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Why We Chose To Homeschool {Homeschooling} {Epilepsy Awareness}

April 17, 2017 by Dana

5 Days of Blogging with Epilepsy and Other Issues:

Why We Chose To Homeschool

I never imagined I’d be a Homeschooling Mom. When Winston was born, I don’t even think I knew what Homeschooling was. In High School, I had planned to go to college at Clemson and major in English and Education. I wanted to be a Middle School English teacher.

This wasn’t God’s plan though. I met my ex-husband when I was 17 and found myself in LOVE. By 19, I was married. At 21, I had my oldest son and at 23, my baby girl was added into the mix. My life was all about being Momma and Wife. Long gone was the idea of being a Teacher.

Then when Emmalee was 3 months old, our life changed completely. Emma began having seizures. Appointments had us traveling back and forth to MUSC every 3 months. MRI’s, EEG’s and blood tests became an important part of our life. It was chaos.

Time passed quickly. Before I knew it Emma was 3 and Winston was 5. It was time to make a decision about school but my Momma heart wasn’t ready to part with either of my babies. I was very involved in online parenting communities (This was pre-Facebook) and I was learning about different educational types. Homeschooling was becoming more widely known, so I started praying and looking into more information.

I found out my then husband’s boss’ wife was Homeschooling their kids so my ex-husband was all for learning more. Prayer led me to finding information in places I never expected. Our dump had a swap place where people left items they no longer needed but weren’t quite trash. It was there I found my first curriculum and informative books on Homeschooling. Then I was in a local thrift store and I found more books on Homeschooling.

These little signs from God were all I needed. We found our local homeschooling association was holding a New Homeschooler class so we attended and learned a lot. I knew in my heart God was calling me to this and I was determined to follow.

Here we are 11 years later, still homeschooling. I didn’t know then why it was right for us but over time, I’ve come to find that there was definitely more reasons than I could see in those early days. Multiple moves across the state of SC and finally into NC. Multiple children with special needs and Epilepsy. Multiple doctors appointments several days a week, hours away from home. Therapies that were required for 3 of my 4 children. All of these things came over the years and showed me that Homeschooling was definitely chosen by God for us for a reason unseen that He knew all the time.

And it’s a choice I’ve never second guessed or wished to change. It’s a choice that has led us to become bonded together as a family. It’s a choice that has given us so much more than we could even have known when we began this journey.

God knew though and He’s led us all the way. We will keep going and seeking his guidance in this, as we have from the beginning. I look forward to seeing where He is leading us on our journey.

God bless,

Dana Lambert – Hodge

This blog post is a part of the 5 Days Of Homeschool… blog hop

from the Homeschool Review Crew!

5 Days of Homeschool Annual Blog Hop - 2017

To read other posts…

At Home In Dogwood Mudhole {Crew Review}

November 15, 2013 by Dana

At Home In Dogwood Mudhole is the epic journal of Franklin Sanders and his family. As they began to prepare for the great Y2K pandemonium, the Sanders’ began writing a letters of their life’s preparations and events. These letters, which were originally published in “The Moneychanger” newsletter, become the basis for the two book series At Home In Dogwood Mudhole.

Many times, I sit back and think how life was back before the digital age. I wonder what it was like to live as my ancestors did. Through Volume 1 of At Home In Dogwood Mudhole: Nothing That Eats, I was able to imagine the life even more.

Franklin Sanders, the author of At Home In Dogwood Mudhole

Franklin Sanders decided to move his entire family – wife, kids, grandkids and pets – to a farm called Dogwood Mudhole. It was there that they reinvented and changed their entire lives. Learning to live and survive much like our ancestors did. His accounts of their life bring forth imagery that most books fail to project of a life many no longer are able to achieve.

The Sanders learned how to care for multitudes of animals, despite Susan’s proclamation that they’d acquire nothing that eats. They learned to plow fields using horses. They learned to plant fields and eat what they reaped and sowed from those crops. But more than that, the Sanders learned about living together and the love of a family. Through their preparations the Sanders learn to enjoy life and each other. Lessons like these are few and far between in this day and age of fast-paced digital living.

This book left me with a better understanding of times past. It also made me realize the importance of preparing for the future of our life in this country. I have also gained a stronger appreciation of my family, seeing many things from the book that I can change in our own lives to make things improved for us, bringing us closer together as well.

