Are you looking for a user-friendly curriculum to use in teaching your child to read? Bob Books are a simple and practical way to teach reading. I love them so much that I have used them to teach eight of our children to read. This Companion Beginner Guide For Teaching Bob Books is the perfect handbook to accompany you as you teach your child to read using Bob Books.

As a homeschool mom to ten, I have seen plenty of curriculum come and go! 
The Bob Books series by Bobby Lynn Maslen, however, remains my go-to for teaching kids to read.

The phonics-based method of Bob Books series uses very simple stories and funny pictures to engage young children. It is perfect for kids with short attention spans. These easy-to-read books are a great way to build young readers’ confidence and give your kids a love of reading. 

Teaching Kids to Read Using Bob Books

When I first started using Bob Books to teach our oldest son to read fifteen years ago, I felt like something was missing from the Bob Books set. I liked the simplicity of the program. I loved how it slowly progressed from simple words to more complex sounds and sentences, but I thought it would have been more helpful to have a parent guide that introduced new sight words and phonics skills as they appeared in the books. 

Looking online, I found other Bob Books resources like workbooks and Versatiles. They also have several Bob Books boxes, in addition to the original sets 1-5. What I wanted, however, was a handbook to tie it all together and lead me and my child step-by-step through Bob Books level. 

To fill this void, I did what many homeschool moms do when they can’t find a certain helpful tool… I made my own! 

I began with a simple manuscript tablet. I divided it into two parts: sight word list and phonics sounds. As we came to a new word or sound, I jotted it down in my notebook. This tablet became so handy that I have used it to teach eight of my ten kids to read. 

Just recently, I had the idea to take my original manuscript tablet notes and make it into this Companion Beginner Guide For Teaching Bob Books so that other parents can use this great resource as well!

The Bob Books Method

What I love about Bob Books is the slow progression from simple to more complex words and sentences. The first reader in Box 1 has short words that are easy for kids to sound out. The following first stories are also short with two to four words on each page.

 As the levels increase, the simple sentences become more complex. I noticed a marked jump in the number of new phonics sounds in Box 3 and again halfway through Box 4. 

Towards the end of Box 5, the sentences become longer and longer. Occasionally I had kids who struggled to adjust to reading the longer narratives. To help them transition, I would have them read a page and I would read the next page, alternating through to the end of the book. 

For Which Bob Books Is this Guide Designed? 

Because the Bob Books website has created several box sets in addition to the original five, it can be a little confusing to know which books to use and in what order. When I teach our kids to read, I use only the Box Sets 1-5 as listed below. 

Set 1, Beginning Readers

Set 2, Advancing Beginners

Set 3, Word Families

Set 4, Complex Words

Set 5, Long Vowels

*This post may contain affiliate links from which I may make a small profit at no extra cost to you.

How Will I Know If My Child Is Ready to Begin Bob Books? 

When I am teaching beginner readers, I play some games to help them with letter recognition and sounds. 

For young children to be ready to read Bob Books, they should be able to do two things.

1. Identify the names and sounds of each of the letters of the alphabet.
2. Sound out basic three-letter words. 

The games I use to help my kids be able to do this are described in the section of the guide “Getting Your Child Ready For Bob Books.”

How Do You Use the Companion Beginner Guide For Teaching Bob Books?

After a child exhibits signs of readiness as prescribed above, we start with the first stories in Set 1. Before our reading lesson, we use the Sight Words List and Phonics Sounds List in the guide to review the new sight words and phonics sounds in the next Bob Book. This review should be very brief, 5-10 minutes. 

What’s Included in the Companion Beginner Guide For Teaching Bob Books? 

This 24-page guide includes the following:

• A description of how to use the guide 
• Some ideas and games to help you get your child ready to begin reading the first Bob Books Set
• An index of sight words and phonics sounds in the order they are introduced in the books
• Sight Words List
• Phonics Sounds List
• Additional notes and FAQ

Sight Words List

The sight word list in this guide will help early readers identify irregular words that can not be sounded out. These high-frequency words are important for kids to recognize easily.

Phonics Sounds List

This systematic phonics instruction will help your beginning reader progress through the reading levels seamlessly. As they move through the book sets, this list will help introduce new sounds. 

Short vowels

Long Vowels

Endings

R Controlled Words

Words Ending in Y

Blends

Dipthongs

Digraphs

Compound Words

The playful stories with silly illustrations in Bob Books are a wonderful tool to help your kids have a positive first experience with reading. I hope this Companion Beginner Guide For Teaching Bob Books will be as helpful to you and your beginning reader as it has been for me and my children over the years. 

For more resources about teaching kids to read, you may enjoy these similar posts.

When Should I Start Teaching My Child To Read?

Teach a Child To Read With Two Important Habits

Simple Steps for Teaching Reading That Work

How to Help Kids Develop a Habit of Reading the Bible

Teach your children about the days of the week with these free resources: a days of the week free printable display and coloring sheets. This printable poster is a handy visual to put on the wall in your homeschool room as well as a great addition to your Morning Time notebook. When kids decorate the corresponding coloring sheets, they will become familiar with the words that represent the days of the week.

