Under the Golden Apple Tree

Mosaic Reviews: How do we know God is really there?

Product: How do we know God is really there? by: Melissa Cain Travis

Type of Product: Picture book

Publisher: Apologia

Cost: $16.00

Sample: Click for a sample and to order.

Summary:

Thomas and his father escape to their backyard tree house most evenings to watch the night sky through a telescope. Thomas is dazzled by what he sees of God’s creation, but he has questions. “Dad, how do we know God is out there?” he asks one night. “I know the Bible says He’s there. But how do we really know that’s true?” Together, Thomas and his father begin to examine the cosmological evidence for God’s existence. This is the first in an exciting new series of picture books designed to introduce kids to important questions of the Christian faith in terms even pre-readers can understand. Read this aloud with your family, and you’ll come away knowing that “the heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1).

Our Thoughts On "How do we know God is really there?"

The picture book is delightful. It will hold the interest of children from a variety of ages. It incorporates real concerns and questions kids have and answers them in a way kids can understand and appreciate. The book explores the question by taking children on a logical journey of thought through space. The author reminds the child who God is by cleverly defining temporal things and the eternal nature of God in terms a child can grasp. It is a great family book and one for your Sunday school.

Disclosure: I was provided the book in exchange for an honest review.

Uniquely You {5 Days of Scheduling Your Homeschool}

I want to take the time to encourage you to make homeschooling an experience filled with joy and blessings. A schedule is your framework and a necessary aspect of homeschooling. I don't want you to feel confined or a fish out of water because you have to start at 8am or take summers off. I want you to see the freedom schedules provide and not chain you to an ideal. After reading about a few different types of scheduling and getting an idea on basics you may feel overwhelmed or that nothing quite fits right. That's okay. Your homeschool needs to be uniquely you.

Most states require you homeschool a total of 900 hours per year. Unless you are mandated by law to use them in a particular fashion feel free to use them to suit your needs. Please always be sure to check your state laws concerning homeschooling before following advice or directions from an article or person. If your state does not require hours of school to be used in a particular time frame either by hours or months of year, then please do not feel confined to follow the traditional school year or school hours.

During my 10 years of homeschooling my lifestyle has changed and a traditional school calendar was not always a good fit for my family. When my husband worked second shift our day did not begin at 8:00am with math or science. It began with “daddy time”. At that time our day was in reverse of the traditional schedule. Currently, he works swing shift so our days can fluctuate to accommodate family time and my husband's vacations. If possible, allow your husband's schedule to be the master schedule to ensure proper family time.

Another helpful tip is to plan your year by your lifestyle. For instance, if December is particularly busy for you due to holidays, take the entire month off. Make up for those weeks by having a shorter summer or spring break. Maybe you don’t need two weeks off for Christmas but would like a longer spring break, Easter break, summer or need a long Memorial Day weekend. If you have an unpredictable lifestyle than plan your year but not all your vacations up front to accommodate last minute visits from grandma and grandpa or three day vacations.

This is your homeschool and it should reflect your family’s lifestyle. If you try to insert a schedule that places stress on your family you will end up frazzled and possibly not finishing your school year on a high note. Always remember that when unexpected events occur you have 12 months to work out your school year not the traditional 9 months. Relax and plan a year that suits your family’s needs to increase your ability to have a successful school year.

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Year Round Homeschooling {Five Days of Scheduling Your Homeschool}

Do long breaks with no routine equal chaos in your mind? Perhaps, you are tired of using valuable school days reviewing last year's material. Maybe you want to break free from the traditional school calendar and plan our breaks more intentionally and school sessions closer together. If so, you may benefit from year round homeschooling. Interested but intimidated? Don't worry, it is painless and you always have the option of saying, "sorry Charlie, not for me and my family."

The Basics of Year Round Homeschooling

Now, I hate to sound wishy washy, but here is the rub: you have many options and basically the world is your oyster. Some start the school year in January while others chose June and still others chose July. Just pick a "J" month....got ya...you can pick whatever month works best for you...even traditional ole September.

Now, since you will not take three solid months off you will schedule weeks off based on your preference. You can take one week off every 3 weeks. You can take one week off every 6 weeks. Is your head spinning yet? The traditional school year lasts 36 weeks. That leaves 16 weeks of play. So, your term could be 6 weeks on, 1 week off, and 10 weeks to schedule throughout the year for mini breaks. Okay, now your head is spinning.

Let's break it down:

6 Terms:

Term #1: 6 weeks/1 week off

Term #2: 6 weeks/1 week off

Term #3: 6 weeks/1 week off

Term #4: 6 weeks/1 week off

Term #5: 6 weeks/1 week off

Term #6: 6 weeks/1 week off

10 weeks left to scatter but taking no more than 2-3 weeks at a time.

If you decided to take a week break every 3 weeks, then you would have 5 weeks to scatter as you see fit.

The Benefits of Year Round Homeschooling

Routine stays in place.
Review does not take up valuable school time.
Routine breaks help with avoiding burnout.
Freedom to schedule breaks as it benefits your family.

Disadvantages of Year Round Homeschooling

Summer is broken up just like the rest of the year and may not be conducive to summer camps, vacations, and such. Basically it may interfere with the rest of the world's definition of scheduling.
Some find year round schooling overwhelming and leads to burnout.
Some feel they "run out" of material and then provide busy work.

Keep in mind, the "disadvantages" are perhaps the perspective of those having difficulty breaking from the traditional calendar. The amount of time off is the same it is just broken down differently. It may take some getting used to or you may simply not like it. To each his own, right?

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