At Home In Dogwood Mudhole by Franklin Sanders is available in Paperback for $22.95 or on Kindle for $16.95. It’s 379 pages long containing four sections and multiple chapters. The text also includes photographs of the Sanders life while preparing for Y2K and learning to get back to life the way it once was.

I found the writing style of the book to be fun. I enjoy reading old artifacts and journals so this was right up my ally. It is written in letters put together like a journal, so everything reads into each other but instead of being listed as days, each letter has a title. Years are provided throughout the letters so that you have an idea of the time of year it was. It all comes together amazingly well and makes an enjoyable read. A perfect book for adults and teens to read!

To read more reviews of At Home In Dogwood Mudhole, please click the banner below!

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Gryphon House: The Homegrown Preschool {Crew Review}

August 2, 2013 by Dana

Gryphon House Publishers graciously offered the Schoolhouse Review crew their choice of two products for this review: Global Art and The Homegrown Preschooler. I must say I was extremely torn over which I would chose. Art is a HUGE deal in our house but so is preschool learning for my younger two.

Weighing my choices, I chose to review The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live, which actually went very well with my last review, Circle Time by Kendra Fletcher {Read that review here!}. The books complemented each other well for our lessons but enough about that.

The Homegrown Preschooler was a great reminder of many of the concepts I have previously used in our homeschooling. It gives a great explanation of using play and hands-on activities for active lessons with younger children. The Homegrown Preschooler gives examples throughout the book of activities, ideas and games that can be used with children of any age to develop their learning and life skills.

This 204 page book is packed with beautiful images of children engaging in various activities. This fully-colored guide for “Teaching You Kids in the Places They Live”, is jam-packed full with activities dealing with math, science, reading, and much more. It includes great meal planning recipes for kids along with great recipes for play dough and other useful preschool tools.

The Homegrown Preschooler guides you in turning your home into an environment in which your children can learn. This book teaches the parent how to use the things that are available to them to bring learning home, and how to create a safe and educational place for the learning to be done in. Preschool is about play and fun and all the things that children love to do!

Inspirational stories can be found throughout this book from the authors and others who have been there done that. Fingerplays, songs and other fun activities are shared for you to utilize in your own preschool environment. There’s also a great section of printables and design instructions in the back of the book for your personal use.

The Homegrown Preschooler is written for parents of preschoolers between the ages of one and five. I chose to read and use this book with my five year old, who is a bit old for some of the activities. We were able to use much of the books suggestions though since Laycie is slightly delayed in learning due to her Epilepsy.

After reading this book, I decided making my own play dough doesn’t sound too bad. I also started using more hands-on elements with Laycie, creating a few sensory bins using toys, rice and other things we have around our house. Some of these sensory play times have also made it into our bath where Laycie enjoys making a mess and then washing it up, teaching her the skills of homekeeping as she works.

Many of the suggestions in the book, are things we have been doing a long time. We work together and have Circle Times and field trips that allow our family to bond and socialize. We clean together too, learning skills from one another as we work. Sometimes I even let each child teach another the skills they are good at.

The Homegrown Preschooler is a great book for any parent with a young child. I know I will be pulling it out in the future as Jackson grows and I am in need of a reminder for activities to do with him. This book will be beneficial for years to come as it teaches you skills and techniques that can really be used throughout the child’s younger years.

The Homegrown Preschooler is available from Gyphon House for $29.95 plus shipping. For more reviews of The Homegrown Preschooler, please click the banner below!

IEW: Teaching The Classics {Crew Review}

July 8, 2013 by Dana

Teaching The Classics DVD Seminar and Workbook from the Institute for Excellence in Writing is a full curriculum designed to help the user learn how to learn best from classic reading materials. Providing a literature style that brings literature understanding to everyone, Teaching The Classics makes understanding literature elements easy. This curriculum is sure to help everyone from teacher to student.

Teaching the Classics uses the Socratic approach to learning. Through provision of short classical materials this DVD seminar breaks down literature elements of plot, theme, character, conflict and more. This program begins with an explanation about Literature, taking the student all the way through each of the elements.

Lesson 1 prepares the student to analyze literature providing samples of some of the greatest authors known. It begins explaining the structure of the Five Elements of Fiction. It also discusses literary styles in writing. The Socratic Method is also taught and thoroughly discusses right away through this lesson.