When to teach Kids the Days of the Week

How can you tell when is a child ready to learn the days of the week? They show signs of readiness when they start asking about it! 

Here are a few examples.

• They ask what day today is.
• They look at a calendar and try to name the days of the week. 
• You overhear them naming the days of the week in their play.
• They tell stories that include concepts of time. 

Learn Naturally Through Conversations

I think one of the best ways for young learners to grasp the concept of time is for them to learn it naturally. Whether it be seasons or days of the week or time of day, I prefer for my children to learn about these in the context of real life and conversations.

When you are looking at your wall calendar to see which family members have birthdays this month, have your preschooler sit beside you. Point out the days of the week on the calendar. 

As you go through your week doing certain tasks routinely on the same day, your young children are observing the pattern. Talk openly with them about the rhythms in your week. “Library day is on Monday, grocery day on Tuesday, church on Sunday, etc.:

Throughout the year when you have a special day coming up, talk with your kids about how many days until it comes. “We are going to an amusement park in 3 days! Today is Wednesday. Tomorrow is Thursday. Then Friday and then we all will go to the amusement park!” 

Days of the Week Games

The perfect way to teach kids new concepts is through games and fun activities! After your kids have been introduced to the days of the week, use conversation guessing games to help them understand the order.

Ask them before and after questions.

• What day comes before Monday?
• What day comes after Friday?
• What day do we go to co-op?
• Which day do we go to library story time? 
• Is Wednesday before or after Tuesday?

Switch it around. Have them ask you the questions. When you answer, you can tell if they understand by their response to your correct or incorrect response.

Calendar Time

When my kids were all very young, we did Calendar Time every day. (It was kind of our precursor to Morning Time.) We talked about the days of the week, months of the year, the weather, and other simple, but important details. 

During this time, I asked them other simple safety questions that might help. What is your name?What is your mom’s/dad’s name? What is your address? 

We also role-played what to do if they were in a situation where they needed help. 

This free days of the week resource can be a great option for your Calendar Time if you do something similar with your children. 

Days  of the Week Song

All of my kids have learned the days of the week through song. I sing the days of the week to the tune of “Oh My Darling, Clementine.”  You can teach your kids the days of the week song using your favorite tune or some of these great YouTube links.

Days of the Week-Adams Family

Days of the Week Song

The 7 Days of the Week Song

Days of the Week Poster Ideas

This colorful poster is a great way to display the days of the week for your kids as a reference. Put it in a prominent place in your kitchen, the homeschool room, near their bed, or in a Morning Time notebook. Choose a place where they will see it regularly. 

Another fun way to learn is to cover certain days of the week on the poster using strips of cardstock or other paper. Have kids try to guess which days are missing. When a child names the days of the week through repeated practice, that child will become more familiar with letter recognition as well.  

Coloring Pages

I’m not a big fan of kids learning concepts by worksheets in their early years because they seem artificial to me. Coloring pages, on the other hand, help preschoolers learn the days of the week in a natural, developmentally appropriate way. Preschoolers love to color! 

Give your kids a nice set of crayons. The chunky kind are best for young children. Coloring helps them to develop fine motor skills in a low-pressure way. It also helps them learn to stay in the lines and to identify different colors. 

Coloring sheets are also a great way to help them associate the words with the day of the week.

After your kids finish coloring each day of the week coloring page, get a clear slipcover and put all seven of their coloring sheets inside. If they are able, you can even have them order the days of the week beforehand.

 Have them flip the page each day to display the correct day. This is a simple activity to add to your Morning Time homeschool routine. 

How do I access the free printable?

Click on this link to access the free download Days of the Week Free Printable Display and Coloring Sheets. This is a pdf file. (These are for personal use only. Please do not distribute.)

I hope these days of the week printables will be a great addition to your homeschool or classroom!

You may also enjoy reading these similar posts.

5 Important Routines for a Homeschool Preschool

10 Reasons Why HOME is Better than Preschool

Pin it! Days of the Week Free Printable Display and Coloring Sheets

After much deliberation and asking around, you have finally decided to try homeschooling. But it can be a little scary to take the road less traveled, especially when you don’t know exactly how it’s going to turn out! Here is what you need to know as a first-time homeschooler.

Video: What You Need to Know As A First-Time Homeschooler

The Wonderful Gift of Homeschooling

As a mom who has been homeschooling for 14 years with one graduate and nine more children coming up behind, I want to say first of all that you are embarking on an incredible adventure with your kids. Little did I know all those years ago what a lifestyle change homeschooling would bring to our family. Homeschooling has been an incredible blessing. The more I see our kids develop so many varying interests and and pursuits, the more convinced I have become that our decision to homeschool is one of the best choices we ever made for our kids!

Having said that, I also want to say that if you have not realized it yet, homeschooling is also hard. It’s the road less traveled. It’s not easy being with kids all day. Sometimes it’s tempting to do what everyone else is doing and put your kids on the school bus so you can have a little more time in your day. Because of this, I want to caution you with some challenges you will likely face this first year (as I did) so that you can be prepared for them and know how to respond when they happen.

