Saturday Aug. 30 – 8:00 – WHOSOEVER

Whosoever Band from Murfreesboro, TN will be with us this Saturday night for a quick visit.  Come enjoy this progressive christian contemporary band, led by Kent Unklesbay from Calvary Chapel, Murfreesboro.   check them out at mspace.comWhosoeverBand

Review – Horses & Great Books – Beautiful Feet

If you have a young horse lover (grades 2 – 6), you can use the Beautiful Feet History of the Horse for literature/reading and even for history.  This guide has your student reading classics that includes the beloved Black Beauty as well as others from Marguerite Henry and  Walter Farley.  The author of the study guide is a homeschooled gal who loves horses and majored in history.

The curriculum guide has 92 lessons that can be done 3 times, twice, or once a week, finishing it in one year, two, or longer.  If your student is a reader, it will be done easily in one year.  Even though writing, vocabulary, and more language (and art) experiences are included in this Beautiful Feet Study guide, some homeschoolers still like to do another english and spelling curriculum, and thus may want to do the BF lessons only once a week.  The student can still read the great horse books throughout the week.   And, if you are using another literature book or reading more classics,  this would work with one lesson a week, taking at least a couple of years, or shorter if your horse lover keeps this going through the summer.

I’ve got a couple of the guides in stock now ($12.95) and always carry most of the horse books.  I know there are a few now in the used books section.   Come browse!

One more horse book new this year, Are There Horses in Heaven? (by Mary Lou Davis), is about 2 girls who find real answers to life issues while working on a horse farm.  It’s published by Christian Focus, a bibically based publishing company in Scotland.

Teaching your child to read

You just might be overwhelmed with the choices in curriculum, or you might be wondering if you really are able to teach your child to read.   To borrow Ruth Beechick’s thoughts from THE THREE R’s,  you taught your child to talk.  How?  The natural way.  Talking and interacting.  Think about it: you did it naturally, with fun, often with purpose, most always with love.  Continue with the same affection and confidence as you introduce your child to the written word in everyday experiences (reading traffic signs, cereal boxes, the mail) and by reading to your child everyday.  Read stories you love, books about your little one’s favorite things, books your child chooses to look at and have you read.  Talk about the pictures, ask questions, answer their questions about anything that comes up as you read together.  If your child wants to read the book again, do it.  And some books deserve all the expression you can put into it as you read.  As you introduce the alphabet and all the letter’s sounds, you can point some of them out in the books.  play games with the letters, play “find the letter (or letters)  – anywhere.

I think parents of young children should read Beechick’s THE THREE R’s no matter how their child is schooled and whether or not a particular reading curriculum is purchased.  (The three R’s are “readin, ‘rittin, and “rithmatic.”  Dr. Beechick shows parents how to begin with simplicity and success  in these areas.)

As for reading programs, there is a wide variety from which to choose.  Learning Language Arts Through Literature (Commonsense Reading Program) uses the little Bob Books, readers, manipulatives, as well as real books.  I’ve got some of the early editions of these for 40%  off.   The Bonnie Dettmeer Reading for Phonics and Spelling is a very thorough Spalding method – these are also $40 off.

You can go inexpensive with Christian Liberty’s Adventures in Phonics series, or use the tried and true Explode the Code graduated books .  Most of these are under $10 a student book.  The Teacher’ s book is helpful but not necessary.

One of my favorite curriculum (for 4-8 year olds) is Five in a Row.  You totally experience one (great classic, often award winning) book with your child(ren) each week.  You read the books and use the teacher guide to get you going in all subjects, including Language Arts.   Just add a math curriculum and a phonics program and you have all you need to school any young child.   The teacher guide #1 (for one year or 2) is $19.99.  Most of the books can be found in libraries.  I sell them in paperback or keepsake hardback editions and sometimes have them in the used books section.   Do you remember The Story of Ping, Madeline, Mike Mulligan, The Very Last First TIme, and The Clown of God?  These are just some of the great books used in FIAR #1.

Two more recommended (and reasonably priced) programs are The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading and Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

Price and commercial appeal does not determine the value of a phonics/reading program.  Reading programs do not teach your child to read.  YOU do.  And believe it or not, kids teach themselves quite a bit, as you provide them with meaningful language experiences and a rich environment with lots of great books within their reach.

Come in the store to examine these materials or call me if you’d like some shipped to you with a reasonable shipping fee.    615-792-9651  At this time Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards accepted.

Sunday afternoon Cumberland River nature area

With Dad Lynn and Daughter Abbey home again we made a short, oh-so-pleasant family bike trip, just around the bend, to the Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail on Sunday.   If you’d like an easy nature walk or bike ride, take this paved 4-mile trail (starting on Chapmansboro Road, just off highway 12 north at Ashland City’s edge) that stretches to the other end of Chapmansboro, then another 2 1/2 miles of unpaved walk all the way to Cheatham Dam.   I had not been on the first stretch since my eye operation a year ago, and since I couldn’t see well before that, I did not realize all I’d missed.  I continue to thank our Creator God for those beautiful trees over-hanging the path, the expanse of water-lily covered water I now see through the trees, and the cool from the water trickling down the little dark rocky cliffs on the other side.

Piano lessons

Starting September, piano lessons will given in the store by Abbey Ray, a UT Piano Performance graduate. These are for all ages, at any level. Cost is $20 for 30 minute lesson. To sign up or for more information, call Abbey’s cell at 931-338-0430. Or call the store at 615-792-9651.

Spanish (bilingual) get together – Aug.29

Mark your calendar – Friday, August 29 – for a great evening with Latin worship music led by a praise band that includes Jaime Perera and Alex Vargas.  There will be a message from Costa Rican Pastor Christian Vactory, interpreted for us in English by Alex Vargas.   Invite your Spanish friends.  Everyone is welcome – Come and be blessed!  (Come a little early, 6:30, for some Mexican/Costa Rican food – at resonable prices!)