I am thankful for...
61. finishing my column (It makes me laugh. A quick edit in the morning, then it goes to my editor by noon.)
62. understanding family
63. a giggly walk on a snowy-treed trail with my daughter
64. happy secrets
65. the cute thank you notes from our nephews
66. the email from a niece
67. the compassion developing in my youngest
68. healthy homemade burritos at supper
69. scented magic markers
70. my son's art work
71. the joy in a son over learning a new instrument
72. my daughter trusting God for her future
73. my husband's appreciation for the lunch I prepared for him
74. being flexible today, so I could help a friend
75. someone having my son over for a playdate
76. God's strength, which got me through this day
Monday, February 08, 2010
Sunday, February 07, 2010
I am thankful for...
46. music that carries me to God's throne
47. church, a place where the little flame in my heart meets with others to become a bonfire
48. the riches in God's Word
49. the wisdom in God's Word
50. the comfort in God's Word
51. my son chivalry toward me
52. my daughter's respect
53. a warm winter day
54. sound advice
55. the prayers of friends
56. blueberry scones
57. vanilla white tea
58. my husband's diligence
59. my wedding rings
60. contentment
Friday, February 05, 2010
I am thankful for...
25. poppy-red peppers
26. toys that keep my son creative for hours
27. hot sunshine through a window on a cold day
28. the security of marriage
29. a friend's hug
30. a whispered, "I love you"
31. light bulbs
32. the smell of new wood
33. when the phone rings and it's one of my kids
34. The Reader's Digest
35. the beauty of frost on trees
36. roasted garlic hummus
37. tzatziki
38. fresh naan bread
39. my husband's laughter
40. a friend request on Facebook
41. new skates (I haven't skated in 25 years)
42. the smell of citrus-basil hand soap a friend gave me
43. Aveeno lotion
44. sleeping peacefully
45. dreams
25. poppy-red peppers
26. toys that keep my son creative for hours
27. hot sunshine through a window on a cold day
28. the security of marriage
29. a friend's hug
30. a whispered, "I love you"
31. light bulbs
32. the smell of new wood
33. when the phone rings and it's one of my kids
34. The Reader's Digest
35. the beauty of frost on trees
36. roasted garlic hummus
37. tzatziki
38. fresh naan bread
39. my husband's laughter
40. a friend request on Facebook
41. new skates (I haven't skated in 25 years)
42. the smell of citrus-basil hand soap a friend gave me
43. Aveeno lotion
44. sleeping peacefully
45. dreams
Thursday, February 04, 2010
more gratitute
I am thankful for...
8. my son's smile
9. my daughter serenading me on her guitar
10. my husband's sweet kiss and hug goodnight
11. my little boy's squishy hug...
12. and his nite-nite prayers
13. that goodbyes aren't forever
14. for the yummy veggie wraps we had for supper
15. our furnace
16. conflict-free oil from the oil sands
17. local jobs for people from all over the world
18. good radio (KAOS 91.1)
19. a good friend healing up quickly from an operation
20. the good spirits of a sister who is also recovering from surgery
21. the happy sound of my teens singing together, laughing, and teasing
22. wool socks
23. God's peace in my heart
24. finally, quiet...
8. my son's smile
9. my daughter serenading me on her guitar
10. my husband's sweet kiss and hug goodnight
11. my little boy's squishy hug...
12. and his nite-nite prayers
13. that goodbyes aren't forever
14. for the yummy veggie wraps we had for supper
15. our furnace
16. conflict-free oil from the oil sands
17. local jobs for people from all over the world
18. good radio (KAOS 91.1)
19. a good friend healing up quickly from an operation
20. the good spirits of a sister who is also recovering from surgery
21. the happy sound of my teens singing together, laughing, and teasing
22. wool socks
23. God's peace in my heart
24. finally, quiet...
Thankfulness
As with many things in my life, they first come in some seemingly random way. I found the blog, Holy Experience, from a link for Ann Voskamp, presenter at Write Canada in June.
On her blog, I found a numbered list. After reading through some of the snippets, some thoughtful, some funny, all lovely, I came to the above graphic, with an explanation by the author, Ann Voskamp. She is simply listing 1,000 gifts for which she is thankful. Some who have joined The Community of Gratitude list on Mondays... but if you've visited here before, I apologize... my entries are not that organized, or scheduled.