What Works In School Does Not Work As Well At Home

If you have delved into the homeschool world at all, you have probably heard people say, “Don’t try to copy school.” This is such wise advice and you should really aim to follow this in every way possible. In fact, I believe the school model is so ingrained into so many of us (because it is all we know) that we do this even after knowing it doesn’t work as well. In fact, after I had been homeschooling for a couple of years, sometimes I would come across problems in our homeschool that when I looked a little more closely, I realized it was because I was copying the school model. Homeschooling works best when we let learning happen naturally. Here are some of the ways that I unwittingly copied school until I realized there was a better way.

• Cramming everything in to “finish 2nd grade curriculum” by the end of the year.
• Letting the curriculum be my master rather than using it as a tool to help me.
• Thinking of school as only September through May. (Every day is school. Life is school!)
• Letting school take priority above our home life. (So many of the every day house work chores we do are opportunities to teach our kids important life skills!)
• Not being flexible with learning times like evenings and weekends, especially when these changes work better for our family life.

I challenge you, when you face struggles in your homeschool, really look at how you are structuring your work and see if possibly, you might be operating in a “school mindset.”

You Will Probably Worry That You Aren’t Doing Enough

At some point in your first year, you will probably ask yourself, “Am I doing enough?” When lunchtime comes and you’ve done everything you had planned, you may wonder what you are missing. The reason moms doubt themselves on this is because homeschooling takes so much less time than traditional school. Because you are working one-on-one with your child, you can get finished in half the time.

If you find yourself wondering if you are “doing enough,” use this general metric as a guide.

1. Do some reading, writing, and math every day.
2. Read frequently to your kids throughout the day. (This will cover any perceived gaps you think you might be missing.)

It Is Normal to Be Overwhelmed by the Curriculum

One of the most difficult parts of homeschooling, for me, was the initial step of picking out the curriculum. Having had no experience, I didn’t know my style, my child’s learning type, what our routine would be, etc. I had no idea where to start. Additionally, after I picked our curriculum, it was all new to me, so the challenge of learning the method and rhythm of the content was also new.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the curriculum, I suggest you find a few moms who have been homeschooling for several years. Ask them what curriculum they like and why. Chances are, most homeschool moms have tried a few different companies and can give you some great insight into what they liked or didn’t like. This can be so helpful for you in determining what you want. Also, once you have decided on a particular choice, as another homeschooler who also uses the same curriculum for suggestions on how she uses it.

The First Year is the Hardest

So many who try homeschooling throw in the towel after the first year. In my opinion, they have done the hardest part and quit just before seeing any of the fruit. Homeschooling gets much easier with time. This is a complete lifestyle change for the whole family. It really takes a while for everyone to adjust. That first year is often your learning curve. You make tons of mistakes. It’s the second year and the third when you ease into yourself and find your rhythm.

Expect Interruptions

The natural, fluctuating environment of a home is a stark contrast to the structure of a brick and mortar school where kids sit in desks in a single room. In a home, a host of interruptions are likely to occur. When you have babies and toddlers nearby, laundry that needs to be run, meals to make…(the list goes on,) you can be certain that you will not lack for distractions in your day. If you are a first-time homeschooler, the constant interruptions may catch you off guard. If only it was as easy as kids sitting a desk and quietly completing all their work. I promise you, it doesn’t work that way in homeschooling!

The way to handle interruptions is to let learning happen naturally. Learn how to respond to these distractions and teach your kids how to respond as well. For more ideas on this topic, I’ve written this post about homeschooling struggles which you may find helpful.

Don’t Be Surprised When People Criticize or Question You

If you are the first in your family or group of friends to homeschool, don’t be surprised when people criticize your choice. Homeschooling is different and most people are unfamiliar with it. They may even tell you wild stories about “that one family” that “ruined” their kids by homeschooling.

Here’s what you should know. When it is a family member who questions you, often it is out of a genuine concern for you and your kids. I find that people who have never been homeschooled know very little about it. When they begin to see how well your kids are doing (and this often takes a couple of years), they will question you less. Give it time.

Leave a Comment!

If you are a first-time homeschooler, I’d love to hear how it’s going! What questions do you have that I haven’t covered in this post? Let’s keep the conversation going!

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Morning Time is the time in our day when we gather together to study the subjects that are best studied in a group. It has been a wonderful way to simplify our homeschool. It doesn’t, however, always run smoothly though! Start your homeschool on the right foot with these 7 tips to a peaceful homeschool Morning Time!

Video: 7 Tips to a Peaceful Homeschool Morning Time

Disclaimer

Morning Time is one of my favorite times with our kids, but I have to be honest, it doesn’t always play out the way I have planned.. As much as I want to start each day with truth, goodness, and beauty, some days it’s …less than inspiring, to say the least! Can you relate?!

In our 14 years of homeschooling, I have learned a few strategies that can help bring peace to our Morning Time practice and that is what I want to share with you in this post.