Following lessons teach and break down Plot and Conflict, Setting, Character, Theme, and more. Each of these topics are backed up with short story models, charts explaining the information learned, and questions to provide a thorough understanding of the materials taught. The DVD seminars work with the materials to help the educator/student better understand the lessons throughout the book.

I personally used this curriculum to learn more about using the classics in our daily education. I try to use classics with my children because I feel they are rich in educational content and truly heartwarming books. I want my children to learn to enjoy classical books as much as I do. Teaching the Classics has helped me to provide a better education of the classics for my children in working as a reminder of the important elements I need to teach through the process of teaching them about the classics. This program would be excellent for an advance middle school or a high school student to work through on their own. It’s also excellent for a parent, like me, who needs that little extra reminder of these important elements in writing.

Teaching the Classics DVD Seminar and Workbook by Adam and Missy Andrews is available from the Institute for Excellence in Writing for $89. This program was written for parents of children of any age and for High School aged students. It can be purchased through the Institute for Excellence in Writing.

Computer Science for Kids {Crew Review}

April 7, 2013 by Dana

When I was a kid in Middle and High school we were given computer classes to learn to type and also the basic functions of old-school computers. The mouse was a relatively new thing and many computers still require users to use programming codes to run them. The control and shift keys were important every day factors in computer usage for me.

I learned a lot from my computer classes that has helped me with my interest in computers and even blogging today. My basic knowledge of programming and codes has greatly helped me and I want my children to learn the same things. They all take a great interest in using the computer for schoolwork and games so I knew that computer programming through Computer Science would be a great elective program for us helping them to further gaming interests, hopefully leading them into a career in this field.

Computer Science for Kids is creative curriculum created to be used with students 10 to adult. Beginning Microsoft Small Basic was written completely with the beginner programmer in mind. It is self-paced, easy to use complete program.

Through Beginning Microsoft Small Basic students learn basic programming skills and key elements of Small Basic that will stick with them for life. Provided examples demonstrate key steps throughout the program, allowing students time to absorb the process as they learn new things. While working through Beginning Microsoft Small Basic students learn to create programs like a savings calculator, card games, Tic-Tac-Toe, drawing programs, logic and video games.

This program was a great review of Microsoft Small Basic programming for me and a great introduction for both of my older children. We worked together over the past few weeks to learn about these key factors in computer design and usage. We completed around a chapter a week, some chapters took a week and a half due to circumstance and other curriculum we were involved in but the program was easily adaptable to fit our life. The program does take several hours to complete so it needs to be broken down to several days in the week to complete.

My children and I really enjoyed the lessons provided through this program. It will not be something we continue working with at this time due to the time it takes to complete the lessons but it will be something we use independently in the future. As I mentioned above, both of my older children enjoyed working through this program and each took away different aspects. My son wishes to expand further as this program will be a good start for his career field.

Beginning Microsoft Small Basic from Computer Science for Kids is available online for $59.95 with current free shipping. The digital e-book edition is on sale for $34.95 through July 4, 2013. It is normally priced $59.95. You can also purchase an Annual “UNLIMITED USER” School Site License Digital E-book Teacher Edition for a sale price of $199.95.

For more reviews of Computer Science for Kids, please visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog!

Reading Eggs {Crew Review}

March 2, 2012 by Dana

Reading Eggs is a fun reading experience for children learning to read. This interactive learning website is one your child will enjoy using every day.

Reading Eggs helps build reading skills for children ages 3-8 at various reading levels, with 100 lessons to keep children enthralled. Reading Eggs focuses on providing much needed skills in comprehension, spelling, writing and more. Fun games allow the child to learn enjoyably as he/she works through each lesson and rewards children with cute animations as they learn.

When your child begins Reading Eggs they are promoted to complete a test allowing the Reading Eggs program to choose the correct placement for the child. This allows your child to learn on their level so they don’t get bored with things that are too easy or frustrated with things that are too hard. This also allows the parent/teacher to see what level their child is reading at so they are able to focus more on necessary lessons to encourage learning.

There are multiple ways to sign up for Reading Eggs. Monthly, every six months and yearly rates are available. The current rate for one year of Reading Eggs which allows full access for one student to the website is $75. Discounts of 50% are currently offered for each additional student added in a family.

You can read more reviews of Reading Eggs on the TOS Homeschool Review Crew Blog.

*Disclaimer – Reading Eggs was provided to me free for review in exchange for my honest opinion by the TOS Homeschool Review Crew. All opinions are my own and no money has been exchanged for this review.