So I begin...
Gifts For Which I am Thankful
1. my husband's faithfulness (he just left for work. it's -20.)
2. my warm sweater
3. the knitted blanket on my lap (a friend's mother made it for my youngest before he was born)
4. being able to talk to friends on facebook and by email, since phones and visits aren't always possible (I read a couple of notes, and smile)
5. Heaven doesn't have darkness, or extreme cold
6. our flooring will arrive on Friday, and we'll pick it up
7. my cozy bed (I'm going back to sleep now, until the sun comes up)
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
History
History Binders
When our older two were in first and third grade, I began teaching them history chronologically.
For our base, we used Greenleaf History.
I added
historical picture books,
novels to read-aloud,
other resources such as Kingfisher's History Encyclopedia,
and Usborne Time Traveler books.
We also did crafts, and once a year, produced a large project which we presented at our homeschool group's Presentation Night.
Basically, the record for what we covered is contained in each child's History Binder. I have kept the older ones' work. Now my youngest son and I have begun his own History Binder.
For our base, we are using The Story of The World, by Bauer.
Now things are simpler, since she has also produced an activity book with additional reading, crafts, art, colouring pages, maps and more, so I just tear sheets we'll use out, and put them into my son's History Binder.
We are currently enjoying our study of Ancient Egypt.
For independent reading, we used Tut's Mummy, Lost... And Found.
Since Bauer's books do not have colour photos, we used Kingfisher's book to give us visuals of the era.
For multimedia, the Internet is invaluable. We looked up King Tutankhamen, and found out his face was only recently unmasked, in November, 2007. (It's kind of creepy.)
Tut's Mummy unmasked
One morning, my son had an 'art attack' and created treasures from craft supplies.
One of the many related video tours we found was of Tut's tomb.
We were facinated with the Egyptians' practice of preparing all their possessions to accompany them to The Land of The Dead, and the precise instructions they followed from the Book of The Dead for preparing bodies for burial. How sad. They didn't know they couldn't take it all with them. It was interesting to contrast their beliefs with ours. We are looking forward to a Land of the Living, and we can travel light.
Learning comes alive when all the senses are engaged.
When our older two were in first and third grade, I began teaching them history chronologically.
For our base, we used Greenleaf History.
I added
historical picture books,
novels to read-aloud,
other resources such as Kingfisher's History Encyclopedia,
and Usborne Time Traveler books.
We also did crafts, and once a year, produced a large project which we presented at our homeschool group's Presentation Night.
Basically, the record for what we covered is contained in each child's History Binder. I have kept the older ones' work. Now my youngest son and I have begun his own History Binder.
For our base, we are using The Story of The World, by Bauer.
Now things are simpler, since she has also produced an activity book with additional reading, crafts, art, colouring pages, maps and more, so I just tear sheets we'll use out, and put them into my son's History Binder.
We are currently enjoying our study of Ancient Egypt.
For independent reading, we used Tut's Mummy, Lost... And Found.
Since Bauer's books do not have colour photos, we used Kingfisher's book to give us visuals of the era.
For multimedia, the Internet is invaluable. We looked up King Tutankhamen, and found out his face was only recently unmasked, in November, 2007. (It's kind of creepy.)
Tut's Mummy unmasked
One morning, my son had an 'art attack' and created treasures from craft supplies.
One of the many related video tours we found was of Tut's tomb.
We were facinated with the Egyptians' practice of preparing all their possessions to accompany them to The Land of The Dead, and the precise instructions they followed from the Book of The Dead for preparing bodies for burial. How sad. They didn't know they couldn't take it all with them. It was interesting to contrast their beliefs with ours. We are looking forward to a Land of the Living, and we can travel light.
Learning comes alive when all the senses are engaged.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Veggie Soup with Quick Fixes
BASIC VEGGIE SOUP
Contributed by Jeana Weiss
Serves 12
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 large carrots, chopped
2 small celery stalks, chopped
1 medium turnip, chopped
2 cups green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/4 head cabbage, chopped
2 small russet potatoes — peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
In a large soup pot, heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until nearly translucent, then add the garlic. Don't let the garlic brown and sauté another couple of minutes.