#1 Start the Night Before

If you take a little bit of time the night before to tidy up, it can make all the difference the next morning. For me, the biggest help is clearing the counters. Set your timer for 10 minutes and clear all counter and table tops in site. Look at the visual clutter in the room where you do Morning Time and put away the most obvious items. This brief habit the night before will set the tone for the next day. Waking up to a clutter-free space will inspire you, no matter what setbacks you encounter first thing in the morning.

#2 Have a Plan

You will have better results in Morning Time if your kids know what. to expect. Kids thrive with boundaries. Here are some ideas to try.

• Have a beginning and ending time (roughly). I expect our kids to be at Morning Time dressed and ready to go at 8:30. They know it usually lasts 30-45 minutes.
• Have subjects you do daily and others you do on a loop schedule. This provides consistency, but also keeps it from getting boring.
• Kids should know the expectations. Should they be sitting down during this time or are you comfortable with them moving around? Can they color, play, draw, whisper, do Lego’s? Let them know ahead of time what you will allow and what is not okay.
• We often having our Morning Time and breakfast together. Reading aloud goes smoothly when kids are eating.
• Keep moving through the subjects. Kids do better with short lessons.

#3 Make It Visual

One of the surest ways to make sure your kids are retaining the content you are covering is to have a visual for them. Have all the material in one place. One way I do this is by printing out Morning Time notebooks, one for each child. Each notebook has pages with the memory work, poems, picture study, composers, etc. that we will be studying for the year. Having everything in one place, written out for them will help them remember it more easily.

#4 Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

Babies and toddlers present a real wild card in homeschooling. If it’s easier to do Morning Time during nap time, then go for it! There is not reason why you have to do it at any certain time.

I keep a drawer full of puzzles, crayons and coloring books, blocks, playdough, etc. in the same bureau dresser where we keep our Morning Time Notebooks. This way we always have something on hand to distract little ones. Small babies are a little easier since they can be appeased by nursing, but for older babies, putting them in a booster seat with snacks has been the trick for me.

For more ideas, read

How to Homeschool With an Infant

How to Homeschool With a Baby

Best Tips for Homeschooling With Toddlers in the House (Get the free printable Busy Ideas for Toddlers.)

#5 Expect Distractions and Prepare for Them

Nothing can change the atmosphere of Morning Time more quickly than constant annoying distractions. If you think it won’t happen in your homeschool, you are in for a rude awakening! A home is much different than the four walls of a classroom. Our homes are full of distractions…the timer going off on the drier, a neighbor mowing the lawn, the dog whining to go out, kids arguing, urgent text messages…the list is exhaustive. How can you prepare for distractions? These are a few measures I have tried with success.

• Turn off your phone or silence it. If you use your phone for some of your Morning Time activities, turn it upside down. Also, limiting notifications can eliminate a lot of interruptions.
• When kids fight, complain, argue, etc., take the time to address this issue, otherwise, they probably won’t really be paying attention. It may throw off your plans, but in the long run, it will set the tone for future success.
• Tell your kids ahead of time how to respond to distractions.

, Most importantly, you should persevere! Yes, even when the interruptions are so frequent and extreme they start to dampen your spirit. This may mean that on that day, you put it all away…and that is ok! BUT persevering means that you begin again tomorrow and try again. A peaceful Morning Time takes practice.

#6 Adjust Your Attitude

No matter how your morning starts out, you can influence the whole atmosphere of your home by having a positive attitude. Smile at your children. Have a genuine interest in learning. As moms, we can easily forget how blessed we are to be able to spend so much time with our kids. Remind yourself of all the benefits you have through homeschooling…slow mornings, one-on-one time with your children, learning together, sibling friendships, home-cooked meals. Write out a list if that helps remind you!

*This post may contain affiliate links which means I may make a profit at no extra cost to you.

#7 Don’t Forget the Secret Ingredient! (Prayer!)

If you can’t seem to have peace in your Morning Time, have you tried praying about it? Recently I read a moving story from The Hiding Place to our kids. During World War II, Corrie and her sister Betsy were arrested for hiding Jews and sent to the atrocious concentration camp at Ravensbruck. Living in Barracks 28, the women faced conditions of the most horrendous assort: lice, fleas, over crowding, hard labor, little food, poor ventilation… deplorable circumstances . As a result of these conditions, “fighting and quarrels erupted constantly.” On one particularly dismal night, Betsy clasped Corrie’s hand saying, “Lord Jesus, send your peace into this room. There has been too little praying here.”

When you struggle to have peace in your Morning Time, bring your requests to the Lord. As Betsy continued, “Where You come, Lord, the spirit of strife cannot exist.” In His presence is perfect peace, so ask Him for His help.

Other Morning Time posts to read.

How to Simplify Your Homeschool with Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Poetry in Morning Time

3 Christian Resources for Current Events in Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Memory Work in Morning Time

Teaching Bible in Morning Time

Pin It! 7 tips to a Peaceful Homeschool Morning Time

If there was ever a time when kids should be reading the Bible, that time is now. The direction of the next generation is hinging on the spiritual formation of this generation.

