The interesting point of all this is that I know little, if anything, about art.  Oh, I had the typical art appreciation course in college.  I can tell an Impressionist painting from the work during the Renaissance.  But that is about it.  I just happen to love looking at lovely works of art.

The walls of our home are also graced by beautiful pictures and paintings.  The artists and subjects, however, are usually family members.

I have framed and matted my children’s art work; family photos, including ancestors; photographs of  meaningful objects, scenery and vistas; textiles created by my husband’s grandmother;  pressed flowers that my children gathered in our fields; and objects with a personal history.

The key to tastefully displaying your personal works of art lies in the framing.  It is important to consider dimensions as well as color when choosing your frames and mats.  I utilize online sources such as Snapfish (http://www2.snapfish.com/) to help me enlarge photos beyond what my printer will do.  These sources also have terrific cropping and editing features.  Their services are reasonably priced and their turn-around time is fast.

I have been seeking assistance from Hobby Lobby’s framing department for years.   Their framing experts are always helpful with the color choices of frames and mats.  They will patiently assist you as you try out various combinations.  I recently framed two needlepoint chaircovers that my husband’s grandmother created.  The customer service representative at Hobby Lobby not only helped me with my frame choice but gave me advice on the preservation of these lovely pieces.

The custom framing service they offer is reasonable and timely.  Hobby Lobby offers frequent sales on frames and custom matting services.  I usually purchase my frames when they are on sale and then wait until they have a sale on their framing services before I have my pieces framed.  In this way I can save on all ends and enjoy beautiful art for a reasonable cost.

Encourage your children by displaying their art work and preserve your family’s history while also adding beauty to your home.

Home education begins by maintaining terrific reading material for all ages.  Tap into your local library.  Take advantage of the available resources that list age-appropriate books.  I will begin to share my favorite children’s books as time goes on.

If you choose to formally educate your children at home, you must decide how to tackle the subject matter.  The curriculum choices are wide and varied.  It is necessary to plan ahead in order to not become overwhelmed with your options.

Plan your course of action and then choose your curriculum to match your needs.  I cannot stress enough the importance of this point.  Your family is unique and has special needs and desires concerning the education of your children.  Discuss these with your husband.  Write down your educational plans and goals for your family. Then, choose your curriculum.

The unpleasant alternative to this is perusing and purchasing wild amounts of curriculum and subject matter, much of which you will never actually utilize.  I have experienced this first-hand on a small scale and I have witnessed it countless times.  The available curriculum choices can actually paralyze your ability to homeschool.  Be wise, be thoughtful, be careful, be selective.

I customize my curriculum every year to  match my child’s academic, social and emotional needs. I also take into account my husband’s and family’s general schedule and needs for the upcoming year.  If I find myself looking forward to a stressful year full of time constraints etc., I will streamline my curriculum accordingly.  I have even  taken this step mid-year.

I will now share the subjects, by grade level, and some of the accompanying texts that I utilized for the 2007-2008 school year.  By no means is this list exhaustive, my favorites, nor a panacea for homeschooling success.  It just happened to work for us this past year.

Pre-K:

1. Circle Time:  Including games, songs and stories
2. Math prep
3. Reading prep
4. Penmanship
5. Music prep
6. Art (lots of art!)

Kindergarten

1. Circle Time
2. Math
3. Phonics
4. Reading
5. Spelling
6. Penmanship
7. Piano
8. Physical Education
9. Art

1st Grade

1. Circle Time
2. Math
3. Phonics
4. Language
5. Reading
6. Spelling
7. Penmanship
8. Piano
9. Physical Education
10. Art

In the lower elementary grades I may not cover every subject every day.  Our children do begin formal piano  studies in Kindergarten or 1st grade.  My primary textbooks in these early years are from Abeka.  I prefer A Reason For Handwriting for penmanship. We love circle time and art.  We leave plenty of time in our day for just playing.

5th Grade

1. Math – Abeka
2. Language – Abeka
3. History – Christian Liberty
4. Science – Abeka
5. Spelling – Christian Liberty
6. Writing -Alethea Academy (on-line)
7. Literature -Alethea Academy (on-line)
8. Penmanship – A Reason For Handwriting
9. Piano
10. Reading Comprehension – Abeka
11. Physical Education – Tennis and Golf
12. Bible

8th Grade

1. Math – Saxon 1/2 Pre-Algebra
2. Language – Abeka
3. History – Sonlight
4. Science – Abeka
5. Spelling – Christian Liberty
6. Writing -Alethea Academy (on-line)
7. Literature -Alethea Academy (on-line) and Sonlight
8. Piano
9. Latin – Schola Tutorials (on-line)
10. Physical Education – Tennis and Golf
11. Bible

9th Grade

1. Math – Saxon Algebra 1
2. Language – Abeka
3. History -World Geography - Abeka (began Bob Jones World History)
4. Latin-Schola Tutorials (on-line)
5. Biology – Abeka
6. Writing -Alethea Academy (on-line)
7. Literature -Alethea Academy (on-line) and Abeka
8. Piano
9. Physical Education – Tennis and Golf
10. Bible

11th Grade

1. Math – Teaching Textbooks Algebra II
2. Language and Writing included in English Literature
3. History -World History, Bob Jones
4. Latin- Scholars OnLine Academy (on-line)
5. Chemistry - Apologia
6. Literature - English Literature (prepares  student for the AP English Literature exam)
7. Physical Education – Tennis and Golf
8. Piano
9. Bible

I hope this is helpful.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  I would love to hear how you all work with your children.

“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” – Prov. 1:8