Add the rest of the chopped veggies, sautéing for just a minute or two; the extra tablespoon of olive oil is if you need it for the rest of the veggies. Remember — you're not cooking them, just sautéing them for the wonderful flavor this quick step will infuse in your soup. Add the thyme and salt and pepper while sautéing.
Now put the veggies in the Crock Pot, add the tomatoes and broth. Cook on low 7-9 hours (depending on your Crock Pot) or high 4-6 hours. Just before serving, gently mash some of the potato chunks against the side of the Crock Pot to thicken the soup. Then give it a stir and serve.
Per serving: 88 cal; 4 g. total fat; (35% cal from fat); 5 g. protein; 2 g. dietary fiber; 9 g. carb; 0 mg. chol; 658 mg. sodium
SERVING SUGGESTION: Grilled cheese sandwiches on whole grain bread and a spinach salad.
Quick Fixes for variations on the Basic Veggie Soup - Now remember, don't do these to the whole pot of soup! Just the little bit you pull out to fix yourself for lunch so that you can do all the Quick Fixes.
Quick Fix No. 1: Tex Mex Veggie Soup. Add some (eyeball it — how much do you want?) canned black beans (drained and rinsed), a little bit of cumin and chopped cilantro. Top with some tortilla chips and cheese, or serve with a quesadilla.
Quick Fix No. 2: Tuscan Veggie Soup. Add some (eyeball it again) canned cannellini (white kidney beans) or white beans (drained and rinsed), a little bit of Italian seasoning and some chopped kale. Cook until heated through and the kale is tender.
Quick Fix No. 3: Minestrone Veggie Soup. Add some cooked pasta, a little dried basil and top with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese.
Quick Fix No. 4: Autumn Veggie Soup. Add some diced acorn squash or butternut squash, a handful of cooked brown rice, a sprinkling of nutmeg and some chopped parsley.
Contributed by Jeana Weiss
Serves 12
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 large carrots, chopped
2 small celery stalks, chopped
1 medium turnip, chopped
2 cups green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/4 head cabbage, chopped
2 small russet potatoes — peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
In a large soup pot, heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until nearly translucent, then add the garlic. Don't let the garlic brown and sauté another couple of minutes.
Add the rest of the chopped veggies, sautéing for just a minute or two; the extra tablespoon of olive oil is if you need it for the rest of the veggies. Remember — you're not cooking them, just sautéing them for the wonderful flavor this quick step will infuse in your soup. Add the thyme and salt and pepper while sautéing.
Now put the veggies in the Crock Pot, add the tomatoes and broth. Cook on low 7-9 hours (depending on your Crock Pot) or high 4-6 hours. Just before serving, gently mash some of the potato chunks against the side of the Crock Pot to thicken the soup. Then give it a stir and serve.
Per serving: 88 cal; 4 g. total fat; (35% cal from fat); 5 g. protein; 2 g. dietary fiber; 9 g. carb; 0 mg. chol; 658 mg. sodium
SERVING SUGGESTION: Grilled cheese sandwiches on whole grain bread and a spinach salad.
Quick Fixes for variations on the Basic Veggie Soup - Now remember, don't do these to the whole pot of soup! Just the little bit you pull out to fix yourself for lunch so that you can do all the Quick Fixes.
Quick Fix No. 1: Tex Mex Veggie Soup. Add some (eyeball it — how much do you want?) canned black beans (drained and rinsed), a little bit of cumin and chopped cilantro. Top with some tortilla chips and cheese, or serve with a quesadilla.
Quick Fix No. 2: Tuscan Veggie Soup. Add some (eyeball it again) canned cannellini (white kidney beans) or white beans (drained and rinsed), a little bit of Italian seasoning and some chopped kale. Cook until heated through and the kale is tender.
Quick Fix No. 3: Minestrone Veggie Soup. Add some cooked pasta, a little dried basil and top with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese.
Quick Fix No. 4: Autumn Veggie Soup. Add some diced acorn squash or butternut squash, a handful of cooked brown rice, a sprinkling of nutmeg and some chopped parsley.
first time
I like downhill skiing. Now. I didn’t always. The first time I went skiing was in my early twenties, at our local hill. The lodge was a couple of trailers. Some friends were heading out for night skiing, so brave (or stupid) as I was, I decided to go along and give it a try.