Our kids live in a world where they are bombarded with deception and temptation at every turn. If we want them to be able to spot counterfeit or to discern between truth and error, they need to be familiar with the authentic Word of God!

One of the most difficult spiritual practices for adults is often maintaining a consistent Bible-reading habit. Because of this, I want to find different ways to help our kids develop this practice in their own lives. Below are some practical tips that have helped our kids develop a habit of regular Bible reading.

Video: How to Help Kids Develop a Habit of Reading the Bible

#1 Read the Bible to Them

The first essential step to helping kids read the Bible is to read it to them. The more you engage with something new, the more your appetite grows for that concept or skill. Each new time you approach it, you will understand a little more of it. The same is true of the Bible.

I remember learning in college Psychology class about the pathways between neurons in the brain. Every time a baby has repeated experiences, the pathway between those neurons becomes stronger. This is why little children want you to read the same book over and over again.

It is also why pediatricians suggest you try a new food several times when starting a baby on solids. It takes repeated encounters to develop a taste and appetite for certain foods.

This concept applies to the Bible as well. The more kids hear the stories of the Bible and the style of the text, the more familiar it will be to them.

In the same way that scaffolding is used as a temporary framework for a new building, reading the Bible to young children helps prepare them to read the entire Bible independently. It will build a basic framework of the Biblical timeline in their minds and familiarize them with Biblical events.

When you read the Bible or Bible stories to your kids, beware of the temptation to sermonize the reading. The purpose of reading is to feed their spirit. Trust the Word itself to work powerfully in their hearts.

Our Home

Just as it is our duty as parents to protect, nourish, and care for our children, it is our duty as Christian parents to spiritually feed and equip them. Let’s “wash them in the water of the Word” and feed them with the “bread of life.”

In our home, we read the Bible to our kids morning and night. I read a chapter from A Child’s Story Bible at breakfast. (You can read more about how I Teach Bible in Morning Time here.)

In the evening, we read a passage of Scripture together around the table after dinner. This is a short ritual that we have built into our family life. Since it can be hard to gather everyone (especially in a large family), it’s easiest to do the Scripture reading when we are already together like we are at mealtime.

This practice is not something we are rigid about practicing. We miss readings from time to time, but it’s something we always come back to so it has become a tradition in our family.

After sharing this practice with others, I once had someone ask me, “Are you afraid your kids are getting too much Bible?” My answer is this. A reading takes about 5-10 minutes. With all the other endeavors we make time for in our day, is that really too much?

#2 Approach Personal Bible Reading as a Habit

I approach personal Bible Reading the same way I approach other habits that I want my kids to learn, for example, brushing their teeth or making their beds. I know that brushing their teeth is a habit that will secure good health for my kids for a lifetime, so I am not ashamed to expect them to do this as a daily practice.

In my own experience, the strategy that has most helped our kids develop this habit, is to put daily Bible reading on their homeschool checklist with the rest of their school work. As soon as young readers can read independently, reading the Bible is the first item on the list. This way when they look at their checklist every morning, they know it is the first task to complete.

When they sit down to read the Bible, the intent is simply for them to read the content, nothing more, nothing less. The purpose is not for them to have an experience of some sort.

If the Holy Spirit convicts their hearts in some way or if they respond to the reading with private prayer, that is between them and the Lord. It is not expected.

I cannot overstate that the task is very simple: read the Word. That’s it!

#3 Give Them a Progression of Bible Reading

Progressing through different story Bibles until they can read the literal text has been a great way to help older children develop a habit of reading the holy Scriptures in their daily lives.

The ultimate goal is for them to be able to comfortably read the actual Bible. This is always what we are always working toward even as we give them simpler Bible story books. Here is a sample of the progression we use.

#1 The Young Reader’s Bible

A great start for younger children as soon as they can read on their own is to give them The Young Reader’s Bible. We found an old copy at a book sale and it is now almost falling apart after having gone through all of our readers.

Usually they can read through an entire chapter easily because the chapters are short. Additionally, our kids read through this book 2 or 3 times before moving on to the next more difficult story Bible.

Sale

The Young Reader’s Bible

• Hardcover Book
• Bruno, Bonnie (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 448 Pages – 06/10/1998 (Publication Date) – Standard Pub (Publisher)

$2.08

Buy on Amazon

#2 The Action Bible

When they finish the Young Reader’s Bible, I have them move next to The Action Bible by Sergio Cariello. This rendition still has illustrations, but more written text for each page. Our kids have enjoyed how this book is written in a comic book style with colorful pages and word bubbles with dialogue to tell each account.

Sale

The Action Bible: God’s Redemptive Story

• Hardcover Book
• English (Publication Language)
• 832 Pages – 09/01/2020 (Publication Date) – David C Cook (Publisher)

$16.43

Buy on Amazon

#3 The Child’s Story Bible

The final Bible storybook our kids read in this progression is The Child’s Story Bible by Katherine Vos. This book has chapters that are about 2 pages in length with large text and (almost) no illustrations. The chapters are written in a style that is easy to understand although some of the English words are a little older. This is the same book I read to them in Morning Time so that also helps it to be easy for them to read it. (They read at their own pace in a different section.)

