Pajama School Blog

Pajama School, Stories from the Life of a Homeschool Graduate

Free Math Worksheet Generator

by natalie

We’ve been using Calculadders with all of our kids this year to make sure that they have a solid foundation in fundamental math skills. I really like the philosophy behind the development of Calculadders, that encourages mastery – both speed-wise and accuracy-wise – in order to prepare students for success with more advanced math. It’s a great approach that we can use with all levels simultaneously and get done in a relatively short amount of time each day (or whatever days we are focusing on math). It’s also easy to time everyone, track their errors, and generate reports with their overall performance.

When any of the kids run into difficulty with a level and end up stuck there, it’s an indication that they need additional practice on that skill. I was really excited to find a resource today where you can enter your own parameters and generate endless worksheets as pdfs that can be quickly printed and distributed to students to give them ample reinforcement in the area where they are struggling. For example, just click Multiplication Worksheets and it takes you to a page where you can specify what to include on the worksheet. I know I’ll be visiting this site often!

Torchlighters – A Tremendous Resource for Families!

by natalie

In doing some research for Adventures In Character this year I came across the Torchlighters website. Wow! I love the vision of this ministry, especially because of how much my own life has been impacted by the stories of men and women who gave their lives to serve God and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. In addition to the animated films, there is a leader and student guide for each episode that is extensive and excellent. This would make a fabulous curriculum for a homeschool family, church children’s ministry, VBS, etc. Just trying to come up with a way I can use it myself! 🙂

Here’s an informative and inspiring interview with the Torchlighters producer, Robert Fernandez:

Robert Fernandez Interview from Vision Video on Vimeo.

Reading Lists Galore!

by natalie

In HSLDA’s Weekly Update today, they included a link to a past issue of the Homeschooling Thru High School newsletter, The Pursuit and Pleasure of Reading. They recommend planning a summer reading program for your children to give them an incentive to read good books. The newsletter also contains links to a number of different reading lists that would serve as a great reference when looking for what books to include in the reading program.

In our house, Mom and Dad never needed to implement reading incentives. In fact, I was far more likely to get reprimanded for reading too much growing up (that’s why I had to hide behind the couch to do it!). My sister, Noelle, is the same way now. Even those in the family who are less obsessive readers still enjoy working their way through a good book. This was mostly passed down by example, I think, because Dad is an avid reader and is rarely to be found without a book or newsletter or magazine of some sort. Mom enjoys reading, too, but it has to be just the right book to keep her engaged long enough to finish it!

In the afore-mentioned Homeschooling Thru High School newsletter, this quote from Mark Twain especially resonated with me, “The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” I haven’t read nearly all the books that I wish I had, and I don’t read as much as I’d like to, but reading regularly is worth carving out time for, regardless of what other things fill my schedule.

Bible Reading Plan for 2010

by natalie

One of my favorite things to do is to spend time reading and studying the Bible. Years ago I made a commitment to spend at least five minutes a day reading the Bible, and God has used that discipline to transform my life. There have been times that those minutes in the Word were merely the dutiful fulfillment of my promise, but for the most part those five minutes have become hours upon hours of truly the most delightful time of my day.

While I love having the flexibility of searching out topics and passages that are of particular interest to me at various times, I have also found it helpful to have a structured plan that gives me a starting point each day when I have my quiet time with the Lord. This past year, I thoroughly enjoyed reading through the Bible chronologically (here’s a link to the daily plan that I used). I had wanted to do this for a while, but became especially motivated after spending a year rotating through the Books of History (Joshua-Esther) and wishing that I understood the broader context of the historical timeline and which kings and prophets lived concurrently.

In the course of reading through the Gospels as part of the chronological plan, I was impressed with a desire to know Jesus on a deeper level. My heart overflowed with a renewed love for Him and my imagination was enraptured as I considered what it must have been like to walk with Him while He lived here on this earth. So I decided that I would take a year to do just that! During 2010 my plan is to do a rotation through the Gospels, reading through all four Gospels each month. I couldn’t find anything quite like I was looking for, so I put together my own plan. For all the odd-numbered months, I’ll read through the Gospels in the order they fall in the Bible. For all the even-numbered months, I’ll read through the Gospels chronologically (or as closely as possible). And for each two-month rotation I’ll use a different translation of the Bible, including: ESV, KJV, Phillips, Geneva, Evidence, and one other that I’m leaving undecided until I start that rotation.

I’m super excited about launching this new plan! Well, truth be told, since I finished this year’s plan a couple weeks early, I decided to get a jump start on next year’s schedule and started it a couple days ago. Patience is not exactly my finest virtue… 🙂 If you’re interested in using the same plan, I’ve uploaded a Bible Reading Plan – Gospel Rotation that you are free to download and use. And if you have another plan that you’ve used and really enjoyed, I would love to know about it!

Free Pocket Constitution Available

by natalie

I recently came across a link to TheCapitol.Net website with information on how to request a free copy of the Pocket Constitution, which includes The Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and the Amendments to the Constitution. My Mom got similar guides for each of us kids years ago that we were able to reference in our studies. As a family we also went through the wonderful Institute on the Constitution lecture series, which helped give us a better understanding of the structure of our government and the intentions of our Founding Fathers.

Here are the instructions from the site about how to obtain your free pocket guide:

Single copies of this Pocket Constitution are available at no charge by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with first class postage for two (2) ounces to: TheCapitol.Net, Pocket Constitution, PO Box 25706, Alexandria, VA 22313-5706. Requests with insufficient postage will be returned or destroyed. Only 1 copy per request. Available while supply lasts. No phone, fax, or email requests will be accepted for complimentary copies.

Be sure to visit the website, though, for the most current information and to check out other related resources.

Biographical Sketches of the Reformers

by natalie

Doug Phillips posted a handout from the Reformation 500 event that has biographical sketches of each of the 47 historical figures that were portrayed by costumed attendees. They are separated into geographic categories, including: America, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Hawaii, The Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland. This would be a great starting point for anyone who is interested in studying some of these reformers and other important figures more in depth.