All of my companions had skied before. The rental boots felt like bowling balls on my feet, and the skis like slippery sticks. No-one used helmets back then. My friends reassured me, “You’ll do fine. Just make a snowplough, like this.” And someone demonstrated. It was dark. There were a couple of runs open, with barely enough light to see where the snow ended and the trees began.
I scrambled after my friends to the top of a run. They gracefully swished down, making long S motions.
“Okay… here goes.” I forced my bowling ball heels outward to make a wedge with my skis, and went over the edge. Starting to pick up speed, I screamed. Not that it made any difference. Everyone had reached the bottom of the run by then. I wiped out. Wow, what an accomplishment. Looking back up to the top, I’d gone maybe twenty feet. “Great. At this rate I’ll reach the bottom, wherever that is, by morning.”
I kept at it; skiing a bit, falling, getting back up and going again. Some say I’m determined. My parents used to say I was stubborn. By the time I neared the bottom of my first run, my friends had gone up the T-bar, skied down the other run, gone back up the T-bar, and were now skiing down past me again. “Hey, you’re doing great!”
“Nice. Thanks. Don’t bother waiting… I’ll be fine. Really…”
At the hill, it’s each man for himself… the faster someone can ski, the less patient they are to wait for anyone. It’s the wild side, finally let loose. But wait… someone stopped. He stood a little way below, encouraging me, waiting. Hmmm… must be a nice guy.
I stood, put my bowling-ball skis into pizza-wedge-position, and down I went. And wow, did I go fast. I didn’t wipe out. I was getting the hang of it. I think I did about 50 K past that guy, screaming the whole way. At the T-bar, he said it was the fasted snowplough he’d ever seen. It only took me about an hour to do that first ski run of my life.
What a feeling of triumph. Then the T-bar. Yikes, what a contraption of awkwardness that rig was. Did I mention it was dark? Not only did I have to slide downhill with bowling-ball boots on slippery sticks, but now I had to hold all that still, and pointed in the right direction and ski UPHILL. Crazy. I fell off the horrid thing, of course. It went slowly enough that I could catch a different T-bar up from the half-way mark. Then I caught a ski on an invisible obstacle and lost a ski, so I had to hurtle off the T-bar, crawl to the side and try to put my ski back on while balancing on one slippery stick. Did I mention that it was dark? And cold. After a lot of manoeuvring, I finally caught another ride to the top.
My second run took half the time. I fell as often, but got faster at getting up. Too bad I pulled a muscle in my leg after a spectacular wipe-out that AFV fans would die with laughter watching, if anyone had bothered sticking around to video-tape. As you can imagine, I was devastated that I couldn’t ski anymore that winter. Remember that nice guy who waited and watched me snowplough like Mario Andriette? Well, he’s my husband, and he talked me into taking lessons, and he bought me skis, and we went on some great ski trips. And now, long story short, I actually like skiing. I’m sure I was the happiest person out there when they finally installed the chair lift.
Have you ever dropped a ski from that lift? Wow, that is a long climb.
All of my companions had skied before. The rental boots felt like bowling balls on my feet, and the skis like slippery sticks. No-one used helmets back then. My friends reassured me, “You’ll do fine. Just make a snowplough, like this.” And someone demonstrated. It was dark. There were a couple of runs open, with barely enough light to see where the snow ended and the trees began.
I scrambled after my friends to the top of a run. They gracefully swished down, making long S motions.
“Okay… here goes.” I forced my bowling ball heels outward to make a wedge with my skis, and went over the edge. Starting to pick up speed, I screamed. Not that it made any difference. Everyone had reached the bottom of the run by then. I wiped out. Wow, what an accomplishment. Looking back up to the top, I’d gone maybe twenty feet. “Great. At this rate I’ll reach the bottom, wherever that is, by morning.”
I kept at it; skiing a bit, falling, getting back up and going again. Some say I’m determined. My parents used to say I was stubborn. By the time I neared the bottom of my first run, my friends had gone up the T-bar, skied down the other run, gone back up the T-bar, and were now skiing down past me again. “Hey, you’re doing great!”