Sale

The Child’s Story Bible

• Hardcover Book
• Vos, Catherine F. (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 382 Pages – 08/29/1983 (Publication Date) – Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (Publisher)

$18.76

Buy on Amazon

The Jesus Storybook Bible is also another great place for kids to start.

Sale

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

• Age Appeal: 4 – 8.
• Hardcover Book
• Lloyd-Jones, Sally (Author) – Holland, Ben (Narrator)
• English (Publication Language)
• 352 Pages – 02/20/2007 (Publication Date) – Zonderkidz (Publisher)

$13.06

Buy on Amazon

#4 The Holy Bible

After this progression of children’s Bibles, our kids are usually ready (and excited!) to read the “real” Bible for themselves. This can be a special time to reward them with their own Bible.

Bible Reading Plan

Sometimes kids can have a hard time reading through certain books of the Bible so adding variety can help them break this up. I have used a 4-day rotation with our kids to help them as they read through different sections of the Bible. I pencil this out on a sticky note that goes in the front cover of their Bibles.

• Day 1: Read 2 Old Testament Chapters

• Day 2: Read 1-2 Psalms

• Day 3: Read 1 New Testament Chapter

• Day 4: Read a Proverb

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legalistic to require kids to read the Bible every day? If we tell kids how important it is to read God’s Word every day, but don’t help them in forming a habit, I think that this could more easily lend to a failure mentality than if we treat it as any other habit we want them to establish.

It is against a child’s nature to attempt to perform good habits on their own. Small children need accountability, structure, and repeated encounters to establish habits. If we require them to do other subjects daily like math, writing, and history, why not the Bible?

Does putting Bible Reading on a checklist turn it into a rote task to accomplish rather than a meaningful quiet time? That is a result that can happen, of course, but if the purpose is solely to spiritually nourish our kids with the Word, simply reading will do that. We can trust the pure Word of God to work mightily in their hearts.

*This post may contain affiliate links which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Scriptures to Inspire Us to Read the Bible

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

“The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.” Psalm 12:6

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day… I have more understanding than all my teachers…I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts…How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts, I get understanding. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119, various verses

“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” Proverbs 30:5

Pin it! How to Help Kids Develop a Habit of Reading the Bible

We are finishing up our last few days of school this week and it feels so, so good! We are all looking forward to lazy summer days, and yes, we take a complete break! The learning, however, does not stop once we close our books. Kids are always learning! During summer it just shifts and looks different. What Are Homeschoolers Learning in Summer Break? (Life Skills!)

Learning is a lifestyle. Sometimes it includes books. Other times, it looks a whole lot like real life! In our home, it meshes so much with life, it can sometimes be hard to tell the two apart!

You may also enjoy these posts about life skills.

50 Life Skills That Should Be Taught At Home

Important Life Skills for Kids to Learn in Summer

Video: What Are Homeschoolers Learning in Summer Break? (Life Skills!)

Changes in our rhythms often spur creative thinking. Even the changing of seasons is exciting to us as we live and learn a little differently in each of them. After all, variety is the spice of life! As we move through the homeschool year, we can focus on different things at different times.

In fall we finish up preserving our harvest and spend time on the soccer field watching our kids compete. In winter, we stoke the fire in the wood stove and cozy up on the sofa with our books in hand to do a lot of reading, writing, and bookwork during the season of rest. In spring, we are drawn outdoors again to watch in awe as the birds come back and new life springs up everywhere around us. Just as each season has its own unique attributes, summer break is brimming with learning opportunities.

Life Skills for Summer Break

While it is true that as homeschoolers our kids have lots of time during the school year to pursue their interests, summer break provides even more time to do this unhindered by their academic studies. Here are some of the life skills our kids learn in their summer break.

Projects

Our second son is building a tree house. For him, this has meant getting advice from my husband, watching YouTube videos, and searching for plans online. He is really excited about building this treehouse this summer. He has even enlisted siblings to help him with the small jobs involved! I love seeing them all out there, running into problems, making mistakes, and trying to find solutions. The platform looks bigger than they imagined, but maybe it will still work if they want to have a front porch? Details like these challenge their thinking!

Cooking

Although the kids help me cook throughout the year, we have more free time in summer to try new recipes. So much chemistry is involved in cooking. Through cooking, our kids have learned about density, mixtures, and measuring… to name a few. We have learned how to can fruits and vegetables, ferment with sourdough and water kefir, dehydrate foods, and water glass eggs.

Shopping and Other Trips

Of course we don’t call them field trips, but nicer weather makes it easier (than during colder months) to go out and explore local events and attractions. We like to find out what parades, festivals, and markets are scheduled so we can see some of these places. Vacations are incentives to also take a day to see nearby museums, parks, or historical sites.

