I don’t need lots of stuff (like teaching aids and such). It clutters and actually distracts us from learning.
• I must be sold out. I can’t be half-hearted in educating my kids.
• I need to plan things. I’m not good with a vague idea of how the year will go. If it’s not written down, I probably will not do it.
• I have to be careful not to overplan (see #1)

I am seeing what I can keep, what I can do differently and what I can simply let go of. That process really charges me up for the next year. I feel things are fresh again and I’m ready to take on another year.