“Nice. Thanks. Don’t bother waiting… I’ll be fine. Really…”
At the hill, it’s each man for himself… the faster someone can ski, the less patient they are to wait for anyone. It’s the wild side, finally let loose. But wait… someone stopped. He stood a little way below, encouraging me, waiting. Hmmm… must be a nice guy.
I stood, put my bowling-ball skis into pizza-wedge-position, and down I went. And wow, did I go fast. I didn’t wipe out. I was getting the hang of it. I think I did about 50 K past that guy, screaming the whole way. At the T-bar, he said it was the fasted snowplough he’d ever seen. It only took me about an hour to do that first ski run of my life.
What a feeling of triumph. Then the T-bar. Yikes, what a contraption of awkwardness that rig was. Did I mention it was dark? Not only did I have to slide downhill with bowling-ball boots on slippery sticks, but now I had to hold all that still, and pointed in the right direction and ski UPHILL. Crazy. I fell off the horrid thing, of course. It went slowly enough that I could catch a different T-bar up from the half-way mark. Then I caught a ski on an invisible obstacle and lost a ski, so I had to hurtle off the T-bar, crawl to the side and try to put my ski back on while balancing on one slippery stick. Did I mention that it was dark? And cold. After a lot of manoeuvring, I finally caught another ride to the top.
My second run took half the time. I fell as often, but got faster at getting up. Too bad I pulled a muscle in my leg after a spectacular wipe-out that AFV fans would die with laughter watching, if anyone had bothered sticking around to video-tape. As you can imagine, I was devastated that I couldn’t ski anymore that winter. Remember that nice guy who waited and watched me snowplough like Mario Andriette? Well, he’s my husband, and he talked me into taking lessons, and he bought me skis, and we went on some great ski trips. And now, long story short, I actually like skiing. I’m sure I was the happiest person out there when they finally installed the chair lift.
Have you ever dropped a ski from that lift? Wow, that is a long climb.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
sweet salad
SPINACH- APPLE SALAD
Spinach - triple washed, ready to eat
walnuts - toasted (in oven, or in a non-stick frying pan)
currents
diced apple
poppy seed dressing
MANDARIN SALAD
Spinach or romaine lettuce
toasted almonds
Mandarin orange (canned or bottled is fine, drain)
poppy seed dressing
Any leaves, mixed with any fruit will work~
For dressing, any (good) oil will work with any acid, such as olive oil with orange juice, or sunflower oil and rice vinegar. If you want to sweeten it, use honey or maple syrup.
Add crunchy things... they're good for you, like nuts, and seeds.
Experiment!
Trying to get 5 veggie servings every day...
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Guest Blog - White From Within
But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” Matthew 17:7
Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain to show them a vision unlike any they had seen. The Lord was transfigured before the men so that “his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”(Matthew 17:2) Moses and Elijah appeared talking to Jesus. A cloud formed and the three disciples heard a voice proclaim, “This is my Son…listen to him!” Upon hearing this, they fell face down and were terrified. Jesus came, touched them, and told them to get up and not to be afraid. When the disciples looked up Jesus was there by himself. The four walked back down the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until “the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”(Matthew 17:9)
As God shows you His plan for your life, it may feel overwhelming. You may feel ‘terrified’ at the thought of having to part with old habits or activities that keep you in your comfort zone. Don’t worry. Jesus is right there with you, reaching out telling you the same thing he told his disciples: “Get up from your mistakes. Get up from the guilt that keeps you rooted. Don’t let fear make you believe you’re not worthy.”
It won’t always be easy. Even for the three, Jesus had them walk up a high mountain, most likely Mount Hermon which is 9,320 feet tall. We can safely infer that it took them several days to make the hike. We, too, need to endure with the Lord, toward the places that are “higher” than this world. Find Him away from the crowded schedules of life. He’s waiting to be the Light of your life, shining bright from your heart that will be white from within with His glory. Walk with the Lord and begin to see his fingerprints on your entire day.
Matt Koceich
The Koceich Family Coffee Store
Saturday, January 23, 2010
the good edmontonian
A lawyer asked a teacher a question: "What must I do to have eternal life?"
The teacher answered, "What does the Bible say? Do you understand it?"
Having carefully read it, he said, " It says, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.' It also says, 'Love your neighbour as much as you love yourself.'"