Now that we have some teenage girls in the house, we spend more time shopping. (It’s so fun to do this with my girls!) Sometimes they shop for clothes or personal items, but often they will also shop for materials for hobbies they want to try like a sewing or craft project.

Home Organization

During summer, we spend some time fine tuning our chores and cleaning out cabinets, drawers, and bedrooms. I also am a little more particular about checking the small details of their chores, things that often get neglected in the busyness of our year, for example, wiping baseboards, dusting, and vacuuming the corners along the ceilings for cobwebs, etc.

This summer, my recipe cards need to be organized, so I will buy a new photo album and the kids will help me organize the recipe cards in a new book. We also work on updating photos in frames around the house and in albums, which also gives us a chance to delete pictures on my phone…a never ending job!

Nature Study

While not necessarily a life skill, learning to identify local birds, plants, trees, and mammals is fun! No we don’t have formal lessons on this, but it just comes up a lot when we walk outside and see new flora popping up every other day! Spending a lot of time outside helps kids to be more aware of the habits of animals around them and when certain flowers are in season in their environment.

Entrepreneurship

Kids relish the chance to make money! Over the years our kids have hosted lemonade stands, neighborhood bake sales, and yard sales. Some have sold items on Ebay. Others have made money walking neighborhood dogs or doing landscaping for neighbors.

Reading

While reading is usually categorized as an academic skill, it is also a life skill! Our kids are still reading a lot in the summer, even if it is not a part of their “school” work. Most often they are reading fictional chapter books for fun, but many other areas of natural life involve reading. Reading is required for following a recipe, understanding the instructions to a new board game, learning how to assemble various construction projects, and more!

Reading aloud is also part of our family lifestyle. We read a passage of Scripture at breakfast and dinner. Often when our littles are down for naps, I love to read fun chapter books poolside or on the front porch. On rainy days, we might listen to an audio book curled up on the sofa together. As part of our bedtime routine, we sing a hymn, the kids following the words from a hymnbook.

Homesteading skills

If you want to find ways to keep kids busy and curious, surround them with living things like plants and animals. Adding some homesteading skills to our life has done this for us. Living things need regular care. It is also interesting to see them change and grow from day to day.

Gardening

Every year we have a garden. Our kids help plant, water, weed, and harvest. A garden gives them something to go out and see every day. They love to watch for the first cucumber and the first red tomato. When an unusual bug is invading the zucchini squash, it becomes a problem to solve. Through gardening our kids have learned many things about science. Here are a few of them.

• Identify cultivated plants.
• How far apart to plant different seeds.
• Which plants can be started from seed and which need to be started indoors ahead of time.
• Perennial and annual plants.
• Preservation of food: canning, blanching and freezing, dehydrating.

Animal Care

Over time we have added animals to our property. This also gives kids something every day to go out and observe. Animals can be very entertaining! We have laying hens year round, but in summer we raise broiler hens and pigs. These animals are butchered in fall and provide meat for our family year round.

Since the kids are involved in all of the care of our animals, they are able to see how their work with them is a valuable contribution to the whole family. Forgetting to fill the pig’s water barrel on a hot summer day can be a devastating loss! Having kids care for animals encourages compassion and helps them see that even as kids, a living being is depending on them for sustenance. Their work matters!

Entertainment and Games

Often our kids will play board or card games on the front porch. I love watching the siblings interact together. Without realizing it’s happening, the kids are learning so many math and strategy skills through these games. Sometimes, I think our seven year old learned more about adding and subtracting from playing Five Crowns and Dutch Blitz than she has from her daily math lessons! I love some of the ideas in this post about Game School.

Physical Fitness and Sports

This summer, our fifteen year old son has pulled out our old P90X workout DVD’s and has started working through them. He has been talking about how many weeks he is into the program and ways that he wants to eat healthier to build muscle.

Another thing all the kids will be doing this summer is swimming. We are blessed to have a pool. The kids spend almost every day in it. We have a 5 and 6 year old who hopefully will learn to swim this summer. Knowing how to swim is an important life skill!

Our older boys will sometimes drive to a park for pick up basketball games and the whole family enjoys playing soccer in the yard.

How to Promote an Atmosphere of Learning

Of course none of us wants to see our kids wasting precious time laying around or playing video games all summer. So, how can we create an atmosphere that promotes curiosity and learning? Here are a few ways we make it work in our home.

1. Have a plan for screens. Create limits and enforce them consistently. This eliminates kids from constantly asking for screen time. Discuss the different the difference between using screens for entertainment versus for productivity. We want to enjoy entertainment type screens in moderation, but we liberally encourage them to use screens for productive means.
2. Provide them with raw materials and surround them with living things. Collect scrap fabric, wood blocks, legos, dress up costumes, art supplies, clay and sand, etc. Bring house plant into your home or try a garden.
3. Model it yourself! If you want your kids to be lifelong learners, be a curious person yourself! Find a hobby that you enjoy. You are not neglecting your kids by stepping away to work on personal projects for pleasure. Rather, you are modeling what it looks like to be someone who loves to learn. Your pursuits may inspire them to try new endeavors on their own!