"Yes," the teacher said. "If you do this, you have eternal life."
"But who is my neighbour?" the lawyer was hoping to get out of this part.
The teacher told him a story...
As a man was driving from Edmonton to Calgary, his car stalled on the highway. A couple of men stopped, but they beat the man, took his wallet, his cell phone, the tires off his car, and smashed his windows. They left him half dead.
A clergyman came along, driving to a retreat, and he didn't want to be late, so he switched lanes and pretended not to see.
Later, a doctor drove by on his way to Edmonton to meet his girlfriend. He'd just finished a double shift and didn't want to stop. He phoned 9-1-1, and kept going.
A little while later, a roofer stopped. He noticed the Edmonton Oilers bumper sticker on the jacked car, and scowled. He was a Calgary Flames fan, but a quick glance into the car made him wince. The guy inside was covered with blood. "I guess I can look past your hockey allegiance," he said.
He didn't have much medical training, just First Aid. He went back to his truck and pulled out his emergency kit. He set to work, making sure the victim was alive, calming him, covering him with a blanket, and applying a tourniquet on his arm to stop the bleeding.
By the time a siren approached, the men were talking hockey, and the tradesman asked for the battered man's name. The emergency medical techs took over, and rushed him to the hospital.
The next day, the roofer phoned the area hospitals to locate the man. When he went to visit, he discovered the man didn't have health care coverage, or a ride back to his home, and all his money was gone. The roofer offered to come back the next day when he'd be released, and help him out. When he came, he brought clean clothes for him to wear, and paid his medical bill; he treated him to a meal along the way, and wouldn't accept anything in exchange for his trouble.
"Which was a neighbour to the injured man?" the teacher asked the lawyer.
"The third guy... he cared enough to do something," he said.
"Do the same."
(paraphrased from Luke 10)
The teacher answered, "What does the Bible say? Do you understand it?"
Having carefully read it, he said, " It says, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.' It also says, 'Love your neighbour as much as you love yourself.'"
"Yes," the teacher said. "If you do this, you have eternal life."
"But who is my neighbour?" the lawyer was hoping to get out of this part.
The teacher told him a story...
As a man was driving from Edmonton to Calgary, his car stalled on the highway. A couple of men stopped, but they beat the man, took his wallet, his cell phone, the tires off his car, and smashed his windows. They left him half dead.
A clergyman came along, driving to a retreat, and he didn't want to be late, so he switched lanes and pretended not to see.
Later, a doctor drove by on his way to Edmonton to meet his girlfriend. He'd just finished a double shift and didn't want to stop. He phoned 9-1-1, and kept going.
A little while later, a roofer stopped. He noticed the Edmonton Oilers bumper sticker on the jacked car, and scowled. He was a Calgary Flames fan, but a quick glance into the car made him wince. The guy inside was covered with blood. "I guess I can look past your hockey allegiance," he said.
He didn't have much medical training, just First Aid. He went back to his truck and pulled out his emergency kit. He set to work, making sure the victim was alive, calming him, covering him with a blanket, and applying a tourniquet on his arm to stop the bleeding.
By the time a siren approached, the men were talking hockey, and the tradesman asked for the battered man's name. The emergency medical techs took over, and rushed him to the hospital.
The next day, the roofer phoned the area hospitals to locate the man. When he went to visit, he discovered the man didn't have health care coverage, or a ride back to his home, and all his money was gone. The roofer offered to come back the next day when he'd be released, and help him out. When he came, he brought clean clothes for him to wear, and paid his medical bill; he treated him to a meal along the way, and wouldn't accept anything in exchange for his trouble.
"Which was a neighbour to the injured man?" the teacher asked the lawyer.
"The third guy... he cared enough to do something," he said.
"Do the same."
(paraphrased from Luke 10)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Helping kids learn
It’s really tough getting back into the swing of things after a long holiday break. What with all the whining, complaining, procrastinating, and extra caffeine required, it’s been rough. As for the kids’ reaction to schoolwork starting again, they’re fine.
I have been thinking that my eight-year-old is a late bloomer when it comes to reading. He seems to take joy in telling everyone he cannot read. Okay, the kid’s in third grade. Can this be true? I sit and practice with him on weekdays. He does okay. He does worse in graded readers than just regular ol’ reading whatever pops in front of his eyes.