Leave a Comment!

What will your homeschoolers be learning this summer? Leave a comment and share the ideas and inspiration with others!

Pin it! What Are Homeschoolers Learning in Summer Break? (Life Skills!)

This post is for those of you who have a child in middle school. High school is looming on the horizon and you want to look ahead to to know how to prepare for homeschooling high school. When our oldest child was in 6th grade, our co-op had a few moms of homeschool graduates come share with us how to homeschool high school. The information they shared was so valuable to me. I saved all their notes and still refer to them as needed.

In this post I will share many of the tips I learned from those moms as well as some things I have learned about homeschooling our own kids through high school. In our family, we have ten children. Seven are school age. We had two in high school this year, one of them is our first graduate.

Video: How to Prepare for Homeschooling High School

In this video I share a little more personally about what homeschooling high school looks like in our home as well as some of the mistakes I have made and what I will be doing differently with our other kids in the future.

#1 Become familiar with the law in your state

The first place to start is to become familiar with the law in your state, specifically regarding homeschooling high school. HSLDA has a wealth of information on this topic. You can find the details on this listed by state.

Here are questions you want to ask.

• Does my state require certain subjects be taught? (HSLDA answers this here.)
• What makes up a credit?
• What courses are required for graduation? (For example, 4 English, 3 Math, 3 Social Studies, 3 Science, etc.)
• How does my state handle diplomas?

One of the best things I think you can do is to find a homeschool parent who lives in your area who has graduated children. Ask specific questions about how to handle diplomas, credits, transcripts, etc.

• Here are some questions to ask.
• What curriculums did you use?
• What co-ops are available in this area?
• What did you outsource?

#2 Choosing Areas of Study

Think outside the box. Other than the specific subjects that may be required in your state, discuss with your spouse what is important to both of you for your child to learn or do in high school. Some examples might be these.

• Money management
• Christian Worldview
• Trades
• Theology
• Business Skills
• Service/ Missions Trip
• Home Economics

Ask your child what they want to learn! This is a time for them to start taking initiative with the decisions for which classes they take. Challenge them to experiment with different trades or opportunities to find things that they enjoy. Look at what they spend their time doing and see if you can turn it into a credit.

Make a Rough Transcript

After learning what courses are required for graduation in your state, make a general transcript to map out which classes your child will take and when. Pencil in your ideas. Take required courses on the front end so that they have room in the later years for areas of special interest or dual enrollment. You can find a sample blank transcript to print out here.

#3 One Portfolio for High School

One of the mistakes I made with my oldest son in high school was that I did not keep records as well as I should have. I kept beautiful (although simple) portfolios for each year of my kids in the elementary years. Cute little projects and art work are more fun to compile and show to grandparents than pages of Algebra I homework. It seems obvious that you should be even more vigilant in high school to keep samples of their work, but it wasn’t for me.

Rather than making a portfolio for each year of high school, it is more practical to make one portfolio for all of high school. Think of high school as one big project. The goal is to get those 15 credits (or more!) but it doesn’t need to happen necessarily within defined grade levels. For some credits, you may begin them in one year and finish them in the next.

What I suggest and what I will be doing for the rest of our kids is to keep one portfolio for high school. This is what I will keep in a high school portfolio.

• Transcript
• A cover page which shows each subject on the transcript and a short description of the class (curriculum, asignments, etc.)
• A few samples of work (preferably from beginning, middle, and and of study) for EACH item on the transcript.

*Sample Cover Page*

*Sample Transcript*

#4 Change Your Thinking

As our kids transition from elementary years to upper grades, so many changes are happening in their bodies as well as in their relationships to their peers and to us as parents. As your child approaches adolescence, change your thinking about homeschooling. Focus a little less on the academics and more on your relationship. Develop the kind of friendship with them that can extend into adulthood. This does not mean that you pamper them or excuse wrong behavior. There is a time and place for constructive criticism and hard conversations, but choose those moments wisely. What it does mean is that you consistently have your relationship with them at the forefront of your focus during this new stage of life.

Personal Experience

Speaking personally, when our kids were in the elementary years, I focused a lot of my energy on the academic part of homeschooling: talking about curriculum, worrying if they were behind in math, making sure I was reading to them enough. I don’t mean to say that these things aren’t important, but as my oldest son started growing into adulthood, I realized that those things weren’t as important as I thought they were.

I started seeing the clock ticking on his remaining time at home. Very quickly, I became aware that my time with him was dwindling. Rather than worrying about him “keeping up”, I became so much more concerned that he develop a lifelong love of learning and that we have a close relationship.

These high school years are the time for doing all the things you’ve dreamed about doing with your kids. It’s a time for late night movies together with your favorite snacks. It’s a time for inviting friends over for game nights. This is a season for making home a welcoming place, a haven that they want to come home to, with lots of food and easy conversations.

Leave a Comment!

If you have homeschooled a child through high school, leave a comment! Share your experiences and some suggestions of how others can prepare for these exciting final years with their kids.