Here is a sampling of a reader: Pep held Kim and ran fast. A dog can rob a doll bed. Pep ran fast and did not stop. Pep ran to a log. A big pot was on the log. Pep hid Kim in the big pot. Pep ran fast as a fox! Jill went to get Kim. Kim was not in bed! A red hat was on the bed, not Kim!
No wonder the kid won’t read the stuff! Who talks that way? Here’s suppertime in reader English: Mom is at home. Dad is at home. Mom made food. Cay took food. Cay ran fast. Mom ran fast. Cay ran fast as a fox. Dad was glad. Mom is mad.
If we spoke that way at any other time, folks would think we’ve had a brain injury. Kids want real stories, told in everyday, normal language.
To prove my point, the child a day before read, on the Wii Indiana Jones game he shares with his brother, a long sentence telling him something about explosives. He had no trouble with the sentence. He didn’t even stutter with the longest word.
We tossed the reader and pulled out a storybook. He got caught up in the story so that he read more than the agreed upon amount without realizing it.
There has been a lot of discussion in recent years about books being ‘dumbed-down’ for children, to make teaching to a large group easier. Over many years that he spent in the classroom, John Taylor Gatto experienced materials and learning systems created to make group learning run smoothly.
If a child is bored with their work, you as a parent could find ways to challenge your child at home.
Take trips to interesting places, like the library, Heritage Park, The Discovery Center, and museums when out-of-town. My husband and I took our young son alone for a trip to the museum in Edmonton. He went through it in break-neck speed, but when we left he was satisfied and said, “Dad, you should get a job there, like the dad in Night at the Museum.”
Research things on the net related to your children’s random questions, even if it’s not in their programme of studies. One day, my son asked, “What do starfish eat?” Rather than brush off the query because I was busy making dinner, we used the laptop in the kitchen to find the answer.
Children are born ready to learn. It takes a lot of patience, time, and energy to help them, but they are worth it.
I have been thinking that my eight-year-old is a late bloomer when it comes to reading. He seems to take joy in telling everyone he cannot read. Okay, the kid’s in third grade. Can this be true? I sit and practice with him on weekdays. He does okay. He does worse in graded readers than just regular ol’ reading whatever pops in front of his eyes.
Here is a sampling of a reader: Pep held Kim and ran fast. A dog can rob a doll bed. Pep ran fast and did not stop. Pep ran to a log. A big pot was on the log. Pep hid Kim in the big pot. Pep ran fast as a fox! Jill went to get Kim. Kim was not in bed! A red hat was on the bed, not Kim!
No wonder the kid won’t read the stuff! Who talks that way? Here’s suppertime in reader English: Mom is at home. Dad is at home. Mom made food. Cay took food. Cay ran fast. Mom ran fast. Cay ran fast as a fox. Dad was glad. Mom is mad.
If we spoke that way at any other time, folks would think we’ve had a brain injury. Kids want real stories, told in everyday, normal language.
To prove my point, the child a day before read, on the Wii Indiana Jones game he shares with his brother, a long sentence telling him something about explosives. He had no trouble with the sentence. He didn’t even stutter with the longest word.
We tossed the reader and pulled out a storybook. He got caught up in the story so that he read more than the agreed upon amount without realizing it.
There has been a lot of discussion in recent years about books being ‘dumbed-down’ for children, to make teaching to a large group easier. Over many years that he spent in the classroom, John Taylor Gatto experienced materials and learning systems created to make group learning run smoothly.
If a child is bored with their work, you as a parent could find ways to challenge your child at home.
Take trips to interesting places, like the library, Heritage Park, The Discovery Center, and museums when out-of-town. My husband and I took our young son alone for a trip to the museum in Edmonton. He went through it in break-neck speed, but when we left he was satisfied and said, “Dad, you should get a job there, like the dad in Night at the Museum.”
Research things on the net related to your children’s random questions, even if it’s not in their programme of studies. One day, my son asked, “What do starfish eat?” Rather than brush off the query because I was busy making dinner, we used the laptop in the kitchen to find the answer.
Children are born ready to learn. It takes a lot of patience, time, and energy to help them, but they are worth it.
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